My colleague Jacques has a European heritage that traces back to the South of France. Despite the typical stereotypes of the French being impatient, poor in service and fussy with food, he was nothing like that. In fact, he was very un-French by being every bit hospitable while I was staying with him, and ever so patient when we were colleagues at work. Which make me wonder about his taste for food and I was about to find out. One the last night, he recommended a little French place called La Poule au Pot for dinner.
This little restaurant could not be any less pretentious with its simple outfit and French waitstaff. This gave me a good vibe about dinner that is going to be unsophisticated but honestly good. At La Poule au Pot you have a choice between seating inside and outside, but as the sun was still up, I could not resist seating outside by the square and see the evening go by.
Complementary crudites with a mustard dipping sauce.
This is one of those moment where I would say “I do not normally enjoy my vegetable raw, but when I do they are bloody good”. And I am not being an el-cheapo here just because it was free. But the depth of interest grows when you put out an interesting platter. Some peppers, carrots, fennel and some red turnips. Vibrant colours.
Rye
Basic but vital. Not with the butter but with the stews that were about to come :)
Beef Bourguignon
Coq Au Vin
Put both dishes together and you might find the two dishes fairly similar. It contained good amounts of red wine, tender protein, sweet root vegetables and was absolutely hearty. But each dish had its own distinctive taste with the Beef Bourguignon having a heavier, much more meaty finish whilst the red wine flavour was a lot more pronounce and present in the Coq Au Vin. All of the vegetables were soaked in delicious juices and the dish really benefited from the slow cooking which resulted in melt in your mouth chunks of beef. The Coq Au Vin on the other hand is cooked for a much shorter time which means the alcohol does not all dissipate. This produces a tender chicken with a wine-stained skin. Oh boy they were delicious.
Some greenx for the table
Some greenx for the table
Apple Tartin to finish.
Thick layer of caramelised apples was paired with a lovely short crust. But the highlight for me was how the apple dessert was not sugar laden. Instead you get the ripe flavours of the apples that was sweet with a mild tartness. Sensational.
My over all satisfaction with the meal was high. The lack of presence by the Foie Gras or Truffles at La Poule au Potwas a great thing as I was treated to what good home-cooked French food should be. My meal was authentic, simple and humble. The bill too was decent as it totalled just under £60! When it comes to service though, it was only modest at best due to the lack of friendliness from the waitstaff!
WenY
