Olivier Roellinger
If we had to assign a colour to each spice, some would think of cardamom as being a deeper and stronger green than that of mint. Giving an impression of great freshness in the mouth and through its aroma, this little seed is one of my favourites.
My preference is for the seeds of Kerala. I have a passion for this flavour, but be careful, it can overpower a dish. I like to use it with or instead of ginger, particularly to flavour seafood bouillons and fish in its own stock. You can grind the whole pods in a coffee grinder, but it is better to sift this powder. It´s present in a number of Indian and Asian spice mixes, particularly curries and masale.
I had the good fortune to be born in the stately malouinière « De Bricourt », a home for shipbuilders, corsairs and spice hunters that was built in the 18th century.
In 1982, with my wife Jane and my mother, we opened les « Maisons de Bricourt » to share the joy of living between « sky and sea » in the small Breton fishing port of Cancale.
My cooking is above all a means of expression, imbued with the enchantment of the Bay of Mont Saint-Michel, Celtic beliefs and the history of maritime adventures in Saint-Malo, land of « Amazing travellers ». To develop this cuisine, I have always relied on riches from the sea supplied by my fishermen friends and treasures from the earth cultivated by my favourite market gardeners.
But, to express my taste for long-distance travel and expeditions to the « South Seas », I have always used spicesidentical to those brought back over the centuries by maritime adventurers to within the walls of this corsair city.
By following the routes of these great Breton sailors, founders of « the East India Company », Jane and I have been able over the years to meet spice producers in Asia, Africa and the New World. They taught us to identify the finest quality for each of the spices. Thus we discovered the variety of seeds, leaves, barks and roots that could be used in cooking.
My motivation in creating « spice powders » in our kitchens for the past 30 years to match with shellfish, crustaceans, fish, vegetables and fruits from Cancale has not been to invent an exotic cuisine, but to express my taste for adventure as a native of Brittany.
In 2006, the Maisons de Bricourt and its team obtained three stars in the Michelin Guide.
In 2009, I had to stop cooking professionally for health reasons. Since then, this same team has interpreted my cuisine based on the sea, vegetables and spices at « Château Richeux ».
If we had to assign a colour to each spice, some would think of cardamom as being a deeper and stronger green than that of mint. Giving an impression of great freshness in the mouth and through its aroma, this little seed is one of my favourites.
My preference is for the seeds of Kerala. I have a passion for this flavour, but be careful, it can overpower a dish. I like to use it with or instead of ginger, particularly to flavour seafood bouillons and fish in its own stock. You can grind the whole pods in a coffee grinder, but it is better to sift this powder. It´s present in a number of Indian and Asian spice mixes, particularly curries and masale.
Personally, I prefer it with milky tea with cinnamon and ginger, a drink the Indians appreciate at any time of day. Finally, if you're really afraid to use it in cooking, save it for the end of a heavy or garlicky meal. It will help you to keep any assignation...
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More about Chef Olivier Roellinger
I had the good fortune to be born in the stately malouinière « De Bricourt », a home for shipbuilders, corsairs and spice hunters that was built in the 18th century.
In 1982, with my wife Jane and my mother, we opened les « Maisons de Bricourt » to share the joy of living between « sky and sea » in the small Breton fishing port of Cancale.
My cooking is above all a means of expression, imbued with the enchantment of the Bay of Mont Saint-Michel, Celtic beliefs and the history of maritime adventures in Saint-Malo, land of « Amazing travellers ». To develop this cuisine, I have always relied on riches from the sea supplied by my fishermen friends and treasures from the earth cultivated by my favourite market gardeners. But, to express my taste for long-distance travel and expeditions to the « South Seas », I have always used spicesidentical to those brought back over the centuries by maritime adventurers to within the walls of this corsair city.
By following the routes of these great Breton sailors, founders of « the East India Company », Jane and I have been able over the years to meet spice producers in Asia, Africa and the New World. They taught us to identify the finest quality for each of the spices. Thus we discovered the variety of seeds, leaves, barks and roots that could be used in cooking.
My motivation in creating « spice powders » in our kitchens for the past 30 years to match with shellfish, crustaceans, fish, vegetables and fruits from Cancale has not been to invent an exotic cuisine, but to express my taste for adventure as a native of Brittany.
In 2006, the Maisons de Bricourt and its team obtained three stars in the Michelin Guide.
In 2009, I had to stop cooking professionally for health reasons. Since then, this same team has interpreted my cuisine based on the sea, vegetables and spices at « Château Richeux ».
