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Come Taste Oysters in Le Canon
Cap Ferret, France --- As I passed a display of espadrilles in the
local supermarket, reading the sign that said Mettez Vous en Vacances!
I laughed out loud. “Put Yourself on Vacation,” of course!
Only the French would come with an idea like that.
Truly, there is nothing better than watching the French on vacation.
They get into it 100%, with the proper costume for each region and
for each sport. It seems that people who may be sour and serious
the rest of year, turn into, well, children during those long and
lazy days of summer vacation.
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| Come Taste
Oysters in Le Canon |
A recent tour of the Bassin d’Arcachon along
the Atlantic Coast southwest of Bordeaux netted plenty
of good time observing the French on vacation, as
well as time to savor plenty of the region’s
bounty. We began each day in the lively Arcachon
market where indoor and outdoor stalls provided plenty
of inspiration for an ideal breakfast: The cannelé – or
crenulated little rum-filled caramelized cakes from
Bordeaux – at the stand of the house of Baillardran
beckoned, with not one type of cake, but three perfectly
formed, glistening sweets. We sampled them all, of
course, the lightly cooked Tendre, the Croustillant,
cooked a little bit longer and offering a soft interior
and crunchy exterior, and finally the Croquant, a
truly dark mahogany color, so crunchy the exterior
stuck to our teeth. We took a table right at the
edge of the outdoor market, sipped double express
and made ourselves part of the French vacation celebration.
Next step, La Route des Saveurs de l’Huitre,
a driving tour that can include visits to some
21 port villages, each with its own set of oyster
farmers, or ostréicultuers. One can stop
for a snack or a whole meal, or just watch the
farmers at work, tending the oyster beds. They
call themselves paysans de la mer, or farmers
of the sea, and that is what they are. Oysters
have been harvested here since Roman times, but
by 1859 the wild oyster crops was nearly exhausted,
and oyster farming began for real.
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| A House with
No Name, in Village de l'Herbe |
A tour of the port towns --- with simple, charming
names, such as Village de l’Herbe, Canon
or Cap Ferret, and hard to pronounce ones such
as Claouey and Gujan-Mestras – can easily
fill a day or more. Many, such as Village de l’Herbe,
Canon and Claouey are big enough for strolling
through the rows of tiny, colorful one-room cabanes,
or cabins that hug the waters. Most are dolled
up with window boxes, bright red or blue trim,
and each, of course, has a romantic name, such
as Eugenie or Bon Abri. I laughed out loud again
I came upon a pristine, newly restored cabane trimmed
in red and white brick. Either the owner has a
great sense of humor or a total lack of imagination
for the house, quite simply, was named with a large
question mark!
Each oyster farmer’s shack offers the
same “menu,” for eating there or
for takeout and prices are uniform and regulated.
A dozen oysters will cost from 6 to 11 €,
depending upon the size and the season. Our first
stop was at the farthest point along the Bassin,
the village of Cap Ferret, one of the most chic
villages in France, where politicians and film
stars make waves, as well as summer homes. Catherine
Roux’s little waterside, open air dining
room, Cap Huitres, was just what our palates
had in mind: Superbly briny oysters opened only
seconds before, a few sips of the traditional
local white Entre-Deux-Mers, a pleasant enough
wine made primarily from the Semillon grape,
with a touch of Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle.
At its best, it’s a fruity, zesty, lively
dry white that thrives in the company of oysters.
Fresh lemon, rye bread, and butter are the traditional
accompaniment but here, Catherine Roux came up
with what I now refer to as “special bread.” She
had sliced the rye bread, buttered it, “glued” the
loaf back together so to speak, then cut the
loaf crosswise to make for festive, buttery,
layered slices.
In other villages, such as Le Canon and Port
de Claouey, one finds full-fledged waterside
restaurants, such as A La Bonne Franquette and
La Cabane d’Edouard in the Port de Claouey.
There was no room at the charming Cabane, with
real wooden bistro tables and chairs and the
general feeling of a successful, well-entrenched
eatery. We opted, then, for La Bonne Franquette
nearby, a large, totally unpretentious open-air
restaurant on the water.
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| An Oyster
Shack in Le Canon |
The spot was true to its name, it was all familial
and in true simplicity, white plastic chairs and
blue oilcloth lines and all. The food was fabulous,
tons of ultra-fresh oysters, some of the plumpest
mussels around, and sweet, miniature shrimp from
the local waters.
We all learn early on in France to only eat
oysters in months that end in an “r”,
September to December. Most today agree that
the legend has little merit today, as it dates
back to the days of Louis XIV and a royal edict
forbidding farmers from harvesting wild oysters
during the months ending in a “r,” the
period of reproduction. During the days before
oysters were cultivated, this was done to preserve
the resource. That said, the oysters do take
on a different color, flavor, and texture during
those reproductive times. During this time of
year we always ask “Are they milky?” and
along the route we did indeed see signs saying “Vente
d’Huitres Non Laiteuse.”
Note that while the oyster shacks remain open
year-round, one will find the villages more lively
and active in the summer months. Off season,
one may need to pull up a rock to sit on rather
than a chair for oyster sampling, but it’s
fresh, one’s 100% outdoors, and on vacation,
if only for a few moments.
Canelé Baillardran
Galeries des Grands-Hommes, Bordeaux
Telephone : 05-56-79-05-89.
La Route des Saveurs de l'Huître
www.route-huitre-bassin-arcachon.com.
Cap Huîtres
Catherine Roux
Quartiers des Pêcheurs du Cap Ferret
Telephone: (33) 05-56-60-67-97.
A La Bonne Franquette
Port de Claouey
Lège Cap Ferret
Telephone: 05-56-60-72-06.
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