The Romance of Provence

CEBU, Philippines- What is it about the southern parts of places? I had several whimsical talks – shooting the breeze, really – with artist friends or with those artistically inclined, about the fecundity of Nature, of produce and of talents found in the south. Take, for instance, southern Cebu: Carcar with its many famous visual artists and its sought-after delicacies, the rich flora and fauna in the forest of Alcoy-Oslob-Boljoon, the musical traditions that produce Cebuano musicians in Dalaguete. In Luzon, we can trace the fame of the cuisines in the Southern Tagalong region, its rich literary tradition, its haunting musical legacy.

So is it in the south of France, where famous painters had put on canvas the vivid colors of the landscape of Provence. Paul Cezanne (born in Aix-en-Provence), Vincent Van Gogh (who produced his best works when he lived in Arles and Saint-Remy for two years), Auguste Renoir (settled and died in Cagnes-sur-Mer), Henri Matisse, Claude Monet and Pablo Picasso were some of the most famous.

Out of the region comes the Cannes Film Festival, “La Marseillaise” – the national anthem of France, wines from the lush vineyards in the Rhone Valley, Camargue river delta – home to 400 species of birds, habitat to insects, pasture of bulls and horses. There are also the beaches in Nice, the perfumes from the flower farms in Grasse, potteries and quilts. But the most famous of all is its contribution to world cuisine. Ratatouille, stewed vegetables originating from Nice that got more famous with that animated movie of the same name; escabeche, fish which is marinated overnight in vinegar and then poached or fried; bouillabaisse, the Marseille fisherman’s stew of the day’s catch of fish and shellfish, seasoned with salt, pepper, onion, tomato, saffron, fennel, sage, thyme, bay leaf (orange peel, optional), a cup of white wine or cognac.

Provence never ceases to amaze the gourmet and the art-lover. Here’s an interesting recipe ( I love duck!) from a cookbook my good friend Carolyn Climaco-Amor gave me for my birthday, The Flavors of Provence. (Isabelle de Borchgrave/Jean-Andre Charial, Rizzoli International Publications, Inc.)

DUCK with GREEN & BLACK OLIVES

Canard aux Olives 4 servings

1 duck, about 5 lbs.

5 ounces green olives

5 ounces black olives

4 tbsp unsalted butter

2 carrots, diced

1 onion, diced  

1 shallot, diced

1 garlic clove, chopped

1 leek, cut into thin slices

1 celery stalk, thinly sliced

2 cups white wine

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 cups Madeira wine

1.Cut the wing tips of the duck and set aside, together with the liver, neck and gizzard.

2. Rinse the duck and dry with paper towels. Chop the liver and set aside.

3. Pit the green and black olives. Reserve the pits. Blanch the green olives in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain.

4. DUCK STOCK: put 2 tsp. butter in a large saucepan over high heat . Add carrots, onion, shallot, garlic, leek, celery, the wing tips, neck and gizzard. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the mixture turns golden brown. Stir once in a while. Add white wine with 2 cups of water. Bring to a low simmer. Cook for about 30 minutes, skimming once in a while, or until mixture is reduced in half. Strain through a fine sieve. Set aside.

5. Preheat oven to 425degrees.

6. Season the duck inside and out with salt and pepper.

7. Roast for 30 minutes. Lower the heat to 350 degrees. Continue to roast for about an hour longer.

8. Meanwhile, combine the Madeira wine and the olive pits in a saucepan, reduce by half over medium heat. Add the duck stock and cook until mixture is reduced by half.

9. Stir in the chopped liver and cook until sauce thickens. Add salt and pepper to taste. Strain through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan.

10. Whisk in the remaining butter over low heat to emulsify the sauce. Add the black & green olives. Cook briefly until the olives are hot.

11. Carve the duck into serving pieces and place in a shallow serving dish.

12. Spoon the sauce over it. Then serve.