Team Lunch at Maison Troisgros
by Max Goldberg Liu
October 14, 2022
Daniel, Jaime, Raj, Edouard, and I found ourselves last Saturday at Maison Troisgros, the Troisgros family’s flagship location in the hamlet of Ouches, around 5 miles from the town of Roanne where the family settled in 1930. The Troisgros moved to Ouches in 2017 following the thorough renovation of an old estate into a remarkable property now called “Les bois sans feuilles” (the leafless woods).
We were there not only for lunch, but also to plan for next May’s “La Paulée des Champs” event with the Troisgros family (let us know if you are interested in attending and would like to be put on the waitlist).
I had been to Troisgros before but only had a coffee, so I was very excited to finally get the full experience, and it did not disappoint!
The meal began with some snacks in the lounge:
Marinated eggplant on a sablé cracker
Three variations of marinated beets
Both dishes boasted a bracing amount of acidity which I always find to be an appetite-whetting way to start a meal and, unsurprisingly, the quality of the produce and intensity & purity of flavor was just exquisite.
We enjoyed these with a glass of Champagne Jacquesson Cuvée 744.
We then sat in one of the salons with Michel and his wife Marie-Pierre to avoid the hubbub of the main dining room and to have an effective working lunch.
The first course was a very interesting dish of raw and almost-raw vegetables with squid and a sauce of fresh strawberry juice. Again, the quality and treatment of the vegetables really shone through, although for me, the squid was a bit lost and served mostly as an additional textural component.
Next was a remarkable dish of pumpkin with caviar, brown butter, and hazelnuts. Like many of Troisgros’ dishes, a deceptively simple presentation belied a complex yet harmonious joining of ingredients.
The earthiness and sweetness of pumpkin married very well with the brine and creaminess of the caviar, an inspired pairing.
Also, as noted by Edouard, the pun with this dish was hard to miss - the butternut squash was dressed with butter and nuts. Perhaps wordplay provided inspiration?
This was followed by a crispy porcini mushroom that was a perfect early fall treat. A few capers hidden below cut the intense richness and meatiness.
The main course featured venison with endive, caper leaves, and cacao. Again, the acidity in the caper leaves (first time I’d ever had them) and in the exquisite sauce (not pictured) kept things light and balanced. It’s not hard to see the through line between Jean & Pierre Troisgros, two of the originators of Nouvelle Cuisine which forever lightened French food, Michel (Pierre’s son), and César, who now runs the kitchen in Ouches.
We finished with two incredible desserts. The first featured the surprising pairing of mushroom and pear and it was one of my favorite desserts I’ve ever tasted, a beautiful distillation of the essence of autumn in the form of a sort of “forest floor” with fresh and cooked mushrooms, poached pear, pear gelée, and crisp cookie “leaves.” Just sweet enough, and an incredibly unique dish.
The final dessert was simply called Feuille Blanche (white leaf) and married the last wild strawberries of the season with flavors of rice. A little crystalized ginger kept things in check. Just a stunning meal over all, and I can’t wait to get back!
You might be asking what we drank! Raj generously brought a magnum of Volnay 1er Cru Clos de la Bousse d’Or 1983 from La Pousse d’Or. As you all know, RAJ IS THE MAN, and we all greatly enjoyed the genius of Gérard Potel throughout the entire meal. A great bottle for a great afternoon.
Michel & Edouard, who matched his shirt to the gorgeous colors of the ivy
In front of the Troisgros’ Citroën truck “La Petite Cuisine” from the 1960’s that served as their food truck and mobile kitchen during the pandemic. Thanks Raj for taking the photo!
Michel & Daniel - friends forever!