With its iconic wines, Burgundy and more specifically Côte d’Or, holds quite a few surprises. One of which, La Ferme de la Ruchotte, we stumbled upon last Sunday, in the form of a nine-course, vol-au-vent centred lunch, based on organic local fare including rare species of home-raised fowl.
Garden to plate has been taken a step further by this 13th century farmhouse and its nonconformist chef to go on to reinterpret bourgeois haute cuisine, in a unique ingredient-first approach. Owner and chef… market gardener and breeder… Frédéric Ménager, humorously calls his farm and restaurant “paradise on earth for poultry” and calls his cooking “rustic”. Understatement lies at the heart of Ménager’s authentic and refined essentials-only style. His daily-changing lunch menus draw from his 100% organic garden and rare breeds of raised fowl.
We savoured a feast: frog, veal sweetbreads, vol-au-vent with veal, veal kidneys and chicken, local cheeses and of course at this season: truffles. A warm and wonderful afternoon experience of true table service, intense flavours, select local wines and all that is authentic winter food.
Frédéric certainly holds his own at France’s prestigious chefs’ tables, with a history that includes holding the position of sous-chef at such kitchens as the three-Michelin-starred restaurant of Alain Chapel.
La Ferme de La Ruchotte is open for lunch, from Wednesday to Sunday with set 5-course menu, that changes according to the farm’s bounty and special Sunday feasts (12 times per year) such as Vol-au-Vent and le Ragoût de Homard de l’Île de Sein.
