If you come on a mindfulness meditation retreat at Les Sources Sacrées, we will feed your mind as well as your body. Les Sources Sacrées is a secluded but not isolated retreat house deep in the heart of Gascony, in the sun-drenched south of France – land of « milk and honey », or rather land of paella Gascon, duck confit, cassoulet, croustade and Madiran, Pacherenc, Saint Mont and Cotes de Gascogne wines. Going on a starvation diet while you are here would be soul-destroying.
In Gascony, people live long and healthy lives despite eating rich food and drinking copious amounts of wine – it is called the Gascon Paradox. On an equine-guided meditation retreat at Les Sources Sacrées, you will be introduced to this laid-back way of life : You will discover some of the most famous dishes and wine of this region, visit a local fresh food market and go on a tutored wine tasting.
One would think that people would quickly become obese on such a rich diet, but obesity here is very rare.
Les Sources Sacrées is located just 90 minutes north of the Spanish border. Many people here speak Spanish and people dance the tango, eat paella and attend a bullfight during their village fetes. Paella Gascon has, over the years, become the signature dish of our retreats, the dish is served at the welcoming dinner on the first night here. It is decadently delicious and so easy to adapt for vegetarians who do or do not eat fish.
Guests always ask for my best paella recipe, which I am always happy to share. Despite the long list of ingredients, it is easy to make and even freezes well.
Paella Gascon
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp virgin olive oil, cold pressed
- 6 chicken (or small duck) drumsticks
- 250g chorizo sausage, sliced, not too thinly
- 1 large onion, diced
- 5 garlic cloves, peeled and grated
- 2 cups rinsed short-grain rice (soak it in water first for 10-15 minutes, then drain)
- 1 cup tomatoes, chopped in small cubes
- 1 cup red peppers, sliced
- 1 cup peas (frozen is fine)
- 750 ml chicken stock
- 250 ml of white wine (we use Pacherenc)
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp of cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp turmeric
- Half tsp of saffron
- 500g prawns/large shrimp
- 250 g calamari
- 500g mussels, scrubbed and soaked
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup of fresh, chopped parsley and sliced olives for garnish
- 1 lemon cut into lemon wedges
Instructions
In a large paella pan/12 inch+ skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Coat the drumsticks with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add drumsticks to pan, then cook for about 5-10 minutes until the chicken is crisp. Add chorizo sausage, to flavour the oil.
When chicken is fully cooked, push it to one side of the pan, then add the onion and sautée it for 2-3 minutes until the onion becomes translucent. Add the garlic, stir well and cook for another minute.
Now add the rice, tomatoes and red peppers to the pan. Let the rice cook in the sauce from the tomatoes for about 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock, paprika, cayenne pepper, tumeric and saffron. Stir everything together (including drumsticks and chorizo) and cover with a large enough lid. Cook for about 15 minutes or until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice.
Turn down the heat. Arrange the shrimp and mussels over the rice, cover with a lid again and cook for another 5-10 minutes or until the mussels open up. Add the calamari for the last 3-4 minutes.
Turn off the heat and garnish with parsley and olives.
Gascon paella is often served with lemon wedges and a spicy red pepper rouille in this part of France:
Ingredients of the rouille:
- 1/2 cup hot red peppers
- 3 tsp dry breadcrumbs
- Zest and juice of one lemon
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp tomato purée
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
- Half a tsp of saffron
- 4 tbsp of olive oil
- Salt to taste
Instructions to make the rouille:
Mix all ingredients together (in a blender if preferred). Add cold pressed virgin olive oil last and blend until smooth. Serve in a small bowl with a hot, crusty baguette on the side. Some people stir ½ a tsp of rouille into their paella, others eat it spread on bread.
We usually combine our paella with a deep-red, robust, rock-your-socks-off Madiran, but you can also serve it with a dry white, like a Pacherenc sec.
Allez-y les Gascons, bon appétit!
More about:
- The Food and Wine we serve at our Retreats: Retreat Menu
- Gascon Food: The Gastronomic Delights of Gascony
You can find more scrumptious recipes on our Best Recipes for Retreats Pinterest board and if you like what you find there, please follow us!
This post is also part of the Daily Post Photo Challenge: Dinnertime
Dr Margaretha Montagu 
Margaretha, this paella dish looks and sounds amazing!! I’ll be pinning this to try out. Thanks for the recipe! So glad to have you link up to Sweet Inspiration!
I remember your lovely paella dish because it was delicious!
Thanks, Claire!
God I hate my stomach issues. Dang that looks so good!!!!!!!!!!
Paella……mmmmmmmmmmm. Bookmarking this for future reference!
Bon appétit!
I live in Spain and we eat paella a lot! I have never made it myself though, your recipe sounds tempting!!! Thank you so much for linking up at Sweet Inspiration #2! Have a lovely week!!
This does sound like the best. Particularly in the context of your land, weather, horses and mindfulness. I am beginning to think about next year. Perhaps I really might be able to join you.
I would love that. I was thinking when you were in Italy, that you are actually not that far from me. I thought I should suggest you come over for a couple of nights and then I thought you probably already have every moment planned. If you come next year though and you don’t stop off here, even if it is just for a night or two, I’ll be most offended. I’d love to show you my world.
The Paella sounds delish! I never worry about gaining weight eating great food! I believe in eating real food, (organic is best) cooked with care, at the dining table with people we enjoy the company of feeds the soul. Enjoy!
I am 100% with you on that, Wendy!
Oooh, I love Paella! Can’t wait to try this.
What a great recipe Margaretha. I had the pleasure of honeymooning on the Canary Islands many years ago and remember ordering Paella. They bought us the biggest plate of food I have ever seen. And how could we not eat it, it was so delicious! I would like to invite you to a link party that I am hosting called Sweet Inspiration. You can link up anything at all and it runs from Friday till Tuesday.
I’ll be round straight away, Mary!
That looks lovely! I really like the idea of health and relaxation retreats that are not also based on the idea of diets and detox. I don’t really go for that sort of thing, and find lovely, indulgent food much more relaxing! I tend to think of this as a thing throughout France actually – eating richer food, and meals being a big thing (all the things that we here tend to view as being bad and diet breaking) without anywhere near our problems with obesity. That to me reinforces that it is a lifestyle and attitude thing that causes problems with obesity, not eating certain types of food – you can eat any foods if you are doing it sensibly and in the right way.
Spot on, Lucy!
Oh how I love Paella! I had it often while living in Spain. I will try your recepe for sure, and Paella is going onmy dinner plan for next week, it has been way too long now!
Enjoy!
Oooh, I need to try this!
It’s certainly worth it!
Haven’t had a good paella in years 🙂 This brings back some memories 🙂
Paella certaily has a reputation for making unforgettable memories!
The first real paella was after hours in a restaurant in Vichy, where I lived with my musician husband, gathered round the table with the staff, more wine than was reasonable and the guitar… 🙂
Now you are touching my heart strings…nothing like music to compliment food. I can just imagine the setting and the sounds!
A nice memory to hold on to after all these years 🙂