Lunch at the Mirazur in Menton

We arrived a few days ago at our little Italian hideaway in the perched village of Fanghetto built more than 1000 years ago. After two days of traveling from Paris, it is always a relief (given autoroute driving) and a thrill to arrive. The  weather has been perfect, sunny with cool dry breezes and wildflowers are everywhere. There are still snow-capped mountains in the distance making this paradise even more perfect.

View from our Terrace

We are just fifteen minutes from the sea in Ventimiglia which has an unbelievable covered food market with remarkably reasonable prices. We stocked up on all the spring delicacies - artichokes, new peas, fava beans, many different salad greens and the first strawberries and tomatoes from Sicily. We put our feet up and enjoyed meals on our terrace for the first couple of days.

Then yesterday, we and two friends, drove thirty minutes into France and treated ourselves to lunch at Mirazur, a restaurant with one star in the Michelin Guide, which is on a hillside just outside of Menton with panoramic views of the city which is known as “ The Pearl of the Cote d’Azur”.

Menton

I have known the chef, Mauro Colagreco, since he first opened Mirazur in 2006. He is originally from Argentina but spent more than 10 years working in two Michelin three star restaurants, Le Cote d’Or with Bernard Loiseau in Saulieu and L’Arpege with Alain Passard in Paris. Mauro grows many of his own vegetables, including little known varieties from Argentina, in a garden on top of the hillside. His food is fresh and stunningly beautiful.

Lunch is a bargain if you stay with the menu du dejeuner, available weekdays only. For 33 euros, you will have a feast. We ordered a provencal rose, Rimaureq 2010 cru classe which we had as an aperitif and continued drinking throughout lunch as it was crisp, with just the right amount of fruit and it complemented everything we ate nicely. Mauro serves tapas and then an amuse bouche to double your pleasure. The tapas were black rice chips with a vegetable tartar and polenta chips with a goat cheese cream, studded with cucumbers. The amuse bouche which followed was a delicate dollop of cream of cabbage soup with a mustard cream quenelle and a sliver of radish to add a little punch. 

For our first course we were served a carpaccio of gascon, a local white fish with a citrus vinaigrette and tiny edible flowers. We had a choice of fish or fowl for our main course. Three of us enjoyed the mackeral with a quenelle of manderine orange cream sprinkeled with Angelique flowers.

My husband Kent devoured every bite of his farm raised chicken, served with white asparagus, a cream of green asparagus, radishes and bits of caramelized juice from the chicken as it cooked.

So far every bite was as heavenly as the setting. Dessert however was a disappointment. It was an assortment of pastel colored sorbets and creams, including a saffron cream and an orange sorbet with orange flower bread. The colors on the plate matched the colors of the Menton buildings in the distance which was lovely to look at but the dish lacked flavor sadly.

At the end of the meal, we were served a complimentary glass of homemade limoncello and then we left for a nap on the nearby beach to dream of a meal which, despite the dessert, was a true feast for all our senses.

As many of you know, my business, Les Liaisons Delicieuses, (www.cookfrance.com) has been running culinary vacations for 17 years all over France, Italy, Morocco and Vietnam. I have an exciting new trip to both the French and Italian Rivieras, September 25- October 1, 2011. Mirazur and Mauro are highlights of this trip which still has a few spaces available. Email me at patricia.ravenscroft@gmail.com for details.

Recipe Fricasse d'Artichauts facon Barigoule

Serves 8

12 artichokes

4 cups sliced mushrooms

1/2 pound lean salt pork

1/2 pound sliced raw ham

Chopped tomatoes

Garlic

Onion

Parsley

Olive oil

Lemons

The lactarius mushroom “barigoule” in provencal, was simply sprinkled with olive oil and fried on charcoal.

Even though the recipe has changed, the name barigoule has remained.

Prepare the artichokes by cutting off the bottom tail and taking off the small leaves and the top of the upper leaves. Boil for 5-8 minutes. Drain and reserve.

Stuffing preparation:

Wash and thinly slice the mushrooms. Cut the lean salt pork into small pieces. Chop the raw ham. Mix with garlic, onion and parsley. Stuff the artichokes with the mushroom and ham mixture. In a deep saucepan, sauté the onion and chopped tomatoes in olive oil. When the mixture is cooked through, add the stuffed artichokes. Put in the oven uncovered for 10-15 minutes and sprinkle from time to time with dry white wine. Bring to a boil, cover and lower the temperature to cook slowly for 45-60 minutes.

