Tag Archives: seafood

Summer visitors to try out British food

September 2, 2012 needarecipe Leave a comment

Oh Bloody Hell – is it really 4½ months since I last posted to this blog. How time flies when you’re having fun!! During that time, we returned to France for a couple of months then went back again to The Isle of Man for a couple of months. Now we are back in France again… must be Sunday!

We had an interesting summer on the Isle of Man with three lots of visitors from France. First of all there was Pierre and Claude who stayed with us for a week (and fitted in a year’s worth of sightseeing!). There are so many curiosities to see on The Isle of Man for the first time visitor. One that amused Pierre and Claude was the Great Union Camera Obscura on Douglas Head (opened in the 1890s and is one of only a tiny handful left in the British Isles.)… I’m the lazy one with his hands in his pockets!

Of course, food is never far from the minds of French people, so we introduced them to a typical British picnic (complete with table and chairs). This time, I’m the taller one with the wine in his hand!! Included in the picnic were such British delicacies as Scotch Egg, Melton Mowbray pork pie and also we served radishes as part of a salad, which is not in the French culture (they eat them on their own as a starter, with salt and butter). Surprisingly, we also discovered that your humble Heinz Salad Cream went down a treat, since there seems to be no equivalent in France – the nearest being mayonaisse.

Harbour Lights - Port St. Mary We were also pleasantly surpised by the warm reception our guests gave to the local eating places. The French can be a little snooty about their food, so we weren’t quite sure what sort of reception basic British “grub” would get. Our minds were put at rest after a delightful lunch at The Harbour Lights in Port St. Mary (I’m the one examining what I eat before shovelling it down!)

Basic British Picnic Grub Our next arrivals were M-D’s cousin, Anne-Marie, and her husband, Jean. They stopped with us for a little under one week since they were then heading off for a hiking holiday in Scotland. Again, they seemed to appreciate basic British “picnic grub” like the pork pie and Scotch egg, We also introduced them the delights of haggis neaps and tatties, before their Scottish visit, so they could decide whether or not they liked it (I think the jury is still out on that one!)

Manx Country Cottage For Jean and Anne-Marie, I think the attraction of The Isle of Man was simply the delightful country cottages and quaint streets of the old fishing village of Peel. Naturally, they enjoyed seeing all the other natural attractions the island has to offer (like Loaghtan sheep and Manx cats) but, being lovers of fish (to eat, of course) they thoroughly enjoyed trying out the famous Manx Kippers which are smoked by Moore’s Manx Kippers less than a mile from where we live. Moore’s is the last of the traditional oak-smoked curing yards and the flavour just oozes out of their products.

Our final guests of the summer were M-D’s sister, Christine, and her younger son, Corentin. Christine has visited The Island before but, for Corentin, it was his first time, so we naturally did all the “tourist” bits like the electric trams, the Great Laxey Wheel, The Isle of Man Steam Railway. the horse trams, and everything else than contributes to making the Isle of Man a unique place to live and work.

During their stay, we celebrated Christine’s birthday with a visit to our favourite restaurant on the island, The Abbey whose food and attention to detail was, as always, immaculate. Regrettably, they had used up all their stock of 2004 Chateaux Lyonnat Saint Emilion but, fortunately, they had a slightly younger version of the same wine, and it was a dream! We also visited a couple of “regular” haunts like The Hop Garden (pictured above) which serves really good quality “pub grub” in delightful surroundings.

And finally, M-D and I had a couple of weeks to recouperate from a hectic schedule of sightseeing! After which, a couple of quick flights and we are back in France, for the winter. We’re lucky, because my brother Steve lives close to the house on the Isle of Man so keeps an eye on it for us while we’re away. Maybe, one day, we can persuade him to visit France where we can play host to some of the delights that France has to offer.

Chinese Food, Haggis, Indian Food, Isle of Man, Restaurants, Seafood, Wine

Almost time to leave ‘The Rock’ again

April 15, 2012 needarecipe Leave a comment

How time flies. It only seems like yesterday that we were unpacking our loaded car having arrived from France. Now we are planning loading all the stuff we are taking back and catching the ferry to UK and on to France until June.

When we come from France we bring wine (wouldn’t you know it), tins of things like cassoulet, confit, snails (yes- honest!) and lot of other interesting goodies that you can’t easily get in UK. When we go back to France from The Isle of Man, we take stuff you can’t get in France like party poppers, custard, haggis and jelly beans! Yeah – I know – we’re real adventurous rascals, aren’t we!

