Nicolas Bottero

Chef Nicolas Bottero's culinary philosophy is deeply rooted in his Provençal heritage, honed through prestigious apprenticeships, and expressed through a personal, refined, and generous cuisine. His core ethos centers on an unwavering commitment to the product, a passion first ignited during childhood visits to Provençal markets with his grandmother, where he discovered the 'magic' of local produce and seasonal abundance. He maintains a strict dedication to ingredient sourcing, working daily with local producers to procure the finest elements of the region: vegetables and herbs from his own aromatic garden (and even a chicken coop), lamb from the Alpilles, fish from the Mediterranean, cheeses from Ferme du Brégalon, and carefully selected olive oils and wines. This direct connection to the land and its bounty, heavily influenced by his time with Michel Bras and the garden-centric approach at Alain Ducasse’s La Bastide de Moustiers, ensures that his menus are always dictated by the rhythm of the seasons and the peak quality of what the terroir offers. His overarching vision is to honor and subtly reinterpret the Provençal gastronomic patrimony. He believes in 'sublimer les bons produits dans l’assiette,' fostering a dialogue between gustatory memory and contemporary techniques. This means preserving a strong link with regional culinary traditions while infusing creativity, finesse, and modernity into each dish, ultimately creating a dining experience that is sincere, deeply anchored in its terroir, and reflective of 'the taste of here.' Chef Bottero's signature approach is characterized by an authoritative blend of technical mastery and artistic innovation, applied to the reinterpretation of Provençal classics. His style is precise, focusing on déconstructing traditional elements without betraying the original spirit of the recipe, playing expertly with cooking methods, textures, and flavor associations. He emphasizes a refined presentation that mirrors the natural beauty of his ingredients. His mastery is evident in the thoughtful transformation of humble ingredients. For instance, his celebrated pissaladière replaces the classic bread dough with a thicker, moelleux ciabatta-like base, while sweet onions are slow-cooked into a smoked purée, enriched with various onion varieties, scallions, and chives. For the iodized component, he pairs traditional anchoïade with marinated lisette (small mackerel prepared like warm escabèche), and olives are ingeniously presented as dried powder and delicate flakes, offering a subtle saline touch. Legendary signature dishes showcasing his artistry include: * Noix de Saint-Jacques légèrement fumées – betteraves déclinées et cresson de fontaine (Lightly smoked scallops – beetroots declined and watercress) * Perdreaux-Faisan-Palombe – Notre désormais traditionnel pâté en croûte d’automne aux oiseaux sauvages (Partridge-Pheasant-Wood pigeon – Our now traditional autumn pâté en croûte with wild birds) * Lièvre à la Royale selon la tradition d’Antonin Carême (Hare à la Royale according to Antonin Carême's tradition) * OEuf bio de pays brouillé de truffe noire – mouillettes au lard de Colonnata (Organic country egg scrambled with black truffle – soldiers with Colonnata lard) * Courgettes et amandes fraîches, crumble aux mendiants et lait de tagètes (Zucchini and fresh almonds, mendiants crumble and tagete milk) * Rouget barbet, encornets et fenouils confits au safran de Pont Royal (Red mullet, squid, and confit fennel with Pont Royal saffron) * Selle d’agneau de Provence cuite en cocotte au foin de garrigue, aubergines brûlées (Saddle of Provence lamb cooked in a casserole with garrigue hay, burnt eggplants) * Abricot et lavande, fin sablé à la fleur de sel, miel de Rognes (Apricot and lavender, fine shortbread with fleur de sel, Rognes honey)

Career

• Chef-cuisinier Propriétaire at Le Mas Bottero, Saint-Cannat
• Consultant at Restaurant Badine
• Chef De Cuisine Conseiller Culinaire at Le Mas Bottero, Grenoble region
• Sous Chef at La Bastide de Moustiers - Alain Ducasse
• Chef De Partie at Restaurant Philippe Rochat
• Chef De Partie at Restaurant Michel Bras
• Commis De Cuisine at Le Louis XV - Alain Ducasse, Issy-les-Moulineaux
• Stagiaire at Restaurant Pic

Mentored by Alain Ducasse, Philippe Rochat, Michel Bras, Anne-Sophie Pic.