10 signature recipes from Polarfront

Aboard Polarfront, memories are made at the table as much as on deck. After a day spent watching wildlife, walking on the sea ice or admiring the northern lights, nothing beats a good meal to bring everyone together, share the day’s emotions… and recharge before the next adventure.

Over the course of our expeditions, our chefs have come up with one delicious dish after another. Generous, indulgent, comforting recipes that are now part of the experience!

Today, our chef is opening the kitchen doors to you, just this once. Discover ten signature recipes that have left their mark on our expeditions. Enough to take your taste buds on a journey… until you come (back) aboard!

ASPARAGUS MILLE-FEUILLE WITH FOIE GRAS PETALS

The crunch of golden puff pastry, the freshness of green asparagus and the delicacy of foie gras: this starter has become one of the great classics served aboard Polarfront. Elegant and generous, it opens the meal with finesse and reflects all the care we put into the food on our expeditions.

Get your utensils ready: here’s the recipe!

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 250 g of fine pastry flour (T45), plus extra for dusting
• 200 g of very cold butter
• 100 ml of cold water
• 1 level teaspoon of fine salt
• 250 g of green asparagus
• 250 g of mi-cuit (semi-cooked) foie gras
• 250 g of heavy cream
• 1 egg yolk

Making the puff pastry (you can of course use store-bought puff pastry)

• In the bowl of your stand mixer, or by hand in a mixing bowl, combine the flour, the salt and the butter cut into pieces.
• Start mixing roughly, adding the water little by little until a ball forms. The dough is sticky; that’s normal.
• Shape it into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.
• Place the ball of dough on a large sheet of floured parchment paper and shape it into a square, flouring the surface of the dough.
• Roll the square out from top to bottom into a rectangle, still flouring the dough.
• First fold the bottom up two-thirds of the way, then fold the last third down over it. Give the dough a 90° turn (a quarter turn), then repeat the same operation 4 more times, for a total of 5 turns.
• As you keep working and flouring the dough, it becomes less sticky and easier to handle.
• Then wrap the dough in plastic wrap and keep it in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it.

Baking the pastry:

• Preheat your oven to 180°C
• Cut the puff pastry in half.
• Stack the two pieces on top of each other.
• Cut into 4 equal pieces, brush them with the egg yolk and bake for 15 minutes (the pastry should be light, airy and golden).

Preparing the asparagus:

• Peel the asparagus with a vegetable peeler
• Cook them in boiling salted water for 5 to 8 minutes (check that they are tender by piercing the base with the tip of a knife), then set aside.

Foie gras petals and foie gras sauce:

• Stretch plastic wrap tightly over a plate.
• Using a knife, spread thin layers of foie gras to make petals, then put them in the freezer.
• Heat the cream and add the remaining foie gras, stirring
• Season

Plating:

• On a plate, cut the pastry in half
• Place the asparagus in the center,
• Put the lid back on,
• Pour a little sauce over the tips,
• Take out the petals and arrange them around the edge of the plate

SALMON GRAVLAX

The melt-in-your-mouth texture of delicately cured salmon, the freshness of herbs and flavors inspired by Nordic traditions: this gravlax is one of the signature starters on Polarfront. Refined and subtle, it pays tribute to the Scandinavian lands we explore and invites travelers to carry their immersion in the Far North right onto their plates.

Craving a fresh, flavorful recipe? Now it’s your turn!

Ingredients (serves 6):

• 600 to 800 g of very fresh salmon fillet, skin on
• 60 g of coarse salt
• 60 g of sugar
• 1 large bunch of fresh dill, chopped
• 1 teaspoon of crushed black pepper
• Zest of one lemon (optional)
• 1 tablespoon of crushed pink peppercorns (optional)

For the sauce:

• 2 tablespoons of strong or whole-grain mustard
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• 2 tablespoons of neutral oil or mild olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of chopped dill
• A little pepper

Preparation:

• Remove any pin bones from the salmon with tweezers.
• Mix the salt, sugar, pepper, dill, lemon zest and pink peppercorns.
• Spread half of the mixture in a dish, lay the salmon on it skin side down, then cover with the rest of the mixture.
• Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place a light weight on top (a small board, or a plate with a can on it).
• Leave to cure in the refrigerator for 36 to 48 hours, turning the salmon every 12 hours.
• When the time is up, remove the salmon, rinse it quickly under cold running water, then pat it dry carefully with paper towels.
• Slice very thinly with a sharp knife.

