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After 9 years of training on several different levels in a French hotel school, Stéphane started seasonal work in both the Alps and on the Cote d’Azur to complete his apprenticeship. His first experience as a chef was in the Caribbean, before returning to work in the South of France and finally arriving on the Hotel Barge Rosa.
Meet Rosa Chef, Stéphane Mazières
What is your favourite dish to make onboard?
A Vichyssoise Veloute with Haddock. It is a classic French dish of potato and leek velouté “revisited” with haddock and can be enjoyed either cold in the summer or hot in winter. It goes very well with other products such as oysters, eels… even with poultry. Guests like it very much and frequently ask for the recipe.
What’s the inspiration behind it?
During our training in the hotel school we had to know basic recipes by heart, and this was one of them. I really like the smoky side which brings another dimension to the dish, a slightly deeper taste. The haddock in this dish brings it out wonderfully.
Which destinations have inspired your cooking?
The first establishment I worked in was in Provence, where I discovered the cuisine of the south full of “life, perfume and sun…” So, when I cook, I always use an ingredient or a seasoning which gives life to a dish, brings a little more to it. Being on the Rosa, products from the south-west are in the spotlight!
Who do you consider to be your culinary hero?
A chef that I greatly admire is Pierre Gagnaire. He is a great chef who succeeds in making exceptional pairings. Wherever he is in the world, he manages to convey emotion in his dishes with produce that derives from the area.
Who would you compare your cooking style with?
That is a difficult question to answer. Each chef tries to create their own cuisine, and to have their own identity in their cuisine. To please the guests who come to taste it. I think my style stems from all the head chefs that I trained with.
What is your favourite food city?
My favourite culinary city is Paris because it brings together all the culinary identity of France. But also, many foreign chefs come to establish themselves in Paris and carry out what we now call ‘cuisine fusion’, that is to say a marriage of the culinary markers specific to their country and those of France.
Name 3 ingredients you cannot live without
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Lemon
Next big foodie trend?
A healthy cuisine, focused on local products. Many chefs develop their own garden, carefully planning what is cultivated in it. Also, more and more chefs work on the lacto-fermentation of fruit and vegetables. This increases the concentration of nutrients, facilitates digestion, and strengthens the immune system.
(Une culture raisonee – literally translated, this means ‘a reasoned culture’. I take this to mean culture as in agriculture and reasoned to be thought out.)
Describe life as a barge chef in 3 words
- Freedom
- Availability
- Exchange
Enjoy a foodie adventure aboard Rosa with Chef Stéphane Mazières
You can meet Stéphane Mazières and taste his wonderful gourmet creations on a luxury cruise along the colourful and captivating Canal de Garonne in southwest France. Talk to one of our cruise specialists today for help in planning your luxury cruise aboard Rosa.