Regional dishes

Regional dishes on the south Atlantic coast

Aquitaine is also called "La Royaume de la Gueule", which roughly translates to the kingdom of the mouth. Most regions in France have good regional dishes but Aquitaine has an astounding amount of good quality regional dishes. If you like good food, Aquitaine is the region for you. On the coast you can eat oysters and fish. Bordeaux and the Médoc are famous for their wine. In the south, the Bayonne Jambon is a favourite and dishes such as Piperade and Poulet Basquaise are served in abundance. The region also has its fair share of sweet treats such as the Canelé from Bordeaux, the Gateau Basque, Macarons and the Croustade. Wondering what Gratton de Lormont, Puits d'Amour ane Ttoro are? Then take a look at this overview.

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Cannelé or Canelé

Cannelé is a sweet custard tart with rum and vanilla, soft on the inside and crispy on the outside. Originally from Bordeaux, it was first made in the 16th century by nuns using ingredients that were readily available: flour, eggs and rum. The cannelé is also related to the wine industry. Egg whites were widely used, which meant that egg yolks were left over and used to make pastries. Cannelé is the general name, Canelé is the protected AOC variant.

Croustade

A Croustade is a fluffy pastry made of puff pastry and apple. The puff pastry is dipped in rum, armagnac, or another alcoholic beverage. A layer of apple slices is placed on top, which are covered with a layer of puff pastry. When it comes out of the oven, it has a golden yellow colour. This crispy tart is eaten in large parts of southwestern France. The recipe may differ slightly per region, but the base is the same.

Espelette

At the foot of the Pyrenees lies the pretty French-Basque village of Espelette. If you are in the area, be sure to check it out. Garlands with red peppers hang from the characteristic houses. The peppers from this region have their own AOC quality mark and are available as a powder, on a bunch or as fresh pepper. The spicy fruity taste is particularly suitable for giving dishes the desired taste and smell. The castle of Espelette has a special pepper exhibition.

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Gâteau Basque

The Gâteau Basque is a cake which was first prepared in Cambo-les-Bains. "La Fête du Gâteau Basque" is still held every year. This cake is widely sold in Bayonne, St. Jean de Luz and surrounding towns. The Gâteau Basque is a cake with two crispy layers of dough and a generous amount of pastry cream between the layers.Sometimes the baker even mixes a dash of rum into the pastry cream. Occasionally, you will see variants with a filling of cherries or almonds.

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Gratton de Lormont

Gratton de Lormont is a special pâté or terrine that is made from various meats such as ham and shoulder ham, supplemented with spices. This mixture has to boil for a long time, after which it is put in a terrine. This often involved scraping the remains of the ham from the bottom (gratté), which is where the name "gratton" comes from. Butcher Gaudin from Lormont made this dish famous at the end of the 19th century. It can be eaten cold or hot.

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Jambon de Bayonne

Bayonne ham is produced in the south-west of France. It is an IPG "Indication Géographique Protégée", a protected name, just like Serrano and Ibérico in Spain or Parma in Italy. To be classified as Bayonne ham, it must be produced and processed south-west of the river Adour. The ham is cured with salt from Salies de Béarn and then dried and prepared according to an age-old method. Visit the ham museum in Arzacq-Arraziguet.

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Macarons

The macarons are available in almost all of France. Its history seems to date back to Arabia in the 8th century, after which it came to Italy and then became introduced to France through the royal court. Later, Macarons were produced in St. Emilion. There is still a Macaron factory there. Pierre from Maison Ladurée in Paris came up with the idea of adding color and fragrance, which means that these days macarons come in all colors and flavors.

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Oysters

Along large parts of the Atlantic Ocean in France you can enjoy oysters. Oysters are farmed in many places such as near Bordeaux in the Arcachon Basin. There are many oyster fishermen's huts who take fresh oysters from the sea to the local restaurants daily. Oysters are eaten with a crépinette or vinaigrette. You can't get fresher oysters anywhere else. Visit the Maison de l'Huître in Gujan-Mestras.

Pastis Landais

The Pastis Landais has, ironically, no relation whatsoever to the pastis, a widely consumed alcoholic drink that is especially popular on hot summer days. The Pastis Landais is a pastry from the Landes that is eaten for breakfast or for dessert. The cake is baked at a low temperature for a long time. Coarse sugar granules are sprinkled on top of the cake. To give the cake even more flavour, rum, anise or vanilla is sometimes added.

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Paté Pommes de Terre

The Pâté de Pommes de Terre sometimes gets confused with the crème pâté, but that's something else. The Pâté de Pommes de Terre is made with potato slices and is a round pie made with puff pastry on the bottom. A layer of potato slices is added with cream, onions and herbs such as chives and parsley. This is then covered by a layer of puff pastry. This can be eaten as an appetizer or main course.

Piperade

The Piperade is mainly eaten in the south and every family has its own recipe. There are many variants but all based on the peppers, the main ingredient. Tomatoes and onions are also an essential part of the dish. Other vegetables, meat, fish or eggs are sometimes also added. This stew is cooked until the tomatoes have melted and the moisture has largely evaporated. The Piperadère is held every year in Salies-de-Béarn.

Poulet Basquaise

Chicken Basquaise is a well-known and popular dish from the French Basque Country. Its popularity is so great that you can now order it in restaurants in most parts of France. It is easy to make. You can either eat it in a restaurant or make it yourself in your holiday home. To make this dish you’ll need to fry pieces of chicken in olive oil and add peppers, raw ham, onions and tomatoes. You should use the well-known Espelette peppers.

Puits d'Amour

Captieux in Gironde is where Puits d'Amour originally come from. The Seguin family has been baking these pastries for several generations. They are now known throughout the area. The fluffy ball of dough is filled with crème Chiboust which is made from pastry cream and Italian meringue. These pastries are then caramelized in the oven. After they have cooled down, you can eat them. They taste great!

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Rillettes de Canard

Rillettes de Canard is a meat appetizer which can be prepared in different ways, It is baked at a low temperature for so long that it falls apart and "rillettes", meat threads, remain. These are then cooled. In many regions, this dish is made with pork or fish. In the southwest of France, this dish is made with duck meat and served on a piece of bread.

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Salad Landaise

Salad Landaise comes from the Landes department and the Gascony region and consists of cold and hot ingredients. The base is salad with vegetables, corn, tomatoes and nuts. Warm gizzard and duck breast is then addedto this. Sometimes bayonne ham, croutons, hard-boiled eggs, bacon and even asparagus are added to the salad. It is eaten as an appetizer or main dish. In the latter case, the dish is accompanied with a glass of white wine.

Ttoro

Ttoro (pronounced "Tioro") is a real Basque dish mainly made in port towns. Ttoro is more of a fish ragout than a fish soup and was made by fishermen at sea with whatever was left in their fishing nets. On land, Ttoro was made with the fish that had not been sold that day. Pieces of eel, monkfish, hake and mussels were mixed with tomato, garlic and Espelette pepper. Every year in St. Jean de Luz, a Ttoro festival is organized.

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Sea lamprey

This fish is caught between mid-December and mid-May in the Gironde estuary and the Dordogne near Bordeaux. It is a delicacy that used to only be eaten by the wealthy. Sea lamprey is prepared with leeks, ham, onions and red wine. First, the fish is cut into slices and cooked. It is then left to simmer for hours, after which it is eaten with croutons. La Fête de la Lamproie, the lamprey festival, is held every year in Ste. Terre in the Libournais.

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