What could be more fun than enjoying a foodie cruise along the Dordogne river in the delightful company of Raymond Blanc OBE?

This autumn Raymond will be joining passengers for a culinary cruise in France on board Scenic Diamond.

On the eight-day ‘Flavours of Bordeaux’ cruise guests can join two Michelin-starred Raymond for an interactive cookery demonstration and tasting, before learning his kitchen secrets during an exclusive Q&A session.

This will be followed by a complimentary book signing and a dinner selected by the chef.

Departing on 10 October 2023, the roundtrip cruise departs from Bordeaux with stops including Saint-Émilion, Médoc, and Cadillac.

If you can’t join Raymond onboard, don’t worry. Here he shares two of his light and tasty dishes for you to try at home.

Sea bream ceviche & pickled vegetables

Serves 4

"This dish is inspired by my recent travels to Mexico where I had some fantastic food, of which ceviche was a highlight. There are quite a few steps to this dish but they can all be done the day before apart from the ceviche itself. And of course, if you wish to make it very simple, just serve the ceviche on its own with some crusty bread and a glass of Provençal rose. Bon appetite."

Ingredients

For the pickled mooli

• 100g mooli (prepared weight)
• 25g sake
• 15g mirin
• 7g rice wine vinegar
• 1 pinch salt
• ½ tsp caster sugar
• 50ml water
• 5g yuzu juice

Method

1. Peel and finely slice the mooli.
2. Cut the mooli slices lengthways into long, thin strips.
3. Place into a heat proof container or bowl.
4. In a small saucepan bring the rest of the ingredients to the boil.
5. Once boiling, remove from the heat and pour over the mooli strips, ensuring all the strips are covered in the liquid.
6. Allow to cool before chilling and reserving in the fridge.

Ingredients

For the pickled red onion

• 1 medium red onion
• 40ml white wine vinegar
• 80ml water
• 1 pinch salt
• ½ tsp caster sugar

Method

• Peel and cut the red onion into 1cm dice.
• Place into a heat proof container or bowl.
• In a small saucepan bring the rest of the ingredients to the boil.
• Once boiling, remove from the heat and carefully pour over the red onion.
• Leave to cool before transferring to the fridge to chill completely before using.

Ingredients

For the sea bream ceviche

• 110g (2 fillets) Sea bream (prepared weight)
• ½ stick celery
• 1 piece carrot
• 1 bunch red radish (round/with the green leaves)
• ½ bulb fennel
• ½ bunch coriander
• ½ pickled red onion (see recipe)
• 100g samphire
• 30 cucumber balls (made using a 1cm parisienne scoop)
• 2 limes, juiced
• 160g extra virgin olive oil
• 2 pinches salt
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper

Method

1. Skin and remove the bones from the seabream fillets fillets, then cut into 1 cm dice and place into a medium bowl.
2. Cut the balls from the cucumber using a 1cm parisienne scoop, season with salt.
3. Peel, cut in half lengthways and finely slice the celery and carrot and finely slice the radish and fennel.
4. Roughly chop the coriander leaf and stalks and add to the sea bream.
5. Add all the remaining ingredients and mix well.
6. Return to the fridge for 10-15 minutes, this is to allow time for the flavours to marry together and to cook the fish with the lime juice.
7. Remove from the fridge, taste and season.

Ingredients

For the dashi stock

• 250ml water
• 8g kombu seaweed, dried
• 10g bonito flakes
• 15g light soy sauce
• 10g mirin
  

Method

1. In a small saucepan bring the water to the boil with the kombu and bonito flakes.
2. As soon as it starts to boil, remove from the heat and chill. Leave to infuse in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight if possible.
3. Pass through a sieve pushing all the liquid out with a ladle, catching the liquid in a clean bowl. Add the soy sauce and mirin and reserve in the fridge until ready to serve.
4. To finish the dish drain the pickled mooli through a sieve and place the pickled mooli in a nest just off centre on the plate, add the mixed sea bream ceviche in a high pile and garnish with lime slices.
5. Scatter the cucumber balls around the plate. Pour the dashi stock onto the plates at the table in front of your guests

Tomato salad, Maman Blanc

Serves 4

‘This salad is very Maman Blanc in style, but I have added something new - mozzarella- which is not very Maman Blanc, at all. We did not have mozzarella in Franche-Comté, where I was my father’s helper in his garden, assisting with the planting of tomatoes. We picked them when they were slightly under-ripe, then left them to ripen further on a kitchen window sill, finished by the warmth of sunbeams.’

Ingredients

• 1.2kg heritage tomatoes
• ½ red onion
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 2 pinches of sea salt flakes
• 6 turns of ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 balls mozzarella cheese
• 4 sprigs basil

Method

1. Slice all the tomatoes into bite-sized wedges and place them in a large bowl.
2. Finely slice the onion and add to the same bowl.
3. Crush the peeled garlic clove with the back of a knife, finely slice it and then add it to the bowl.
4. Season the salad with the salt and pepper and add the white wine vinegar and olive oil. Toss the salad, and leave it for at least 5 minutes to marinate - enough time for an exchange of flavours.
5. Arrange the tomato salad in a large serving dish.
6. Cut the mozzarella balls into quarters and place them around the salad with the basil sprigs. Serve.

The perfect wine pairing

‘A dry French rose or crisp white Sancerre will accompany both these dishes perfectly,’ says Raymond. ‘Serve well chilled.’