The Faces of Bordeaux - Jérôme Schilling, chef at Restaurant Lalique
The Faces of Bordeaux
At The Bordeaux Concierge, our aim is to introduce our clients to the real Bordeaux. This includes meeting the people that make Bordeaux what it is today. As part of this effort, we will bring these vibrant personalities to our audience at home through our new series, The Faces of Bordeaux.
Jérôme Schilling
Chef, Restaurant Lalique
Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey
In our latest Faces of Bordeaux interview, we present to you Jérôme Schilling, Chef at the 1-star Michelin Restaurant Lalique located at Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey. The restaurant is located south of Bordeaux in the heart of Sauternes. Enjoy a true gastronomic experience in an unforgettable space with floor to ceiling windows with views onto the vines and surrounded by iconic Lalique pieces including a chandelier made out of one hundred and twenty crystal Semillon leaves.
Chef Jérôme Schilling ©Adriana Tripa
When did you know you wanted to become a chef?
Throughout my childhood, I remember smelling my mother’s cooking and knew I wanted to become a chef because of my desire to taste everything.
What has your career trajectory looked like? Where did you gain your experience?
I quickly discovered that I wanted to become a great chef. I started my career in a small restaurant next to my home in Alsace before joining the famous Chef Hubert Maetz to learn the basics and rigors of starred gastronomic cuisine.
Since my time with Hubert Maetz, I have continued my training with some of the greatest starred chefs in French gastronomy including Joël Robuchon, Roger Vergé, Jean-Yves Schillinger, Thierry Marx, Jean-Luc Rocha, Guy Lassausaie and Jean Georges Klein where I worked as executive chef for two years at the Villa René Lalique in Alsace. These mentors have taught me a lot including humility.
Throughout my career I have also been a keen participant in culinary competitions and received several awards including being elected Great Chef of Tomorrow by Gault&Millau 2019, winner of the Henri Huck Trophy in 2010, finalist in the Best Worker of France Competition in 2015 and first prize in the President of the Republic Challenge in 2017, as well as many others.
Today, I continue my ascent to the top with ambition, passion, and determination.
“It is all about bringing out the qualities of Sauternes in precise gastronomic pairings, enhancing its aromas, highlighting its various shades and playing with textures”
Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey where 1-star Michelin Restaurant Lalique is located. ©Deepix
Seasonality and fresh and local produce are spoken about a lot today. Where do you source your products? Can you share some of your main partners for these products?
The base of my culinary philosophy remains simple: seasonal products, ideally local and environmentally friendly. The Château is in the heart of the Sauternes region, located between land and sea, halfway between Brittany and the Basque country, but also close to the riches of the Dordogne and the Gers. The result of a genuine meeting between myself and local producers, each product is carefully selected, chosen for its gustatory qualities but also for the conditions in which it is reared and cultivated. One of the partners we like to work with is Maison Autrefoie for their ducks.
Braised duck breast with a semolina cake, peaches and a verbena syrup ©Anne-Emmanuelle Thion
Where does your inspiration come from?
Wine plays a major role in the gastronomic experience of Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey. Beyond the food and wine pairing, it is the very essence of the region's vineyards that enters into my cooking. Everything serves as my inspiration including the grape must, wine lees, and vine shoots. The must of the Cabernet Franc confits and tenderizes the meat while the vine stocks and shoots feed the wood-fired oven. Sauternes is obviously given pride of place and I like to experiment with it, macerating Sauternes with aromatic herbs, flowers or hay, reducing it until it crystallizes, or for infusions, fermentation, or poaching. It is all about bringing out the qualities of Sauternes in precise gastronomic pairings, enhancing its aromas, highlighting its various shades and playing with textures. Thanks to the grace of this sweet wine, certain foods are able to become haute cuisine.
I took part in the harvesting of the grapes on the estate and in the blending when I arrived at the restaurant. I have familiarized myself with each of the grape varieties used at the estate as well as each vintage of the château. I note the color, aromas, and scents and use this to inspire a tone and a flavor of a grand cru and deliver a menu entirely dedicated to Sauternes.
Do you have a signature dish? If so, what is it?
Moelleux Choux fleur, Vintage caviar and "Beluga" vodka sauce
What is your favorite meal?
Grilled Bazas beef with vine shoots
In your opinion, what is the perfect pairing with one of Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey’s wines?
Havana-smoked veal sweetbreads and Arabica coffee with a 1998 Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey.
Foie Gras de canard with a lillet colada ©Anne-Emmanuelle Thion
“I like to take my customers on a journey and transport them to my world”
Restaurant Lalique was awarded its first Michelin star in 2019, making it the only starred restaurant in Sauternes. How did it feel to win this first star?
You never win alone, success always comes from a team. This distinction is an honor and distinguishes the collective work done since the opening of Restaurant Lalique at Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey.
What goes in to trying to obtain a Michelin star?
You need a cuisine that is not only based on the skill of the know-how, but also, and above all, on the search for something original.
2020 has been a strange year for everyone. What has been the impact on you professionally and Restaurant Lalique in general?
I have had to adapt and reinvent myself and my cuisine in the face of this health crisis. I like to take my customers on a journey and transport them to my world, which is why I decided to create a weekly catering menu inspired by the culinary dishes of our regions and country.
Tell us more about the association you launched, Les Amis du chef Jérôme, which aims to raise funds to help children with cancer. Why is this cause so important to you?
Faced with the increasing number of children affected by pediatric cancer in the world and, of course, in France, I along with my friend, Chefs & Bolides magazine journalist Emmanuel Lupé, decided to create an association to organize various programs in conjunction with hospitals specializing in the treatment of pediatric cancers. Throughout the year, the association collects donations to finance educational programs for young people who are ill or in remission and training programs for young adults in remission who are looking for professional orientation.
What is your favorite thing about Bordeaux?
Place de La Bourse!
What is the number one thing visitors to Bordeaux should see/do while they are here?
Travel to Sauternes to discover the most beautiful landscape in the South of Gironde
What is one local food related item that visitors should try when visiting Bordeaux?
Pan-fried duck liver from its producer Autrefoie.
Located in the 17th-century Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey is not only the 1-star Michelin Restaurant Lalique, but also a luxurious boutique 5-star hotel with just 13 rooms and suites.
Let us introduce you to Restaurant Lalique and Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey on your next visit to Bordeaux
View from the dining room at Restaurant Lalique © AgiSimoes & RetoGuntli