SEPTEMBER 2016 – FRANCE THEME
BREAD
1. CHESTNUT PAIN DE CAMPAIGNE This bread is a sourdough, meaning that no yeast has been added to the dough. The name means ‘country bread’ and was traditionally baked in communal ovens in a round or miche.It is fermented and risen over three days giving it the charistically strong flavour and chewy texture. We have added cooked chestnuts to the dough which gives it a nutty flavour and soft, creamy texture.
2. GOATS CHEESE, RED ONION & THYME FOUGASSE This is a classic French bread that is either made plain (as we do daily) or flavoured as tonight’s is. It is made from our Overnight White dough and is shaped and cut with a scraper before being proved, baked and coated in olive oil. An amazing snack!
3. BAGUETTE The most iconic of all French breads! Despite this the name ‘baguette’ didn’t become common until the 1920’s. It is derived from the Italian bacchetta meaning ‘wand’. This is made over 2 days with a poolish (one third of the total flour and water and a small amount of yeast) fermenting for 14-15 hours in the fridge. In the morning this is then added to the remaining dough ingredients, proved, shaped and baked. This is the bread that takes us the longest to make, being the first thing mixed and the last out of the oven. If it weren’t for this dough we could get out of bed later!!
4. POILANESTYLE SOURDOUGH Lionel Poilâne is a French artisan baker famed for his 2kg miche loaves that are now exported all over the world. He was a champion of traditionally made, sourdough breads and the bakery, now run by his daughter, still trains bakers in the traditional methods of production. The Poilâne miche is made from 85% extraction flour, also called ‘grey flour’ which we buy from Yorkshire Organic Millers and spelt flour. This is our version.
5. UK APPLE TART TATIN We are celebrating the first of the UK apples by making another French Classic. The tart is thought to have originated in the Hotel Tatin south of Paris. We have made puff pastry but layering Lescure butter (a French butter with a high butterfat content) with pastry dough. Apples are sliced and layered into a mold with butter and sugar then the pastry is laid on top. This is all baked and then inverted. Perfect with the apple based Calvados and Cidre.
CHEESE
From the Jura mountain region comes one of France’s favourite cheeses – this one is made by Marcel Petite. Smooth, mellow, nutty and with a long finish.
Epoisses
Burgundy’s most pungent cheese and its most famous. It is powerful, luscious and a real cheese connoisseurs’ choice. Full flavoured, with a soft, oozy texture.
Morbier
A semi-soft cows’ milk cheese of France named after the small village of Morbier in Franche-Comté. It is ivory coloured, soft and slightly elastic with a thin black layer separating it horizontally in the middle. It has a rind that is yellowish, moist, and leathery.
Traditionally, the cheese consists of a layer of morning milk and a layer of evening milk. When making Comté, cheesemakers would end the day with leftover curd that was not enough for an entire cheese so they would press the remaining evening curd into a mould, and spread ash over it to protect it overnight. The following morning, the cheese would be topped up with morning milk. Nowadays, the cheese is usually made from a single milking with the traditional ash line replaced by vegetable dye. The aroma of Morbier can be strong and the flavour is rich and creamy, with a slightly bitter aftertaste.
Chevre Goats’ Cheese log
This is the classic, white mould rind goat log.
Fourme d’Ambert
A succulent and classic blue from the Auvergne. The cheese is aged for ten weeks by affineur Xavier Morin, to create the richest creamiest texture. Fourme d’Ambert has a delicate blue flavour, and is soft and smooth.
WINE
NOIX DE LA SAINT JEAN
From the Forcalquier distillery in Provence and a delicious way to start the evening with this stunning walnut aperitif. Dauphine Green Walnuts are harvested whilst still unripe and before the shells begin to harden, this must happen before or on the 24th June, which is known as St. Jeans Day (or better known to us as John the Baptist) and which gives this drink its name. To enhance the flavour of the walnuts the distillery combines them with nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves to give the aperitif its spicy, fruity flavours. This should complement the chestnut bread and the Comte perfectly, enhancing the nut flavours of this serve.
St.Veran Cuvee Tradition Doamine Thomas
This family run estate has developed during the past three generations with Lucien now in charge with the support of his father. The Chardonnay is the all important component here as it is throughout the Maconnaise. The fruit displays a crispness on the opening followed by good depth of flavours. As the lemony tones fade the peachy notes are apparent. With the fullness of the cheese the wine develops and keeps the palate interested.
Chereau Carre Muscadet ‘Sur Lie ‘
With the vineyards situated near Nantes on the Brittany coast, the Atlantic ocean does play a part in the character of the wine. Cooling breezes in the summer are helpful so not to stress the ripening grapes. The ripened Melon de Bourgogne grapes are harvested in parcels from mid September. Sur lie refers to the wine being left on the dead yeast cells to add character and depth. Muscadet is not just for seafood and salad.Using it here with the Goats cheese log I am looking to balance the acidity of the cheese and the ripe grapey wine.The red onion and thyme is refreshed by the dryness of the Muscadet.
Maison Nicolas Perrin Syrah
The northern Rhone provides some fantastic Syrah .This is a collaboration between two well respected families. The Nicolas is Jaboulet and the Perrin is Mark. The grapes provide crunchy dark berry fruits with a hint of black pepper spice.The wines is made in steel vats and a part is moved to large oak barrels for a short 4/5 month rest before rejoining the rest for bottling. A juicy and fruity Rhone red works well with the creamy delicate nature of the blue cheese.
DROUIN CALVADOS AND CIDRE
Christian Drouin was an Industrialist when he bought a farm in Gonneville in the 1960s. His aim was simple: to produce a top quality spirit using the farms orchard apples. He passed this passion down to his son (also Christian) and now the company is in the third generation of Drouin. In 1995 the whole estate was recognised by the European Prestige Grand Prix Award, representing the quintessence of calvados.
