Are you in a mood to go boating down in underground stream if it's not too suggestive of the River Styx? Are you fond of old bridges, half-forgotten abbeys, and hilltop villages? Do you respond to the thrill of mountain passes and the snowy majesty of the Pyrénées? Getting down to fundamentals, do you like trout fishing, hunting the wild boar, the nimble hare, and the vanishing mountain goat? More essential still, do you like oysters, cèpes, woodcock flaming in brandy, duck's liver cooked with raisins? And are you sympathetic to old Armagnac and to the noble Roquefort cheese? If the answer is yes, the noble province of Gascony is made for you. May I point it out on the map?
The borders of French provinces are often illogical and complex. Officially, La Gascogne and La Guyenne make up a single province. In area it is the largest in France, sprawling across the southern confines from the Atlantic almost to the Mediterranean and including no less than nine départements. But we have already nibbled into this area with three articles on the gastronomic temptations of the Périgord, the Bordelais, and the Béarn.
What remains is a wandering strip of countryside of great beauty. But what about the food? Take away the wine of Bordeaux, the unfiles and foie gras of Périgord, the peppers and chocolate of the Béarn, and what do you have left? The answer, we are glad to say, is “plenty,” as you will see.
Nature has been generous to some parts of Gascony, stingy to others. The hills of the Lot are barren, and many farms are abandoned, but the slopes of Armagnac roll in abundance. Balance them all, and you have a province worthy of its many epicures. Its oyster beds at Arcachon produce delectable bivalves. Trout, salmon, and shad inhabit its swift streams, and high-booted fishermen are a familiar sight each summer. The hunter has a field day pursuing game in the mountains and trying to draw a bead on that most elusive of animals, the isard, or mountain goat. Farmyard creatures thrive, from baby chicks to turkeys. So do snails, cèpes, and, in a good humid year, truffles. The divine goose develops a fine case of fatty degeneration of the liver in the early winter, and its clear yellow fat serves better than butter in most Gascon dishes. The wines, aside from those of Bordeaux, are adequate country ones, but do not possess much distinction. But its vineyard slopes produce an abundance of Armagnac, one of the two fine brandies in France.
The natives of Gascony have a reputation for reckless bravery, a quick wit, and a decided loquacity. The boastful d'Artagnan, needless to say, was a Gascon, but so was Maréchal Foch, one of the quietest heroes in history. Conversation in a town cafe is unquestionably more animated in Gascony than in most parts of France, even though the drinking habits are more restrained.
The varied richness of Gascony, even in the emasculated form presented here, is amazing. Its western confines are dull—a vast area of pine forests and occasional swamps. But the rest is an ever-changing panorama of mountains and ravines, of vine-clad hills in Armagnac, and sheep strewn pastures in the Aveyron. If you are seeking excitement and novelty, there is the Gouffre de Padirac, a deep well which leads to a subterranean river. Elevators take you down to flat-bottomed boats and the eerie sensation of paddling three miles in the River Styx. One of the most extraordinary villages in France is here—Conques, a fantastic Settlement high in the hills, which has been a point of pilgrimage for centuries. Its Romanesque church of Sainte-Foy boasts an unrivaled sculptured portal and shelters an incredible treasure of silver religious objects, one of the richest in the world. Lourdes, the greatest religious shrine after Rome, is in Gascony. The region is particularly rich in old bridges, some dating back to Roman times. St. Affrique, Espalion, Estaing, and Cahors have the most striking ones. Cathedrals are sparser here, but Romanesque churches abound. Above all, Gascony glories in its mountains. Les Pyrénées. They are not supposed to be so spectacular as the Alps, but it would be difficult to find any sight more breathtaking than the Cirque de Gavarnie at the far tip of Gascony. Now don't you want to go there?.
The wandering sybarite will find much encouragement in Gascony. even though the gastronomic shrines are thinly spread. The following spots on the map should provide good cheer and nourishment and will make up a notable trip through this exciting province:
Dax (Landes)
This is a watering place, an inland one, where rheumatic sufferers can wallow in beneficial mud and where a large clientele comes for the cure. The fountains and hot springs of Dax have been famous since Roman times, when the Emperor Augustus brought his daughter here in search of a cure for her delicate bronchial tubes. There are several hotels for the patient souls who follow the cure, but we are concerned more about the robust gourmet in fine fettle. There is a place for him, too. It is the relatively unassuming HÔTEL DU CHEVAL BLANC. The gastronomic splendor of this cheerful hotel is due to the influence of a fine cook, Monsieur Bernard, whose international experience has taken him from Paris to Monte Carlo to Brussels to London—and back to Dax. It is a joy to accost his quenelles de brochet en croûte, his paulet basquaise, and his luxuriously stuffed cóte de veau. The hotel is a likable little place, modern and spot-less, with overtones of Basque décor. There are good regional wines in the cellar, and the prices are fair, with service included.
