Last September we had the joy of sailing with a small group aboard the Uniworld S.S. Joie de Vivre cruising from Paris to Normandy.  Everyone loved the experience onboard – the service was outstanding and the food was amazing.  One of our (many!) highlights of the trip was a group cooking class in the on board Wine Cave – La Cave des Vins.

Being in Normandy, we had a welcome cocktail made with Calvados (local Apple Brandy) followed by a 4 course food and wine pairing.  The whole group assisted with all the food prep and cooking.  Our first course was an amazing sauteed foie gras atop a vanilla apple – which even if you are not a foie gras fan, was mighty tasty as the tart apple was a perfect accompaniment to the richness of the foie gras.

Second course was “La soupe de poisson a la Honfleuraise”.  The soup was made from a rich fish stock with added bay leave, celery, carrots, fennel, garlic, sea bass, scallops and shrimp.  Cream was added at the end of the cook to create even further richness.

The main course was “Le filet de boeuf aux morilles” with a side of duchess potatoes.  We cut the beef tenderloin into individual portions and it was seasoned simply with fresh ground pepper and fleur de del (sea salt).  The potatoes were peeled and boiled russets with salt, pepper, egg yolks and plenty of butter added before piping it out on to baking sheets and baked until the tops were perfectly browned. 

This fantastic meal was finished off with a very pretty Apple Tarte Normandy for dessert.

Bon Appétit!

Are you ready for your own river cruise cooking class adventure?  Just give us a call!

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