Terroir and tradition

From endless forests in the Vosges to green valleys in Champagne and the vast plains of Alsace, the Grand Est hosts a wide diversity of game, pursuing a hunting tradition deeply anchored in local heritage. The Auberge de l’Ill, the 2-star restaurant of Chef Marc Haeberlin in Illhaeusern, has served sublime dishes of game for generations. "The restaurant is over 100 years old," he says. "After the Second World War, we already proposed many kinds of game on the seasonal menu. Recipes included jugged hare or boar, but also roast pheasant. Today, venison reappears on the menu at the end of May, followed by partridge, mallard, and finally, in November, the absolute must, royal hare."

At the Auberge de l’Ill, it comes in two versions: braised whole and carved in the dining-room by the maître d'hôtel, as per the Sénateur Couteaux recipe, or de-boned, stuffed and served as a ballottine, always accompanied by a few mushrooms and Alsatian spaetzle. While a real fan of game, Chef Marc Haeberlin is not a huntsman. Though one of his former "chefs de partie", living in Alsace for over 20 years, made hunting the cornerstone of his culinary identity.

La Table d'Olivier Nasti, the 2-star restaurant of Le Chambard in Kaysersberg, proposes creative gastronomy marked by regional traditions. Named "Meilleur Ouvrier de France" in 2007, Olivier Nasti goes hunting year-round with the deepest respect for nature. "I sincerely believe in a parallel between the cook and hunter," he explains. "They share high demands, work requiring remarkable patience and precision. Through hunting, I have gained knowledge essential for better cooking of game. It is healthy meat of outstanding quality." The Chef has thus developed cuisine deeply enamoured of game with dishes paying tribute to the finesse and subtlety of its flesh. As exemplified by his famed summer venison whose meat is nourished in spring by buds and red berries, giving surprising, delicate aromas.

Game and wine pairing

Dishes based on game call for wines of a certain calibre. Tradition naturally associates them with reds, though bolder pairings are possible with whites such as Gewurztraminer or Pinot Gris d'Alsace. Then, for a strong match, opt for powerful reds to accompany dishes of furry game (reserving the fullest-bodied wines for preparations in sauce), and finer, more delicate reds for our feathery friends.