“Sabbatical”

This is our very good friend Wendy Shea’s take on our “sabbatical” in France:

Seagulls

Wild for a taste of sourdough. Alfred Hitchcock used to holiday here. For Zeb belatedly and Andrew who doesn’t get to see them because he’s so far from the sea. Mick

Courgette & Parmesan (for Phil)

No, I’m not taking the piss, Phil. I discovered I didn’t have a photo for the website last time I did Courgette & Parmesan so I improvised. The trouble is, this sort of flatbread isn’t very photogenic. These are Orange & Cumin flatbreads and look more or less the same if that’s what you are […]

Pain de Chataigne

Here’s one for Gareth and his box fetish: I bought it from my man Marc Brion from Le Fournil des Boiens in Biganos who has a stall at the market at Arcachon on Sundays. I bought it for its looks – couldn’t actually remember what chataigne meant – chestnut of course. Delicious.

Paula Wolfert’s Pissaladiere

Sometime last year I invested in a copy of Paula Wolfert’s Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking. We’ve been using her Cooking of South West France for years plus I have a slight fetish for ceramics. The clay pot book has lived by the side of the bed since I bought it because I’ve just been too […]

Olive Oil Brioche

Seigle d’Auvergne (2)

As requested, Zeb. Seigle d’Auvergne To be honest I can’t remember if I made up the first starter or just used my regular active rye starter at 100% hydration. DOUGH Strong White 218g 29% Rye 533g 71% Water 638g 85% Starter 135g 18% Salt 23g 3% Total 1545 STARTER 2 Starter 41g Rye 47g Water […]

La Bête Humaine

From her carefully camouflaged hide Madame Merle observed with some disdain the habits of the English humans. “You wouldn’t Adam and Eve it”, she thought …

Seigle d’Auvergne

Two Christmases ago we were staying in Bath which is Sue’s home town and it was even colder than it is here now. I found a copy of Dan Leader’s Local Breads and bought it because I can’t pass by bread books. It’s written for beginners but I thought the methods were hopelessly overcomplicated but […]

Moan, moan, pizza

Been here 11 days now. I suppose we have been lucky. Two days before we arrived the whole of France was battered by a hurricane with 50 people dead and given that this little gaff is twenty five feet from the sea that’s a little worrying. The worst damage was only just up the coast […]