One of the simplest pleasures of a Dordogne holiday is gathering around the plancha as the light begins to soften across the garden.
A plancha is a large, flat cooking surface popular throughout France and Spain. It heats quickly, gives vegetables and seafood a delicious sear and makes it easy to prepare everything together without disappearing into the kitchen.
After Issigeac market, cook sliced courgettes, aubergines, peppers and mushrooms with rosemary and olive oil. Add local sausages, steak or seafood, open a bottle from a nearby vineyard and bring the dishes straight to the table.
The plancha is less about complicated recipes than shared time: cooking, talking and watching the evening arrive. At Le Petit Capelier, it turns supper into part of the holiday.