Once enhanced, an exceptional product in its natural state can only give a result of unequalled quality. Smoked trout produced in the aquaculture farm of Cézallier area is a perfect example of this. Stéphane et Valentin Heinis, the producers chosen by our chef, have imagined his own unique process for smoking the trout. The trout is hung by a string and smoked with sawdust and cabinetmaker's oak shavings to obtain the greatest flavors. While only 17 hours of smoking are needed during warm periods, up to 40 are required for the months of November and December. The finest part of the fillet is selected and sewn back onto its skin, whose oils will concentrate the flavors in the flesh. This work of craftsmanship shows a common desire, that of a chef and two producers willing to redouble their ingenuity to magnify their products even more.

Some producers harvest flowers or fruits from certain plants, while others harvest pepper, an essential seasoning in French cuisine. This is the example of the Maceron plant cultivated by Jean-Marie Pédron at "Jardins de la Mer" (Gardens of the Sea). An emblematic plant of the coastal region, it grows from December to July, reaching a height of up to 1.5 meters. It is at this time that the seeds located above the stems form and turn black. Our most patient artisans dry and sieve them to obtain the famous Maceron pepper, a true work of art. With a slightly spicy and deep flavor, one can recognize notes of celery, of which the plant is an ancestor.

A producer's expertise can be seen through their values. Here, Stéphane and Valentin Heinis’ beliefs are in perfect harmony with those of our chef: to respect what nature is capable of offering us, and above all to respect the environment from which a product comes. Concerned about animal welfare, mastering their breeding from A to Z... it is also thanks to these values that an exceptional product can be created. River-dwelling trout are subjected to many temperature variations and feed in their natural environment on various natural elements present in the water, insects or shells. At the Cézallier aquaculture farm, the taste of trout is just as unique as its environment reproduced in the breeding tanks. This breeding method thus contributes to its multitude of flavors and builds its uniqueness.

To harvest the necessary seaweed for the chef, one must go as close to the ocean as possible. Particularly at the "Jardins de la Mer" (Gardens of the Sea), a domain managed by Jean-Marie Pedron. To enhance salty dishes, sliced raw for salads, sautéed, used for stuffing poultry, dried to make chips...the possibilities are immense. Seaweeds are chosen for their salty taste, and sometimes for flavours that can almost resemble truffle. A seaweed producer must therefore be a connoisseur, able to recognize the iridescent reflections and soft texture to judge its quality. Thanks to his passion, they have managed to transmit to Julien Dumas the taste for harvesting these exceptional products, proving once again that cooking is above all a matter of transmission.

This walnut oil is produced in Vensat, a small town of 540 inhabitants, by Claude and Sylvie Gendre for four generations. From this artisanal savoir-faire comes an exceptional product of an extremely rare quality. The nuts are not treated, no additives are added. The process is rigorous: the nuts are collected, dried, roasted, and turned under a 1300-kilogram wheel before the finished product is recovered. With its amber colour and sweet smell, this walnut oil awakens Julien Dumas’ memories of his childhood pastry shop in Grenoble where he still remembers the walnut pies.