Chef Jonnie Boer – Behind the 3 Michelin Stars of Netherlands’s De Librije

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Yes, that’s definitely Chef Jonnie Boer!

Netherlands have always had a picturesque image. You will find castles, country houses and gardens dotting the countryside like Overijssel. It is also in this province that one will find one of the best restaurants in Netherland, De Librije. It is actually smacked right at the center of Zwolle, an old Hanseatic town. This year, the restaurant has managed to win a place in El Pellegrino World’s 100 Best Restaurants. The restaurant is located in a 15^th century Dominican abbey. It used to be the abbey’s old library, thus the name. It is in this renovated old library that Chef Jonnie Boer serves guests with his exceptionally delectable culinary creations.

With the help of his wife, Therese Boer Tausch, Chef Boer has managed to earn a Michelin star for De Librije. To think, he did this during their first year of operation. This was in 1992. In 1999, the restaurant received its second Michelin star and it received its final star from the Michelin Guide in 2004. This is one of the two restaurants in the country with 3 Michelin stars. The other restaurant is Oud Sluis. This restaurant landed the 29^th spot in this year’s list while De Librije grabbed the 89^th spot. Chef Boer’s restaurant also earned a 19.5 score. It was awarded the Restaurant of the Year recognition by the Gault Millau Dutch edition.

There are many reasons why people are drawn to this restaurant. Aside from the wonderful atmosphere, the culinary offerings are definitely worth the price. The air is often filled with the aroma of lobsters and ice-creams that are prepared by Chef Boer using his own unique techniques. He has proven himself to be a quite inventive chef. His imagination when it comes to his cooking is boundless, completely unfettered.

Chef Jonnie Boer is a relatively known chef. His story is featured in his first book, Puur. As a chef, he is fiercely loyal to local cuisines, always insisting on using local ingredients. However, he is not afraid to experiment. He often comes up with wild and imaginative dishes with uncommon, even weird, ingredients. To him, everything else comes in second to the purity of the food, so he takes time to prepare every dish. He makes sure that everything that comes out of his kitchen can only be described as fantastic.

His contemporary but local culinary techniques can be traced back to his childhood. He grew up in Overijssel and he knows the area fairly well. He grew up fishing, poaching and hunting for food. Not surprisingly, these experiences have greatly influenced his culinary preferences. If asked to describe his cooking, he will humbly answer, “simple, honest and pure.”

Chef Jonnie Boer’s River Perch From “Het Zwarte Water” With Smoked Garlic Froth and Coriander Pesto

Recipe via Global Chefs

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

4 x 500g river perch

Lemon

14 cl olive oil

30 g pine nut kernels

20 g fully mature cheese

4 ripe beefsteak tomatoes

Sugar

Pepper and Salt

Lemon juice (1 lemon)

6 cloves of smoked garlic

Cream, milk and butter

Curry

Method:

Scale and fillet the perch (mind the prickles!) Skin and deseed the tomatoes. Caramelise some sugar in a pan and put the seeds, half of the tomato pulp and the fruit juice in the pan. Bring to the boil and whisk the mixture until it becomes quite smooth. Flavour as desired with additional lemon juice, pepper and salt.

Cut the remainder of the tomato pulp into dice. Add the diced tomato at the last moment to the mixture. Sweat the smoked garlic in butter and add a pinch of curry. Pour the poultry jus on this and reduce it with a dab of cream. Process the garlic mixture in a food processor. Then strain it through a sieve and whisk it with a splash of milk. Fry the fish en chemise in hot oil for a few moments and then gently cook them in the oven. Roast the pine nuts in the oven adding cheese, lemon juice and olive oil. Process the fish fillets with fresh coriander leaves in the food processor as finely as desired.

Image Credit Utnieuws

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