As the days shorten and the nights darken, I find myself dreaming of long lazy lunches in Paris, a winter destination for us as we travel to family Christmases in Europe. I love the grand brasseries that sit quietly amongst the streets that surround the Gare de l’Est from where we travel on to Strasbourg…
Category: France
Orléans Caramelised Tomato Tarte Tatin
A gloriously butter puff pastry case filled with caramelised tomatoes and oregano. To this version I added a little homemade tomato sauce left over from last weekend’s pizza menu and served it with a vibrant salsa verde which keeps in a jar in the fridge for several weeks. So simple, so delicious and as light…
Flamiche, a Classic French Tart with Normandy Crème Fraîche, Caramelised Leeks and Potatoes
Flamiche – a simple leek tart originating from Picardy in northern France – is often presented as a seasonal special on winter menus in Parisian brasseries and bistros. I came across this version at the Brasserie St Quentin – an authentic French bistro that opened on Brompton Road in 1980 which was named after the…
Alsace Caramelised Onion Tart with Gruyère and Tarragon
We tumbled through the door of the packed antique brasserie just opposite the Cathedrale Notre Dame de Strasbourg, our faces flushed from the frosty air and the glasses of gently spiced vin chaud bought from the Christmas market, one of the oldest in Europe. Laughing, perhaps a little too loudly, we grabbed the only remaining…
Poischichade, a Provençal Chickpea, Lemon and Sun-dried Tomato Dip
‘Paris, hours in the café, a certain spirit of rebellion, one side a bit too stubborn, the sea, the true, in Bretagne, the walking in Provence, the taste, the passion for literature, the libraries, the beautiful editions, remaking the world in a set of hours around a table and a bottle of wine. Talking without…
Tarte Paysanne, a Roast Tomato Tart with Grain Mustard and Herbes de Provence
We weren’t even sure that we were in the right place yet alone what the protocol would be once we’d entered. Someone had told us about a remarkable restaurant in the small town of Le Buisson-de-Cadouin deep in the heart of the Dordogne and, when we expressed interest, they had kindly booked it for us….
Parisian Madeleine Cakes with Sicilian Lemon
Many stories are attributed to the origins of the madeleine cake, a classic scallop shell-shaped confection that is perfectly designed for those – like me – who don’t possess a ‘sweet tooth’ but whom occasionally crave an exquisite bite of sweetness to savour alongside a delicate herbal tisane or a glittering crystal glass of chilled…
La Belle Salade Niçoise with a Green Olive Tapenade Dressing
Named ‘La Belle’ after the frequently used nickname for the city of Nice which lies in the French Riviera on the Mediterranean Sea, this salad typifies for me the fresh seasonal beauty of the local cuisine. This simple plate of summer is inspired by Richard Olney’s musings on Lulu Peyraud who, with her husband Lucien,…
Saint-Raphaël Soft-boiled Egg, Shallot and Tarragon Tartine
“Egg dishes have a kind of elegance“ wrote Elizabeth David, “a freshness, an allure which sets them quite apart from any other kind of food so it becomes a great pleasure to be able to cook them properly and to serve them in just the right condition.” It’s exactly that quality that makes this simple tartine…
Provençal Potato Salad with Green Beans, Asparagus, Peas, Mint and Chervil
Imagine a French summer garden filled with tall cypress trees and blooms of the brightest hues with their faces turned to the sun. A weathered white dovecote is home to a pair of doves that coo above the thousands of geranium flowers – pink, white and red – that tumble over the edges of old…
Cardamom and Dill 