Any visit to France usually starts with Paris because it’s the capital and the biggest airports can be found there. The city has been inhabited since 4000 BC when there was a settlement near Bercy, on the right bank of Seine. The city we know today was founded by the Gauls of the Parisii tribe who settled here some time between 250 and 200 BC and who, allegedly, founded a fishing village on the island in the river that is the present-day Ile de la Cité - the center around which Paris developed. (There are theories disputing this, however.) Paris, then known as Lutetia, was conquered by Julius Caesar in 52 BC 

and existed as a regional center under the Romans until 451 AD. The history was tumultuous, to say the least, but eventually in 987, Hugh Capet, Count of Paris, became King of France and the Capetians grew into a fiercly independent and rebellious people who, in 1355 with the leader Etienne Marcel, declared themselves independent. The dynasty exists to this day. France has been invaded by many nations and it was specifically this that gave the French chefs the opportunity to pick and choose the best there was to weave the tapestry of their unique cuisine. The Notre Dam, built on the Ile de la Cité is surrounded by 20 districts (arrondissements) all home to numerous bakeries, cheese shops and delis stocked with luscious foods of every description. The best the country has to offer can be found here on the banks of the Seine - at a price. Interestingly, one of the most positive effects of the French Revolution was the birth of excellent restaurants because all the chefs that had been employed in the kitchens of the aristocrats, found themselves out of work – the restaurant was a natural progression.

COFFEE IN PARIS

Even though coffee was already popular in Marseille amongst the merchants that were trading with the Arabs as early as 1160, it was only in 1669 the Turkish ambassador to Paris, Soliman Aga, taught Louis XIV to drink and enjoy coffee. The first Parisian café was opened in 1686 by a Sicilian called Procopio and it still exists to this day, though as a restaurant.

THE MARAIS

The Marais is, without doubt, one of the most beautiful Parisian districts thanks mainly to the Jews who contributed so much. It wasn’t always a beautiful area – in fact it used to be marshland and in the Middle Ages the nobles never came near the place. Even though a few Jews had settled there in the Middle Ages, it was only after they were forced to flee the pogroms in Eastern Europe and Russia that there was a major influx. In the 1960’s many Sephardic Jews arrived form Algeria and today the Jews are still responsible for the traditional Russian, Polish, Hungarian and North African specialties crammed into shops on the Rue de Ecouffes and –Rosiers. Pickled herring, goulash, borscht, helzel and sweets and pastries are plentiful and not just during Rosh Hashanah or Hanukkah.

POTAGE PARISIEN

Parisian potato soup

Ingredients

• 400 g potatoes, peeled and finely diced
• 3 large leeks, cleaned, topped and tailed and cut into narrow strips
• 60 g butter
• 1,5 litre home made chicken stock
• Pesto oil for garnishing
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

• Heat half the butter in a large pot and sauté the leeks until they are translucent and golden.
• Pour on half the chicken stock and add the potatoes.
• Simmer briskly for about half an hour – 45 minutes until the potatoes are quite soft.
• Add the rest of the butter and puree with hand held blender.
• Season to taste, drizzle over pesto oil and serve with crunchy bread.

CORSICA

How French is Corsica?  Corsica is an island society rather than typically French and the Corsicans are fiercely interested in preserving their cultural heritage. French may be the official language, but most of the population also speaks Corsu, a dialect influenced by the languages spoken in Tuscany and Genoa. There certainly is a huge difference between the people of each region - Corsica is one of the 26 regions of France but the furthest away from the country itself. It is separated from the mainland by the Ligurian sea and  Napoleon Bonaparte was also born here. The island has constantly been occupied since the Mesolithic age and was only independent for a very short while. The first constitution was written in Italian and it was only in 1755 the little island became independent for for this first time but only for 9 years – France secretly bought the island from Genoa and independence was a thing of the past yet again. Interestingly, shortly before Napoleon’s birth Jean Jacques Rousseau wrote the Social Contract where he said the world would be astonished by Corsica one day. Indeed it was. The Corsican people have developed many culinary specialties – the island’s black boars are the source of a variety of delicious charcuterie and for centuries, Corsicans have made bread from chestnut flour, a tradition that has recently been rediscovered. Brocciu, the so-called “poor man’s cheese” is similar in texture to ricotta but made from the whey left behind in sheep’s or goat’s milk. Olive oil, a key ingredient in Mediterranean cuisine, is a delicacy on Corsica.

SWEET CHESTNUT BREAD

Ingredients

• 136 g sweet chestnut flour
• 544 g strong bread flour flour
• 24 g yeast
• 14 g white sugar
• 60 ml lukewarm water (for yeast)
• 340 ml water (for dough)
• 15 g salt
• 20 g butter

Method

• Mix the yeast and white sugar into the 60ml water and leave in a warm place for 10 minutes to prove.
• Combine the sweet chestnut flour, wheat flour and salt together and combine with the butter and the yeast mixture.
• Add the remaining water a little at a time until you have a smooth dough.
• Remove this from the bowl, tip onto a floured surface and knead thoroughly until smooth and completely combined.
• Roll the dough into a ball and place in a greased bowl.
• Cover with a damp cloth or clingwrap, place in a warm spot and allow to prove for at least 75 minutes or until doubled in size.
• Knock the dough back and knead for a further 5 minutes then return to the bowl, cover and allow to prove for a further 45 minutes.
• Knock back once more and divide the dough into 2 equal parts.
• Knead each dough piece well to remove any trapped air then press the two dough pieces into half-loaf tins.
• Press down well into the tin then cover the tins and allow the dough to rise for at least 45 minutes in a warm place until the dough has risen about 2cm over the top of the tins.
• Pre-heated to 210 C
• Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the loaves sound hollow when tapped.
• Allow to cool a little before placing onto a wire rack to cool completely.

