Food in Provence (and elsewhere)

Pintade for lunch as lasagne wasn’t an option: no flour here in Valréas. Looked at various recipes but no great inspiration. So pot roast style. Brown in olive oil, pour in some wine (VdR rose), cover and put in a 200deg oven. Salt and pepper 10 mins later (best according to Robuchon, apparently, but more because I forgot to salt before initial browning) and cook for ~1hr. Wanted to use tapenade in the sauce, but only a small amount in the jar—fortunately just the right amount, a tablespoon or so. Added more wine to the juices (poured into a small pan), reduced, then whisked in a couple of slices of butter.

Ate with perfect croutons and lettuce. Ate sitting outside, sky more overcast than yesterday, but plenty warm enough even if J dons a cardigan. Gariguette strawberries to follow, but we’re both too full for cheese.

J suggests this become eponymous recipe and first entry in a Nigel Slater style food diary cookbook. Whence…

But maybe I can recall yesterday’s

Artichokes Barigoule

Bought artichokes then went back to the butchers to buy poitrine fume, but not needed in Lulu’s provencal recipe. Which is to stew 3-4 sliced onions in a little olive oil for 30 mins, …

Veal Paillard

Because I saw it in the FT. Recipe says loin steaks but butcher doesn’t have these so buy thickish chops instead and cut off the bone. Mashed potato with Cornille olive oil.