Villeneuve-de-Marsan (Landes)
There is a certain monotony to windswept Landes, covered with endless acres of pines and frequent swamps. This makes the phenomenon of the village of Villeneuve-de-Marsan and its gastronomic marvel going under the banal name of the HÔTEL DES VOYAGEURS all the more pleasant to come upon. The village is about ten miles east of Mont-de-Marsan and is magnificently worth the detour. The reason for it all, as usual, rests in the genius and initiative of a fine chef, in this case the gifted Monsieur Darroze. He is a man of true accomplishment, and his cooking belongs in the topmost category. What he docs to the foie gras, the mutton, and the wild game of Gascony is beyond the floweriest adjectives. His wine cellar is particularly strong in clarets, as might be expected, and there are a score or so of comfortable rooms for his well-fed guests.
Bagnères-de-Bigorre (Hautes-Pyrénées)
The Pyrénées make the most grandiose contribution to the beauty of Gascony. The ancient boundaries of this province brought it to the border of Spain in two places, with the Béarn jutting in between them. In spite of this Béarnaise intrusion, Gascony can claim the most dramatic spot in the Pyrénées, the colossal Circus of Gavarnie. As a headquarters for your Pyrenean travels, there is no better place than the picturesque old town of Bagnères-de-Bigorre, a center par excellence for summer travel. It is an animated place, with good hotels, a charming site in an amphitheater of hills, and wonderful air and mineral springs which do all sorts of good for ailing mankind. The Romans found these baths beneficial, as did Madame de Maintenon, who sought frequent repose here from the ardors of being the mistress of her king.
The hotels are all the comfortable, often luxurious, resort type, but some of them pay particular attention to food as well as comfort. Two of these should enchant the owners of all but the most princely palates. One is the HÔTEL VICTORIA ET ANGLETERRE, situated on the tree-lined allées Coustous in the heart of the town. Here the cuisine is commanded by a chef of rare talent and good taste, Monsieur Capdevielle. His trout, his confits, his steaks, his poulet cocotte, are all proof of the highest culinary standards.
Facing the park and the thermal establishment is the HÔTEL R&ÉGINA, a handsome and impressive hostelry which has been in the same family for decades. Your host, Monsieur Albertini, knows a great deal about cooking, particularly the preparation of shellfish, frogs' legs, and Gascon dishes.
Montauban (Tarn-et-Garonne)
This ancient town on the banks of the Tarn glows with a dusty pink, for most of its buildings are built of old brick. Place Nationale, a seventeenth-century market place surrounded by double arcades in brick, is one of the most remarkable in France. Its ancient bridge, built in 1303, is also of brick Two great artists were born in Montauban. One was Antoine Bourdelle, the fiery sculptor; the other was Jean Auguste Ingres, the immaculate pencil draftsman and portraitist whose paintings and possessions now fill the old Bishop's Palace on the riverbank. Hut there is a third artist of note in this old town. He is the chef in the HÔTEL DU MIDI, for generations Montauban's traditional epicurean Stronghold. His mastery of Gascon dishes is well known across the countryside, and it is difficult to find a table there on a Sunday. His poulet saute and foie gras à la monsal bassaise appear to be the headliners on that festive day. Monsieur Vanacker's wine cellar boasts a particularly agreeable Fronton rote, which tasted heavenly at a hot summer noontime.
Calssade (Tarn-et-Garonne)
All of the gastronomic guidebooks said complimentary things about the HÔTEL LARROQUE in this little sun-soaked town, so we tried it out for lunch. Monsieur Larroquc proved to be a wry genial and attentive host, bustling first around his shaded café. terrace and later watching over his luncheon guests with charming solicitude. Every plate that came from the kitchen had to pass his close serutiny. It was difficult to choose among so many Gascon delicacies—poulet à la crème, cassoulet, confts d'oie, and ortolans—but we settled for écrevisses and a lender gigot de Gascogne, accompanied with a red wine from Cahors, and felt no regrets.
