Upper Loire wanderings: day two – breakfast with Claude Courboin

9 August 2009

Claude in his kitchen with an unconventional rolling-pin – a wine bottle

The day got off to a leisurely start as breakfast took about two hours – things arrive in their own time with Claude Courboin who must now be in his mid-70s, suffering from rheumatism in his hands but who runs the chambres entirely by himself as well as offering table d'hôte. Claude's great speciality is tarte tatin. For brealfast he made us what he described as a quasi-tarte tatin – one that had only cooked for about an hour and a half. A real 'tarte tatin' needed about five hours cooking to ensure that the apples were throughly caramelised and buttery. I have to say that the 'quasi' version was probably the best tatin I have tasted, so the full version must be sensational.

Readying the pastry

Ready for the oven

Claude used to be a farmer with some 250 hectares of land, which he sold, and took up the chambres about six years ago. "I don't have clients," he explained. "Instead I have friends for the day – les amis du jour."

Well deserved applause and admiration

Looks so good

Serving........

Claude Courboin, Gorgeot, 18700 Aubigny-sur-Nère (tel: 02.48.58.03.16)