Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Bold and Adventurous: Marrow Bone Appetizer

Even when we were still real young our parents took me and my sister and brother travelling. One of our first foreign trips was to a farm in Denmark, where we played with little piglets and the lady of the house treated us to wonderful thick hot chocolate. I remember fabulous sauerkraut stuffed and brined red peppers in Austria, huge piles of then to us very foreign watermelons in Yugoslavia,where we also got our first taste of Slivovitz simply because the fruit salad was generously perfumed with it.
Later we graduated to the real good things in life: the first lobster which we went to pick out in the market and boiled ourselves. And then oysters. I still admire how our parents taught us to eat all these things by making it a great adventure. So all three of us are the probably most unfussy eaters there are. There are things we like better or less, but nothing we won't at least try once. Saying that I do draw the line at snakes and dogs - a very firm line that is.

Deliciously roasted Marrow Bone at L'Epicurien restaurant in Crestet

So when the other day I found something on the menu at our friend's Eric and Nana's restaurant L'Epicurien that I had never eaten before I just had to try it. Now I have encountered marrow bones before - Osso Bucco is only worthy if served on the bone, but I never had it "raw" so to speak. Raw in the sense of it being served no frills style. Just the bone, beautifully roasted with good bread on the side and some sea salt. What can I say? It is wonderful.
And, unfortunately, very rich - I rather not tell you about its fat content as otherwise you will never try it. Which would be a shame because half the fun of of finding new culinary adventures is throwing yourself into them wholeheartedly. And what can be wrong about something so delicious that is even said to cure inflammatory conditions like irritable bowel syndrome, celiac disease and gluten intolerance? So be bold and adventurous and bon appétit!
Restaurant L'Epicurien, Quartier Glacière, 84110 Crestet, Tel: 0490419982, www.epicurienvaison.fr

9 comments:

  1. It is fab - I've had it at St John restaurant in London where they serve it with the most delicious sharply dressed parsley salad.

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    1. Thank you Alicia, I have to try that when next in London!

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  2. this is wonderful. i order it whenever i see it offered. there is nothing quite like it!

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  3. As you mention, I love to dig out the marrow when I have Osso Bucco. I have had it several times presented almost identically to the picture from your friend's restaurant which I have not been to. We use to serve roast bone marrow as an appetizer at Bistro Des Copains from time to time. Yummy.

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    1. Next time you are in Provence let's go to L'Epicurien together. That is, after we had the Bouillabaisse we talked about....

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  4. I'm always digging out the marrow! But those are small mouthfuls. When I see it on a menu, I'm tempted but then start to worry about the richness and change my mind. Someone at my table ordered it in London and I had a bite....delicious!

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  5. Barbara, to be "bold and adventurous" - that´s the spirit!
    I have eaten bone marrow from the Osso Bucco and as a child I used to adore the bone marrow dumplings that my mum made with her soups - but never this way. I do not think I have ever seen it served that way - I would try it for sure.
    Have a wonderful weekend & liebe Grüsse in die Provence
    Andrea

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  6. Hi Barbara,Merci for the lovely childhood memories!
    Have a nice day, Bea

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