An easy 'Terre et Mer' Salad, where land and sea meet on a French charcuterie plate with Corsican cured ham, smoked salmon and a green salad with apple and beetroot. Made in under 30 minutes.
Where land and sea meet on a charcuterie plate
A Taste of Corsica
Visiting family around Calvi, on the west coast of Corsica, it's typical to see a wild and dramatic coastline.
Genoese Towers dotted along Corsica's dramatic coastline almost echo cries from the past from distant tower-keepers, warning of pirates or invaders to claim the Island of Beauty.
Windy walks along the ragged coast of Punta di Spanu is not just invigorating. Its air is also filled with the heady aromas of the maquis.
What is the Corsican Maquis?
The Corsican maquis, or undergrowth, is a heady mix of wild herbs: rosemary, thyme, myrtle, wild cistus, laburnum, sage, mint and curry plants.
Such an intoxicating mixture of salty, smoky, spicy perfumes come together as a herbal, almost gingerbread-like smell around the island. Honestly, it's so particular to Corsica, I wish I could bottle its unique fragrance.
Corsica's Cuisine
Just 15 minutes by car inland and you're already in the often snow-capped mountains. Donkeys and goats graze on the higher maquis-floored slopes. Life is at a completely different pace to Parisian life.
With so much coastline you'd think that Corsican cuisine is centred around fish. Conversely, it's more about the land - with slow-cooked family dishes like veal and pepper stew.
It's also rich in its ewe's milk or goat cheese, with its most famous being brocciu.
A bit like ricotta, brocciu is the main ingredient of its most famous dish, Cannelloni au Brocciu. This is more than any ricotta and spinach dish with its typical herbs, echoing the land- much like the simple Mint Omelette my Corsican mother-in-law makes often.
Likewise, try its most popular dessert, the fiadone Corsican cheesecake. Moreover, don't ever leave the island without trying some beignets au brocciu - either salted or sweet, found in the best bakeries.
What is Typically on a Charcuterie Plate in Corsica?
Corsica is an island where charcuterie is king and any mountain walk (notably the GR20) will finish with a huge board of charcuterie to share. Please don't be confused with charcuterie boards seen on the internet that show cookies, cakes, unicorns and more sweet treats - that is NOT a French charcuterie plate at all. For a good explanation of the real-deal, see my friend Cynthia's post on what a typical board should look like, from What a Girl Eats.
A French charcuterie platter is typically simple as the emphasis is on the cured meats - and there are plenty of varieties to choose from:
- Lonzu - salted tenderloin and less fatty, as it's the leanest cut of cured ham with almost a sweet, nutty taste;
- Coppa - dark crimson coloured, this is made with pork loin and has fat marbled through the muscle. Perhaps the most popular of Corsican meats and easier to find around France;
- Figatellu -Â unlike the others, never eaten raw but cooked or bbq. U-shaped and almost black, this sausage made of liver and minced pork meat is particularly strong in flavour;
- Prisuttu - much milder than above, this cured meat is also dark and salted with sea salt.
Each platter is based around these above cured meats (see Corsican charcuterie for more detail) with a little cheese (they are so strong, a little goes a long way!) plus a pot of typical Corsican fig jam to put out the cheese and figatellu fires!
I couldn't resist adding a savoury macaron, just to add a little Parisian fun to the whole plate!
Inspiration for Land & Sea Salad
This starter recipe got its inspiration from the restaurant, U Fanale in Calvi. When we visited a few years ago, chef Philippe Gouret surprised us with a Corsican starter salad of terre et mer, translated as where land meets sea.
At first glance, it seems a strange combination with smoked salmon and smoked charcuterie on the same plate. However, just try them together. It works!
How to Make a Simple French Charcuterie Plate with Salmon
Serve the smoked salmon (or smoked trout) with thin slices of your favourite charcuterie or cured meat. Add some lamb's lettuce (salade de mâche) or watercress (cresson) and julienne strips of chiogga beetroot (marinated in olive oil and Xeres vinegar), like the chef prepared.
I add some finely chopped Granny Smith apple marinated in lemon juice for that extra personal touch.
Try it also with fresh figs or some radishes in season.
Plus, adding a beetroot and horseradish macaron takes it to the next level! Macaron recipe in my book, Mad About Macarons - there's a whole chapter on savoury macarons.
French Charcuterie Plate with Salmon (Salade Terre et Mer)
Ingredients
- 8-12 thin slices charcuterie* (see notes) (Lonzo, Coppa, or other cured ham)
- 8 slices smoked salmon (or smoked trout)
- 1 tart apple (Granny Smith, Ariane) chopped finely
- ½ lemon, juice only (or lime)
- 1 chiogga beetroot chopped finely in strips
- 3 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
- 1 tablespoon Xeres wine vinegar (or white balsamic)
- Lettuce of your choice (lamb's lettuce or watercress)
- 8 radishes halved (optional for decor)
Instructions
- Marinade the apple slices immediately in the lemon/lime juice. Prepare the vinaigrette of olive oil and vinegar, whisking together. In another bowl, marinade the raw thin beetroot slices in a tablespoon of it.
