GASTRONOMY


Provence-Alpes-COTE-d'azur












La Provence - Côte d'Azur have their own specialties, but also share a gastronomic tradition built on local produce: vegetables, garlic, olive oil, herbs, etc. ... The kitchen is obtained, in the image of the country, a kitchen cheerful, sunny, colorful, full of scents and herbs; it is a delight to the palate.


Coté Cote-d'Azur, there is often the influence of Italian cuisine.
Some traditional dishes Nice - Cote-d'Azur:
Ratatouille Nicoise salad Nicoise, stuffed niçois, pissaladière, the daube niçoise, socca, cakes, flowers squash, zucchini tian, brissaudo, omelet of poutine, artichoke barigoule, barbajuan (blettes ravioli), pichade (tart tomatoes, anchovies , onions, herbs) bagna cauda, etc ...
Many of these dishes are in the spotlight throughout the region Paca, (Soup, salad Nicoise, Ratatouille Nicoise, Anchoïade ...). But Provence has its dishes like the famous bouillabaisse, the Provencal daube, the Provencal tomato, laces, chichifregi (long doughnut fried), panisse, shuttles (biscuits orange blossom), goat cheese, Rove , calissons d'Aix, tapenade, focaccia, etc ...


The Camargue is famous for its rice grown since 1830, and salt, but also the famous sausage Arles created in the 17th century (beef and pork, diced bacon, spices of Provence, red wine, dried 1 month before consumption), delicious Tellines in parsley, marinara, tomato sauce.


In addition to its wines, the Vaucluse brings the potato Pertuis, Cavaillon melon known throughout the world, the famous Mormoiron of asparagus. The equally famous "fruits" of Apt, a city known as the capital of candied fruit and has received much envied the label of "remarkable taste," the Sault nougat, traditional, made with honey and the Lavender, Berlingots Carpentras (since 1844), finally truffle (Carpentras, Valréas, ...).


And then, in the Vaucluse, something rare enough to be reported, Spelt or einkorn, is "wheat Gallic" released for every day for more than 10 years, and grown on the plateau Sault. Restaurants offer regional dishes bases Spelt.


Then when we mentioned the Gauls, Romans why not?
Thus, around the Etang de Berre, it is preparing a specialty of Roman origin: Melets (fry anchovies soaked in brine, put in jars with pepper and fennel). Added to the Poutargue (caviar Martigues) and a few others, Banon cheese, Fumeton (smoked leg of lamb) and a few others, it's still not bad.





The Calisson
Probably one, relating Alphonse Karr, 1847, in his book "The wasps."
At the wedding of Rene d'Anjou with Jeanne de Laval, 1474, the story said, in fact, that the future Queen would never smiled, keeping its mine despite severe as happy circumstances. Navrée to see its sovereign too austere, the royal cook, Titsé, confectionna it for a small candy sugar, almonds and candied fruit. Jeanne y tasted, its sweetness was such that his face suddenly s'éclaira a smile. At the court, courtiers were struck with amazement: "Qu'est-ce que c'est? What makes our queen smile?" They asked. And one of them replied in Provence: "These are cuddles," "calin di soun '. Des calissons. If there is a reluctance on the origin of calisson, we know in any event it has today. By contrast, the new versions differ as to the explanation of this form. Is it in remembrance of those crucifix adorned some stone Romanesque churches and on which Christ was locked in a mandorla? Is it simply to recall the shape of the kernel? Or is it a testament to the love that the cook Titsé would have to Queen Jeanne? We can not be perhaps never. What is certain is that the shape and size of Aix calisson have not changed. This triggered Mauritius flour. "It has to weigh between 10 and 14 grams and contain only kernels Mediterranean, ie de Provence, Italy, Spain or North Africa".


The recipe for calisson is therefore third almonds, sugar third and third candied fruit with 99% of melon. "The rest is powder Perlimpinpin each manufacturer: the peel of oranges, honey, lemon or apricot." "But that is not mistaken: it does not become calissonnier is a family affair. Aix A, there is not a factory that does not have at least two generations of the family owners."

Recipes





Ratatouille:


Preparation and cooking time 1 hour and 15 minutes.


For 8 people:
600g of red and yellow peppers, eggplant 1.2 kg, 1.2 kg of ripe tomatoes, onions 400g, 1.2 kg of butter zucchini long, 5 cloves garlic, basil leaves 10, 25cl oil Olive, 1 bouquet garni (thyme, bay leaf, parsley flat tails, celery leaves, fine salt, pepper mill).


Peel the garlic cloves, onions.
Prepare the vegetables: cut the ends of zucchini, eggplant, peppers égrainer - wash - the dice 2-3cm aside.
Heat the olive oil in a stove and have it turn brown vegetables separately, drain in a colander, pour into a casserole.
Monder and seeds, then mash tomatoes, concasser and add to vegetables. Add assaisonement: salt, ground pepper, herbs and garlic cloves, minced. Covering the preparation of a lid. Simmer 40 to 45 minutes.
Before serving, add chopped basil.







The Bouillabaise:


Preparation and cooking time:
2 hours and 15 minutes, for 4 persons.


Fish rock (redfish, conger, sars ...), 1 tip of knife saffron, 1 cup olive oil, fresh tomatoes 4, 1 bouquet garni, potatoes, bread, salt and pepper.
Put fish in a pot as possible.
Add the saffron, olive oil, mix well. Add a big bouquet garni, let marinate 1 hour.
Season with salt and pepper, add the tomatoes cut in half and seeded, potatoes peeled and cut into large slices (one per person).
Cover with water and bring to boil. When cooking potatoes and depending on the size of fish caught with slotted spoon and draw on a platter provided for this purpose, fish and potatoes.
Serve the soup with croutons rubbed and grilled garlic and rust.


The Pistou soup:
Preparation; 3 hours and 15 minutes for 8 people.


Soup: 800g of fresh shelled beans, onions means 2, 2 cloves, 2 branches fresh thyme, 2 large leeks, 300g carrots, celery-80g of limb, 100g of turnips, green beans 400g of mange-tout , 500g potato, zucchini 800g, 2 large firm tomatoes, 150g of macaroni, salt and pepper. The pistou: 10 cloves garlic, 3 dozen fresh leaves of basil, 100g of freshly grated Parmesan, Gruyere 50g, 25cl virgin olive oil, 1 large pinch of salt.


In a large pot, pour about 4 litres of water, add the white beans, onions into quarters quilted cloves and thyme.
Cook to simmer for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, peel and cut into slices leeks, carrots, celery, turnips, green beans, potatoes into large cubes, zucchini. The tomatoes, seeded, are left whole with the skin.


When beans have cooked 20 minutes, add the leeks, carrots, celery, turnips and cook 15 minutes.
Then insert green beans, potatoes and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and leave on the heat until boiling.
Add macaroni and cook for fifteen minutes.
Prepare then ointment pistou.
To do this, cut into small pieces the garlic cloves degermed. Add the salt, crush-all in a mortar and add the basil leaves chiseled. When the preparation is homogeneous mixing the two grated cheese and then turning slightly with a fork, incorporating olive oil. When vegetables in the pot is cooked, remove the thyme and onions, pour into a bowl content by blending the preparation of pistou, serve immediately.










BON APPETIT!