Making the sauce: Mix all the sauce ingredients together until smooth. To serve:

Serve the gravlax with rye bread or a good country loaf, and lemon wedges.

TOMATO AND MOZZARELLA, REIMAGINED

When summer comes aboard Polarfront, we can’t resist this nod to our home port. Reinvented with finesse by our chef, this great Mediterranean classic celebrates the sunny flavors of the South. Served only during the summer season, this fresh, colorful starter makes a delicious contrast with the polar landscapes, and a reminder that even in the heart of the Arctic, food remains a wonderful journey through terroirs, memories and emotions.

Ingredients (serves 6):

• 12 tomatoes
• 6 balls of buffalo mozzarella
• 5 g of agar-agar

For the pesto (you can also use a jar of ready-made pesto)

• 150 ml of olive oil
• 60 g of fresh basil
• 30 g of pine nuts
• 50 g of Parmesan
• 1 clove of garlic
• salt
• pepper

Preparation:

• Peel the tomatoes (score them and plunge them into boiling water for 20 seconds to remove the skin)
• Cut the tops off 6 tomatoes on the stem side, hollow them out and blend the flesh with the other 6 tomatoes, then strain through a cheesecloth-lined fine sieve to extract the tomato water
• Heat half of this water, add the agar-agar and boil for 5 minutes
• Pour the liquid onto a flat baking sheet and spread it thin (about 1 to 2 mm thick). Leave to set in the refrigerator.
• Put a teaspoon of pesto and a ball of mozzarella in each hollowed-out tomato, and set aside.

Plating:

• Place a stuffed tomato in a shallow bowl
• Pour the remaining tomato water around it
• Using a round cutter, cut circles from the tomato water veil and lay them on top

To serve:

• Add pieces of mozzarella around the tomato and dots of pesto in the tomato water

ZUCCHINI AND KIWI CARPACCIO

Forget everything you imagine about a simple vegetable carpaccio. This creation pairs the delicacy of zucchini with the freshness of kiwi in a recipe that is as surprising as it is elegant. A light, colorful and refined starter, created by our chef for Polarfront’s summer expeditions, where food is very much part of the journey.

Ingredients (serves 6):

• 2 zucchini
• 4 kiwis
• 125 g of shaved Parmesan
• 2 lemons
• 250 ml of olive oil
• salt, pepper
• arugula

Preparation

• Slice the zucchini into rounds with a mandoline
• Cut the kiwis into thin slices
• Make a vinaigrette by mixing the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper

Plating

• Arrange the zucchini and kiwi slices on a flat plate in an alternating, overlapping pattern
• Add the Parmesan shavings and the arugula
• Drizzle everything with the vinaigrette

To serve

Serve with a piece of country bread

POT-AU-FEU

What could be more comforting than a pot-au-feu after a day out in the polar cold? Aboard Polarfront, this great classic of French cooking is given its full due: slow cooking, carefully selected ingredients and the incomparable pleasure of sharing a hearty dish that warms body and soul alike.

Ingredients (serves 6):

• 1.2 to 1.5 kg of beef chuck
• 6 carrots
• 4 leeks
• 4 turnips
• 4 potatoes
• 2 onions
• 2 celery stalks
• 1 head of garlic (optional)
• 1 bouquet garni (thyme, bay leaf, parsley)
• 4 cloves
• 10 black peppercorns
• Coarse salt

Preparation:

• Place the chuck in a large stockpot and cover it with about 3 liters of cold water.
• Bring slowly to a boil. Carefully skim off the foam that rises to the surface during the first 10 to 15 minutes.
• Stud the onions with the cloves and add them to the pot along with the bouquet garni, the celery, the peppercorns and a tablespoon of coarse salt.
• Simmer over very low heat for 2 hours 30 minutes.
• Add the carrots, turnips and leeks. Continue cooking for 1 hour.
• Cook the potatoes in the broth for the last 20 to 30 minutes (or separately if you prefer them to stay nice and firm).
• Adjust the seasoning before serving.