Cahors (Lot)
The département of Lot is one of the most dramatic and least fertile in France, but that doesn't seem to affect the high gastronomic plane of Cahors, its capital city. This is quite a fascinating place, built in a horseshoe bend made by the River Lot. This location results in three bridges, one of which is the superb Pont Valentré. This fortified bridge-dates from the fourteenth century and bristles with three husky and forbidding lowers in the best fairy-tale tradition. The twelfth-century cathedral is worth a visit too, especially for its Romanesque north portal. The town is gay and sunny and has one or two adequate hotels along its tree-shaded streets. About five miles north of Cahors is something more unusual, however—the ancient château of the Bishops of Cahors, which has been transformed into a hostelry. This is the CHATEAU DE MERCUES, which over-looks the river valley from its verdant girdle of trees. There-is a lovely shaded garden and a small forest for the promenaders, Your hostess, Madame Labusquière, supervised her cuisine with a very competent baud, and her regional specialties of the Quercy were good. The chateau is open to guests from early April to October. The prices are reasonable and include service.
Rodez (Aveyron)
One of the few notable cathedrals in Gascony looms up in the public square in Rodez, a medieval hill town which was once the scene of bitter strife between the nobility and the Church. The cathedral Façade has the air of an immense fortress, sprinkled with architectural finery on the top. Beyond it rises the central tower built of reddish-brown stone, as joyous a bit of flamboyant Gothic as you will find in many a day.
One of the best places to admire this imposing edifice is from the cafe terrace of the HÔTEL BROUSSY, and. incidentally. it is a very good place to spend the night as well. Monsieur and Madame Broussy are genial and very efficient hôteliers. The food is good, the atmosphere is pleasant, and the town provides shaded avenues for a postprandial stroll.
The BUFFET OH LA GAPE in Rodez is one of the best in France, in case you are motoring through and want to be served expeditiously.
Espalion (Aveyron)
The valley of the River Lot is one of the mast beguiling stretches of French countryside, alternately savage and placid. The picturesque town of Espalion is on the placid side and is a favorite spot for fishermen and painters. In fact, we observed one riverbank artist who was both. He kept two fishpoles dangling in the water while working on his canvas. There is much to paint here—a particularly graceful and ancient bridge built of red stone (the title picture) and a serene Renaissance château at the water's edge. The neighboring towns of St. Côme and Estaing are almost as tempting to the watercolorist. etcher, or painter. As a consequence, Espalion has been for generations a favorite site for summer art schools.
Another reason for its popularity is the charming hotel which shelters most of the artists. This is the HÔTEL MODERN, a large and comfortable inn with a pleasant bar and cafe terrace co greet the canvas-laden painter after a day's daubing. Better still, the rustic dining room greets him with a topnotch dinner, and at very acceptable prices. Monsieur Berthier, the affable patron, is a true artist's friend, and the walls of his colorful hostelry are covered with paintings, mostly dedicated to him.
Millau (Aveyron)
Half of the kid gloves for which France is famous are manufactured in the animated valley town of Millau. Not far away is the hillside village of Roquefort-sur-Soul/on, sole producer of authentic Roquefort cheese. How are the two related? By the simple fact that Roquefort cheese is made from ewe's milk. The neighboring bills and prairies for miles around are doited with herds of sheep, but there are few youngsters among them. They have generally made an early sacrifice, to conserve the milk for more gastronomic purposes, to provide the countryside with tender young gigots, and to supply the Millau tanneries with the very special leather which makes kid gloves. This sort of thing has been going on for a long time, since the twelfth century, in fact. It is nor surprising that the town of Millau, in spite of its industrial aspect, contains a shrine of good food, where the leg of lamb and the slab of Roquefort are supreme. It goes under the trite name of the HÔTEL DE COMMMERCE, but there is nothing banal about the cooking. Monsieur Canac presides over an estimable kitchen. Mis cheerful dining salon faces a garden, and his Gaillac white wine is something to rave about. Millau is at the southern end of the famous Gorges du Tarn, and motorists who make this dramatic valley trip will find at this hotel a toothsome terminal.
Roquefort-Sur-Souzon (Aveyron)
Gascony makes no greater contribution to the contentment of mankind than the familiar silver-clad disks of cheese which are shipped to every corner of the world from this isolated village. It is a gray and unbeautiful settlement, crouched against the side of the dramatic Rocks of Combalou, which, if less imposing than Gibraltar, ate far more fragrant. A prehistoric prank of nature made a well-ventilated chaos out of the inner base of (his rock. When caves were dug in them centuries ago, this vigorous humid ventilation had an extraordinary effect on newly made cheese. Pliny was chanting praises of the caves of Roquefort back in the first century, so they are no novelty. but they are fascinating places to visit, and you will be too interested to be aware of any cold, humid draft. You will see how the ewe's milk is treated with the Penicillium roquefortii, which is later transformed into the familiar blue spotting. You will see the cheeses being formed, then rubbed with salt, then poked with holes to allow the humid air to penetrate. After wandering through acres of vaulted caves, one can't help but have an added respect for this king of cheeses and for the hospitality of its producers.
