Photo du jour: 1 Novembre 2013

Conger

European congers are found off both the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts of France. This six footer (he's been chopped in half) is average since they can reach almost 10 foot in length and weigh up to 240lb, making them the largest eels in the world.

Le déjeuner du laboureur

Since I have been up working since the crack of dawn, I decided that I deserved a good lunch. I went to the fridge and gave it a good clear out and made a meal of the leftovers: roast chicken, ceps, some fabulous Livarot cheese, and of course, baguette. It was sort of a ploughman's lunch with a heavy french accent. And for dessert? Well, I discovered some wonderful 100 per cent magenta rhubarb at the market this morning, and had a lesson in how to pronounce it from the stallholder—'Rhu' like 'la rue': one of the most difficult sounds in French. So, freshly baked rhubarb crumble and vanilla ice-cream for pudding. And for those of you that think that's not very Parisian, watch this space. What a treat!

Livarot cheese, baguette, roast chicken, and pan-fried ceps (clockwise from left)

Rhubarb crumble

Pukka!

I was at the market today looking for something to make a salad, and I saw these beautiful fresh figs. So, I took them home and made this salad with mozzarella, prosciutto and an amazing lemon, olive oil, and honey dressing from a Jamie Oliver recipe. And the result was ... pukka!
I know, I know ... I am falling back on the Italian cuisine again, but it's what I am used to. I promise to try harder with the French next week.