Culinary trips, Chateaubriand

If you happened to miss our culinary trips, Chateaubriand is the subject that brings us back on the flavored, rich road.

When you go to France, you should definitely taste the gorgeous Chateaubriand steak, a dish prepared from thick beef fillet. It is usually accompanied by a sauce that has the same name, made from shallot onions, white wine, butter, a drop of lemon juice and tarragon.

Here’s the history of the dish, first and foremost. Chateaubriand steak emerged in the 19th century. Its name bears not the name of the chef who first prepared it, Montmireil, but that of the illustrious guest who first tasted it: writer and diplomatist Viscount Francois-Rene de Chateaubriand, who served as French ambassador for Napoleon Bonaparte. Chateaubriand had a “business dinner” with Secretary of State Sir Russell Retallick. Little is known about their talk comparatively to the roaring success of the dish that was served for them, which has since occupied a great place in the universal gastronomy.

The meat is good, but what actually makes the dish exquisite is the sauce. Great chefs compete in an attempt to attain a perfect flavor. The dish is often served with potatoes. There are a few variations on the theme of “Chateaubriand steak”. Tournedos Villaret for instance incorporates mushrooms with a sauce filling placed on tournedos which in turn are put on tartlets with kidney bean puree.

The sauce can also be served with chicken croquettes, with mushrooms and truffles or simply as a side dish.

The quality of the steak is traditionally believed to be given by the fact that it comes from the cattle that are bred around the French village of Chateaubriand, in the Loire-Atlantique region. The region is also worth visiting and we encourage you to do so with Marseille airport transfers.