Cuisine of Gascony: Difference between revisions

Content deleted Content added

Inline

Latest revision as of 18:16, 27 October 2024

The cuisine of Gascony is one of the pillars of French cuisine. Its originality stems from its use of regional products and from an age-old tradition, typical of the Aquitane and the Midi-Pyrenees, of cooking in fat, in particular goose and duck fat, whereas the cuisine of the south of France favours frying in oil and the cuisine of Normandy contains more dishes that are simmered or cooked in butter. The long life expectancy of Gascons, despite a rich diet, is a classic example of the French paradox.

Main elements

The cuisine of Gascony is characterised by the use of regional products such as duck fat and duck foie gras, salted ham, and the famous mild chilli of Gascony. Common condiments are Bezolles mustard, garlic, persillade, and onion. The cèpe mushroom is frequently eaten; Tricholoma equestre was traditionally eaten but is now considered poisonous after several cases of rhabdomyolysis were linked to its consumption. Larks and the common wood pigeon are commonly eaten game birds; the ortolan, previously commonly eaten, has been a protected species since 1999. Coastal seafood includes oysters, peppery furrowshells, eel elvers, lampreys, and shad.

Commonly consumed wine includes clarets (rosés) and tannic reds, the most important being Bordeaux wine (cabernets and merlot), but also Madiran wines (tannat and cabernets), the most tannic and well suited to the local food. Dessert wines, ideal with brioche, chestnuts and foie gras, are usually those local to Bordeaux (Sauternes and Béarn (Jurançon AOC et Pacherenc). Côtes de Gascogne and Armagnac are used in cooking, and to flavour tourtières.

Rural family gatherings will often include grilled chestnuts with a glass of vin bourru (sweet and in the process of fermentation, sold with no cork), as well as roste, grilled bread, rubbed with garlic or with tjonque (a sauce made from the leftover juices of pan-fried duck).

Dishes

Soups

Garbure

Entrées

Foie gras, either candied or fried fresh in cutlet form
Landaise salad, which is characterised by its use of duck breast and gizzards
Smoked duck breast
Bayonne ham
Crépinettes of Bordeaux
Baby eels
Sanquette, a fried dish made from lamb blood, garlic, sweet onions, parsley and pancetta

Main course

Chalosse beef
Duck confit
Duck breast
Pigeon stew
Stew made from Gascon pig
Omelette using sweet Gascon chillies
Omelette using cep mushrooms (Boletus edulis)
Lampreys "à la Bordelaise" (cooked in a dark sauce made from lamprey blood)
Tricandilles (boiled pork tripe, grilled on a barbecue)
Millas, a tart made from cornflour with a savoury accompaniment

Cheese

Amou, a sheep's cheese, made in the Amou region

Desserts

Pastis landais, a cake flavoured with orange blossom, vanilla and rum
Canelés
Tourtière, a tart with apples or prunes
Croustade, decorated with puff pastry
Cruchades, fried corn cakes
Millas with sweet accompaniments

Bibliography

Rémy Constans, Gastronomie gasconne à la Belle Époque, Association de livres en livres, Bon-Encontre, 1998
Jean-Claude Ulian, Gascons à table, Art-Média, 2004

