Stéphane Modat

Chef Stéphane Modat's culinary philosophy is deeply rooted in defining and elevating the unique gastronomic identity of Quebec. He aims to push the province's "terroir" to its absolute limits, challenging the notion that Quebec lacks a distinct cuisine comparable to Spain or Italy. His vision for Le Clan is to explicitly answer the question: "what eating in Quebec is, fully and completely." This quest is built on stringent locavore principles and a profound belief that the kitchen serves as a vital space for gathering, creativity, and sharing within society. He views his work as asserting Quebec's cultural self-identity through its unique culinary offerings, continually adapting the menu to the ever-changing bounty of the land and sea. Modat's commitment to ingredient provenance is exceptionally precise, highlighting not just the product but its exact geographic coordinates, taking diners on a virtual journey through Quebec's diverse landscapes. He fosters direct, personal relationships with a network of dedicated artisans, family farms, fisheries, and agroforestry co-ops across the vast province. This includes sourcing venison from Pierreville, rabbit from Rivière-à-Pierre, wild sturgeon caviar from fourth-generation fisherman Jamie Duquette, Appalachian truffles from Jerome Quirion, and even unique items like boreal cloudberries, local seawater bread, and organic black garlic. He's embarked on pilot projects to bring exceptionally fresh products, such as hand-harvested lobster from the Innu Lalo family in Basse-Côte-Nord, directly to his kitchen, ensuring optimal traceability and fair compensation for producers. A pivotal aspect of his philosophy is his deep engagement with Quebec's Indigenous communities. Modat actively travels to Nunavik, James Bay, and the Magdalen Islands, learning traditional smokehouse techniques for arctic char, harvesting mussels from ice with the Inuit, and understanding how these First Nations survived and cooked with local plants and raw or fermented foods long before European influences. He emphasizes that this is not cultural appropriation but rather an act of honoring and acknowledging the profound historical and culinary contributions of these peoples, weaving their wisdom with classical French techniques to create a cuisine that bridges two cultures, giving voice to forgotten connections and showcasing the origin of techniques and ingredients. He describes himself as a "cook in the woods" and a "boulimique du terroir" (glutton for terroir), constantly exploring and adapting his menu daily to the ever-changing bounty of Quebec's diverse and expansive landscapes, fueled by an insatiable curiosity about the true essence of its wild spaces. Chef Modat's approach marries refined dining with the raw truth of food's origins, meticulously highlighting producers and products with pinpointed accuracy, often including geographic coordinates on the menu. His technical style involves seamlessly weaving traditional Indigenous techniques, such as smoking, raw food preparation, and fermentation, with classical French culinary artistry. An exemplary instance of this fusion is his adaptation of Inuit suvalik, a traditional mayonnaise made with trout eggs and animal fat, reimagined with trout eggs and oil to form the base for his deer or beef tartare—a dish that eloquently bridges two distinct cultures. His plating and flavor profiles are characterized by a focus on "pure tastes," amplifying the raw essence of a star product through creative accompaniments and sophisticated sauces. Diners experience a "frankness of flavors and accuracy of cooking" that is balanced with surprising product choices and a playful manipulation of textures. Signature dishes, which frequently change based on supply, include: bread baked with seawater from Sept-Îles and wheat from Charlevoix; decorative shells with caviar-topped eggs; local mushroom tarts with edible flowers; "The Mohawk plate" and "Cap-Saint-Ignace guinea fowl," both honoring Indigenous cultures; Atlantic halibut with fried nettle leaves, wild garlic, ricotta, and monarda; walleye from Lake Champlain; and a notably audacious sarsaparilla dessert featuring lacto-fermented carrots and the smoky, peaty notes of Laphroaig single malt.

Career

• Chef at Le Clan, Quebec City