Friday, September 30, 2005

Les Huitres


oysters
Originally uploaded by Kit Pollard.

Our last meal in Paris was a big one - we wanted to eat absolutely everything we hadn't yet had, and we almost did. Unfortunately, none of us ate any onion soup while there, but that was just about the only thing we missed.

Our meal started with some of the more exciting food we ate: fines de claires (oysters) with crevettes roses (shrimp) and bulots (what we think are periwinkles). The oysters were served with a delicious vinegar and shallot sauce that perfectly balances the salt and sweetness of the oysters. And the bulots, tiny snail-like creatures in little shells, were served with a homemade mayonnaise (that I tried and liked - convincing me that I do like mayonnaise, just not the store-bought type).

When the seafood was brought to our table, we were all more than a little overwhelmed - it came on large platters that made it look like a meal for forty. Somehow, though, our American appetites got us through it. After the first course, we had escargots, steak au poivre with potatoes dauphinoise, and a firm white fish. And dessert, too.

And ate nearly every bite of it.

So the next morning, as we ate our final croissants at the airport (fresh and delicious, despite the fact that we were at the airport) we all felt as though we'd done our stomachs justice in Paris. And though I did crave American food on the flight home...four days later I'm now ready to go back.

No comments:

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails