Butter! Fleur de Sel! Like you've never tasted!

In spite of the rain we made our way from the museum to Borough Market today, the greatest single foodie paradise in all of Europe.

For those of you who haven't had the pleasure, imagine this. Acres and acres of gourmet food stands, produce stalls, flower markets, tiny jam and confection shops and open air cafes, tucked beneath the structures of London Bridge. For more than 250 years, Borough Market has brought together the best of the best of small European farms, bakeries, cheese producers, fishmongers, butchers and more. Heaven on earth!

My destination today was clear when we arrived at the market. To find Real France Fine Foods and purchase some of the best salt known to chefs: fleur de sel.

My bonus: discovering a delectable treat in Real France's unpasteurised butter with crispy sea salt. When biting into a piece of baguette spread with the butter, a first taste will reveal a creamy texture. Then, as the butter begins to melt, tiny salt crystals add a new dimension of flavor. It is spectacular!

I also indulged in thick wedges of their salted and unsalted butter, cut fresh from the block. Next visit I'll be certain to buy a Chabichou du Poitou, a creamy goat's milk cheese in a natural rind made in the Poitou-Charentes region of France.
For lunch this afternoon at Black and Blue Restaurant, I had a mixed green salad with pancetta-wrapped grilled goat cheese over sliced campari tomatoes. It seems to me that the Chabichou would be perfect served this way, accented by just a touch of balsamic and olive oil, and of course, fleur de sel.

But my true goal for today was the salt. Fleur de sel is delicate, melts easily and seasons to perfection. It is highly prized by chefs. To read an article about how Real France's Noirmoutier fleur de sel is harvested, visit my website, www.michellecooks.com.

As a passionate cook, I keep two bowls next to my stove at all times: a bowl of fleur de sel for finishing the flavors of my dishes, and my "proprietary" blend of seasonings that evoke the essence of herbes de Provence. Real France has taken my two standby seasonings and combined the two treats into one with an herbes de Provence sea salt. Can you see me smiling?

Like I said, Borough Market and its vendors - foodie heaven on earth!

For more information email info@realfrance.co.uk.