Plating:

• Serve the broth piping hot first, before adding the meat and vegetables.

To serve:

• Serve with mustard, cornichons and country bread.

Tips

• The gentler the cooking, the better the result. The broth should just barely simmer.
• You can make the pot-au-feu the day before: it will be even better reheated.
• To skim off the fat easily, let the broth cool, then remove the layer of solidified fat before reheating.
• You can also use the leftover broth to make a delicious soup, or to cook pasta or rice the next day.

PLAICE WITH BEURRE BLANC, BROCCOLI AND GARLIC

Delicate, tender and perfectly balanced, this plaice with beurre blanc, broccoli and garlic celebrates a style of cooking where the quality of the ingredients reigns supreme. An elegant recipe, designed to bring out the flavors of the sea and to offer, aboard Polarfront, a gourmet interlude amid the polar landscapes.

Ingredients (serves 6):

• 6 plaice
• 4 heads of broccoli
• 1 head of garlic
• 3 shallots
• 500 g of butter
• 500 ml of white wine
• olive oil
• salt, pepper
• sunflower oil

Preparation:

• Preheat your oven to 170°C
• Finely chop the shallots
• In an ovenproof dish, place some butter and shallots, add the fish and pour in 250 ml of white wine
• Bake for 10 minutes at 170°C
• In a saucepan, add the shallots and white wine, reduce until almost dry, then add 250 grams of butter. Keep warm and season
• Slice the head of garlic into thin slivers and fry them in the sunflower oil to make chips
• Cut up the broccoli, separating the florets from the stems
• Grate one or two florets to make raw broccoli “rice”
• Steam the florets
• Boil the stems in water, then blend them into a purée

Plating:

• Pour the broccoli purée onto a plate
• Place the plaice fillet in the center
• Pour the beurre blanc over the fish
• Arrange 3 broccoli florets around it
• Garnish with the garlic chips and the broccoli “rice”

SALMON WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH

Tender, generous and delicate, this salmon with butternut squash celebrates the balance between seasonal produce and refined cooking. A recipe created to warm travelers up after their polar explorations, where the simplicity of the ingredients lets their richness and flavors shine through.

Ingredients (serves 6):

• 6 thick salmon fillets
• 1 butternut squash
• olive oil
• 2 lemons
• salt, pepper
• thyme
• lightly salted butter

Preparation:

• Peel the butternut squash with a vegetable peeler
• Once it is peeled, cut half of the squash into tagliatelle-style ribbons
• Cut up the rest and boil it to make a purée
• Season with butter, salt and pepper
• Divide the ribbons in two and sauté half of them in olive oil with thyme, salt and pepper
• Toss the other half of the ribbons with the lemon juice and olive oil
• Grill the salmon fillets

Plating:

• On a plate, spread a base of purée
• Place the salmon fillet on top, then arrange raw and cooked ribbons on either side,
• Serve with a lemon wedge

POACHED PEARS

Elegant, meltingly tender and delicately fragrant, these poached pears are proof that the simplest desserts are often the most memorable. A refined recipe that ends meals aboard Polarfront on a sweet note, where every spoonful extends the pleasure of the journey.

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 4 pears (Bartlett or Conference), firm but ripe
• 1 liter of water
• 150 g of sugar
• 1 vanilla bean (or 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract)
• 1 cinnamon stick (optional)
• Zest of half a lemon
• Vanilla ice cream
• Sliced almonds

For the salted butter caramel

• 120 g of sugar
• 50 g of lightly salted butter
• 150 ml of heavy cream, warmed

Preparation:

Poached pears

• Peel the pears, leaving the stems on.

• In a saucepan, make the syrup by bringing the water, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and lemon zest to a boil.

• Add the pears to the syrup.

