Spicy Chicken with Chickpea Couscous

Adapted from a recipe cut from our local newspaper, the Waltham Forest Guardian and a very quick and simple supper dish, once the oven is up to temperature. The original was a Waitrose recipe which I have since found on their website.

The original recipe suggested a vegetarian alternative, replacing the meat with butternut squashor sweet potato (and vegetable stock in place of chicken) but I added the sweet potato anyway.  On the first occasion I made this recipe, I went to cut the parsley only to find the slugs had visited it first, so I improvised with some frozen peas for colour. These extra ingredients both worked well in the dish so I have included them in my version below. The background flavour of the lemon juice and zest was lovely with the other ingredients, especially the spicy Harissa Paste. (I bought my Harissa Paste ready mixed in an inexpensive handy tube at Akdeniz our excellent local Turkish supermarket, but here is a Harissa paste recipe showing the ingredients.)  Without the addition of the sweet potato and peas, Waitrose suggested that a simple watercress or rocket salad would be a good accompaniment.  Recently I have added some diced Pickled Lemon or Lemon & Lime, which is very simple to make, which gives a lovely lemony tang to the dish.

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Vegetarian Variation: Use vegetable stock in place of chicken and replace the meat with butternut squash (as suggested in the original recipe), mushroom, tofu or stir toasted nuts into the mixture just before serving.

Spicy chicken with chickpea couscous
(Serves 4)

400g Chicken breast pieces, cut into chunks (Turkey is a good alternative)
1 large red onion cut into chunks
250g cherry tomatoes, halved (or larger tomatoes quartered)
410g tin chickpeas, drained & rinsed
1 large sweet potato in small chunks
1 tsp Harissa Paste (or more, to taste) (original recipe uses 2tsp crushed chilli)
1 tbsp olive oil
½ chicken (or vegetable) stock cube (in 1 pint/550ml water)
400g couscous
Zest & juice of 1 lemon
Fresh chopped parsley
(125g/4ozs frozen peas, optional – gives green if no parsley!)

1. Preheat oven to 200^oC.

2. Put oil in a large roasting tin and blend in the harissa paste. Toss in the red onion pieces and put in the oven while you are preparing the other vegetables.  Cook for 10minutes

3. Chop the chicken/turkey, sweet potato, tomato, aiming for similar sized pieces, weight out the peas (if using), open and rinse the chick peas.

4. Toss in the meat, sweet potato and peas into the pan with the onion.  Season as required and place in oven, covered, for a further 10 minutes.

5. Dissolve stock cube in 1 pint/550ml water and add lemon juice.

6. Stir couscous into roasting tin with chick peas, lemon zest, stock/water/lemon mixture.

7. Return tin to the oven for 5-10 more minutes until the stock has been absorbed making sure the chicken is thoroughly cooked with no pink meat. The tin should be covered to help steam the couscous through. Take the tin out of the oven and lightly fork the mixture through before cooking uncovered for the last 5-10 minutes.  If you are using pre-cooked peas they can be added at this point to allow them to warm through.

8. Stir through the parsley, once more using a fork to lightly separate the couscous saving a little parsley as a garnish.

9. Serve in bowls (with salad, as suggested above, if required).

(This recipe was first posted on 5 June 2008 at my original blog Meanderings along the narrow way)

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Spanish Style Chicken with Red Peppers

Having arrived back from a wonderful few days in Barcelona and still marvelling at the extraordinary genius of Antonio Gaudi and his fellow Modernist artists and architects, I decided we ought to eat one of our favourite Spanish style dishes.

