Farewell dinner by Jean-Pierre

So what did Jean-Pierre prepare for us while we were touring? An all fish menu to be had on a white and red table.

Soupe de roche

Tarte aux sardines
Filets de rouget de Mediterrannee
Courgettes au romarin
Couronne des Rois

You can go to my previous post to see the picture of the rock fish that are used in this area to prepare this delicous soup. (picture with the sign SOUPE by the fish heap) It is served with croutons (Jean-Pierre cut thin slices of yesterday's baguette and grilled them in the oven) and grated Emmental cheese. This soup was so so delicious that I asked him for the recipe and I am sharing it with you.Then Jean-Pierre served a sardine tart, one of his brand dishes. He uses a circle of puff pastry where he spreads some black olive tapenade and a reduced provence tomato home made sauce. He then places sardine filets as wedges round the center, adds more tomato sauce and bakes for 20 minutes in a hot oven. When it's ready, he places basil leaves on the sauce and serves immediately. The main course was filets of rouget simply pan fried in olive oil with a sauce made with black olives tapenade and achoiade (a paste of anchovies). The garnish was made of sauteed zucchini that had been cooked with fresh Rosemary. The presentation was superb in the rectangular gray dishes!

We had a "couronne de rois" for dessert from a local pastry, an Epiphany Provence tradition. It's a brioche shaped like a "crown". The dough has candied fruit inside (mostly candied melon and orange, it is glazed, and candied fruit is presented on top. Hidden inside, there is a Nativity miniature and a fava bean. Traditionally, the youngest person sitting round the table hides under the table and speaks up the names of those who are going to get the piece that has just been cut. The one who gets the "bean" will chose his queen if it's a he, or becomes the queen if it is a she. Here is the winner!

We had this delicious dinner with a Cote de Provence Haut Donjon 2007 from Jean-Pierre's cellar.

Soup recipe

1 kilo assortment of small rock fish
olive oil

1 onion

1 branch of fennel

6 cups of water

Cut the onions in slices and brown them in oilve oil. Add the fish, emptied but whole. Stir. Season to taste. Add the water, fennel, parsely and bring to a boil. Let boil 20 minutes. Using a ricer - thank you Couture Carrie/ for giving me the right name or moulin a legumes of which there is one in every French kitchen - where you have chosen the thin grid, press the fish to obtain all the flavor and juice. The thin grid does not allow for any fish bones to find their way into the soup. Heat again, recitfy seasoning and serve very hot.

Merci Jean-Pierre!