We arrived in Rouen (pronounced rue-on with the real French nasally sound at the end), to meet our Aunty and Uncle (Lynn and Chris) and cousin (CJ). Lynn and Chris had been based in Rouen for the past week and were already well immersed in the culture of the small French city. Rouen is north-west of France, in Normandy and about a one hour and a half train ride from Paris. It has about a population of 76,000, and is most famous for its gothic cathedral the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Rouen, which is featured in a series of paintings by Monet, and being the death place of the historic heroine Joan of Arc.
Within our first hour of arriving I knew I was in this place to get fat. And boy was I going to enjoy every moment of it! Aunty Lynn had prepared a feast for our arrival, consisting of the sweetest fresh cherry tomatoes, still on the vine, an assortment of French baguettes still hot from the oven, mouth-watering Parma ham, and fois grais straight from the local charcuterie. And Uncle Chris provided some nicely chilled French Champagne to celebrate our arrival and being reunited so far away from home. What a start to our four day trip!!!
Feeling extremely satisfied after our first French lunch in Rouen, I felt I could eat like that for days... and so we did! From day to night we engulfed our stomachs with all the Frenchiness we could find, from a French picnic on the marina of Dieppe (the closest seaside town to Paris) to fiery whiskies and rich ports at the local corner pub. We started with bread and finished with cheese. We sipped champagne and gulped down beautiful, delicate French Roses. France definitely agreed with us.
We dined in an old wine cellar on our first dinner out. It had been spruced up all modern with gem-like chanderliers hanging like crystals from the ceiling, and a new-age twist on French cuisine. With bright orange and white decor and a menu that spoiled us, this restaurant reeled us in like a cat chasing a ball of string. We were presented with a beetroot puree as a palette cleanser that tasted so good I would have had that for my main! I dined on a mozzarella and duck salad soaked in a mango gazpacho soup with deep fried onions to start. Then a traditional pan-fried fish with steamed vegetables. The gazpacho was a little overpowering as I am not a huge fan of mango but the duck was delicious. The fish was delicate, it eased off the bone and juiced with flavour. I tapped into some crème brulee to finish off the meal and it was a cracker! Topped with a French pastry as a garnish.
As we were in France, I felt it would have been rude not to try the traditional cuisine that makes French food so unique. First stop - snails! They came out with a special 'snail fork', already de-shelled, covered in herby garlic butter, and looking rather sluggish... Adam was first up for a taste and he thought they were delicious. This led me to believe they would be OK as I was rather uncertain as to how I would find them. To my surprise they were rather tasty! It was like eating a prawn or a mussel in texture, as they were slightly chewy and you could feel their sliminess. Typically very similar to what you would think a snail would feel like to eat. Luckily they didn't taste like a garden or dirty soil as I had envisioned, as they were bathed in a garlic butter soup their natural flavours were hidden (much to my pleasure as I am a fan of garlic!).
My second treat of the French cuisine was Duck Confit. This bizarrely came out served with pomme frites and swamped in a thick flavoursome gravy. The duck was so tender and melted in your mouth, it fell gently off the bone and to my surprise it went really well with the French fries.
After my trip I realised the main reason for my over -indulging in Rouen was the amount of fresh bread and cheese I devoured. People had tried to tell me there is nothing like a French baguette and yet I still couldn't believe them. I now know and understand, a baguette or any fresh bread in France has the ability to just taste so much better than eating the same bread in any other country. I don't know if it’s a different method or secret ingredient but it just tastes better! The cheese was also a weakness for me. Every day we would buy another cheese from the farmers markets, some in which really stunk out the fridge. There was one so smelly in fact that we thought someone had stood in dog poo and was walking around the apartment but after checking everyone’s feet we realised it was the cheese in the fridge! Surprisingly the cheese wasn't too strong in flavour but was very creamy and rich. Normandy is the place in France where camembert comes from, the region of some of the best cheeses in the world. Combine beautiful baguettes with creamy camembert and you definitely get a recipe for indulgence!
And last but definitely not least, one of the best things I tried in Rouen was a vanilla flavoured yoghurt that Uncle Chris recommended. It came presented in its own blue terracotta pot (great presentation - immediately sold me!) and had the most amazing rich and real vanilla flavour I have ever tried. It was thick, creamy and the flavour really developed in your mouth. And it was even better that you get to keep the packaging! We now have four terracotta pots to use at home.
Four days in France definitely was not enough but I have to say we made the most of our time there, especially thanks to the wonderful family we shared our experience with. Each day was a culinary joy, a foodies dream and an extremely satisfying experience. There are still plenty of French regions to visit and we will be back in a heartbeat, ready to get fat some more!
Bon apetit!
