Alone or with family, with friends or new acquaintances, you simply have to enjoy apéro time in the Islands — it’s a must! The majestic show the Magdalen Islands put on at that hour is not to be missed. Of course, sometimes you’ll need to hold your glass tight — the wind might try to steal it. And yes, sometimes you’ll need a cozy sweater if apéro lingers until sunset…
The Magdalen Islands are full of these little local delights that we love to discover and that go well with the bagosse with cranberries and dandelions from Le Barbocheux, a glass of Chouchen or Adam gin from the Poméloi orchard, or a good beer from the À l’abri de la Tempête brewery.
At Fumoir d’Antan, a veritable Ali Baba’s cave, you will find a thousand and one things to nibble on as is or to transform according to your desire. So, one day, I got some smoked mackerel with which I prepared rillettes. I added an herb dressing to their delicious whelks. At aperitif time, these two preparations earned me many ohs! and ahs!. And yet, I had prepared them in a hurry, on the corner of the kitchen counter, while looking at the sea…
Smoked mackerel rillettes
What you need
- 350 g smoked mackerel
- 150 g white cheese
- 1 tbsp sea parsley - Sea parsley can be substituted with fresh flat-leaf parsley.
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh chives
- 1 tbsp horseradish (optional)
- 40 ml lemon juice
- Alcyon salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
- Remove the skin from the mackerel. In a bowl, shred the flesh with a fork.
- Add all the other ingredients except the salt and pepper. Mix well and taste.
- Adjust seasoning if necessary.
Serve the rillettes with toasted croutons or crackers, pickled cucumbers, fresh dill, capers…
Whelks in vinaigrette
What you need
- 360 g whelks, brined
- 3 green onions - Green onion can be substituted with chives or shallots.
- 4 sprigs of fresh herbs - Choose herbs according to your taste (basil, dill, tarragon, sea parsley, cilantro) and use them alone or in a mixture.
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 30 ml lemon juice and zest
- 15 ml olive oil
- Black or cayenne pepper to taste
Preparation
- Rinse and drain the whelks well and cut them into thin slices.
- Mince the green onion, garlic, fresh herbs and mix with the whelks.
- Add the lemon juice and zest, mix and adjust the seasoning.
- Serve with toasted croutons, crackers, tortillas…
Enjoy your meal!
Dream vacation in the Maggies
The Maison Mer collection brings together inspiring and elegant addresses, where every detail has been thought of to make your stay a truly enchanted interlude. Each location has been hand-picked with care and attention!
