Had dinner in the garden at La Marbrerie hotel in Caunes-Minervois last night. Ordered a small…read morebottle of local red called Domaine Tour Boisee - a blend if Grenache and Merlot which was a little tart for my taste at first, but soon started to grow on me.
I have by now completely thrown any concept of restraint in regards to food intake on this holiday out the window and once again ordered from the Menu Terroir (or Menu Terror as my waistline has begun to refer to it). For appetiser I had the duck pâté; not as rich as foi gras, but quite tasty, served with a lettuce leaf drizzled with something that tastes like a thick Worcester sauce and a gherkin. Only complaint, the bread tasted like it was a day old.
For main I ordered the "Fisherman's Pot". I asked the lady serving me if this was like a bouillabaisse and she indicated with a roll of her hand that it was similar. It consisted of pieces of hake, shelled mussels and whole baby potatoes served in a thick, delicious broth. There was something innately comforting about this dish, like your mother had just whipped it up in the kitchen and served it for Saturday dinner (if your mother was French I suppose). Rich, hearty and flavoursome, this is one of the culinary highlights of the trip so far and worth a four star rating on its own.
Next was a small round of chèvre served with a drizzle of honey on the side of the plate. I've got to say I'm not a big fan of goat cheese, but when served with something sweet (like the cherry jam at La Chaumiere in Quillan) it really is quite palatable.
Once again, I ordered the nougat ice cream for dessert. Honestly, I can't get enough of this, and once again it didn't disappoint. Good food in a lovely garden setting in the South of France. How many boxes does that tick?!
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