The local sardine which thought itself too modest for a 3-star plate found its spokesperson in Cassis. With La sardino by Dimitri Droisneau, chef of La Villa Madie, an everyday fish changes scale, between childhood memories and the accepted Mediterranean. The secret of this metamorphosis is intriguing.
Good news for curious cooks: this creation appears in the chef’s first book, , to be published on October 7, 2026 by Éditions du Chêne. It remains to be understood how this local sardine is available, at home, in all its forms.
The sardino by Dimitri Droisneau, icon of La Villa Madie
Dimitri Droisneau likes to stay away from the spotlight. , worries Dimitri Droisneau, quoted by Elle à Table, when taking his portrait. This chef with direct energy clearly prefers the cooking piano to the flashes, while running a three-star establishment on the heights of Cassis.
Trained at Bristol, at Lucas Carton, at La Tour d’Argent then at L’Ambroisie, he set up his knives in 2012 facing the sea. In this room opening onto Corton Cove, he summarizes his credo:
A country sardine between family souvenir and high technology
For him, the local sardine becomes a nod to a smoked herring and potato salad prepared by his mother Huguette, mentioned in culinary magazines. The principle follows Antoine Lavoisier’s formula: flesh, bones and broth find their place on the plate. The family dimension can also be seen in his way of running the house; the chef confides:
At his side, Marielle Droisneau ensures this balance. She humorously summarizes their distribution of roles: . Obtaining the third Michelin macaroon led to a new organization: . In the streets of Cassis, pride is sometimes summed up in an exclamation:
How to make Dimitri Droisneau’s sardino at home
In its version called La sardino, the recipe is designed for ten people. The sardine fillets are first lifted, deboned, covered with salt for four minutes, then rinsed and smoked for four minutes with dry thyme in a casserole dish before being covered with olive oil. The dish is then based on a dashi broth prepared with 1 liter of mineral water, kombu leaves heated to 80°C for 15 minutes, then 15 g of katsuobushi infused for ten minutes, seasoned with a touch of soy sauce.
The chef enriches this umami base with a potato siphon: liquid cream, milk and butter heated with 2 g of agar-agar, 400 g of cooked potato pulp and 10 g of katsuobushi, all mixed then kept at 45°C in a siphon. The dashi jelly, made with 300 g of broth and 20 g of vegetable gelatin, is poured, cooled then cut into discs the size of a 2 euro coin. For plating, sections of sardine, spring onion, lime caviar, lemon thyme, Sologne caviar, tempura fried bones, nasturtium leaves and chive flowers make up a sardine truly served in all its forms.
What is La sardino by Dimitri Droisneau?
Sardino is the pound version of the country sardine in all its forms served at La Villa Madie.
For how many people is the La sardino recipe intended?
The published sheet specifies that La sardino is a recipe designed for ten people.
What are the main elements that make up La sardino?
The dish combines smoked sardines with thyme, dashi broth, potato siphon, dashi jelly and caviar garnish.
Where to taste the local sardine in all its forms by Dimitri Droisneau?
This interpretation of the sardine can be enjoyed at the restaurant La Villa Madie, in Cassis, three-starred in the Michelin guide.
In which book can you find the La sardino recipe?
The recipe appears in the book, to be published October 7, 2026.
