Dining in Burgundy
from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman
behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com
Burgundy Truffles
Bourguignonne or à la Bourguignonne.
Dishes in the style or the manner of Burgundy.
Cuisine Bourguignonne is exceptionally varied, but à la Bourguignonne does not point to a specific type of cooking or a particular ingredient. À la Bourguignonne indicates recipes created for local fish, meat, poultry, cheeses, vegetables, fruits, and wines. The use of local products is the key.
When wine and cheese are part of a dish “à la Bourguignonne,” then the only wine and cheese considered will be a Vin de Bourgogne, wine from Burgundy and a Fromage Bourguignonne, a cheese from Burgundy. For France’s best and most extensive choice of wines, apart from Bordeaux, no wine growing area of France can compete with Burgundy and Burgundy is not in second place. For cheeses, Burgundy has four AOC/AOP cheeses, Chaource AOP, Époisses AOP, Mâconnais AOC, and Charolais AOC. To those four add another fifty plus well-recommended cheeses that are unique to Burgundy.
The Burgundy truffle.
Burgundian is also famous for its truffle, the Truffe de Bourgogne. The Burgundy Truffle is also called the Truffe Grise de Bourgogne, the Grey truffle of Burgundy, or the Burgundy Winter Truffle. While this truffle is found in many other areas of Northern France for the Burgundians, it is their truffle. The Burgundians also claim that none can compete with their truffle for taste and aroma; the land where it grows makes it different. N.B. When you are in Burgundy, do not compare this truffle unfavorably with its more expensive Périgord cousin, the competition. Then you will begin an argument that will never end!
Burgundy Winter Truffles are harvested from September to the beginning of January. The truffle is dark with a rough skin with is black to gray or dark brown. Inside the truffle is veined and coffee-colored. It is tough for anyone to describe the taste of the Burgundy truffle or other truffles for that matter. I have enjoyed the Burgundy truffle when it has been shaved on top of the food that had just been served. The truffle immediately affects the food on which it rests. You will clearly note a different smell, described by some as musky and others as nutty. I could accept both descriptions or refuse them as not being exact enough; however, like the word musky, it sounds earthy so that I will go with musky. Its effect on the senses is a slightly earthy smell and lightly garlicky in taste, but that is not the point. Eaten together with the truffle interacts with the dish you have ordered, and you will notice a definite difference in the taste of the food. I have also been very disappointed when a dish has been brought out with a few specs of truffle in a sauce where no truffle can be tasted.
Burgundy truffle should not be cooked, that is one way to destroy the flavor. In any case, a few specs of truffle are not enough to create any noticeable flavor changes. If the menu offers a surcharge for truffle and you think it is worth it, go for it. If the server adds too little truffle, then point that out and ask for more. You need quite a few scrapings for the truffle to work its magic. Do not order a dish where the truffle added in the kitchen. Ask.
Kir, Kir Royale and Crémant de Bourgogne
The most famous aperitifs of Burgundy are, of course, the Kir and the Kir Royale. Kir will rarely be missing from any list of apéritifs in France and never in Burgundy. Whether Kir is in or out of the aperitif popularity stakes it is still a drink to enjoy, and it is best in Burgundy where it all began.
Kir is Crème de Cassis, a 16% alcohol sweet blackcurrant cordial and a dry white wine Kir Royale uses Champagne instead of white wine or the sparkling white Crémant de Bourgogne AOC. If you do not want a Kir but would prefer a Champagne-type sparkling wine as an aperitif then keep in mind a Crémant de Bourgogne costs far less than Champagne. For Crémants and all sparkling wines including Champagne, the sweetness scale is very different to that of French still wines. N.B. Before ordering a sparkling wine look at the labeling designation for the sweetness or dryness of sparkling wine in the final paragraphs of my posts on Crémants and Champagnes.
