A couple of months ago, we enjoyed looking round various locations in the local “WOSAT” (Western Open Studio Art Trail) at 10 open studios featuring 46 local artists in 8 venues here on the Isle of Man. We saw some lovely work in different styles, using different techniques and materials and, during our travels, we bumped into a very talented artist called Bruno Cavellec (whose website can be seen at http://www.brunocavellec.com/ )
First of all, the name Cavellec is typically Breton (from Brittany on France’s Atlantic coast). Secondly, Bruno was a really approachable guy with an easy-going manner and a contageous smile. Third, being French, he and Marie-Danielle could stop talking English for a few minutes and relax into their own language. And fourth, I fell in love with (and bought a copy of) his giclée print “Walking the Dogs” that shows Peel beach at sunset. This one is going back to France with us at the end of August and I know exactly where I shall hang it once it’s been framed.
Quite by chance, we bumped into Bruno a couple of times whilst out walking and enjoying the exceptionally sunny weather. So we thought it would be nice to get to know him better and get to meet his English wife, Jill… sounds like a perfect recipe for a “French” evening (food, wine, good conversation, more food, more wine – yawn, “Good grief is that really the time?”). So yesterday evening we shared a truly pleasant few hours together until we got to the “Good grief is that really the time?” moment!
To begin, we did what every couple of “mixed nationality” do, and swapped stories about how we met our partners. It’s not being nosey – it’s just what we do, because there’s nearly always a nice story there somewhere! Naturally, as we did that, we quaffed a few glasses of chilled Prosecco that Jill and Bruno had kindly brought with them. It’s a beautiful, light and dry Italian sparkling wine that uninitiated people like me can very easily mistake for champagne!
Bruno had told us that Jill liked duck, so what could be more natural than to start the meal with foie gras accompanied by an onion compote. Bruno was happy – he thought he was back in France! Jill was happy because it was duck! M-D was happy because she loves foie gras! And I was happy because all I had to do was open the jar!
And, if it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing, so we carried on with the duck theme and served Confit de Canard for the main course. Confit is difficult to get wrong but, for reasons still unknown, the skin of the duck didn’t brown as it should (it’s normally lovely and crisp). While it tasted just as it should, I was disappointed with the presentation. So, when in doubt, what do you do? Why, you pour another glass of wine! We managed to see off a couple of bottles of 2009 Chateau Lamothe-Vincente which lessened the blow a little!
After the cheese, we arrived at the moment of dessert and Bruno had made a gateau aux pommes – apple flan – that was truly brilliant. I asked him for the recipe which he told me was top secret, so I tied him to the chair and poured wine down his throat until he relented and you can read it here…“Double Take” Apple Flan.
I’m not usually a huge apple fan but this was honestly the best apple flan I have ever eaten. It was light, tasty, sumptuous and I immediately voted it the dessert most likely to brighten your day. Truly a masterpiece – much like Bruno’s paintings.
A pleasant evening in good company and the best apple flan I’ve ever eaten! – Can’t be all bad!
We decided on a 
The verrines we made were stupidly simple. The first was tomato with fresh goat’s cheese. We placed two 400g tins of chopped tomatoes into a pan, crushed in a garlic clove and a bit of salt and freshly ground pepper, then brought it to a gentle rolling boil until all the juice had evaporated and only the pulp was left. This, we left to chill. Once cold, we placed about two teaspoons of the tomato pulp into the bottom of each glass. On top of that we crumbled about 1-1½ teaspoons of fresh goat’s cheese which we had broken up with a fork. Drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil over each and dress with chopped fresh basil – and yummy … lovely as an apperitif or, as we did, with a tapas selection.
All of this, of course, was washed down with several decent-sized glasses of sangria which M-D had made three days earlier (it tastes better when it’s prepared in advance). Depending on your guests’ ability to quaff the fruit of the vine, you can change these quantities to suit yourself. This time, there were just four adults but I know that both Terry and I can manage our way to the bottom of the glass without too much difficulty! So we used 3 x 750ml bottles of 14.5% red wine (a rather palitable Bordeaux – 2010 Coteaux du Languedoc called L’Ame des Schistes). The actual recipe is as follows (ingredients below are for 1 litre of red wine. For 4 people, use at least 2 bottles, i.e. 1.5 litre – quantities of fruit etc. can then be adapted accordingly). Since the fruits in particular are going to water down the sangria, the wine used should be at least 13% volume. Never use the so-called “sangria mixes” to do this recipe, since they are already watered down.