• Simmer over low heat for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on how ripe they are. They should be tender when pierced with the tip of a knife.

• Let them cool in the syrup so they stay nice and soft.

Salted butter caramel

• Melt the sugar on its own in a saucepan until it turns a nice amber color.
• Off the heat, stir in the lightly salted butter.
• Gradually pour in the warm cream (watch out for splatters).
• Return to low heat for 1 to 2 minutes, until the sauce is smooth.

Plating:

• Drain the pears.
• Cut a cross in the bottom of each pear to remove the seeds.
• Set out a scoop of vanilla ice cream and place the opened pear on top.
• Generously coat with warm salted butter caramel.
• Top with the toasted sliced almonds

PASSION FRUIT BAVARIAN CREAM

Light, creamy and delicately fragrant, this passion fruit Bavarian cream is the perfect marriage of indulgence and freshness. An elegant creation from our chef to end meals aboard Polarfront on an exotic note, all softness and lightness.

Ingredients (serves 6):

For the sponge (genoise or ladyfinger sponge)

• 2 eggs
• 60 g of sugar
• 60 g of flour

You can also use a ready-made sponge cake round.

For the passion fruit mousse

• 250 g of passion fruit purée
• 80 g of sugar
• 4 sheets of gelatin (8 g)
• 300 ml of heavy whipping cream (35% fat), very cold

For the passion fruit glaze

• 150 g of passion fruit purée
• 30 g of sugar
• 2 sheets of gelatin (4 g)

Preparation:

The sponge

• Preheat the oven to 180°C.

• Whisk the eggs with the sugar until the mixture triples in volume.

• Gently fold in the sifted flour.

• Spread on a baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

• Let cool, then cut out a disk the size of your pastry ring.

The passion fruit mousse

• Soften the gelatin in cold water for 10 minutes.
• Heat a third of the purée with the sugar.
• Off the heat, stir in the squeezed-out gelatin.
• Add the rest of the cold purée and let it come back to room temperature.
• Whip the cream to soft peaks.
• Gently fold it into the passion fruit purée.

Assembly:

• Place the sponge in the bottom of a pastry ring.
• Pour in the mousse.
• Smooth the surface.
• Refrigerate for at least 4 hours (ideally overnight).

The glaze:

• Soften the gelatin.
• Heat the purée with the sugar.
• Stir in the gelatin.
• Let cool to about 30°C.
• Gently pour over the fully set Bavarian cream.
• Return to the refrigerator for 1 hour.

CHOCOLATE AND CHESTNUT FONDANT

Intense, meltingly soft and irresistibly indulgent, this chocolate and chestnut fondant brings together two comforting flavors in a dessert of great finesse. A creation from our chef to end meals aboard Polarfront on a warm note, where generosity rivals elegance.

Ingredients (serves 6 to 8): For the fondant

• 200 g of dark chocolate
• 100 g of butter
• 500 g of sweetened chestnut spread
• 3 eggs
• 1 pinch of salt

For the crème anglaise

• 500 ml of whole milk
• 1 vanilla bean (or 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract)
• 5 egg yolks
• 80 g of sugar

Preparation:

The fondant

• Preheat the oven to 180°C.
• Melt the chocolate with the butter in a double boiler or in the microwave.
• Stir in the chestnut spread and mix until smooth.
• Add the eggs one at a time, then the pinch of salt.
• Pour the batter into a buttered or lined pan.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. The center should stay slightly gooey.
• Let cool slightly before unmolding.

The crème anglaise

• Heat the milk with the vanilla bean, split and scraped. Bring almost to a boil, then remove from the heat and let infuse for 5 to 10 minutes.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until smooth (no need to beat them until pale for long).
• Gradually pour the hot milk over the yolks, whisking constantly.
• Pour everything back into the saucepan.
• Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a spatula or wooden spoon, until the custard coats the spatula (about 82 to 84°C if you are using a thermometer). Above all, do not let it boil, or the eggs may curdle.
• Strain the custard if needed, then let it cool before refrigerating.

Assembly:

• Pour the crème anglaise into a bowl or shallow dish
• Place a slice of fondant on top