Sola - another little gem in Paris

In our last week before leaving Paris for 5 months, we discovered a sensational restaurant in the 5th with a very talented young Japanese chef – Hiroki Yoshitake. Just remembering this meal makes my mouth water.

Sola is hidden on a little street in the  5^th  (12, rue de l'Hotel Colbert) and has a very ordinary exterior. When you walk in however, nothing from that moment on is ordinary. You feel like you have entered a wine cave which has been lovingly cared for and the young Japanese staff greet you warmly and respectfully. The tables and tableware are simple yet quite beautiful and complement the stonework nicely.

There are two menu choices at lunch, 35 and 50 euros, and at dinner, 45 and 60 euros. With the less expensive menu you choose between fish or meat for the main course. At the higher level, you get both but everything else is the same. Four of us chose the 35 euros lunch menu which was truly splendid. We ordered a 2009 Saint-Aubin dom Pierre Yves Colin-Morey which was a rich sophisticated white that was so good we did not switch to a red later on in the meal.

Our lunch began with a veloute de fenouil, a creamy fennel soup with hints of grapefruit and a few drops of olive oil infused with lemon. We continued with a tartare of salmon with burrata cheese, drizzled with a beet cream and sprinkled with feuilles de shiso, tiny tasty Japanese greens which were a theme throughout our lunch.

The third dish was one of the best things I have ever eaten and like every dish, beautifully presented. It was described as an omelette with foie gras but was so much more! A generous piece of foie gras had been seared in a pan with a little honey. It was served on top of several spears of white asparagus and topped with a poached egg with shavings of parmesan and pousse de miel, another delicious baby green. I savoured every bite and could have had seconds!

Two of us continued with fish, which was merlan, served with delicious potatoes from Noirmoutier, and radishes, on a bed of garlic with an emulsion of mussels and other shellfish. The fish was perfectly cooked and all of the flavors worked very well together.

The beef was rare and tender and was served with radish, mushrooms and a sorrel/wasabi sauce also delicious and original.

Dessert was a lovely mélange of meringue, a dark chocolate cream, and homemade vanilla ice cream, a perfect end to a heavenly meal.

I am sending all of my friends to Sola as I truly loved their food. When we return to Paris in October, I will be back there in a flash and hope to organize some cooking classes with the chef who is interested.

The recipe for this week is something very simple which I cooked last night for a couple of close friends.

Magret de Canard with a Port Wine sauce

For 4-6 people

2 large magret de canard, trimmed

1/2 liter of veal stock ( you can use powdered but only Maggi fond de veau)
1 to 2 cups of port
 
To make the sauce, simmer the veal stock and the port until reduced to a thick delicious sauce - 30 minutes approximately.

Then in a very hot saucepan, cook the duck breasts, skin side down, for 5 minutes over high heat. Reduce the heat, drain some of the fat, and turn the duck over and cook for another 3-5 minutes for rare. Serve with the sauce. Enjoy!

Next week I will be blogging from our little village of Fanghetto in Italy but only 45 minutes from Nice.

La Rive Droite - A Star in Alencon

Just a few weeks ago I was in sunny Marrakech, which Kent and I discovered for the first time when we attended Charles-Henry and Segolene’s wedding there in February of 1998. And, just last Sunday for Easter, we had the pleasure of having lunch at their new restaurant, La Rive Droite, in Alencon. The connection  between Marrakech and La Rive Droite was striking - the brilliant blue skies, delicious food, and the décor as well, as their bar is decorated with many treasures and colors from Morocco.

Charles-Henry, Segolene and their three young sons are like family and it is always a pleasure to participate in their enterprises and adventures. Their Chateau Hotel, the Chateau de Saint Paterne has been the scene of many wonderful Les Liaisons Delicieuse’s culinary adventures. I have slept in every one of their exquisite guest rooms, including one with a remarkable painted ceiling where King Henry IV spent time with one of his mistresses! Because of Charles-Henry, I began running culinary tours with him beginning in Morocco in 2001 and in Vietnam in 2006.

