Catching a Rainbow

Give me my scallop-shell of quiet,
My staff of faith to walk upon,
My scrip of joy, immortal diet,
My bottle of salvation,
My gown of glory, hope's true gage;
And thus I'll take my pilgrimage...
The Passionate Man's Pilgrimage

Sir Walter Raleigh

With that poem begins one of the most awaited seasons of the year, not climatic but gastronomic, the Scallops or perhaps the better known, Coquilles St Jacques!
It is not unusual in France for their arrival to attract banner like announcements in the papers such as,
“They have arrived!”
People stop in the street and discuss what the coming season is going to be like: will there be enough, are they going to be more expensive than last year, but most of all, ‘when will they arrive.’
In the region of Brittany in which I live, nothing is anticipated quite like the first Coquilles St Jacques of the year, fairs being organised to celebrate this wonderful harvest from the sea.
Coquille St Jacques, as with other shellfish are not generally popular in England, we seem to find mussels, oysters and other shellfish somewhat daunting and yet, they are what the British want to eat when they come to Brittany on holiday.
France not only produces, but also imported 7840 metric tons of scallops in 2007 alone, including 60% of the UK catch . In the UK during 2007 nearly 18,500 tons of scallops were landed grossing £32,000,000 for the fishing industry, but so few are eaten by the inhabitants.
It is a sad fact that very few children in Britain will taste the wonderful sweet flavour of fresh Coquilles St Jacques and although the sale of frozen scallops has increased two fold in the past ten years, the availability of good fresh scallops, away from the coasts is still abysmal for a country surrounded by the sea. As a nation, unlike the French, we have not grown up with shellfish as part of our diet and our lives are poorer for it.


HISTORY:

The name Coquilles St Jacques is so recognisable; it transcends language barriers, being known as Coquille St Jacque in other tongues apart from French. Even in Britain the name Coquille St Jacque is more recognisable to most than the mundane scallop. The shell is the archetypal shape for a seashell, and the one most easily recognisable by adults and children alike.
The scallop shell is the traditional emblem of Saint James the Great, better known as James an apostle of Jesus or St Jacques in French. The shell is worn by pilgrims following the route to the shrine of St James in Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain.
More commonly known as Santiago, which is Spanish for St James, was named after the apostle who some believe spent time in Galicia, spreading Christianity. His connection to scallop shells comes from myth and legend and is derived from two similar stories.
In 40AD, James returned to Judea to continue his ministry, which was not long lived; he was put to death by King Herod Agrippa four years later. Following James’s execution, the king refused to give permission for the body to be buried and during the night friends removed the corpse and sailed for Spain, his final resting place.
The first story tells of James wading out into the sea and rescuing a fallen knight who had become unseated from his horse. When the knight emerged from the water he was covered in scallop shells. The other story, along similar lines, attests that whilst St. James's remains were being transported to Spain for burial, the horse of a knight fell into the water, and emerged covered in the shells.
Centuries later a hermit called Pelayo was sitting in a wood, when he saw a strange light shining over the place where James was supposedly buried. Pelayo named the place, "Campus Stellae", or ‘the field of the star.’ That name later evolved into Compostela and hence to Santiago de Compostella or St James- field of the star.


BUYING:

Scallops should, whenever possible be bought in shell, making it easier to tell if they are really fresh. Scallops are heavy. They have a large shell, full of dense flesh and sea water and a Kg of fresh shells will only render five or six scallops. €2-3 (£1.50-2) a Kilo is a good price but in times of poor weather they can increase to €6 (£4.50) a Kg. (French prices)
Shells can be closed or open as most scallop shells will open when brought into the warm but is not a sign that the scallop is dead. They should however close when tapped.
Scallops should never be stored in water and avoid tubs of shelled scallops sitting in their own juice, they are probably defrosted frozen. Frozen scallops are a good second choice and are ideal used in recipes using longer more involved cooking methods, but they should not be stored in water.
Unlike other shellfish such as oysters, mussels and clams, not all the scallop is eaten. In the case of scallops only the adductor muscle or the large off-white meat and sometimes the red or orange roe are eaten. The roe is not always present dependant on the time of year. Although scallops are often sold removed or shucked from their shells, freshness can easily be verified. They should be firm, moist without cracks of fissures and have a sweet pleasant aroma. The meat should be slightly off white. Brilliant white scallops have probably been stored in water, to increase their weight and cost, and should be avoided.
Hand-dived scallops are larger, and more expensive, but taste the same as the smaller dredged variety.


