Brittany: abalone, the caviar of Finistère, is experiencing a resurgence in popularity

It is the treasure of Finistère: the abalone. Renowned for its flesh as much as for its mother-of-pearl, this shell appreciates the cold waters of Brest (Finistère). At the foot of Île Vierge, in the middle of seaweed fields, Sylvain Huchette, a producer, set up his abalone farm 18 years ago. The shells are immersed in crates ten meters deep, in water at twelve degrees. The pioneer had to work out everything to raise his abalones. “It takes about a kilo of seaweed to make a kilo of abalones”he explains.

This local product is experiencing a resurgence in popularity and is inspiring innovative chefs. Nicolas Conraux, starred chef, regularly places orders with Sylvain Huchette. Two different worlds but a common approach: preserving the planet. The chef revisits local cuisine. To tenderize the flesh, he has his own method: six days of aging in a buckwheat marinade. Under the admiring eye of the producer, Nicolas prepares the plate: abalone, Breton saffron and slices of Jerusalem artichoke. Abalone remains a rare delicacy, to be preserved.