As an aftermath (or a prelude) to this memorable experience, a monumental meal awaits you at Roquefort's celebrated hostelry, the GRAND HÔTEL. It is a copious repast, carefully planned, beautifully prepared and served, so you shouldn't mind if they offer this and nothing else. In the summer the menu follows a path of brilliance something like this: a little Midi melon half filled with port, pâte feuilleteé roquefortaise, being a gossamer flaky pastry with a mild Roquefort stuffing, truite amandine, volatile à la brocbe (chicken on the spit), haricots verts au beurre. (green beans brought scalding hot to the table, whereon they immediately melted a large lump of butter), salade de lailue, the divine Roquefort itself, of course, a delicious ice, and coffee. The tariff, exclusive of wine and service, was about three dollars, and eminently worth it.
Monsieur Lautard, who has been actively in charge of the Grand Hotel for decades, is very much of a personality—alert, attentive, but in the old tradition. From his manner, he might easily be the manager of the Savoy. His hotel is being modernized step by step, and the refurbished quarters are very comfortable indeed. In addition, he has converted some of the low-vaulted underground Cellars into banquet halls and dining salons where one may escape the summer heat.
Now for a few Gascon recipes. With such a plentiful larder, it is not surprising that the Gascon cooking is rich and varied. It is high in color, favoring both peppers and tomatoes, but restrained in me use of garlic and spices. It is good harmonious country cooking, leaning to wholesome soups (the garbure of Gascony is famous), ragoùts, confits, daubes, cassoulets, and estouffats, to reel off a succession of almost untranslatable words. It is in the Gascon home that these dishes thrive. Regrettably enough, they are much less common in the hotels and restaurants. There isn't much that the inquisitive gastronome can do about it, either, except to marry into a Gascon family. But you can try some of the dishes out in your own American kitchen. Here are a few templing examples:
Gigot Gascogne do Mauléon (Leg of Mutton Gascony a la Mauléon)
Marinate a fine leg of mutton with I cup oil, a bottle of dry white wine, ½ cup wine vinegar, 2 onions, sliced, 1 carrots, sliced. 2 cloves of garlic, 2 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon rosemary, a sprig of rhyme, good pinches of nutmeg, clove, and cinnamon, and salt and pepper. Turn the mutton occasionally in the marinade. After 24 hours, drain and wipe it dry. Roast the meat in the oven only until it is still pink and juicy in the Center. The overdry, dark brown, characterless roast is to be avoided at all costs!
In the meantime, simmer the marinade to about one fourth its original quantity, strain it, and add some sliced mushrooms, 1 or 2 tomatoes, peeled and diced, 2 chicken livers, sliced and sautéed, and 2 or 3 small sour gherkins, finely chopped. Simmer together for 3 or '1 minutes. This makes a truly Gascon sauce to serve with the roast mutton, which may be made even more delectable by sprinkling it with chopped truflles and pistachio nuts before its presentation.
The estouffat or daube turns up in many French provinces. This is the Gascony version, and one of the best.
L'Estouffat de Boeuf Gascogne (Braised Beef Gascony)
In a casserole place a good-sized piece of fresh pork rind or bacon. On this lay a 5-or 4-pound piece of lean beef. such as eye-of-the-round, stuck with 2 cloves of garlic and rubbed with salt and pepper. Add a good pinch each of nutmeg and cinnamon. 3 cloves, a bouquet garni, 1 tablespoon diced bacon, 1 onion. quartered, 2 carrots cut in long strips, 2 shallots, ¼ cup brandy, 2 cups good red wine, and ½ cup beef stock. The beef should be practically covered. Cover the casserole with a piece of heavy wax paper and tic closely. Put on the lid and stair the dish in a moderate oven (350° F.). After an hour, reduce the heat to 250° F. and cook for at least 6 hours.
In the old days this dish simmered in the hot ashes in the Gascon hearth for 24 hours. It is definitely improved if cooked a day in advance, then heated for an hour the next day. Skim the fat from the sauce before serving.
A hearty, aromatic Gascon sauce adds luster, even to the illustrious sole. To lesser fish it is near sublimation.
