We caught up with Jeany amid the sun-soaked vines to talk rosé, regional inspiration, and the art of savouring the moment – plus, she shares four summer-perfect recipes that capture the essence of her adopted home.
Congratulations on the publication of the beautiful Home in Provence. What inspired you to create a book that documents the food, the wine, and the spirit of the region so intimately?
The inspiration came from living in Provence for the past 15 years. It’s a place that never stops filling me with wonder, and it was clear from our visitors that I wasn’t alone in feeling that way. The sensory beauty, the food, the light – it all has a transportive quality. I wanted to create something that anyone could pick up and feel instantly immersed. The book is filled with those little moments of joy, and I hope that warmth radiates from every page.
The book is divided into four distinct sections: Les Vignes, Le Village, La Ville, and La Côte. What does each of these landscapes represent to you personally?
Rather than structuring the book around the seasons, which has been done many times before, I wanted to highlight the different ‘faces’ of Provence. Each section reflects a different way of living here and the food culture that goes with it. It's a gentle journey through the vineyards, the quiet villages, the energy of the towns, and the breezy coastal life – a glimpse into how we live and eat in each.
You and your family made the move from the UK to Provence to start a wine business. What has been the most surprising lesson you’ve learned – whether about French culture, food, or winemaking?
The biggest surprise has been how much the French savour the moment. Whether it’s a shaded lunch after a morning's work or an elegant picnic on a motorway layby, there’s a beautiful intentionality around food and drink. These simple rituals are a reminder to pause, enjoy, and be present – they turn everyday experiences into something special.
Maison Mirabeau is synonymous with languid lunches around sun-dappled tables. What is it about rosé that so strongly evokes that image?
Provence and rosé are inseparable – the region is truly the benchmark for pale, dry rosés. The lifestyle here is all about outdoor living, and these wines are so fresh and aromatic they fit the mood perfectly. Like Champagne for sparkling wine, Provence is the heartland of rosé. A good bottle of rosé instantly evokes that sense of sunshine, ease, and connection.
What was the experience of becoming a wine producer like? And had you always been an oenophile?
Not at all! I loved wine but had no technical background. Stephen came from the wine trade and launched Mirabeau, while I focused on helping our children settle into French school life. Over time, I became more involved and fascinated by both winemaking and storytelling. I especially love watching the rhythm of the vineyard and seeing the transformation since we adopted regenerative farming. The relationships we’ve built here mean so much to me – they're rooted in time, trust, and shared values.
Many people dream of the Provençal lifestyle. What's one myth you'd like to bust, and one truth that still takes your breath away?
The myth: that life here is all lavender fields and leisure. The reality is, like anywhere, we work incredibly hard behind the scenes. But the truth that still amazes me is waking up to nature, watching the sun rise over the vineyards, and knowing we have a role to play in protecting this environment. That never gets old.
Several recipes in the book are, of course, designed to pair with rosé. What makes Provençal rosé such a versatile companion for food?
Rosé is so adaptable because it bridges the best qualities of both red and white wine. It has the flavour depth of a red, with the freshness and acidity of a white, which makes it incredibly food-friendly. Seafood, herb-roasted chicken, grilled vegetables – they all sing with a good dry rosé. I always recommend choosing bottles from Provence or the South of France to ensure that classic, aromatic profile.
One dish that caught our eye was Coq au Vin Rosé. How did that idea come about?
I often use leftover wine from tastings in cooking, so using rosé in a Coq au Vin felt like a natural twist. Frankie Unsworth, who collaborated with me on the book, also suggested it. Rosé brings richness without heaviness, and it's a lovely middle ground between red and white. As always, cook with something you'd be happy to drink – it really makes a difference.
The book also includes essays and stories. Why was that important to you?
I wanted to give a platform to some of the amazing people who live and work here – like Kate Davis from the Gallifet Art Centre or Cathy Bullen who runs a beautiful brocante. Their voices and experiences add so much depth and authenticity. Frankie and I also included reflections on the rituals and rhythms we cherish most. It’s all part of painting a fuller picture of life in Provence.
Sustainability and seasonality clearly influence the way you cook. How has living among vineyards shaped your kitchen?
Seasonality is a natural part of life here. The markets guide what you cook, and even the supermarkets reflect the rhythms of nature. Being so close to where food is grown makes you appreciate it more. You start to look forward to the first apricots, the ripe tomatoes, the wild herbs. It becomes second nature to cook what the land offers.
What advice would you give to someone wanting to host a Provençal-style gathering, wherever they are in the world?
Three words: make to share. It changes the whole energy of a meal. Sharing platters bring people together, invite conversation, and create a sense of abundance. Add some potted herbs to the table, a beautiful bottle of olive oil with a pourer, and a little bowl of sea salt - those small touches go a long way.
Finally, what’s your go-to comfort dish from the book?
The grilled peach and tomato salad is one I come back to often – especially with a bit of prosciutto, torn mozzarella, and crusty sourdough. It’s simple but so satisfying. A close second would be the socca pancakes with fennel seeds and caramelised onions – they disappear fast when they hit the table!
