9 minute read
Food and Drink, and Chocolate - A Delicious Affair
from The Local Buzz
by Buzzing
Emma (chef) and John (sommelier) Gilchrist have been living in the Lot et Garonne since 2016 running their gîte and cookery school, Les Caulins. Here’s their take on summer BBQ ideas and the perfect wines to match.
The quality of the produce in SW France is outstanding: truffles, strawberries, plums prunes, melons, figs, duck, foie gras, the list goes on and the markets are inspiring. Anticipated warm evenings, alfresco dining and something on the BBQ with a glass of wine is foodie heaven. Brochets, burgers, fish, simple salads and a customary baguette are the easy norm. Here is something a little different to try.
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www.lescaulins.com
Lemon Marinated Grilled Chicken with Nectarine, Romaine, Red Onion, Basil and Brebis
Marinade & Dressing: 6 tbsp Yogurt 2 tbsp Fresh lemon juice 4 tbsp oil 1 Chilli (optional) 3 Garlic cloves, minced Salt and pepper Soft herbs (I used mint, chives, coriander)
4 Chicken breasts 2 Nectarines 1 Head of Romaine Lettuce Sprig of Basil 1 Red Onion 1 Brebis (French style feta)
Combine all the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Then flatten the chicken breasts so they cook quicker and do not dry out on the BBQ. In another bowl or sealable bag, place the chicken and half the marinade and refrigerate for four hours.
Set aside the remaining marinade for a tomato dish. Cut the nectarines into 8 wedges, slice the onion, separate and wash the Romaine and dice the cheese.
Cook the chicken on the BBQ and arrange with the rest of the ingredients on a platter. Decorate with torn basil, salt and pepper.
Garlicky BBQ Potatoes Salardaise and Pancetta
750g New potatoes 4 tbsp Duck fat 100g Pancetta or smoked bacon lardons 3 Cloves of garlic sliced Salt and pepper
Put the potatoes in a large saucepan of cold water and bring to the boil. Once boiling, cook until slightly tender.
Drain and leave to steam-dry for 5 mins. Cut into 1cm thick slices and transfer to a large sheet of foil.
Slice the pancetta into thick pieces and, in a separate pan, sauté in a little oil until crispy. Coat the potatoes in the duck fat, sliced garlic and crispy pancetta and season well.
Make sure the potatoes are sitting flat against the foil so each one gets charred when grilled. Wrap in the foil like a parcel, and wrap again to ensure the potatoes are completely covered.
Cook on the barbecue for 10 mins.
Tomato Salad, Mint, Radish, Chives and Chilli Yogurt
1 kg Mixed tomatoes The remaining yogurt from the chicken recipe 2 Spring onions 1 or 2 Hot chillies Bunch of radishes with leaves removed and halved Olive oil Chopped Mint and Chives Salt and pepper
Finely chop the chilli and spring onion and mix in the yogurt and spread on a plate. Slice the tomatoes and arrange on the yogurt. Sprinkle with the mint, radishes and chopped chives. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt & pepper.
Prawn and Chorizo Brochettes
500g peeled King Prawns 1 Chorizo sausage Wooden Skewers
Soak the skewers in water to prevent them burning. Slice the chorizo into 1 cm slices. Thread the prawns and sliced chorizo alternately on the skewers, then cook on the BBQ 2-3 mins on each side.
Big reds and sparkling wine are great matches for BBQ food, and crisp, juicy whites and pale rosés feel just right when eating outside.
If, like me, you are looking for that something a little quirky, utterly beautiful and a magical match with BBQ food then here are my tips.
For fresh, crisp and ripe, grape skin flavoured white wines, head to the Northern Gers region and the fresh wines of Gascony. In the modern winery at Domaine Chiroulet the family produce great Armagnac and an equally well made range of wines and, in particular, their dry whites; Terres Blanches, La Côte d’Heux and Soleil d’Automne 7.00€-10.00€. Made predominantly with Gros and Petit Mensang, the wines are lively, full and complex with floral and stone fruit flavours, especially nectarine, making them the perfect match with Emma’s BBQ chicken dish.
If bold and fruity red is your BBQ heaven then one appellation to hunt down is AOC Fronton, just north of Toulouse, in the Northern Haute Garonne. Famous since the Middle Ages as the home of the historic red grape Négrette, originally bought to France by the Knights Templar from Cyprus. The wines are dark and purplish in colour with those big flavours of cassis, blackberry, raspberry, violet and pepper. Yet on the palette they are juicy and crunchy. Look out for Domaine Roumagnac, Domaine le Roc and Château Laurou.
North West of Montauban in the Tarn-et-Garonne region there is the impressive Domaine de Montels Estate. The flagship of the Coteaux and Terrasses de Montauban appellation and owners of the Serre de Bovila estate in Fargues, a superb vineyard in the Cahors appellation, in the Lot department. Here you can sample top notch wines from 13 different grape varieties.
