J’ai déjà dégusté quelques spécialités françaises et lyonnaises! Avez-vous envie de manger à la française, aussi?! Choisissez votre recette et essayez-la chez vous!
Lapin à la moutarde
My favorite meal so far was… rabbit (that I bought skinned but whole, head and eyes intact, at the Saturday morning market)!!!
This recipe calls for rabbit but you can use poultry or pork, if you prefer.
Cut a whole rabbit into pieces (legs, sections), omit the organs and head. Salt and pepper, brush heavily with Dijon mustard and dredge in flour. Brown pieces in a hot, oiled pan and set aside. In the same pan, add a tablespoon of oil to the drippings, along with a medium sliced yellow onion, a clove of chopped garlic and a few chopped sprigs of parsley. Season with a vegetable bouillon cube and a little salt and pepper. Cook until onions are golden brown. Add the rabbit pieces back to the pan, along with 1/2 liter of white wine. Cook on stovetop over medium low heat for 1 hour. (*At 45 minutes you can add sliced raw mushrooms, if desired.)
Boudins noirs
If you can find them at your supermarket or a specialty market you should try some BLOOD SAUSAGE! Buy a pack of 2 boudins noirs. Cook them whole, in a pan with a tablespoon of butter. Delicious served with an apple or two, sliced and sautéed in a little butter until tender.
Tartiflette
This is hands-down the most caloric thing I’ve consumed so far, and trust me, I’ve eaten A LOT of stuff, but it’s delicious and a regional specialty!
Peel and cube enough yellow potatoes to fill a large casserole pan. Transfer cubes to a pressure cooker or pot with a wire basket, add a little water and cook until steamed. They should be still a little firm. In a separate pan, sauté a pound of bacon with a medium yellow onion (sliced or cubed), a few splashes of white wine and a dash of nutmeg. When onions are golden brown turn off the heat and add 2/3 cup of creme fraiche. Pour steamed potato cubes into the large casserole dish, top with bacon/onion mixture. Cut a large Reblochon cheese into 1/2 inch wide strips and layer on top of casserole (if you can’t find this type of cheese you could use any soft cheese with a rind- a round of Brie would work). Bake at 400 degrees F until the cheese is soft and runny but not overcooked.
Soupe aux poireaux
Wash and cube 3 large leeks (leaving out the last few inches of the green ends). Peel and cube 4-5 yellow potatoes. Place leeks and potatoes in a pressure cooker and add water (not enough to cover, though). Add a vegetable bouillon cube, a pinch of salt and pepper and a few stems of chopped, fresh parsley. Cook for 25-30 minutes (or until part of the water is steamed off and veggies are very tender). Turn off heat and add 2/3 cup creme fraiche and 3 triangles of Laughing Cow cheese. Purée thoroughly. Garnish with fresh parsley.
Gratin aux courges
Peel and cube a medium sized pumpkin or half of a large pumpkin. Place cubed pieces in a pressure cooker (with wire basket below to protect from direct heat) , add water (not enough to cover) and cook for 25 minutes or until tender. Turn off heat. Remove pumpkin cubes to a bowl and cool/refrigerate for 24 hours. Do not skip the 24-hour waiting period- it allows the pumpkin to attain the right consistency and drain excess water. Puree pumpkin with 3 raw eggs, 1-2 cups of grated gruyere cheese and 2/3 cup of creme fraiche. Scoop into a casserole pan and bake at 400 degrees F until golden on top.
Choucroute
We had a traditional family choucroute feast on Armistice Day (France’s Veterans Day). Check out the photos and see if you can figure out what choucroute is!