While we’ve been here this time, we’ve had two or three interesting meals at home with friends and relatives including Cubes of Veal with Spicebread Sauce, snails (which we brought over with us and packed into the shells ourselves, along with garlic butter and parsley and, tonight, since my niece, Sally and her husband, Danny, are over for a few days, we’ll be having one of my regular favourites, Filet Mignon (Tenderloin of Pork) with Sage and Rosemary.

Abbey Restaurant, Rushen Abbey, Isle of Man

Marie-Danielle and I also managed to fit in a visit to The Abbey Restaurant at Rushen Abbey where I enjoyed some amazing Grilled Manx king scallops in hazelnut butter as a starter, then both of us had Chicken Ballontine with dauphinois potatoes, oyster mushroom cream and cranberry sauce. All this, washed down with a bottle of their amazing 2004 Chateaux Lyonnat Saint Emilion. I don’t know how much longer their stocks will last, but, boy, is that a great wine or is that a great wine!

The other things we discovered on this visit were two great local restaurants. One was a Chinese – The Jade Harbour Restaurant overlooking the marina where the food was excellent, the service was spot-on and the prices were right. The other was an Indian – The Royal India – in the little market place just down the road from where we live. Small (only about 30 covers) but clean, friendly, well-priced and with excellent Indain cuisine, this little gem is one we have revisited twice already!

So now, we are looking forward to being back in France so we can visit The Happy Sushi and La Petite Rôtisserie – our two “canteens” that we make plenty of use of! Wish us “Bon Voyage!”

Italian Food, Risotto, Veal

Restaurant L’Ostéria for a classy lunch

February 3, 2012 needarecipe Leave a comment

Restaurant L'Ostéria Restaurant L’Ostéria was our rendevous with M-D’s former boss and his wife. Jean-Pierre had been the head of the Belgium office when Marie-Danielle had worked there a few years ago and now, like M-D, had returned to France.

From time to time, the four of us meet up and dine somewhere nice and, since they live about an hour and a half’s drive away, we take it in turns to go to them or they come to us. This time, they came to us, so we decided to try a restaurant that is only about 3 miles from where we live and is situated right in the middle of the Forest of St Germain.

L'Osteria interior Restaurant L’Ostéria is a former hunting lodge with a huge fireplace that gives the dining area a wonderful atmosphere. It is open 7 days a week, which is not so common around Paris. The service and welcome were excellent and the wine list was original and unusually wide. There’s a large terrace but January weather is not ideal for eating outside (though it should be great in the summer) so we snuggled at a table near the log fire and enjoyed some of the best that France has to offer (even if it was Italian!)

The food was more than good enough to rate this as a true Osteria in the best Italian traditions (establishments serving wine and simple food with menus that tend to emphasize local specialities such as pasta, grilled meat and fish). Often, when visiting Italian restaurants we are disappointed because they are nothing more than slightly upmarket pizza parlours. At L’Ostéria we tasted the true stuff of Italian cuisine (they even speak Italian if you want them to).

M-D and I both started with baby squid salad in a tomato and basil sauce… delicious. When, for the main course, M-D and Jean-Pierre moved on to Foie de veau vénitienne (veal liver, Venetian style), Janine (Jean-Pierre’s wife) chose a Filet de bar de pêche au champagne (fillet of bass with champagne) and I settled for a delicious Risotto coquilles Saint Jacques (Risotto with scallops and asparagus tips). It was simple but excellent and I rate it amongst the best risottos I’ve ever had (and I’ve had a few!). Wonderfully smooth and creamy with the delightful taste of fresh scallops and tender asparagus and just a hint of the onion, garlic and olive oil that the rice had been coated in prior to cooking.

We helped our food down with a rather splendid bottle of Menetou-Salon. Menetou-Salon is an ancient wine-producing area with documented vinyards dating back to 1063. It produces both white and red wines and we chose a red which was light and refreshing and perfect when diners eat varied foods (me with my risotto, M-D and Jean-Pierre both with their veal liver and Janine with her fish). Desserts, coffee and good conversation topped off a perfect lunch (well, it was almost 5pm when we walked out of there!).

Tomorrow (Saturday) we have a former work colleague of M-D’s coming to lunch at our place and I’m doing Filet Mignon with Sage and Rosemary. I’ve done it a few times before and it’s stunning, yet very, very simple… looking forward to it!

And then it will be back to the diet! I’ve lost 20kg (44lb) in the last four months so, when I eat well, I have to pay for it for the rest of the week. Ah well, life’s pleasures should never be simple – otherwise they probably wouldn’t be such great pleasures!

Oysters, Salmon

Oysters, Cucumber, Smoked Salmon Sandwiches and a smile!

