LOCAL CUISINE

A few culinary specialties from the Loire Valley

(© photo Michel Plassart)

Beurre Blanc

Tradition tells us that this is a"nantaise" specialty. People from Nantes attribute its creation to Mère Clémence (a restaurant on the levee called the "Divatte"). Its reputation grew quickly and it began to be served at all the fine tables in Anjou, Tours and all the way to Orléans.
Beurre Blanc accompanies pike, salmon, turbot, and even scallops marvelously. The sauce is an emulsion of melted salted butter thickened with a reduction of shallots and vinegar (muscadet wine vinegar for purists).

Fish

The wild salmon fished in the Loire has now become a part of legend. It is now as rare as truffles would be on the daily lunch table. It has been replaced with imported salmon or salmon from fish farms. The salmon is cut into steaks which are then grilled or served in filet with sauce.
Pike is a very savory fish that is gorgeous with Beurre Blanc, but may also be served roasted as it is in Sologne.
Grilled shad, with wild mushrooms, sorrel, or braised with white wine, with Beurre Blanc. The lightness of its flesh will make you forget about all the tiny fishbones.
Friture de Loire is composed of bleak fish and gudgeon and is prepared with garlic butter.
Eel is prepared in matelote sauce with red wine.

Charcuterie

The rillettes from Tours and Vouvray are just as renowned as those from Mans.

Rillons are delicious served warm, not hot. According to Balzac they look like "pork residue sautéed in fat which looks like cooked truffles."

BON APPETIT TO EVERYONE

Loire Valley Cuisine: The Essentials

Rillettes

(" Mans", "Sarthe", "Tours", " Vouvray", etc)

The basics: rillettes are made with pork (shoulder, belly,) cooked in pork fat.

Rillettes du Mans have a very fine texture. The lean meat and the fat combine nicely; no spices or other flavorings are added.. 
Rillettes de Tours, a little chunkier in texture, but less greasy. The little pieces of meat are easier to discern.

A sarthoise recipe

For 2.25 lbs of rillettes
Pork : 8 ounces of fat, 2.25 lbs of pork loin
1 bouquet garni (thyme, laurel, cloves)
salt, pepper

Preparation

Break the pork fat into little pieces and take off the skin.
In a large pan, add to glasses of water and the pieces of pork fat.

Melt the fat over low heat.
Slice the pork loin in pieces about a half an inch thick, going with the grain of the meat.
Add the meat to the pot with the bouquet garni.
Let it cook slowly for 3 to 4 hours. Stir regularly and don't let the fat boil.
As soon as the mixture begins to turn golden, take it off the heat and take out bouquet garni. Let cool.
Skim off some off some of the fat that comes to the surface and put aside in a bowl.
Pour the mixture into jars and cover with the fat that you skimmed from the surface. (This protects the rillettes).
Store in a cool and dry place.

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