Food & Home Entertaining – September 2019

the repertoire. I think you

will see that in the menu at

La Potinière,” Thierry shares.

A passionate chef, Thierry

loves to work with what he calls

“brèdes”, wild herbs that grow

all over Mauritius. “There are

many different types – some

are peppery, others have hints

of lemon, some are grassy but,

for me, they all taste like the very

essence of Mauritius,” he elaborates.

Thierry’s recipe for apple-glazed pork

belly with cassava mash and brèdes

was recently featured in the 50 Chefs,

50 Recettes (recipes) cookbook by

Alan Payen, which was issued by

the Mauritius Chefs Association to

celebrate the country’s 50 years of

independence last year. “This dish

is modern Mauritian in style – it

represents French technique overlaid

T

hierryVineyisthe

executivechef

atLaPotinière

restaurantbased

inCurepipe,

Mauritius.This

iconiceatery

(whichfirstopened

in1968)looksoutoveracolonial-era

teaplantationandserveswhatchef

Thierrydescribesas“ablendof

traditionalandmodernMauritian

cuisine”.Heexplainsthat“because

therestaurantiswellestablished

formanyyears,therearehouse

signaturedishesandbroader

nationalclassicsonthemenu,

butouraimisalwaystoput

forwardauthenticitywithatouch

ofmodernityandaloveoflocal

ingredients.”

BornandraisedinStAntoine,inthe

northofMauritius,chefThierrytrained

atLeithsSchoolofFoodandWine

inLondon,intheUK.Hewasthe

executivechefofDesrochesIsland

ResortintheSeychellesfor 13 years

beforereturningtoMauritiusin2015.

“Iampassionateaboutandinspired

bylocalcuisine.Iloveourtraditional

recipes,butIdon’twanttosimply

reproducethem.Ialsoliketobring

somethingsemi-gastronomicandnew

toclassicdishes.Thisway,Ihopethat

THIERRY VINEY

PHOTOGRAPHSBYGUILHERMEGOMESDA COSTA STYLING BY THIERRY VINEY

the sublime flavours of this terroir

can tell our stories, both ancient

and modern.

“Mauritius is a wonderful place to

be for a chef because the culinary

heritage is very diverse and versatile.

It allows for an unforgettable journey

through the four very different worlds

of Africa, China, Europe and India.

From India, we get the roots of our

many varieties of curry; from China,

rice dishes and noodles; from France,

the aromatic blends of garlic and

herbs; and from Africa’s eastern coast,

coconut milk, cassava and banana

specialities. All these influences,

mixed with our tropical fruits and

seafood from the Indian Ocean,

make cooking and eating a delight.

Because the history of our cooking

is so dynamic, it gives me freedom to

continue experimenting and growing

34 SEPTEMBER 2019

CHEFS’ PROFILES PART 4