STORING:


Scallops are highly perishable and should be used as soon as possible after purchase and certainly within two days. They can be stored in the bottom of the fridge but as they exude a certain amount of water they need to be kept in a suitable container.
They freeze well.


PREPARING:

How to open and clean a scallop
1. To open a scallop, Hold the curved side up and hinge away from you
2. Insert an oyster knife between the two shells and rock the knife from side to side to break the muscle that forms the hinge. You can tell the scallop is alive for as you cut the hinge the two half’s of the shell try to close and this is an indication of freshness. Scallops should always be bought live.
3. Insert the knife or a spoon between the top and bottom shells from the right side, just in front of the hinge, and cut the muscle away from the inside of the top shell (the curved one) this release the top shell.
4. Open the scallop and discard the top shell.
5. Then scrape off and discard all of the innards except the sweet, white muscle.
6. Do this by gently scraping off the dark innards, starting from the hinge side of the muscle and scraping over the muscle towards the front. You can always pull any bits free with your fingers
7. Properly done, this will peel the innards from the muscle, leaving it attached to the bottom shell.

Cleaning Scallops Part 1



Cleaning Scallops Part 2




COOKING:


Scallops have a delicate sweet flavour which can easily be overpowered by strong spices and seasoning. As with much seafood the simplest methods of cooking are often the best and scallops are no exception.
A favourite method of cooking and one, which only takes a few minutes, is to heat a dry pan until hot, then add some oil,
• Warm the serving plates.
• Open and clean the scallops.
• Carefully dry each with a cloth, so that when they go into the pan the oil will not cool resulting in the scallops boiling in their own juice rather than searing and sealing in their liquid
• Add the scallops and cook for about a minute on one side, without shaking the pan.
• Turn the scallops over and cook for a further ten seconds.
• When cooked place the scallops on the warmed serving plate.
• Add a good sized lump of butter to the pan and when melted and begun to foam and a splash of Noilly-PratTM, give the pan a quick shake and pour the butter over the scallops.
• Grind on some black pepper and a sprinkle of fine Guérande sea salt.
• Serve with a green salad, and fresh bread.
• Sublime with a fruity Muscadet, but not one that is too dry.


Searing scallop video.





OTHER


What are Coquilles St Jacques?



They are bi-valve molluscs, related to the oyster, although scallops have a larger adductor muscle, which is the edible part of the shellfish.
They have the distinction in being the only bi-valve molluscs, which are capable of self-propelled independent movement; which they achieve by rapidly opening and closing their shell thus expelling water at force, and enabling the scallop to move; a natural form of jet propulsion. Scallops use this method to migrate around the seabed their position depending on the season, the tides and the climatic conditions.
Scallops are hermaphroditic, which means they can change sex and it is their sex, which determines if the shell will contain the additional delicacy of the roe or not. A red roe indicates a female scallop; white for male, and it is usually only the bright red or orange roe of the female scallop, which is eaten.
The flesh of a scallop is firm with a delicate sweet flavour. The row has a much softer texture and is less popular owing to its softness.
The Swedish name for a scallop translates as The Pilgrim Mussel and in Dutch Jakobsschelp, which means ‘James shell.’ The French means Shell of St James.


Swimming scallop video.




Fishing for Scallops.


Scallops are traditionally caught by dragging the seabed with a specially designed metal drag net, or dredger. There is however, a market for dived scallops, which are hand selected and usually larger than the fished varieties.
There are two main areas of scallop fishing in Northern France, The bay of the Seine, in Normandy, and the Bay of St-Brieuc in Brittany. In Britain the Irish Sea and the west coast of Scotland are the main areas of scallop farming and more recently large reserves have been found around the Isle of Mann.
In France, which has a far larger scallop rearing industry the rights to the fishing grounds are fiercely protected and fishing for scallops is restricted by a great many statutes. The size and number of dredgers permitted per boat is also controlled. They must not be wider than two metres and have a metal net of interlocking rings fitted whose diameter must be greater than ten centimetres, thus allowing smaller specimens to fall through the net and be returned to the sea bed unharmed. Large boats can drag up to thirty dredgers at a time, but in the Bay of St Brieuc the maximum number permitted is two per boat.
The time permitted for fishing is also strictly controlled and any breach of the regulations results in the fisherman’s licence being revoked and hence his livelihood. The boats are limited to no more than 13metres in length with engines no bigger than 250 hp. They are only allowed to fish twice a week and for no more than 45 minutes at each session. They are only allowed to catch 250 Kg of scallops per fisherman on board regardless of how long it takes to catch them.
The opening of scallops on board is forbidden as is the taking of undersized specimens and the scallops must be no smaller than 102mm in diameter. The open season for scallops is between October and May; the exact date varies from year to year. Diving for scallops is permitted all year round in the waters surrounding Jersey.





