Top 5 local products for holiday meals

Bourride de baudroiepoissonnier-jean-philippe-rigalConserverie artisanale  sétoise Azais-PolitoRecolte des luques au moulin de la dentelle

Festive meals are the ideal occasion to sublimate the riches of our land.
Advice, recipe ideas, here are our top 5 local products to have on your table at the end of the year!

  •  - © Aurelia Blanc

1 - Oysters from the Thau basin

Their iodine perfume and their characteristic nutty taste make us melt all year round, but it is in the heart of winter that they are at their best. Produced in Bouzigues, Mèze and Marseillan, Thau oysters are an essential part of our festive meals, let's face it!
Raw, they go very well with a simple lemon juice, but can also be eaten with a shallot sauce or with a dash of balsamic vinegar, olive oil and a turn of the pepper mill. Gratinated, they go wonderfully well with parsley butter, but also with a white wine or leek-based sauce.
 
Don't hesitate to ask the producers from whom you buy, they will be happy to give you their precious advice! Discover the list of local producers here.
  •  - © Régis Domergue
  •  - © Régis Domergue

2 - Wines and muscats

Whether it is to accompany your hors d'oeuvres or your main dishes, you are bound to find something to your liking in the range of wines produced in Mèze, Frontignan, Mireval or Vic-la-Gardiole. To accompany your shellfish, fish and white meat, choose a white wine or a dry muscat. Reserve the sweet white wines and muscats for dishes with a touch of acidity, exotic fruits or strong cheeses. As for the red wine, it will be perfect with red meat or a stewed dish.
 
  •  - © Aurélia Blanc
  •  - © Aurélia Blanc

3 - Seafood


Forget the traditional turkey and surprise your guests with fish or seafood! Fillets of sea bass or sole and monkfish bourride à la sétoise will delight the taste buds of the most discerning gourmets. Don't hesitate to visit the market halls of Sète, Frontignan or Marseillan to find ideas and make your mouth water. Freshness and flavours guaranteed!
  •  - © O Maynard
  •  - © Olivier Octobre

4 - Spreadable treats

For a friendly and typical aperitif, opt for toasts on which you will spread 100% local products. If you don't already know them, you can succumb to the products of Azaïs-Polito, an artisanal cannery in Sète, and its range of aperitif dips, with its delicious fish and seafood rillettes, or its cod brandade flavoured with anchovy. To vary the pleasures and add a little colour to your dishes, why not opt for tapenade? We particularly recommend the one produced at the Moulin de la dentelle in Villeveyrac, a pure marvel!
  •  - © Conserverie artisanale Azais-Polito
  •  - © Marion Ricard

5 - Chocolate

As a gift or just to treat yourself, chocolate can be enjoyed in all its forms during the holidays. Our craftsmen are brimming with creativity and will not fail to surprise you, whether you swear by dark chocolate or prefer the delicacy of milk chocolate.

Discover the know-how of one of the artisans of the Archipel de Thau :