The best Tarte de Saumon
如果說有一道菜或料理改變了我對於料理的想法，我想就是這一道菜吧。
那一天是我33歲生日，在南法漁村Cassis吃到的「鮭魚塔塔」。
生日的前一天在炙熱艷陽下爬了Calanque d’en Vau，南法馬賽至Cassis地區特有石灰岩地景地形 "Calanque"，被河川侵蝕的狹長幽深的山谷，此地為被地中海的海水切割為無數的峽灣群。
生日當天慵懶的起了床，走下30度坡度的小山丘來到海濱旁的漁村小鎮Cassis.
這一天早上有露天市集，來到南法可不能錯過買馬賽肥皂和新鮮薰衣草，雖然巴黎也有，但總是貴上兩倍以上。 總之每次來到南法的重要行程之一是：裝好裝滿肥皂和薰衣草帶回花都。
耳尖尖的聽到旁邊法國女生們跟肥皂攤老闆殺價說他們是學生，可不可以算便宜一點。 老闆似乎被青春氣息感染，很阿莎力的簡單算了算還送了肥皂。
不想要輸人的亞洲娃娃臉之我也好奇說學生這一招到底管不管用，似乎不太管用，只是有可能因為我說英文，老闆沒有那麼阿莎力之外，回家後我還發現少給我一顆我已付費的肥皂。 我想老闆不知道我聽得懂法文，知道他們說了什麼。
雖然不服輸，但我問了老闆附近有沒有推薦的餐廳。 往後一轉，他指著市集轉角旁的一間黃色小店面跟我分享那餐廳是一位夫婦開的，食材新鮮好吃，並繼續分享了其他餐廳名單。 其他餐廳名單都是披薩或義大利麵，想要吃當地料理的我向夫婦餐廳訂了位，並引領期盼的等著午餐時間的到來。
滑手機看餐廳評價時，看到有人寫著「此是一份20歐元的鮭魚塔塔，但比我在倫敦吃到的還好吃。」
曾經在倫敦住過兩年的我不確定這評價是褒還是扁，畢竟倫敦是美食沙漠，但倫敦亦是餐飲包容度很大的地方，歡迎各方文化料理前來挑戰和插旗，常有尚未發現的驚人料理。（第一次吃祕魯、衣索比亞料理就是在倫敦） 在倫敦插旗成功的餐廳，看情況的有機會可以慢慢走向趨於保守的歐洲大陸展開新的餐飲市場。
在法國的兩年裡，我已訓練出可以從菜單和照片中看出一家餐廳好不好吃，但應該也不是法國兩年的內在飲食成長，應也跟我從小家庭料理背景有關，只是法料進階了此方面的敏感度。 總之看完這一間餐廳的評價和照片後覺得很值得期待。
點了主餐「鮭魚塔塔佐小黃瓜、蒔蘿和依斯尼奶油」 和甜點 「水蜜桃、杏桃、莓果佐香草冰淇淋」
吃下鮭魚塔塔的瞬間，很驚呼這常吃到的鮭魚塔塔料理怎麼可以做的這麼好吃，馬上榮登心中第一名鮭魚塔塔，好多的食材混於其中，但奔放出一種說不出口的清爽感。
廚師對於我的驚艷感到很開心，忙裡之中興奮地解釋「此鮭魚塔塔裡運用了10種食材包含檸檬、紅石榴、紅蔥頭、蒔蘿、黑胡椒、綠蔥、小黃瓜、橄欖油⋯等來豐富鮭魚塔塔的味道和清爽感再佐依斯尼奶油增加豐富度」 （不太記得所有香料，但記得幾乎是家裡可見的所有香料）
之前看料理食譜，很多香料食材會根據肉類而各別使用，第一次看到和吃到眾多香料食材混在一起，那感覺像發現了新大陸，味蕾有了新的口味認識。
如月桂冠點綴的花圈沙拉和10種食材混成的鮭魚塔塔醬料就這樣讓我對料理有了新的領悟。
如果說吃法餐料理讓我學會了什麼，我想是多了一種創造力：嘗試不同搭配與突破。
食材如何從既有習慣和思維中創造認知突破。
永遠不知道可以擦出什麼火花。
（例如： 水果醬佐烤鴨，聽起來奇怪但可以降低烤鴨的油膩感，豐富了享用烤鴨的味道）
致敬33歲的生日餐，希望妳永遠平安健康快樂
If I had to choose a dish or a cuisine to represent how this sensory journey starts, it would be the Tartare de Salmon I had on my 33th birthdays at Cassis in the south of France.
