Rick Stein's French Odyssey
Award-winning chef Rick Stein shares his favourite seafood recipes from around the world. In this series he returns to France and travels by barge on the Canal du Midi from Bordeaux to Marseilles in search of the best food and wine the area has to offer.
Episode 1
Rick heads off for the first stage of his journey - a leisurely tour of Brittany, following the Atlantic coast down to Bordeaux. His first dish is artichoke salad with poached egg.
Episode 2
Rick Stein explores the banks of the River Garonne where he meets eel trapper Jean Louis and savours the simple dish of freshly caught eels cooked in garlic butter and parsley.
Episode 3
Rick Stein journeys along the Canal Lateral a la Garonne and is invited to a BBQ lunch after a morning on the river fishing for shad. Later, he visits a farm and is inspired to cook the classic prune and almond tart flavoured with local Armagnac.
Episode 4
Rick Stein continues his barge excursion through south-west France. He tastes the first melon of the season in Quercy and cooks a famous Gascon dish.
Episode 5
As the Rosa ploughs deeper into south west France, Rick fishes for pike and zander on the River Tarn. In his kitchen, Rick cooks pike in pinot noir, the popular duck confit with braised red cabbage, and cherry pithiviers.
Episode 6
Rick arrives in the historic city of Toulouse where he buys some of their famous sausages and makes Toulouse Sausage Languedocienne. Later, in Castelnaudary, Rick arrives in time for the Saint Papoul Cassoulet Festival.
Episode 7
Rick fulfils a boyhood dream by visiting the barracks of the legendary French Foreign Legion. It inspires him to cook a spicy tagine with couscous. In Carcassonne Rick learns about the Cathars, who once dominated the region.
Episode 8
As they near the Mediterranean Rick cooks up lamb ragout with flageolet beans. While passing under the perilously low bridges of the Narbonne, Rick Stein treats the barge crew to barbecued sardines with salad and a glass of rosé wine.
Episode 9
Rick Stein's journey through France is nearly over as he comes to the end of the Canal du Midi and sails across the Etang de Thau, famous for its oysters.
