Top 5 must-try Breton recipes

Top 5 must-try Breton recipes 

Algologie is located in Paimpol, a French coastal town in the Côtes-d'Armor department in the Brittany region. This part of France is renowned for its traditional recipes: kouign-amann, far breton and pâte à crêpes, as well as savoury dishes such as lobster à l'armoricaine, mussels au chouchen and many others. In this article, you'll find our top 5 must-try Breton recipes!

Sweet Breton specialities 

Recipe for Far Breton

When you think of Breton gastronomy, you immediately think of Far Breton. This recipe is quick and easy to make, so don't wait any longer and treat yourself! 

And for those with a sweet tooth, this pastry is also delicious with apples or prunes. Chef's tip !

• Préparation : 15 minutes
• Cuisson : 60 minutes
• Nombre : 6 à 8 personnes

Ingrédients

• 220 g de farine
• 130 g de sucre en poudre
• 1 sachet de sucre vanillé
• 3/4 de litre de lait
• 5 œufs
• 20 g de beurre
• (facultatif) 500 g de pruneaux

Instructions

• Préchauffez le four à 180 °C (thermostat 6) ;
• Dans un saladier, mélangez le sucre, la farine et le sucre vanillé ;
• Ajoutez les œufs en prenant soin de bien mélanger délicatement le tout à chaque fois ;
• Versez le lait et ajoutez le beurre préalablement fondu puis mélangez jusqu’à ce que vous obteniez une pâte homogène ;
• Beurrez le fond de votre moule et versez-y la pâte ;
• Placez votre moule au four et patientez une heure environ.

Recipe for Crêpes 

Naturally, we eat crêpes on Chandeleur, 2 February each year. 

Did you know that?

Chandeleur party is a religious festival celebrated 40 days after Christmas. On this day, the Christ Child was presented in the Temple, illuminated by a large number of candles, hence the name Chandeleur. Candles are blessed in churches and symbolise purity and light. 

Crêpes can be eaten savoury as a main course with buckwheat flour, or sweetened with wheat flour. And don't forget to add that little extra touch with a bowl of cider, of course!

• Préparation : 30 minutes
• Cuisson : 10 minutes
• Nombre : 12 crêpes

Ingrédients

• 250 g wheat flour
• 50g butter
• 50 cl milk
• 10 cl water
• 4 large eggs
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 pinch salt

Instructions

• In a bowl, add the wheat flour, 2 tablespoons of sugar and a pinch of salt;
• Gradually pour in the milk, then the water, while beating with a whisk;
• Add the melted butter and eggs;
• Leave the pancake batter to rest in the fridge for 30 to 45 minutes;
• Cook the crêpes for about 2 minutes on each side, turning them over with a spatula.

The recipe for kouign-amann

Another Breton speciality is kouign-amann and its 100% pure butter puff pastry. This tasty recipe is a typical Brittany cake that's a real treat for the taste buds. It's made with simple ingredients, and this recipe is sure to delight your guests!

Ingrédients

• 250 g flour
• 200 g salted butter
• 200 g caster sugar
• 10 g baker's yeast
• 10 cl water
• 1 pinch flower of salt

Instructions

• Preheat oven thermostat 5/6, 180°C;
• In a bowl, combine the flour and baker’s yeast, make a well, pour in the warm water. Work the dough, it must be just sticky to the fingers;
• Let stand until the dough has doubled in volume. Allow 3 hours before continuing the recipe;
• Prepare the butter-sugar mixture, it must be homogeneous and have the same consistency as the dough;
• Flour the work surface and roll to spread the dough and spread it as thinly as possible;
• Spread the butter/sugar mixture on the dough;
• Fold once in three lengthwise, then once in the width direction and flatten to remove air bubbles;
• Fold in a triangle, put in a mould and let rise a second time;
• With a knife, cut the striations on the top of the dough and brush the egg yolk on the top of the dough to brown the whole;
• Place in oven 20/25 min at 180°;
• Enjoy warm the same day.

Savoury Breton specialities

Lobster recipe with armoricaine 

There is another name for this recipe, the American lobster. But there’s really no difference between the two, other than the origin of the lobster.

If it was caught in Brittany, we are talking about Armoricaine lobster, if it comes from the Atlantic on the United States side, we will say American-style lobster. 

In the traditional recipe, we use tarragon, but if it is not your favorite spice, you can replace it with parsley.

• Preparation: 20 minutes
• Cooking time: 40 minutes
• Number: 4 people

Ingrédients

• 2 live lobsters, about 900 g
• 2 shallots
• 4 tomatoes
• 100 g butter
• 1 glass of cognac
• 2 glasses of white wine
• 2 tarragon branches
• 1 onion
• 1 carrot
• 6 tablespoons oil
• 2 pinches of pepper 
• 1 tablespoon tomato concentrate
• 1 bouquet garni
• 1 teaspoon flour
• salt, pepper

Instructions

• Peel the vegetables. Chop the onion and shallots separately. Dice the carrot. Crush the tomato flesh.
• On a cutting board, hold the lobster firmly. Loosen the claws and break them. Separate the head from the tail. Cut the latter into pieces following the joints. Split the head in half lengthwise and collect the coral as well as all soft and creamy parts. Keep them on hold but throw the gills away.
• In a frying pan, heat 4 tablespoons of oil and brown the lobster pieces on all sides over high heat, then remove.
• In a skillet or casserole, heat the leftover oil and 40 g of butter and add the chopped onion and carrot dices.
• When the mixture has melted, add the chopped shallots, then the sautéed lobster pieces. Sprinkle with cayenne pepper. Mix and drizzle with cognac. Flambé.
• As soon as it is off, add the crushed flesh of the tomatoes, the tomato concentrate, the white wine, 1 glass of water, the bouquet garni and the tarragon. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 20 min.
• Drain the lobster pieces and place them in a warm serving dish.
• Transfer the cooking juices over high heat and reduce by a third. Pass them through, then pour them into a small saucepan and return them to heat.
• With a fork, mix the flour with the remaining butter, the lobster coral and the substances of the head set aside. Add them to the sauce in the small saucepan, stirring vigorously until the sauce becomes very smooth. Remove immediately and pour over the lobster pieces.
• Serve immediately.

The recipe for mussels with chouchen 

This recipe is a good alternative to mussels for beer or white wine. Chouchen is a Breton alcohol with a subtle honey taste. This flavor is perfectly combined with the iodized taste of the mould.

• Preparation time: 1 h 10 min
• Cooking time: 15 minutes
• Number: 4

Ingrédients

• 2 L mussels
• 500 ml of chouchen
• 25 g butter
• 2 shallots
• A few sprigs of chopped parsley
• Salt
• Pepper

Instructions

• Start by rinsing the mussels thoroughly and soak them in a bowl of slightly warm water with 2 or 3 pinches of coarse salt for 1 hour (this will clean the sand well and open them a little).
• Put them under cold water.
• In a saucepan or casserole, place the salted butter and fry the shallots cut into small pieces with the parsley.
• Then pour 250 ml of chouchen, a little salt and pepper.
• When the chouchen begins to boil, place the mussels in the pan.
• When the mussels begin to open, pour in the remaining chouchen.
• Stir well and wait for all mussels to open.

With these 5 essential Breton recipes, you can only satisfy your guests and delight yourself!