References and Acknowledgements.
http://www.sud-goelo.info/
http://www.ouest-france.fr/dossiershtm/coquille/30.htm
http://www.ifremer.fr/envlit/pdf/actualitespdf/20041207Coquille_Saint_Jacques_Bretagne.pdf
http://www.eurofish.dk/indexSub.php?id=3255
http://www.red2000.com/spain/santiago/
http://www.noillyprat.com/default.aspx
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/SI/si2004/20040012.htm
Fete de coquilles st jaques 2006, Cotes de Goelo

January, a time when thoughts turn to root vegetables, hearty soups and slow cooking, when once in a while something comes along to lighten the heart.
Lambs leaf lettuce is just such a thing. At a time when nature is at its deepest slumber, this delicate vegetable steps forward as if to remind us that there will be a spring, and that the interminable cold and gloom will not last forever, in perpetuity.


HISTORY:

Salads originated in the Mediterranean basin. Evidence of such has been found in the tombs of the pharos dating from the 5th century BC.
The culture of corn salad, or lamb’s leaf lettuce first began in France, alongside the River Loire, during the Renaissance period of the 14th Century. Images of the crop appeared in a painting by Leonardo de Vinci, Léda and the Swan, which has unfortunately been lost.
The 15th Century poet Pierre de Ronsard sang of the “small salad of the fields and meadows…” where the lettuce remained, a long time wild. Two centuries later the crop made its way into cottage gardens and its domestication began.
Following the second French Empire a Parisian restaurant owner created a salad in celebration of the Italian king Victor Emanuel II, a salad of lamb’s leaf lettuce, turnip and beetroot - the colours of the Italian flag.
Primarily grown in France and the Netherlands, Lambs leaf lettuce is known by many different names. Clairette, Corn Salad and La Doucette or "the little sweet one" in French. In Germany it is known as Feldsalat (meaning field salad) and in addition mâche,rampion, Rapunzelsalat, Salade de Chanoine, Salade de Prêtre are all common names.


BUYING:

Lambs leaf lettuce looks similar to water cress, but with a milder slightly bitter nutty taste. The leaves are said to be the shape of lamb’s tongues and are found in small clumps. As with all salads it is better not to buy those that are pre-washed and pre-packed and often preserved in a protective atmosphere. Once the bag is opened they degrade very quickly and are best eaten within one or two days.
Buy in clumps, complete with the sandy roots, which are a result of the soil this vegetable prefers to grow in. The leaves are extremely fragile and will not tolerate being crushed, better to place them on the top of a shopping basket where they can be carefully looked after.

STORING:

The lettuce does not store well, better to buy often and then replenish the supply. A few days in the bottom of the fridge are all than can be expected of this hardy, yet at the same time fragile crop.

PREPARING:

It cannot be emphasised enough, when washing lambs leaf lettuce, allot of water is required, a whole sink...and that is for the first washing. Remove any roots, but pinch them off using your thumb and forefinger just below the base, so maintaining the leaves in their original small bunch, which looks more appealing on the plate.
Fill the sink and allow the lettuce to float for about thirty minutes, agitating the water every so often. The sand trapped in the roots will be released and fall to the bottom of the basin.
Drain the lettuce, empty the sink cleaning away any sand, and then repeat the process.
Gently place the salad in a salad spinner, an absolutely indispensible item for any kitchen, indeed no salad should be placed on the table until it has been spun to remove the excess water. (Click on the below link to order one)
All salads should be dressed, it is the utmost in laziness to serve a salad un-dressed as happens all too frequently in the United Kingdom.

