La Couronne
La Couronne
Yes we two look similar, but no we are not related. We just happen to have the same body shape, hair, complexion, wear the same types of clothes, and live 5 minutes down the road from each other in the middle of nowhere.
Yes we are plump. We love our food and wine. Plump and happy.
Yes we like to do degustation. Food excites us. Inspires us. Feeds our souls as well as our puku.
A visit to La Couronne has been "on the menu" for us for well over 6 months. The restaurant that inspired Julia Childs, that fed Picasso and the Prince who killed Rasputin, among others, and is one of the oldest restaurants in all of Europe, having been going since 1345, was a must. Traditional French classics with a bit of a twist, that provided the impetus for Julia Childs to write Mastering the Art of French Cooking.
Seated under the lady herself
In preparation for the meal we didn't eat all day. Sitting in the subdued, romantic room bathed in rich red furnishings and lots of dark wood, it was easy to imagine what this restaurant has seen over the centuries; including front row seats to the burning of Joan D'Arc in the square outside. The history and sense of pride and occasion were palpable.
We started with champagne and an amuse bouche of tender octopus. So delicious.
Octopus
The entrees that followed were both decadent and rich and by the time we had finished eating them, we were almost full. The beef and pate of mine were so full of flavour. Sarah's escargot were taken to another level in cannelloni. Peasant food "this ain't".
my entree
Sarah's snails
Our mains looked like pieces of art. The scallops I had were some of the best cooked ever (apart from my husband Graeme's- who is the supreme seafood cook). Charred on the outside yet still slightly raw in the middle, with a light sauce.
Scallops main
Sarah's beef and potatoes were classic perfection with a jus that tied it all together.
Classic French beef
By now, despite our preparations we were struggling to finish the mains. We watched in awe as the French couples around us managed to finish their mains, move onto the cheeseboard with ease, and then fit in a desert. We felt inadequate as we tried to catch our breath to finish the main, not wanting to disappoint and certainly not wanting to leave any of the deliciousness behind. Not the done thing at all we know, but Sarah managed to secrete some of her unfinished steak into a clean covid mask she had in her handbag under the table, hoping nobody saw her.
So onto the cheeseboard we went. Normandy is famous for its cows, milk and cheeses. It is the home of camembert and liverot among others. It was so hard to choose. And then even harder to try to finish them as were now fit to busting! A few more morsels joined the steak in the handbag under the table surreptitiously.
And then there was dessert. Neither of us are "sweet" girls. We usually eschew desserts in favour of cheese or other savoury delights. But these desserts were part of the deal. And what desserts they were. I have never experienced a lighter, fuller, tastier Grand Marnier souffle than the one I was served. It has inspired me to try making one when I get home. Especially as the chef kindly told me the secret to getting the Grand Marnier evenly spread through the souffle.
Sarah's chocolate creation was a visual delight, incredibly rich, and unfortunately not able to be hidden in the now nearly full handbag
Chocolate masterpiece
To finish we experienced a much-needed digestivo of calvados, another local speciality. It came with quite a performance of lighting some of the spirit on the top of an upended glass so that the flame could be used to warm the glasses we were to drink from, the heat causing the subtle apple aromas to be released when the calvados was poured into the heated glasses.
To cap the evening off we then got a personal demonstration of how to use the old duck press to make Canard Sang (Blood Duck) or Canard Rouennaise as it is also known. A slight obsession of Jenny's since watching Anthony Bourdain have this dish in Paris.
Duck Press
More than full, more than satisfied, and more than a little overwhelmed it was time to depart with the secret steak and cheese hopefully unseen in Sarah's bag. As we got up from the table we suddenly noticed the dog that belonged to the couple next to us that had been under their table, eyeing up Sarah's secret stash. We were lucky it was still intact!
Eye-witness to our secret
All that remained was to try to find the coat check ticket, also in Sarah's handbag, without revealing the hidden goodies. Not an easy task. But we succeeded and had the leftovers with a nice bottle of Margeaux for dinner the next night in the hotel room- when our stomachs had had 24 hours to recover. We still can't understand how the French do it- and stay so slim!
leftovers