Aquitaine Cuisine

Introduction:

Aquitaine is a region in France, located in the south-western part of the country, along the Atlantic Ocean and on the border with Spain. The total population of Aquitaine is 3,150,890 people and is equivalent to 6% of the total French population. Bordeaux is the capital of Aquitaine and is regarded as the world's major wine industry capital. Wine has been produced in Bordeaux since the 8th century. Bordeaux is also home to the world's main wine fair called Vinexpo and it is estimated that Bordeaux produces approximately 960 million bottles of wine per year.

Fresh Produce: 

Aquitaine produces a range of different types of foods and wines. The principal fruits and vegetables from the region include sand-grown carrots, asparagus, tomatoes, strawberries and prunes. Poultry mainly includes chickens and ducks. Aquitaine is particularly noted for its goose and duck liver as well as its Perigord Truffles. Oysters and Aquitaine caviar are also among the top quality local products.

Specialties:

The region has a number of food specialties and where eating well is considered a way of life, cholesterol and heart illnesses are almost unheard of. Food specialties include Bayonne Ham which is one of France's finest hams. Its long maturing period in dryers gives the ham a nice flavour and subtle aroma. Arcachon oysters is another specialty of the region and is traditionally served with a sausage, rye bread and a glass of dry white wine.  Aquitaine is specifically renowned for the dish Foie Gras which is made from goose and duck liver and is also the leading producer of Foie Gras in the world.

Cheeses:

Aquitaine is also well known for its dairy products and excellent cheeses. Patte d'Ours is a type of cheese which is a mix of cow's and female sheep's milk. This type of cheese is uncooked and it is pressed instead. It can be described as semi-hard cheese. Suprême Tradition is a cow's milk cheese which is round and boxed as well as being soft and tasty. It is made through the process of maturing it in a room which has a consistent temperature and has a natural dampness. It helps enhance the flavour of the cheese.

 

Notable Wines:

Wine-growing is Aquitaine's number one agricultural production and it plays a key role in the region's economy. The Aquitaine vineyards represent the largest wine-growing area for fine wines in the world, covering 151,600 hectares with an average annual production of 7 million hectolitres. The exceptional reputation of Aquitaine wines is based primarily on the region's prestigious number of great vintage wines such as Château Haut-Brion and Château Latour. Other notable wines include the Bergerac and Semillon wines. 

 

Regional Cuisine Influences:

The regional cuisine is influenced by the area being close to the Atlantic Ocean and that it borders Spain. One specialty of Aquitaine would be its Arcachon oysters and the region being near the ocean may have influenced the cuisine in the area. Spain's influence on the regional cuisine in Aquitaine would have to be its vineyards and its production of various wines. The wines produced in Aquitaine are regarded as some of the most wonderful wines of France.

 

Interesting Regional Dishes:

The two interesting regional dishes I have found would be Foie Gras and Sauternes Terrine and Lamprey

à la Bordelaise (lampreys are jawless fish with a similar appearance to an eel).

  

Foie Gras and Sauternes Terrine

Preparation: 40 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
Easy

Ingredients
(for 10 people):

- 2 foies gras (1.2 kg approx.)
- 3 pinches pimento
- 2 pinches paprika
- 15 g salt
- 1 pinch pepper
- ½ glass of a very good Sauternes wine

Preparation

Prepare this recipe three to four days before serving.
It is possible to keep the foie gras in the refrigerator for eight days without opening.

1. Soak the livers in cold water for 2 hours to make it easier to remove the nerves afterwards.

2. Remove the central vein, the nerves and any gall marks.

3. Mix the salt, pepper, spices and paprika together. Sprinkle the mixture onto the foie gras (on all sides).

4. Place the livers in the terrine dish with the rounded side downwards. Pour the Sauternes over them. Close the top of the terrine dish with a flour and water pastry (making sure you leave a small opening in it).

5. Cook for one hour in a bain-marie, in an oven on gas mark 3 (120°C).
- In an electric oven, leave the liver to cool down inside.
- In a gas oven, wrap the dish in a cloth and leave to cool down gently (5 hrs).

6. Keep the sealed terrine dish in the fridge for 4 or 5 days.

7. Turn out of the dish to serve, by placing the bottom of the dish in hot water for a few seconds and using a knife that has also been warmed up in hot water.

Lamprey à la Bordelaise

Cooking Time: 2 good hours
Difficult

Ingredients (for 6 people):

- 1 lamprey
- 1 bottle of Bordeaux wine (Graves, Médoc, Saint-Emilion)
- 15 cl of peanut oil
- 2 shallots
- 1 large onion
- 2 slices of Bayonne ham
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 4 soup spoons of flour
- 1 bouquet garni
- 8 large leeks
- 5 cl cognac or armagnac
- 1 or 2 squares of chocolate (optional)
- salt and pepper

Preparation

1. Tie up the lamprey by the head and cut into the tail with a knife, after positioning it above a bowl to collect the blood. Let the blood drain out completely (at least 2 hours).

2. Plunge the fish into boiling water and remove the central cord, the head, tail and eggs. Clean it under running tap water.

3. Cut the lamprey into sections of about 4-5 cm and place them in a marinade of cooked, flambéed wine.

4. In a pan, fry the shallots, onion and ham cut into pieces in the oil. Add in the crushed garlic, the flour and the wine from the marinade, along with the bouquet garni and leave to simmer gently for 1 hour. Add salt and pepper.

5. Chop the leeks into pieces and fry gently, then put them into the sauce.

6. Brown the pieces of lamprey (after draining thoroughly), flambé them and then transfer them into the pan. Cook for 1 more hour.

7. Thicken the sauce with the lamprey’s blood and the chocolate, if you wish. Leave to cook for 10 more minutes.