Wandering through lively fish markets, making butter and playing pelota, Guillaume Brahimi deep dives into the food and culture of the west coast of France on Brahimi's French Atlantic.
In this original SBS Food series, Brahimi travels from Normandy through Brittany, Bordeaux and Pays de la Loire, all the way to Pays Basque, also known as Basque Country. We quizzed him about his experience shooting the series, and what to look forward to.
After exploring your native city in , why did you set sail on the French Atlantic coast this time?
My grandmother is from Brittany, and I've always been fascinated by the region. I think the French Atlantic coast is one of the most well-kept secrets.
I wanted to take people on an unforgettable journey from Normandy all the way to the Spanish border. It's about food, but it's also a lifestyle series.
Can you tell us about the food in the five regions you're visiting?
Normandy has the best cream in France, crème Normande, and who says cream, says cheese, like Camembert. The grass is so lush there.
Brittany is oysters, scallops, lobster and all the treasures of the sea. And the scenery is so beautiful, like a postcard.
Pays de la Loire is famous for its And there's an island where they have the best potatoes in the world. They need to be picked at the right time, in the space of a week or two, so they can keep their name. Only the French will do something crazy like that.
Buying my five-kilo bag and chucking the scallops on the beach was pretty amazing.
Bordeaux is red wine capital. And there's dessert wine too, like Chateau d'Yquem, which is what everyone in the world tries to achieve.
And then in Pays Basque, you think about but also the charcuterie, the unbelievable cheese made from sheep's milk, the and the piment d'Espelette. And of course, its secretive, ancient people, who are neither Spanish nor French; they are Basque.
Gateau Basque
The scallops we had in Brittany were special. Scallops have a very short season. There's this big auction and everybody can buy some, but you don't buy just a few scallops, you buy bags of five or ten kilos. Going to the market, buying my five-kilo bag and chucking the scallops on the beach was pretty amazing.
How do you get your fix of French Atlantic produce when you're in Australia?
With piment d'Espelette! These peppers are dried on top of the roof of Basque houses in the sun and then turned into a powder. It's a bit spicy but not spicy enough to make it a spicy dish; it just brings smokiness and it's delicious. You can use it in everything. After spending a week in Pays Basque, I didn't use any pepper, it was piment d'Espelette for everything. Any good delicatessen here will have some.
Meanwhile, you can find Calvados, the apple liqueur from Normandy, in any good bottle shop.
What are some of the recipes you recommend people cook at home?
I made riz au lait and salted caramel with beurre Bordier in the port of Saint-Malo. In Pays Basque, I cooked this pork côtelette, piperade and a gâteau Basque. There are also apple beignets, which are doughnuts with a touch of Calvados, and a crispy skin salmon with a proper beurre blanc.
I don't think the dishes are too complicated. Even if you're not in Normandy or Brittany or Pays Basque, you're going to be inspired. And there is not one dish you couldn't do with Australian produce.
This interview has been edited for conciseness and clarity.