COOKING:

Not usually done, however the leaves can be added to a stir fry at the very last minute, or cooked very quickly and used as a replacement to spinach.
As with all salads a vinaigrette dressing of your choice is preferable, but for the same reason care should be taken as when transporting, any vinaigrette should be served apart, and added to the leaves at the last moment. If poured over the salad, and left for any more than a few minutes, the fragile leaves will begin to cook in the acid thus becoming limp, unpalatable and only fit for the dustbin.
In fact, a vinaigrette dressing or other sauces made with strong acidic ingredients are not the best for Salade de mâche. Walnut oil, in which a few slices of green apple have been allowed to soak for twenty minutes, or a small piece of citrus fruit, will provide all the acidity required and provide a subtle yet well balanced dressing which will perfectly complement your salad.


OTHER STUFF:

Lambs leaf lettuce, with its delicate fruity flavour complements strong flavoured food admirably. Fruit, dried fruits and nuts, particularly walnuts, are a wonderful combination. It goes well with pâté, chicken livers and duck. Later in the meal the leaves complement certain cheeses, particularly goat’s cheese from the Loire valley, as well as blue cheeses of all varieties.

All pre-packed salad should be thoroughly washed, even if it claims to be ready-washed. A major cause of food poisoning in France and something which doctors warn against during pregnancy, is supposedly pr-washed salad goods.


Victor Emmanuel II (1820-1878) First king (1861-1878) of united Italy and last king of Piedmont-Sardinia (1849-1861).
Victor Emmanuel succeeded his father Charles Albert to the throne of Piedmont-Sardinia in 1849, following the abdication of Charles Albert after two humiliating defeats by Austria… Victor Emmanuel successfully met various crises in the early years of his reign.
In the 1850s Piedmont-Sardinia remained the only constitutional state in Italy, a haven for persecuted Italian nationalists and liberals who had been involved in the 1848-49 revolutions. By 1859, assured of military support by Napoleon III of France in the Treaty of Plombières, Piedmont-Sardinia once again went to war with Austria. As a result of this conflict, Austria ceded Lombardy. Successive upheavals in the smaller states of central Italy and Giuseppe Garibaldi's successful campaign in southern Italy against the Neapolitan Bourbons led to the creation of a united Italy…

RECIPES:

Lambs leaf salad with beetroot and pine nuts


©Copyright Malcolm Hamilton 2007-2008






References:
http://www.mache-nantaise.com/
http://www.mache-nantaise.com/
http://www.mache-nantaise.com/
Bibliography
F. Cognasso, ed. Le Lettere di Vittorio Emanuele II. (Turin, 1966).
Denis Mack Smith. Victor Emanuel, Cavour and the Risorgimento. (New York, 1971).
Denis Mack Smith. Italy and Its Monarchy. (New Haven, 1989).
H. McGaw Smyth, "The Armistice of Novara: A Legend of a Liberal King," Journal of Modern History (1935): 141-74.
F. Valsecchi, ed. Le Relazioni diplomatiche fra l'Austria e il Regno di Sardegna (1849-1860). (Rome, 1963).

The misnamed Jerusalem artichoke has no real link with Jerusalem at all and only a distant link to the more familiar Artichoke, both coming from the same family of plants the family Asteraceae or Compositae.
It is a relative of sunflower native to eastern North America, from the state of Maine to North Dakota, and south into some of Florida and Texas
It has a distinctive nutty flavor which has been suggested to be similar to that of glove artichoke hearts- being used in many recipes to replace or compliment potatoes. The plant which if left unattended can become an invasive weed is a wonderful source of an inexpensive but delicious food.

HISTORY.

Jerusalem artichokes were found being cultivated in North America and are said to have been introduced into Europe by the French explorer Samuel de Champlain. Although de Champlain described the vegetable tuber as tasting of artichokes there real taste is similar to that of Chinese water chestnuts. Certainly not native to Jerusalem, the route of the name is thought to derive from the Italian for Sunflower, girasole to which the Jerusalem artichoke is related. Indeed the plant resembles a many stemmed sunflower complete with numerous small sunflower type blooms.
In France the Jerusalem artichoke was synonymous with rationing during the World War II when they were grown as a food staple all over the country.

BUYING.

Roots should firm, dense and free from spongy soft areas. Their shape, not dissimilar to ginger can be very nobly and one should try to buy the largest tubers available.

STORING.

