Food and wine

Something I love over the Christmas period is having a well stocked fridge at the start of the holiday. Then gradually over the days the meals all get eaten and the fridge starts to empty. We have enjoyed some absolute delicious meals throughout Christmas. Adopting the french tradition of eating seafood on Christmas Eve. They will often eat oysters, which is not something we would choose, but we really enjoyed the Noix de Saint Jacques - scallops cooked with garlic, shallots, wine and cream, followed by turbot. On Christmas Day we had our traditional prawn cocktail, but served on a plate as opposed to in a glass followed by Pintade - guinea fowl. Then on Boxing Day we enjoyed our côte de boeuf, smothered in a mustard rub and cooked on a bed of vegetables, which helped make a delicious rich red wine sauce.

And to accompany the food, we delighted in opening some beautiful french wines. All perfectly matched to the meals.

We are now both feeling very well indulged, and it’s encouraging to see that the fridge is emptying. Some long walks, followed by bowls of hot soup and the odd mince pie will be a welcome change of pace over the coming days.