Sunday 17 June 2012

First Vin Doux meal

Just to set your minds at rest - last evening's meal was very good. It was elegantly served, well-seasoned, pretty, with some surprises and copious.  
First, the mayor made his second speech in 2 days - he hates making speeches and keeps them very short. 

Jean-Louis orates
First course

 
 For apéritif I drank a kir royale with crème de pêche - a very elegant drink and I think better than the classic blackcurrant - and it was a discovery for me. We'll be drinking more of that! This sparked a conversation about Champagne and how much our immediate table neighbours like it and me of course, I like it too. And I discovered something else I have to try - soupe de Champagne - which is a red fruit salad with Champagne. The conversation then went on to champagne sauerkraut which surprised me - someone (not me) said what a waste and was roundly defeated - the fresh sauerkraut is cooked in champagne and apparently all is then very well. After that Gilberte mentioned fish sauerkraut and I lost interest in cabbage products and went back to bubbly. Anyway...

First course: iced melon soup with mint, an aromatic grissini with jambon de pays and beetroot sprouts as garnish. Delicious - fresh tasting, nice presentation and surprisingly filling. I really liked the sprouts but they were not universally adored - mostly just ignored.

Second course

Second course: saddle of rabbit with Mediterranean vegetables,  polenta from locally grown organic maize, tapenade (which was delicious with the polenta) and a piece of tomato confit - also excellent. The rabbit was perfectly cooked, which is not necessarily easy with saddle and the medley of vegetables perfectly diced and cooked to an unctuous yet not slimy sauce. My vis à vis had never eaten polenta - she polished it all off, doesn't like olives but ate her tapenade with the polenta and doesn't like peppers but enjoyed the sauce because she couldn't pick out the things she didn't like. Hah! I did see that one old giffer didn't even touch his polenta - his loss I'd say - enormous portions. Oh, and leek sprouts as garnish.

  
Our just desserts

White chocolate mousse with strawberries and spun sugar. KK says it looked like golden dragonfly wings - truly elegant, beautiful and delicious. Delicate and light as a cloud. Lovely meal - really good food - what more could we ask for???


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