Jerusalem artichokes will keep for several weeks in the salad chiller of the fridge but are better stored in a cool dry area such as a garden shed or garage covered with sand, much the same way as carrots are often stored.

PREPARING.

As potatoes.

COOKING.

A perfumed vegetable without being too scented which can be used to make a different recipe wherever potatoes are called for. Often thought of as peasant food and not fit to grace the tables of high society, the Jerusalem artichoke marries perfectly with the woody aromas of wild mushrooms and dried fruit and nuts. The flavour utterly sublime with lobster and crab can also be used with other seafood such as scallops.
They can be cooked as potatoes – baked roasted, sauté, boiled or steamed, and as with potatoes Jerusalem Artichokes will discolour when exposed to the air. Once peeled and cut maintain their colour by storing in acidulated water, using either a little vinegar or preferably lemon juice.


OTHER STUFF.
Because of the peculiarities in the digestion of Inulin, the form of carbohydrate found in Jerusalem Artichokes, they do have the side effect of causing flatulence.



RECIPES.

Cream of Jerusalem artichoke soup

Seared scallops with bacon, Jerusalem artichoke puree and crushed peas

Chicken and Jerusalem artichoke pie

Jerusalem artichoke and sage gratin

©Copyright Malcolm Hamilton 2007-2008

Jerusalem artichoke

The misnamed Jerusalem artichoke has no real link with Jerusalem at all and only a distant link to the more familiar Artichoke, both coming from the same family of plants the family Asteraceae or Compositae.
It is a relative of sunflower native to eastern North America, from the state of Maine to North Dakota, and south into some of Florida and Texas
It has a distinctive nutty flavor which has been suggested to be similar to that of glove artichoke hearts- being used in many recipes to replace or compliment potatoes. The plant which if left unattended can become an invasive weed is a wonderful source of an inexpensive but delicious food.

HISTORY.

Jerusalem artichokes were found being cultivated in North America and are said to have been introduced into Europe by the French explorer Samuel de Champlain. Although de Champlain described the vegetable tuber as tasting of artichokes there real taste is similar to that of Chinese water chestnuts. Certainly not native to Jerusalem, the route of the name is thought to derive from the Italian for Sunflower, girasole to which the Jerusalem artichoke is related. Indeed the plant resembles a many stemmed sunflower complete with numerous small sunflower type blooms.
In France the Jerusalem artichoke was synonymous with rationing during the World War II when they were grown as a food staple all over the country.

BUYING.

Roots should firm, dense and free from spongy soft areas. Their shape, not dissimilar to ginger can be very nobly and one should try to buy the largest tubers available.

STORING.

Jerusalem artichokes will keep for several weeks in the salad chiller of the fridge but are better stored in a cool dry area such as a garden shed or garage covered with sand, much the same way as carrots are often stored.

PREPARING.

As potatoes.

COOKING.
A perfumed vegetable without being too scented which can be used to make a different recipe wherever potatoes are called for. Often thought of as peasant food and not fit to grace the tables of high society, the Jerusalem artichoke marries perfectly with the woody aromas of wild mushrooms and dried fruit and nuts. The flavour utterly sublime with lobster and crab can also be used with other seafood such as scallops.
They can be cooked as potatoes – baked roasted, sauté, boiled or steamed, and as with potatoes Jerusalem Artichokes will discolour when exposed to the air. Once peeled and cut maintain their colour by storing in acidulated water, using either a little vinegar or preferably lemon juice.


OTHER STUFF.

Because of the peculiarities in the digestion of Inulin, the form of carbohydrate found in Jerusalem Artichokes, they do have the side effect of causing flatulence.

RECIPES.

Cream of Jerusalem artichoke soup

Seared scallops with bacon, Jerusalem artichoke puree and crushed peas

Chicken and Jerusalem artichoke pie

Jerusalem artichoke and sage gratin

Of all the vast range of foods coming from the fertile soils or abundant sea in and around Brittany, it is perhaps the artichoke alone that is most synonymous with this region of France.
Practically an emblem of the five counties it is said that the artichoke can only grow within five miles of the sea; as the plants requires salt blown in on the wind to encourage good growth and well developed heads. How true this is I do not know. If you have an idea I would be pleased to here…click here.

When talking about artichokes in Brittany I am referring to the globe artichoke such as the Camus de Bretagne which can be found growing all over the region.
Native to the eastern Mediterranean, the artichoke is the edible flower bud of a thistle-like plant and a member of the sunflower family. It should not be confused with the Jerusalem or the Chinese artichokes, both of which are tubers that grow underground.

