Claude Trincaz Fine dining for four generations

No, it is no coincidence that the surname ‘Trincaz’ is associated with several hotels and restaurants in La Chapelle d’Abondance. For four generations, the members of this iconic family have consistently demonstrated their passion for cooking and hospitality.

Today we’re meeting Claude, 59, founder and chef at Les Gentianettes, to talk about fine dining, his career… and, of course, family!

The Trincaz family

From the Trincaz family, I’d like to introduce… one of the grandsons, Claude! It’s not easy to make sense of this – family-centred and food-loving – event organised by the Trincaz family in La Chapelle d’Abondance. To understand the history of this iconic family from La Chapelle d’Abondance, we need to go back to 1894, when their great-grandparents converted their farm into an inn to found Au Mont des Cornettes. In 1925, their daughter Pauline – a talented cook – and her husband, François Trincaz, took over the establishment now known as Les Cornettes.

In the next generation, it was Claude’s parents’ turn to launchL’Ensoleillé, now run by his brothers, Laurent and Alain. And because this passion for cooking and entrepreneurship is firmly embedded in the DNA of every member of this close-knit family, Claudefounded Les Gentianettes in 1994 alongside his wife, Nathalie. It was a rather daring venture: offering a swimming pool and a spa right from the start – far from standard practice at the time – “much to our accountant’s dismay and with interest rates at 14 per cent!”

Indoor pool with SPA — ©
Gentianettes Spa

A Sunday with the family? We don’t know at Trincaz

A source of pride for Claude and Nathalie, who are now, in turn, passing on the family tradition. It is also a source of pride to have instilled in them a love for this profession, which is both so exhilarating and so demanding.“We never had a traditional Sunday lunch as a family,” recallshis wife, Nathalie.“When the childrenwere teenagers, they’d come home from their ski competitions, get changed and come and give us a hand. ’ Admittedly, the Trincaz family didn’t have a‘traditional’ dailylife, but they passed on to their children the values they hold so dear: family, respect and hard work. ““They could have chosen other, easier careers, with fewer constraints… And yet they’re all still here!” saysClaude, visibly moved.

A food lover who makes his sorbets in exactly the same way as he makes his cured meats

Emotions, generosity and a spirit of sharing are undoubtedly part of the restaurant’s DNA. But they’re also evident in Claude’s cooking. “I’m still just as in awe of the energy and sheer love he puts into his work,” says Nathalie. “He isn’t just a chef: he’s a butcher, a pastry chef,a sauce-maker…” Justlike his authentic village, Claude offers hearty, generous cuisine. “Sauces – it’s true that they’re one of my specialities. Along with perfect cooking techniques, I see them as the foundation of French cuisine.”

A true culinary craftsman, Claude makes all his ice creams and pastries himself (do be sure to try his wild berry soup en croûte and his ‘galet’, a cake topped with hazelnut mousse), as well as his own charcuterie, hams and cured meats… A generous epicurean, the chef, now in his fifties, continues to attend training courses “to rub shoulders with young people and gain new ideas… ’ and is a member of the Association des disciples d’Escoffier, whose mission for over 60 years has been to pass on to new generations of chefs a strong work ethic, respect for gastronomic culture and a commitment to improving the craft. Sharing, exchanging, passing on knowledge time and time again… Including with his biggest fans, his four-year-old granddaughter Alba and one-year-old Victoria. The first representatives of a new Trincaz generation!

Recipe for ‘fidés’ by Claude Trincaz

A traditional dish that brings back childhood memories…

Ingredients: 1 onion, 2 shallots, 3 cloves of garlic, 2 tomatoes, sunflower oil, 400g vermicelli (Alpina Savoie), 1 chicken stock cube

Roughly chop the onion, the 2 shallots, the 3 cloves of garlic and the 2 tomatoes.
Pour a generous amount of oil into a frying pan and add the onion, shallots, garlic and 400g of thick vermicelli.
Stir continuously until the thick vermicelli is lightly browned.
Meanwhile, bring a pan of water to the boil.
When the mixture is nicely browned, add the tomatoes and a chicken stock cube.
Pour in the boiling water until the mixture is just covered.
Cover and stir occasionally. Once the water has been absorbed (approx. 10 mins), the vermicelli are ready.

Serve with ham and fried eggs or Abondance cheese.

Visit the Gentianettes website

Claude Trincaz Fine dining for four generations

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