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A Taste of the Breton Coast

From the whisper of the tides to the warmth of salted butter

There’s a kind of magic in Brittany — the way the wind carries salt through narrow streets, how butter glows golden on the breakfast table, how every meal feels like a quiet celebration of the sea. This week, we cook like the Bretons do: simple, generous, and touched by the coast.

Our table begins with a Soupe de Poisson, a fisherman’s soup as old as the harbors of Concarneau. Made from rockfish, onions, tomatoes, and a whisper of saffron, it’s a bowl that tastes of tides and sunlight. Served with a dollop of rouille and a few crisp toasts rubbed with garlic, it opens the appetite with maritime warmth.

Then, for the main course, a classic that speaks of storms and shelter: Poulet au Cidre — chicken braised gently in Breton cider, with shallots, cream, and thyme. The sauce thickens into silk, balancing sweetness and salt in that perfectly French way. The cider’s apple notes dance lightly on the tongue, a reminder of the orchards that roll inland from the coast.

And to end — what else could we serve but the pride of Brittany itself? The Far Breton, a custard-like cake studded with prunes, its surface dark and caramelized, its interior tender like memory. It’s not sweet in the Parisian sense, but honest — buttery, eggy, and comforting, especially when eaten slightly warm.

This menu isn’t fancy; it’s heartfelt. It tastes of sailors and grandmothers, of rain and laughter, of Sundays when the world slows down just enough for a long lunch.

🍷 Serve the fish soup with a Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine, dry and briny, echoing the sea. The chicken calls for a Cidre Brut, naturally — crisp and amber, to match its sauce. And with the Far Breton, a small glass of Chouchen, that honeyed Breton mead, if you can find it.

Close your eyes between sips. You might hear the gulls.

Starter

Soupe de Poisson

(Fish Soup from Brittany)

A bowl that tastes of the sea itself — rich, amber broth simmered from rockfish, leeks, tomatoes, and saffron. Each spoonful carries the scent of salt air and harbor smoke, finished with a silky spoon of rouille and a crisp toast. The kind of soup that warms both sailor and soul.

Ingredients

(Serves 4)

• 1 kg mixed firm fish (rockfish, red mullet, or similar) — 2.2 lb
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 1 leek, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 small pinch saffron
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 L fish stock — 4 cups
• Olive oil, salt, pepper

Method

Sauté onion, leek, and garlic in olive oil until soft. Add fish pieces, tomato, tomato paste, saffron, thyme, and bay leaf. Pour in stock and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove bones, blend, and strain for a smooth, deep-orange soup. Serve with rouille and toasted baguette.

Main Course

Poulet au Cidre

(Chicken with Cider and Cream)

Softly simmered chicken in a sauce of Breton cider and cream, speckled with shallots and thyme. The sweetness of apples meets the comfort of butter and the tenderness of slow cooking — a countryside feast that turns simplicity into luxury.

Ingredients

(Serves 4)

• 4 chicken thighs and drumsticks
• 2 shallots, finely sliced
• 250 ml dry cider — 1 cup
• 100 ml crème fraîche — ½ cup
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1 tbsp butter
• Thyme, salt, and pepper

Method

Brown the chicken in butter, add shallots until golden. Sprinkle with flour, pour in cider, and simmer 35 minutes until tender. Stir in mustard and cream, season well, and let the sauce thicken to a glossy coat. Serve with mashed potatoes or rice.

Dessert

Far Breton (Prune and Custard Cake)

The essence of Brittany in dessert form — eggs, milk, sugar, and prunes, baked into a golden, custard-like cake that tastes of home and Sunday afternoons. Not too sweet, just honest, buttery comfort that lingers like a story told by the fire.

Ingredients

(Serves 6–8)

• 200 g prunes — 7 oz
• 3 eggs
• 100 g sugar — ½ cup
• 100 g flour — ¾ cup
• 500 ml milk — 2 cups
• 30 g butter — 2 tbsp
• 1 tbsp dark rum

Method

Soak prunes in warm water and rum for an hour. Beat eggs with sugar and flour, then add milk. Butter a baking dish, pour half the batter, scatter prunes, and pour the rest. Bake at 180°C / 350°F for 40–45 minutes until golden and set. Serve warm or cold.

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In Brittany, the sea shapes every meal and memory, especially in fishing towns like Concarneau and Douarnenez.  

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Locals serve it piping hot, often with slices of crusty bread generously slathered in Breton butter for dipping, as tradition insists.  

Cooks may add personal touches—a dash of cider vinegar, a change in fish, or the omission of garlic—but the communal heart of cotriade never wavers.  

Pair it with a crisp Muscadet or dry Breton cider, and you'll taste not only the flavors but the spirit of Brittany.  

Follow the aroma through any coastal market at dawn, and you’re sure to find your bowl waiting.

And so…

And if you ever find yourself near Quimper on a grey afternoon, follow the smell of butter to a little crêperie by the river.

You’ll know it by the laughter inside and the sound of cider bubbling in a pot. That’s where the warmth of Brittany begins.

Bon appétit

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