Gunternation

After visiting the chateau in Azay-le-Rideau, we stopped by a sidewalk cafe for shelter from the rain and to drink some warm beverages. Then on to dinner at L’Aigle d’Or, the Golden Eagle, a small, bright restaurant located in a converted house. We had a delicious spring-themed meal, starting with a wonderful velouté de petits pois, fresh pea soup, with smoked chicken.

After our huge feast on Sunday, we all chose fish for our mains, which are not documented in picture or my memory. I do remember I had sesame crusted fish–quite good. Bill also has vague, but positive memories of his fish with tasty sauce and julienned vegetables. I was the only one who couldn’t resist the cheese cart, although everyone was happy to share my choices, including some excellent Gruyere and reblochon. For dessert Kevin had a brownie with ice cream, Bill had a citrus madeleine with strawberry sauce and strawberry compote. Andrea and I both had strawberry sorbet encased in an almond meringue. This was a perfect dessert. The sorbet captured the essence of strawberry and the meringue was tender, not crumbly or dusty. Bill and I had a glass of a local wine with dinner, which was rather sweet, but went surprisingly well with the soup and fish.

Our second destination on Monday was Azay-le-Rideau. It was the first château we actually went inside, as the gardens of Villandry completely overshadow its château. It was also the first château we had trouble finding. We drove into Azay-le-Rideau following the usually very helpful brown tourisme signs. Driving down the main street we saw a sign pointing ahead saying “100m.” The next sign we saw pointed behind us and said “200m.” How do you miss a château? So, we turned around in a round-about and drove back, turning onto the only street between the signs. It led to a parking lot, so we figured we were close to something and parked. We gathered our stuff and walked back to the main street. A pedestrian path next to the parking lot led to the visitor center for the château, so we had figured right.

Construction on the château of Azay-le-Rideau began sometime before 1515. Gilles Berthelot acquired the lordship of Azay through his wife and started constructing a residence according to his own tastes, but it was his wife, Philippe Lesbahy, who directed most of the work. Berthelot would not see the end result of their work, however. Accused of colluding with his friend Semblançay, the Financial Secretary, in embezzlement he was forced to flee the country in 1528. The property was confiscated by King François I and given as a reward to one of his high-ranking soldiers. The property changed hands several times over the following centuries, eventually being acquired by the State in 1905.

The château is constructed on an island in the Indre River, making it appear to rise out of the water. Unfortunately we don’t have any pictures of the interior. We weren’t allowed to take any flash photography and it was overcast outside, so there wasn’t enough light. Otherwise you could see the grand central staircase designed by Mme Lesbahy which is its greatest innovation.

We did, however, capture a duel in progress. The umbrellamen certainly chose a picturesque location to settle their differences.

We made it to London yesterday, and here’s the proof.

Our eight-course dinner at the Ghan House was pretty extravagant. I made the reservation that week and I think we were the final one as the dining room was full. The Ghan House hosts these dinners eight times a year.

We started with canapes: smoked eel, cannellini bean puree on crostini and Clonakilty black pudding “bon-bons.” My favorite was the black pudding. The remaining courses came with a choice from vegetarian and omnivorous options and we differed on only one course.

Second course: Cured Irish salmon with creme fraiche and new spring caviar. Nothing spectacular, but nice.

Third: Carpaccio of Barbary duck with lardons, sherry-soaked raisins and watercress salad. Perhaps our favorite course. The sweetness of the raisins and the smokiness of the lardons complemented the duck perfectly.

Fourth: The course on which we differed. I had the baked turbot with leeks in a shellfish bisque. Here we have a peeve of mine. A bisque is a very rich and creamy soup made from pureed crustaceans. The primary ingredient is not tomato, or corn, or any other vegetation, and neither is it clear. My turbot was not served with a bisque, as you can see, but a broth. A delicious broth that I took a spoon to, but a broth nonetheless. The turbot was nice, too.

Sharon had the homemade gnocchi with wild mushrooms, white wine and basil, and toasted pine nuts. The gnocchi were pretty heavy, but had to be I suppose in order to brown them. It was an interesting variation on gnocchi in brown butter that Sharon liked.

Fifth: Champagne sorbet. Sorry, no picture, but it was very refreshing and tasty.

Sixth: Truffled boudin of black-legged free-range chicken with fondant potato, spinach and chicken jus. This was a strange choice for a main entree. Normally a meal like this will build up to a tremendously rich red meat course like braised short ribs or a steak. Instead we have… chicken. It was good, and props to the chef for serving 40 people all at the same time a piping hot dish. I wouldn’t call this a main entree, though.

Seventh: By this time we were exhausted. Our dinner started an hour late because the chef wanted to wait until everyone had arrived. Understandable, but I wanted to pop everyone at the table that held us all up. Here we have ballybrie mousse with apricot puree, crostini and salad garnish. We almost missed this one and I had to flag down our waiter to tell him we had ben forgotten. Ostensibly a cheese course, the mousse was overpowered by chives. I’d have rather had a normal cheese course. Or a nap.

Eighth: Poached apple with apple puree and fried pastry cream, and thankfully a very light and soothing dessert. How the heck do you fry pastry cream, though?

After tea and what the menu called homemade petit fours but were actually chocolate truffles we crawled back to our room and collapsed. The dinner lasted four hours, but an hour of that was due to the tardiness of the Larry McLateington party.

Everything was tasty (excepting the ill-conceived cheese course) and we enjoyed our dinner a great deal. I was expecting something more spring-like, though. This was a very autumnal menu with truffles, apples, duck, and even a pumpkin risotto which was the vegetarian option for the sixth course. Where was the asparagus, baby artichokes and spring lamb (for which the Cooley peninsula is famous)? I didn’t speak with the chef, so I guess we’ll never know.