A famous eco chef who creates organic cuisine is now partnering with an expert fisherman. Paolo Sari and Eric Rinaldi are now partners. The latter fishes for Monaco fish that the starred chef proposes in his establishments and at the fish shop U Luvassu.
They are both unique in their field. The first, Paolo Sari, is the only chef with a Michelin star for his 100% organic cuisine. The second, Eric Rinaldi, is the last fisherman of Monaco. Together, the two men decided to partner up, with their particular vision of gastronomy. Indeed, the association Bio Chef Global Spirit of Paolo Sari signed an exclusivity contract with Eric Rinaldi to take all his daily fishing. At the moment, red mullets, scorpionfish, moray eels or pelamids are in the spotlight. It’s an alliance that makes Paolo Sari smile when he jumps on the quay when his partner returns with his catch. The little red mullets, taken in front of the Vigie at 100 metres from the edge, at dawn, will be cooked the same morning to be served on the menu at Monte Carlo Beach.
Food
“It’s the real luxury food,” added the chef who has made organic and locavore cuisine his niche, a move that consists in buying fresh and seasonal products. “As I did in creating a vegetable garden and orchard in Roquebrune, our philosophy is to choose local products. This is how we give priority to the fish that Eric brings us back every day. Often restaurateurs think of the menus and then choose the products. I cook with what’s around Monaco.”
These wild fish, coming out of the Monegasque Bay, correspond to biological criteria, since they are wild, explained the chief.
“In addition, the carbon footprint is zero for transport. He can even dock in front of the hotel.” So goes his philosophy for his star-studded restaurant (Elsa) as well as for the other restaurants of the Beach.
At Vigie or at Deck, customers choose the fish at the entrance, which the cook then prepares. He was also pleased to accompany the last fisherman of the Principality, “a job that was in danger of disappearing”.
They were six in Monaco in the 80s. Today, Eric Rinaldi is the last man standing. Repeating the same work every day: placing his nets in the evening, and returning at dawn, checking to see if the fish are biting. “It was Andre, my father, who taught me the trade. As a small boy I was already fishing and I never stopped.” This has been thirty years of loyalty to the Monegasque Bay, even if he admits to having a penchant for hunting in winter. This alliance between the fisherman and the association Bio Chef Global Spirit is not reserved for Paolo Sari’s clientele. A part of the catch is offered for sale, every day at the U Luvassu fish shop near the Yachtclub. Here you will find the wild fish of the Monegasque Bay, combined with a 100% organic fish selection chosen by Bruno Laracca, who has just taken over the site and who promises to “respect the seasons”, even for fish!
A fisherman and an eco chef famous for organic cuisine are bringing quality food to many.
