Chef Christopher Coutanceau has earned his three stars in the Michelin Guide thanks to his 100% seafood cuisine which glorifies seafood: sea urchins, squid with black truffles, red mullet from head to tail… His menu is fished locally. A principle, a philosophy, a commitment to sustainable fishing and cooking. This cook-fisherman campaigns for fish to be eaten at the right time of year.
With the scientists of the Aquarium of La Rochelle, in Charente-Maritime, he has just published a book to discover and cook unknown fish, to encourage a change in consumption habits. As with vegetables, each fish has its season. Christopher Coutanceau, more than ever convinced that we must protect the resources of the sea, gives some advice to the magazine “13H15 le dimanche” (replay) to enjoy an eco-responsible marine plate…
“A fish that really swarms in our waters”
“The pout is a fish that lives in our waters, on shipwrecks. It has absolutely delicious white flesh and should be consumed from July to December. Inventories are doing very well. It is still devalued and is one of the so-called ‘not very noble’ fish, whereas it is quite simply extraordinary. L’garfishalso called aiguillette, is a fish that I like to work filleted, marinated in soy sauce with a little lemon juice, fleur de sel and pepper, then well lacquered and grilled over a wood fire, basting it with its marinade to bring a little caramelization. It’s a fish that’s hardly ever eaten and really swarms our waters.”
“The bar is a fish that will gorge itself from November until mid-December and then go off to sea at the end of December to reproduce on the spawning grounds. He no longer eats at all at that time. No need to eat it because it is pregnant. Stocks are really in danger. You have to leave him alone. It would be like eating a tomato in December or January. So it’s totally useless. We have a little bit of seasonality for terrestrial products and a lot for hunting, which is prohibited during the reproduction of species… So, today, with the oceans and the seas, we have to be able to cook and work like that.”
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