"/>
Madeleine, a local girl, former duck breeder and farmer, accepts my challenge: to prepare a fall menu for 4 people with local products and €35 in your pocket!
Heading to the market
She takes me to the place de la Cathedral a Saturday morning in Auch to discover the products of Brive market. I guess the menu once in front of the vegetable producer: "6 beautiful potatoes, that's what you need for the mash of my childhood." €1.70
Mado, as she is nicknamed, now takes me to her cheese shop. No fresh cheese at this time of year, but she adapts: she buys a tròç* of goat's cheese for €2.50.
* tròç: piece in Occitan
We continue our shopping by stopping at the local produce store The Counter of Tistou : "They breed geese and ducks. When I don't do my own, I help out here." Without any suspense this time, I suspect what this autumn menu will be. Exactly €10.
A few additional purchases are added: green lentils from Gers (€2.60), a red Floc de Gascogne (€9.60), a jar of Gascony mustard from Domain Entras (€5.50) and 4 beautiful pears (€2.70).
Added up: €34.60! My partner of the day takes up the challenge brilliantly!
Let’s head to the kitchen to concoct this fall menu
In front of her pots, Madeleine, 80 years old, has not lost her touch. Amused, she whispers to me: “hard to fail with good products.”
Ingredients:
You will need products purchased at the market or grocery store:
- 250g of green lentils from Gers
- 3 carrots
- goat cheese
- 1kg of potatoes
- 1 large duck breast
- 1 jar of Gascony mustard
- 4 pears
- 1 bottle of red Floc de Gascogne
- but also everyday ingredients: garlic, shallots, sugar, butter, oil, milk, vanilla sugar, biscuits (or something to make them at home)
Instructions:
Gers lentil velouté
Brown 2 carrots, garlic and a shallot in oil (or duck fat). Sweat then add the rinsed and drained lentils;
Moisten to the level and cook for 30 minutes;
Add salt and pepper to taste then mix;
Serve with pieces of goat cheese (and optionally a few crushed hazelnuts for crunch).
Magret, Gascony mustard sauce
Score the skin of the duck breast and cook for 7 minutes over low heat. Brush the flesh with mustard. Add 2 coarsely chopped shallots (they should stew with the melted duck fat), salt and pepper;
Turn the duck breast over and cook for an additional 7 minutes for a pink duck breast;
Wrap the meat in aluminum foil for 7 minutes. The flavors and meat juices are more concentrated.
Puree
Cook the potatoes in water for about 20 minutes, then drain and mash with a potato masher (not a blender);
Dry the dough (an essential step) in a pan just like the choux pastry, then add the hot milk and a little butter (or juice from the duck breast cooked earlier). The consistency should be creamy. Adjust the liquid as needed, salt and pepper.
Poached pears with Floc de Gascogne
Boil water (50cl) with the red Floc de Gascogne (40cl), cane sugar (90g) and 1 sachet of vanilla sugar (or vanilla pod or extract);
Peel the pears, immerse them in the liquid and cook for about 30 minutes over medium heat. They are ready when they are tender;
Leave to cool in the syrup for 15 minutes and serve warm.
Optional: accompany the pear with a homemade biscuit / flaked almonds / chocolate…
Also works with summer fruits: peach, melon, apricot…
The good smells are escaping, it is time for us to sit down at the table…