January 22, 2012 needarecipe Leave a comment

I just opened a couple of dozen oysters, which is one of our frequent Sunday evening treats when we’re in France (they’re too darn expensive in UK!) and, while I was doing so, I was smiling to myself about some fond memories of my childhood and, in particular, my mother. Before going into the kitchen to open the oysters, I had added a menu to NeedARecipe for Smoked Salmon and Herb Sandwiches. Okay, I know it doesn’t sound like a recipe but, as far as I’m concerned, anything that involves the preparation of food is fair game to be added to the site since I try to cater for absolute beginners as well as more seasoned cooks.

As I was writing the Smoked Salmon and Herb Sandwiches recipe, I pointed out how I had been raised in a vicarage so knew all about the famous cucumber sandwiches (yes, they really did exist!). I also pointed out that, since the art of food is as much presentation as it is taste, it was important to remove the crusts and cut the sandwiches into diagonals.

I remember as a child, the Mothers Union (or whatever they were) would gather once a week in the vicarage (a huge, draughty place that was knocked down after we left the parish!) for hymn-singing and sandwiches. The area was desperately poor so, for many, the temptation was probably more the sandwiches than the hope of redemption!

And my parents were far from wealthy, so the sandwiches really were filled with cucumber. However, my mother always made a point of trimming off the crusts and cutting them diagonally into four. The ladies of the parish (who were used to making great doorsteps for their men who worked in the nearby factories) were convinced they were being treated like royalty, even though they were only eating cucumber!

I also got to thinking about my mother and smoked salmon (the sandwiches were the link!)…

As my mother aged, she was less able to look after herself. Fiercly independent right to the end, she hated the idea of going into a retirement home but it was clear she was having problems coping. In particular, she was eating very little because, due to a heart condition, the effort of preparing food was just too much for her. At the time, I was working throughout Europe as Business Analyst for a US Corporation but I was earning more than my salary from the internet. So I talked with M-D (my very understanding wife) and decided to finish with my job and spend time helping my Mum. So I commuted on an almost monthly basis between France and The Isle of Man (a few weeks in France then a few weeks on The Isle of Man).

That’s the background!

One fine day, while I was on The Isle of Man, I collapsed and was rushed to hospital with pneumonia. A few days later, M-D came over from France and, because she’s a doctor, the hospital let me out into her care. So we went back “home” (my mother’s house) and settled in for a few days before returning to France to allow me to convalese.

When I had been whisked away, I knew more or less what was in the fridge. When I got back, the only thing to have been touched was some smoked salmon (now you see the link). And only one slice was missing, which meant that, during five days, other than some toast for breakfast, all my mother had eaten was a slice of smoked salmon. I guess you can understand why we felt she needed some help!

But here’s the rub… my mother had always said she didn’t like smoked salmon! So when I asked her about it, she replied that she thought she would try it out… but she still didn’t like it! Fine except that, the following morning, the whole pack was gone. The empty package was in the trash, but no sign of the salmon. So again I asked mother what had happened. “Oh,” she said, happy as anything, “I fed it to the seagulls!”

We couldn’t help laughing. In fact, we were convinced after that that there were even more seagulls than usual perched on the fence waiting to be fed. It must have seemed like a 5-star hotel to them!

What was the point of the story? None at all… just a memory that made me smile while I was opening oysters! Funny how food does that to you!!

Eggs, Fish

Eggs-actly!

November 10, 2011 needarecipe Leave a comment

Last night, we invited over some friends for dinner. Ron has been a friend of mine (and the whole family) since my childhood, and his wife, Chrissy, is probably the smiliest person I know. We were also joined by Jeanette, my sister-in-law so, along with M-D and myself, there were five of us round the table.

Normally, when we are entertaining, it is me that does the cooking. However, Ron is not hugely keen on certain meats, so we decided to start with Monk Fish Delight (fish and eggs) and then, for a main course, Piperade (onions, peppers, ham and eggs), which is one of our regular favourites. Both of these are dishes at which M-D excels, so this time it was she who spent some time in the kitchen (though most of this meal can be prepared in advance).

Piperade (see photo on the right) is a traditional dish from the Basque region of France (South West). The recipe on the web site uses Parma Ham because the ham that is more traditionally used – Jambon de Bayonne – is not usually available other than in France.

Fortunately, being forward-thinking people, we had brought over a large Jambon de Bayonne with us when we came from France a month ago, so we were able to offer the authentic taste of the Basque region (and the ham is so much better than Parma ham, for this particular recipe).

We kept it simple and served the Piperade with a a few salad leaves in a vinagrette. It’s enough because the flavours blend so well that this is one of those dishes where more is less!

