Chef du jour: Yacht Chef Etienne Racicot

When I was six years old, I baked my first cake,” recalls Chef Etienne Racicot with a laugh

This article was written by Jill Bobrow. Photography by Anthony Cottarel.

“Convinced I could improve upon it, I baked a second cake, this time inventing my own recipe.” That spark of creativity ignited a lifelong passion, and from that day forward, Chef Etienne has been putting his own inventive twist on every dish he encounters.

Now the solo chef aboard the 121-foot motor yacht Amore—a sought-after charter yacht navigating the waters of the Mediterranean and the Caribbean—Chef Etienne brings ingenuity and playfulness to every meal. The story of his childhood cakes remains a family anecdote, often recounted by his mother, who recognized his love for baking and cooking from the very beginning.

Like many culinary artists, Etienne’s career began humbly, washing dishes at the very bottom of the kitchen hierarchy. “Back then, my uniform was a plain blue dishwasher’s smock,” he jokes. “None of the girls would even look my way. I knew immediately that I aspired to earn my chef’s whites.” Ambition propelled him to culinary school, and afterwards to university, where he first obtained a degree in business and later in project management. His horizons were broadened, but he never strayed far from his first love: food.

Originally from Ottawa, Canada, forty-six-year-old Etienne chose a career in gastronomy as a ticket to see the world. When not dazzling charter guests aboard Amore, he can be found on the slopes of Courchevel, France, his home. An enthusiastic ski-tourer in winter, he finds as much inspiration in the quiet of the mountains as he does in the rhythm of the sea.

Over 25 years, Chef Etienne’s career has become a culinary voyage, with a résumé reading like a world atlas. He has honed his craft in Michelin-starred restaurants, ski chalets, private villas, and luxury yachts, working in far-flung corners of the globe: Antarctica, Argentina, India, Spain, Russia, Morocco, Bahrain, Greece, France, and the USA, to name just a few. This breadth of experience has made him exceptionally versatile, able to deftly cater to the diverse preferences and dietary requirements of charter guests—from kosher and halal to gluten-free, vegan, and lactose-intolerant. Nothing is off the table; every dietary request is met with enthusiasm and expertise.
 

Quick Fire Q&A: With Chef Etinne Racicot

Favorite type of cuisine?
Mediterranean cuisine is always fresh and healthy. Although I grew up surrounded by French-oriented dishes, I find classic French cuisine a bit limiting. Grilled fish or meat with seasonal vegetables is always a winner. I love wandering through bustling Mediterranean markets, discovering whatever is in season to inspire my menus.


Go-to spices?
Cinnamon, coriander, turmeric, cumin, chilies—I’ve learned a lot from Middle Eastern cooking, and those aromatic spices are some of my favorites.


Your ideal dinner for friends?
Roast chicken. For me, it’s the ultimate comfort food. It’s simple, soulful, and every bit as satisfying as haute cuisine.


Essential tools you always carry?
My knives, of course, and always my sourdough starter. In fact, once while traveling to the USA, airport security confiscated my starter! I never travel without it if I can help it. Fortunately for me, that was a clone of my original starter so I still have the 10 + year-old mother lode, which I now keep safe at home with my wife.


Music in the galley?
I prefer to focus on the food, so I usually work in quiet. If there is music, it’s classical—something to complement the rhythm of preparation.


Crew or guests in your galley?
I love it! I’m very social and enjoy talking about food. I’ll often invite the guests’ children to come bake cookies with me. It’s the best kind of company.


If you weren’t a chef, what would you be?
Probably something in finance. But for me, nothing compares to creating and sharing exceptional meals.

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