*Ad book review The Breton Cookbook*.

We are about to celebrate the Persian New Year Nowrooz, and for this special day we prepare fish and herb rice. I’m quite experimental in my kitchen, and every year I prepare the fish a little differently, see here, here and here. This year I decided to choose one of my favorite methods of preparing fish. I got inspiration from the Breton cookbook with Commissioner Dupin’s favorite dishes by Jean-Luc Bannalac. I serve it with Mamie Fouesnant’s Shallot Cream Sauce.

Salt Baked Sea bream and the Breton Cookbook are must-haves for Foodies and fish lovers. Cooking the whole fish in a salt crust inside an oven, the Dorade gets tender, juicy, flavorful and even low in calories. A healthy way of preparation, easy, with little effort and simply delicious. My husband and our youngest sit at the dining table and wait to see the salt crust cracking, and the tasty secret unveiled. Try this recipe, and you will be thrilled. Bon appetit!

INSPECTOR DUPIN’S FAVORITE DISHES

Have I already mentioned that besides cookbooks, I also love Crime Novels, regardless of whether it’s a book or a movie. Pasquale Aleardi plays Commisaire George Dupin in the crime series by the best-selling author Jean-Luc Bannalec. But the leading role in the crime novel isn’t Commisaire Dupin, who is being punitively sent from Paris to the end of the world (Brittany), but rather Brittany itself. The film version of the crime series is filmed in idyllic locations in Brittany. The Breton Cookbook celebrates Breton cuisine and includes Monsieur le Commissaire’s favorite dishes and many Specialties from the Amiral, a charming café, brasserie, and restaurant.

Here, le Commissaire starts his day with a look in the newspaper and a petit café and returns in the evening to end the day with an excellent entrecôte and a glass of red wine. His favorite dishes include Épaule d’Agneau de pré-salé marineé’ (marinated shoulder of salt meadow lamb), Cotriade (fish stew), and Kim ha farz (meat stew). Of course, he also loves Krampouezh, the Breton crêpes made with buckwheat flour.

CAFE, BRASSERIE AND RESTAURANT AMIRAL

The charming Amiral Restaurant is located in Concarneau, right on the quay, facing the picturesque old town, and from almost every seat you have a magnificent view of the port. The Restaurant’s owners are Arnaud, the Chef de Cuisine, who does all the magic in the kitchen, and his wife Catherine Lebossé, la Chef, who charms the guests. Arnaud is the heart, and Catherine the soul of the Amiral. The family recipes for this book are created by them and the author Jean-Luc Bannalec and Catherine’s mother, Marie-Thérès Dénès ( nicknamed Mamie Fouesnant), who tells us short stories that make us enjoy Brittany cuisine.

DAS BRETONISCHE KOCHBUCH 

The stunning Breton Cookbook is published by Kiepenheuer & Witsch and has over 300 pages of culinary recipes. The cookbook is a tribute to the Breton food culture and its all-natural dishes, that are dedicated to the enjoyment of food. The cookbook is charmingly designed, even the linen cover feels great in your hand. The simple and refined cookable dishes are highlighted by mouthwatering photos and some tales. Discover which ocean-fresh Breton fish are Commissioner Dublin’s favorite. Why never start from the corner when eating crêpes? How to eat a plateau de fruits de mer (seafood platter). Mamie Fouesnants shares her story of what Pêche á Pied is all about.

There are numerous recipes for culinary treats, from aperitifs to appetizers, fish, and meat dishes. Of course, sweet treats should not be missing in a cookbook, so you will not only find typical recipes for Breton crêpes, but also lovely stories about them. Typical desserts like the Far Breton de Mamie Fouesnants and Baba with Café Ambig, let the hearts of the sweet tooth beat faster. Nice to have are the wine recommendations for the dishes, the shopping recommendations, and the seasonal menu suggestions.

GOURMET JOURNEY TO BRITTANY

Last year I was on a press trip with Frische Paradies in Brittany end of September and was able to taste the variety of seafood, shellfish and fish. I agree Brittany is a natural paradise and gourmet region at the same time. If you are planning a gourmet trip to Brittany, I highly recommend the “Breton Cookbook”. It is not only a cookbook, but also a food travel guide and has the best recipes of Brittany. It’is a marvelous food guide and guide through Bretons cuisine, and a culinary inspirer. I definitely recommend packing the Brittany Cookbook in your suitcase on your next Brittany vacation, going to the market to buy some great products and cooking up one recipe after another. If you love Brittany, you’ll love this cookbook.

MY FISH STORE OF CONFIDENCE

Fortunately, the Frische Paradise Store with delicious products from Brittany is not far from me, so I drove there immediately and bought the QSFP Sea Bream. It is imported fresh from Loctudy in Brittany in the shortest time to Germany. Last year I met Nicole and his wife, who are responsible for the processing of the catch of the day for Frische Paradies, and they convinced me of the top quality of their products.

SALT BAKED SEA BREAM

Have your Sea Bream cleaned by your local fish dealer, remove the fins and gills, but the fish scales should stay on. So the fish will not stick to the salt crust. You can also prepare trout, salmon or sea bass in the salt crust instead of dorade. The Breton method is pure yet you can also stuff the fish with herbs. For the salt crust you need double to triple the weight of the fish using coarse sea salt. Some mix the salt with water, others with egg white, but you don’t need neither in the Breton recipe. The salt crust is quite firm after baking beat it up or slice it with a knife. This recipe is plain in the book as I love sauce I chose Mamie Fouesnants shallot cream sauce from the book to accompany it and some grilled veggies.

INGREDIENTS SALT BAKED SEA BREAM

2 Sea Breams of 1 kg ( cleaned, but with scales)

2-3 kg coarse sea salt

INGREDIENTS MAMIE FOUESNANTS SHALLOT CREAM SAUCE

1 shallot

120 ml white wine

500 ml fish stock

70 g salted butter

70 ml cream

salt, pepper

PREPARATION SALT BAKED SEA BREAM

Preheat oven to 250°.

In a large casserole, spread the salt to a height of about 1 cm.

Place the sea breams on top and cover them completely with the remaining salt.

Bake the fish in the oven for 30 minutes.

Break the salt crust or cut with a sharp knife and remove the sea bream. Fillet and serve immediately with Mamie Fouesnant’s shallot cream sauce.

PREPARATION MAMIE FOUESNANTS SHALLOT CREAM SAUCE

Peel and dice the shallot finely. Place white wine in a saucepan and allow it to boil together with the shallot. Reduce it to one-quarter. Pour in fish stock and then reduce again. Stir in the cream and butter in flakes and reheat the sauce at a low temperature. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk with a blender until foamy.

Recommended wine: Petit Chablis – Louis Jadot

BEFARMAYID!

Susan

The items marked with * are affiliate links, referral links. If you buy through this link, I get a small commission. The price stays the same for you and you can easily support my efforts. A big thank you ♥

The cookbook was provided to me as a review copy by the publisher Kiepenheuer&Witsch. Many thanks for the friendly cooperation.

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Have you cooked this or maybe another delicious recipe of mine? Feel free to leave me a comment below. If you tag your picture on Instagram with @labsalliebe  and use the hashtag #labsalliebe, I won’t miss a post and will be happy to leave you a comment as well. Can’t wait to see your creations.

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