I went on a seafood safari on France's culinary coast — here's what I learned

From Calais to Le Touquet, the Côte d’Opale is home to thriving fishing ports, grand old seaside resorts, and wonderful restaurants serving the freshest seafood. Mary Novakovich checks it out

A row of attractive beach huts at Hardelot, Le Touquet, France 

Stellio Lestienne, chef at La Matelote in Boulogne’s harbour, shows me his shopping list as we browse the city’s daily morning fish market. He wants to pick up some crab and sole, which are in season, but his usual lobster fisher is still out on his boat, so he’ll have to wait a bit for that. Although I’ve been a regular visitor to both Boulogne and the surrounding Hauts-de-France region for about 30 years, this is my first time in the fish market. Now I’m kicking myself for all that lost time.

It’s not very big, nor is it remotely picturesque, stretching along a nondescript car park in the port. But it does have a fantastic selection of fish and seafood, both from fishers (pêcheurs artisans in light-blue stalls) and retailers (commerçants in dark blue). And it’s considerably cheaper than other fish markets I’ve seen.