Français 
"La Tomate" with Likouala Pepper
by Ronan Kervarrec
and Lucien Favre, Likouala pepper producer from Congo
The Chef’s Story
Hailing from Morbihan and the son of restaurateurs, Ronan Kervarrec honed his talent and passion for cooking from a young age. He earned his BEP in culinary arts and CAP in catering at the École Hôtelière de Dinard, and continued his studies at the Lycée Professionnel Michel Servet in Lille, where he completed a Complementary Mention in charcuterie and catering.
His career began in 1991 as a commis chef at Georges Blanc in Vonnas. By 1993, he had become demi-chef de partie and then chef de partie at La Ferme Saint Siméon in Honfleur, where he stayed until 1996. From 2002 to 2008, he was the head chef for R&D with Guy Krenzer (MOF), Director of Creation at Traiteur Lenôtre in Paris, and in 2007, he became a Compagnon des Devoirs du Tour de France.
From 2008 to 2010, Ronan Kervarrec served as head chef at Royal Mansour in Marrakech, under Yannick Alléno, where he also helped train the teams. In September 2010, he became Executive Chef at Château de la Chèvre d’Or in Eze Village, where he earned two Michelin stars. A finalist for the "Bocuse d’Or" France selection in 2012, he has been a member of the Collège Culinaire de France since 2014 as a Referent Chef.
In June 2016, he took over the Hostellerie de Plaisance in Saint-Emilion, regaining the two Michelin stars for the establishment within six months. In 2020, after 30 years away from his native Brittany, Ronan Kervarrec and his wife Els purchased a gastronomic restaurant, “Maison Kervarrec,” with five guest rooms and a gourmet shop. The chef earned a Michelin star in 2022 and a second in 2024.
Today, Ronan Kervarrec thrives in his home region near Rennes, where he tells his story through a personal and professional iodized cuisine. His vibrant tribute to Brittany is reflected in the use of local ingredients such as buckwheat, buttermilk, fish, shellfish, crustaceans, butter, seaweed, and other Breton specialties. In honor of his father, a former saucier at George V, he creates sauces and juices with great mastery. The double Michelin-starred chef’s cuisine demonstrates that rare and exceptional ingredients can be sourced locally, sometimes directly from the garden. He crafts his dishes based on what nature offers, creating an authentic cuisine deeply rooted in his terroir.
Restaurant Maison Kervarrec, 1 Imp. du Vieux Bourg, 35760 Saint-Grégoire
Ingredients for Tomato Ketchup:
- Tomatoes: 6 pieces
- Sugar: 150 g
- Vinegar: 100 ml
- Ginger: 1 tablespoon (about 10 g, grated)
- Paprika: 1 teaspoon
- Espelette pepper: 1 teaspoon
Preparation :
- Blend the tomatoes until smooth.
- Prepare a gastrique with sugar and vinegar.
- Add the blended tomatoes, ginger, paprika, and Espelette pepper to the gastrique.
- Simmer the mixture over low heat for 1 hour.
- Blend the mixture again, then strain it through a fine sieve.
- Reduce the preparation until the desired consistency is reached.
Ingredients for Vanilla Oil:
- Vanilla pods: 2 pods
- Extra virgin olive oil from Huilerie Beaujolaise: 200 ml
Preparation :
- Split and scrape the vanilla pods.
- Mix the vanilla seeds with the oil.
- Heat the mixture for 12 hours at 70°C (158°F).
Ingredients for Confit Tomatoes:
- Tomatoes: 500 g (about 5 to 6 medium tomatoes)
- Salt: 1 teaspoon
- Sugar: 1 teaspoon
- Extra virgin olive oil: 3 tablespoons
Preparation :
- Blanch and seed the tomatoes, keeping both the flesh and skins.
- Arrange the tomato slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Season with salt, sugar, and olive oil.
- Bake in a fan oven at 150°C (300°F) for 30 minutes, until the tomatoes appear confit and shriveled.
Ingredients for Tomato Salad :
- Tomatoes: 300 g (about 3 to 4 medium tomatoes)
- Shallots: 2 small shallots
- Strawberries: 100 g
- Fresh almonds: 50 g
Preparation :
- Blanch and seed the tomatoes, then dice them into 0.5 cm cubes.
- Finely chop the shallots.
- Dice the strawberries into 0.5 cm cubes.
- Peel the fresh almonds, keeping them whole.
Ingredients for Tomato Water:
- Tomato scraps (interiors): about 300 ml of juice after straining
Preparation :
- Blend all the tomato scraps collected from various steps.
- Bring to a boil, then strain through a cheesecloth and let it drain to collect all the juice.
Ingredients for Tomato Powder
- Tomato skins: skins from 500 g of tomatoes
Preparation of Tomato Powder
- Place the tomato skins in a dehydrator and allow them to dry.
- Once the skins are completely dry, blend them and sift through a fine sieve to obtain a fine powder.
Ingredients for Tomato Siphon:
- Vinegar: 50 ml
- Tomato water: 300 ml (collected from tomato interiors)
- Gelatin: 2 sheets
- Salt: 1 teaspoon
Preparation of Tomato Siphon
- Dissolve the salt in the vinegar.
- Mix with the tomato water and add the gelatin to set.
- Pour the mixture into a siphon and charge with gas twice.
- Divide the mixture between two siphon bottles and charge each with gas twice.
- Allow to cool thoroughly.
For finishing, use Likouala pepper to season to taste.
