Sampling food and drink in Burgundy
While I was in Burgundy visiting my sick brother, I tried a few restaurants, for either lunch or dinner. Apart from using TripAdvisor, one of the most helpful restaurant guides turned out to be none other than one of the nurses looking after my brother. Born and living in the area, she knew just about every single eating house in a fifty-mile radius. She asked what kind of food I liked so that she would recommend the type of restaurant that I might enjoy. I said: “Anything really, as long as it is cooked properly.” I also quietly mentioned that I had already dined at La Madeleine. Her eyes lit up. “That’s a place for special occasions. It’s the only Michelin-starred restaurant in town.”
The dinner at that place had indeed been tremendous. The chef and his wife had been running restaurants for over twenty-five years and, although this was a new location for the catering business, it had already become a destination for foodies and was booked up for weeks at weekends. I managed to find a table one warm Tuesday evening. There was a terrace overlooking the Yonne river but, as it was mid-September, it was not used at night.
I could only imagine the attraction of an alfresco dinner at the height of the summer.
The chef himself came around to explain the menu and take my order. Seeing him go from table to table reminded me of my cooking days at Seaton Carew when I used to pop out to front-of-house between grilling, frying or roasting dishes. The comparison stops there. This guy’s food was exquisite. Some could call it a bit too fussy, a bit too Mastercheffy but, having been in love with good food all my life, I was in awe of the dainty presentation and the wonderful tastes that kept being delivered to the table over a period of two hours. The meal culminated in the biggest cheeseboard I have ever seen in my life. There must have been at least 40 to 50 different French cheeses on offer. I plumped for four thin slices of various popular ones, served with slices of fresh baguette. I doubt whether one will ever find a cheese cracker anywhere in France.
Back at the clinic, the restaurant guide/nurse went on to mention the name of the best restaurants in Burgundy, a few of which were a bit too far to travel to, but I kept a note of them for future reference.
Among the ones I tried, was a rustic restaurant lost in a tiny village in the Burgundy countryside. Named after the owner, Joëlle, the room was bustling one lunchtime when I visited it. I was lucky to find a seat, the waitress said. For starters, diners helped themselves from an extensive buffet full of various salads and pates. I thought it was a great idea.
The main course was a “Choucroute de la Mer”. Seafood sauerkraut! I had eaten sauerkraut once in Berlin, but it was served with giant Bratwursts and mash. It was a memorable meal. This version was unusual but so delicious that I asked the owner, Joëlle Dumotier for the recipe. A keen entrepreneur, she said: “I have just had a book published but this recipe isn’t in it. Don’t worry, I’ll write it for you.” By the time I finished my meal, she had written the recipe for the only and most delicious seafood sauerkraut I have ever had the pleasure to eat.
