Now that tastes good!
Holidays in south west france are not complete without sampling some of the unique local dishes that are served here. Béziers offers you the opportunity to discover its gastronomy, rich in local produce and perfectly Mediterranean.
At the table, a great deal of room is devoted to sea produce: oysters, mussels, clams… or even sea bass, red mullet, sole, bourride and sardinade.
Pride of place is also given to the excellent cold meats from Monts de l'Espinouse and Somail, trout and river shrimp, mushrooms and game.
Also, depending on the season, cherries, vineyard peaches, grapes, tomatoes, asparagus and even chestnuts take their place in the selection of delicious dishes.
Specialties from Beziers
During your holidays in France, make sure you try these local specialities:
• Poutous: a delicious treat made from honey
• Biterrois: a cake made with almonds
• San Andiu: Champagne method wine
• Riquets de Béziers made of two fine layers of crunchy nougat containing almond-flavoured “gianduja”: Chocolaterie De Neuville, Allées Paul Riquet.
• Titan: a chocolate specialty in tribute to the sculptor from Beziers, Injalbert
• Cataroise: sweet wine
The chef recommends…
3 variations on seafood tapas
3 different kinds of tapas to present together on a large plate
or served Spanish-style in small dishes
Aniseed prawns
Marinate 8 small prawns or king prawns in a tablespoon of aniseed oil mixed with a tablespoon of white wine and add a few cumin seeds. Cook the prawns in a frying pan or on a griddle. Arrange on a bed of basil and fennel.
Mussels with tomato
Cook around twenty mussels in a frying pan or on a griddle with a little pesto-flavoured oil. Leave to cool once cooked, fill with a small spoonful of dried tomato caviar and arrange on the plate.
Tuna tartare with candied lemon
Chop a large slice of tuna and half a jar of candied lemons in olive oil and mix together. Add a little of the lemon oil from the jar, season with salt and pepper and add a few snipped chives for garnish.
Serve the tapas with rice flavoured with saffron or spigol (the blend of spices that gives paella its characteristic yellow colour) or a simple green salad.
