Receipts and local products

Patrimony is not only a question of manmade buildings. Food is a very important deal for the people of Aveyron and there are a lot of local specialties that are worth trying. Amongst them Aligot, Fouace and Farçous will certainly delight your taste buds with their simple yet tasty recipes.

We offer you a small list of those typical dishes made in Aveyron!

As we commonly say, “Heritage is not only what men can build”. In addition to those constructions we can admire in our surroundings, the cooking specialties from the Aveyron Department have one of the most important place in our local Heritage.

Aligot, Farçous, fouace,... Those dishes are an original and authentic way to discover our department which does not lack taste.

 

THE FARCOUS (salty vegetables pancakes)

Without a doubt one of Aveyron’s favorites dishes, each family as its own unique recipe. These very easy to cook pancakes can be prepared with spinach instead of chard, or adding some cured ham.

Basic recipe:

4 chard leaves (the green part only), a bunch of parsley, 1 onion, 1 clove of garlic, 4 cups of flour, 2 eggs, 4 cups of milk

  • Chop chard, onion, garlic and parsley

  • Stir in the eggs, the milk and the flour

  • Poor some spoons of this doe in a non-sticking pan with a bit of oil.

  • Panfry on both sides until golden brown.

  • Serve warm on a green leaf salad or just pick with your fingersThe Aubrac’s aligot

  • Visiting Aveyron without tasting the Aligot is like going to Paris without seeing the Eiffel Tower. A must-eat!!

  • Recipe for 4 people:

  • Mash 1kg of boiled potatoes

  • Stir in 100gr of butter and 250gr of double cream, add some salt and pepper

  • Slice 400gr of Tomme fraiche de l’Aubrac cheese (fresh cows cheese you will find in every supermarket or dairies shop) and sprinkle over the hot mash

  • Leave to melt for a few minutes then stir with a wooden spoon until the preparation turns stringy

Eat warm with a salad or more traditionally with a nice local pork sausage

 

THE ALIGOT FROM AUBRAC

To come to Aveyron without tasting the Aligot is like going to Paris without seeing the Eiffel Tower. It's a must!

Recipe for four people:

Prepare a purée with 1 kg of potatoes, add 100 gr of butter and 250 gr of crème fraîche, salt and pepper. Add 400 gr of fresh tomme Aubrac, cut into slices, in the hot mashed potatoes.

Let melt, stretch, spin ... It's ready !

soupe au fromage

CHEESE SOUP

Before unveiling the recipe of this countryside dish, it’s important to know that this soup is different from the traditional onion soup “au gratin”.

Recipe:

  • Blanch some cabbage leaves (green or wild cabbage) in salted water, and then finish cooking them in a meat stock.

  • Use a large oven proof dish and place the ingredients in layers in the following order:

  • 1 layer of sliced bread

  • sprinkle with grated cured ewes or cows cheese (Laguiole cheese)

  • 1 layer of cabbage

  • Cover with stock

  • Repeat the operation finishing with a layer of bread and grated cheese

  • Sprinkle with olive oil and place in the oven on medium heat until the top coat is nice and crispy

The tradition is to serve this soup to the newlyweds in their bedroom. On this occasion, the soup is placed in a pot with an eye painted on the bottom.

 

THE TRUFFADE is another local dish prepared with potatoes and fresh cows cheese (Tomme Fraîche)

Ingredients:

  • 1kg of baked potatoes

300g of Tomme Fraîche cheese

  • 2 onions

  • 2 spoons of oil (sunflower or olive)

  • 1 spoon of lard

  • 1 bunch of parsley

Recipe:

  • Chop the onions and cook them in a hot frying pan with oil and lard until golden brown

  • Add the sliced potatoes, salt and pepper

  • Keep covered and warm

  • 10 to 15 minutes before serving, slice the cheese and place it over the potatoes

  • Put under the grill until the cheese is well melted

  • Give a stir and sprinkle with chopped parsley just before serving

This filling dish can be served with salad as a main dish, or as a side dish with a beautiful veal or lamb chop from Aveyron!