I adapted this dish from a recipe by food writer Keith Floyd taken from his book Floyd on Spain, which accompanied the television series of the same name. The original recipe was for Rabbit with Red Peppers but it seems almost impossible to buy rabbit now in UK shops and supermarkets, especially the boned frozen (ready for use) variety. In fact the only time recently I have seen fresh whole rabbit in a local butchers shop it was frighteningly expensive. (At one time frozen boned rabbit in small bags could be bought in Sainsburys, but it has not been available for some years. If anyone knows a UK supermarket that stocks it I would be interested to know. Thanks.)  The chorizo is essential. If you don’t have it wait until you do and make something else instead this time! Everything else can be adapted if necessary. A 400g tin of tomatoes can replace fresh, if not available. Red peppers can be changed to a mix of red, orange & yellow, all of which are sweet, though green peppers might be less successful. I now use either chicken or turkey as a substitute and for an everyday meal the diced chicken or turkey breast meat can be replaced with the meat from skinned chicken thighs. (It is easiest to cook thighs whole, removing meat from bones towards the end of the cooking time.) One chicken thigh per person should be adequate but it does depend on size. … and do try this recipe with rabbit, as per the original idea, if you can get it. Perhaps one day I will!  Smaller quantities of this recipe could be served as a light meal or as part of a Tapas menu.

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Spanish Style Chicken with Red Peppers
(Pollo con Pimientos Morrones)
(Serves 4)

Olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
1lb/450g tomatoes, chopped – skinned if you wish
Sea salt
1lb/450g chicken (or turkey) breast, skinned and diced (or meat from chicken thighs)
4 cloves garlic, chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
2ozs/50g smoked ham or bacon (original recipe has Serrano ham)
4ozs/100g chorizo sausage, diced – or, if thin type, sliced
1lb/450g red peppers, cored, seeded and cut into eight
2-3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (or thyme or rosemary)

1. Heat some oil in a large saucepan (big enough to eventually take all the ingredients). Put in onions, cover and cook over a low heat (to sweat them down) for about 20 minutes – do not let them brown.

2. Add tomatoes and sea salt to taste, cover and simmer gently.

3. Place more oil in a frying pan and brown the pieces of meat a few at a time. If using large pieces this can take up to 15 minutes.

4. Add garlic and season with black pepper. Add diced ham or bacon and chorizo.

5. Now spoon this meat mixture, reserving any remaining oil in the pan, into the large pot with the onions and tomatoes and stir well. 

6. Into the remaining oil in the pan, to which you can add a very small amount more oil if necessary, add the sliced peppers and stir well. Cook briskly in the oil for a few minutes until they have softened and then add to the pot with all the other ingredients.

7. Sprinkle with parsley and check seasoning.

8. Simmer gently for about 45 minutes. If using chicken thighs, once they are cooked through remove them from the sauce.  Return the meat to the pan when you have stripped it from the bones, which should be thrown away.

9. Garnish with a little more chopped parsley. Serve with rice or crusty bread and salad. If you want a hot vegetable in place of salad then peas are good.

(This recipe was first posted on 22 April 2008 at my original blog Meanderings along the narrow way)

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Smoky Fish Chowder

This comforting and reasonably quick to make fishy bowlful is best enjoyed on a cold evenings round the fire. I have been known to make it for a busy Christmas eve or Good Friday evening.   Since first making this recipe I have managed to find a good source of fish stock which is not easy to find in the UK.  When on holiday in France over the summer I bought a small tub of dried powder labelled Fumet des Poissons in Carrefour supermarket (own brand, blue tub) and I am definitely not disappointed with the added flavour it gives to this dish.  Own brands and more expensive branded versions are available in other French supermarkets – I shall be stocking up next time I go!

The original version of the recipe comes from the excellent Complete Low Fat Cookbook by Sue Kreitzman, though I have adapted it very slightly. The first time I tried it I had no parsley and as it needed some green I added peas, an addition we have kept as we liked it so much! I also left out the wine, as I was feeding young children who might not have liked the flavour and have continued to leave it out.  More recently I have added a tablespoon of white wine vinegar and some chopped bacon, both of which augment the flavour of the fish.  It is suggested that the pepper is put under the grill and warmed through until skin starts to pucker before cutting up as this draws out the sweetness.  If you want to remove the skin, especially if it chars, then put it in a plastic bag for about 5 minutes which will make it easier to peel away.

