Property Dordogne - Buy, Rent & Stay in Dordogne , France

 

Cuisine of the Dordogne

The cuisine is one of the best in the world. Perigord is known for Truffles and foie gras and you’ll find lots of interesting duck and goose recipes.

The Dordogne is just inland from Bordeaux, so wine is certainly not a problem! Famous dessert wine is produced at Monbazilac, and Bergerec and its surrounds produce a wide range of red wine.

The fertile valleys of the region produce great quantities of vegetables, nuts and fruit. (This area is the second largest producer of walnuts in France). The oil produced from them is widely used for cooking and is the main ingredient of the local salad dressing. Local pigs are fed on sweet chestnuts which grow on the hills.

Foie gras (French for "fat liver")

Is the fattened liver of a duck or goose that has been overfed. It is very rich and buttery, with a delicate flavour unlike that of a regular duck or goose liver. Foie gras is a luxury dish. Many in France only consume foie gras on special occasions - although the recent increased availability has made it a less exceptional dish.

All animal rights organizations, and nearly all animal welfare organizations regard the production of foie gras as cruelty to animals because of the force-feeding and the health consequences resultant from enlarged livers. Duck foie gras is the cheaper and, since a change of production methods in the 1950s, by far the most common kind. The taste of duck foie gras is often referred to as musky with a subtle bitterness. Goose foie gras is noted for being less gamey and smoother.

Truffles:

The word truffle describes a group of edible mycorrhizal (subterranean) fungi (genus Tuber, class Ascomycetes, division Mycota).

Truffles are found anywhere from two to 16 inches (5 to 40 cm) below the ground, usually in a circular formation about four to five feet (120 to 150 cm) from the base of an oak tree.

The ascoma (fruiting body) of truffles is highly prized as food.

Because of their high price and their pungent taste, truffles are used sparingly. White truffles are generally served uncooked and shaved over steaming buttered pasta or salads. White or black paper-thin truffle slices may be inserted in meats, under the skins of roasted fowl, in foie gras preparations, in pâtés, or in stuffings. Some specialty cheeses contain truffles as well.

The flavour of black truffles is far less pungent and more refined than their white cousins. It is reminiscent of fresh earth, mushrooms, and when fresh, their scent fills a room almost instantly.

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