The name of Lorraine immediately evokes a symbol in the minds of most people. They think of the two-barred Cross of Lorraine, the proud emblem of French resistance and resurgence in World War II. Lorraine's heroic Verdun will ever stand as a beacon of unconquerable French determination in 1916. The name of an inspired peasant girl born in Lorraine, Jeanne d'Arc, will always be a symbol of miraculous courage and faith.
Lorraine has ever been a land of controversy and struggle, a recurrent setting for wars and invasions. Villages and towns have been demolished and rebuilt with dogged regularity for centuries. Generations of hardy men have sweat over its stubborn soil, toiled in its thick forests, and bucked its tough climate. The native of Lorraine is a proud, thoughtful man. He is not garrulous, but he is a true philosopher, and he can be trusted.
Very many of our overseas veterans from the past two wars know Lorraine and its hardy citizens. They have seen it at its best, which is very handsome, and at its worst, which is admittedly dismal. How many portly ex-doughboys must recall the flat hamlet in Lorraine where first they were billeted. Most of those villages conform to the same pattern: a very wide main street, which is the communal property of all and the accepted depository for woodpiles, carts, agricultural machines, and those proud signs of wealth—patrician manure heaps. Chickens and geese, dogs, cats, and donkeys roam at will.
The farmhouses crouch close to one another, flat-roofed and monotonous, with huge arched doorways for the ox carts. They are warm and comfortable, but far from beautiful. The most beautiful thing about them is the divine aroma coming from the kitchen. The Lorraine housewife is one of the subtler French cooks, and she achieves noble dishes for her hard-working husband without resorting to many spices or strong flavors. Ask some reminiscent doughboy!
A mere enumeration of a few names in Lorraine—Verdun, Tout, Metz, Pont-à-Mousson, Epinal—stirs up thoughts of darker days. They are names intertwined with struggle, but they are exhilarating names, too, for in the end they spelled victory. After the Franco-Prussian War, Lorraine was divided in two, but 1918 saw it united once again. Four more years of captivity descended upon it in 1940. They need to be philosophers!
The native of Lorraine is the best lumberman in France, so they say. He conserves his wooded treasure with a meticulous care which should make some of our swashbuckling Western foresters blush. He is a miner, too, for Lorraine is rich in iron ore and supplies half the salt in France. More warriors than poets have come from this often-invaded land, but it is timely to recall that this is the birthplace of Victor Hugo and the home of such gifted artists as Claude Lorrain, Jacques Callot, and, more recently, Isabey and Bastien-Lepage.
Lorraine has its gastronomic accomplishments also, and they are not to be scorned. The exalted quiche Lorraine is its most conspicuous contribution—a hot, flaky crust with cream and bacon, often fortified with eggs, onions, or ham. It is as palatable an entree as one will find anywhere. The story goes that the pâte feuilletée, the original flaky crust, was first contrived by the famous landscape painter, Claude Gelée, known to the world of art as Claude Lorrain. Gastronomy was his second love or (who knows?) perhaps his first.
The celebrated baba au rhum was dreamed up in Nancy by Stanislas Leszczynski, once King of Poland and father-in-law of Louis XV. Sonic of the finest wineglasses in the world come from the old Lorraine town of Baccarat, whose superb crystal began to flourish in the eighteenth century.
Lorraine is famed for its cheese. Above the richly wooded hills of the Vosges is a surprising ridge of pasture land which becomes a skier's paradise in winter. It produces, in summer, a symphony of cowbells and becomes the source of several noble cheeses. The solitary herdsman-cheese-maker establishes himself and his herd on the lone hill-side. Daily he docs the milking and makes cheese in a one-room mountainside dairy. Münster and Gérômé are the best of several cheeses made by this on-the-spot method. Münster, strong, lusty, and fragrant, is adored by local cheese experts, who often sprinkle it with caraway seeds. Gérômé is more solid, aged in the caves for four months, and often bestrewn with aniseed, fennel, and caraway. The flat-roofed cheese factory wedged in the hills is known as a marcairerie. It's a lonely life, but it brings pleasure to a lot of other people!
Fresh-water fish, carp and trout in particular, are the pride of the gourmets of Lorraine. They love to make an omelette with sautéed frogs' legs and to encase a baby pig in gelatin. An autopsy of some of their smoked sausages would probably be disconcerting, but the sausages are undeniably savory. In their love of pork products, the good people of Lorraine have much in common with their Alsatian neighbors.
