Annie Mae Herring's Provençal entertaining menu

The flavours of Provence are as vibrant as the landscape itself, bathed in sunshine and shaped by both land and sea. Recipe developer Annie Mae Herring's entertaining menu draws on rustic herbs, seasonal Mediterranean ingredients and simple techniques to capture the region's flavours. For more recipe ideas, check out our collection of seasonal recipes for April or explore our other meal plans, including Georgie Mullen’s elegant vegetarian spring menu.

Starter

Bouillabaisse with garlic and saffron aïoli

At its heart, bouillabaisse is a fisherman's stew built on good stock, aromatics, saffron and whatever the sea has given you that day. This is a home cook's version, gently simmered and generous, served with toasted bread and bold garlic and saffron aioli for spooning liberally over the top.

Main

Poulet aux olives

There is something deeply comforting about chicken cooked slowly with garlic, thyme and wine until the kitchen smells like the south of France. Here, tomatoes slump into the pan while green olives lend their salty brightness to the juices. It is simple, generous cooking that asks very little of you yet delivers deeply layered flavour. Serve it with crusty bread for mopping up every drop.

Dessert

French chocolate mousse cake

An airy and rich gâteau with a delicate set edge and tender, almost mousse-like centre. Made without flour, it relies on whisked eggs, good-quality dark chocolate, butter, cocoa, brown sugar and salt for its texture. Served warm with balsamic strawberries and a generous spoonful of crème fraîche, it's the sort of dessert made for sharing, passing plates and second helpings without asking.