Geeta Bansal Interviews René Mathieu, Chef at Chateau Bourlingster

Every Monday, Clay Oven Irvine executive chef/owner Geeta Bansal
shares an interview that she's done with some of the heavyweights of
European cooking. Today, she regales us with a visit to Luxembourg, where René Mathieu wows both royalty and commoners alike. Enjoy!

Last year at a food conference, my friend René was horrified and shocked
when, at a small group meeting with chefs Michel Troisgros and Pierre
Gagnaire of France, I totally broke protocol and chose to ask my own
questions (in my passable French) of these esteemed chefs (American
brashness replacing the European sensibilities). René knows a thing or
two about protocol, as he was the chef de cuisine for three years for the
Duc and Duchesse of Luxembourg. There were more interpreters and
cameras in the room than chefs, and my passable French was not well-appreciated by the officiating moderators and translators, to the
amusement of two Spanish culinary-school instructors in the room with
us.
]



Mathieu is a mild, elegant (and very tall) Belgian chef from the Lilliputian land of Luxembourg. Last year, he was awarded his first Michelin star for the food he creates for the elegant dining room of the La Distillerie restaurant at Château Bourlingster. This year, the accolades are already piling up, as he has been named Chef of the Year for Legumes in entire Benelux region. We share a passion for food and the many brilliant chefs we admire, such as Gagnaire, Albert Adria, René Redzepi, Arabelle Meirlaen and Soon Hang Degeimbre, among others. In his long career, he has received multiple accolades and awards in Belgium and Luxembourg.

Several years ago, my husband and I drove to Luxembourg from Brussels (a detour on the way to France), following a gastronomic trail of amazing chefs and restaurants. We had heard of the picturesque Château and its chef from friends in Europe. Needless to say, René's work shows his mastery and love of the culinary craft. Last week, René, after reading a few of my interviews, said that I am only writing about the top guns, and I have many other friends in Europe who are talented, creative chefs. So I decided to introduce my friend René to the food addicts in our part of the world.

Not many visitors travel specifically to the Benelux region in Europe, comprised of three countries: Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. The last is the smallest of the three, with an area of only 998 square miles and a population of 400,000. The Château Bourlingster (set in the country) is an extremely charming castle, completely rebuilt and modernized in 2006. After three years of tough times and hard work by René and Selim Schiltz (the owner of Château Bourlingster), it is now recognized in Belgium, France and Germany as one of the top tables of the region. As he says: One structure, one team and one vision is necessary to accomplish his goal of making it the best in the region and known all over the world.

So this week, we're taking a detour from Spain to the fairytale landscape of Luxembourg, to the small town of Bourlingster, where René informed me a few weeks ago that it was 6 degrees Celsius [or 42.8 degrees Fahrenheit] with 30

When did you enter in this industry?

When I was 13, I had my first contact with the restaurant life. From that moment, I knew that this is what I want to do with my life–become a cook. School did not interest me anymore. I obtained a training position at the very first restaurant [I approached] and stayed there for four years. After that, I apprenticed at another restaurant, but it did not match my vision of what I wanted my food to be. At the age of 21, I opened my own petite auberge, which became a springboard for my career.

What is your philosophy of food?

In a world in which everything is accelerating, in which everything changes very quickly, tastes are always evolving. Borders open up, spaces get closer, . . . Because the flavors are an endless source of pleasure and surprises, the gastronomic universe cannot remain compartmentalized in its habits or fall into monotony and weariness of taste. It deserves to be studied, to be explored . . . that we always select the best products available.

My work is mainly in this research, where we need to highlight the work of craftsmen who respect their products. This is the essential foundation for the creation of my recipes that can reveal a fun or symbolic link. It is very important to experience tasting in a world of escape, based on a sensitive but also reflective approach, a sensual exchange for the body but also an aesthetic mind transfer. It must be a culinary experience based on tastes, colors and shapes, meaning and senses, a cuisine of various fragrances. . . . I add a philosophical dimension to the definition of gastronomy, which is integral to all creations. It is a set of specific, mastered techniques that are the tools of artistic and emotional expression. Fragrances, flavors, textures, colors are all elements that trigger our memory, unique and sensitive moments of our lives, that reveal conscious or unconscious memories.

What is the most annoying thing about restaurant menus for you?
 
Monotony and lack of respect for the seasons, as well as cooking made without love, bore me.
[
Which one of your peers (or equals) do you admire the most?

In each region, there are chefs that I admire: René Redzepi of Noma, Copenhagen: He has given new impetus and influence to cooking. Spain: Quique Dacosta, Andoni Aduriz of Mugaritz. Brazil: Alex Atala. USA: Dominique Crenn, Grant Achatz, Mathew Lightner, Daniel Boulud. Belgium: Sang Hoon Degeimbre of L'air du temps, Kobe Desramault of In De Wulf. France: Pascal Barbot/Pierre Gagnaire/Michel Troisgros/David Toutain Germany: Klaus Erfort and Christian Bau.

I love all the chefs who are foremost passionate about cooking.

Which other cuisine in the world would you like to learn about?
 
The cuisines of the Amazon region and Asia. (Chefs Alex Atala and Gaston Acuria have both helped create this curiosity in chefs all over the world.)

What is the most adventurous and creative cuisine you have encountered?

Of course, the cuisine of Ferran Adria at El Bulli and Dennis Martin of Vevey, Switzerland. And the Roca Brothers at Celler Can Roca.

What do you like to cook for friends and family?

The vegetables from my garden. In winter, plats mijote [stews]; in summer, salads from my garden; and always dishes formed of my travels and memories of vacations. Especially to India, Japan, China, Mexico and Morocco.

What have some of the most memorable moments in your life?

The birth of my children: Charlott, who has made me a proud grandfather; my son, Julien; and now my little Louise. Meeting and falling in love with my wife, Angelique. My professional life has given me proud and happy memories, as well. In 2010, being named the Chef of the Year in Luxembourg, Gault Millau 15/20 for 2011, the Michelin in 2012, and now the award for the best in legumes [vegetables], my passion, in the region.

Which female chef do you admire the most, and who you think is the most creative?

Dominique Crenn in the U.S. I do not know her, but I would be really happy to meet her, as I admire her poetry on her plates. The second is Arabelle Meirlaen, who is the only female chef to be an Étoilée in Belgium. She has a grand future ahead of her, especially, as you know, for interests in the health benefits of plants and organisms.

You have been to the U.S. many times. What are your favorite cities?

New York, San Francisco and Las Vegas. I have been to Las Vegas twice to attend a congress at the Cordon Bleu culinary school. I visited New York to attend a session of a club of chefs, where I met many brilliant American chefs.

Where do you want to visit on your ideal vacation?

I want to visit the West Coast of the U.S., including California, of course.

Finally, what is the most distinctive characteristic of your cuisine?

My cuisine is principally based on fresh and local produce, with respect for the seasons and what each season has to offer for each dish. Each plate is a poem of nature and offers a passion for it. [René is a poet, an herbalist and a master at creating plates with uncommon vegetables and highlighting natural flavors.]

René's career has been busy with many challenges on his route to success, but he is extremely happy and content with new life with his petite French professeur [his wife] and his daughter Louise. Occasionally, he still cooks for the royal family. He says it is not easy to follow your dreams in the world of food, but he will continue to raise the standards of his profession.

Bonne chance mon ami, René. René's motto in life: “Aim for the moon because even if you cannot reach it, you will only fall into the stars!”