Gastronomy on the French Riviera

The modern haute cuisine of the Côte d'Azur or French Riviera is called the "Cuisine du Soleil." Like the storied sunshine of the south of France, the region's gastronomy is light and fresh, based on a superb mix of the finest fruits and vegetables, with a heavy reliance on olive oil, garlic, and herbs of Provence including thyme, sage, and fennel.

Imagine the redolent aroma of la socca, a crepe made with chick pea flour, olive oil, and water cooked over a wood-fired oven or the tempting texture of bagna cauda, a combination of raw vegetables and a hot fondue of garlic, anchovies, and olive oil. Sample deep fried courgette flowers or enjoy a round pan-bagnat sandwich of spring onions and salad niçoise. Paired with the famous dry, fruity rosé of the Côtes de Provence, these and other dishes create leisurely summer meals marked by an irresistible combination of flavours, colours, and scents.

Throughout the French Riviera chefs in fine restaurants build on the traditional Mediterranean cuisine to offer creative, but refined dishes with unexpected dimensions. Don't miss Château de la Chèvre d'Or (two Michelin stars) in Cannes, Château Eza (one Michelin star) in Grasse, or Côté Jardin, also in Cannes. In fact, while you're in the city, dine at Gaston et Gastounette for exceptional bouillabaisse or treat yourself to the roasted Provençal goat with herbs at Le Moulin de Mougins.

In Monaco, the Louis XV in the Hotel de Paris carries a coveted three Michelin stars, while the Joël Rebuchon Monte-Carlo carries two. One-star restaurants in the city include the Bar et Boeuf, Grill de l'Hôtel de Paris, Mandarine, and Vistamar. In Nice, one-Michelin star favourites include Le Chantecler, L'Univers, La Réserve de Nice, and Keisuke Matsushima. The Restaurant Candille at the hotel Le Mas Candille in Mougins (just 25 minutes from La Croisette in Cannes) offers one of the finest gastronomic experiences on the French Riviera in a beautiful setting in the Provencal countryside. (A specialty of the house is Tournedos of Simmental Beef with Summer Truffles, Baby Vegetables and Chervil Emulsion.)

At the same time that these fine dining experiences are not to be missed, don't neglect the more rustic ambiance of local farmer's markets. Generally held at the centre of a village on the old square from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m., the markets are the perfect place to pick up a traveller's lunch of the freshest fruit, good hearty cheeses, thick crusty breads, and, of course, wine. The colour and quality of market foods are superior. You'll likely find pizza sold from a truck with a wood burning oven, exquisite submarine style sandwiches, delicious paella, and flavourful rotisserie chickens. And don't neglect gelato from the nearest stand for dessert.

From fine restaurant cuisine to more hearty, "peasant" fare in local markets, the French Riviera offers a wide range of gastronomic delights for the traveller on holiday or the expatriate settling down to life in the glorious sun of the Côte d'Azur. No appellation could be more apt for dining in this region than "Cuisine du Soleil." Heavily influenced by traditional Mediterranean fare and augmented with the creativity of the region's best chefs, there is nothing about dining in the south of France to disappoint and everything to delight.

Maria Mclean
Burger Davis Sotheby's International Realty
Cannes Apartment Rentals and Cannes Rental
Marketing@burger-davis.com
+ 33 (0)4 92 28 07 82

Recommend : anolon professional 12 piece nonstick cookware set

Easy French Recipes - How to Make Roast Chicken Provencal

Some French recipes are complicated but quite a lot of them are actually quite simple, including the following roast chicken Provencal recipe. Chicken is combined with tomatoes, basil, onion, garlic, wine, stock, and olives in this recipe and that is all you need to make a very flavorful dish. You can serve it with mashed or boiled potatoes, rice, or French fries.

This recipe serves four people and it is ideal if you are having a dinner party and you want to serve something classy but not too fiddly. So, what does Provencal mean exactly? Provence is a region in the south of France and a recipe, which is tagged with the word "Provencal" or "Provencale" means that it is prepared in the style of that region.

Herbes de Provence

You might have heard of Herbes de Provence, which is a combination of fennel, savory, thyme flowers, basil and more. Thyme is usually the strongest flavor but it depends on the manufacturer. Lavender is added to the American mixes but not the traditional French ones. This herb mix has been around since the 1970s and you can use it to flavor grilled meat, fish, or vegetables.

The cuisine from this region of France has always used a lot of herbs but the people living in the area have always added the herbs separately, rather than using Herbes de Provence from a mix.

The Recipe - Step by Step

What you will need:

3 lbs chicken
2 plum tomatoes
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
1 onion
1 clove garlic
3/4 cup veal stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup Kalamata olives
Salt and black pepper
How to make it:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Season the chicken with some salt and pepper and put it in a ten inch ovenproof skillet. Roast it in the center of the oven for twenty minutes.

While the bird roasts, chop the garlic and onion. Pit the olives and slice them finely. Chop enough basil to get two tablespoons and cut the remaining basil into thin strips. De-seed the tomatoes and cut them into quarter inch pieces.

Turn the oven temperature down to 350 degrees F and cook the chicken for a further forty minutes or until a thermometer inserted into the center of a thigh reads 170 degrees F and the chicken juices run clear. Put the chicken on a cutting board and make a loose aluminum foil tent over it to keep it warm.

Pour all the fat except two teaspoons of it out of the skillet and saute the onion for half a minute, stirring it all the time. Add the garlic and saute for another half a minute. Add the white wine to de-glaze the pan, scraping the burnt bits off the bottom.

Simmer the mixture until it reduces by half, and then add the stock. Bring it to a simmer and add the olives and tomatoes. Simmer the sauce for three minutes or until it thickens. Stir in the basil strips and take the mixture off the heat. Cut the chicken into four pieces and pour the sauce over it. Sprinkle the chopped basil over the top and serve.

Chicken is versatile and you can cook it in many different ways, such as finger-licking fried chicken or juicy grilled chicken. A classy chicken Provencal is great for a dinner party but a succulent and easy fried chicken recipe is sure to impress your family tonight.

SouthernFriedChickenRecipe.com When it has to be Real Fried Chicken

Tags : anolon advanced 12 piece cookware set circulon infinite circulon 10 piece cookware set circulon 2 10 piece cookware set