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Smoky Fish Chowder
(Serves 4-6)

1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2ozs/50g chopped bacon (smoked or unsmoked)
24fl ozs/750ml fish stock (or vegetable stock or water)
2 fl ozs/50ml white wine (optional) or 1tbsp white wine vinegar
1pt/600ml skimmed milk
3 medium all purpose potatoes (boil until almost cooked, peel & dice coarsely)
1 red pepper, chopped
12oz/350g can sweetcorn kernels
4ozs/100g frozen peas (pre-cooked for 5 minutes)
12ozs/350g firm white fish (skin & cut into 1″ (2.5cm) cubes)
12ozs/350g skinned smoked haddock/hoki (cut into 1″ (2.5cm) cubes)
6ozs/175g cooked peeled prawns
freshly ground pepper
chopped fresh parsley

1. Combine the onion, 4fl ozs/100ml of the stock/water, plus wine or wine vinegar, if using, in a large heavy bottomed saucepan. Cover, bring to boil and boil for 5 minutes.

2. Uncover and simmer briskly until the onion is tender and starting to brown. Stir in the bacon and gently fry with the onion.

3. Stir in the remaining liquid and bring to a simmer.

(I like to keep about half of the liquids back and add during cooking, if needed, as when I originally cooked this recipe the end result was rather over wet. Let your own taste preference dictate what proportions of milk and stock/water you add.)

4. Add the potatoes and simmer gently for 3-5 minutes. Stir in the red pepper and corn and simmer for 5 minutes more.

5. Cool slightly, then puree half the mixture in a blender. Return to the pan, rinsing the blender with small amounts of water and adding this to the pan as well and bring back to a simmer.

6. Stir in the peas and fish cubes and simmer for 5 minutes.

7. Stir in the prawns and heat through.

8. Season with pepper and serve at once sprinkled with parsley.

9. Serve in a bowl and eat with a spoon, accompanied with a chunk of crusty granary or white bread.

(This recipe was first posted on 29 March 2008 at my original blog Meanderings along the narrow way)  Updated 16 June 2009 & 12 November 2010

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Pot Roasted Vegetables & Pearl Barley

This homely vegetarian dish is best served in a bowl with chunky crusty bread on the site.  I first served this to my family as they came home on a very snowy night and it was perfect to drive away the winter chill.  It has become a regular winter favourite.

The recipe comes from the pages of an old magazine but I am not sure which one, plus I have adapted it slightly.  The original food writer was Amanda Grant.  (To find out if I have added more recipes by this writer enter her name as a Search in the panel on the right hand side of this page.)  The original recipe was designed to bake in the oven, but I find that it just as easy to cook it slowly on the stove top.

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Pot Roasted Vegetables & Pearl Barley
(Serves 4)

75g/3ozs pearl barley (sometimes called Pot Barley)
4tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
4 carrots, peeled and chunked
1 leek, washed and cut in thick rings
1 bulb fennel, cut in wedges
2 red onions, cut in thin wedges
2 parsnips, peeled and chunked
1 sweet potato, peeled and chunked
2tbsp soft brown sugar
600ml/1pt vegetable stock (made with half a stock cube)
Sea salt
1 bay leaf
Handful of lemon thyme (if you do not have this try 1tsp dried thyme and a squeeze of lemon juice, which I have used as an alternative, although it is obviously not the same)

Note: Cut vegetables into similarly sized pieces to cook evenly.

1. Preheat oven to 200^oC/400^oF/Gas6. (Or, for speed, the entire dish can be finished on the hob without using the oven.)

2. Put pearl barley in a pan of water and bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30mins, drain and set aside.

