Discover terre et mer, France’s land-and-sea food pairing tradition

Surf and turf, reef and beef... or as the French say, terre et mer – the combination of meat and seafood in a single dish or even a single forkful – is hardly new, nor is it seen as especially outlandish anymore.

A famous land and sea ingredient combination was Veal Oscar, created by French chef Paul Edmond Malaise for King Oscar of Sweden and served in Stockholm in 1897. Sautéed veal cutlets were topped with the finest lobster meat, drizzled with lashings of emulsified butter sauce and garnished with white asparagus spears.

Other combinations are indisputably delicious when cooked and served correctly: lobster and filet mignon; flash-fried scallops topped with a slice of crispy bacon or chorizo; monkfish (lotte) wrapped in dried ham and roasted; roast lamb with anchovies – all are delightful.

In the Arcachon Basin, oysters and grilled crépinettes (huîtres et crépinettes) are a popular dish, whose peppery pork melds perfectly with the briny bivalves.

Over the years, high-end French cuisine has been marked by chefs who made a splash by transforming seemingly outlandish unions into taste sensations. These include Alexandre Gauthier’s squid and boudin and Éric Frechon’s pan-fried foie gras with oysters. Veal tartare topped with raw oysters is another delicate invention – not dissimilar to a South American ceviche.

Pairing two disparate culinary bedfellows is, however, seen by some snooty critics as a perfect example of conspicuous consumption – a way of showing off one’s means, especially when ingredients are expensive, hitherto viewed as being gastronomically incompatible or, put simply, perfectly enjoyable on their own.

The obvious exception is the Spanish classic paella featuring chorizo or chicken alongside mussels or prawns – this represents a more humble but equally winning pairing.

If you are looking for a simple yet hearty terre-et-mer recipe to cook at home, try the Camargue stew, broufade. Decidedly uncontroversial and not fancy, it was traditionally eaten by the Rhône riverboatmen of Arles.

It features marinated beef simmered for three or four hours with anchovies, garlic, onions, capers and olive oil.

Serve with potatoes, carrots, tomatoes and rice... and a nice bottle of red.

Gadget inspector

Cook up perfect confiture with a heavy copper pan

Readers lucky enough to have harvested plenty of fruit over the summer will,
like many French jam lovers, be making their own confiture this month. Based
in Faymont, Vosges, De Buyer is a master manufacturer of heavy-bottomed copper ‘bassines à confiture’ – perfect for  preserving the fruit’s colour. 38cm
model, €167.60.

Now available

Lend your dishes a touch of luxury with truffle butter

Quimper (Finistère) dairy Maison Le Gall has been crafting Breton butters and cream products for over 100 years. A recent innovation is a new range of four flavoured butters designed for everyday use in cooking: Garlic & Fine Herbs, Tomato & Basil, Smoked Salt and, for an extra touch of luxury, Truffle.