In Brittany there are three varieties of artichoke, which make up the mainstay of production, the most popular being the Camus de Bretagne. Available from the end of May to November, they account for 64% of the artichokes produced in Brittany.
The second, the Castel de Bretagne accounts for 27% and the Petit Violet de Bretagne makes up the remainder.

The Camus de Bretagne averaging 500g per artichoke has an even round structure with slightly serrated leaved which are large but slightly shorter than the other two varieties. The Camus is eaten cooked either as a whole vegetable or just the stuffed artichoke hearts, which are the firm base of the flower structure sought after by food lovers all over the world.

The Castel de Bretagne, are slightly larger than the Camus, averaging 600g per flower head and arrive on the market slightly later in May than the Camus. They have a slightly elongated form, a green grey colour, and a distinctive taste, which sets them apart from the Camus.

Lastly there is the Petit Violet de Bretagne, which are much smaller averaging 150g each. They arrive in the shops towards the middle of June and are recognisable by their small size and purple tinge. They are usually sold in bunches and are excellent quartered and stir-fried or at their best eaten raw with sea salt and a dribble of lemon juice and olive oil.

The botanical name for Artichokes, Cynara scolymus, derives from the Latin canina meaning canine and the Greek skolymos meaning thistle. Its English name is a derivative of the Arabic for the thistle.
Although man has been eating artichokes for more than 3000 years it was
Catherine de Médici, the wife of King Henry II of France who is purported to have introduced the first plants into the country.
Artichokes are not immediately recognisable as good to eat and I am always amazed to think that someone thought of eating a plant, which after all on the outside is just a hard tough thistle, but I am glad that they did.


The Camus and the Castel varieties should have bright green firm flower heads and as with any flower bud the petals should be closed tight to form a dense mass. Although technically a flower and as such the outside edible parts are really petals, I will refer to them as leaves from now on to avoid confusion.
In the hand an artichoke should feel heavy, dense and when a leaf is removed it should come away with a clear snap. When removed the leaf base should weep a little liquid and show no sign of insect infestation. The ends of the leaves should not be yellow nor in some cases black, which are indications of old artichokes.

Fresh Artichokes will keep for up to a week in the bottom of the fridge providing you do not remove the stalk. Cutting the stalk will result in the artichoke wilting quicker and reduce the keeping qualities of the plant. They freeze well if blanched in boiling water for a few minutes before freezing which helps preserve the colour and as with cooking, the addition of lemon juice will also help maintain a good green artichoke.
Artichokes can be boiled or steamed and adding a cut lemon to the water whilst boiling will prevent the artichoke from turning black during the cooking process.
Once cooked artichokes do not keep well and must be eaten within two days, any longer and the vegetable develops an unpleasant taste and a slimy texture.

How to cook globe artichokes.

Artichokes can be cooked either by boiling in plenty of salted water or if you prefer by using a steamer although the latter process usually renders a darker artichoke which has a less pleasant appearance.


1. Cut off the stem close to the base of the flower head and drop into a very large pan of boiling salted water, the addition of cut lemons prevents discolouration although some prefer vinegar.

2. Simmer uncovered for about 15-25 minutes depending on the size of the artichoke. Any leaves exposed to the air during cooking will darken and so a lid too small for the pan you are using can be placed on top of the chokes to ensure they are fully immersed whilst they cook.

3. To test if cooked the point of a knife should enter the base of the artichoke with only a little resistance, similar to a slightly underdone boiled potato.

4. Once cooked remove the artichoke and tip upside to drain before serving. They can be served hot with melted butter or better, sauce hollandaise or cold with a vinaigrette or olive oil.

How to eat an Artichoke.

Essential equipment.
1. Large bowl for debris.
2. Finger bowls filled with hot water and several slices of lemon.
3. A change of serviette.


Eating an artichoke can be divided into two stages and for those people who have never tried one, can appear fairly daunting.
Whilst I was the restaurant manager of Gravetye Manor a hotel in West Sussex, an American couple ordered artichokes. It was the first time they had tried this delicacy, but at the time I was unaware.
An hour and a half after being served with their artichokes I was surprised to hear that the couple had not yet finished, which was unusual, and so I went to investigate.
Arriving in the restaurant I saw that the two were five minutes away from having eaten the entire artichoke, leaves, fury inside and the heart. Obviously it was too late to tell the couple that what they were doing was wrong and that ninety per cent of a globe artichoke is inedible…perhaps not to this stomach hardy duo from across the pond.
When you try your first artichoke, or if you already have, you will perhaps better understand this little anecdote.