Lorraine can't compete with Alsace on the question of wine, however. Little by little, its vineyards have been abandoned and planted with trees. Despite this partial eclipse, a few pleasant Lorraine wines still assert themselves, especially the unassuming vin gris. They call the wines gray rather than pale pink, which they really are. They taste much better than they sound, being very dry, fairly fruity, and clean to the taste. In the Meuse the vin gris is made from the pineau grape; in the Moselle it tastes like another wine.
It probably isn't worth while to search further among the wines of Lorraine, but among the liqueurs there is another story. The far-flung orchards of Lorraine produce boundless quantities of little fruits—cherries, prunes, and plums—which are transformed by the magic of mash and distillation into the most seductive of liqueurs—kirsch, quetsche, and mirabelle. Kirsch remains the finest liqueur to mix with fruit desserts. Framboise is the very strong and superbly fragrant liqueur made by distilling raspberries. “Goes down like fire and comes back like raspberries” is the invariable reaction. It is probably the most expensive liqueur of young age in France. But when you consider the immense amount of raspberries which are needed to make a single bottle, the cost seems trifling. Lorraine makes all of these liqueurs to perfection, as does her sister province, Alsace. They both brew wonderful beer, too.
Despite its bellicose background, Lorraine is a lovely province to visit during the spring and summer months. Its rolling hills have a welcoming tilt, and its forests are dotted with lakes and pleasant vacation hotels. Its southern hills bubble with health-giving mineral waters. Thousands of discriminating travelers seek out the benefits of the waters of Vittel or Contrexéville and the plush comfort of their hotels. Nancy, one of the most gracious of French cities and the capital of Lorraine, offers a particularly good choice of hotels and restaurants, in case you wish to make it your headquarters. Lorraine contains four départemenss: Meurthe-et-Moselle, Meuse, Moselle, and Vosges. Each of them offers something of interest to the passing gourmet and is within motoring distance of Nancy. Here are some of the more significant cities:
Nancy (Meurthe-et-Moselle)
The capital of Lorraine recalls the elegance, gaiety, and grace of the eighteenth century better than any other provincial French city. Its famed Place Stanislas is a lighthearted medley of monumental architecture by the architect Emmanuel Héré and graceful gateways and fountains by the master ironworker Jean Lamour. It is one of the rare completed masterpieces of the time of Louis XV, and its achievement is due almost entirely to the enthusiasm of a jovial, food loving ex-king of Poland who was installed as governor of Lorraine by his royal son-in-law, Louis XV.
Nancy can thank the artistic Stanislas for most of its charm. During his reign he devoted all of his time, effort, and fortune to embellishing the city, and his statue in the center of the square bearing his name is but a faint tribute to his good deeds. Behind the Place Stanislas is a triumphal arch leading through a tree-lined avenue to the imposing Palais du Gouvernement. Beyond this is the superb Gothic Palais Ducal, housing one of the finest of provincial museums. Add a handsome park and a few city gates, and you have one of the most notable civic groups in the world.
Nancy is a joy to the traveler and a hospitable haven for the gourmet. After trying most of the restaurants, we nominate as first choice: CAPUCIN GOURMAND, at 31 rue Gambetta, adjoining the Hôtel de l'Europe. This is a handsome, flower-strewn, auberge type of place, well appointed, discreetly lighted, and animated. The service is unusually good, and the food is remarkable, probably the best in Lorraine. It is more expensive, too, but well worth it. The carte du jour is worthy of a line Paris restaurant, and the wines, especially those from the neighboring Alsace, offer many glittering alternatives. We encompassed a particularly fragrant quiche Lorraine, followed by a well-poised poularde maison with a Hollandaise type of sauce and accompanied by a Gewürztraminer 1947. Nothing but praise!
