Cuisine of Provence

Cuisine of Provence is the result of the warm, dry Mediterranean climate, the rugged land, and abundant seafood on the coast. Some of the basic ingredients include:olives, olive oil, fish, lamb, chickpeas and local fruits. Herbes de Provence are a mixture of dried herbs from Provence commonly used in cooking.



This halibut Provencal recipe, a classic French dish, features the flavors of Provence: garlic, shallots, fennel, tomatoes, olives, and fresh sage. The seasoned fish is served with the pan sauce, over couscous or rice. We found fennel to be a popular ingredient in many French dishes and salads.

By Rebecca Franklin from About.com 
recipe serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, pressed
• ¼ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
• 2 shallots, sliced
• 1 fennel bulb, chopped
• 1 14-oz can seasoned tomatoes
• ½ cup bottled clam juice
• 12 black olives, pitted
• 1-1/2 lbs halibut, cut into 3-inch pieces
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh sage, cut into fine strips (chiffonade)

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Heat the olive oil in a deep ovenproof skillet over medium heat, and sauté the garlic and red pepper flakes for 1 minute
• Add the shallots and fennel; cook for 5 minutes
• Add the seasoned tomatoes and clam juice
• Simmer for an additional 5 minutes until fennel is tender and liquid is slightly reduced. Remove from heat and stir in the olives.
• Season the halibut with salt and pepper, and then arrange over hot tomato mixture in skillet
• Bake in preheated oven for 17-20 minutes, until fish is cooked through
• Stir the sage chiffonade into the hot vegetable mixture and serve.

This was one of the more interesting doors we came across on the trip. It was in Nice.  One side of the door was the entrance for women and the other side was the entrance for men. There were different times men and women could use the building for bathing facilities. This was before homes in the city had bathrooms.