Category Archives: Aude, France

Aude, France, Enchante, France, Salmon in Crust of Rock Salt, Sylvain Moretto

Cuisine of Sylvain Moretto

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On the Hotel Barge “Enchante”

I would posit every American traveling to France dreams of having the “meal of a lifetime”, their taste buds thrilled with every bite. Quite possibly many leave disappointed. That could never happen when Sylvain is chef. While he works quietly in an open kitchen with guests mere feet away, each move is confident, precise and achieves the intended purpose. He never seems to make just one dish from start to finish. Instead he is heating, cooling, seasoning, resting the food, and building the entire meal. Each course reaches its full potential just as it is placed in front of you. I thought I captured all of them but frequently the desire to pick up the fork beat out the camera.

Goats Cheese Aumoniere with honey and almonds served on a bed of green leaves. Roast Breast of Guinea Fowl with Tarragon Sauce served on top of potato balls with radishes and spring onion.

The kitchen is always working.

Tomato and Mozzarella Stacks with Fresh Basil, Balsamic Vinegar, and Olive Oil. Scallops in Crayfish Sauce. Rack of Lamb in Rosemary Jus with Ratatouille.

Preparing caramel baskets and poaching pears.

Filet of Fish from Narbonne Market on a bed of roast Fennel with Sauce Vierge and Pilaf Rice. Creme Caramel with basket of strawberries.

Parmentier de Canard with Parsnip crisps in a Spicy Sauce served with Celeriac Puree and Sautéed Celery.

Preparing Mint Creme Anglaise for snails while the Sole waits preparation (see previous post).

Trio of Asparagus served with a Homemade Herb Mayonnaise. Sole Meuniere served with Spinach Flan and Tomato Provencal.

Each dinner included a cheese course with flavors from local regions of France. This night was Morbier, Munster, and Langres.

Tartar of Avocado with Prawns in a Soy Sauce and Sesame Seed Dressing. Salmon in a Crust of Rock Salt (see previous post for visual recipe) served with fondue of Leek and Creamy Risotto.

Cheese Soufflé. Blanquette de Veau with Homemade Pasta, Pleurotes Mushrooms, Carrots, and Coriander.

Each morning a breakfast table was laid with pastries brought aboard daily, fruit, possibly some cheese from the previous night, smoked trout or ham, coffee and fresh squeezed orange juice.

Smoked ham, Quail Eggs, Phyllo cup with greens and walnuts. Tuna Steak with Beurre Blanc Sauce served with Lentils and Bell Peppers. Tiramisu.

The final meal comes together step by step.

For our final dinner; Homemade Foie Gras marinated with Cognac served with Fig Jam made with Red Wine and Cinnamon. Charolais Beef with Pear Shaped Mashed Potato, Green Beans wrapped in Bacon and Morel Mushroom Sauce.

Choux Pastry Swans swimming in a pool of Chocolate Caramel Sauce with Roast Nuts. Sylvain insisted his Sous-Chef plate our final dessert. The pressure was intense.

Nothing more powerful than a chef.

You have to be confident in who you are and what you’re doing. Of course, you try to evolve. I would never tell you, ‘Today is the best I will ever be.’ I’m always trying to be a better chef, a better dad, a better person.”

Guy Fieri

Seems he was describing Sylvain.

Aude, France, Canal du Midi, Carcassonne, Enchante, France

Carcassonne

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Bonjour, Campers! Finally the French have deviated from perfect weather to rain and clouds. Actually, the perfect way to view Carcassonne – no crowds and the dark sky increases the imposing nature of the fortress. Regardless of the weather, the crew deliver fresh bread every morning, even the captain.

After breakfast we hopped on the van for a trip to Carcassonne, a city inhabited since the neolithic period. Until the Treaty of the Pyrenees transferred the border province of Roussillon to France in 1659, Carcassonne was on the Catalonian border and completely contained within a double walled citadel. During a papal siege in 1209 a surrender treaty allowed the citizens to leave their fortified village and inhabit the valley below giving way to today’s city limits. The citadel, known as the Cité de Carcassonne, is a medieval fortress dating back to the Gallo-Roman period and restored by the theorist and architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc in 1853. It was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 1997.

Although she appears to be a fictional character, a bust of Lady Carcas stands guard over the entrance and her legend provides the etiological origin for the Carcassonne name. The plaque below honors the UNESCO World Heritage designation.

O’er the ramparts we climbed and learned about stairways built to make climbing difficult for an enemy in armor and advantage the defender and took in the view of the modern city originally inhabited by the fleeing citizens.

The cathedral within the walls is of two distinct periods. The nave is romanesque and plain, the altar, built as a pride of French victory is fine gothic tracery.

Turns out, gargoyles function brilliantly.

We returned to the barge, and enjoyed our final cruise through a misty rain.

Billboard on the Canal du Midi.

After a final dinner (more to come on the cuisine), Sylvain presented my sous-chef toque which I will cherish.

Aude, France, Canal du Midi, Enchante, France, Lagrasse, France

Lagrasse

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Bonjour, Campers!

Sylvain’s shopping day is Wednesday. That means no lunch on the barge. Instead we took a trip to Lagrasse, a small village in Aude and lunched in a restaurant.

Wayne loves the Deux Chevaux auto made until 1990. A vintage model parked next to us tooted it’s own horn.

As we wandered through Lagrasse, another Les Plus Beaux Villages de France, it’s charming nature stood out.

Speaking of “charming” our group has decided the word is now drastically overused describing every turn of a corner and each utterance requires a “Cher Slap”.

Our walk went past the cemetery so in we went. French bury in family graves so they are adorned with pictures and “souvenirs” of each family member. The large monument is for the Berliotz family who were benefactors to the abbey and lived in the household portion until 1922. The four stones at the top of the arch are thought to by the Master of Cabestany, making it significant in ancient sculpture.

On to the Abbey. There are two separate areas, one the previous home of a ruling monk and the working abbey. We were not allowed into the working abbey but a monk did come out to say “hi”. The piece of “in situ” art in the former household chapel was completed by Christian Jaccard in 2017 by applying an ointment to the wall and setting it aflame.

It’s always worth taking a peek over the garden doors to see what lies behind. These are “allotment” gardens, city owned plots where citizens can create their own secrets.

Des roses et le chien overwhelm with charm – – – uh, change that to “are overwhelmingly captivating”.

A small and delicate cathedral had typical pews of chairs tied together with a kneeling bench in back. These colored by sun shining through stained glass.

After boarding the barge we took a short cruise and arrived at our mooring next to a lock house. After a walk in the evening light we dined on Sole Meuniere (food post to follow). Bonsoir, Campers.