We are just back from a fantastic holiday – almost three weeks in
York, Paris, and London. It has been great fun exploring places we’ve never
been and discovering new things in places we already knew and loved.
We took the train from London Saint
Pancras Station through the Chunnel to Paris. It took just over 2 hours,
traveling at 337kph – over 200mph! It was smooth and comfortable and, honestly,
exciting to zip under the English Channel, as we both remember the miracle of
this engineering marvel commencing when we were young adults. It is much nicer
than taking the ferry or hydrofoil.
Paris. Ah, Paris. I just love this city and its wonderful
people. It is one go the most beautiful cities in the world. I have had only
the best experiences with people being kind, welcoming, and helpful. And where
do I start with the food?
Some of my favorite markets are here – the Rue Mouffetard has
been at the top of my list for decades both for its amazing food quality and picturesque
ambience. On this trip, however, we discovered a market new to us – actually
two markets in one – nearer our apartment. These are the Marché Beauvau and the
Marché d’Aligré, just east of Place de la Bastille.
The
Marché d’Aligré is a street market (in Rue d’Aligré) of
produce stands selling every
imaginable
fruit, vegetable, flower, and herb. It is open only in the mornings, although
six days a week. The other market is at the south end of the Marché d’Aligré,
the covered
Marché Beauvau; it is open the same six days a week in both mornings
and afternoons, although it closes for the midday meal.
What we found in the Marché Beauvau was an incredible selection
of butchers, cheese vendors, sausage shops, fishmongers, spice shops, specialty
shops, and more. More than I had ever imagined. The choices were truly
stunning.
I entered the market thinking I wanted meat for our Christmas
meal – beef or pork, perhaps – but, when I found the seafood vendor,
La Marée Beauvau, I changed my mind quickly. I bought the most beautiful Saint Jacques
(scallops), in their shells with their coral, and some gorgeous salmon. We
enjoyed the scallops on Christmas Eve on a bed of lightly curried, creamy leeks
(recipe to come!), and then the salmon on Christmas Day (recipe follows).
For this leg of our trip, we rented the most charming apartment
situated in one of our favorite neighborhoods: the Marais. Its only flaw was
that it was a 5th floor walk-up (6th floor for those of us in the States) and
we were a bit out of shape for the 105 stairs to climb every time we came home.
In the end, this was a bonus for our health! It is in the corner of a quiet
square – Place du Marché Sainte-Catherine – which is mostly traffic-free. There
are at least five cafés that open directly onto this little square, and no fewer
than six wine shops within a few feet of our apartment door!
For our salmon, I decided to pair the dish with a Provence red
for this week’s posting on the Provence WineZine. The wine store I visited had
two reds and two whites from the region, so I chose by label design and price
(just like I do at home!) and got one of each for the holidays.
We had the white with the scallops, and the 2012 La Chapelle red
from Château Romanin with the salmon. To read more about this pairing, visit
the
Provence WineZine.
While in Paris, we shared Christmas cheer with our friend
Marie-Lise, who lives in Paris, and later with Marie-Claire, who was in Paris
visiting her family for the holiday. Having our traditional quiet Christmas
dinner alone – just the two of us – was exactly what we both wanted, but sharing
time with these friends really made it a very special holiday week. It was the
first time we had seen Marie-Lise in 19 years – what a gift that was! While we
have seen Marie-Claire often in Tucson, those times will be fewer and far
between now that she is onto a wonderful new adventure in Phoenix.
This was a very special Christmas for us, and I wanted to share
it with you.
Bonnes fêtes to all!
~ David
Saumon à la Crème d’Oseille
Sorrel Sauce
2 tablespoons butter
2 shallots, peeled and finely diced
2 bunches sorrel, coarsely chopped, about 3 cups
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 cup crème
fraîche
salt to taste
In a small saucepan, sauté the shallots in butter until they are soft and clear. Fill a large
bowl with ice water. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add the chopped
sorrel leaves and blanch for 30 seconds; drain and transfer to iced water
immediately to stop the cooking. Drain well and add to shallots. Add lemon
juice and crème fraîche and
season with salt. Using a stick blender, purée the mixture until smooth. Place
a round of parchment directly on the surface of the sauce to keep it bright
green, and set aside.
