In the first episode, James arrives in Saint-Emilion where he holidayed with his family as a child and started his love affair with food and wine. James visits the hotel and kitchen in Saint-Emilion where he first worked and trained to be chef and also samples and prepares the foods so prominent to the area, including the perfect steak and original macaroons invented in 1620 - always accompanied by his favourite Saint-Emilion wine!
James arrives in Canal Du Midi. Starting in historic Carcassonne, James cooks up a delicious fish stew on the banks of the canal and hops aboard a boat for a trip towards the coast. In exchange for a little work, he is treated to a traditional cuttlefish lunch cooked in the boat’s tiny kitchen before disembarking at L’Étang de Thau. There he treats the crew to a classic French dish, Moules Mariniere.
James visits Languedoc, famous for its wine and the hearty meaty dish, cassoulet. Here James stays at an 18th century coach house where hosts Mike and Val cook the team a feast using local ingredients. James also treats himself to a wander around a museum dedicated to Citroën 2CVs and turns up the heat with a steak cooked on a barbecue in the blazing sunshine.
James visits picturesque Charente. He starts his journey in the heart of the Cognac region and inspired by a visit to a local distillery, James uses Cognac for his first al fresco cook. He also follows in the footsteps of the Queen Mother to pay a visit to Chateau Venteuil, home of the De La Rochefoucald family.
James arrives in the Dordogne, famous for its traditional hearty cuisine, buried treasures and a love of all things duck! Exploring the Dordogne, James tastes three local specialities all cooked for him by the Auberge owner, British ex pat Chris. After lunch Chris hunts for another local icon, the black truffle, which he uses in his next recipe.
James ventures to the city of Lyon, known as the ‘Gastronomic Capital of France’, to explore the two sides of the culinary scene. A visit to the city’s famous food market provides plenty of inspiration for his first dish, a Lyonnaise bacon salad. James finds himself welcomed into a Bouchon, a rustic Lyon institution, where he’s served a slice of local history in the form of a Machon.
James’s arrives in the beautiful lakeside town of Annecy, and its crystal clear lake where he cooks dishes showcasing local tomatoes, red mullet and lobster. James also meets world-famous cheesemonger, Pierre Gay and his amazing selection of cheeses, as well as local chef, Yoann Conte in his Michelin star restaurant on the shores of Lake Annecy and the award-winning pastry chef Philippe Rigollot to sample of his extraordinary creations.
James heads East to the region of Jura, where he meets local farmer, Matthew Tissot who shows James his orchard and teaches him about the region’s apple and pears. James also visits Fort des Rousses, home to one of France’s most popular cheeses, Comte, and delving deeper into the region, James is cooked for by two Michelin starred chef, Jean Paul Jeunet who shares his take on a classic risotto using local ingredients in distinctly Swiss looking surroundings.
James heads to Bresse, home to one of France’s most famous ingredients: the Bresse chicken. Here James goes to a chicken farm and museum to meet some of the chickens and learn just why they are so special. James also gets to meet one of his human culinary heroes, Georges Blanc, owner of his three Michelin star restaurant where James gets a little star struck.
James arrives in Burgundy, a region famous for its wines and mustard fields. Retracing Floyds visit 30 years ago, James stops at the same vineyard for a personal tour. James also visits the region’s Capital, Dijon, turning his hand to making the city’s more famous export, mustard.
James’s journey takes him to the glitz and glamour of St. Tropez. Cooking, in true St Tropez style, aboard a yacht, James makes the most of the local seafood cooking ‘en papillote’. Also taking a local tour, James learns how Brigitte Bardot transformed the town from a quiet fishing village to an international hotspot, and he drops in on an old friend, Michel Roux, for a special barbeque with ingredients from Michel’s garden.
James visits the bustling Provencal port of Marseille and starts the day in the old port where the fishermen are selling fresh seafood on the back of their boats. Venturing into town James visits Marseille’s oldest bakery, famous for the Navette biscuit. James also takes his beloved 2CV to the world famous Circuit Paul Ricard to cook his take on Piperade.
James arrives in the distinct and diverse region of The Camargue. He begins his exploration at Les Marquises, the Laurent family’s farm, where James learns all about the Camargue Bull. We also see how the region is famous for fleur de sel - a delicate salty crust, which forms on the surface of seawater and is hand harvested in the waters of Aigues Mortes. James visits a rice farm where owner, Jacques, shows him around the paddy fields and later cooks James a risotto using his own rice-brewed beer.
James’s adventure brings him to the city of Arles, famous for its Roman architecture and a sport with bulls where young daredevils play a dangerous game. It’s also home to the largest market in Provence, and James sets up his mobile kitchen there to cook a dish of John Dory with tomatoes, courgettes and clams, bought from the market stalls around him. James also takes a trip to award-winning wine producer Chateau Romanin gets James to change his thinking on the merits of rosé wine.
James arrives in the adopted home of his food hero Keith Floyd, the riverside town of Isle Sur La Sorgue, where Floyd once had a restaurant. Buying produce from its floating market, and a Floyd-style hat, James sets up his mobile kitchen on a bridge overlooking the river, and cooks peaches pain perdu in the sunshine. Heading back in the direction of Isle Sur La Sorgue, James samples some truffle-laden dishes at renowned restaurant La Beaugraviere.
James visits the historic Pegasus Bridge in Normandy. James sets up his mobile kitchen in one of the many Calvados orchards in the area, to make a dish of artichokes with hollandaise. James also visits restaurant Le Pavé d’Auge in one of the most beautiful towns in France, to see a chef who likes to cook with as much butter as him.
James visits Claude Monet’s house in Giverny, peeking inside his kitchen, James sets up his own mobile kitchen nearby to cook a delicious dish of crab and dulse. Later down the road, Eric Guerin serves James pike, one of Monet’s favourite ingredients, at his restaurant Le Jardin des Plumes. Also, in a nearby orchard, on the day of their annual harvest, James cooks an autumnal treat of apple doughnuts.
James arrives in the French capital and one of his favourite cities in the world, Paris. Well known for its love affair with the baguette, James learns about the Poilane Bakery, that dates back to 1932, which specialises in sourdough. Paris is home to both artisans and fine dining and James is lucky enough to visit the kitchens of world renowned chef Pierre Gagnaire.
James visits the golden palace of Versailles and its food market, where James shops for some ingredients for his first dish – sole Veronique, which he cooks at the King’s allotment, the Potager du Roi. Travelling to the East of Versailles, James meets chocolatier Patrick Roger who makes sculptures out of chocolate before casting them in bronze or aluminium.
To finish his French adventure, James visits the Bois de Boulogne, a park on the outskirts of Paris and it’s race day at the Auteuil Hippodrome. There James meets a fellow Yorkshireman and champion jockey James Revelly. James also pays a visit to the Michelin-starred Pré Catalan restaurant and enjoys his favourite meal of the trip.