( Handmade Brittany butter by Jean-Yves Bordier)
The Brittany coastline is a virtual lunar landscape of jutting rock formations, with pristine beaches tucked in between. Consequently, Upper Brittany is somewhat remote and not a popular tourist destination and it has become one of my favorite areas in France to visit. . Most of my days begin at a almost-deserted beach with a dip in a frigid, but clear water, and finished at a lively crêperie, picking through a mound of moules frites, aromatic mussels simmered with white wine and local shallots, served with a overly-generous pile of frites . Unlike the rest of France, the Bretons don't eat much cheese...in fact, there's no cheese that I can think of is produced there , but they make up for it by consuming lots of butter, which they're justifiably famous for. When you compliment a local pastry shop or restaurant on their cuisine, they will invariably respond proudly, "C'est la buerre de Bretagne!" ..in fact, the butter; it's the best I've ever tasted. I even dream about it!
Breton butter is notable since it's almost always flecked with large, coarse grains of salt that crunch when you bite into them. THE BEST!
And unlike the rest of the country, Bretons often butter their bread, which is never done elsewhere in France except with oysters, which are customarily served with buttered rye bread, pain de seigle. (So next time you're in Paris and that waiter gives you a funny sneer when you ask for butter, tell him you're from Brittany.)
Breton butter is notable since it's almost always flecked with large, coarse grains of salt that crunch when you bite into them. THE BEST!
And unlike the rest of the country, Bretons often butter their bread, which is never done elsewhere in France except with oysters, which are customarily served with buttered rye bread, pain de seigle. (So next time you're in Paris and that waiter gives you a funny sneer when you ask for butter, tell him you're from Brittany.)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment