Holiday itinerary
Go learn to cook in Brittany with Chef Christian in the pretty village of St. Caradec and learn the secrets of Breton cooking .
You will head to the nearby beaches with your Chef who will teach you not only to cook traditional Breton dishes but also how to harvest your own mussels, oysters and other shellfish freshly from the sea.
This Brittany cookery course offers a unique opportunity to discover the secrets of French cooking from a local Chef who will take you on a cultural and culinary journey through traditional Breton delicacies.
This is a wonderful introduction to Brittany’s rich culture and history of cooking seafood set in charming and relaxing surroundings, a must for any French food enthusiast.
Suitability
- Suitable for all levels from complete beginners to experienced cooks
- Your Chef is French but speaks perfect English and his wife is an American who has lived and studied in France for many years
- Minimum age 18
- Please note: car hire is highly recommended for this course as there is no public transport in the village available
- Please note that there is around 1.5km of walking to the beach so please bring suitable footwear and waterproof jackets
Mussel Harvesting And Cookery Start Days
- This course runs between May and October each year
- The course is available daily
- If this course appears ‘on request’ we can usually accommodate your requirements, to check availability, email us on or call us on 08445 020445 with your preferred dates and someone will get back to you very quickly
Mussel Harvesting And Cooking Class Itinerary
- At around 10am (times may change subject to weather and tides) head to the beach to join Chef as you learn to harvest mussels
- You’ll be down at the beach for most of the day and will have a picnic lunch at the beach (prepared by your hosts)
- After your harvesting trip, head back to the hotel around 3-4pm for an hours’ break before you start to cook
- You will begin your evening with a Champagne apéritif and a demonstartion of fried quail eggs on croutons
- Your cookery lesson starts around 4-5pm and will last around 3 hours and will focus on cooking and preparing mussels (oysters and other seafood gathered at the beach) in Moules marinières à la crême, followed by making crêpes suzette the most famous Breton dessert
- After the cooking lesson, sit down and enjoy eating the dinner you’ve just prepared along with a delicious simple cheese plate and Muscadet wine
What Will I Learn?
- At the start of your course, you’ll head to the sea and will learn how to harvest your own mussels to use during your cooking lesson learning the best techniques to harvest the highest quality seafood
- The cooking course will concentrate on cooking the delicious fresh mussels of Brittany and you’ll learn to cook the perfect Moules Marinières
- You’ll also learn to cook the most famous Breton dessert, crêpes suzette
About Your Chef
- Originally from Paris, Chef Christian lived in the USA for many years working as Chef for the first French-owned restaurant in the USA
- In the 80’s and 90’s he owned and ran the La Grande Crêpe and Quail on the Hill in St. Paul, Café Nicollet in Minneapolis and the well-respected Quail Catering Company
- Using only the finest local products, Chef Christian has a passion for teaching and spent time teaching people to cook at the Cordon Bleu cookery school
- In 2002, Chef returned to Brittany
-The cuisine of the sun is Christian’s passion and he is keen to pass on his love of Brittany with cooking guests to lead them on not just a culinary journey but also a cultural one
- Although Chef has won numerous awards and is held in the highest esteem by his peers, his true love is teaching and passing on his passion for cooking
Pursue your passion for all things French on this cookery and mussle harvest with a difference.