Run by Théo Fernandez and Claire Cames, the Auberge de la Forge is a gourmet restaurant where an atmosphere of sharing reigns, between tradition and modernity. The products of the soil are masters there in order to transmit the history of two enthusiasts of the kitchen and the taste.Realizing a cuisine in perpetual evolution over the seasons, their encounters and their favorites, each meal in this restaurant will be a new and delicious experience.
Their journey
Originally from the Toulouse region, Claire and Théo began their training at the hotel school in Toulouse before making the leap to Paris to gain experience. There, they were trained by the greatest chefs , very often "France's best workers", in large Parisian establishments and palaces such as the Ritz or the Meurice . Claire was Cédric Grolet's first pastry apprentice and then gained experience alongside him for 7 years.
Cédric Grolet is one of the most famous and talented pastry chefs of his generation; he notably obtained the supreme distinction of "Best Pastry Chef in the World" by the British 50 Best ranking in 2018.
After ten years of experience in the best Parisian establishments, they decided to return to where it all began for them, the place of their meeting and their first love for cooking , in the Toulouse region . With in particular the desire to settle down, to open their own establishment and to discover and share their cuisine . They did not see themselves opening a restaurant anywhere other than near Toulouse, so when the opportunity to acquire the Auberge de la Forge presented itself, they seized it, especially since they fell in love with this magnificent place!
THEIR KITCHEN
Within their gourmet cuisine , these chefs define themselves as lovers of classic cuisine !
They do not hesitate to dust off the latter by bringing modernity to it thanks to their know-how and their creativity , through tastes , textures , cooking and beautiful dressings .
Favoring fresh, local and seasonal products , they do not hesitate to meet their suppliers, mostly small local producers , to discuss with them their way of working, their production, their products, ... which are important elements in order to guarantee the quality of the ingredients used in their dishes.
THE FRAMEWORK
If the cuisine has everything to seduce you, the setting of this restaurant is not lacking in arguments to make you also succumb with its old bricks, characteristic of the Toulouse region, the enormous central fireplace as well as the magnificent shaded patio of the old inn . Come and discover and enjoy one of the warmest places.
THEIR AMBITION
Théo and Claire have been cited in the “109” guide of Gault et Millau , which establishes a selection of the chefs of tomorrow . It rewards and celebrates the audacity and talent of these 109 young restaurateurs. Le 109 celebrates their creativity, their love of a job well done , good, beautiful and sharing! The Auberge de la forge does not prevent itself from being rewarded one day, with the most beautiful reward for any chef , the Michelin star which would reward all their work invested for many years.
RECIPE
During our visit, in order to highlight the House's products, Théo made a recipe based on green asparagus , incorporating our slices , our black truffle peels and our black truffle juice .
For this recipe, he notably decided to play on the difference in tastes by combining the black truffle with a product that is harvested at the end of its season: green asparagus . The acidity is brought by a sheep's milk yogurt made by a local producer. A rocket coulis brings a slight bitterness and finally, he added a touch of sweetness to his recipe with black garlic which results from a process where the garlic is candied at low temperature. All these ingredients combine perfectly with the delicate and subtle taste of the black truffle .
“A perfectly balanced blend of flavors that enhances each of the ingredients used on the plate. »
Our delicious black truffle juice was notably used to deglaze the green asparagus accompanied by our beautiful slices of Tuber Melanosporum. In addition, Théo decided to use the juice and the truffle peels to make a condiment based on shallots and Port that go very well with black truffles. Finally, the slices of black truffles previously deglazed with truffle juice , came to perfect the dressing of his recipe to add a subtle and delicious truffle note .
If you are looking for a restaurant , to enjoy exquisite cuisine, combining know-how and modernity, do not hesitate to visit Théo and Claire, at the Auberge de la forge in Lavalette!