French Fancies: 5 Recipes We’ll Be Cooking All Summer Long
All extracted from At Home in Provence by Jeany Cronk (Quadrille, £27), Photography by Lizzie Mayson and Sophie Bellard
Coq Au Vin Rosé
Serves 4
This lighter and brighter summer spin on the comfort food classic is lemony and
vibrant, and couldn’t be simpler to make. Salting the chicken ahead is worth the
additional step, even if it’s just for an hour or two (but it can be done a couple of days in advance). The salt penetrates the chicken, seasoning it to perfection while also helping the skin get extra crispy.
1.8 kg (4 lb) chicken
Unsalted butter, for cooking
5 banana shallots, halved
6 garlic cloves, peeled
350 ml (12 fl oz/1½ cups) rosé wine
1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced (on a mandoline if possible)
2 unwaxed lemons, thinly sliced (on a mandoline if possible)
Olive oil, for brushing
1 bunch of radishes, trimmed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Boiled potatoes or baguette, to serve
Generously rub salt all over the chicken – you should use about 2 teaspoons of salt.
Set aside until ready to cook. At this point you can leave the chicken covered in the fridge for a day or set aside at room temperature while the oven preheats.
Preheat the oven to 220°C fan (475°F).
Melt a knob of butter in a large heavy-based saucepan or casserole dish (Dutch
oven) over a medium heat (I use a wide cast-iron pan for the job).
Add the shallots and cook for 5–6 minutes until they start to colour nicely, then add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the chicken, breast-side up, and cook for 4–6 minutes until the base of the chicken begins to colour and crisp.
Pour in the rosé and simmer for 2 minutes.
Lift up the chicken with some tongs and slide the sliced fennel and lemons
underneath.
Drizzle or brush the top of the chicken with oil and place in the oven.
Roast for 25 minutes, then add the radishes. Return to the oven and cook for a
further 20–30 minutes, or until golden on top and the juices run clear (pull the
drumstick away from the breast to check).
Serve the chicken on a platter on a bed of the lemons, fennel and radishes.
Season with black pepper and serve with potatoes or lots of baguette for soaking up the juices.
Rustic Vegetable Tarte
Serves 4–6, Or 10–12 As An Apéritif
The rustic, savoury, free-form galette seems to have gained more popularity across the pond than it has in its actual country of origin. While the French are rather finickity with their pristine pastries – and as a result more likely to leave the expert pâtissier to it, rather than attempt them at home – the joy of the galette lies in its ease of shaping, allowing you to perfect the extra-flaky crust yourself. This makes a large tart perfect for feeding a crowd as a nibble or picnic dish.
Knob of salted butter
Olive oil, for cooking
5 onions, thinly sliced
1 heaped teaspoon Dijon mustard
1–2 small aubergines (eggplants; thinner ones are better for this), sliced into 7 mm
(¼ in) rounds
4–5 tomatoes, thinly sliced basil leaves, to serve
Salt
For The Pastry
200 g (7 oz/12/3 cups) plain(all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon caster (superfine) sugar
225 g (8 oz) cold saltedbutter, cubed
75 ml (2½ fl oz/5 tablespoons)
Ice-cold water
First, make the pastry. Put the flour, salt and sugar into a large bowl and add the
cubed butter. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour until it is roughly
distributed (don’t worry about chunkier bits of butter, they add to the flakiness).
Add the cold water gently, shuffling it around with your fingers but not kneading
it.
Tip the mixture out onto a clean and lightly floured work surface, then gently
but firmly press the dough together until it forms a very rough ball.
Use a floured rolling pin to roll it out to a rectangle (don’t worry if it’s still rough), then fold it in thirds.
Roll it out the other way and repeat. Do this twice more, then roll out to
a 30 x 20 cm (12 x 8 in) rectangle on a piece of baking parchment and place on
a tray or cutting board in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes.
Heat the butter and a good glug of oil in a wide frying pan (skillet) over a medium
heat, then once the butter is foaming, add the onions and a generous pinch of salt.
Cook for 15–20 minutes, partly covered, stirring every so often. Once the onions are soft and sticky (you don’t want them too coloured), remove from the pan and set aside to cool.
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan (400°F).
Remove the pastry from the refrigerator and roll it out to about 5 mm (¼ in) thick.
Slightly trim the edges and fold the over a little to create a thicker edge, holding in
the vegetables.
Spread the mustard over the pastry leaving a 3 cm (1¼ in) border
around the edge.
Spread the onions out as evenly as possible on top, then layer on the aubergine and tomato slices, half overlapping. Brush lightly with oil and season with salt.
Bake in the oven for 30–40 minutes until the pastry is crisp and the vegetables are
soft.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool, then top with basil leaves or drizzle
with pistou.
Roasted Charentais Melon And Burrata With Espelette Pepper Vinaigrette
Serves 4 As A Starter/Sharing Plate
4 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for roasting the melon
1 medium–large Charentais melon, sliced and rind removed
Juice of ½ Lemon
Pinch of Espelette pepper (or cayenne or Aleppo pepper),
Plus extra to taste
Splash of red wine vinegar
Pinch of light brown sugar
Pinch of fleur de sel, plus extra to taste
1 ball of burrata
Heat some oil in a frying pan (skillet) or griddle over a medium heat.
