Chef Biography

Thierry Rautureau was born on a farm in the Muscadet region of France, and grew up in the French countryside, enjoying the freshest foods.  Their tastes and aromas became a part of his taste vocabulary as he entered his profession as a 13 year old apprentice.  At age 16, he was working in the kitchen at Mont St. Michel in Normandy, then on to the famous Chamonix in the French Alps and finally to St Jean de Luz in the Basque country.  In 1979 he went to work at La Fontaine in Chicago, then to the Seventh Street Bistro, Mangia and the Regency Club, all in Los Angeles.

In 1987, he felt it was time to open his own restaurant and Rovers was born in Seattle.  Great Chefs Television caught up with Chef Thierry in 1994 where he prepared an appetizer, Pacific Smoked Salmon for their Great Chefs-Great Cities series. He also prepared two entrees, a Sturgeon with citrus, and King Salmon Tournedos for the Great Chefs of America series.

Later in 1998, he was named “Best Chef of the Northwest” by the James Beard Foundation, Seattle’s Chef of the Year, and Zagat rated Rovers #1 in Seattle. He also released his cookbook “The Chef in the Hat”, a nickname given by his customers, after he began wearing a hat that his wife Kathleen gave him, in the restaurant.

In 1999, Great Chefs returned to film him preparing two dishes, a Pacific Rim Barbecue Chicken and Grilled Sea Scallops, for the Weber Grill Cookout America-Seattle television special.  At the same time, he prepared a Bing Cherry Clafouti dessert for the Great Chefs French Fest television special.

In 2010, Chef Thierry and his wife opened Luc Restaurant, a casual French American café named after his late father Luc Rautureau. In April 2013 Chef closed Rovers, and later that year, opened a new flagship in downtown Seattle at the Sheraton Hotel called Loulay.

Recipes

Sturgeon with Citrus and Basil Stew

Serving: 4 Print Sturgeon with Citrus and Basil Stew By Great Chefs May 21, 2014 Simplicity itself, a fresh-tasting warm salad of citrus sections, basil, and fresh fish. Buttery sturgeon is ideal, but other rich fish would also work well. Ingredients Citrus and Basil Stew Oranges – 2 medium, peeled and sectioned Limes – 2 […]

Bing Cherry Clafouti

Serving: 6 Print Bing Cherry Clafouti By Great Chefs May 21, 2014 Chef Thierry Rautureau makes the most of Washington’s fresh cherries with this dessert, which he makes with fresh poached cherries. But he also gives instructions for making preserved cherries, which can be used in the clafouti. Clafouti is a traditional French dessert in […]

Alaskan King Salmon Tournedos with Sea Urchin Sauce

Serving: 4 Print Alaskan King Salmon Tournedos with Sea Urchin Sauce By Great Chefs May 21, 2014 This pretty dish has a delicious and distinctive fresh-from-the-sea taste. The colors of the salmon and beet coulis are pleasing together. Hiyashi Wakame is a prepared product, available at Asian markets, and blends seaweed, chilies, sesame seed, sesame […]

Pacific Rim Barbecued Chicken with Grilled Corn

Serving: 4 Print Pacific Rim Barbecued Chicken with Grilled Corn By Great Chefs May 21, 2014 Mustard, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and thyme flavor grilled chicken, slow-cooked so that it retains its moisture. Chef Rautureau suggests using free-range chicken for its flavor. He serves it with corn on the cob, roasted right in the grill […]

Grilled Sea Scallops and Foie Gras with Yam, Sweet Potato Puree, and Lobster Nage

Serving: 4 Print Grilled Sea Scallops and Foie Gras with Yam, Sweet Potato Puree, and Lobster Nage By Great Chefs May 21, 2014 Sweet potato and yam puree is used as a base for scallops and foie gras served in a lobster nage. A nage is an aromatic court bouillon in which shellfish — lobster, […]

Pacific Smoked Salmon and Goat Cheese Cornets with Beet Salad

Serving: 4 Print Pacific Smoked Salmon and Goat Cheese Cornets with Beet Salad By Great Chefs May 21, 2014 This simple and fresh-tasting appetizer can be made ahead of time — a real plus. Salmon Cornets are filled with seasoned goat cheese and served with a bright beet salad dressed with raspberry vinegar. This is […]

Restaurant Information

Phone : 206-402-4588

Address : 600 Union St, Seattle, WA 98101

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