3. Heat 1tbsp olive oil in a pan. Saute the vegetables in batches, transferring to a deep ovenproof dish when browned and using a little more oil as required.

4. Sprinkle over the soft brown sugar and stir over a gentle heat until slightly caramelised.

5. Add the stock, a large pinch of sea salt, the bay leaf, thyme (plus lemon if using) and cooked pearl barley and bring to the boil.

6. For the quick version: Turn down the heat, cover and simmer slowly until the vegetables are cooked though. Remove lid towards the end if necessary to reduce sauce.
For the oven cooked version: Remove from the heat, transfer to the oven for 40mins until the vegetables are cooked and golden.

(This recipe was first posted on 20 February 2008 at my original blog Meanderings along the narrow way)

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Tomato Risotto

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Easily cooked comfort food for the cold weather – lovely served with bacon, a gammon steak or a pork chop. Also makes a good vegetarian lunch. Adapted from a recipe cut from a magazine, but I have no idea which one!

Tomato Risotto
(Serves 4 as an accompaniment, 2-3 as a lunch/light supper) 

25g/1oz butter
1tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
175g/6ozs arborio rice (but I often cheat – basmati works well, or even long grain)
1tbsp tomato puree
400g tin plum tomatoes (chopped)
600ml/1pt light vegetable stock
25g/1oz grated Parmesan (or Cheddar or a mixture of both)
3tbsp fresh chopped basil

Works equally as well just cooked on the hob in a saucepan, but if you want to bake in the oven then pre-heat to 180^oC/350^oF/Gas4.

1. Melt the butter and oil in a heavy pan. Fry the onion for about 5-10minutes until soft and transparent (not browned).

2. Turn up the heat slightly, add rice and stir to coat thoroughly.

3. Add puree and chopped tomatoes and stir well.

4. Add the stock, stir, bring to the boil and turn down to simmer (uncovered).

5. At this point you can leave it on the hob on a low heat stirring once or twice. (Alternatively transfer it to a warm ovenproof dish and put it (uncovered) in the oven. After 10mins remove from oven and stir and return to oven for a further 10mins.)

6. Stir in the basil and most of the cheese reserving some (preferably a little of the Parmesan) for sprinkling on top at the table.

7. Season and leave to stand so the cheese melts a little before serving.

(This recipe was first posted on 12 January 2008 at my original blog Meanderings along the narrow way)

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Lime Syllabub

Margo, a friend in our last church in Ipswich, Suffolk, was a cookery teacher and this was one of the recipes she gave at a cookery demonstration. She recommended it as a lighter alternative to Christmas Pudding. It could be served on its own or with Sliced Caramel Oranges.

Lime Syllabub

4 tbsp lime cordial
4 tbsp water
3ozs/90g caster sugar
Juice & finely grated rind of 1 lemon
10fl ozs/284mls double cream (I use low fat whipping cream which works fine)

Mix the lime cordial, water sugar and lemon rind and juice together and leave overnight in the refrigerator to chill. When ready to serve whisk the cream into the mixture.

Serve in a large bowl or individual glasses decorated with chocolate leaves or curls of dark chocolate (made by using a potato peeler to take slivers of chocolate from a bar).

(This recipe was first posted on 5 December 2007 at my original blog Meanderings along the narrow way)

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Sliced Caramel Oranges

Margo, a friend in our last church in Ipswich, Suffolk, was a cookery teacher and this was one of the recipes she passed on at a cookery demonstration. The quantities in the original recipe were very vague.  The exact number of oranges was not specified and neither was the quantity of brandy, which can be left out if you wish.  The quantities of ingredients for the caramel, however, were specified but I have halved them in my version below.  It is adequate for serving six people, but if it was to serve more diners, or if I wanted more of the crunchy topping, I would probably increase the amount.

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Margot served this simple but delicious orange dessert as an accompaniment to Lime Syllabub, which she recommended as a lighter alternative to Christmas Pudding.  I have also served this as an accompaniment to Lemon Surprise Pudding and it would be good served with a complementary flavoured home made Ice Cream, for instance Lemon Meringue or Lemon Sorbet.

