FOOD AND DRINK IN THE LANGUEDOC
Cooking traditions in
Languedoc Roussillon have roots in the same primary
products as those in Provence. The main ingredients in
Languedoc Roussillon cuisine are olive oil and
tomatoes, garlic, onions and aromatic herbs are also
used. The only difference may be that cooks use a
little bit less garlic than in Provence. Sea food
products are an essential part of the Languedoc
Roussillon cuisine.
Gastronomically, the Languedoc isn't the most renowned
of France's regions - a turbulent history and a degree
of confusion due to culinary diversity being the main
reasons for this. Its location at a geographic
crossroads means that a wide variety of ingredients are
available and the diverse cuisine this leads to make it
a great all-rounder. On the coast is the seafood of the
Mediterranean, go north and there is the full range of
mountain produce - many overlook that Lozere is part of
the region. Catalonia to the southwest brings a
refreshing non-French influence. The Pyrenees and
Gascony, land of the duck and goose, are to the west.
Last but not least, to the east is the vibrant market
garden that is Provençe.
The area is particularly rich in in traditional foods
of the region, and has borrowed freely from the
cuisines of Aragon and northern Italy, and to a lesser
extent Spain and Morocco. There is also of course a
strong Mediterranean influence, even an hour or two's
drive inland - merchants bring fresh fish to inland
markets and fishmongers every day
Aperitifs
Apart from the obvious
International drinks, the following are made in the
Languedoc:
Noilly Prat
Muscat de St Jean and Muscat de Rivesaltes
Maury ( natural sweet wine)
Banyuls ( sweet red wine
served chilled)
Byrrh
-
Byrrh is another of those
peculiarly French concoctions of red wine, quinine
water and spices from the Languedoc-Roussillon made at
Thuir ((66 Pyrénées Orientales, Languedoc-Roussillon).
Reportedly it has a touch of bitterness and orange
overtones and is best as an aperitif (similar to
Dubonnet) or as part of a cocktail.
Pastis
is very
popular, though does not come from this area
A small note on serving aperitifs. ALWAYS serve some
nibbles to go with it. Nuts, crisps,salami,dried ham,
olives and even Fougasse which is a crusty flat bread
cut to bake into a grid shape. Its traditional
ingredients include olive oil. Can be stuffed or coated
with onions, olives, pork scratching or cheese
Starters and Seafood
Cargolada. A
Catalan grilled snail dish.
Escargots Catalans. Snails in tomato sauce.
Olives. Several varieties
of olives
are grown in the
Languedoc, the most important of which are Picholine
and the Lucque (cultivated in the West of
Languedoc-Roussillon).
Saucisse de Toulouse à la
languedocienne. Sauteed in goose fat and
served with tomato, parsley and capers).
Hammon. Like fine sliced smoked
ham, only a hundred times times better.
Oysters
( mainly from Bouzigues)
Bourride (
fish with aïoli )
Morue
Catalane ( cod with
tomatoes and peppers)
Grilled Mushrooms stuffed with Pélardon Goat's Cheese
Truffle omelette/pasta - yes these Black pearls also
come from here
Wild
asparagus - their
locations a closely guarded secret by those in the know
Tapenade -
a rich paste made from
olives and olive oil
Foie Gras - usually served with a Fig confit
Grilled local Goats
cheese
Fish from the Mediterranean - thon (tuna), sardines, anchovies,
baudroie (local name for lotte i.e. monkfish), rouget
(red mullet), seiche (cuttlefish), calamar (squid),
supions (baby squid or cuttlefish), encornets (local
name for squid), pisseur (local type of squid with pale
skin and longer tentacles), poulpe (octopus), dourade
(bream), loup (sea bass) and many others.
Shellfish - is
reared in the large Basin de Thau behind Sete with its
miles of oyster and mussel beds. Young shells are
actually imported from the Atlantic coast to mature in
the basin. Connoisseurs will say they are inferior to
produce from cooler Atlantic waters, but locally they
will be fresher. Also look out for small triangular
clams called tellines, they're sweet and make a superb
jus.
Anchovies - most
famously landed at Collioure on the Cote Vermille near
Spain, are available fresh, salted, in oil or marinated
in various ways.
Salt Cod - would
have originally arrived via traders from the north and
could penetrate much further inland than fresh fish in
the days before roads and refrigeration. Best known for
carefully mixing with olive oil, milk, garlic and
perhaps a little potato to make Brandade de Morue, a
speciality of Nîmes.
Charcuterie - dried
sausages are made all over region but for something
special and reliable seek out the mountain produce from
Lacaune.
Rouille à la setoise - cuttlefish cooked in a tomato and
saffron sauce thickened with a garlic and olive oil
aioli. Also cooked in a similar way is encornets farci
- stuffed young squid. Bourride de Sète is similar but
features monkfish (locally called boudroie). Bourride
can also mean a soupy fish stew - a more rustic
Languedoc version of Provençe's bouillabaisse.
Tielle or Tièle -
these orange glazed seafood pies are commonly seen in
markets (and supermarkets). Quality varies and they
have a high percentage of pastry so big is better plus
they're splendid takeaway food. Based on poulpes
(octopus) and tomato they came to Sete with Italian
migrants. The best are made by Cianni - available in
the Cenral Halles or from their ovens at 24 rue Honoré
Euzet.
