There is a restaurant in the South of France that’s worth a detour. Truth be told, it’s worth the entire journey.
Château Saint-Martin Trencavel, a diminutive castle boasting a 12thcentury tower, stands only a few minutes’ drive from the walled fortress of Carcassonne in a garden filled with flowers and ancient stone fountains. In the winter, its old- fashioned dining room feels cozy and warm, but in the summer, a moment on the shaded terrace near the century-old wisteria brings to mind a Merchant Ivory set.
The meal starts with an innocent-looking puff pastry twist coiled around hints of olive and thyme flowers, an equal blend of buttery innocence and strong, salty kick. By the time you come back to reality, you have devoured most of them and your partner is staring at you with eyes that growl, “We have a whole meal coming and you’ve downed all the bread.” Best to sip the local bubbly Blanquette de Limoux and call it a day.
The hardest decision of that day is, without doubt, whether to order a cassoulet or not. After all, the magical mythical stew is a winter dish, but how can you arrive at the source of all things cassoulet and not order it? The chef, Jean-Claude Rodriguez, is the founder of the Universal Academy of Cassoulet, a group of chefs, restaurateurs, vintners and food lovers dedicated to saving the authentic cassoulet. Rodriguez has spent most of his life perfecting the right ratio of beans to garlic to onions to duck confit to sausage to bouquet garni. And that’s without even mentioning the fresh herbs he picks at a location he won't divulge, somewhere in the Montagne Noire. Festklänningar
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