Sliced Caramel Oranges
(Serves 6)

About 6 oranges, depending on size
1-2capfuls (1-2 tbsp aprox) brandy – optional
2ozs/50g sugar (half original amount)
2.5 fl ozs/40mls water (half original amount)

1.  Peel oranges removing peel and pith (about one small orange a person) and slice.

2.  Layer into a shallow dish and sprinkle with a little brandy if liked (I used a capful for 8 small oranges, but felt that two capfuls would have been better).

3.  Make a caramel sauce by boiling 2ozs/50g sugar with 2.5 fl ozs/40mls water – the original recipe was double this amount).

4.  Pour the caramel over the top and leave in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours but preferably overnight. 

5.  Serve on its own as a simple dessert or with another complementary dessert.  If serving with ice cream or sorbet langue de chat type biscuits could be served on the side.

(This recipe was first posted on 5 December 2007 at my original blog Meanderings along the narrow way) – further amended 5 April 2010)

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Le ‘Far’ Breton

This delicious set custard patisserie, most commonly studded with prunes, comes from the region of Brittany in North West France.   Versions of Le Far can be found throughout France however, often without any fruit, called simply ‘Flan’.  Le Far is one of our holiday favourites!

I translated this particular version from a local recipe postcard bought on holiday.  The original instructions were for double the quantity stated below.  Some recipes soak the prunes in Armanac brandy, but mine did not and I think it is fine without.  Although prunes are used in the traditional version, I have also successfully used dried apricots or Lexia (Valencia) raisins.  I have also read of an alternative using chopped apple, but I have not tried this – could be good as apple and raisin mix, possibly.

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Le Far Breton aux Pruneaux
Breton Far with Prunes
(Serves 6-8)

125g plain flour
pinch salt
100g granulated sugar
2 eggs
1tbsp sunflower oil
500ml milk
100-150g pitted prunes

1.  Unless they are very fresh and soft, pour boiling water over the prunes or apricots, soak to soften and drain very well. Leave to dry on kitchen paper. (Raisins do not need pre-soaking.)

2.  Preheat oven to 180^oC

3.  Sieve flour and salt into a large bowl. Add sugar. Gradually mix in beaten egg, oil and milk. Make sure there are no lumps. You will have a very thin batter.

4.  Pour mixture into a lightly greased shallow dish. I used a large round fluted flan dish, or two smaller ones. (To make it easier to get the Far into the oven without spilling I find it easier to reserve some mixture to pour over at the end.)  More recently I have made this in a deeper dish giving thicker slices.  I have also made it in an oblong dish, cutting it into small taster squares for an International Food event at church.

5.  Cut the prunes or apricots in half and evenly distribute the pieces into the mixture. Place the dish in the oven and pour in the remaining mixture, if necessary. It does not matter if the dish is fairly full as it does not usually overflow, but I always stand the dish on a baking sheet whilst in the oven.

6.  Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 1hr 15mins. The mixture will set with dark patches on the surface and the edges rise slightly.

7.  Cut into wedges. Far is usually eaten cold, though it can be served hot. It can be served as dessert or as a cake.

(This recipe was first posted on 31 October 2007 at my original blog Meanderings along the narrow way)

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Food & Drink Discoveries (Languedoc, France – Holiday 2007)

During our holiday in the Languedoc, we managed to sample just a few of the regional specialities and I wanted to record them here. The excellent book ‘Hot Sun, Cool Shadow’ by Angela Murrills, which I have already reviewed, was a great help and without it we probably would have missed some of these treats.

