Easter In Paris

I can't believe I'm saying this but, on the one hand, it was nice to have a break from hosting Easter this year. One the other hand, I greatly missed hosting Easter this year. I missed the family and friends sharing the celebration meal. I missed the pierogies from Polish Village Cafe in Detroit, I missed Stan's sausage and horseradish but most of all I missed the house full of family, nieces and nephews running around and cooking with my Mom.

We had a lovely Easter nonetheless.

I waited a little long to start looking for a restaurant in Paris for an Easter meal. By the time I started looking all of the places I thought might be good choices were booked. It couldn't have worked out better however as we had a perfect brunch at Drouant, not far from the Opera Garnier. This was the best meal in Paris on this trip for me.

From the gorgeous art deco entry to the elegant, spacious and well appointed dining room, Drouant was as much a feast for the eyes and spirit as it proved to be for the tummy. Unfortunately I didn't take pictures of the dining room but here are pics of our brunch.

The bread service was fabulous. I don't know if they make their breads in house or order in but it was the bestbread I had this trip.

The pastries were also very fine.

The meal consisted of four small plates: a poached egg with thin slices of jambon Iberico, carrot soup, fruit salad and herbed fromage blanc with smoked salmon. There were accompanying breads, pastries and fresh squeezed juices, coffees and teas.

The fruit salad was a mix of fruits with toasted hazelnuts and pistachios and a seed that was similar to flax seed though I think it was something else.

The carrot soup was scented with cumin and garnished with a crouton and chopped chives.

The smoked salmon was good but the star of this little plate was the creamy, slightly salty, herbed fromage blanc. I couldn't stop slathering it on the chewy and crusty country wheat bread that was part of our bread service.

Everything about our brunch was a treat but the best part for me was this egg. I have never had an egg cooked like this before. The white was cooked all the was through, but softer than the white of a hard boiled egg, and the yolk was warm and runny with no solid spots. This egg was heaven and then some. There was no need to salt the egg as the jambon iberico provided just the right amount of salt with each bite. We deduced that this egg must have been cooked sous vide. I have never had a protein or vegetable cooked sous vide that I cared for but if this is how one can cook and egg with the method then I am all for it.

A little dark chocolate and brandied orange slices to end the meal.

I found an English speaking Catholic church and Steve and I went to the Easter Sunday evening mass. We've been to French and Latin masses in Paris but it was nice to attend an English mass.

When we arrived the choir was practicing. The whole choir was Filipino and as it turned out, though there was a diverse group gathered for mass most of the congregants were Filipino. I was curious to know if this is a Filipino church or if perhaps the Sunday evening service attracts Catholic Filipinos living in Paris but I never asked. The choir was accompanied by two and sometimes three guitars instead of a piano or organ so it was like a folk choir. The choir was very cool and it was a nice mass and it was very good to take communion.