France - French Food

France is rightly recognised for its fine food and quality produce

Much like wine, there have been (and still are) those who take it very seriously, and in so doing alienate many with their pomposity and rules. But as Doug Stewart at France Property and Information writes:

French food ranges in style from the beautifully simple to the wonderfully rich:-When hearing the term “French food”, some people will immediately think of traditional French ingredients such as foie gras, famous cheeses such as Camembert or the world-renowned French wines. Others will think instead of the French cuisine and associated famous recipes such as Coq au Vin or Crêpes Suzette. In fact, French food is both. The French passion for food has resulted in exceptional quality of ingredients, many of which (such as the wine and cheeses) can be a source of great pleasure without any preparation. The traditional French recipes and style of presentation add an extra level of enjoyment to this. In both senses (ingredients and recipes), French food is extremely diverse, with only the Chinese having more variety. (read more)

One of the many joys of Paris is the plethora of wonderful delicatessens and food markets where you can indulge your passion for gourmet dishes - whether it be just looking - or better buying for a picnic or supper in your hotel room. Our favourites tend to be around the Place de la Madeleine where Fauchon and Hediard lurk in one corner of the square. Their window and counter displays are mouthwatering - and some of their prices make the eyes water too! This is Haute-Couture food - the Harrods and Fortnum & Mason foodhalls of Paris.

The other irrestible magnet must be the market in rue Cler in the 7th Arondissement (see map) not far from the Invalides and Eiffel Tower. Here you will find market stalls and shops with a wondrous array of cheeses. charcuterie, fish, meat, fruit, vegetables, wine and prepared dishes - all a wonderful panorama of sights and smells. Perhaps we should stay longer next time and rent an apartment so we can try some of these wonderful dishes in comfort.

Pierre Rival's book Gourmet Shops of Paris: An Epicurean Tour offers a comprehensive guide to food shops across Paris, including some hidden gems that most of us would not find without a recommendation! 

www.frenchflavour.co.uk On our meanderings through the web we came across another supplier of wonderful French foodstuffs based in Wrexham, North Wales and offering mail order.
What really took our attention was that apart from Garlic Strings, Duck Pate, Cassoulet, Confit de Canard, Trout, Olives, Foie Gras, Trout Soup, Tapenade, Beer, Olive Oils, Wild Boar, Pork Pate they also stock Guy Cuisset's Saussignac AC, Chateau Grinou.
This small sub-appellation of Bergerac (24,Dordogne, Aquitaine) produces some superb dessert wines. At ALLEZ VINS! we used to stock this delicious sweet wine, which won a Gold and numerous Silver Medals at the Wine Magazine International Wine Challenge.- a lush dessert wine made from botrytised (noble rot) Sémillon grapes (in the same way as Sauternes and Monbazillac) but retaining huge and vibrant fruitiness - fermented and matured in new oak with real skill by Guy Cuisset. "This is a real find from the far reaches of South west France. A cornucopia of dried apricots and fragrant pear flavours with hints of cinnamon and spice. There is a freshness to the acidity that lifts the wine and gives a purity to the great length"

FrenchFlavour.co.uk also stock an interesting selection of French foods seldom seen elsewhere in the UK - some interesting Trout preparations from the Pyrenees, white and smoked garlic strings and a range of interesting ciders from Picardie.

Recipes from Gascony - Joanne Harris

THE FRENCH MARKET A mouth-watering collection of recipes inspired by fresh, seasonal French market produce.

Joanne Harris (author of Chocolat) and Fran Warde have collaborated to write a French Cookbook with a difference. This time they have gone to Gascony for their inspiration and into the world of the French rural market. The best ingredients in season, locally produced fruit, vegetables, wines and cheeses combine to make it a recipe for success. Nerac Melon with Floc, Foie Gras with Peaches, Summer Duck Salad and Roasted Stuffed Courgettes are only some of the recipes that will help recapture the tastes of summertime and the authentic French regional experience.

A couple of the recipes are available on the online Telegraph Wine site including Pumpkin and Bayonne Ham, Duck à l'Orange (sounds a bit 70s to me!) and Tarte Belle Helene!

Although an English producer, we always think of Duck as something very French - so a good small independent specialist farm is good to find - www.somersetduck.co.uk

For good duck and goose recipes and other ideas from SouthWest France see Goose Fat and Garlic: Country Recipes from South-West France

Undiscovered Franche-Comté An article in the Times Online is about a lesser-known part of France - the Franche-Conté and indeed whilst I consider myself to be well-travelled in France I have only been through the area once or twice in 30 years. "It really is a bit like entering a richly endowed household via the pantry, because Franche-Comté, tucked beside the Swiss border beneath Alsace and north of the Alps, is a storehouse full of delectable foodstuffs. It is the source of France’s best-seller among appellation controlée cheeses, Comté, and of the unctuously superb winter and Christmas speciality, Mont d’Or, and it also provides much of France’s smoked hams and sausages – while at the same time keeping to itself a few curious regional specialities that you will not find anywhere else." For more info see http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,21150-1825960,00.html

BBC2 - Rick Stein's French Odyssey series has just started at 8pm on Wednesdays (see www.bbc.co.uk) - travelling through South West France and the Languedoc by the Canal du Midi and indulging in real French Food and recipes, including duck and foie gras. His usual laid-back style with a healthy enjoyment of rustic dishes from the south will be worth a try - Poule au Pot, Pissaladiere, Confit of Duck, Rabbit with Prunes!! Must try the Station Buffet in Agen and the Hotel Napoleon in Moissac. For details of the book - see here

For good quality French gourmet food items, including Foie Gras and Confits visit our friends at Dordogne Direct

Brigitte Bardot has launched a campaign to stop consumption of Foie Gras - the fattened goose or duck livers which result from forced-feeding ("gavage") of grain in the weeks before they are finished off. Claiming that the treatment of the birds is "a cruel, inhumane tradition" amounting to "torture", she is reacting against new French regulations which are aimed as protecting the practice as part of French heritage - "une patrimoine gastronomique protégé en France". France produces 25 million fattened birds each year - over 80% of the world production. Brigitte has for many years been passionate about animal cruelty and has established her own foundation - see www.fondationbrigittebardot.fr/. There is controversy about the practice - most ducks and geese are free range until the last 6 weeks or so of their lives when they are kept in cages and force-fed. This results in large tender livers which are so prized amongst gourmets. Apparently this was discovered when wild birds caught just before migration were found to have enlarged livers as a result of the birds gorging on feed to provide themselves with energy and fat reserves for their migratory flight. Personally I cannot see the French denying themselves (or visitors) the delights of this delicacy which is a key feature of southwest France. If you want to find some in the UK - see Dordogne Direct or