Rick's journey begins in the Norman port of Dieppe with turbot straight off the boats, followed by a forage for sea herbs along the Bay of the Somme, inspiring him to cook a memorable seafood gratin. He then heads for southern Champagne, loved by Renoir, whose wife also happened to be a formidable cook.
Rick Stein's 'journey without maps' takes him through France's eastern border regions of Alsace and Jura, home to his favourite French dish, choucroute garni, and favourite French cheese, comte. He then begins to head inland into Burgundy for a memorable glass of auxey duresses wine and oeuf en meurette with a difference. Following a memorable Sunday lunch near the Swiss border, he is inspired to recreate a traditional blueberry tart.
Rick Stein reaches the mid-point of his meander through France as he continues exploring Burgundy and practises a little entente cordiale with a chateau owner who cooks him sorrel soup straight out of the garden. He then arrives in the Auvergne, famous for hearty dishes celebrating the finest salers beef and Cantal cheese. No one goes on a diet here! In his Provencal country kitchen, Rick cooks Cantal bourriols, buckwheat pancakes with farmhouse egg and cep mushrooms.
Rick Stein arrives in the region of Perigord, famous for black truffles, walnuts and decadent dishes cooked with duck. He discovers his favourite market in the whole of France in the city Perigueux and its historic roots with England as the former Kingdom of Aquitaine.
Rick continues on to the sunnier climes of the Mediterranean, where he explores the French-Catalan legacy of Roussilon on the foothills of the Pyrenees next to the Spanish border.
Rick approaches the end of his meander through France with a final glance at the culinary delights of the Languedoc, and he makes a confit tomato and aubergine tart tatin.