Map of Region – occitania.france-province

One memorable meal out was at Sète on a very hot day. We found a very attractive square in deep shade just away from the Grand Canal and a restaurant which served only salads. A wonderfully cool and peaceful lunch followed. My husband enjoyed Carpaccio of Beef (thin slices of meat, usually raw) with fresh lime juice and slivers of parmesan, served with a green salad and Parmesan Ice Cream – unusual, but very tasty. My salad included Magret (sliced duck breast) and Tapenade (a paste made from olives spread on slices of French bread) – see below for further information.

Tielle Setoise (Recipe from Sète Tourist Office)
The Tielle is a round pastry filled with a mixture of octopus and tomato, although we sometimes saw packaging where it was mixed with other seafood, notably squid or mackerel. The traditional Tielle is sized as an individual portion but are quite generous. You can also buy a larger pie for several people, though not usually called Tielle, which has more filling of the same type to less pastry. The crust is pinched together in a distinctive style and the tomato sauce seeps through giving the pastry an orange colouring. It is said that Tielles were introduced to this region by Italian immigrants who settled in Sète and similar pies can be found in parts of the Italian coast. Unsurprisingly the pies had a strong fishy flavour – if you like pilchards or mackerel in tomato sauce you would certainly like these. I had not been sure what to expect but these were tasty enough for us to eat several during our holiday, sometimes as part of a picnic lunch and at other times as part of an evening salad meal with the local wine Picpoul de Pinot (see below).

Les Petits pâtés de Pézenas/Pézenas pies (Recipe from Wikipedia)
Pézenas is a interesting and well preserved medieval town. We spent a fascinating morning wandering round its old streets, looking in shops and galleries and enjoying its quiet corners. We had heard about the famous Petits pâtés de Pézenas or Pézenas pies and were eager to try them. These small pies in the shape of a bobbin or cotton reel are a speciality of the region, supposedly introduced in the mid-18th century by Robert Clive of India (who came from near Market Drayton in Shropshire) when he stopped over in the town. His Indian cook invented the pies from the available local ingredients giving the recipe to a local pastrycook called Roucairol, although the exact details vary from one account to another, some telling that Clive invented the pies himself. The Très Noble et Très Gourmande Confrérie du Petit Pâté de Pézenas have a ceremony every Ascension Day and dress in extravagant robes and control the quality of the product. The pies contain a filling of minced lamb, brown sugar, candied lemon rind and mixed spice which is rolled up in hot water crust pastry. They are available from the numerous Patisseries in town, some with informative websites, but the pies seemed quite expensive for their size. Ideally the pies should be eaten hot and served as a starter with a glass of wine (either dry or sweet) but this was impossible for us as we bought them as an extra for our picnic so just had one each as a taster. They were delicious lemony sweet mouthfuls with a sticky surface and just a hint that they might contain meat, but I am not sure I would have guessed. One pie was not really enough but sadly we didnt get a chance to try them again.

Tapenade (recipe from Guardian weekend)
I enjoyed Tapenade spread on toasted French bread as part of the salad I ate on our visit to Sète. The classic version of this Mediterranean favourite is a grey/black paste and looks fairly uninviting but tastes great, providing you are a lover of olives. Tapenade can be purchased in the local supermarkets but is very easy to make. Variations include tapenade made with anchovies (BBC – James Martin) and Sundried Tomatoes and basil (Delia Smith online).

Squid with Setoise sauce (Rouille)
I had this local speciality as part of another favourite restaurant dinner. I was determined to try squid and was delighted with this dish of dark strips in a creamy golden sauce, served with rice and french beans. I had not been sure what to expect but the taste was quite strong, both meaty and fishy in a sauce the waiter told us was Rouille, the recipe for which varies. There are other recipes for Rouille using red peppers (capsicum), saffron or mayonnaise.

Tiny marinaded tuna stuffed peppers (Similar recipe from ‘whatdidyoueat’)
We tried tiny red peppers similar to these (no bigger than a horse chestnut conker) in several restaurants. They were stuffed with tuna paste and dripping in the olive oil in which they had been preserved. We found them in the supermarket as well, either pre packed in jars or on the counter which served marinaded olives to order. Does anyone have the French name for them please?

