Matthieu Pouleur has been executive chef at La Ferme Saint Simeon, a gorgeous Relais & Chateaux property in the picturesque seaside town of Honfleur in Normandy for the last four years. He has enjoyed a meteoric rise through Michelin-star restaurants all over France. He comes from a family of butchers and is passionate about produce that is fresh and locally farmed, and has introduced this along with respect for the gastronomic DNA of Relais and Chateaux – terroir, tradition, and sincerity – into the Ferme Saint Simeon and other properties in their ‘Collection Saint Simeon’. I had the privilege to meet Matthieu and taste some wonderful produce at La Boucane, their bistro at the hotel, over lunch one sunny September afternoon in Honfleur.
Karen Anand: You are so loyal to this region. Do you come from Normandy?
Matthieu Pouleur: No, not at all. I am from the north of France, but I’ve worked all over the country. I’ve worked in many Relais & Chateaux hotels and in Michelin restaurants. The clientele is similar. Here, we receive a lot of Parisian guests and I know what they are looking for.
Restaurant La Boucane, which is Norman for “the old cottage,” makes fine use of Channel seafood and local produce, under the direction of chef Pouleur Karen Anand
Is there a big difference between catering to foreigners and the French?
Not really. They are all looking for the same thing – the best local produce.
We’ve just had your apple tart in the restaurant and it’s the best I've ever had honestly. What makes it so special? Is it the apples since we are in Normandy or the butter which makes the pastry so beautifully crisp?
The butter for sure!
The famed Apple Tart at La Ferme Saint Simeon
What’s so special about the butter from Normandy?
We use Bordier butter, which is still made in an artisanal way. It is farm style and not pasteurised. You can’t buy it in any supermarket. It’s a real quality product, like many of the products we use, and is locally sourced.
What are the other products from this region that you love?
My favourite would definitely be the seafood here, because we have a huge coast. Scallops (Coquilles Saint-Jacques) begin in October at the beginning of the seafood season. Everything is very seasonal here. Our salmon comes from a vendor in Isigny. Our fish is from the local Honfleur market. Our lobsters are fantastic. We change our menus regularly. I see what is available and sometimes change the menu twice a season. There’s no rule really. In our other hotel, Auberge de la Source, the food is quite different. We give more importance to products from the land like snails and river trout.
A plate from hotel Auberge de la Source and (right) Karen Anand with chef Pouleur
What fish do people come here for?
Sole. We do it in many ways – classic Meuniere-style, with any sauce, with mushroom and shrimp, even carpaccio.
La Sole Dieppoise
And your favourite dessert?
Definitely the Apple Tart!
What ingredient most represents this region? And what can’t you do without?
Cream for sure. We use it in savoury as well as sweet dishes.
What if an American walks in and asks for a hamburger?
We’ll serve it in room service, but never in my restaurants!
In a world where food trends dictate changes in menus, do you see yourself following these trends?
Not really, for example, we own the Vieux Honfleur – the oldest seafood restaurant down by the port. Nothing changes there. People come for the same seafood platter.
A dish from Vieux Honfleur – the oldest seafood restaurant down by the port in Honfleur
Chef Pouleur’s ‘La Tarte aux Pommes’ recipe
Ingredients:
For the almond cream —
- 100g of almond powder
- 100g of butter
- 100g of sugar
- 100g of egg
For the puff pastry —
- 500g of flour
- 10g of salt
- 250g of water
- 375g of butter
(Note: Good readymade puff pastry is available in India from Switz)
Side —
- 1 1/2 apples (peeled and cored)
- 10g heavy cream
- 5g of brown sugar
Method
- Mix the almond powder, sugar and butter together
- Add the eggs and mix
- Mix the flour, salt and water with a mixer to obtain a homogeneous dough. Leave to rest overnight
- Incorporate the butter into the rested dough then make turns to obtain the puff pastry
- Spread the dough 3mm thick, making a 10x10cm square. Place the almond cream on top and add the quarters of one and a half apples
- Add melted butter to the wedges and sprinkle with brown sugar
- Bake at 190°C in a dry oven for 35 minutes
- Serve warm with heavy cream