Chandeleur, celebrated every year on February 2nd, is traditionally marked by eating crêpes. Their shape and golden colour evoke the sun and therefore the end of winter. On the Côte d’Azur, this festival heralds the approaching arrival of Carnival.
You can enjoy the traditional crêpes with sugar, chocolate, jam or Nutella in all the cafés that prepare them for the occasion. But you can also taste original variations special to the “French Riviera”. Here are my favourites:
La Monégasque at the Métropole Monte-Carlo:
Created especially to pay tribute to the Principality, this composition by Patrick Mesiano, one of the virtuosos of sweets on the Côte d’Azur, features a raspberry confit, a light vanilla chantilly cream, all accompanied by a raspberry coulis. White and red that evoke the colours of the Monegasque flag. Prepared before your eyes, elegant and delicious! 17, Avenue des Spélugues, Monaco.
The VIP Chandeleur by Lilian Bonnefoi:
Lilian Bonnefoi, celebrated pastry chef of the Hotel Cap-Eden-Roc, has concocted here a dessert that is a true delight: this crêpe cake enhanced with a citrus confit and rum for Chandeleur. You may also choose the VIP raspberry or the VIP chocolate hazelnut, the favourite of the youngest guests. An original creation for enjoying crêpes in the form of an elegant cake. 2, Place du Safranier, Antibes.
The Crêpe Suzette at the Café de Paris, Monte-Carlo:
On the Côte d’Azur, we like to believe the legend that the crêpe Suzette was born at the Café de Paris. In the 19th century, the Prince of Wales, who was lunching at the Café de Paris with his companion Suzette, asked Chef Carpentier to prepare crêpes with liqueur for him; the pan accidentally caught fire, the Prince was delighted and asked that this new recipe be named after his companion. Orange, butter, Grand Marnier and sugar… a delight not to be missed at the Café de Paris! Place du Casino, Monaco.
“Chandeleur à ta porte, c’est la fin des feuilles mortes”. Proverb of my grandmother
Leave a Reply