A local and responsible festive meal | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Tourism

Cocktails and gourmet starters

An assortment of olivades and tapenades, fish soup… and foie gras!

It’s cocktail time! Yes, but a festive cocktail, made up of the most subtle flavours of the Provencal terroir. On the table, pretty jars of spreads and a host of olivades, from the best delicatessens in the du Sud: délice tomate basilic et parmesan, délice d’ail aux noix. And the delicious creations by the brand Kom&Sal, dreamed up by the starred and committed chef Nadia Sammut in partnership with the Provence brand: chick pea and rose water biscuits and fennel grissini. And of course, the traditional tapenade. Did you know that the term comes from the Provencal « tapèno », which means « capers», because the traditional recipe contained them? The olivade comes in all sorts of flavours to satisfy your guests’ whims: with almonds, figs, bolet mushrooms or chestnuts… And now, it’s time to eat! The starter will be a delicious soupe de poisson (fish soup with fish according to choice: sea bass, rock fish, crabs or langoustines) – with croûtons and rouille sauce. Or a bouillabaisse like the one they make in Marseille. A gazpacho for vegetarians. And what a surprise: Provence also has its duck foie gras! To be served sliced with gingerbread or toast.

Christmas Eve dishes

Sea food platter, snails and Camargue rice

After these mouth-watering appetizers, now we get down to the serious stuff. It’s time for the seafood platter, because, yes, the Sud also produces its own oysters and shellfish, whose quality holds their own against those of the Atlantic coast. Here, the mollusc farming tradition is firmly rooted in L’Anse de Carteau, in Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône, and in the Baie du Lazaret in La Seyne-sur-Mer. Camargue oysters, like the Tamaris oysters, have been awarded several medals in the Concours Général Agricole in Paris! To complete this appetising seafood platter, scallops, clams, crabs, mussels and a few tellins. More unusual, the Sud also has farm snails which you can eat with garlic butter and little mushrooms. To go with them, Camargue rice is great, seasoned with the unavoidable dash of olive oil. Provence and the Côte d’Azur have over 20 Entreprise et Découverte-labelled producers!

The cheeses of Provence and the Alps

Strong in taste or rather more subtle

No festive meal should be without cheese! By combining the savoir-faire of Provencal and Alpine producers, you obtain a tasty cheese board, in a mixture of gentle and stronger flavours. From the Alps, a selection of cheeses full of character, including the famous Tomme de l’Izoard, the fontu – matured for a minimum of three months – and an assortment of raclettes (with wild garlic, pepper, truffle, and a smoked one, which is our favourite!). And don’t forget the blue cheeses from the Queyras or Saint-Véran. From Provence: a supple and creamy AOP Banon goat’s cheese, traditionally wrapped in a chestnut leaf. It goes beautifully with a little glass of fruity white wine.

Fromagerie de Chateau-Queyras

Fromagerie de la Durance

FROMAGERIE DE BANON

Say cheese!

13 desserts (and even more!)

Calissons, candied fruit, nougat and chocolate

As the cradle of the tradition of the 13 desserts, the Sud knows how to awaken your taste buds with its host of delicacies and sweetmeats. Make some room on the table, you’ll need it. Prettily arranged on the first plate – the sweet plate – calissons, listed in the living heritage of the town of Aix-en-Provence. Made with almonds, candied melon and orange peel, they are quite simply irresistible. And also multicoloured candied fruit – oranges, clementines, kiwis, melon, figs… – fruit jellies, and an assortment of dark and white nougat, with their pieces of crunchy almond. On the second plate: dark, milk and praline chocolates. And a few caramels for the greediest among you! The third plate: a tarte des Alpes, filled with strawberry, raspberry or blueberry jam. The fourth plate: biscuits. Navettes de Provence, almond croquants, petits beurre with lavender and canistrelli with aniseed are perfect to go with your coffee.

And what do we drink with all this?

Wines, liqueurs and syrups

For an impeccable feast, cocktails, starters, dishes and cheeses are great with a couple of glasses of the refined wines of which the Sud has the secret (to be enjoyed responsibly!). Amateurs of white wine will enjoy a prestige vintage with discreet aromas of yellow peach, or a mineral and perfectly balanced AOP. For guests who prefer red, choose an AOP Côtes de Provence Sainte-Victoire, with delicate notes of morello cherries. Served with the dessert, a lemon liqueur (or a limoncello) will suit everyone. Its intensely fruity aromas testify to the exceptional quality of Menton lemon. Nicknamed « the caviar of the Riviera », it has had a protected geographical indication’ since 2015. The alpine distilleries also sign their own artisanal liqueurs, real sensory experiences, and among them the emblematic génépi. For soft drinks, the organic syrups of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence will keep everyone happy. Happy holiday festivities in the Sud!

A local, responsible festive meal

Cocktails and gourmet starters

Christmas Eve dishes

The cheeses of Provence and the Alps

13 desserts (and even more!)

And what do we drink with all this?

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