Perigord - fois gras - Foods From France

Perigord - fois gras - Foods From France

Food & Drink: Regional Cuisine - Alsace Foods - Basque Foods - Burgundy Foods - Languedoc Rousillon Foods - Normandy Foods - Provence Foods - Specialty French Cuisine - French Cheese - Fois Gras - French Wines

The Périgord region of France, more commonly known to the English as the Dordogne even though this is geographically misleading, is famous for its fois gras, truffles (truffes) and poultry, and its regional cuisine is hailed throughout France as one of the country's best.

Paté de fois gras is goose liver paté, and can be served either on its own, or in sauces with truffles. The grey Toulouse goose (oie) is a very important part of Périgord cuisine as it is versatile, lending itself to being roasted, boiled, stuffed with chestnuts or plums and made into confit d'oie where it is cooked and then stored in its own fat. Confit de porc and confit de canard are also popular. Goose fat is frequently used for cooking, in dishes such as pommes sarladaises (potatoes cooked in goose fat), as is walnut oil. Other goose-derived delicacies in Périgord include cou d'oie farci (goose neck stuffed with sausage meat, duck liver and truffles) and gésiers (goose gizzards) which are often served in salad.

When Perigord fois gras is used to make sauces, truffles are often added to create a sauce Périgueux or dish à la périgourdine, which is a rich brown sauce that contains both purée of fois gras and truffles, and is served with everything from pasta and omelettes to meat dishes.

The truffle season runs from November to March and it is during this time that trained dogs or pigs snuffle out subterranean fungi that grow on the roots of oak and hazelnut trees. In Périgord the truffles are black, with a rough texture and unique aroma. Truffles are designed to be eaten fresh as they only keep for a week and lose their flavour if preserved. They are such a delicacy that a mere 100g can fetch €300 in elite Parisian shops. Truffles can be added to sauces (as above) or wrapped in bacon and cooked in hot ashes, à la cendre.

Tripoux is a dish from Auvergne that is made from sheep's stomach stuffed with tripe, trotters, pork and garlic, but appears on menus in Périgord. There are also plenty of less unusual dishes on the Périgord menu for the less adventurous out there. Magret de canard (duck breast fillet) is very popular and served at most restaurants. Freshwater fish are served grilled, marinated, stuffed with fois gras or truffles, or cooked in ashes, and crayfish, beef and rabbit are well-liked too. You will come across stuffed cèpes or mushrooms, ballotines (poultry fillets that are stuffed, rolled and poached), and cabécou goat's cheese (the flat, round kind).

Local desserts include chestnut gateaux, flans and tarts made with plums, grapes, cherries, quinces and pears, and the local sweet, light bread is fougasse.

Dark Cahors red wines, Bergerac reds such as Pécharmant (quite fancy) or the cheaper Cotes de Bergerac, and Buzet are less expensive versions of neighbouring Bordeaux wines.

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