Meet chef Paul-Antoine Chenoz, U spurtinu Bistro Populare restaurant +Added to my favoriteItem already present

Despite de lack of seaviews, away from others, the chic and vintage decor and the warm atmosphere of the restaurant will quickly make you forget its street location linking Bastia to the South of Corsica.

« Le petit panier » (the small basket) in U Spurtinu, Corsica, opened by Pierre Francois Lepidi back in 2010, was originally going to be a wine bar and a delicatessen offering quality Corsican products.

Its concept, putting forward the local know-how, rapidly grew towards a tapas restaurant to of course, enjoy with local wines. Unfortunately, following the death of its founder, his children took over and renovated it, giving a new life.

 They created a new atmosphere and christened it the “ Bistro Populare”, giving reference to an accessible tasty, worked and local cuisine available for all.

With the will to give a continuation to the story written by their father, the brother and sister, passionate and concerned about the heritage of their island and its producers, knew how to make the menu evolve towards a more modern style.

 In terms of decoration, objects from their own family history have taken possession of the space, giving the place a nice flea market spirit.

©CORSE MATIN

This season saw the arrival of a new chef. Paul-Antoine Chenoz. Originally from Marseille, though moved to Paris to work in the theater, decided after six years on stage to trade his actor's hat for a chef's ‘chapeau’ after training at the École Ducasse.

 After having been at the helm of his own establishment, the Sybaris, in the Marais, where he reinvented gastronomic classics, he decided to leave for Belgium in 2019 to set up a rotisserie concept. Stopped by the health crisis, he launches himself into gastronomic consulting for restaurant amateurs.

 Diving enthusiast who arrived in Corsica last April to explore not only the seabed but also the island's gastronomic initiatives, he met the young and dynamic waiters of U Spurtinu with whom he soon found common values.

 The result of this union: a beautiful Mediterranean-inspired village restaurant where you can enjoy a cuisine using the finest Corsican products, one that respects the seasons, and that is refined and contemporary, with the chef's creative touch.

The chef’s recommandations :

 Cheeses with ‘agneau de lait’ (milk lamb) : Xavier Bartoli, Domaine U Marfisola in Prunelli-di-Fiumorbo

Fruits and vegetables : Domaine de Nepali in Aghione

Organic vegetables : Jacques and Monique Bariani in Aleria

Fish : Pierre Antoine Gougelet in Sari-Solenzara

Beef : Jacques and Lucien Filippi, Gaec U Petricciu in Canale-di-Verde

Veal and lamb : Jacques Mariani in Aleria

THE MENUS 

 Board price : 50 €, lunch menu at 25 € 

Discovery menu with 6 different dishes. Booking required : 60 à 70 € depending on the dishes

U Spurtinu 

425 Avenue Saint Alexandre Sauli, 20270 Aleria  

Tél. : 04 95 36 27 83 - https://uspurtinu.fr  

RACK OF LAMB IN AN ASPARAGUS HERB CRUST, POMME DE TERRE
JUS TRANCHÉ 

©CORSE MATIN

 Ingredients for 4 people 

For the lamb : 1 whole rack of lamb • Salt • Pepper • For the juice : Bones and lamb trimmings and bones • Vegatble stock  • Olive oil • Butter • A drop of sherry vinegar • Aromatic garnish (thyme, bay leaf...) • Garlic • Thym • Salt • Pepper • For the crust herbs seasonings

Butter with seasonal herbs (parsley and nepita or marjoram) • 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese • For the vegetables: 500 g of asparagus • 500 g of boiled potatoes • 75 cl of liquid cream 20%.

Preparation: 30 min / Cooking time: 30 min

For the jus: Place a small amount of olive oil in a large sauté pan over high heat with the lamb bones and trimmings until the juices stick to the bottom of the pan. Add 1 tablespoon of butter, the garlic, thyme, parsley and aromatic garnish. Deglaze with vegetable broth and moisten to the top. Let boil for 30 minutes. Strain through a sieve, then put the juice back on high heat and reduce until thickened. Add 1 tbsp of butter and a drop of sherry vinegar. Set aside.

 For the lamb: Raise the rack, cleaning the bones well and keeping the trimmings for the juices. Sear on all sides over high heat until browned. Apply a strip of herb butter to the top slice of the rack. Season with salt and pepper. Place in the oven at 200°C with the heat turned on for 12 minutes. Let rest for 10 min.

 For the herb seasonings crust: Mix the Corsican herbs and parsley and add them to the butter with salt and pepper. Add the Parmesan cheese and spread on a sheet of baking paper. Place another sheet of baking paper over the butter to enclose it between the two sheets. Spread the butter evenly with a rolling pin to obtain a homogeneous dough. Set aside in the refrigerator.

 For the vegetables: Clean the asparagus, peel the stalks and blanch them in English. Plunge the cooked asparagus into a bowl of frozen water to stop the cooking process. Set aside. Cook the potatoes in a pan of cold water. Once cooked, after about 20 minutes, blend them with a ladle of cooking water and the liquid cream until you obtain a very liquid purée. Add salt. Strain through a sieve and add to the siphon.

 To prepare: Place asparagus sections in the bottom of a plate. Cut a piece of 3 lamb chops and place it on the asparagus. Using the siphon, cover the asparagus with the potato emulsion. Pour the sliced juice onto the plate just before serving. 

Food and wine pairing

Castellu di Baricci 2020

©castelludibaricci