I watched Rick Stein’s tour of France programme recently and it brought back great memories of living and travelling in France. One of his trips was to Leucate on the Mediterranean coast, near Narbonne and we pass through that area on our way down to Spain. The bar, Le Biquit is amazing, and as mentioned in the programme, the place is built in April and taken down in September. The food is delicious and the drinks great. They serve a piscine of rosé, which is a huge glass, filled with ice and wine and hits the spot on a hot Mediterranean day. One of their dishes is pan con anchois (bread with anchovies) – see recipe below.

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We visited another small bar just along the coast from Leucate on the beach in Narbonne on a freezing Sunday in Spring a few years back. It was even smaller than Le Biquit and consisted of a tiny kitchen and a few tables. We arrived at 1pm which is late for lunch in France (usually 12pm sharp), so were glad to get a table. The owner is a former French rugby player who dreamt of having his own bar on the beach, once he retired. The food couldn’t be more fresh and comes directly from the boats right next to the bar. We had a dish of griddled prawns, catch of the day which was Loup de Mer (sea bass) and a plate of cheese with fresh crusty bread. All served with the local rosé. The wind nearly took the roof off but no one seemed to notice as they tucked into the delicious food.

Rick stein was asking various chefs and customers if they thought that maybe French food was losing its place in the world and being replaced by fast food. Some of the chefs agreed, saying that people want to open up quickly and hire chefs with no formal training, whereas classically trained chefs would throw their hands up in despair. Obviously at the moment, it’s hard to say, but on any trip through France we have generally found the quality to be good or excellent. I guess its knowing where to eat plays a huge roll so we always listen to the indigenous population and follow their noses!

This week I made Raymond Blanc’s celeriac gratin. It is a simple dish especially if you buy the mayonnaise instead of making it like Raymond. Simply grate the celeriac into a bowl. Then grate a green apple adding lemon juice to prevent browning. Mix the two together and add the mayonnaise. Place on a plate of mixed salad leaves. Drizzle a little walnut oil over the dish and finish with a few chopped walnuts. Delicious.

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PAN CON ANCHOVIES

Sourdough baguette or similar, sliced into 8 thick slices

Olive oil

Tin of anchovies, drained

Two large ripe tomatoes, chopped and deseeded

Tablespoon of chopped coriander or flat leaf parsley

Brush the bread on both sides with olive oil and toast for a few minutes, turning once. Remove from grill.

Add the chopped tomato to each slice. Top with an anchovy and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with chopped coriander and serve.

This can also be served with burrata cheese, cream cheese or mozzarella.

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Bon appétit