Bonne dégustation!
Classic stews such as coq au vin, poule au pot, and cassoulet are not the only traditional dishes enjoyed around France. Other regional recipes have originated from locally available ingredients and spread across France and beyond, often adapted and much discussed among those who claim to use the ‘authentic’ method of preparing and serving beloved dishes. In contrast to traditional one-pot meals, the variety and abundance of cheeses are evident in main courses and side dishes of the Rhône-Alpes and Savoie, whereas the more temperate climes of the Alpes-Maritimes prioritize lighter fare.
Fondue meal. Photo credit: Juliano Mendes, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Cheese lovers can satisfy their palates during a stay in the Alpine regions of France. Reblochon cheese from Abondance, Tarine and Montbéliarde cows melts wonderfully and serves as a base for local dishes such as tartiflette. Legend holds that 13th-century peasants refrained from fully milking their cows on the days when production was counted to assess and collect taxes, so the second milking afterward yielded richer, creamier milk that was used for cheesemaking. The word ‘reblochon’ is thus derived from ‘reblocher’ meaning ‘to milk again’.
Tartiflette, also known as péla, makes delicious use of Reblochon cheese, which is combined with lardons (bacon), onions, and sliced potatoes and baked until the cheese is browned. It often is made with crème fraîche and white wine or adapted to include other ingredients and herbs and can be made with different cheeses. The name tartiflette originates from tartifles, the term for ‘potatoes’ in regional dialects whereas péla is derived from pelagic, the name for long-handled pan in which tartiflette was cooked. A similar dish that is also widely served in the region is gratin dauphinois, a baked mixture of thinly sliced potatoes layered with cream in a buttered casserole dish that has been rubbed with garlic.
Fondue savoyarde was adapted from Switzerland, where fondue is considered to be a national dish. Formerly a way to extend scarce foods into a sufficiently filling meal for an entire family, fondue savoyarde is a communally served meal that brings people together. Garlic is rubbed inside a pot for the flavor to infuse into a combination of flavorful cheeses as they melt along with white wine, a pinch of pepper, and often a splash or two of kirsch brandy. Long forks are used to dip crusty artisanal bread cubes, fresh vegetables, and meat into the fondue. When a piece inevitably falls into the fondue, different traditions call for its owner to kiss someone or buy a round of drinks. Fondue savoyarde is traditionally French in that it draws ingredients from the riches of the region: cheeses such as Abondance, Beaufort, Comté, and Reblochon and a white Savoie wine made from Altesse/Roussette, Jacquère, and/or Apremont.
Raclette meal. Photo credit: Dijana from Pixabay
No visit to Savoie or the Rhône-Alpes would be complete without a raclette dinner. Raclette refers to both the cheese and the dish and is derived from ‘racler’, meaning ‘to scrape’, since the cheese is melted and then scraped onto potatoes, cornichons, pickled onions, charcuterie, and assorted vegetables, though there is no limit to what can be served. Its simplicity makes a raclette meal adaptable for different taste preferences and different seasons as long as the accompaniments go with cheese! By melting the cheese and self-serving at the table, raclette also brings people together in a way that promotes group conversation and enjoyment.
Salade niçoise. Photo credit: Wusel007, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The traditional foods of the Rhône-Alpes and Savoie go well with winter weather and exertion from working in the mountains or winter sports such as skiing, snowboarding, and snowshoeing. In contrast, the traditional foods further south in the Alpes-Maritimes draw from ingredients available in a more temperate climate closer to the sea. The coastal city of Nice is well-known for its namesake salad and pan bagnat, among other dishes. Salade niçoise had humble beginnings as a mixture of tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, anchovies or tuna, and olives drizzled with olive oil. Over time, fresh vegetables have been added in some versions and the dressing may be enhanced by herbs or replaced by a vinaigrette. Purists have disdained interpretations of salade niçoise that include mayonnaise or cooked vegetables such as potatoes or green beans, but variations that complement the standard ingredients can be enjoyable despite the perceived affronts.
Going a step further, pan bagnat makes salade niçoise portable. It originated as a way to make the most of day-old bread and vegetables by softening two round pieces of wheat bread with water or olive oil before filling the middle with salad ingredients as a convenient and tasty snack. The sandwich name comes from the Niçard dialect and means ‘bathed bread’. Just as with salade niçoise, numerous and heated discussions as to the ‘proper’ ingredients of pan bagnat are never-ending, though some traditionalists have banded together to form the Commune Libre du Pan Bagnat to safeguard the ‘true’ pan bagnat of Nice and distinguish it from versions that, in their eyes, only merit the appellation of ‘sandwich aux légumes’.
Each region of France maintains traditional dishes that have made the best of local ingredients for centuries, drawing from the abundance of agricultural bounty across the country. Many of these have gone global as restaurants outside of France offer their takes on classic French dishes and recipes have been shared and reinterpreted. Keep an eye out for these classics on a menu near you, try your hand at preparing them in your own kitchen, or should you have the fortunate opportunity to try one or more of these dishes in the region where they originated, taste why they have endured over the years.
Jeu de français
With the inspiration to taste or even prepare classic French food, put your French vocabulary to work by doing the following crossword. The answer to clue #1 can be found in this Art de vivre post.
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