De Draak is a top destination for the most delicious Fruits de Mer
A platter of crackling-fresh seafood, served on a dish with crushed ice, accompanied by a bottle of refreshing white wine; it’s hard to resist. At Grand Hotel De Draak – the oldest hotel in the Netherlands! – they serve it in a truly special way.
Nothing is as festive as a glorious Fruits de Mer platter filled with all kinds of delicious seafood. According to the official rules of classic French cuisine (Le Grand Larousse Gastronomique), a Fruits de Mer platter must contain at least oysters, cockles, mussels, king prawns, langoustines, lobster and possibly crab or sea urchins. But of course, you can put anything you like on it. And you know what else is unbelievably delicious? Drizzling gin over your oysters!
Two rounds, cold and hot
“Where else can you get it? A Fruits de Mer platter served in two rounds: cold and hot!” At De Draak, of course, where chef Torben Bouterse serves up his Zeeland pride on the terrace of De Draak, on Bergen op Zoom’s charming square. Oysters from Oesterij, fresh lobster, langoustines (they’re sometimes confused with one another, but it’s simple: lobsters have claws, spiny lobsters don’t), Zeeland winkles (small sea snails, called ‘kruukels’ in the Zeeland dialect), mussels from Neeltje Jans, Dutch brown shrimp, lobster bisque… Any seafood fan would get completely excited about this, right?
‘Nose-to-tail’ cooking
Before I developed an allergy to crustaceans and shellfish – hell – you could wake me up at night for a good lobster bisque. Such a lobster soup (bisque sounds wonderfully fancy, but of course it’s simply a soup) is also very much ‘nose-to-tail’ cooking, because it’s made with the waste from crustaceans: the heads and shells. Add cognac, cayenne pepper and rice (for thickening), plus a little cream; oh, I really still dream about it from time to time! But unfortunately… those were the days…
Salt & Sweet package
For everyone who can still tuck into a Fruit de Mer and already starts wagging their tail at the thought: head to De Draak and order such a delicious platter! Of course, it never stops at just one bottle of wine, but that’s fine, because you can stay the night. With the Salt & Sweet package (from €169.50 p.p.), you’ll spend the night in one of the luxurious Junior Suites, including breakfast and, of course, the Fruits de Mer, including a dessert of your choice and chocolates in your room.
With Tequila!
Got the taste for it? Then make Zeeland oysters (with Tequila!) yourself sometime.
Read also:
- Corona-proof outing: gather oysters yourself
- A fruits de la mer snack board: here’s how to make it
- Why oysters aren’t actually as healthy as you think
Image: De Draak
