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Jonathan Brincat, notre Chef ambassadeur à Malte

Jonathan Brincat, our Chef Ambassador in Malta

We met with Jonathan Brincat, the chef at the NONI restaurant in Valletta, Malta, and Nicolas Feuillatte ambassador.

Jonathan Brincat, also known as 'Noni', is a Michelin-starred chef and co-owner of the eponymous restaurant, which he founded with his sister Ritienne. After gaining valuable experience in the kitchens of luxury fine-dining establishments, Jonathan moved to London to work under Michelin-starred chef Gary Hollihead at Corinthia, London.

Chef Noni is renowned for his innovative take on Maltese cuisine. He modernises traditional local dishes while evoking childhood memories, as seen in his signature dessert "Te Fit-Tazza".

Jonathan Brincat & Nicolas Feuillatte

Michelin-starred chef Jonathan Brincat draws inspiration from nature, travel, art and literature. His passion for authentic flavours and extraordinary creativity have impressed Guillaume Roffiaen, Nicolas Feuillatte Cellar Master whose travels have influenced his approach to blending the Maison's vintages.

Noni is also a family business, in the broadest sense of the word. The team fully shares his values. Each dish tells a story, and each customer is treated as part of the family. Noni mentors young chefs, believing in the importance of passion and seeking to inspire others to prioritize their love for culinary arts.

Maison Nicolas Feuillatte shares this mindset and supports its winegrower members daily, particularly in vineyard management.

The Chef's recipe

The dish presented here reflects Noni's philosophy. The inspiration comes from the early spring, when the Maltese Islands are still green and when the snails emerge after the rain. This is why snails are one of the main ingredients in this dish, to which the Chef incorporates spinach and fresh spring garlic. He adds a hint of Réserve Exclusive Brut to the recipe. Together, the elegance, acidity and freshness of this champagne subtly enhance the simplicity of the dish.

Exclusively, the Chef reveals his recipe “Snails and potatoes, spinach puree”

Snails and potatoes, spinach puree and Réserve Exclusive Brut

4 people

Spinach puree

500 g of fresh, washed spinach
1 potato
300 g of thick cream
50g fresh spring garlic, peeled and chopped
Salt, according to your taste

Preparation

Boil the potato in a saucepan until it is mash-like in consistency.

Meanwhile, infuse the garlic with the cream in a small saucepan. Heat to 80°C, cover and leave to stand for one hour.

Blanch the spinach in a large pot of boiling water for about 20 seconds and then cool it in ice water. Remove the spinach leaves from the ice water and drain them thoroughly, patting them dry with kitchen roll until completely dry.

In a Thermomix, combine the potato, spinach and cream, then blend on high speed for 10 minutes until the mixture is bright green and smooth. Strain the mixture through a sieve into an ice-cold bowl and chill quickly to retain the colour.

Braised snails

1 kg of snails, collected or farmed
300 g of coarse salt
1 large onion
2 carrots
2 celery stalks
6 cloves of garlic
2 sprigs of thyme
2 sprigs of tarragon
10 black peppercorns
3 bay leaves
500 ml of dark stout beer
300 ml of Marsala
1 liter of chicken broth

Preparation

Thoroughly wash the snails three times, changing the water each time.

Transfer them to a saucepan of cold, salted water and bring to the boil. Skim off any foam that appears on the surface. Repeat this process three times, rinsing the snails each time, until the water runs clear.

Sauté the vegetables in a medium saucepan without browning them. Deglaze with the beer and Marsala and reduce by half. Add the snails and herbs in a tightly sealed cheesecloth bag. Cover the snails with the chicken stock, bring to the boil and simmer over a low heat for two hours.

Drain the snails in a fine-mesh sieve, reserving the cooking liquid for later. Leave the snails to cool before removing them from their shells with a wooden stick, taking care to clean off any gritty ends. Reserve the snails and cooking liquid.

Potato risotto

8 large organic potatoes
1 liter of chicken broth
100 g of butter
100 g of Parmigiano Reggiano
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt to taste

Preparation

Thoroughly wash the potatoes before peeling them, leaving the skins on. Place the potatoes in a container of water to prevent them from oxidising.

Prepare a smoker with your favourite wood – oak in our case – and cold smoke the peelings for an hour. Next, infuse the peels in hot chicken stock for an hour and then strain them. Keep them warm.

Using a mandolin, finely slice the potatoes, placing them back in a bowl of water as you go.

To make the risotto, heat a medium-sized frying pan and add 50 g of butter. When the butter begins to foam, drain the diced potatoes thoroughly and add them to the pan, stirring frequently. Gradually add the chicken stock until it covers the potatoes. Still over a medium heat, continue cooking until the potatoes are cooked through but still firm. As with a classic risotto, finish with butter, Parmesan, salt and freshly ground pepper.

Add these at the last moment, just before serving, as is usually done with risotto.

Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne Mousse

200 ml Nicolas Feuillatte Exclusive Reserve Brut
100 ml of milk
1 sprig of tarragon
20 g of butter
Salt to taste

Method

Pour 200 ml of champagne into a saucepan and reduce by half. Add the tarragon and milk, then cook for five minutes.
Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan, then stir in the butter and blend everything together.

To serve, place the spinach purée on the bottom of the plate, followed by the risotto, the snails, and finally the champagne mousse.