{"id":28532,"date":"2026-10-21T17:25:05","date_gmt":"2026-10-21T15:25:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/amoiel.ch\/non-categorise\/the-hunt-by-cyrille-montanier\/"},"modified":"2026-10-21T17:25:05","modified_gmt":"2026-10-21T15:25:05","slug":"the-hunt-by-cyrille-montanier","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/amoiel.ch\/en\/portrait\/the-hunt-by-cyrille-montanier\/","title":{"rendered":"“The Hunt” by Cyrille Montanier"},"content":{"rendered":"

All it took was reading a few lines from his menu to make me want to call him. Wild boar compression glazed with port, served with foie gras and chutney; roasted venison tenderloin with ginger; woodcock souffl\u00e9 with porcini mushrooms\u2026 For anyone who loves hunting, like me, it\u2019s hard not to be moved. Behind these dish names, there\u2019s above all a chef whose voice I wanted to hear. <\/p>\n

\"260930
Chef Cyrille Montanier at Le Lexique \u00a9Edouard Amoiel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Great Chef<\/h2>\n

No sooner had I called him \u201cgreat chef\u201d than Cyrille Montanier corrected me: \u201cI\u2019m great because of my height. \u201d The tone is set. We\u2019re going to talk seriously about cooking, without taking ourselves too seriously. What does fall mean to him? \u201cHonestly, I\u2019m having a blast!\u201d His answer comes quickly. His mind works fast, just like during a service when he\u2019s working alone behind the stove. <\/p>\n

Game cooking offers a complexity worthy of the challenge. You have to pluck the birds, prepare the meat, create the sauces, and strike a balance between richness and subtlety. When paired with game, pears add sweetness, cabbage brings a hint of vinegar, and whole candied cranberries burst in your mouth. It\u2019s a broad palette that gives him just as much to think about as there is to cook. <\/p>\n

\"260930
Le Lexique restaurant in Geneva \u00a9Edouard Amoiel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Luxury Homes<\/h2>\n

This sensibility developed over the course of his various culinary positions. However, Cyrille Montanier began his career by learning how to prepare fish at Le Pirate in Annemasse. This was followed by his introduction to game cooking at the Auberge du P\u00e8re Bise, the classics at Paul Bocuse, and a pivotal stint working with Beno\u00eet Violier at the H\u00f4tel de Ville in Crissier. His work with game was enriched by his involvement in the writing of Beno\u00eet Violier\u2019s book on the subject\u2014to which Cyrille Montanier contributed\u2014and opened up new horizons for him. <\/p>\n

In his culinary haven at Le Lexique, every morning as he enters the kitchen, his thoughts turn to those who passed their knowledge on to him. These culinary mentors still guide him. Their techniques, their high standards, and their expertise form the \u201cpalette of colors\u201d from which he draws inspiration to create dishes that he himself would want to eat. <\/p>\n

\"260930
Hunting Training in the Glossary \u00a9Edouard Amoiel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Hare and the Birds<\/h2>\n

Take \u201cli\u00e8vre \u00e0 la royale\u201d: Cyrille Montanier likes to prepare it in a traditional braising pot. He describes the flavors that waft through the air, the steam that condenses under the lid and returns to infuse the meat. As we listen to him, we can already picture the sauce. What fascinates him is this interplay between the meat and its juices\u2014that depth of flavor that builds as the dish cooks. <\/p>\n

That said, his game cuisine does not seek to impress through sheer force. The bold, powerful game-curing techniques he encountered in his younger years do not align with his sensibilities. When it comes to game birds, he prefers light sauces and a subtle approach. The flavor must remain present without overpowering the dish. <\/p>\n

His woodcock souffl\u00e9 with porcini mushrooms perfectly illustrates this approach. The bird has a robust flavor, and the chef aims to add a touch of finesse. The thighs are confited and then shredded; a light reduction, made from the carcasses, ties the dish together, and the porcini mushrooms add a touch of sweetness. The result is a light and airy dish that still retains its original character. Just reading the recipe\u2019s title makes you want to dig in. <\/p>\n

\"260930
The Inimitable “Hare \u00e0 la Royale” from the Lexicon \u00a9Edouard Amoiel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Autumn Celebration<\/h2>\n

This style of cooking takes time. Can it still be passed down in a world that\u2019s moving faster and faster? He believes so, because restaurants continue to train chefs, pass on traditions, and keep the classics alive. He himself adapts them to suit his own tastes, without losing what he\u2019s been taught. And then there are the customers. Those who come back for a particular sauce, those who are discovering a new dish, or those who are simply looking for a little comfort. That\u2019s where all this work takes on its meaning. <\/p>\n

With the arrival of fall, Cyrille Montanier feels as though he\u2019s reconnecting with his roots. The flavors return, and his passion for cooking remains undiminished. I share his joy. There are seasons we look forward to for this very reason: to rediscover cuisine that moves us, brought to life by chefs who breathe new life into it. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Rich sauces, game birds prepared with finesse, and memories of renowned restaurants: Cyrille Montanier recounts his hunting experiences with infectious spontaneity. A vibrant culinary tradition rooted in patience and the passing down of knowledge, which finds a wonderful playground in the fall. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":28533,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"slim_seo":{"title":"\"The Hunt\" by Cyrille Montanier | Restaurant Geneva | Edouard Amoiel","description":"Rich sauces, game birds prepared with finesse, and memories of renowned restaurants: Cyrille Montanier recounts his hunting experiences with infectious spontane"},"_slim_seo_primary_term_category":0,"_slim_seo_primary_term_post_tag":0,"_slim_seo_primary_term_restaurants-par-lieux":0,"_slim_seo_primary_term_style-de-restaurant":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[358],"tags":[],"restaurants-par-lieux":[353],"style-de-restaurant":[],"class_list":["post-28532","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-portrait","restaurants-par-lieux-geneva"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/amoiel.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28532","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/amoiel.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/amoiel.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amoiel.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amoiel.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28532"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/amoiel.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28532\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amoiel.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28533"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/amoiel.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28532"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amoiel.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28532"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amoiel.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28532"},{"taxonomy":"restaurants-par-lieux","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amoiel.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/restaurants-par-lieux?post=28532"},{"taxonomy":"style-de-restaurant","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amoiel.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/style-de-restaurant?post=28532"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}