Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

The region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur is particularly well known for its beautiful landscapes, stunning views, and its magnificent wine. It is also home to France’s oldest city, Marseilles, founded by the Greeks in 546 BC. Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur is also notable for its popular cuisine.

                Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur is famous for its fresh production of numerous food items; including olive oil, truffles, garlic, cheese and its pork charcuterie. These products are paramount in ensuring that a wide range of recipes can be prepared not only in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, but throughout the rest of the world via exportation. Well known specialties of the region made using these products include - Aïoli, a thick emulsion sauce made by combining crushed garlic with high quality olive oil; and Brandade de Morue, a cream made of cod crushed and mixed with olive oil, garlic, milk and truffles.

                Provence is the home of many fine cheeses, but the one that stands out among the crowd is the refined tasting goat cheese. This cheese is a light cheese that is often found on cheese platters, accompanied by other soft delicacies, and is also known to have an accentuated taste when baked in tomato sauce or mixed with fresh herbs from the region. The simplest form of goats cheese is made by allowing the milk to naturally curdle, then collecting the curd to be drained and pressed; the curds often ferment for days in warm kitchens, allowing for the famed soft texture. Other cheeses, such as brie and camembert, are also popular in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur but they are not iconic of the location.

                It is not known exactly when the tradition of producing wine originated in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, but it is estimated that vineyards and wineries have been an important part of Provençal culture for over 2600 years – making it the first region in France to produce wine. Provence is renowned for its production of rosé wines, so much in fact that about 75% of the wine made is of rosé variety.

                The cuisine of all regions of France is somewhat influenced by their surrounding counterparts, each to varying degrees, and although Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur is affected in this manner, it is not the other regions of France that influence Provence the most. The foremost stimulus on Provençal cuisine is the neighbouring country of Italy; Italy’s generalised love for the preparation of pasta and vegetables has somewhat ‘rubbed off’ on Provence. The similarities in cuisine between these two places are markedly prominent in Nice, which is unsurprising considering that Nice was a part of Italy until it joined France in 1860.

                Possibly the most famous dish of the region is ratatouille (or ratatouille nicoise). This dish is comprised of a multitude of stewed vegetables including tomato, garlic, onion, zucchini, eggplant, capsicum, and a range of herbs. This can be served as a side dish or a meal on its own, served with pasta or rice (note the Italian influence). Ratatouille originated in Nice and was then popularised in the rest of France.

A recipe for Ratatouille - http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/6876/ratatouille

Ratatouille

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 4 tomatoes
• 3 tbs olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 red capsicum, diced
• 1 yellow capsicum, diced
• 1 eggplant, diced
• 1 tbs tomato puree
• 1/2 tbs chopped fresh thyme
• 2 tbs torn fresh basil leaves
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed

 

Method

1. Score a cross in the base of each tomato and plunge into a bowl of boiling water for 20 seconds. Peel the skin from the tomatoes and discard. Chop the tomato flesh into medium dice. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat and add the onion. Cook for 2-3 minutes then add the capsicum and cook for a further 5 minutes. Transfer the onion and capsicum to a plate and set aside. Add the eggplant to the pan and cook over medium heat for 5-6 minutes. Return the onion and capsicum to the pan and stir in tomato puree. Add thyme and tomatoes. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the basil and garlic. Serve warm either on its own or with roast meat or fish.