About The Chefs

Executive Canadian Chef, Jean-Claude Crouzet
There is little Executive Chef Jean-Claude Crouzet doesn't know about food.The Canadian Chef has held just about every restaurant position: teacher, student, restaurant owner, executive director, restaurant manager, food and beverage director, chef, executive chef, sous chef, chef de partie, first commis, manager trainee and maitre dhotel banquets. Chef Crouzet was born in France, and grew up with a passion for Provencale-style cooking. He holds a degree in classical cuisine, and made his kitchen debut in Marseilles two-Michelin starred Le Petit Nice Hotel.
He brought his amazing talents to Quebec in 1981, at Montreal's Le Centre Sheraton Hotel, where he went from Chef de Cuisine to Executive Sous Chef in just eight years. Since then, he has worked at some of the best restaurants Quebec City has seen and put his distinct stamp on Quebec City dining culture. In 1989, he joined the staff of Hotel des Gouverneurs in Ste. Foy, Quebec, as Food and Beverage Director and Executive Chef. In 1994 he opened, managed and led the kitchen at Le Melrose Restaurant in Sillery, and in 1997 he was named Executive Director at La Maison Gastronomique Serge Bruyere.

Chef Crouzet joined L'Astral in 1999 as Executive Chef, where his vast experience and passion for using quality, local products meshes perfectly with Loews Adopt-A-Farmer program, which forms partnerships with local farmers and fishmongers. He has forged relationships with a local cheese producer from Saint-Raymond-de-Portneuf, and small-vegetable farmer from Charlevoix and a lamb breeder from Kamouraska, all designed to bring visitors to Loews Le Concorde and L'Astral a true taste of Quebec.

Chef Pierre-Laurence Valton-Simard, L'Astral Sous Chef
The perfect harmony of taste, color and fragrance is how Chef Pierre-Laurence Valton-Simard describes a great dish. This young chef brings experience, expertise and a true passion for cooking to his job as L'Astral's Sous Chef. He interned at the Centre Integre en Alimentation et Tourisme de Quebec, for both cuisine and baking and went on to work at some of the City's best-known restaurants, including Le moine echanson, LUtopie, the restaurant at Fairmonts Chateau Frontenac and Le Saint Amour. He did stages at one of Montreal's top eateries, Le Toque, and at Fairmont's Reine Elizabeth before joining the staff at L'Astral.

A Recipe from Chef Crouzet - Fillet Napoleon with Provolone, Tapenade Cream with Tarragon & Herb Polenta

INGREDIENTS (for four people)

• 720g Veal fillet
• Polenta flour 100g
• Pitted black olives 2
• Anchovies10g
• Capers 20 ml
• Virgin olive oil 1g
• Fresh thyme 1
• Degermed clove of garlic
• 4 dl Poultry broth
• 200g Sliced provolone
• 50g Butter
• 2 tablespoons Fresh chopped herbs
• 1 Large tomato
• 100 ml Cooking cream
• 1g Fresh tarragon
• 100 ml Meat demi-glace

PROCEDURE
- Crush ingredients for the tapenade together until it becomes a spread.
- Cook polenta in 400 ml of boiling poultry broth, sprinkle corn flour, add salt and pepper. Lower temperature and let simmer while stirring constantly. Watch out for splatter. Cook for another 10 minutes.
- Add fresh herbs and 100 g of chopped provolone. Set aside by spreading on a plaque.
- Fry veal fillets in previously seasoned butter. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes until meat is pink.
- Cut veal into 2 centimeter-thick escalopes. Stack pieces in the center of the plate, alternating veal, slices of provolone and polenta.
- Decorate with vegetables of your choice.
Sauce Procedure
- In a small pot, put cream, demi glace and some freshly-ground pepper. Bring to boil.
- Add tapenade and fresh tarragon. Infuse for a few minutes, then coat meat.
- Decorate with some diced tomatoes.