You will find a very agreeable restaurant of the old school at 5 rue Saint-Dizier, bearing the classic name of GRAND VATEL. You gaze at the neat, atmospheric interior of this long-established place with a certain nostalgia. It must have looked precisely this way fifty years ago, or at least for the thirty years it has been under the direction of Monsieur Marlier. There are two tempting prix fixe menus here, priced at 350 and 600 francs respectively. If you are in an economical mood, we venture the opinion that you will find the best dollar dinner in Lorraine at the Grand Vatel. Regional dishes are a specialty with Monsieur Marlier, and they are very fairly priced on his carte du jour. Truite au bleu and coq au vin both were delectable. We wish there were more career cooks of the stature and skill of Monsieur Marlier.
Lunéville (Meurthe-et Moselle)
This city will linger long in the memory of our soldiers of two wars, but in the comparatively peaceful present it is noteworthy mostly for its vast chàteau, built by the Duke of Lorraine at the beginning of the eighteenth century. An intense admirer of Louis XIV, the duke built this château in obvious imitation of Versailles and furnished it in the royal manner down to the last detail, including a bevy of mistresses, who caused him no end of trouble. The Château and its immense gardens are now a little run-down. In the paved forecourt is an equestrian statue of the young, bewhiskered General Lasalle which is the ultimate word in flamboyant pomposity.
After you have viewed these faded splendors, you might like to visit the Lunéville restaurant which last year received unrestrained applause from a group of Wine and Food Society pilgrims. This is the HÔTEL CENTRAL, a pleasant hostelry whose dining room walls are richly decorated with old Lunéville pottery. The à la carte menu is well stocked with Lorraine specialties; pâté Lorraine en croûte, truite aux amandes, and the invariable quiche. We tried the regular prix fixe luncheon, accompanied by a dry, palatable Gris de Toulois, and found it delicious and inexpensive.
Bar-le-Duc (Meuse)
Few names from the Lorraine are as well known as Bar-le-Duc. Not because of its wartime significance or its pleasant hillside site is it famous but because if its divine confiture de groseille, the currant jam which is appreciated by gourmets throughout the world. The incomparable taste of the Bar-le-Duc contained in that little glass jar is achieved because the seeds are first removed from each individual currant. I have always pictured ancient ladies and teen-age girls painstakingly extracting each seed with finely adjusted tweezers and ruining their eyesight in the process. With embarrassment I must admit that I did not verify this conception during a recent trip to Bar-le-Duc. It was noontime, and I headed straight for the HÔTEL DE METZ, in the heart of this attractive town. All of the guide books had given it a pat on the back, and their praise proved more than justified. Madame Ensminger provided an abundant and fairly priced menu to her guests. The immortal quiche Lorraine was there in splendor. So was a limpid truite à la crème and a tender chicken fragrantly simmered in champagne. A cool, crisp blanc de blanc was the final note to this symphony, which we recommend with enthusiasm.
Ligny-en-Barrois (Meuse)
The road eastward will probably lead you through this little town on the banks of the placid river Ornain. It has known epic days during the varied wars which have swept over Lorraine. Today it has reverted to its somnolent past, and there would be scant reason for the traveler to stop here except for the HÔTEL DU CHEVAL BLANC, a hospitable country hotel on the town square. This is an admirable stopover for luncheon. On a murky Sunday its cheerful, immaculate, well-lighted dining salon was a welcome sight to these weary voluptuaries. Monsieur Ney offered two prix fixe luncheons at 500 and 900 francs. To combat the gloomy skits, we settled upon the latter and stalked through a delicious menu of saucisson en brioche, truite à la crème, and poularde à la broche, accompanied by a faintly pink vin gris de Lorraine. Blue skies after that! The inescapable conclusion is that Monsieur Ney is a master chef.
Verdun (Meuse)
The name of Verdun will ever remain a symbol of heroic French resistance and suffering and final victory. This was the barrier beyond which they did not pass, but it took the lives of four hundred thousand Frenchmen in 1916 alone to make it so. In this comparatively tranquil epoch, one can visit the scenes of the most bloody and ferocious battle of World War I—Côte 304, Mort Homme, Vaux, and a dozen other disputed slopes. At Douaumont is the sober ossuary where countless unknown soldiers repose, and not far away is the heart-rending Tranchée des Baïonettes.
If you come to Verdun, two worthy hotels spread their welcome before you in the rebuilt city. One is the HÔTEL BELLEVUE on the rue Douaumont, a well-appointed place with a sheltered garden and a pleasant dining room overlooking the park. There are two good prix fixe meals at right prices, and a new specialties such as omelette norvégienne and brochet Bellevue which will enable you to assess the culinary gifts of Monsieur Beckriek. The wine list is tempting, the rooms are comfortable, and the service is good.
