Drift food ... growing fat in France
James Innes Williams cruises the Canal du Midi on board Enchanté and revels in the fine cuisine.
If you would like to read about the details and delights of my journey navigating the waterways of south-west France, please read: L’Eau de Vie | Slowing down in France.
Here, I thought I’d just present picture upon picture of the fine food we all enjoyed during that wonderful week drifting along the Canal du Midi. So indulge me. You can see I did…
Day One – Dinner
Left: Goats cheese wrapped in filo pastry with honey and almonds served on a bed of green leaves
Centre: Guinea fowl served with tarragon jus, pear shaped purée and turned courgettes
Right: Tarte tatin on a caramel sauce served with a cinnamon crème fraiche
Day Two – Lunch
Left: Green asparagus with béarnaise sauce
Centre: Sole mariniere served with wild camargue rice and mange tout
Right: White chocolate mousse
Day Two – Dinner
Left: Montgolfier d’escargots with garlic crème
Centre: Rack of lamb with a thyme sauce served with ratatouille and herbed polenta
Right: A trio of homemade strawberry delights including ice cream and coulis
Day Three – Lunch
Left: Gazpacho soup
Centre: Filet mignon of pork served with homemade taglietelle and sweet glazed carrots with a duo of mustard sauces
Right: Lemon meringue pie
Day Three – Dinner
Left: Cheese soufflé
Centre: Magret de canard with green peppercorn sauce, tomato pesto, celeriac mash and sweet potato crisps
Right: Poached pears served with liquorice ice cream and almond tuille
Day Four – Dinner
Left: French onion soup
Centre: Filet of dorade, sauce vierge, fennel and pilaf rice
Right: Three cheeses – beaufort d’ete brie de meaux, saint nectaire
Lunch was eaten off the barge at a local restaurant in Lagrasse. We also had a dessert with dinner – chocolate fondant with mint cream – but I seem to have been so full I forgot to capture a picture. Above, then, is a picture of the cheese course, which varied with every dinner, but often looks the same on the plate.
Day Five – Lunch
Left: Artichoke hearts topped with eggs Florentine
Centre: Vegetable and goats cheese en croute, served with lambs lettuce and lardons with a walnut vinegrette
Right: Banana tiramisu
Day Five – Dinner
Left: Tomato and mozzarella dressed with balsamic vinegar
Centre: Quenelle of chicken in a crayfish sauce, served with broccoli and beetroot
Right: Roasted pineapple flambéd with rum served with kiwi coulis
Day Six – Lunch
Left: Huitres de Bouzigues with a traditional shallot and red wine vinegar
Centre: Salmon en croute de sel with lentils and a tempura of courgette flower
Right: Crème caramel
Day Six – Dinner
Left: Paté de foie gras with fig compote
Centre: Filet of beef with shallots, dauphinoise potatoes and bundle of green beans
Right: Profiterole swan
Other indulgences
Left: Charcuterie at a canal side restaurant (I was peckish, what can I say?)
Centre: Cheeseboard on the final night
Right: Chocolate dessert at the restaurant in Lagrasse
If you would like to plan a similar trip, please view our cruise holidays >>
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- Tags: Cox & Kings Staff, Europe, Food & Wine, France
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