QUICK CORSICAN CHESTNUT BREAD

Ingredients

• 2 kg white bread flour
• 500 g Chestnut Flour, plus additional for sprinkling
• 40 g  salt
• 50 g yeast
• 1.2 liters mineral water

Method

• In a large bowl, combine the white and chestnut flour, yeast and tepid water.
• Mix well, adding the salt at the end.
• Punch and knead the dough on a work surface for 20 minutes to give it the necessary body.
• Allow the dough rise for 30 minutes, punch it down and cut into squares or form into balls –  sprinkle with chestnut flour.
• Let rise a second time for about 1 hour at room temperature, covering the bread with a kitchen towel to keep it from forming a crust.
• Pre-heat oven to 220 C.
• Just before baking, score the tops of the bread with a sharp knife.
• Put into the oven, reduce the  temperature to 190 C  and throw a little water onto the bottom of the oven to create steam.
• Bake for about 18 minutes or until the bread is nicely browned.

The quality of the fish here is so outstanding that very little has to be done to it but a fisherman is extremely pleased when they catch the Mullet Cabot – a grey mullet. The fish is delicious simply fried but far more important is the boutargue (or poutargue) – known as Corsican caviar. In the Middle Ages, Corsica was one of the main suppliers of this delicacy and the Corsicans have unique methods of catching these fish because it is essential that the females be caught before they spawn.

SPAGHETTI À LA BOUTARGUE

Ingredients

• 100 g boutargue, sliced paper thin
• 500 g spaghetti or bavette
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 4 fresh fennel stems
• 150 ml fruity white wine
• a handful of capers (or a bunch of parsley, roughly chopped)
• 1 red chili, finely chopped
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt to taste

Method

• Warm the olive oil, the fennel and the chili in a large, heavy bottomed pan and set aside in a warm place.
• Add the wine, a little salt and reduce the liquid by about half.
• Boil the pasta in a generous amount of salted boiling water until al dente.
• Drain, drizzle with oil, shake once or twice and set aside.
• Grate the boutargue and together with the capers (or the parsely) add to the warm oil but do not boil under any circumstances.
• Toss the spaghetti in the oil and serve immediately.

THE CITRON

The first citrus fruit that came to the this area from the Far East in ancient times, was the citron and the fruit flourished. It looks like a lemon but has a very thick skin and the flesh is dry with very little juice. Citrons aren’t easy to grow and because they dislike the wind and temperature variations and die in the frost. However, once the tree to grows, it could easily produce about 100 kg of fruit. Jewish legend considers citron to be the banned fruit – the fruit that Adam couldn’t resist but I’m not so sure about it – the skin tastes awful.

CANDIED CITRON

Ingredients

2 kgs citron

2 kg sugar

1 liter water

1 large piece fresh ginger

4 lemons, juice and rind of

Method

• Wash citron carefully and cut in halves, remove seeds and cut into eighths.
• Sprinkle generously with salt and cover with cold water – allow to stand overnight.
• Drain off water, cover with fresh cold water and let stand until the next day.
• Drain and skin citron carefully.
• Combine remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.
• Add citron and cook slowly until citron is tender.
• Pack in sterilized jars, fill jars with syrup; cover and process in a boiling water bath for ten minutes.

Corsican recipes have been handed down through the generations and relatively free from any foreign influences with the exception of the Italian influence. The cuisine is basic and honest and make full use of what the island has to offer. Basic meat and vegetable dishes abound and one of the well loved is the suckling lamb.

AGNEAU DE LAIT.

Ingredients

• 1 kg Suckling lamb, cut into large pieces
• 1 medium sprig rosemary
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 2 onions, peeled and quartered
• 200 ml rose wine
• Extra virgin light olive oil as needed
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

• Heat enough olive oil in a large cast iron pot.
• Add the meat, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle on the herbs.
• Turn the meat over after about 10 minutes and add the onions and the bay leaves.
• Simmer for a little and keep turning the meat over for another 15 minutes.
• Add the wine until it has evaporated – the meat is normally very pale but will soon take on the colour of the wine and the oil will brown it.
• As soon as the meat is tender, remove and serve with baked tomatoes.

BAKED TOMATES CONFITES

Baked tomatoes

Ingredients

• 12 ripe beefsteak tomatoes, washed, dried and cut in half
• 1 bunch Italian tomatoes, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed and chopped
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil

Method

• Pre-heat the oven to 100 C
• Remove the seeds from the tomatoes and discard the pulp.
• Put the halves, side by side in a well oiled oven dish and season to taste.
• Sprinkle over the chopped garlic and the parsley and drizzle generously with olive oil.
• Bake for 30 minutes, reduce the heat and bake for another 30 minutes.
• Please keep an eye on these tomatoes as they can burn.