CULINARY JOURNEY
When the French Art of Travel meets gastronomy with the starred Michelin chef Julien Dumas.
Our gastronomic journey
DS Automobiles continues to explore the gastronomy universe. For this new culinary journey, the Michelin-starred chef Julien Dumas, the DS ambassador for gastronomy has gathered 5 passionate foodies from around Europe to bring together the finest ingredients of a very special dish.
The different stages
Travel is about discovery. Therefore, our 5 epicurians hit the road of France to meet Julien Dumas’ ingredients producers. On their ways to discover savoir-faire, new smells, flavours, landscapes, they have collected those culinary gems in the Esprit de Voyage dedicated luggage.
THE MAKING OF CULINARY LUGGAGE
Numerous types of savoir-faire are behind the creation of this tailor-made piece. It begins with a pencil stroke from our designers, continues with precise woodwork, and ends with rigorous sewing gestures. All our expertise encapsulates the spirit of travel in this refined chest and the art of finding gems all around the world. This travel companion will capture the discovery of new flavours, new scents to welcome all your travel memories for a guaranteed unique gastronomic adventure.
INGREDIENT 1: SMOKED TROUT FROM THE CÉZALLIER AQUACULTURE FARM
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 flavours. While only 17 hours of smoking are needed during warm periods, up to 40 are required for the months of November and December. The noblest part of the fillet is recovered and sewn back onto its skin, whose oils will concentrate the flavours 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.
INGREDIENT 2: PEPPER FROM JARDINS DE LA MER
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 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 flavour, one can recognize notes of celery, of which the plant is an ancestor.
INGREDIENT 3: FRESH TROUT FROM THE CÉZALLIER AQUACULTURE FARM
A producer’s expertise can be seen through his convictions. 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 obtained.
The trout living in the river is subject to many thermal variations and feeds in its natural environment on various 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 flavours and builds its uniqueness.
INGREDIENT 4: SEAWEED FROM JARDINS DE LA MER
To harvest the necessary seaweed for the chef, one must go as close to the ocean as possible. Particularly at the 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.
INGREDIENT 5: WALNUT OIL FROM PLANT OIL FACTORY OF VENSAT
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.
Back to the Saint-James hotel Paris with a new recipe
Seaweed, pepper, walnut oil, smoked and fresh trout: here are the five ingredients that our influencers had to bring to our Michelin-starred chef for him to create one of his finest dishes.
When the tasting moment comes, our culinary experts realize that their travel was worth the ride. The magic brought to these French gems by Julien Dumas shows that expertise is a matter of a several savoir-faire collection.
Julien Dumas
The Michelin-starred chef Julien Dumas is the DS Automobiles ambassador for gastronomy. Cooking for the Bellefeuille restaurant in the Saint-James Paris hotel, Julien Dumas offers seasonal recipes dedicated to nature. His desire for excellence and authenticity are shared with DS Automobiles.
La Malle Bernard
Travelling is about collecting new memories, tastes, flavours. DS Automobiles has imagined a unique culinary luggage filled with jars and bottles. Tailor-made to capture all these emotions, it was made by a connoisseur of the world of travel, La Malle Bernard.