Another favored hostelry is the HÔTEL COQ HARDI, located across from the post office at 2 avenue de la Victoire. On the exterior, the Coq Hardi is not impressive at the moment, but the interior appointments and fine cuisine are something else again. Here is savory regional cooking with a strong Lorraine accent, accompanied by a becoming repertory of wines. Perhaps a shade expensive.
Corny (Moselle)
This little town with the provocative name is located about 9 miles south of Metz and has been known for decades as a gustatory stronghold. The whole countryside knows the RELAIS DE CORNY, made famous by Monsieur Thiry, a gifted cook and a charming host. Located on a pleasant site with a good view of the river, Chez Thiry is furnished with old Lorraine antiques and a wine cellar which holds numerous Moselle treasures. One really gets the genuine Lorraine specialties here, and in abundance. Porcellet à la gelée, tourte chaude, and terrine de lapereau are some of the best. There is a palatable prix fixe meal also. Thiry is a name to remember!
Metz (Moselle)
This heavily defended citadel early claimed fame as the residence of the highly vocal Brunehilde, one of the rare royal ladies to end her days attached to the tail of a wild horse. Charlemagne had a particular penchant for Metz. For centuries this frontier bastion has been the keystone of conflict. In 1944, defended by a series of powerful fortresses, it offered fierce resistance to the American Third Army for almost ten weeks. During this time General Patton's men blasted the surrounding forts but spared Metz, the city where Lafayette commanded his garrison before embarking for America in 1777. In Metz, the immense, spiny cathedral of Saint-Etienne deserves particular mention. Its nave soars to astounding heights (only Beauvais and Amiens are loftier), and its stained glass, now fully replaced, is a supreme glory. The most picturesque bit of architecture in Metz is the Porte des Allemands, which served as a château-fort in the thirteenth century. It is joined to a fortified bridge which is charming, though a little menacing.
If Metz is on your itinerary, you will find a warm welcome and good fare at the HÔTEL-RESTARANT MOITRIER, at 2 en Chaplerue, For years this has been the traditional gastronomic citadel in Metz. There are two excellent menus at honest prices, but they add a tax and service charge of 21 per cent, which is a little disconcerting. Several nontourist communities in France arbitrarily impose a rather high service and tax supplement, and we Anglo-Saxons aren't too happy about it. Many places in Bordeaux, for example, obtain a flat 25 per cent extra. But Moitrier in Metz gives fine value, even with the bounty.
Domremy-la-Pucelle (Vosges)
The whole world recognizes the name and the significance of this humble Lorraine village on the banks of the Meuse. Here, on January 6, 1412, Jeanne d'Arc was born. Here she spent her girlhood and here she received the sublime inspiration to save her king and country. The simple house where she was born is still standing. You can visit the house, the museum next door, and the old church which stood in the village at that time. It is a moving experience, which few will forget. No palace of gastronomy is here, but directly across from Jeanne d'Arc's birthplace is the unassuming HÔTEL PUCELLE, a worthy family inn with a covered terrace and a fine view of the river valley.
While absorbing atmosphere for her vivid interpretation of the role of Jeanne d'Arc, Signota Rosselini lunched on this quiet terrace and enjoyed the splendor of Monsieur Langloix-Pierton's quiche Lorraine. If you need additional inducement, there are some splendid Burgundies on the wine list.
Gastronomically, the names of Alsace and Lorraine are linked together, and for good reason. They both love the pig and his savory by-products. They both have a knowing touch with fresh-water fish and pastry. But Gallic subtlety is on Lorraine's side. Fundamentally, the cuisine of Lorraine is simple but with refinements not found among its neighbors except the doughty and perceptive Burgundians. Here are a few recipes to illustrate the point.
Quiche Lorraine, the most famous specialty of the region, is at heart an honest and simple tart, not difficult to make and delicious when hot. (Maybe that innocent sentence should be rewritten, but it has charm just as it stands.) Theories vary regarding the ingredients of the quiche, but some factors are unchanging—the basic pastry shell and the egg and milk or cream mixture which fills it. This is generously enriched with diced bacon and Swiss cheese in some kitchens, by bacon, cheese, and onion in others. Sometimes ham is substituted or added to the list. The most familiar version of the quiche Lorraine appeared in GOURMET for October, 1950. This is a variation, one of the very best and a sound one.
