Europe 1 06:53, August 18, 2022

As in The weekend walks, Vanessa Zha begins her columns by taking us on a journey and giving good plans for the summer.

Marion Sauveur focuses on a product every day.

Discover the Canal des Deux Mers by bike with Vanessa Zha.

We go for a ride on the Canal des deux mers and we get on our bikes!

We go on Slow tourism, discover a part of France by roaming and gently, on 700 kilometers of Canal which connect the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, with all along the structures labeled "Accueil Vélo".

Thanks to this Canal des deux mers, we cross two regions and seven departments: Charente-maritime, Gironde, Lot-et-Garonne, Tan-et-Garonne, Haute Garonne, Aude and Hérault.

Hérault where the story of the Canal des deux mers was born with the creation of the Canal du Midi, 356 years ago.

It is the oldest canal still in operation in Europe.

It is to a Biterrois that we owe this masterpiece, Pierre Paul Riquet.

He was able to find the genius idea that no one had found before, to develop a large waterway that would connect the ocean to the Mediterranean.

The goal: to promote the wheat trade.

Thanks to a fountain man from the black mountain, he found the point where the waters divided: the waters flowed in one direction and the other.

And that's how the adventure could begin, thanks to the green light from Louis XIV too, of course!

How long did it take to build?

14 years of work.

A colossal project, up to 12,000 workers to develop 240 kilometers, 64 locks, 300 engineering structures such as its nine locks from Béziers to Fonseranes, a 21.50 meter water staircase.

The water descends from one lock to another.

They have been classified as a historical monument.

The Canal du Midi is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

It connects the Garonne to the Mediterranean from Toulouse to Sète.

Moreover, it is also to Pierre Paul Riquet that we owe the port of Sète.

How long does it take by bike?

About 10 days, not counting the visits that you can obviously do on the six sections, the 30 stages.

And so, direction Royan, walking along the balconies of the Gironde estuary.

Royan, A seaside resort with two faces.

Why double face?

One part has still remained frozen in the days of the Belle Epoque with its seaside villas facing the ocean and then the other is literally the jewel of Modernism in the 1950s. 80% of the city was rebuilt after 1945. And this modernism is inspired by Brazilian architecture.

I recommend that you follow the fascinating architectural guided tours.

Charlotte de Charrette, head of the heritage department of the city of Royan, gives you a taste of these modernist nuggets.

This is why it was consecrated in 1986 the "most fifty city" of France!

An address to sleep?

A guest house: L'Ostreale.

Bed and Oysters.

It is located between the oyster port of La Grève and the town center of La Tremblade.

A typical Charente-native house with ocean colors… a sweetness of life in Ostréale.

Or the Thalazur spa hotel

And for your information, Le Routard has released a guide on: the Canal des deux mers by bike.

Taste lean with Marion Sauveur

All this summer, Marion Sauveur tells us about the products of our region.

Today a fish.  

It's lean.

A white fish, fusiform in body with black and yellow dots aligned along its lateral line, with a large mouth that is orange-yellow on the inside.

Its taste and the texture of its flesh are similar to those of sea bass. 

And this skinny guy has a little nickname: the “gruntler”.

because he growls!

It emits deep sounds and by resonance, under water, it sounds like a dog's growl.

And fishermen used these grunts to spot them, but that was before!  

The lean is a hunter who can reach a hundred kilos!

And also a migratory fish, it is near our shores at these times of the year.

It's time to taste meager, do not hesitate to ask your fishmonger. 

Like all fish, it is chosen very fresh: with a very firm body, shiny scales, lively eyes and red gills.

How do you suggest we cook this lean? 

It is cooked like sea bass.

And this morning, I want you to discover it semi-cooked on blinis, for an aperitif for example. 

We start by making a marinade with olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper.

We dip the meager fillets cut into small cubes in this marinade… the lemon will cook the fish very slowly. 

Cut a tomato, cucumber and green pepper into small pieces… and mix with the marinade.

We leave to cool. 

During this time, we make a whipped cream with dill, whipping very cold whipping cream with lime juice and dill. 

And we end up making some blinis.

We start by mixing the yeast and the milk, before incorporating the flour and the egg yolks.

Beat the egg whites and gently incorporate them into the mixture, before cooking them in a pan with a little butter. 

It remains to be erected.

On the blinis, place a little lean marinated in cucumber-tomato-peppers.

On top, a little whipped cream and lime zest.

We eat fresh. 

Every day, you ask a chef for a tip. 

Today, make way for the 3-star chef from La Rochelle: Christopher Coutanceau.

This cook-fisherman gives you all his advice for successful cooking of lean meat. 

“The best thing is to have a small probe… Today we find small probes that work on batteries… You can probe the thickest piece of fish to be able to ensure cooking.

A fish, I like to stop it at 48 degrees… because you have to know that the dressing time + the time to taste it, the fish will take 2 degrees of inertia in addition to cooking.

So we stop it at 48 degrees, we stop it gently, we taste it and then it will be around 50 degrees and that's the perfect cooking point”. 

In his gourmet restaurant, Christopher Coutanceau offers a lean tartare as a starter, with a raspberry vinaigrette and a few onion pickles.

And in the dish, you also find the lean.

This time in the form of a cobblestone.

It is cooked on the skin side, which is served crispy, to provide a bit of texture.

And to accompany this meager: tomato marinated in vanilla, lime and black garlic;

a slightly spicy tomato sorbet;

and a tarragon gravy.

A perfect land-sea pairing.  

https://christophercoutanceau.com/fr

What second address can you suggest to us to taste lean meat?

I'm taking you to Bordeaux, to Nicolas Masse, the chef of Sources de Caudalie.

At the Table du Lavoir, the Domaine's country inn, he works lean as a starter.

It is marinated over a flame and served with a tomato coulis flavored with basil. 

https://www.sources-caudalie.com/caudalie-restaurant/

RECIPE

Lean tartare, blinis and dill whipped cream 

  • The fillets of a meager 

  • ½ green pepper 

  • 1 tomato 

  • ½ cucumber

  • ½ lemon

  • 1 lime

  • 50g olive oil

  • salt

  • pepper 

  • 20cl whipping cream (minimum 30% fat)

  • 10 sprigs of dill

  • 75g flour

  • 5 g of baker's yeast

  • 20 cl of milk 

  • 10g of butter

  • 2 eggs

Start by making a marinade with olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper.

Immerse the lean fillets cut into small dice in this marinade… the lemon will cook the fish very slowly. 

Cut a tomato, cucumber and green pepper into small cubes and mix with the marinade.

Leave to cool. 

Meanwhile, make a whipped cream with dill. 

Whip very cold whipping cream, in very cool utensils, with lime juice and dill. 

Make a few blinis, mixing the yeast and the milk.

Let stand for five minutes.

Mix the yeast-milk with the flour little by little.

Add the egg yolks.

If you have time, let sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour. 

Whip the egg whites and gently fold them into the mixture, before cooking them in a pan with a little butter. 

It remains to be erected.

On the blinis, place a little lean marinated in cucumber-tomato-peppers and on top a little whipped cream.

To be enjoyed fresh! 

Proper lean cooking, according to Christopher Coutanceau 

https://christophercoutanceau.com/fr/

  • 2 lean fillets 

  • olive oil 

  • plain flour 

Flour the lean skin.

Remove excess flour. 

Pan with olive oil.

When the oil is hot, place the fish skin side down in the pan.

Put the fire down. 

If the fish is very thick, put aluminum foil over it so that the heat is evenly distributed. 

When the fish is still pink, turn it over at the last moment to cool the inside of the flesh.

Remove the fish, add a little fleur de sel on the skin and you're done.