Trout Three Ways

If there's one thing Yannick La Salle learned during his stage at Blue Hill at Stone Barns in New York, Dan Barber's farm-to-table restaurant — literally, the restaurant is located on its own working farm — it's that "you have to put your heart into it," La Salle says. "If not, the chef is going to tear you down — into pieces."

That same heart and grit forms the culture at Les Fougères in Chelsea, Qué. Speaking of working for chef-owners Jennifer Warren-Part and her husband, Charles Part, La Salle says, "they are very humble, very kind and have a good reputation." He also says they have high standards and are tremendously focused on maintaining a level of consistency. "They know what they want," he says.

No stranger to paying his dues, La Salle started working at Les Fougères fresh out of culinary school in 2011. It was just one of three jobs he held at the time. He'd work the early morning shift, helping with production for the Christmas rush, before heading to work at L'Orée du Bois in the evening. He continued at L'Orée du Bois for a number of years, travelling to gain experience in prominent kitchens in France, including a stint at the Michelin-starred L'Escarbille, before returning to Les Fougères' kitchen full-time. There, he quickly moved up the ranks to his current position as chef de cuisine.

"He's bursting with ability and bursting with passion," Warren-Part says. "Sometimes the best thing to do is to get out of his way."

While Part continues to serve as the restaurant's executive chef, he and Warren-Part have turned much of their attention to the production of Les Fougères' take-home and prepared foods. It's a segment of the market that's growing exponentially and as more of us turn to ready-made foods, the Parts are focused on offering an alternative to industrial options worthy of the restaurant's standards.

And the restaurant is in good hands. La Salle, who grew up in the rural area of Pontiac, feels quite at home at this country restaurant that focuses on the freshest ingredients — many of which are picked from the extensive gardens and woodlands at the doorstep to the dining room. Like the restaurant's ever-changing menus, the trout recipes La Salle has shared with us are intended to highlight the ingredients — enchancing the fish's flavour, not transforming or overpowering it.