Salmon
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
pinch salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
olive oil, as needed
2 salmon fillets, each about 6 ounces, skin removed
In a small bowl, mix the mustard, salt, and pepper. Add just
enough olive oil to make a paste. Place the fillets skinned-side down and
divide the paste between the two, rubbing into the side facing up.
Place a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add
some oil. Place salmon in the skillet, mustard-coated side down. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until
golden-browned. Turn, reduce heat, and cover, allowing salmon to cook all the
way through – another 5-7 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets.
To plate, reheat the sorrel sauce (don’t let it come to a boil)
and divide among two plates. Top with salmon and serve.
Serves 2.
Braised French Breakfast Radishes
20 French breakfast radishes, cleaned and halved lengthwise
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons sweet wine
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon sugar
pinch salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Sauté the radishes for
about 5 minutes, until they begin to lose their crispness. Add the wine, water,
sugar, salt, and lemon juice. Boil until almost all the liquid is gone and the
radishes have a nice glaze – about 5 more minutes.
Jill
January 7, 2017 at 4:23 pmIt all sounds so wonderful – What else is there to say but bon appetit!
Cocoa & Lavender
January 7, 2017 at 11:07 pmHow true, Jill! It was just perfect!
Sippity Sup
January 7, 2017 at 4:47 pm"Ah Paris", as they say! And for good reason. GREG
Cocoa & Lavender
January 7, 2017 at 11:08 pmIt definitely is for good reason, Greg. So very special a city!
Paola
January 8, 2017 at 8:11 amWhat gorgeous gorgeous photos and what a lovely holiday you have had. It is years since I was in Paris – maybe it is time to visit again
Cocoa & Lavender
January 10, 2017 at 2:22 pmIt was truly lovely, Paola – and, after 19 years, we both agreed we need to go back more often!
Unknown
January 8, 2017 at 10:02 amI, too, traveled to Paris over the holidays and could not agree with you more! I must try staying in the Marais, i travel with a furry friend (shih tzu, Maggie) so I need to find a dog-friendly accommodation.
And the other thing I MUST try is the sorrel sauce with salmon…thanks so much for the recipe!
Cocoa & Lavender
January 10, 2017 at 2:24 pmThanks, Linda – the Marais is wonderful and I do know quite a few of the Paris Airbnbs were accepting of pets.
I am now on a daily search for sorrel here in Tucson – probably won't be available for a another few months, but I can wait.
Provence WineZine
February 5, 2017 at 4:22 pmHi Linda, I had to dive in to the conversation and say coucou! Hope you are well!
Unknown
January 8, 2017 at 3:06 pmBeautiful post Happy New Year to you and Mark.
Cocoa & Lavender
January 10, 2017 at 2:24 pmThanks, Peg!
Inger @ Art of Natural Living
January 8, 2017 at 10:35 pmWhat a lovely trip! Your pictures are amazing! I chuckled at the walk up description. That would do me in!
Cocoa & Lavender
January 10, 2017 at 2:25 pmThere was no chuckling for us, Inger, each day as we walked up those 105 steps! One day, I did it 4 times int eh space of an hour! I survived but there were times I questioned if I would!
Marcelle
January 11, 2017 at 4:41 amSounds like you two made lots of special new memories on your trip! Beautiful pictures, David! Your salmon looks perfect and I can't wait for your scallop recipe 🙂
Cocoa & Lavender
January 11, 2017 at 2:50 pmMarcelle – I only wish I could get scallops in their shells here in Tucson! But the scallop dish will be on its way soon!
Karen (Back Road Journal)
January 11, 2017 at 5:05 pmIs there any place more lovely than Paris…I think not. Love salmon and sorrel, they are a perfect match.
