The Brittany region on France’s northwest coast is known for its oysters, cotriade (a fish and potato stew), hard ciders, crepes, and galettes. During private, customized trips with Paris-based Purple Truffle, local chefs welcome you into their kitchens to learn how to prepare the region’s specialties.
WHAT YOU’LL MAKE: Dishes include Breton-style clams with garlic; tomatoes, artichokes, and goat cheese with marjoram; Breton galettes, which are savory pancakes made with buckwheat flour, filled with ham, cheese, and a fried egg; far Breton, a custardlike cake containing brandy-soaked prunes.
HIGHLIGHTS: Tour an oyster farm with the owner as your guide; then, with the help of a local wine expert, pair mollusks and muscadet. Taste homemade goat cheese, cider, and regional pastries at a Brittany farm. Stay in an 18th-century manor overlooking the pink granite coast.
Purple Truffle, 33/(0) 6-23-91-81-65, seven-day trip for two for $8,890, including lodging and some meals. This appeared in the March/April 2010 issue.
