Fabien Ferré: alta cocina con tres estrellas en el sur de la Provenza

Fabien Ferré is tall and slender, and he moves around his kitchen with such energy that you fear he might break the dishes. Luckily, he doesn't. He was an athlete in Burgundy and retains the physique and drive of a rugby player, a sport in which he always aspired to be a top performer, something he himself is surprised to have achieved so quickly. His restaurant, "La Table du Castellet," at the Hôtel du Castellet, boasts three Michelin stars and is one of the most highly regarded in France.

The restaurant is located in the southernmost part of Provence, a twenty-minute drive from the Mediterranean coast of Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer. The hotel occupies the former Formula 1 circuit in the mountains above Bandol, near a large golf course and hiking trails. The clientele is diverse: racing fans, athletes, golfers, and beachgoers, and many locals also frequent the establishment. "The people of Provence have noticed that I value their products with care and attention to detail," says the chef.

Ferré wanted to cook Mediterranean cuisine from a young age, in his native Burgundy, where the dishes are hearty and the sea is far away. He says his grandmother was an excellent cook and laid the foundation for his palate. After years of apprenticeship with the Troisgros family in Roanne (Loire), he decided to buy fish directly from the fishermen rather than wholesalers. He went to Le Castellet as sous-chef, alongside his mentor, chef Christophe Bacquié, and there he found what he was looking for.

From Thursday to Saturday, he goes to the Sanary-sur-Mer market himself and chooses his fish from trusted fishermen, often directly from their boats. If the squid isn't good, he buys crabs; if the red mullet is too small, he chooses mullet. The same goes for vegetables and herbs: "When I arrived here and saw the quality of the tomatoes, artichokes, and morels offered by the small farmers, I could hardly believe it. And then all the herbs that can be gathered wild on the rocks near the sea (marjoram, verbena) are phenomenal."

The menu is, in essence, an encyclopedia of the sea, and that's Ferré's goal: for each fish to be the star. A prime example is the squid, lightly grilled, which retains its tenderness and pure flavor. For the accompanying broth, he cooks sea bream bones, with their intense marine taste, and the oil infused with his favorite herb, marjoram, adds earthiness and depth. The skate, which elsewhere is often dry and stringy, is served on a Japanese charcoal grill, with toasted notes, a touch of wild garlic, and a calamansi gel. "The fish here is so good that it would be a shame to cover it with caviar and truffles. I want it straightforward and pure, without extravagant flourishes."

Ferré explains his approach this way: "I try to present everything very simply. I don't want complications; I don't want the diner to have to ask questions because they don't understand the dish and dozens of flavors overlap. My cuisine has to be legible."

The dining room, with its well-spaced white round tables, exudes luxury and elegance, though its modernity doesn't evoke a romantic atmosphere, and the dishes shine all the more because of it. After four or six courses, diners are invited to visit the glass-enclosed cheese cellar, where the head waiter, Pierre Méchain, explains each variety before the selection. The wine list, compiled by sommelier Jonathan Pral, consists of five books organized by region, with carefully calculated margins, something uncommon at this level and in a region as expensive as Provence.

Ferré opens only four days a week to give his team more free time, and he prefers a relaxed atmosphere: “If a waiter wants to wear sneakers, so be it. I want my team to be in a good mood and relaxed. That’s when they’re happiest and can transmit that to the customers.” He talks to his cooks and waiters, jokes with them, and sometimes they even give each other a hug. It’s teamwork, like that of a successful rugby team, and Ferré seems to have reached the pinnacle of haute cuisine in the role of coach.