Anchoïade - is a
spread similar to tapenade (olives) but made with more
anchovies.
Brandade de morue -
amalgamated salt cod, olive oil, milk, garlic and
perhaps a little potato. Can be served warm or cold.
Best to make it at home.
Brandade de Nîmes. A Gard speciality made
with cod and olive oil. The ingredients are
thoroughly mixed to form a white, creamy paste which is
usually combined with a touch of garlic and olive oil
and boiled, mashed potatoes. Served with a
green salad or as a gratin. It can also be
served as petits-fours or spread on toast.
Bourride de Séte Monkfish is seared in
olive oil, then simmered in white wine and thickened
with a good strong aioli (garlic mayonnaise). It is
served on a bed of toasted bread, with small, finely
chopped vegetables. Ingredients vary from
place to place - it can also be made using cuttlefish
or squid.
Gigot de mer à la palavasienne. Another monkfish
dish. Flavoured with garlic and served on a
bed of tomatoes, aubergines, courgettes and peppers.
Encornets farcis. Stuffed squid, a Sète
speciality that originated in Italy. Generally served
with rice. The squid are filled with a stuffing made
from meat, soaked bread, egg, garlic and
parsley. They are seared in olive oil and
sometimes flambéed in cognac, before being simmered in
a tomato sauce. In some recipes, the sauce
is thickened with aioli, a garlic mayonnaise.
Local Seafood Platters. Featuring snails, sea
urchins, mussels, clams, Thau basin oysters.
Morue Catalane. Cod
with tomatoes and pepper.
Tellines. Little clams.
Ttoro. Fish Stew
Garbure is a thick meat, bean and vegetable
soup. It is a Famous Traditional French Recipe from
the South-West of France.
Main Courses
Ollada or Ouillade - a Beef stew
| Cassoulet |
Paella
Gardiane - a slow cooked Beef stew - usally served with Camargue red rice
Lamb " sous la mer " suckling pig
Boles de Picolat - Catalan meat balls with garlic and tomatoes
Duck - in various guises. Magret de Canard can be simply grilled, brochettes of Duck, a stew with olives, Confit de Canard ,
Pistache de Mouton ou d'Agneau - basically Drunken Lamb or Mutton
Tagine - influence from Morocco - slow cooked stew with vegetables and served with couscous
Wild Boar in various ways
Notes on Vegetables.
Apart from all the obvious, a few very local specialities:
Green Asparagus - the first of the new seasons produce appears from the end of March (best, with most flavour) to the beginning of June
Garlic - new seasons green garlic from May. The purple tinged skined Ail rose de Lautrec is the finest.
Wild mushrooms - are most common in the autumn when the large cèps arrive from the mountains of Lozere. Buying cèps can be very hit and miss as some lack flavour.
Winter root vegetables - the village of Pardailhan in the cooler Haut-Languedoc is renowned for its Navet Noir (black turnip), carrots and other root vegetables grown on a schist soil plateau.
Onions - Cebes, sweet white onions famous in the area around Lézignan-la-Cèbe in the Herault valley.
Aligot - what is basically a mixture of mash potato and mountain cheese with garlic is, when well made, a uniquely stringy textured and delicious creation that demands second helpings.
Cheeses
With the Languedoc planes dominated by vines one has to head for the limestone hills to find sheep and goat country. The most famous cheese is the blue Roquefort. Matured in the caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon (politically in the Midi-Pyreneees) much of it originates from the ewes living on the high Grande Causses (limestone plateaus) of which Larzac is by far the largest.
All over the hills goat's milk makes small Pélardons and Crotins. Perail is a runny sheep's cheese made throughout the region. Beyond the Causses are the mountains of the Auvergne and their famous cows cheeses - St. Nectaire, the Cantal family (Salers, Laguiole), Tommes, Brébis ( a female sheep )
Puddings
We have a prolific amount of locally grown fruits (
nectarines, peaches - flat ones, red and white - figs,
apricots, cherries, strawberries, melons, pomegranates,
quinces,grapes, chestnuts,walnuts, almonds,as well as
chestnuts ) so many sweets are based on these.
Clafoutis, a cherry
cake
Crème
catalane - is crème
brûleé flavoured with lemon peel, fennel seed and
perhaps cinnamon bark
A
few notable general food items:
Honey - there are
apiculteurs all over the region. Depending on the
blossom and flowers in season different honeys are
produced so have a tasting at a market stall or visit a
producer. The range is as diverse as wine with the
heady flavours from the indigenous plants and trees
resulting in some powerful tastes such as chestnut and
lavender. If you like something more delicate seek out
bruyère (heather).
Salt - The town of
Aigues-Mortes at the edge of the Camargue remains a
major producer of salt. Fleur de Sel is collected by
hand when the conditions are right for surface crystals
to form on the evaporating salines. Buy it in small
cork lidded tubs that state the name of the family
producer and use it as a garnish. La Baleine (whale)
make a more everyday salt that's available world wide.
Also, very good salt comes from Gruissan.
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