Markets and halls
To buy good products, you need to know the best places to buy them. Béziers is, like all the cities in the south of France, an image of epinal: the city has of course its markets where it is good to stroll and admire the products sublimated by the atmosphere. All year round and in all seasons, you can come and do your shopping and leave with your bag full of local products. Almost every day, with the small neighborhood markets, the city is animated here by the flower market, there by the farmer's market or over there by the organic market. If you haven't found everything you need, go to the covered market of the city. The latter, in addition to presenting a charming Baltard style, are the meeting place of the inhabitants of Biterrois: they come to shop among the thirty or so merchants specialized in food products, they have lunch there and meet the world again every morning from Tuesday to Sunday. On the sea side, don't miss the traditional market of Sérignan as well as the markets of Valras-Plage: fish, shellfish and seafood lovers will be delighted. We also advise you to go to the Halles Marty in Valras-Plage, and particularly to the fishmongers' stand where renowned fishmongers offer you the best of the local catch. On the vine side, each village also has its traditional market, generally installed on the village square: here you will find the best products of the region, often with small local producers who are full of tricks to cook the flavors of the land.
Vegetables and fruits of the sun
Subjected to Mediterranean influences, the lands of Béziers meet the necessary criteria for beautiful productions of vegetables and fruits full of sunshine. Some of these productions are particularly renowned and are exported throughout France and abroad. Among them, we can mention one of the great productions that represents the olive, undisputed symbol of the Mediterranean cuisine. The most used varieties are of course the picholine, which can be found throughout the south of France, but also the local variety, the lucques. Recognizable by its dark green color, this slightly bumpy fruit, shaped like a crescent moon, has a very small stone, a fine pulp and an inimitable taste. Lovers of good products will appreciate this revelation: the town of Sérignan is home to a market gardener whose crops, all organic, offer some exceptional products. Lionel Vernède indeed cultivates nuggets, one of which can be found on the tables and in the kitchens of renowned chefs. For more than ten years, asparagus has been a favorite of Alain Ducasse, the Royal Monceau and the Élysée. You can also enjoy the artichokes and carrots. As for fruit trees, peaches and apricots are favored in these southern lands.
The delights of the sea
Fishing on the Biterrois coast has remained an activity that can be described as traditional. The fish, shellfish and seafood that populate the waters are highlighted on the stalls of fishmongers in the market or on the stands of the shellers as for those located near the tourist office of Valras-Plage. Always very lively, the port of Valras-Plage and the Quai des Pêcheurs are places to stroll to soak up the art of living of the workers of the sea. To be found on the stalls: the bass, appreciated for the quality of its flesh and the delicacy of its taste, the muge, also called mullet, the sea bream, the mackerel or the sardine, two fishes very appreciated in grilling in summer. The breeding of shellfish (oysters and mussels) is mainly done on the shellfish farming poles that are the Thau and Leucate lagoons. However, these products arrive every day at the fishmongers and the shuckers.
A local cuisine
Traditions are omnipresent in the gastronomy here, and Mediterranean influences blend harmoniously with the Iberian notes of their Spanish neighbours. A land of sea and land, the cuisine of the region inevitably reflects this tasty mix of ingredients, shaped over time and generations, taught by the know-how of fishermen, farmers and market gardeners, embellished by restaurateurs and cultivated by everyone in a perpetual respect for tradition. Gastronomy is first and foremost that of the people: it is they who have known how to embellish the natural riches of the soil and the sea, giving rise to a cuisine that is full of flavour, inspired and always creative. Today's chefs infuse their cooking with these local notes that enhance a dish, give character to a starter or underline the authenticity of the products they work with. The cuisine of this region is that of the family: it is a cuisine that is passed on, a cuisine that never ceases to live and that triggers memories. It can be reinterpreted, of course, but it is a heritage, a folklore to which we are attached. This cuisine is rooted in and puts the taste buds in tune with the land.
The recipe for cuttlefish stew Valrasian style
Ingredients: 1.5 kg of fresh cuttlefish, with livers. 2 kg of potatoes. 400 g of black olives. 4 onions. 1 head of garlic. 2 tablespoons of tomato paste. Olive oil. Saffron, Espelette pepper, bird pepper, salt, pepper.
Clean the cuttlefish. Peel the potatoes and cut them into large cubes. Cut the cuttlefish into pieces, keeping the tentacles. In a casserole dish, fry the cuttlefish in olive oil. Add half the minced garlic and onion. Season with salt and pepper. When the pieces turn a nice golden colour, set them aside. Fry the potatoes in olive oil, add the rest of the garlic and onion and the tomato paste. Add the cuttlefish to the tomatoes. Mix well and cover with a little water. Add the bouquet garni, the olives and the Espelette pepper. Bring to the boil and reduce to a simmer. Add the livers and saffron. Leave to cook for 30 minutes on a low heat
