The Taste of Autumn

Autumn creeping across Burgundy’s wine-growing terroir signals the end of harvest season, and at COMO Le Montrachet, that means wine tastings in cosy cellars, cooking lessons, days spent exploring nearby towns, and exquisite seasonal meals prepared by Head Chef, Romain Versino. Here, Versino describes his autumn inspirations at COMO Le Montrachet.

While we might be best known for our wines, Puligny-Montrachet, where COMO Le Montrachet is located, is also at the centre of one of France’s best regions for autumn produce. As the season turns, I find myself seeking out gourmet, rustic ingredients, sourcing squash and onions from around Dijon, fresh fish from Crisenon, and apples and pears from Santenay, just seven kilometres from our village. The natural abundance feeds my menus, which lean into hearty, rich flavours, and dishes that are slow-cooked and roasted. To get inspired, I get outdoors and engage my senses, exploring Burgundy’s autumn in all its glory.

I find one of the best ways to root myself in the changing season is with a drive  through the countryside. If I had the time (I rarely do in a busy kitchen!), I’d take a picnic to enjoy in one of the many vineyards that surround Puligny-Montrachet. It’s something we recommend to our guests. I’d pack a celery remoulade with Burgundy grey truffle, chicken supreme, quinoa, seasonal vegetables, and perhaps some local bread and cheeses. A homemade chocolate éclair is an indulgent finish to the al fresco meal. Of course I’d also recommend bringing a bottle of wine to celebrate the most iconic Burgundy produce of all — perhaps a local Puligny-Montrachet from Domaine Pascal.

I love visiting the Moutarderie Fallot in Beaune, which is the last independent and family-owned mustard mill in Burgundy. I’m interested by the journey my ingredients take from source to plate. Moutarderie Fallot takes locally sourced mustard seeds and stone-grinds them into blends including classic Dijon mustard, as well as unusual tarragon and blackcurrant flavours. I really enjoy their guided visit, which reveals the fascinating history of mustard, with tastings to follow. I use some of this local knowledge in the private cooking classes I lead at COMO Le Montrachet. This autumn, I’m teaching guests how to make a mushroom velouté with a crispy soft-boiled egg. The ingredients are simple, but the results are sensational. 

As for the dish I can’t go without in autumn, it’s pigeon. I approach it in a similar way to Beef Wellington, which was one of my go-to dishes I used to make at the Hotel du Cap Eden Roc in Antibes. I wanted to transfer some of that layering know-how to a new ingredient. I found a pigeon breeder, Patrice Sanchez, who is located in Ladoix-Serrigny, just 20 kilometres from COMO Le Montrachet.  Then came the trial-and-error phase, which took a few months. To keep it moist, I cook it in a flaky cereal crust — cuisson en croûte — in a dry heat oven. The texture is extraordinary; melting and crispy at the same time, with the lightness of the pigeon contrasting with the sweetness of pan-fried foie gras from the renowned Maison Rougié in Sarlat-la-Canéda. Although it’s available year-round, my pigeon dish has huge versatility, evolving with each season. In spring, I might include asparagus; in summer, verbena and roasted peach. But there’s a certain je ne sais quoi to my autumn iteration that makes it the most special of all. Maybe it’s the earthiness of the cabbage and mushrooms that I use at this time of year; hyper-local and carefully balanced. Or perhaps it’s the way the colours echo the autumn landscape around COMO Le Montrachet: red meat, brown pastry and green cabbage. It’s farm-to-fork eating. That’s really what I’m trying to do here: make food so fresh you can taste the season in every mouthful.

Visit us before our seasonal closure on 24th November 2024 for our special autumn menus and activities at COMO Le Montrachet. Contact us at lemontrachet@comohotels.com or +33 3 80 21 30 06.