Notes

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|Regional French Culinary Tradition}}
-The '''Cuisine of [[Gascony]]''' is one of the pillars of [[French cuisine]]. Its originality stems from its use of regional products and from an age-old tradition, typical of the Aquitane and the Midi-Pyrenees, of cooking in fat, in particular goose and duck fat, whereas the cuisine of the South of France favours frying in oil and the cuisine of Normandy contains more dishes that are simmered or cooked in butter. The long life expectancy of Gascons, despite a rich diet, is a classic example of the [[French paradox]].
+[[File:Palombes 01.JPG|thumbnail|Pigeons being flame-grilled]]
+[[File:Palombes 02.JPG|thumbnail|Capucin pigeons]]
+The '''cuisine of [[Gascony]]''' is one of the pillars of [[French cuisine]]. Its originality stems from its use of regional products and from an age-old tradition, typical of the Aquitane and the Midi-Pyrenees, of cooking in fat, in particular goose and duck fat, whereas the cuisine of the south of France favours frying in oil and the cuisine of Normandy contains more dishes that are simmered or cooked in butter. The long life expectancy of Gascons, despite a rich diet, is a classic example of the [[French paradox]].
 ==Main elements==
+[[File:Gesierdecanarddeslandes.jpg|thumbnail|Cooked duck gizzards]]
-The cuisine of Gasconny is characterised by the use of :
+[[File:Salade Landaise.jpg|thumbnail|right|Landaise salad with duck gizzards, duck fillet and [[foie gras]], [[asparagus]] etc.]]
-* regional products such as duck fat and duck foie gras, salted ham, and the famous mild chilli of Gasconny
+[[File:Magret de canard plancha.jpg|thumbnail|Landes duck breast pan-fried, in the process of cooking]]
-* condiments : Bezolles mustard, garlic, persillade, onion…
+The cuisine of Gascony is characterised by the use of regional products such as duck fat and duck foie gras, salted ham, and the famous mild chilli of Gascony.  Common condiments are Bezolles [[Mustard (condiment)|mustard]], garlic, [[persillade]], and onion.  The cèpe mushroom is frequently eaten; ''[[Tricholoma equestre]]'' was traditionally eaten but is now considered poisonous after several cases of [[rhabdomyolysis]] were linked to its consumption.  Larks and the common wood pigeon are commonly eaten game birds; the [[Ortolan bunting|ortolan]], previously commonly eaten, has been a protected species since 1999.  Coastal seafood includes [[oyster]]s, [[peppery furrowshells]], [[eel|eel elvers]], [[lamprey]]s, and [[shad]].
-* mushrooms, in particular the cèpe mushroom
-* game, birds such as :
+Commonly consumed wine includes clarets (rosés) and tannic reds, the most important being [[Bordeaux wine]] ([[Cabernet Sauvignon|cabernet]]s and [[merlot]]), but also [[Madiran wine]]s ([[tannat]] and [[Cabernet Sauvignon|cabernet]]s), the most tannic and well suited to the local food.  Dessert wines, ideal with brioche, chestnuts and foie gras, are usually those local to Bordeaux ([[Sauternes (wine)|Sauternes]] and Béarn ([[Jurançon AOC]] et Pacherenc). [[Côtes de Gascogne]] and [[Armagnac (brandy)|Armagnac]] are used in cooking, and to flavour [[tourtière]]s.
-** the ortolan bunting, a small bird which must be overfed 15-20 days before being eaten. The ortolan is now a protected species - since 1999 it has been forbidden to capture or eat it.
-** the lark, which is hunted by the placement of nets in fields and the use of decoys.
-** the common wood pigeon, a migrating pigeon captured in nets
-* coastal sea food : such as [[oyster]]s, [[peppery furrow shells]]s, [[eel elvers]], [[lamprey]]s, [[shad]]s... and nowadays, the ’'creac'' ([[sturgeon]]) and Gironde [[caviar]],
-* the sheep’s cheese of the Pyrenees
-* wine :
-** clarets (rosés)
-** tannic reds, the most important being [[Bordeaux wine]] ([[cabernet]]s et [[merlot]]), but also [[Madiran wine]]s ([[tannat]] et [[cabernet]]s), the most tannic and well suited to the local food.
-** dessert wines, ideal with brioche, chestnuts and foie gras, local to Bordeaux ([[Sauternes]]...) and Béarn ([[Jurançon AOC]] et Pacherenc),
-* [[côtes de Gascogne]] and [[Armagnac]] are used in cooking, and to flavour [[Tourtière]]s.
 Rural family gatherings will often include grilled chestnuts with a glass of [[vin bourru]] (sweet and in the process of fermentation, sold with no cork), as well as ''roste'', grilled bread, rubbed with garlic or with ''tjonque'' (a sauce made from the leftover juices of pan-fried duck).
+==Dishes==
+===Soups===
-Gascon cuisine is able to adapt to new trends while retaining it’s identity: the use of duck breasts is the best example. The consumption of raw ham is also a modern tendency that has been embraced.
+[[File:Garbure.jpg|thumbnail|right|A plate of [[garbure]]]]
-==Soups==
 * [[Garbure]]
-==Entrées==
+===Entrées===
 * [[Foie gras]], either candied or fried fresh in cutlet form
@@ Line 36: / Line 28: @@
 * Sanquette, a fried dish made from lamb blood, garlic, sweet onions, parsley and pancetta
-==Main course ==
+===Main course ===
+[[File:Lamproie 01.jpg|thumbnail|Lamprey à la bordelaise]]
-* Chalosse beef
+* [[Chalosse]] beef
-* Duck confit
+* [[Duck confit]]
 * Duck breast
 * Pigeon stew
@@ Line 44: / Line 37: @@
 * Omelette using sweet Gascon chillies
 * Omelette using cep mushrooms ([[Boletus edulis]])
-* [[Lamprey]]s “à la Bordelaise” (cooked in a dark sauce, made from Lamprey blood)
+* [[Lamprey]]s "à la Bordelaise" (cooked in a dark sauce made from lamprey blood)
-* “Tricandilles” (boiled porc tripe, grilled on a barbecue)
+* ''Tricandilles'' (boiled pork tripe, grilled on a barbecue)
-* “Millas” a tart made from corn flour with a savoury accompaniment
+* ''Millas'', a tart made from cornflour with a savoury accompaniment
-==Cheese==
+===Cheese===
-* “Amou”, a sheep’s cheese, made in the region Amou
+* ''Amou'', a sheep's cheese, made in the [[Amou, Landes|Amou]] region
-==Desserts==
+===Desserts===
-* “Pastis landais”, a cake flavoured with orange blossom, vanilla and rum
+* ''Pastis landais'', a cake flavoured with orange blossom, vanilla and rum
 * [[Canelé]]s
 * [[Tourtière]], a tart with apples or prunes
 * [[Croustade]], decorated with puff pastry
-* “Cruchades”, fried corn cakes
+* ''Cruchades'', fried corn cakes
-* “Millas” with sweet accompaniments
+* ''Millas'' with sweet accompaniments
 == See also ==
+{{Portal|France|Food}}
-* [[Occitane cuisine]]
+* [[Occitan cuisine]]
 * [[Basque cuisine]]
 == Bibliography ==
-* Rémy Constans, ''Gastronomie gasconne à la Belle Époque'', Association De livres en livres, Bon-Encontre, 1998
+* Rémy Constans, ''Gastronomie gasconne à la Belle Époque'', Association de livres en livres, Bon-Encontre, 1998
 * Jean-Claude Ulian, ''Gascons à table'', Art-Média, 2004
+== Notes ==
-{{Portal|France|Food}}
+{{Reflist}}
+{{Authority control}}
 [[Category:French cuisine by region]]
+[[Category:Gascony]]