 

LE GATEAU A LA BROCHE (spit-roasted cake)

This very special cake is a classic for ceremonies, weddings as well as for the annual villages’ celebrations. Its preparation is quite difficult and you’ll need the right tools, but at the end you’ll surely be delighted by the result of your hard work! First of all, you’ll need a full wooden cone that can bear the heat of the fire for a while.

Ingredients for a 4kg cake:

1, 2 kg of flour

24 eggs

1 kg of butter

1 kg of sugar

1 spoon of salt

5 spoons of rum

1 tea spoon of orange flower water

Some nuts or walnuts

Recipe :

  • Beat the egg whites in a large mixing bowl

  • Melt the butter in a sauce pan, add the sugar and give a whisk.

  • In that liquid, pour the egg yolks one by one, gently mix in the beaten egg whites and the flour

  • Pour in the rum, the orange flower water and some nuts or walnuts

  • Put the cone on the spit and wrap it all in some oiled cooking paper, fasten it with a piece of string

Cooking process :

  • Put the spit horizontally in front of a flame (protect from direct heat with a metallic tray) and place a tray under the spit to receive the batter that will drop.

  • Pour the batter little by little with a spoon, retrieve fallen batter from the tray.

  • Leave that first coat to cook thoroughly, then pour more batter and repeat the process until you run out of batter.

  • Remove the wooden cone and cut off!!

 

FOUACE OR FOUGASSE

This easy to bake cake is very common in the region. It's a must for family gatherings and local fairs.

Recipe :

  • In a large bowl mix 500g of flour, 100g of melted butter, 15g of yeast mixed into some warm milk and 3 eggs.

  • Stir in a small glass of brandy and a few drops of orange flower water

  • Add some milk in order to soften the dough and leave to rest in a warm place for 12 hours

  • Give your dough a crown shape and place on a sheet of baking paper

  • Sprinkle with egg yolk and some caster sugar

  • Bake in the oven on medium heat until golden brown.

 

échaudés

LES ECHAUDES (aniseed biscuits)

Preparation : 45 mn – Cooking time : 35 mn

Ingredients for 30 pieces : 1kg of flour, 4 eggs, 4 spoons of olive oil, 20g of aniseeds, 2 packs of baking powder, 20cl of simple cream, 200g of sugar, 2 pinches of salt, 1 egg yolk

Recipe :

  • Mix flour, aniseeds, sugar, salt and baking powder in a large bowl. Dig a well in the middle and stir in olive oil, eggs and cream. Add a bit of milk if needed but bear in mind that the dough mustn't be too sticky.

  • Roll out the dough until ½ cm thick and cut out in circles (using a glass or a ring)

  • Fold back in three towards the centre to shape the biscuits

  • Cook the biscuits in boiling water until they come back to the surface, drain in a colander.

  • Place on a baking sheet, sprinkle with egg yolk and bake for 35 mn at 220°C

LA FLAUNE

This famous tart takes its origins in the Causses region. Its main ingredient is called « la recuite », a kind of ewes buttermilk.

Ingredients : 1 roll of pie pastry, 1kg of « recuite », 500g of caster sugar, 7 eggs, 5dl of double cream, grated lemon peel, orange flower water.

Recipe :

  • Roll out the pastry into a mold

  • Drain the « recuite » and pass it through a fine sieve

  • Beat the « recuite » with eggs and sugar

  • Stir in double cream, lemon peel and orange flower water

  • Pour this batter over the pastry

  • Bake in the oven at 150°C for 30 mn and at 180°C for a further 15mn

  • Sprinkle with caster sugar straight out of the oven.

This finger linking desert can be eaten cold or warm with a glass of ratafia or walnut wine !

THE TRIPOUS

Amongst all the specialties you can find in our region, the tripous have a particular place for the people living in Aveyron. This dish, made with different parts of veal : head, tongue, rumen and tripe. It was originally served for breakfast before men leaev their home to go to work (on the fields or mines depending on the area). Nowadays, the tripous is still served in the morning but we main find them during the different villages' fests.

You can find so many different recipes, every family or village have their own, so do not hesitate an longer and try this treasure called Tripous.