Chef Philippe Rochat – Soaring High with the World-Famous Restaurant de L’Hotel de Ville

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A Swiss chef, Philippe Rochat is the owner as well as the head chef of the world-famous Restaurant de L’Hotel de Ville, which can be found in Crissier. The former owner of this restaurant was Chef Fredy Girardet, and when Chef Rochat bought the restaurant and took over the reins, the restaurant soared to new heights. It was awarded three Michelin stars, and this year, it bagged the 14th place of the prestigious 100 World’s Best Restaurants by S. Pellegrino.

Chef Rochat was born on the 29th of November 1953. His mother was from Italy, and his father was from Vaud. He has always been interested in the culinary world and in becoming a chef, and on his vacations, he would become an apprentice in Romont’s Buffet de la Gare under the tutelage of Marcel Cavuscens. He continued his apprentice with some of the famous kitchens in Zurich, two of which are the Savoy Baur en Ville as well as the prestigious Baur au Lac.

It was in 1980 that he met Chef Fredy Girardet and joined his culinary team at the Restaurant de l’Hotel de Ville. Here, he perfected his culinary skills and techniques, learning what he could from Chef Girardet. He became an expert in making pastries before he moved on to meat and vegetables. Because of his skill, he became the sous chef of the restaurant and then its head chef. With free rein in the kitchen, he created his own menu, taking care that quality is always assured.

In 1996, Chef Girardet finally handed over the keys to Chef Rochat, and with Chef Rochat at the helm, the restaurant’s three Michelin stars never fell under the magic number of three.

Chef Rochat has worked with some of the greatest chefs of the world, and you can see their influences in his cuisine. However, Chef Rochat has a style that is his own, and no matter how much these chefs have influenced his cooking style, one can still appreciate the uniqueness in his dishes. He is a firm believer in the “rule of three,” that to make a really good dish, all you will need are three distinctive flavors. Chef Rochat has a keen talent in combining different flavors and textures, knowing which will work well with another ingredient to create perfect traditional French cuisine, and his skill was well-awarded with praises and awards from prestigious bodies.

His dishes have truly captured the true flavors of each ingredient, keeping with tradition and, at the same time, highlighting each flavor to complement each other. Guests of his restaurant have more to expect from him as he perfect his skill and climb to the top.

Chef Philippe Rochat’s Etuvée of Cultivated Mussels with Onion Recipe

Ingredients:

2 liters (8 cups) cultivated mussels, scrubbed and well washed
3 small new onions, thinly sliced
1 sprig of thyme
20 g (2/3 oz.) chopped lovage
20 g (2/3 oz.) flat leaf parsley, chopped
200 ml (3/4 cup) dry white wine
200 g (7 oz.) butter

Directions:

1. In a large pot, sweat the new onions in 50 g (3 tbsp.) butter, add the cultivated mussels and the thyme branch and combine; add the dry white wine. Cook covered, stirring often until the mussels open.

2. Drain the mussels, reserving the cooking liquid as well as the new onions.

3. Remove half of each mussel shell and place the half containing the mussel on a large plate, forming several concentric circles. Place on the oven door to keep warm.

4. Pour the mussel liquid with the onions into a saucepan, remove the thyme branch, and incorporate the remaining butter a little at a time, whisking constantly over low heat. Add the chopped herbs.

5. Pour the sauce over the mussels, add a grinding of fresh pepper and serve immediately.

Makes four servings.

Image Credit: vaud.ch/en/

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