Highlights are a superb Champagne style Blanc de Blanc 10.40€, 100% chardonnay that is as good as any I have tasted and the Pale pink topaz coloured Mas des Anges rosé 7.90€. Made with 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and combines the richness of wild strawberry and a pronounced citrus zests that give perfect balance. A real treat on a hot day. Bon appétit
John & Emma www.lescaulins.com
Support your local winery. Details of wine estates can be found on our website thelocalbuzzmag.com
The Buzz Bio
Emma and John have worked in the catering and hospitality industry for thirty years. Emma began her cooking career at Midsummer House in Cambridge then honed her skills with spells in Italy, Switzerland, Barbados and London.
Working with some great chefs in some of the best restaurants, Emma is passionate about seasonal, fresh food and has a gutsy approach to enhancing simple flavours.
John, a former British Sommelier of the year and winner of the Mondavi award for the best wine list in the world, met Emma at Midsummer House. John is bonkers about wine and an enthusiast for the little wine producers and is a seeker of unknown gems.
Prior to acquiring Les Caulins, Emma and John ran their own successful restaurant in Buckinghamshire. They have won many awards including the 50 best destination restaurants in the UK, Wine Pub of the Year, British Cheeseboard of the Year and Buckingham’s Best Restaurant for eight years to name a few.
Bee a Foodie
Honey is a fabulously natural, healthy ingredient. Here are some of our favourite recipes.
Raspberry & Honey Vinaigrette
Equal parts of walnut oil and raspberry vinegar, a teaspoon of Dijon mustard and a tablespoon of honey. Shake well, add salt and pepper to taste and serve. S0 good with chicken livers or crispy hot bacon on a bed of salad leaves.
Aperos
Toast some bread, cut to your desired shape, top with soft goats cheese, place under grill until slightly melting, drizzle with honey and serve
Add runny honey to toasted goat’s cheese
Glazed Carrots
Sweeten up your cooked carrots with a splash of lemon juice and a tablespoon of honey.
Honeyed Bacon Benedict
Spread, layers of thick bacon on a lined baking sheet and drizzle with honey. Cook for 10 minutes, turn over and cook for another 10 minutes. Cut each slice in half and leave to cool. Place the bacon halves over half a buttered English muffin or roll. Gently break an egg over the muffin and bacon slices, add salt and pepper and bake for 12-15 minutes or until the eggs are as you like them. Top with warm hollandaise sauce and garnish with paprika and fresh herbs. Add salad leaves to the side and drizzle with honey. If you want to make mini versions for aperos, use quail eggs. Delicious!
CHOCOLATE - the feel good factory
We went to see what makes Maison Guinguet so special.
www.maisonguinguet.com
Who would have thought that at the end of a quiet hazelnut tree-lined lane in Duras you would find one of the region’s leading chocolatiers. Artisanale by nature, Maison Guinguet is world famous for its wide range of chocolates and innovative use of nuts and fruit to make different flavours and textures.
Taking pride of place amongst these are what are believed to be the thinnest langue de chats which are filled with soft fruit flavours, praline or ganache. Incredibly, as delicate as they are, the flavours are actually stamped on the chocolate!
Maison Guinguet was formed in 1950 by Pierre Guinguet, a local prune trader. In 1972, Jean et Maryse joined him and the prune business took off. Later, Patricia and Sabine were added to the team to develop the chocolate side of the business.
but this soon expanded into pralines, ganaches, chocolates with fruit and, of course, caramel. One of their most fun ranges is the Chocisson. Complete with string, it looks just like a flour covered saucisson but, in fact, it is a lightly coated chocolate sausage made of milk chocolate or hazelnuts and crunchy caramel. Many a laugh is raised in the gift shop when people realise and, having tasted it, very few visitors leave without one.
Today, Maison Guinguet is under new ownership. Frank Latrille of Fabrila is now working alongside fellow shareholders Sabine and Patricia to take the business forward. Expanding its exclusive outlets throughout France and developing additional export markets are on the horizon, as are new chocolate ranges.
Employing 30 permanent staff and a further 20 in July and August, the factory stands on a 4000m² plot with a gift shop full of themed gifts, such as pottery chickens, shabby chic knick knacks and crockery filled with chocolates. Dried prunes, apricots and specialist liqueurs are also offered alongside the white, milk and dark chocolates.
The chocolates fall under the inventive and industrious eye of Sabine, the master artisan. She told us,
We only use regional produce for the fillings, such as local prunes and nuts from the nearby hazelnut plantation.”
She added, “We source chocolate from around the world depending on which type, quality and percentage of chocolate we need. All of our chocolates are crafted with beurre de cacao to ensure a smooth texture and we use only the finest of ingredients. Our latest line is a praline noisette that we are calling Choco Krokinettes and we are also busy developing new, typically French packaging for our overseas markets.”
Open to visitors throughout July and August, the factory offers a tour. Every Tuesday and Friday, it starts at 11am and includes a video, an explanation of how the chocolates are made, and a tour of the factory, in both French and English. Best of all is the free tasting at the end!
For details of the 600 stockists in France, see www.maisonguinguet.com
Visit the chocolate factory to discover our range of chocolates and prune specialties.
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Labarthe B&B and Gite
www.hideawayfrance.co.uk
Email: hideawayfrance@gmail.com
Labarthe, Baleyssagues, Duras 47120 Phone: 0553 89 77 58