Quiche Lorraine
Make your favorite pastry for a one-crust, 10-inch pie. If you have never decided what is your favorite pastry, use this one, which is enough for two tarts:
Work lightly together 2 cups pastry flour, a generous 1/4 pound butter, 1 egg yolk, a pinch of salt, and a scant 1/4 cup cold water. Set the dough in the ice box for 1 hour, or until it is needed. Roll out one half of the dough and arrange it in a pie pan, saving the rest for another pie. Prick here and there with the point of a knife.
Dice 2 or 3 slices of cooked ham and scatter the bits on the pastry. Over this spread 2 onions, sliced and sautéed in butter until they are soft but not browned. Sprinkle the mixture over the bottom of the pastry. Beat 4 eggs in a saucepan with a good pinch of salt, a grain or two of cayenne, and a light grating of nutmeg. Add to this gradually 2 cups hot milk, beating continually with a sauce whisk. Continue beating over the fire until the custard begins to thicken and pour it into the tart shell, which should be almost filled. Cook in a moderate oven for about 30 minutes, or until the custard is set and all is golden. Serve it hot, directly from the pan.
It has been said that a fine sauce makes one eat the fish. With this sauce you are tempted to forget the fish entirely! It is a fabulous companion for any good fish which has been cooked in a court bouillon.
Divine Sauce Messine
Into 2 slightly beaten egg yolks stir 1 cup cream. Add 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped shallot and about 1/3 teaspoon each grated lemon peel, chopped parsley, chervil, and tarragon. Blend in 1/2 teaspoon French mustard. Heat over a medium fire, stirring continually. As the sauce thickens, stir in 1 teaspoon butter kneaded with 1 teaspoon flour. Let this thicken, being careful that the mixture remains below the boiling point. At the end, before serving, add the juice of a small lemon.
In the sharp autumn months, the following dish is a favorite in Lorraine. Perhaps it will offer a welcome variety to you lucky people who have access to wild ducks.
Wild Duck à l'Ancienne
With a sharp boning knife cut off the breast filets and the legs from an uncooked duck. Over a bright fire sauté them in 1 tablespoon hot butter, turning them on all sides, together with 1 shallot, chopped, 1 teaspoon chopped parsley, salt, pepper, and a grating of nutmeg. Sprinkle in 2 teaspoons flour. Add 3/4 cup dry white wine and stir until the liquid begins to boil. Remove from the fire and add the juice of 1 lemon and 4 tablespoons bouillon. Return to the fire, stir until the juices thicken, and then reduce the sauce a little. Serve very hot.
Sauté a domestic duck a little longer at the beginning.
Côtelettes de Veau Lorraine (Veal Chops Lorraine)
Sauté 1/2 cup diced lean bacon with 1 tablespoon butter in a heavy skillet. Put in 4 rather thin veal chops and cook for about 20 minutes, turning them from time to time and adding salt and pepper. Remove the chops and bacon and keep them hot.
Pour off most of the fat and add to the pan 2 shallots, finely chopped, and 1 teaspoon chopped parsley. Stir for a minute but do not brown. Blend in 1/2 cup stock and 1/2 cup dry white wine, stirring in all the good brown juices which may be sticking to the pan. Add a pinch of salt and a little pepper and simmer until the liquid is somewhat reduced. Replace the chops and bacon in this sauce and thicken by blending in 2 beaten egg yolks. Heat and stir constantly but do not boil. Just before serving, stir in 1 teaspoon lemon juice.
If you are fortunate enough to obtain some good frogs' legs, try them in the following simple and delicious manner which is common practice in Lorraine.
Grenoailles au Gratin Boulay (Frogs' Legs au Gratin)
Salt and pepper the frogs' legs and coat them with plenty of melted butter. Dip them in fine bread crumbs, mixed with 1 or 2 shallots, chopped, and a little finely chopped parsley. Place them in a well-buttered shallow baking dish, filling the spaces between the frogs' legs with more of the bread-crumb mixture. Spoon a little melted butter over all and cook the dish in a fairly hot oven until nicely browned.