Programme one Rick Stein didn't waste any time getting into the gourmet swing of things for his gastronomic tour of southern France. No sooner had he waved goodbye to Padstow, than he was seen tucking into steak and frites and a glass of red on the ferry to Brittany, which he announced to be remarkably good. His journey took him via a truck stop café in Beaulieu where he dug into a local dish of eels in cider, before he headed off to Crozon for gallettes. He visited the mussel beds in Charron and met the oyster farmers of Isle D'Oleron. But it was the fields of globe artichokes, stretching across the Brittany landscape, that seemed to inspire Rick the most. It was a sight he said he'd never seen in Britain, which led him to proclaim that the humble artichoke must be "feared and loathed by the Brits". "Artichokes look so daunting," he explained. "They're hard like an armadillo. But it's just a big flower bud!" How to cook artichokes The globe artichoke is related to the thistle. Its leaves are edible, as is the bottom part of the flower, called the heart. They make a delicious starter simply boiled whole and served with melted butter, mayonnaise, hollandaise or vinaigrette for dipping the leaves into. Rick Stein advised: "Boil globe artichokes in salted water to which you've added the juice of one lemon to stop them discolouring. Before dropping them in the boiling water, trim the base and cut off the top quarter of the artichoke. "The nicest way to serve them then is to remove the central core, which is inedible and looks like the centre of a thistle, which indeed is what an artichoke is. Then pour two or three tablespoons of your favourite dressing into the centre and, as you pick the leaves off, before you bite the fleshy part away with your teeth, you dip them into the dressing." Recipes from French Odyssey
This dish and other recipes cooked by Rick on the programme are featured in a book accompaying the series. Rick Stein's French Odyssey is published by BBC Books. RRP £20. ISBN 0563522135. Try these artichoke recipes from BBC Food:
Details of Rick's journeyYou can trace Rick's journey through southern France on his website, which features an interactive map and directory of the places he visited.
|
