Every Saturday and Sunday, Vanessa Zhâ and Marion Sauveur make us discover some nuggets of French heritage.
Today we're heading to Brittany to discover the bay of Saint-Brieuc and the large artichoke.
We take the sea air this morning, we head for Brittany in the coasts of Armor Vanessa.
Direction the Bay of Saint-Brieuc 1 hour from Rennes and 2 hours from Paris, so it's quite ideal to spend a little weekend iodized.
What I appreciate is that this bay is full of small seaside towns but on a human scale.
It has kept character, and there is a good mix between the mansions and the beautiful homes of Newfoundland shipowners.
No need to tell you all about history, but in this area we would go fishing for cod off the coast of Newfoundland.
Is there one in particular that your heart is inclined towards?
By themselves ! There is Binic-Etables sur mer and Saint-Quay-Portrieux, which is known for all these more eccentric beachfront villas. There are neo-Byzantine villas in the middle of Brittany, for example, which contrasts with the rest of the architecture. And then also for its seawater swimming pool, very Instagrammable. Another reason why you have to go to Saint-Quay: meet Florian Bargat, nature guide for Z'econature, he offers you an improbable and exciting outing on the foreshore to meet the little animals that have superpowers like the mussel.
"The mussel creates an extremely strong glue which is also the strongest natural glue in the world currently known. This glue is found at the end of small filaments that the mussel will create, which is called the byssus. And this allows the mussel to withstand a pressure equivalent to 90 times its weight ", explains Floriant Bargat.
Another example, the limpet also called "the bernique" by the Bretons: "To be able to consume algae, the mussel will scrape the rocks with its teeth. These are extremely strong teeth, so strong that it is the most natural material. solid in the world ", adds the nature guide for Z'econature.
And this barnacle interests scientists to work on the strength of boat hulls or aircraft fuselages.
And we leave Saint Quay and its educational discovery, and we go to Binic, what is special about this city?
Authentic and simple. It is typically the "holiday village" atmosphere. The beaches are magical, at the foot of the customs path. The water is turquoise blue. The beach of the Guardhouse, very wild, is only accessible by the path. You can also go on a catamaran cruise with Olivier Jezequel from Maestro Cruises, a sailor as we like them. You will then have the choice of either taking a short half-day or full-day tour. Personally, I recommend the day because you have the time to learn to helm and to go and enjoy an aperitif in one of Olivier's secret corners, you will have a great day. He loves to anchor just in front of the Corps de rank, or on the side of Binic at sunset.
And the last reason to go to Binic this summer in July: the Binic Bleu festival, a small event that goes up well, and the setting is pretty top: the stage is by the sea!
And your addresses?
In Saint-Quay-Portrieux: La Grève du Portrieux Bed and Breakfast, simple but you go there for the 180 degree view of the port.
Or the Hotel Ker mor facing the island of the countess and Binic: cottages with a beautiful seaside decor: the houses of Victoire.
Marion Sauveur, what Costa Rican specialty are you going to tell us about?
An emblematic Breton vegetable: the artichoke!
The season started a little over a month ago for the petit violet and there are about two weeks for the big green that we eat in vinaigrette, but not only!
I say vegetable, but it is not a vegetable botanically speaking, but a flower, more precisely a flower bud.
If we do not pick the artichoke to eat it, we will see a purple flower develop above what is colloquially called the leaves but which are bracts.
And we will realize that he looks like his cousin the thistle!
Brittany is the French region where the most artichokes are produced.
They are found especially on the North coast, where the climate is the most temperate: the artichoke does not tolerate frost.
He is not originally from Brittany but probably from the Mediterranean basin.
It was already eaten in Antiquity in Egypt.
He was known for his aphrodisiac qualities.
And it was Catherine de Medici who introduced him to the Court.
Growing artichokes requires a lot of care.
"They say that the artichoke is the culture of the courageous because in fact, roughly for a hectare of artichokes, it takes 300 hours of labor. It is the dedrage that requires a lot. time in fact: select the foreground and go over once, twice, three times around this mother plant in fact. This is so that all the energy goes into this mother plant. Otherwise the other suckers will continue to draw on the plant. First week, second week, we will cut off the mother heads and then we will attack the wings, it's the mother's daughters in fact. There are 3 wings that will arrive later. We do not all cut on the same plan the same day it is spread over 1 month ", explains Christophe Moal, producer of artichokes on the peninsula of Pleumeur-Gautier.
In Brittany, there are 4 main varieties:
the Camus: the big green, very fleshy… it is the artichoke the most consumed in France.
Le Castel: clearer and sharper.
Le Cardinal: a variety exclusive to Prince de Bretagne… with a purple robe, thornless leaves… sweeter and sweeter.
The little purple: its name says it all, or almost, it is small, purple… and has no hay.
It can also be eaten raw unlike the others.
How do you prepare the large artichoke?
Either you cook it whole, steamed, in water but upside down… or in the microwave.
There is even a cooking box: the Articook.
But if not, you can prepare him like a chef: to keep only his heart.
This method is called turning the artichoke.
We start by cutting the tail, with a sharp blow, by hand, without a knife.
The objective is to break the threads of the fibers inside… and not to find them in the artichoke.
We remove 2 rows of leaves by hand and then with the knife, we cut the base of the leaves.
Especially the artichoke is lemony well, to prevent it from oxidizing ... and blackening.
And we will cook them for about twenty minutes in lemon water before removing the last leaves that hide the hay and removing the hay.
Ingredients :
4 - 6 artichoke hearts
8cl of olive oil
40g parmesan
1 clove of garlic
20g pine nuts
salt
pepper
The steps of the recipe:
1. Mix your artichoke bottoms with the garlic, Parmesan, ¾ olive oil, salt and pepper.
2. Meanwhile, brown the pine nuts without fat, stirring.
When they are roasted, add half and mix.
3. The artichoke caviar is ready!
4. Rest to sprinkle with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle with pine nuts.
And what do we do with this artichoke heart?
You can add it to a risotto for example… use this heart to make an artichoke tarte tatin.
But what I like as summer approaches is artichoke caviar.
We are going to mix these artichoke hearts with a little garlic, parmesan, pine nuts ... and a lot of olive oil.
We salt, we pepper.
And it's ready!
It only remains to spread on toast.
If we want to taste the artichoke in the Côtes d'Armor, which addresses would you recommend?
Auberge du Trieux in Lézardrieux which reopens next Friday.
In particular, the chef offers a cured pork mignon and artichoke emulsion.
A very nice address: The old tower in Plérin. We have a nice view of the port of Légué. The chef, Nicolas Adam, makes an artichoke. A ratatouille with artichoke and ratatouille is smoked with the hay of the artichoke. Reopening on June 19. And the artichatatouille you can taste it in July.