Artichokes are usually served alone on a large plate; and any sauce is better served separately in a sauceboat.
To eat an artichoke, pull off the outer leaves one at a time and dip the pale fleshy part of the leaf into your chosen sauce.
The only part that is eaten is the fleshy base of the leaf and even then the edible part it is not bitten but sucked and pulled out through the front teeth. Sounds disgusting, but it is the only way.
The first few leaves may produce a disappointing amount of flesh, but as you begin to work your way round the artichoke and move further in towards the centre, so the amount of flesh at the base of each leaf increases.
After a while the leaves become smaller and the amount of edible flesh decreases until it is not worth bothering about. It is then time to remove all the remaining leaves and proceed to the heart of the artichoke.
The heart is the base of the flower and is recognisable as being covered by a myriad of small filaments, which need to be removed.
The heart has the form of a very shallow bowl and to remove the filaments a knife is inserted at a slight downwards angle from the edge of the heart towards the centre. Working around the heart with the point of the knife always in the centre the entire fibrous middle can be removed in one go…with a little practice.
The dark green heart can then be covered in sauce and eaten with a knife and fork.


In addition artichoke hearts can be prepared on their own, the leaves are discarded for a quite different experience.
To see how to prepare artichoke hearts click on the camera below for a short informative video.











Quick simple and foolproof Hollandaise sauce. (4 people)
















As with mayonnaise, hollandaise’s cold counterpart, many recipes make the making of the sauce an overcomplicated and lengthy if not a ritualistic procedure, when in effect they are both made extremely easy by the use of a food processor.
I would reiterate a food processor and not a liquidiser; there is a difference and this sauce will not work in the latter.

1. Melt 200g or 8 ounces of butter in a measuring jug or similar, in a microwave for two minutes at half power. If not fully liquid continue for an additional minute. Remove from the microwave and allow to stand. (The solids will sink to the bottom of the jug, leaving the clear butter on top).
2. In a small cup place three tablespoons of white wine vinegar and a good turn of freshly ground black pepper according to taste.
3. Warm the vinegar and pepper in a microwave until hand hot, definitely not boiling.
4. Place the yolks of three eggs in the bowl of a food processor and switch to high speed.
5. Pour in the vinegar and blend for a minute or so until the yolk vinegar mixture starts to thicken.
6. Pour in the butter fat in a good steady trickle allowing about two minutes to pour in all the butter. If the sauce is too thick then add a little of the milk solids at the bottom of the jug which contain water thus making the sauce thinner.
7. Pour into a warm sauceboat and serve immediately.

This sauce will not separate as does sauce made by hand, and should be served warm.

References
http://www.ciaprochef.com/fbi/ipod.html
http://www.produitenbretagne.com/
http://www.prince-de-bretagne.com/

This is my version of a traditional Breton dish which is great served with fresh bread and a green salad.
For 4 or 5 people.
2Lb Loin of pork. (The loin is from where pork chops are cut but should not include the flabby fatty bit of a chop. A piece about eight inches long will serve four as it does shrink. If you can’t get a loin then use thick pork chops, it will be good but not quite the same.)

4 Oz butter, (don’t skimp!)
12 shallots, peeled.
6 cloves of garlic peeled.
1-2 lbs small new potatoes.
1 litre medium cider (Sainsbury's taste the difference cider is very good, if you cant find Breton.
1 chicken stock cube,
1 tablespoon plain flour
Pepper.
Chopped parsley

Melt the butter in casserole dish (which has a lid), add the shallots and garlic and gently brown for five minutes but don’t allow to burn, add the stock cube and pepper, cook for two minutes, add the flour and mix in well.
Add the loin (or chops) and the cider, surround with the potatoes and cook at 180 for one hour, remove the lid and cook for a further hour (30 mins if using chops).
Remove the meat and keep warm, reduce the sauce until syrupy, carve the meat into thick slices and place on top of the potatoes etc. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with a green side salad. Serve with a dry cider or a dry white wine.