Charentaise specialties: a picnic for all to enjoy! l Office de tourisme Châtelaillon-plage

An unexpected reunion

Wake up at 9 am, we open the shutters, the sun is radiant! Without waiting more, we send a message to the girlfriends to know their program of the day. Obviously, we all had the same idea: today it will be picnic in front of the sea!

In hardly three minutes and five exchanged messages, we are ready. This is also the spirit of Chatelaillon: to know how to leave room for the unexpected!

Céline is in charge of bringing the tablecloth and the cutlery… Célia and Aline are in charge of buying delicious Charentais specialties at the covered market and Aude and Léonie are in charge of the drinks.
Meeting at noon, on the picnic tables in front of the small Havana and in the shade of the “carrelet”. After a quick breakfast, let’s go shopping!

See you at the covered market, kingdom of Charente specialties

In the group, we all have different tastes! Célia has a weakness for the delicatessen, Aline is fond of the iodized taste of oysters, Céline melts for the cheese while Léonie eats only vegetables and fruits.

We find ourselves on the covered market in the middle of all the specialities of Charente. First stage: we stop at Loïc’s to buy crickets. Celia who does not know yet the regional products of Charente Maritime takes fear by hearing the name of this speciality. Loïc reassures her by making her taste it, it is a pâté, not grilled insects!

Our small greedy stroll between the stalls of the market continues. We buy ham from Manu, oysters from Willie and melons from Couleur Marché. The tray of fruits and vegetables that Sandra, the fruit grower, has prepared for us is a real work of art, it looks like a painting of Arcimboldo!

We are ready to leave when Aline calls us, we almost forgot two inescapable specialities of Charente: the jonchée and the Pineau! It is at Pascal’s, the cheesemonger and Sandy, the wine merchant that we find our happiness.

Our small greedy stroll between the stalls of the market continues. We buy ham from Manu, oysters from Willie and melons from Couleur Marché. The tray of fruits and vegetables that Sandra, the fruit grower, has prepared for us is a real work of art, it looks like a painting of Arcimboldo!

We are ready to leave when Aline calls us, we almost forgot two inescapable specialities of Charente: the jonchée and the Pineau! It is at Pascal’s, the cheesemonger and Sandy, the wine merchant that we find our happiness.

Noon: time to taste the specialties of Charente!

One arrives on the places of the feast. Céline has already prepared the table and Léonie has thought of the bread. She took a corn bread from “Le rêve gourmand” street of the market, what a treat!
Aude, the local of the group, cooked us a Charentaise speciality : the mouclade. A priori, it is quickly done!

How to make a mouclade à la châtelaillonnaise

1. Clean and rinse the mussels
2. Peel and chop the shallots
3. Melt the butter in a large saucepan, add the shallots and fry for 3 minutes
4. Pour in the white wine, reduce by half and add the mussels before covering.
5. Cook for about 5 minutes until the mussels open.
6. Remove the mussels with a skimmer and add the cream, curry powder and pepper to the sauce. Mix and heat for a few moments.
7. Ready to use! Serve the mussels with the sauce

On the big table facing the sea, everything is installed, it’s time to taste! Aude, who never misses an opportunity to make us discover her region, reads us a detective novel made in La Rochelle by Marie-Claude Aristégui.

While the lunch is in full swing, we meet Joseph and Josianne, madmen of bicycle who take the Vélodyssée and who stop for a photograph in front of the “carrelet”. We invite them to come to share the dessert and to tell us their adventures. After all, this is the spirit of Chatelaillon!

Fill up on Charente specialties with a meal 100% made in Chatelaillon

An unexpected reunion

See you at the covered market, kingdom of Charente specialties

Noon: time to taste the specialties of Charente!

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