The dish that commence this flavour sensation journey.
After a scorcher hike the day before my birthday to Calanque d’en Vau, I had a snail slow morning, strolling, rolling down the 30 degree hill slope to the fisherman town, Cassis to enjoy the southern morning market.
I always love to feed my bag full of Savon and lavender when I am down in the South, indeed there are soaps and lavender in Paris, however double the price, therefore I always made it a mission to stock up my luggage with southern fragrances back to the capital.
I overheard French university girls bargaining with the vendor for special price of being a student. I thought I should give it a shot with my Asian baby face look disgusing myself as a student too. (*baby face Asian look: I know you might say Asian all looks young and youthful, however I geniually look younger for an Asian in my age as well, even Asians get my age mix up.) It didn’t work as I planned, he did give a special price, but not like how genuine he was with those girl, and I realise he missed gave me a paid soap when I arrived home. I guess he didn’t realise I understand French and I overheard their sweet talk.
Of course I didn’t speak my mind out loud. I asked him for restaurant recommendation instead. He turned around and pointed to the yellow restaurant in the corner back, and said: it is opened by a lovely couple and they are on point, “un bon adresse”. I realised French love to say “un bon adresse” to indicate this is a good place. He then continued to introduce other recommended restaurants, however they were mainly Italian, and I was looking for authentic local French cuisine.
I opt for the lovely yellow restaurant, booked my table, and was anticipating my birthday lunch.
I scrolled through the reviews on in the internet and saw “I really recommend this place to anybody who loves great food. It's comparable to some of the best restaurant in London.”
I lived in London for 2 years and was a bit skeptical of this review.
I mean: London is renowned for “food desert” (yes, this is how bad it is for us those that comes from abundant culinary culture), however another personality of London food scene is it’s tolerance and welcoming to other cuisines. It welcomes challenge and newbie in town. My first time trying Pervian and Jamacian cuisine were all in London.
I somehow learned how to spot the deliciousness of a restaurant from its menu and photo during my years in France, well I would say French cuisine highlighted my sensory sensitivity, foundation learning comes from my food culture upbringing.
I ordered “Tarte de Saumon et noix Saint-Jacques, concombre, aneth et creme d’Isigny” for my plat and
“Peche, abricot, fruit rouges et glace à la vanille” for dessert.
The second I had a fork of Tarte de Saumon in my mouth, I was simply surprised by the abundant of flavours with a dose of freshness within the saumon. It immediately ranked to be the number 1 tarte de saumon on my list.
The chef was happy with my surprised, he explained “this Tarte de Saumon uses 10 ingredients including lemon, pomegranate, shallot, dill, black pepper, green onion, cucumber, olive oil…to enrich the taste and freshness of the salmon tartare. The creme d’Isigny is a cherry on top to level up the playful flavourness.
(I don’t remember all the spices, but I recalled they are pretty much most of the spices we can find in our pantry at home.)
When I read recipe, generally each spices incorporate with a certain type of meat, it’s my first time seeing how it all melange together. It’s as if my taste bud found a new land, the border of flavour has expanded and found its new territory.
The laurel wreath layout salad and the 10-ingredient Tarte de Saumon.
If I had to say what French cuisine taught me, I guess it would be a new kind of creativity: tryout different combinations and breakthroughs.
How to breakthroughs our usual ingredients cognitive from existing habits and thinking
We never know what sparkle next.
(For example: Jam with roast duck may sound strange but it can reduce the greasiness of roast duck and enrich the taste of roast duck)
To my 33rd birthday.
I wish you abundance, health, prosperous, happy and all the best to come.
*The lunch is at La table de Marie at Cassis which is currently temporarily closed.