Roast the melon slices for a couple of minutes on each side until slightly browned, being careful not to burn them (it happens quickly as they contain natural sugar).
Remove from the pan and set aside to cool.
Make a vinaigrette by stirring together the 4 tablespoons of olive oil, lemon juice,
Espelette pepper, vinegar, sugar and salt in a bowl.
Lay out the melon slices on their side on a serving dish, then tear up the burrata
and scatter among the melon slices.
Stir the vinaigrette again, then spoon it over the melon, making sure all the slices are nicely covered.
Add some extra flakes of salt and Espelette pepper, depending on how much spice you enjoy.
Roasted Baby Gem Lettuce With King Prawns And Pistachio Pesto
Serves 4
A fresh, yet rich and smoky dish, which perfectly complements juicy prawns (shrimp). Pistachios were planted widely in Provence before the 20th century and used in desserts. There is a revival of Pistachio planting in Provence and I know of several, experimental orchards locally. The plant would be great as a complement to viticulture, as it’s a hardy bush that thrives on plenty of sunshine. Pistachios only produce fruit every other year and, unlike vines, need pollinators to produce it, so healthy insect populations are essential.
16 raw king prawns (jumboshrimp), shells on and defrosted if frozen
2 baby gem lettuces
3 tablespoons 50/50 olive and sunflower oil, for frying
For The Pistachio Pesto
50 g (1¾ oz) of shelled unsalted pistachios
Zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lemon
100 ml (3½ fl oz/scant ½ cup) extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, peeled small handful of basil leaves, washed
¼ teaspoon red chilli paste
½ teaspoon fleur de sel, plus extra to serve
Pinch of white pepper
First, make the pesto. Add the pistachios to a small food processor or into a bowl
if using a hand blender. Add the lemon zest and juice, olive oil, garlic, basil, chilli, salt and pepper.
Blend to a coarse paste. Check the seasoning, it should be salty enough to season the salad and the prawns. Set aside.
Wash and dry the lettuce, then cut in half.
Heat a griddle pan over a high heat and coat with a tablespoon of the olive oil and sunflower oil mixture.
Place the lettuces on the griddle, cut-sides down and grill until slightly charred, and the griddle marks are visible on the lettuces – no need to turn them.
Remove from the pan and set them on a platter (or one per plate if you are serving this as a starter).
Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan (skilllet) over a high heat.
Add the shell-on prawns and fry for 2 minutes on each side. Remove from the heat and leave to cool in the pan.
When cool enough to handle, remove and discard the heads and shells from the
prawns. Return the prawns to the pan and set over a gentle heat.
Add half of the pesto to the pan and warm through for a minute or two, turning the prawns until evenly coated in the pesto.
Place the prawns neatly next to the char red lettuce halves and drizzle over the remaining pesto.
Add a pinch of fleur de sel for some extra taste and crunch.
Serve with some roasted sourdough crostini to mop up the pesto or alternatively
add some fresh linguine to the pan with the prawns for a more substantial meal
(if doing the latter option, you may wish to increase the pesto quantity by a third).
Grapefruit And Hibiscus Rosé
Serves 6
A flavoured rosé is a nice, light way to enjoy a glass beachside. As a general
observation, it’s well worth using a nice enough bottle of rosé, even if it’s for a
cocktail, as the taste will be much better if the base is good. I always keep a few
empty wine bottles with their corks or screw caps in stock, so I can easily transport a nice mixed drink for these sorts of occasions.
I usually make a bit more hibiscus syrup and refrigerate it for later use, so feel
free to double the ingredients and decant what you’re not using into a small jar
or bottle – it will last for 2–3 weeks and is also delicious over vanilla ice cream.
400 ml (14 fl oz/generous 1 ½ cups) dry rosé wine
300 ml (10 fl oz/1¼ cups) grapefruit juice (preferably freshly squeezed)
For The Hibiscus Syrup
50 ml (1¾ fl oz/3½ tablespoons) simple syrup (homemade with equal parts sugar
and water, or shop-bought)
1 heaped teaspoon dried hibiscus leaves
To Serve
Ice cubes
Grapefruit slices
First, make the hibiscus syrup. Gently heat the simple syrup in a saucepan over
a medium-low heat and add the hibiscus leaves.
Turn the heat down to the lowest setting and let it infuse for 10 minutes. Warning: it will be intensely coloured, so take care of your clothes or wooden surfaces!
Strain through a sieve (fine mesh strainer) into a small jar and discard the hibiscus leaves.
Pour the wine into a large jug (pitcher), then add the grapefruit juice (pour through a sieve if it’s very pulpy), then add the hibiscus syrup.
Gently stir and taste – add more simple syrup if you prefer it sweeter, but make sure it’s not too much, it’s meant to be a bit tart and refreshing.
Pour back into a clean, dry bottle through a funnel and seal tightly.
Refrigerate and store the bottle upright if you are taking it out and about.
When you’re ready to serve, put some ice cubes and a slice of grapefruit into each glass, then pour over the flavoured rosé.
