A chef, a recipe: Bert de Rycker

23 December 2019

Crans-Montana and Morand are joining forces to offer you a chance to discover superb recipes concocted by the best chefs in the region. They will be paying tribute to quality local produce through their passion for and love of gastronomy, and each one will be proposing a succulent recipe in a video.

Every month, you'll discover a chef, a recipe !

Bert de Rycker and his scallop pudding, langoustines and caviar with Niels Rodin gin

We went to meet Bert de Rycker , the 36 year old Belgian who is at the head of Le Rawyl restaurant, and who was recently named discovery of the year in French-speaking Switzerland by Gault & Millau. Today he is presenting his own personal recipe: a scallop pudding, langoustines and Royal Belgian Caviar, with a sauce with Niels Rodin gin and lemon and thyme tea.

Awards
Discovery of the year, Gault Millau 2019
15 points out of 20 in Gault Millau

Which recipe are you going to present today? What produce have you decided to work with, and why?
It's a scallop biscuit, with langoustines and Royal Belgian Caviar, with a sauce with Niels Rodin gin and lemon and thyme tea. Personally, I love scallops. Also as this is a celebration dish, scallops are an ideal noble product, but at the same time the dish is simple to recreate at home, and doesn't require a huge budget.

Encounter

What produce do you like to cook with, and why ?
I generally appreciate products that aren't seen as noble, such as pork neck, thighs or legs. I also enjoy cooking forgotten vegetables, and truffles. In my opinion, a good cook should be able to offer good gastronomic cuisine with any products, not just with luxury products.

Is there anything that you absolutely could not do without in your cuisine?
Definitely red beetroot, sweet potatoes and sweetbread.

A dish from your childhood ?
Red cabbage with potato mousseline and sausages.

Was becoming a chef an obvious choice ?
Actually I've never known anything other than the restaurant business, and all that it entails. My grandfather had a fish market, so he worked with the restaurant trade and private clients, and he also owned fish shops and a catering company.

Are you more : local or exotic flavours? Tradition or innovation ?
I mostly choose local flavours and innovation, without forgetting tradition.

Why did you choose Crans-Montana for your work?
Because I love this place.

Your culinary influences or inspirations?
It can come from pretty much anywhere a walk, music, art or memories of smells that come back to me from my childhood.

Your greatest gastronomic encounter?
That would be Mr. Claude Terrail, who was the owner of the Tour d'Argent in Paris, where I worked when I was 19. He was a very humble person who gave me the courage and desire to progress in the world of gastronomy.

An anecdote to share with us ?
It's not really an anecdote, more a motto: « Be f***ing practical. Success is not a theory! ».

Video of Bert de Rycker's Recipe