ESomething outrageous has happened, something unbelievable that has probably never happened in Germany before, maybe even a turning point, hopefully a change of epoch: At the entrance to the wine-growing village of Piesport on the Moselle, you are no longer greeted by the obligatory wine queen, by Melina or Annabelle in full regalia with a crown and ruffled dress, but from the likeness of a chef. The village is so proud of the now most famous Piesporter that even monarchs have to give up their place for the representative of a profession that is otherwise notoriously underestimated in Germany. And Piesport has every reason to do so, because since March 9th Thomas Schanz has belonged to what is perhaps the most exclusive club on the planet: He is now one of those 136 people among eight billion people who can cook so well that the Michelin Guide gives them dignity awarded three stars.
Tweezers instead of a crowbar
We were with Thomas Schanz when he had a star, we were with him after the second, we have now been back to Piesport and now we know that something outrageous has actually happened: this chef has made a huge leap since our last visit, quietly emancipated himself from his role models and teachers, stripped off the shackles of classicism, spectacularly expanded the spectrum of aromas and found a style that alone deserves to bear the name of its creator. So Schanz has achieved what every top chef dreams of, and he has not achieved his goal with the crowbar of culinary iconoclasm, but with the tweezers of the finest improvements to the existing.
Classicism without museum quality: Thomas Schanz crowns his foie gras with old parmesan and even older sherry.
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Image: Lukas Kirchgasser
He proves that right from the start with his kitchen greetings: the meringue with Büsum crab and rose water, the crostini with Pomeranian beef and trout mousse and Imperial caviar, the smelt with juniper and parsley mayonnaise or the sardines as a thaler and tartare with it Passion fruit as a mousse and sorbet, surrounded by a powerful red cabbage soup and presented like a white ladybug with sardine dots – all of this is not only evidence of the highest technical mastery, but also of a virtuoso individuality that never leaves the ground of taste plausibility.
Zoro meets elf
Thomas Schanz now cooks with so much sovereignty and self-confidence that he can pay tribute to the pillars of haute cuisine and still be himself. He combines the Breton rock red mullet with a vigorous but anything but penetrating aniseed nage, rounded off with tarragon, lemon peel, red algae and green asparagus, and thus shows that he has lost all hesitation and procrastination, all anticipatory caution. He poaches the hake in orange and curry, coats it with a hibiscus and olive oil sauce, decorates it with puffed quinoa and a whole herb garden of chives, parsley, chervil and mint, digging deep into the global treasure trove of flavors without becoming a culinary souvenir hunter on the random hunt for exotics – the delicate acidity of the hibiscus, the mild spiciness of the curry, the tangy freshness of the herbs, all of this makes sense and makes sense and adds up to a taste profile that is as harmonious as it is unorthodox.