But on to their newest enterprise, La Rive Droite. They bought the old lace museum on the Sarthe river in the old part of town several years ago.

La Rive Droite situated on the Sarthe River

It had been abandoned and needed a complete rehabilitation which they did with their usual flair. There are four different dining areas on the main floor each decorated differently and very beautifully. My favorites are the library which is very cozy in the wintertime filled with books and treasured photographs, and the Moroccan room.

La Rive Droite's moroccan room

In the spring sunshine however, the terrace is where you want to be. Four of us enjoyed our Easter lunch on a day as warm and sunny as Marrakech which was really delightful.

For years at the Chateau de Saint Paterne, Charles-Henry was the cook for the dinners served to guests in their dining room. But, with the opening of La Rive Droite right before Christmas, he hired a chef and graduated to manager of both kitchens he told me gleefully!

All four of us began our lunch with a Tourte de carottes en robe de chou which is one of Charles-Henry’s signature dishes, although this time prepared by chef Laurent. The carrots which are still crunchy are wrapped in savoy cabbage leaves and dressed with a sauce of crème fraiche and chives.

Tourte de carottes en robe de chou

The textures and flavors worked amazingly well together. We enjoyed a very pleasant Domaine Deshenry Cotes de Thongue 2010 white wine with our starters.

Two of us continued with the souris d’agneau which had been cooked with a little raspberry vinegar. The lamb fell easily off the bone and was incredibly succulent. The touch of raspberry was perfect. The second main course we ordered was magret de canard au miel. The duck was pink, tender and very tasty, complimented by a sweet and sour sauce of honey and balsamic vinegar. Both dishes were served with a medley of spring vegetables.

Souris d'agneau

Our wine for this course was a Domaine Cavalier du Val de Montferrand 2011 which was full bodied with a slight taste of berries.

We shared two desserts, a rich delicious Tarte Tatin and handmade ice cream with a touch of calvados, and a fondant au chocolat which was properly warm and runny with hints of caramel and butter.

Tarte tartin

Both desserts were wonderful. We left for a walk along the river completely satisfied. You should really consider a weekend at St. Paterne with a lunch at La Rive Droite but it is possible to take the train for the day and have a marvelous lunch and be back in Paris for dinner.

This week's recipe is for our starter:

Tourte de Carottes en Robe de Chou (Carrot Tart Baked in Cabbage Leaves)
Recipe from Charles-Henri de Valbray, Château-Hotel Saint-Paterne
Serves 8

Ingredients for the Tart

8 large leaves of Savoy cabbage

6 large carrots
¼ head cabbage
1 turnip, if desired
3 onions,
2 cloves garlic
1 bunch parsley
4 leeks, white only
1 ½ sticks of butter
5 eggs
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper
Toasted pine nuts
 
Ingredients for the Sauce
1 cup cream
3 tsp minced chives
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp butter

Wash the cabbage leaves and blanch for 3 minutes in boiling salted water. 

Plunge in cold water, remove and dry between paper towels or tea towels.
Remove large ribs.
Wash cabbage, leeks and peel turnip and carrots.  Grate cabbage, turnip, and carrots; slice leeks finely.  Chop onion, garlic and parsley.
Melt 7 tbsp butter in a large saucepan, add grated cabbage, leeks, and onions and sauté gently 5 minutes.  Add carrots, garlic and parsley.
Cook vegetables together for 15 minutes over low heat, stirring from time to time.  Add the cayenne, salt and pepper.  Remove from heat and let cool.  Beat eggs and fold into vegetable mixture, mixing well.
Butter a deep straight-sided pie or cake pan or earthenware casserole with half the remaining butter.  Line the pan with the cabbage leaves, keeping one leaf aside.  Let the leaves extend over the edges of the pan.
Pour the vegetable and egg mixture into the pan.  Fold the leaves over the mixture and top with the remaining leaf.  Dot with remaining butter.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30-40 minutes at 350F.
While tart is baking, prepare the sauce.  Melt butter in cream over low heat.  Add chives, salt and pepper, mix well, and pour in a sauce boat.
Unmold tart on a large round serving place, sprinkle with pine nuts, and serve with sauce.