Kir is Crème de Cassis, a 16% alcohol sweet blackcurrant cordial and a dry white wine Kir Royale uses Champagne instead of white wine or the sparkling white Crémant de Bourgogne AOC. If you do not want a Kir but would prefer a Champagne-type sparkling wine as an aperitif then keep in mind a Crémant de Bourgogne costs far less than Champagne. For Crémants and all sparkling wines including Champagne, the sweetness scale is very different to that of French still wines. N.B. Before ordering a sparkling wine look at the labeling designation for the sweetness or dryness of sparkling wine in the final paragraphs of my posts on Crémants and Champagnes.
Kir Royale
Dishes à la Bourguignonne on French menus:
Brouillade d'Œufs aux Truffes de Bourgogne - This is the Provencal version of scrambled eggs made with Burgundy’s truffles. With truffles, this dish is an entrée, the French first course for lunch or dinner. For a brouillade, the eggs whites are whipped first, and only then are the yolks are added and scrambled; the result is very light scrambled eggs. To this dish, when the eggs are ready to be served, shavings of the Burgundy truffle are added. If you cannot taste the truffle, remember, you may always ask for more. If the waiter tells you the truffles will be added in the kitchen order something else. (Without the truffles, a brouillade may also be on a breakfast menu).
Les St Jacques Contisées a la Truffe de Bourgogne – King Scallop meat sliced open and stuffed with shavings of the Burgundy truffle.
The Burgundy Winter Truffle in the languages of France's neighbors:
(Dutch - zomertruffel), German - trüffel der Bourgogn), (Italian – chatin or tartufo uncinato), (Spanish - trufa de Borgoña), (Latin -tuber uncinatum).
Beef Burgundy
Bœuf à la Bourguignonne or Bœuf Bourguignon - This is the dish from Burgundy that everyone knows, or at least has heard of. Bœuf à la Bourguignonne is a beef stew braised in a red Burgundy wine. It is so much part of French cuisine that it will, in the winter, be on menus in many parts of France.
Bœuf Bourguignon
For Bœuf à la Bourguignonne the meat is marinated for 24 hours in a dry red Burgundy wine, and that is the secret. No other wine will do. After marinating, the beef will be allowed to cook slowly with added wine and veal stock and vegetables. Bacon, in the form of lardons, bacon pieces, may sometimes be added for flavoring; the dish will, traditionally, be served with boiled potatoes.
Crème Brûlée au Pain d'Épices de Dijon - Crème Brulee made with the gingerbread of Dijon. The City of Dijon is the regional Capital of all of Burgundy and world famous for its mustard; but, within France, it is equally famous for its gingerbread. For the title of the best gingerbread in France, Dijon competes with the city of Reims, the center of Champagne wine production.
A shop selling gingerbread.
Escargots à la Bourguignonne – Snails in the manner of Burgundy; this is France’s most popular snail dish. The snails are cooked outside of their shells with herbs, parsley, cream and beurre d’escargots, snail butter. Snail Butter is butter, garlic, shallots and parsley with an occasional additional herb added by the chef. The snails, to make the dish attractive, are nearly always returned to their shells before they are served; and then lightly baked in the oven. When ready the dish will be served with the sauce from the Snail Butter. Snail Butter, by the way, is used in many other dishes and does not, and never did, contain any snails
Escargots à la Bourguignonne
Fondue Bourguignonne –The original beef fondue; claimed as its own by Burgundy. Cubes of raw filet of beef, beef tenderloin, are prepared separately for each diner. Each diner will have been given his or her own fourchette à fondue, a distinctive, long, fondue fork that keeps the diner’s hand away from the hot oil in which the cubes of beef will be dipped. Each diner dips, and cooks, their cubes of beef in a communal pot of bubbling oil. When cooked to the diner’s satisfaction he or she may dip the fried cube of filet into a variety of sauces before eating. N.B. These fondue forks become extremely hot at the tip, and they have burned many a tongue, I speak with experience so please transfer the meat to your plate, and then to an ordinary fork before dipping into one of the sauces and eating.