Picpoul de Pinet (map)
The Picpoul vineyards overlook the oyster and mussel farms of the Étang de Thau and the grapes are grown on the limestone plateau. The light, dry white wine comes from a single grape, the Piquepoul or Picpoul (also various other names), which has a fresh and fragrant smell which we felt was similar to wines we had enjoyed on previous holidays, such as Muscadet. As with Muscadet, Picpoul de Pinet is recommended to be drunk with seafood but we enjoyed it with other food and brought a number of bottles home.

Sète is located at one end of the Bassin de Thau, a large inland lagoon famous for its oysters and mussels, which are raised on table type metal structures. On a circuit of the lake we enjoyed in particular the colourful restaurant lined harbour at Mèze and Marseillan, where the famous Noilly Prat Vermouth is made.

Cantal Cheese  Each year we enjoy trying the cheeses on the regions we travel through and in the past we have made some great discoveries. Not a speciality of the Languedoc about which I have mostly been writing, Cantal Cheese comes from the Departement of Cantal in the Auvergne, part of the French French Massif Central and was this year’s favourite. It is a hard cheese with a creamy slightly acidic taste and we ate rather too much at lunchtimes with our French bread. We were pleased to find that Super-U did a pre-packed own branded version though it would be interesting to try cheese brought from a specialist shop.

(Most of the information here was first posted on 11 October 2007 at my original blog Meanderings along the narrow way)

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Hot Sun, Cool Shadow – Angela Murrills

Hot Sun, Cool Shadow: Savouring the Food, History and Mystery of the Languedoc – Angela Murrills – pub. Allison & Busby

Putting a passion into words, explaining why you are smitten with anything – a person, a job, a country – is never easy. But in the case of the Languedoc, the land speaks for itself. The appeals of its thyme-scented garrigue (the rough scrub that covers the inland hills), idyllic pastureland and sun-baked valleys are self-evident, but it’s the abrupt flashes in temperament that delight us, the distant mountain crags that suddenly encroach on a serene valley, the fertile plains that give way to flawless beaches, the eerie flat landscape of the Camargue and the coastal lagoons known as ètangs.

Food critic and writer Angela Murrills along with her husband, Peter Matthews, an artist who charmingly illustrates this fascinating book, recounts their journeys of discovery through Languedoc in the South of France, whilst searching for a French second home. We discover the people of this region with their ancient customs and language and Murrills recounts its long and sometimes troubled history. I was particuarly interested in the information she gave about us about the Cathars, persecuted for their Protestant beliefs, who held out in fortress strongholds such as Montségur in the Pyrenean foothills; about the building of the Canal du Midi, an impressive feat of engineering started in 1666, linking the Mediterranean with the River Gironde, which runs into the Atlantic Ocean; about the life of the locally born artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and about the places which caught the eye of painters such as Henri Matisse and Charles Rennie Mackintosh, one of whose paintings they find semi-forgotten on the wall in a small hotel. Murrills takes us through Languedoc not only area by area but dish by dish too as this is also a culinary journey and she gives information about regional wines and drink, food preparation and the varied cuisine, including some local recipes for the reader to try at home.

Just before my holiday I had wandered into our local library – in case they had any Langudoc guide books I had missed – and was fortunate to discover this newly shelved foodie travelogue. This type of book helps to bring a holiday alive and ‘Hot Sun, Cool Shadow’ certainly helped us discover, and try, the regional delights, both culinary and tourist, of the Languedoc. I had intended to just ‘dip’ into the chapters covering the area where we were staying but in the end the book was so good I read it all!  (I also gave a copy to my sister-in-law as a gift as she has friends in the Languedoc who she visits from time to time.)

(This review was first posted on 8 September 2007 at my original blog Meanderings along the narrow way)

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