Sole Gratinée à la Gasconne (F'ilets of Sole au Gratia Gascony)
Place 4 filets of sole or flounder, about 1 pound, one on the other in two pairs and sprinkle salt amd pepper and a little chopped chives in between them. Duller a shallow baking dish and strew chopped shallots and parsley thinly over the bottom of the dish. Place the filets in the baking dish and pour over them a sauce prepared as follows:
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan and blend in ½ teaspoon prepared mustard, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, I clove of garlic, mashed, ½ teaspoon chopped shallot, 1 generous teaspoon chopped parsley, ½ teaspoon tarragon vinegar, salt and pepper, and ½ cup white wine. Bake the fish for about 20 to 25 minutes in a preheated moderate oven (350°F.).
Pour off the saute into a bowl or saucepan amd blend it into 1 beaten egg yolk. Add to it ¼ pound mushrooms. sliced and sautéed in 1 table-spoon butter. Pour the sauce back over the fish, sprinkle with fine bread crumbs, and brown quickly under a hot broiler. Squeeze a little lemon juice over the top and serve.
The Gascons serve some of their salads tepid, a novelty which makes for more flavor. Here is a good example:
Salade de Choul-fleur Landaise (Cauliflower Salad Landes)
Break a cauliflower into flowerets and boil in salted water until cooked but still firm. Drain and while still warm, pour about 5 or 6 tablespoons French dressing over them. This is made of 1 part of tarragon wine vinegar to 2 parts of olive oil, salt, and freshly ground pepper. In another bowl slice I boiled beet and add 1 small green pepper, cut in large slices and sautéed a few minutes on each side in a little butter. Pour French dressing over the pieces and mix well. Place the slices of beet and green pepper alternately in a decorative pattern on the cauliflower and serve the salad without chilling it.
Next lime you shoot yourself a wild chamois in the Rockies, try this one, which is better if cooked in the Rockies too, as many of the ingredients are native mountain products. (Don't turn the page! This is an excellent way of preparing venison or other game.)
Cuissot d'lsard aux Myrtilles (Haunch of Wild Chamois of the Pyrénées with Whortleberries)
Twenty-four hours before cooking your haunch of mountain goat (or is it venison?), salt and pepper it, add 1 carrot, sliced, 1 onion, sliced, 2 shallots, 2 cloves of garlic, 2 bay leaves, 6 juniper berries, a good pinch of wild thyme, 1 cup oil, and a bottle of dry white wine. Turn the meat in this marinade from time to time for a day before cooking.
Now the meat really should be skewered firmly on a turning spit, with a long pan below to catch the juices, and coasted for about 20 minutes to the pound before a good fire. In the Pyrénées, the meal is basted by means of a metal funnel whose nose is heated redhot in the coals, the resultant fusing far penetrating the meat and adding to its savor. But we will forgive you if you use a long-handled spoon or syringe baster to carry the juices from the pan to the surface of the meat.
When cooked, the haunch rests for 20 minutes to gather the juices internally and to become more tender. During this time, add the marinade to the juices in the pan. pour all into a saucepan, and reduce to about one fourth its original quantity over a hot fire. Strain through a fine sieve, add the juice of ¼ lemon and 4 tablespoons black whortleberry (or blackberry or huckleberry) jam, and stir in 1 tablespoon fresh sweet butter.
Slice your beautifully roasted venison (or was it a haunch of mountain chamois?) and serve it with this interesting sauce.
This is the last of the series of articles on French regional cookery which began in the March, 1949, issue of GOURMET. In the twenty-seven chapters which have appeared all of the more gastronomic regions of France have been visited. A few provinces remain undescribed, however. They are indicated in this little map. For one reason or another, they do not seem to justify a separate article. Some are too small or remote or offer a rather forlorn choice for the epicure. Some regions are too industrial to tempi the traveler. Nevertheless, they have their fine regional dishes, their noteworthy restaurants, their famous cities and monuments. It hurts to ornit such celebrated cities as Bourges, Amiens, and Angoulême; such picturesque spots as Saintes, La Rochelle, Arras, and Foix. We promise to do full justice to these provinces, their gastronomic shrines, and their best recipes, when this series blossoms into book form some months from now.
Checklist for French Provinces and Paris Available
For those fortunate gourmets who are sailing or flying to France this winter, we have assembled a handy checklist of the restaurants, inns, and hotels recommended by Samuel Chamberlain in “An Epicurean Tour of the French Provinces”, which began in GOURMET in March, 1949. This does not include Anjou and Maine, from October, 1951, or the current listing for Gascony and Guyenne. These two listings will be included only if you particularly request them when you write for the general checklist.