Join or Sign In
Sign in to customize your TV listings
By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy.
Rick Stein's Secret France Season 1 Episodes
Season 1 Episode Guide
6 Episodes 2019 - 2019
Episode 1
Normandy, Picardie and Champagne
59 mins
Rick's journey begins in Dieppe with turbot straight off the boats, followed by a forage for sea herbs along the Bay of the Somme.
Episode 2
Alsace, Jura and Burgundy
59 mins
In Alsace, Rick enjoys iconic 'choucroute garnie', sauerkraut made with lots of riesling (unlike the German original) and served with assorted meats, then visits a winery using the bio-dynamic method of organic growing and tastes 'French fast-food', tarte flambée. In the Jura, near Switzerland, famous for vin jaune, he enjoys simply grilled Charolais beef in an authentic family restaurant, later visits a former garrison where Comté cheese is made from Montbéliard cattle milk, then orders eight cheese-based dishes in a restaurant, then makes blueberry custard tart. Rick enters Burgundy, loved for its wines from pinot noir (red) ad chardonnay (white), at Louhan, where he visits an authentic market with live animals, starring poulet de Bresse, and meets an Englishman who married into a wine-making family in Auxey-Duresse, which serves escargots with their chardonnay as with and in the poached eggs dessert.
Episode 3
Burgundy and Auvergne
59 mins
Rick explores Burgundy from a chateau bought from a French diplomat by a Dutch retired ballet dancer, who cooks wine soup while they ponder the dichotomy between modern fast food and traditional, laborious cooking and slow savoring. Across a cattle market, he savors the perfect steal of the Charolais breed, which is large yet subtle. Next the rural Auvergne, where he visits a double deck bus mobile Michelin restaurant. Then regional capital Clermont-Ferrand, home of Michelin, with its great black cathedral and British chef Harry runs a very French bistro. A road restaurant twinned with a petrol station and 'pountie', a curious pork pie with prunes and greens on the way to scenic, largely medieval hill-top village Saler, 'black pearl of the Cantal', evoking Canteloube's folk songs, with its own cattle breed, both for meat and (cheese) milk.
Episode 4
Périgord
58 mins
Rick arrives in Perigord, famous for black truffles, walnuts and duck dishes. He cooks enchaud, a traditional pot-roast pork, before heading towards the balmy shores of the Med.
Episode 5
Languedoc-Roussillon
59 mins
Rich visits the coast of the Catalan-speaking French region of Rousillon in the Pyrenees foothills, where fishery is dead in favor of tourism, but people often had a second job, wine-making, which continues, with syrah and mourvèdre prominent grapes. Towns also attracted artists, like fake-Irish maritime adventure author Patrick O'Brian and Picasso, whom he met in an artists cafe and wrote a biography about. In the coast of larger neighbor region Languedoc (named after its Occitan language), fishermen invite Rick for an authentic aioli with sunflower oil dorade fish grilled over vines lunch. Traditional sea salt harvesting in lagoon basins is mechanized. Its Pyrennean foothills are reputed sunny, ideal for orchards and cheese. Prades was the exile home of master cellist-composer Casals. Back to lagoons for a gold medal winner caramoun oyster farm, served with muscles.
Episode 6
Provence
59 mins
Rick approaches the end of his meander through France with a final glance at the culinary delights of the Languedoc, along with making a confit tomato and aubergine tarte tatin.
