NAVARRA GOURMET

The French chef Michel Bras, the creator of a style which has changed the course of contemporary cuisine and winner of the “Navarra Gourmet” Prize, has had three Michelin stars since 1999 and is one of the most influential chefs on the international scene.

After receiving an exclusive sculpture by Faustino Aizkorbe, he declared that it was “a great honour to receive this award, which is a prize to the world of vegetables.” He also stated that "the world of vegetables is the finest expression of what we have in cuisine and, at these times in which values are being lost, it is very important to turn towards this vegetable world".

The use of aromatic herbs picked just hours before, the abolition of cream and sauces, clarity, minimalism, sensitivity, rigour, extreme respect for seasonal produce and a strong attachment to his own roots are his trademarks.

Michel Bras

Bras is a philosophical chef, intellectually influenced by the Aubrac, a wild, unspoiled region in which direct contact with nature is inevitable. Michel Bras' genius and true passion for what is good, attractive and authentic have done the rest.

Michel Bras was born on the 4th of November 1946 in Gardiac, in the Aveyron. He studied at Aveyron's Espallion school, a stone's throw away from the family business: the Hotel-restaurant Lou Mazuc de Lagliole. When he finished his studies, he began his career in local cuisine under the guidance of his mother. He did not leave Lagliole to complete his training; nor did he go to Paris or work with a big name. He taught himself, making up for his isolation by passionately studying gastronomic literature.

One of Bras' most emblematic dishes is Gargouillou of vegetables (Gargouillou de jeunes légumes, dit classique, relevé des grains germées & d’herbes champêtre), a dish consisting of 30 different vegetables cooked separately. These are finally sautéed lightly in a frying-pan with a slice of ham and several shoots and aromatic herbs are added.

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Related information

2008 awards

2007 awards