The Monk Fish Delight (see the photo alongside) is just that… a real delight. Is very easy to make and can be prepared hours in advance, to make your entertaining easy.

The version in the photo has been cooked in an oblong tin and decorated with prawns, tomato and egg. However, we tend to use a circular ring pan, about 10″ (25cm) in diameter and about 2 – 2½” (5-6 cm) high – they come in different sizes, but this is the most common. The pan is completely rounded, like a half cylinder that has been wrapped around to make a ring shape. So, when we turn the terrine out onto a plate, we end up with a 10″ “doughnut” of fish and eggs. Then all we do is decorate with a little parsley and place a bowl of mayonnaise in the middle, and the job is done!

So it was eggs followed by eggs, and all gently washed down with a few glasses of chilled Terres Ocrées Côtes de Provence (a delightfully light rosé wine). Then we finished off with a Tarte aux Fruits and coffee – and everybody was happy! And who says that France can’t come to The Isle of Man!!

Seafood, Wine

Zee best in zee world

September 20, 2011 needarecipe Leave a comment

Earlier this year we spent a few days in Brittany with our two French grandchildren. During the trip, we visited Cancale, which lies along the coast to the east of Saint-Malo. It is a picturesque fishing village popular with visitors, many of whom are drawn by its reputation as the “oyster capital” of Brittany. On the sea front there are many stalls selling crustaceans of all types – all fresh out of the sea. I’ve never seen so many oysters of so many different shapes, colours and sizes.

While we were there, we went into a shop owned by one of life’s “characters”! Everything we looked at was ‘the best in the world’… “Ah, zat box of snail shells, ‘ee iz zee best in zee world!” (Actually the guy was speaking French, but I’m sure you get the gist!!)

Well, it seems to have worked because we walked out clutching a bag of ‘goodies’ and were about 100 euros lighter in our pockets! However, one of the things we came away with was a small packet of Court Bouillon Marin (marine fish stock – and that’s a very loose translation!). I used it once and it was truly excellent, it really does add all the flavours of the sea to the fish. According to the packet, all it contains is sea salt, seaweed and herbs, but I can promise you, it really is “zee best in zee world”.

If your French is good enough, you can order this Court Bouillon Marin from the family that makes it… http://www.lehomedys.com/saveur.php. It’s perfect for (as the name implies) a court bouillon, but also for mussels, fish soup, or any sort of fish or crustacean.

So, tonight, we’re going to be eating halibut, cooked in Court Bouillon Marin, and I’m really looking forward to it. However, we also bought some samphire (one of the salicornia species, also known as glasswort or pickleweed). If you’re not familiar with samphire, it is a succulent, salt tolerant plant that grows in salt marshes, on beaches, and among mangroves. Salicornia species can generally tolerate immersion in salt water and it is highly edible, either cooked or raw. Due to its high salt content, it must be cooked without any salt added, in plenty of water. It has a hard stringy core, and after cooking, the edible flesh is pulled off from the core. This flesh, after cooking, resembles seaweed in color, and the flavor and texture are like young spinach stems or asparagus… truly worth looking forward to with a nice crisp Chablis!

Salads, Seafood, Soup

Salad Days

September 9, 2011 needarecipe Leave a comment

I got thinking about seafood today. That’s my problem … I see food and I eat it! And I reminded myself of an outstanding starter I did a while back. You can read all about it at Prawn Perfection. The problem is that I wanted to do it for my brother and my sister-in-law when we go back to the Isle of Man (they’re great at looking after the house for us, and a meal together to say ‘thank you’ is the least we can do).

Sadly, I remembered that Jeanette is allergic to prawns (last time she ate them, apparently she glowed like a traffic light for days after) so I have to come up with something a bit different. And then I remembered Salade des Gourmets which is seriously one of the best starters of all time. In fact, we’re going to our favourite restaurant tomorrow evening (La Petite Rôtisserie – 65, chemin de Halage, 95610 Eragny, France) and without doubt I’ll be tempted…

Life in France ticks along as usual. It’s no more exotic than anywhere else, but I do confess to enjoying the food culture. Mind you, it doesn’t always work that way. Last weekend, M-D and I went into Paris to meet up with a couple of her cousins and their partners. We arranged to meet at a restaurant called “Le Dalou” in Place de la Nation and have lunch there. This turned out to be less than average. Those of us who had steaks found them overcooked (not normally a fault in France) and my French Onion Soup was luke warm and tasteless. Probably we could have lived with that if the bill hadn’t arrived totalling 350 euros – that’s 50 euros each ($70 or £45). We left declaring “never again” for that particular establishment.

Hopefully tomorrow night will be different. I’ll keep you informed!

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