Cocoa & Lavender
January 13, 2017 at 2:05 pmI agree, Karen – Paris is incredibly beautiful and romantic. I can never get enough…
Can you find sorrel in Florida? I just discovered one of our Tucson farmers is growing it for the first time this year!
John | heneedsfood
January 12, 2017 at 2:39 amWhat a gorgeous post! The last two times we were in Paris we rented an apartment, as well. It honestly can't be beaten. And I agree, the stairs in some of those buildings are a killer!
Right now we're in Sucre, Bolivia, and the house we're renting is a ten minute walk from the centre of town. The downside – a very steep walk up a hill every day just to get home. And being in high altitude doesn't help!
I'm inspired by this salmon. I have some local trout sitting in the fridge and may do something similar to what you have. That's if I can find some mustard!
Cocoa & Lavender
January 13, 2017 at 2:07 pmI would love to hear how that trout came out, John!
I really don't like hotels anymore – apartments are best fro me for so many reasons, the first of which is having a kitchen in which to cook! The other reason is that I never like spending a lot of money on hotels, so I end up in cheap places near the ice machine or elevator. Never a problem with apartments!
I need to catch up on all your posts from the past couple of weeks. That is what Saturday morning is for…
dedy oktavianus
January 12, 2017 at 5:32 pmi'm thinking about foie gras, beouf the coute for Christmast dinner ala france
Cocoa & Lavender
January 13, 2017 at 2:09 pmDedy – it is nice to see you back online! I have to catch up with your recent post, but was glad ot see it in my inbox.
We did have foie gras (seared with a red currant compote) on Christmas before the salmon. It was lovely. Maybe next year we will have the boeuf en croute!
Gerlinde de Broekert
January 15, 2017 at 5:48 amOh how I wish I had celebrated Christmas In Paris. Maybe next year! Thank you for sharing David. I will try the sorrel recipe with the salmon because I have sorrel in my garden.
Cocoa & Lavender
January 23, 2017 at 2:29 pmGerlinde – I am so glad you grow sorrel! We did, when we lived n Maine, but not here. Maybe we should try it in the shade? Paris at the holidays is magical…
Frank
January 20, 2017 at 3:33 pmThere's no place on earth quite like Paris. I lived there for two years, and they gave me some of the best memories of my life. Wouldn't mind living there again… perhaps this year.
Cocoa & Lavender
January 23, 2017 at 2:31 pmHow lucky to live in Paris for two years, Frank – like you, I wish we all lived there now, although they are about to go through the same things as we just did… Is anyplace safe?
Caroline @ Pinch Me, I'm Eating!
January 20, 2017 at 11:28 pmWow, sounds like you had a fantastic trip! Thanks for sharing your experience and photos. I've never tried sautéed radishes but I bet they're wonderful!
Cocoa & Lavender
January 23, 2017 at 2:31 pmThe sautéed radishes were a wonderful surprise. I had never had them before, so it was fun to try something new. And, yes, the trip was amazing. 🙂
Provence WineZine
February 5, 2017 at 4:33 pmA beautiful and inspiring post, David. It's so much quieter in Paris in January.
The salmon looks fab and the wine–which I've now tasted in several vintages but not the 2012 vintage that you enjoyed–was VERY enjoyable!
BTW, the folks at Château Romanin were thrilled about the pairing and posting your Provence WineZine column about the meal and the wine on their FB page!
Cocoa & Lavender
February 5, 2017 at 4:42 pmHow nice of the Château to post the article to their FB page! I am so excited to make the salmon again once the sorrel is growing well in Tucson!
Christina | Christina's Cucina
February 8, 2017 at 1:00 amAs you can see, I'm catching up on all your posts as I was in Spain for 10 days in December and then went to the UK for 2 weeks in January. Lovely to travel so much, but it really is hard to keep us with everything else one needs (and wants) to do! So glad you had a lovely time in France and the UK! Your salmon sounds lovely!!
Cocoa & Lavender
February 9, 2017 at 12:52 amIt has been fun following your adventures on Instagram, Christina! Thanks fro all the catch up comments – we had a great trip!