Last weekend we had our Spanish friends for dinner. During the evening, Nick remarked that he felt the restaurants here don't know how to cook a steak properly. He also lamented that if we had a grill at our house, he'd have cooked them all a great steak that night. Next thing we knew, our friend, Asunta, said "We have a big grill and if you'll do the cooking, we'll have a barbecue at out house next Saturday". Nick was thrilled, his mouth already watering in anticipation of a juicy, grilled steak. Asunta invited me to join her that Thursday morning at the local boucherie to chose the proper meat. No nonsense about this meat! All along, Nick and I had assumed this was an evening dinner party and fortunately we found out, at the last minute, that it was a family lunch party!! Would have hated to have shown up at 7:30 and only gotten desert! Now we wondered, would this be like the 10 hour Spanish lunch we'd gone to in the Fall at the Bencomo's house? On vera!!
Saturday was a sunny, but cold day, and we arrived at the appointed hour of 1PM with the "Chef of the Day" in tow. Asunta's husband, Louis, had their outdoor, built-in BBQ already started. Nick was a bit surprised there was only wood for the fire, no charcoal whatsoever, but when in Rome.....or France.... The wood was already going and as he added more and more wood it would only be a matter of time(maybe hours?!?) before he'd have a nice bed of coals. They had all sorts of food ready to be cooked for the kids. Chicken, cherry tomato and onion kebabs and hot dogs(they call them "knacks" here) also skewered lengthwise with sticks.
Jeanne(Holland), Sarah and Adrianna(Spain)Asunta had made a delicious dip with Roquefort cheese, milk and cooked egg...it was the smoothest , creamiest dip served with endive spears. Also, another appetizer, which was Nick's favorite...they'd taken a large piece of provolone cheese and put it in an aluminum pie plate which then sat on the grill until the cheese was melted and bubbly. You ate it by dipping torn pieces of french bread into the melted cheese. Delicious! I expect it to become one of Nick's new standard bbq hors d'oeurves at home. As you can see from these photos, Nick didn't have to be glued to the grill, there were many other "Chefs of the Day".
We all enjoyed time together outside, eating hors d'oeurves, drinking some vin chaud(hot mulled red wine) and "normal"( not heated) red wine.
Hanneke and Gert(from Holland) and Paco and Danci(from Spain)
Here we are, all enjoying, Nick most of all, our steaks and the delicious lunch Asunta had prepared. She served the steaks with a sweet, garlicky, sauteed red peppers and the best sauteed mushrooms ever! A green salad, sweet cooked carrots and bread rounded out the feast.
After lunch, we were having a traditional cake for desert. In France, at the time and in honor of Epiphany, and on into late January, they have a special desert called La Galette des Rois or "Cake of the Kings". The 'kings' of course, being the Wise Men who arrived bearing gifts for Jesus, on Epiphany or Twelfth Night. This cake can be one of two varieties that I'm aware of. A brioche type of cake, in the shape of a large doughnut(representing a crown) with pieces of red and green candied fruit on top. The other one is round, flat and filled with frangipane, an almond-flavoured paste. For our desert today, we had the first kind. What is really special about these cakes, no matter which one you choose, is that inside each one is a nut and also a little Santon(the carved figurines popular in Provence as well as Spain) are hidden. When the cake is sliced into pieces, everyone waits with anticipation to see who will get the Santon and who will get the nut,the booby prize. Whoever gets the Santon also gets to wear the crown that comes with each cake. Whoever gets the nut must buy the Galette des Rois next year. Depending on how nice a bakery you go to, this can be a costly obligation. No matter what, the whole event is lots of fun! If you are interested in this age old tradition, see the link at the bottom of this blog. This time around, Gert got the nut, and his wife, Hanneke got the Santon and crown!
After desert, we retired to the living room for coffee, digestifs and more laughter....
Nick, Jerome,Paco, Louis and Gert
Hanneke, Susie, Nathalie, Asunta and Danci
Louis proudly showing the empty Jeroboam!
Our host and hostess enjoying a romantic moment by the fire...or maybe they're just glad that this mere 9 hour lunch seems to be finally winding down!Informative piece on the Galette des Rois:
http://www.askoxford.com/languages/culturevulture/france/galette/?view=uk
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