For today's tastes, Chef Jacques Chibois of the French Riviera happily combines offal and Mediterranean flavors, with an eye to tradition

"Like all convivial dishes, these regional country recipes should be served right on the table where the notion of sharing is part of a renewed tradition."

To a modern rediscovery
His love of tradition, however, does not keep Jacques Chibois from playing with modern culinary styles. "Tripe products are well-suited not only to rustic recipes, but also to an evolving style of cooking. Contemporary recipes allow us to restore these products' noble, refined and sensual reputation." In this regard, Chibois willingly lets his creativity express itself: calf's liver and melon with beet and red onion; and roasted veal kidney with artichokes in red and black with cumin polenta are just two examples of his freewheeling imagination. "These dishes are perfect for lunch, when customers want fresh, well-balanced flavors."

Freshness above all
Jacques Chibois insists on extremely fresh tripe products. "Freshness ensures delicately-flavored dishes that allow us to expand our clientele towards younger people." In his new restaurant in Menton, only a few hundred meters from the Italian border, he gives tripe products a decidedly modern twist. "For 'tripe and trotters' I develop Mediterranean flavors by combining them with olive oil, tomatoes and herbes de Provence, or typically Menton flavors such as lemon zest. I serve the tripe and trotters with polenta fries made from 'panisse,' a kind of large chick pea, cooked in olive oil."