The route of the small castles and the wolf or the bar

Europe 1 07:04, July 28, 2022

Vanessa, Destination the Loire Valley on the route of the castles but this time of the smallest and most unknown...

…because in the shadow of Blois, Chenonceau, Chambord - these emblematic castles - there are indeed castles that are worth a visit, and this is the case of the Château de Villesavin in Tour-en-Sologne.

9 km from Chambord….

which could not have existed without him, Vilesavin was in fact Chambord's “construction site hut”.

Véronique de Sparre, the owner tells us why

… So “Small”, we agree, it's an Italian Renaissance villa: 3 courtyards, 1 main courtyard, 2 common courtyards, 4 square towers and therefore common.

What is interesting is that unlike all the Grand Chateaux - usually empty - it is furnished.

There are even 2 rooms that are real little gems: a Renaissance kitchen that has remained entirely in its original state - which is quite rare - and the bedroom in which Francois 1er slept.

Another peculiarity, the estate is so romantic that many weddings have been celebrated there and the owners have even decided to create a Wedding Museum.

Totally improbable, but it is the largest collection on marriage in France: 1500 objects, a collection of wedding dresses from 1850 to 1950, 350 wedding globes, jewelry... In short, you have understood, 

I love it, do you have any other nuggets on this route des Petits châteaux?

.. I have 2, real favorites, you will understand why:

The castle of Talcy, 25 km from Blois.

So he totally denotes it, although it was built at the same time as Chambord, it goes against the fashion of the time: it is not a Renaissance castle, but a medieval one.

And it is to him that we owe Ronsard's poem: “Mignonne let's see if the rose…” So why?

because Ronsard had fallen in love with Cassandre, the granddaughter of owner Bernard Salviati.

Another poet fell under the spell of another of his granddaughters, Diane, It's Théodore Agrippa d'Aubigné…he still sent her more than 6000 verses. 

… at least we all know where to go this summer to fall in love.

Well, if you want to spend a romantic weekend… you have to stop at the Château de Beauregard, the former hunting lodge of François 1er.

You can even spend the day there, since it is possible to order a picnic basket and settle in the park: you have the choice there are 40 ha!)

You give us practical information on how to do this loop of La route des petits châteaux…

…..South West of Blois, This loop is Number 5, there are several routes, Ours starts from Cour Cheverny… and at the end of the road you arrive at Villesavin.

You can even reach it directly by leaving the Loire by bike route.

And then to recover from your efforts and put down our suitcases, you take yourself for a chatelain at the Château de Troussay, the smallest castle in the Loire. 

The wolf / the sea bass

Marion Sauveur… all this summer you have been talking to us about the products of our region.

This morning, it's a fish. 

One of the favorite fish of the French… with fine flesh and very few bones. 

It has two different names: sea bass, if caught in the Atlantic;

and sea bass, if fished in the Mediterranean.

It is a voracious predator… hence its name "wolf".

But it should not be confused with the sea bass… which has a large head, very large compared to the elongated body.

While the sea bass and the wolf have a slender body.

It is a round fish, which lives in shoals... and which can measure up to almost a meter in length and weigh 12 kilos!

It is fished by bottom trawl… but also by line.

On the line, it is more expensive: it does not remain stuck for hours and hours in the nets of the trawls, it comes back alive on the boat, without any injury or bruise. 

To choose it, like all fish, it must have shiny scales, be very stiff and have a keen eye. 

What do you suggest as a recipe? 

A marinated sea bass fillet… to eat as an aperitif or as a starter… 

We start by making the marinade with vinegar, olive oil, garlic, thyme, rosemary… and to give a little pep, diced ginger and lemon juice.

We heat this marinade and when it boils we pour it over the sea bass fillets.

END SOUND Leave to cool… before leaving to marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours… The flesh of the fish will cook very slowly.

In the mouth, the fish will be very soft… its flesh will be half-cooked.

We then cut small diced tomatoes and zucchini… We toast a little bread… 

we place the small diced vegetables on the slice of toasted bread… and on top we have the half-filet of fish.

With some lemon zest to bring freshness.

And we bite! 

Every day, you ask a chef for a tip. 

Today, I'm taking you to Saint-Tropez with chef David Wego.

He loves to work this wolf, without artifice.

And he advises you not to throw away the skin… 

“Ask your fishmonger to lift you up and remove your skin, and especially that he put your skin with it.

Arrived at home, you cook your fillet without the skin... and the skin you cook it with a little olive oil with a little olive oil between 2 plates, in the oven at 180 degrees for about ten minutes.

It will give you crispy skin chips that you can put on the whole sea bass, like on a salad.

It will bring a little crunchiness”. 

At the Alma restaurant in Saint Tropez, David Wego offers sea bass in ceviche… this fresh salad from Latin America.

The fish is marinated in coconut milk, with coriander, sweet potatoes and red onion. 

You can also taste the whole sea bass at the asado, the Uruguayan barbecue.

It is roasted with herbs from the maquis and flambéed. 

What second address can you suggest to us to taste sea bass / sea bass? 

We change seaside… direction Normandy and Deauville, with the restaurant Les Planches.

Italian-born chef Pietro Volonte makes sea bass carpaccio, drizzled with basil-flavoured olive oil and olive powder.

A fresh Italian recipe! 

Thanks Marion.

The recipe and all the Destination Vacances references can be found on Europe1.fr.

See you tomorrow ! 

RECIPE

Marinated sea bass fillet toast

Ingredients 

4 mackerel fillets

1 clove of garlic 

2 sprigs of thyme

2 sprigs of rosemary

2 tablespoons olive oil

15 cl of vinegar

15 cl of water

1 teaspoon of Espelette pepper 

Ginger 

1 small tomato

1 small zucchini 

zest of a lemon

Start by making the marinade, mixing vinegar, olive oil, garlic, thyme, rosemary… and to give a little pep, diced ginger and lemon juice. 

Heat this marinade.

When it boils, pour it over the sea bass fillets.

Leave to cool… before leaving to marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours… The flesh of the fish will cook very slowly. 

Then cut small dice of tomatoes and zucchini.

Toast some bread. 

Arrange the small diced vegetables on the slice of toast… and on top of the half-filet of fish.

With some lemon zest to bring freshness.

And we bite! 

The crispy skin of David Wego's wolf from the Alma restaurant in Saint Tropez. 

https://www.kubehotel-saint-tropez.com/fr/page/bar-restaurants-hotel-saint-tropez.387.html

• Sea bass/wolf skin 

• olive oil 

Start by putting the skin of the fish on a plate.

Sprinkle with olive oil.

Place a second plate on top.

Bake for ten minutes at 180 degrees. 

Carpaccio Di Branzino by chef Pietro Volonte from Les Planches in Deauville

• 120g of sea bass

• olive oil 

• 20g of olives 

Remove the skin and cut the fish finely, carpaccio style, and place it on a sheet of parchment paper.

Place the Taggiasche olives on a baking tray and bake them at 180°C for 20 minutes.

Let them cool to room temperature and dry all the oil well.

Then place them in the blender for about 3 minutes, until a fine powder is obtained.

Arrange the thin slices of sea bass carpaccio on the plate, season with basil olive oil, salt and pepper and olive powder.