When I was younger and not yet living in France, I discovered a small hotel on the Dordogne river (Hotel du Pont in Groléjac) that served a wonderful fry of small fish. It was called “petit friture” which has the same double meaning as “small fry” in English as it means both fish and frying.Read More
Mackerel fillet with cedrat, lemon juice and rocket
Lately I have been trying to change the rhythm of meals during the day towards a more southern regime – a full lunch and a light dinner. When both my wife and I had full-time office jobs, we would take a quick lunch – sometimes prepared at home and kept in a plastic container –Read More
Goatfish filets with lime
From September to the end of the year, French market fishmongers offer a brightly coloured red/orange fish called “Rouget’ (the red one), which is in fact a name for various types of fish. The larger ones are the red mullet that are fished in the ocean in big nets. There are also smaller sized fishes,Read More
Pan-roasted burbot tails with smoked ham
Yes, burbot. Aka Mariah, freshwater ling, coney-fish. It is a very old species with a kind of spine instead of bones, as well as a rather large mouth, and does not win beauty prizes. On French market stalls you find it already skinned, gutted and beheaded in appetising white parts. The burbot lives in freshRead More
Coley, chorizo and black rice
Coley, or hake/pollock, is far from a glorious fish. It has a bland taste and the meat tends to flake. It is however a cheap alternative to cod and contains loads of potassium and calcium but also salt. It is very low in fat. It is a good fish to eat but you need toRead More
John Dory with lime
“I do not know that cocktail” was the reaction of a contact in New York after he heard of my plan to have a “cool John Dory with lime” after a late afternoon (for me) conversation. It is a fish. There are many competing explanations on why the fish is called that way in EnglishRead More
Fried smelt
I love fried small fish. We often go to a restaurant on the Dordogne river that serves “friture de poisson” and they are great. Just small river fish and garlic in hot oil. Civelles is also very nice but I tend to avoid that dish as the small eels will never get big and eelsRead More
Red Mullet fillets
On the French markets you can find two kinds of reddish fish that look similar apart from their size – the grondin or red gurnard and the rouget barbet or red mullet. The rouget is a small rock fish and is used in Mediterranean fish soups. With the rising sea temperatures it is also caughtRead More
Japanese-style fish soup with cockles and prawns
From time to time, I go to a Japanese shop in the area around the rue Sainte Anne in Paris, where there are many Japanese restaurants and travel agents. I stock up on some instant soups, seaweed, sesame, yuzu and dashi – a yellow soy paste. On the outdoor market in our village, the fishmongerRead More
Sole with clams and crushed potatoes
We often go to Dieppe and buy fresh fish there on the quay, walk around the market and have lunch in one of the many restaurants. A favourite place often serves “crushed potatoes’ as a side dish – cooked potatoes crushed with a fork and some cream for smoothness. Back home, I tried my versionRead More