Programme three Rick continued eating in the manner to which he had become accustomed in this series, starting the programme with a generous lunch of Magret of duck cooked with prunes and red wine from Cocumont. After lunch he headed off to the markets to enthuse about the perfection of their produce and tuck into some snails. Yet more snails for Mr Stein when he reached the village of Bruch where the local families were happily celebrating their local dish. Inspired by freshly picked garlic, he used it as the base for a wholesome Bargeman's stew. He visited the plum orchards where he learned how the superior Agen plums are harvested and turned into Agen prunes. A classic Prune and almond tart ended this stage of his journey on a sweet note. What's so special about Agen prunes? Agen prunes are named after the town of Agen, which became the main port for dispatching the prunes along the Canal du Midi. Widely regarded as the finest prune available, the prunes owe their flavoursome sweetness to the moist, sunny climate and the soil type of the region. As soon as the plums are picked they are washed straightaway and laid out on trays ready to be dried or semi-dried in special ovens. The semi-dried, or 'mi-cuit' prunes are dried for around 20 hours. These softer and moister prunes are becoming more widely available in the UK. They go particularly well with game and other meat and can be wrapped in streaky bacon and roasted until soft and golden for a simple take on Devils on Horseback. They can be steeped in a little Armagnac, wine, water, tea or even coffee before cooking and lend themselves to numerous sweet dishes. Try stewing them in red wine for a prune compote, stuff with marzipan for a super-sweet nibble or follow Rick Stein's advice and make a classic French tart.
 Rick Stein said: "When I were a lad, prunes were the sort of thing they gave to keep you regular. But actually, you know something about things like prunes, I think I prefer the dried version to the fresh quite a lot of the time. I mean I like plums, but I particularly like prunes, particularly from Agen. "The mi-cuit prunes have a heavy, heady aroma of fruit. It’s almost intoxicating. They're not like the prunes I remember from school. They were little black, hard things. These are so juicy and have got a lovely colour. They're fantastic, they're so sweet - there's only one thing to do with them, make a classic prune and Armagnac tart." Recipes from French Odyssey
This dish and other recipes cooked by Rick on the programme are featured in a book accompanying the series. Rick Stein's French Odyssey is published by BBC Books. RRP £20. ISBN 0563522135. Try these other prune 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.
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