From the Fish Market to the Briemm

Four in the morning, and the Port Chef de Baie in La Rochelle is quiet. The fish has just been unloaded, and the boats are already preparing to head back out to sea. “I could watch the ships setting off all day,” Julien smiles, still driven by the same passion for the industry after twenty years on the job. But there’s no time to linger—this is when everything begins for him, between selecting and ordering fish. Inside the fish auction, there’s a similar calm—tinged with focus and precision. Centered around a modern sales room, the space has shed many of the features that once gave it its name.

Shine, color, redness of the gills, clarity of the eyes—every detail is scrutinized as rows of crates are examined to make the best possible selections and deliver top-quality fish to chefs. “We prioritize line-caught fish and small-boat fishing, which allows us to offer fish caught between 6 and 48 hours before they reach the port,” explains Julien, who believes knowing the boats and their practices is a key part of choosing the right products. Brice Dos Santos, chef and owner of Briemm—the restaurant he opened a year and a half ago in L’Houmeau, recently awarded a Bib Gourmand by the Michelin Guide—shares this commitment to quality ingredients: “Our fish changes with the seasons, and we love working with beautiful whole specimens from local fisheries. It’s essential to highlight the region’s production and work with engaged, reliable suppliers who contribute directly to the success of our restaurant.” Together with his wife Emmanuelle, the young father of twin girls pours his heart into what he calls “his first baby.” His journey—from the Paris suburbs, where he grew up, to the Caribbean and then Nantes—took him through Michelin-starred kitchens, traditional restaurants of all sizes, and bustling brasseries. The couple anchored themselves in La Rochelle four years ago, following a true love-at-first-sight moment. Today, the now fully adopted Charentais chef invites us into his kitchen to prepare a line-caught sea bass. It’s a generously sized fish, scaled and filleted before our eyes. His movements are precise, reflecting a deep respect for the raw product. “With fish like this, it’s essential to make the most of every part. You can lose 50 to 60% in trim on large specimens, so we make stock with the bones, or concentrated sauces by roasting the carcass in the oven.” Julien, a neighbor and loyal friend of the house, took care of the shopping from local producers—on top of bringing in the fish.

Green as a Signature
As generous as he is meticulous, Brice carefully portions each plate, with precise quantities—between 120g and 128g of fish. The garnish helps balance out the food cost. To fully embrace the freshness of spring, he adds green asparagus—both raw and cooked—and a handful of clams to round out the heart of the dish.
With a sharp knife in hand, the chef finely slices a shallot and preps the vegetables, blanching some for a few minutes. He then pulls out a mandoline to craft a delicate medley of asparagus, forming a fresh seasonal salad. The clams are briefly boiled and opened, their fragrant cooking liquid reserved as the base for a beurre blanc. Brice brightens this rich, classic sauce with a splash of Noilly Prat, in place of traditional white wine—a choice that neatly captures his dual identity: rooted in bistro cooking, yet open to more refined techniques.
A final flourish: toasted buckwheat seeds, roasted in the oven with a touch of oil for a popcorn-like crunch—adding both texture and personality to a dish full of flavor and finesse.

The plates come to life before our eyes as the sea bass fillets are seared to achieve a crisp, golden crust. “I take great pride in cooking the flesh to a perfect pearly finish—it should reveal a rainbow of color when sliced,” says Brice, who plates each element with tweezers, leaving nothing to chance. Asparagus, fish, buckwheat, clams… the composition is clear and balanced, weaving seamlessly between land and sea. It reflects the closeness to nature that both restaurateurs embrace—symbolized by their choice of green as their signature color. Accessible, rooted in its region, and touched by modern flair, the cuisine at Briemm shines—navigating in crystal-clear waters, whether it’s about seafood or something more.

Briemm
1 Pl. du 14 Juillet, 17137
L’Houmeau

Pavé de bar de ligne, mi-cuit mi-cru d’asperges, beurre blanc et palourdes

INGREDIENTS
For 5 plates

• 5 line-caught sea bass fillets (120g each)

• 1 shallot

• 300g green asparagus

• 120g butter

• 50g buckwheat

• 15 clams

• As needed: Noilly Prat

• As needed: cooking oil (a mix of olive oil and sunflower oil)

• As needed: salt and pepper

RECIPE
Toast the buckwheat seeds, coated in cooking oil, in the oven at 195°C (380°F) for 10 minutes. Set aside.
Cut the asparagus in half; finely dice the lower stalks into a brunoise and reserve. Select the thickest spears and slice them into thin ribbons using a mandoline. Blanch the thinnest asparagus for 3 minutes in salted boiling water, then drain and plunge into ice water to stop the cooking.
Boil the clams just until they open. Strain and reserve their flavorful cooking liquid.
Thinly slice the shallot. In a pan, melt 20g of butter and sauté the shallot along with the asparagus brunoise for 3 minutes. Add the clam liquid and a splash of Noilly Prat. Emulsify the sauce by gradually whisking in the remaining 100g of butter. Season to taste and enrich the beurre blanc with toasted buckwheat.
Heat a pan with the cooking oil. Season the sea bass fillets with salt and pepper, and sear them skin-side down. Press gently on the fillets to prevent curling. Once the flesh is halfway cooked, flip the fillets and let them relax before finishing in the oven at 195°C for 3 minutes.
Brush the blanched asparagus with the fish’s cooking oil. Reheat the clams for 2–3 minutes.
Using tweezers, plate the asparagus like a mikado stack and place the sea bass fillet on top. Dress the asparagus salad and inside of the clams with the beurre blanc. Generously spoon the sauce onto the plate and finish with a sprinkle of toasted buckwheat.

Coverage by Rémi Héluin

Photos by William Lacalmontie