Fondue Bourguignonne
Magret de Canard à la Crème de Cassis de Bourgogne - Duck breast prepared with Burgundy’s 16 % alcoholic cream of blackcurrant liqueur. Black currants and Crème de Cassis are not unique to Burgundy, but the first large-scale French cultivation of the blackberry and production of the Crème de Cassis liqueur began here.
Magret de Canard à la Crème de Cassis de Bourgogne.
Poulet de Bresse Sauce Crémée au Chablis, Morilles et Girolles – France’s most highly rated chicken, served with a creamy Chablis white wine sauce along with wild Morel and Girolle/Chanterelle mushrooms. The Poulet de Bresse and the Bress Turkey are the only poultry that holds an AOP for their unique quality.
Rognons de Veau Dijonnaise – Veal Kidneys prepared in a Dijon Mustard sauce. The City of Dijon is the regional Capital of all of Burgundy. Dijon is also famous for its mustard and dishes that are made with mustard; however, most of the mustard marked “Dijon,” today comes from outside the city. Despite that, worry not, wherever you go in Dijon every restaurant will have dishes that contain mustard. N.B. Gray Poupon will not usually be available as it is not made in France.
Coq Au Vin De Bourgogne - Coq au Vin is one of the most famous dishes of Burgundy. Properly made with a great Burgundy red wine it is absolutely fabulous.
Coq Au Vin De Bourgogne
https://www.flickr.com/photos/nathan_y/5180111161/
Œufs en Meurette – One of Burgundy’s most famous dishes and an entrée for lunch or dinner, not a breakfast dish. Poached eggs are served covered with a thickened Burgundy red wine sauce. That is the Sauce Meurette. Sauce Meurette will accompany many other Burgundy dishes.
Burgundy’s wines.
This is not a blog on wines, but Burgundy’s cuisine cannot be severed from its excellent wines. So you must choose one to accompany your lunch or dinner. The local wines include over 100 different AOCs. With famous wines such as Romanée-Conti, (the most expensive wine in the world) along with other less expensive wines. Consider, wines such as Gevrey-Chambertin; Aloxe-Corton; Corton Pommard; Côte de Nuits; Nuits-St-Georges; Montrachet; Meursault; Chablis; Pouilly-Fuissé; Côte de Beaune and so many more. Most sure you have an up-to-date pocket wine book with you when you travel to France. In a restaurant, you may have the sommelier choose a not too young, but superior, and relatively inexpensive wine.
Gevrey-Chambertin
dpotera
After your coffee, consider, for your digestif, Burgundy's Marc de Bourgogne.
French marcs are similar to Italian grappas.
French marcs are similar to Italian grappas.
The Tastevin, the silver cup on a chain worn by many of the
sommeliers, wine stewards, was designed in Burgundy.
The tastevin, the shallow silver cup that some sommeliers, wine-stewards, wear around their necks is more than just a badge of office. This cup was designed in Burgundy for tasting wines in cellars lit by candles. The bright, silver cup reflected the light and allowed the sommelier to judge the color and clarity of the wines. I shall write more about the tastevin and Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, the brotherhood, and sisterhood of the sommeliers, in a separate post.
A meeting of the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin
The region of Burgundy becomes the combined super region
Since the 1 July 2016, the region of Burgundy has joined with the region of Franche-Comte to become the enlarged region of Bourgogne - Franche-Comte. The change will have no effect on Burgundy’s cuisine or its wines and cheeses. It will mean, hopefully, less bureaucracy and lower taxes for the citizens. The traveler to Burgundy and or Franche-Comte will only experience the changes on the maps and possibly some street signs.
Connected Posts:
Searching for truffles in France, and truffles on French Menus. The Black Perigord Truffle and Truffles Oils and Truffles Essences.
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Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman
behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com
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