![](https://culinarytravelsinfrance.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/0f1d0-letouquet.jpg?w=320&h=179)
If you like art-deco villas, long and wide sandy beaches, good food and while you’re at it, throw in a Casino for good measure, then Le Touquet is a not-to-be missed stop along the Opal Coast. The English know it all to well as it’s barely a hop skip and jump through the Chunnel, a quick ride down the coast and voila you’re here. You can probably throw a scone from the White Cliffs and hit the coast. Le Touquet lies just west of Étaples-sur-Mer and south of Neufchâtel-Hardelot. I stayed in a quaint little hotel just off the rue Jean Monnet. Wonderful, fresh and clean with an ocean view and, of course, close to restaurants. I sniffed around deciding where I would eventually eat and ultimately decided on a wonderful little art-deco restaurant, La Marée Haute (High Tide) on the rue Saint Jean. And was it ever an excellent choice! I started off quite appropriately with a chilled bottle of Muscadet from the Val de Loire. Could I have done otherwise? I suspect not. I then accepted the challenge to start with the marinated salmon (to die for, thank you) and then found myself facing the final two – torn as I was between the Magret de canard poêlé, pommes poires au jus de cidre (pan seared duck with apple pears steeped in cider) and the beautiful seared scallops that were simmered in a tarragon butter and white wine sauce. Monsieur le patron (who I found out later was originally from St. Brieuc in Brittany) assured me they were very fresh – ce matin- and indeed most delicious. If a Breton is giving me the green light on this dish then the nod must go to the scallops. I thoroughly enjoyed them together with paned-fried Paris potatoes, a tossed green salad and a selection of cheeses. For desert, I had to have the crème brûlée because that’s what I must do. This job is near easy!
To celebrate that wonderful meal, here is a recipe that comes as close to the “real thing” short of getting on an Air France flight and joining me, of course.
(thank you Gourmet Magazine)
“Benjamin, I have just two words for you….are you listening carefully Benjamin? Beurre Blanc.” Classic French butter sauce easy to prepare and let’s face it, has a tendency to make just about anything taste better. In this recipe, Beurre Blanc uses the scallops’ juices to add complexity. There are so many variations on scallop recipes so feel free to adjust as you like and call it yours. By the way, if you like scallops I would suggest Gratinee de Coquille St-Jacques. You will thank me.
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons, divided
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup white-wine vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped tarragon
Directions:
Pat scallops dry and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper (total).
Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until foam subsides, then sear scallops, turning once, until golden brown and just cooked through, about 5 minutes total.
Transfer to a platter.
Add shallot, wine, and vinegar to skillet and boil, scraping up brown bits, until reduced to 2 tablespoons.
Add juices from platter and if necessary boil until liquid is reduced to about 1/4 cup.
Reduce heat to low and add 3 tablespoons butter, stirring until almost melted, then add remaining 3 tablespoons butter and swirl until incorporated and sauce has a creamy consistency.
Stir in tarragon and salt to taste; pour sauce over scallops.
Serve will new potatoes, green salad, baguette and bottle of white wine.
And now about those wines…
Loire Valley, Muscadet – Sèvre et Maine sur Lie.
Loire Valley – Domaine du Closel Chateau des Vaults la Jalousie Savennieres 2009
South Africa, Stellenbosch – De Morgenzon Chenin Blanc 2008
California, Central Valley – Lobo Loco Winery Viognier 2005