- Prepare the plates with charcuterie slices on one side, smoked salmon on the other side and in the middle, place the lettuce leaves and top with vinaigrette, fleur de sel salt, a few turns of the peppermill, plus the beetroot and apple slices at the last minute.
Notes
This recipe was first published 9 November 2012 but has now been completely updated.
Colonna Fabien
Voici de bien belles photos de notre région .L'assiette européenne me plait pas mal aussi ,Je trouverai bien ma place entre le saumon d'Ecosse , la charcuterie Corse et ce petit Macaron parisien à la couleur ensorceleuse !!!
Super Grosses Bises à vous 4 !!!
Jill
Merci de tes mots, Fabien. Ca me tiens chaud au coeur.
Helene Dsouza I Masala Herb
You come up with some crazy Macaron recipe Jill, Love it!
Ah la Corse,... my mum has been bugging us to go there, somehow we have never reached there, but they were planning to take the ferry one summer. Its not that far after all. It has its charm no? I always imagine how napoleon grew up there and then I wonder how that fella managed to reach so far in his life. Maybe the earth and air is different there. ^.^
I firmly beieve columbus was Italian. Basta! 😉
Jill
Thanks, Helene. Ah Napoleon. Yes, he did well coming from a wee island. 🙂
Hope you manage to get to Corsica. I've always wanted to take the ferry but we take the plane from Paris as it's far quicker. The affect of the maquis on first air contact is impressive!
Brooks
Oh Jill, you've cptured Corsica beautifully, and in turn Corsica was a gracious host to this wonderful travelogue. Montemaggiore looks like heaven on earth, but no more so than your rendition of the salmon and charcuterie—in particular the gorgeous colors of the mac and the beetroot against the proteins. Brava!
Jill
Gosh, Brooks *blushes and bows*. Thank you!
Tony
Everything's here for a Corsican delight, there, or at home. The light from these photos is amazing! Thanks for brightening up my day when the weather isn't great here in Paris. We all need a cure of this! 🙂
Jill
Thanks for that Tony. Your lovely comment is my motivation, to be sure!
June S
We have Herbs de Provence so why not Herbs de Corse? New flavour for a mac?
Jill
Why not? Although I do have a garden herb macaron recipe in the Mad Macs chapter... 😉 (just saying...)
Nami | Just One Cookbook
I love vacation photos from all over the world - and this is my first time seeing pictures of Corsica! Sounds like you had a fantastic time there. 🙂 I always love your savory and creative macarons!
Jill
Thanks, Nami. Have so many more photos to share but didn't want to bore anyone with vacation shots!
Kim Bee
You are mac-tastic my friend. I am so jealous of your life travelling around such beautiful places. If I sent you photos of where I drive here you'd be horrified. The concrete jungle. It makes me sad. I love the recipe with the mac right there. So cool. I need to try making macarons. I still have never given it a whirl. They intimidate me.
Jill
Oh Kim, you need to come over here! You intimidated by a cookie? Go on. Just do it! You'd go crazy over these macarons. I know you would... I dare you!
Cupcake Crusher
Breathtaking photos: as always...
It sums up Corsica perfectly; and the salmon and charcuterie looks like a very interesting alliance!
The savoury macaron looks simply divine... (Predictable from the queen of macarons 😉 )
Count on me to try that cutie at home!
Jill
Thanks but well, I don't know if I've really summed up Corsica. I would take up too much space if I had to talk about it properly. A manuscript has already been started on it with some funny stories to share...
Ann Mah
I love Corsica and your post took me right back there, to the beach and the hiking and the wild scent of maquis teased out by the relentless sun. I fell in love with lomo on that holiday -- and now I can't wait to try it with smoked salmon!
Jill
Lomo would be excellent too, Ann. Maquis teased out by the relentless sun - love it! Let me know how you like the melange.
Lora
What beautiful vacation photos and such an inspired macaron!
Jill
Merci, Lora 🙂
Thomasina
This could be a main for me. I want to try marrying salmon and charcuteries. Topping it all with a beet macaron is like the icing on the cake for me. Now, lead me to the nearest deli!
Jill
You'd love it, Thomasina. I was bowled over something so simple yet surprisingly fabulous. Just go easy on the Charcuterie, as it does make you thirsty, especially if you're making it as a main dish.
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef
I don't think I could ever leave if I started cooking there. I've never made (yet) a savoury macaron but I'm working up to it. 🙂
Jill
Well, Maureen, with Christmas approaching you have a good excuse 😉
Liz
What a superb starter! And how your savory mac is the perfect finishing touch! Looks like I have to come back to France...so much more to see 🙂 Your photos are marvelous!
Jill
Liz, you do have to return here. Corsica is so beautiful!
Parsley Sage
Lovely post! I think you should absolutely hi-jack that shop 🙂 What an ideal place to make macarons...and imagine all the delicious inspiration you'd get from the herb party just 15 minutes away!
Jill
You know, Carsley – it sure is a ‘herb party’ just by rubbing these wild herbs in my fingers the fragrance lingered for a couple of days! (yes I even washed my hands..)