“This one,” he told me, “Michel Bras [the “s” pronounced] is wildly undervalued. He should have more than one star.”

The doctor was so rapturous and convincing, I decided to make the trek. And a real trek it was—for Michel cooked in the Aveyron, in a town called Laguiole, which is famous for its knives. Laguiole was not on the road to anywhere. The nearest railroad station, Rodez, was an hour and a half away. The roads into town were considered good for half the year, but driving was slow. I remember thinking I'd never traveled so far to eat the food of so obscure a chef.

Let me end the suspense right now: The journey in was arduous, but the rewards were immense. In my opinion, Michel Bras is one of the most exciting chefs in France. And, he is no longer obscure. Now he has three Michelin stars!

I found him a modest man. He referred to himself as a “cook.” Bespectacled, slight, an avid jogger, he radiated confidence. He did not train under a famous chef nor did he make the usual round of starred “great” kitchens during the period of his apprenticeship. In fact, he worked with his mother in their family restaurant and hotel for many years until he married and he and his wife, Ginette, took over the business.

To understand Michel Bras's food, one must understand the region where he lives. It is rural, sparsely settled, economically poor but rich in ingredients. High pastureland on the edge of the Aubrac Mountains is a place of sheepherders, vegetable growers, and river fisherman. Michel's recipes have their roots in local peasant cooking. He adapts, changes, lightens, and raises culinary concepts of humble origin to an extraordinarily sophisticated level, but always retains the regional base.

Bras turned out to be just the kind of cook I most admire. He made magic out of foraged mushrooms and other wild foods, produced silken sorbets from shrubby herbs and plant roots, and created delicious slow-cooked vegetable dishes, such as these divine onions, filled with not much more than ordinary bread and poultry giblets—a perfect accompaniment to Thanksgiving turkey.

In this dish, onion skins and stuffing are a study in contrasting and complementing textures and tastes. There are only a few special things you should know:

Choose large, firm, sweet onions.