Another guest post on my culinary blog belongs to the pen of not just a blogger, but the chef of the St. Petersburg restaurant “Marseillaise”, who will talk about what he knows better than most – the cuisine of sunny Provence. “Kitchen of the sun” – this is what the cuisine of Provence is rightfully called. Filled with the aromas of the south, the smell of herbs, fresh fish, an abundance of vegetables, fruits and juicy olives – it reminds of a sunny summer and differs from the “classic” French cuisine in its relative simplicity and closeness to “home” cooking. But even the most “homely French” cuisine of Provence has many peculiarities and secrets. The culinary secrets of the “kitchen of the sun” will be revealed to us by the chef of the Provencal cuisine restaurant “Marseillaise” Vladimir Mikhailovich Petrov.“Kitchen of the sun” – this is what the cuisine of Provence is rightfully called. Filled with the aromas of the south, the smell of herbs, fresh fish, an abundance of vegetables, fruits and juicy olives – it reminds of a sunny summer and differs from the “classic” French cuisine in its relative simplicity and closeness to “home” cooking.
But even the most “homely French” cuisine of Provence has many peculiarities and secrets. The culinary secrets of the “kitchen of the sun” will be revealed to us by the chef of the restaurant of Provencal cuisine “Marseillaise” Vladimir Mikhailovich Petrov. There are some ingredients that accompany almost all Provencal dishes, and I want to tell you about them: – In Provence, they know how to cook vegetables especially deliciously.
They are found in both cold and hot dishes. Typical examples are zucchini, eggplant, peppers and tomatoes. Here, of course, we immediately remember the legendary “ratatouille” – the signature dish of Provence. For ratatouille, eggplants, zucchini, peppers and tomatoes are stewed with spices. By the way, the main cooking method for vegetables is stewing. Vegetable dishes of Provence are so satisfying that they can press the main ones on the table.
– Olives, olives and olive oil are favorites of Provence cuisine. They are used in the preparation of most dishes and give them a unique flavor.
Butter enriches the taste of even a simple bun, not to mention the traditional salad sandwich, tomato slices, anchovies, eggs and capers. It also goes well with bread – mashed black olives, desalted anchovies and capers mixed with olive oil.
– The famous “Provencal herbs”: thyme, rosemary, basil and tarragon. The spicy herbs of Provence (like garlic, which never clogs other flavors, but is a common background) are felt in most local dishes. The tastes of these spices are boldly intertwined with each other, complementing and turning into an unforgettable and unlike anything bouquet.
– Meat in this region is rather reserved, preferring its light variations: lamb, rabbit and chicken. The main methods of preparing meat dishes are stewing and baking. – Historically, Italian cuisine has a great influence on Provencal. Indeed, it was only in the 19th century that the vicinity of Nice became part of France, before that it was part of Italy. Hence the rather tangible “culinary echoes” – pizza with caramelized onions, olives and anchovies; various types of pasta; ravioli and the frequent use of a product such as mozzarella in dishes. The neighbors are also connected by the people’s love for vegetable dishes. Both in Liguria and in the seaside Provence there is a tradition of stuffing vegetables: from tomatoes to zucchini. In Nice they
called petit-farsi or farsi-nisua. – I cannot but mention the famous Marseilles ear Bouillabes. If you literally translate this difficult name for the Russian ear – “buir” – boil, bubble, and “demon” – quietly, slowly. This is how this soup is prepared – quietly, slowly boiling and bubbling. By the way, it is considered a great honor for fish to get into this dish – not every representative of the marine fauna can end up in a kettle with buibes – only the “best” are accepted here.
In Marseille, everyone (from a newsboy in the old port to a baker in a working-class suburb) is honored to announce which establishment serves the best Provence fish soup.
And finally, I will share recipes for truly Provencal dishes:
Tian
Cut the tomatoes, zucchini, eggplants into large rings, lay out, alternating, in ceramic dishes, add garlic, olive oil and thyme. We bake in the oven until tender at a temperature of 160 -180 degrees. When serving, I advise you to decorate the dish with lemon wedges.
Dorado
Cut the tomatoes, peppers and fennel into four equal parts. We spread the chopped vegetables on an oval dish, alternating between them. Generously add herbs, lemon wedges and olives to the dish. Sprinkle with olive oil and lemon juice. We bake until tender at a temperature of 160-180 degrees.
Tapenad
A very popular cold appetizer in Provence. Put olives or olives in a blender, add olive oil, garlic, anchovies and nuts, bring to a homogeneous mass. Mashed potatoes are laid out on black bread croutons. Tapenads can be made from a mixture of various products, artichoke tapenades are very popular. They can be served as a separate snack, serve as a side dish or garnish for a dish.
It’s ridiculously easy to see your culinary note on my blog: you just have to spend a minute or two to study the About Me section and drop me a line.
It’s ridiculously easy to see your culinary note on my blog: you just have to spend a minute or two to study the About Me section and drop me a line.