SOUTH AFRICA'S TV WEBSITE
SIGN IN SEARCH MENU
SOUTH AFRICA'S TV WEBSITE


Rick Stein's French Odyssey

Genres: Food

Rate:

7.6

Add to Show Favourites

About the Show

Rick Stein's French Odyssey is a British cookery series written and presented by English chef Rick Stein, in which he embarks on an idyllic gastronomic journey through the waterways of Southern France, from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean.

The series originally aired in the UK on the BBC in summer 2005. There are 10 half-hour episodes in the series.

Rick Stein's French Odyssey premieres in South Africa on DStv's BBC Food channel on Sunday 27 January 2008, at 14h00. Five episodes air one after the other, from 14h00-16h30.

Synopsis

Rick's journey begins in Cornwall after saying a painful goodbye to his faithful friend Chalky (the vet said he was too old to make the journey).

Onto Plymouth for the Channel crossing to Brittany then south in the trusty Land Rover and then down the magnificent coast exploring and enjoying the seafood along the way.

Starting at the mouth of the mighty Girdone River in Bordeux, award-winning chef Rick Stein embarks on a trip that everyone would love to take – along the rivers of Southern France, sampling the local culinary delights on the way.

In this series, Rick’s new home is called Rosa – an 80-year-old, hundred-foot long barge which has been doing the trip for the best part of 30 years. The barge’s captain, Bernard, is a good man to have aboard, not least because he knows the best bars, wine producers and restaurants along the 800-kilometre journey.

Rick is on a gastronomic odyssey to find all the glorious food and wine that France can offer – from eels in cider and buckwheat galettes to entrecôte bordelaise and shad grilled over vine trimmings, sarladaise potatoes fried in duck fat with garlic and parsley, snails Languedoc style and La Bourride, and an epic Bouillabaisse at L’Epuisette a restaurant on La Corniche in Marseille.

Rick introduces his French Odyssey with a diary where he conjures up visions of long hot French afternoons spent sipping wine in the sunshine over a lazy lunch:

"Beauduc is a smudge on the map somewhere between the Mediterranean and a network of etangs, the salt-water lagoons that are all part of Rhone delta. There’s a restaurant there called Chez Jou Jou, which is any seafood lover’s dream: tellines with aioli as a starter, then loup de mer as the main course – I don’t know if there was any other choice, and I don’t care really – all washed down with copious quantities of ice-cold Picpoul de Pinet. Jack Nicholson’s been there, Dustin Hoffman’s been there, and now me."

But what of the celebrated French food? Has the romantic picture of French cooking been usurped by the golden arches of McDonalds?

Surrounded by lush vineyards and dramatic hilltop castles, Rick follows the contours of the river, visiting local markets, sea-side cafes and rustic restaurants on the way to his final goal: a small, hidden-away restaurant in Marseilles called Le Lunch, where he had one of the best seafood lunches imaginable.


Starring

as
Host - Himself


LATEST ARTICLES

Bloedspoor Teasers - October 2025

There's a body in a car and Ilgaz is sure that Cinar is hiding something.


New on TV today: Tuesday 16 September 2025

The Last Rhinos: A New Hope airs on Disney+ and BBC Earth follows cutting-edge surgeons in a new series.


2025 Emmy Awards: Biggest snub, biggest win, biggest eyeroll

We love it when a plan comes together. A wrap of the wins in key categories and our special awards.


Scandal! Teasers - October 2025

Ephraim's woes at the butchery continue when a helper is put under pressure to sabotage him.


New on TV today: Monday 15 September 2025

The 2025 Emmy Awards air live and repeated on M-Net and Welcome to Plathville returns to TLC.


New on TV today: Sunday 14 September 2025

Celebrity Race Across the World returns on BBC Earth and Home Channel fires up Jamie's Easy Meals for Every Day.


New on TV today: Saturday 13 September 2025

TLC weighs in with 1000-lb Roomies and The Mommy Club 3 arrives to terrorise Mzansi Magic.


On Carte Blanche: illegal cigarettes smoke out South Africa

Blast back to lockdown when illegal cigarettes were all the rage. Now they're outselling legal ones.


Blink Kant Bo 2 Teasers - October 2025

Orhan faces abuse in prison as Pelin fights for her life when she goes into labour.


New on TV today: Friday 12 September 2025

Netflix unpacks the Beauty and the Bester and BBC Brit presents Freddie Flintoff's Field of Dreams.

LATEST SITE ACTIVITY


More activity at TVSA Central



,

LATEST SOAPIE TEASERS


,

LATEST SOAPIE TEASERS




×
×

You browser doesn't have Flash, Silverlight, Gears, BrowserPlus or HTML5 support.