Chapter 7
MEAT
(Viande)
“If it has four legs
and it’s not a table,
eat it.”
Cantonese saying
Recipes featured in this chapter:
Hanger Steak (Onglet) with Sautéed Mushrooms
(Cépes), Cream, and Brandy
Beef (Boeuf) Bourguignon
Pork Loin (Longe de Porc) with Apples (Pommes) and Onions
Mead and Honey Braised Lamb Shanks (Souris d’Agneau)
Lentils (Lentilles) with Andouille and Vinaigrette
In France, cattle and other animals destined for French dining rooms are not fed or injected with hormones or other additives. They are primarily free range, which makes their meat healthier for the consumer and better for the environment. When livestock are grass fed, topsoils aren’t depleted by raising feed, and the pigs, sheep, and cattle themselves provide the fertilizer. The French eat about 39 percent less meat (this means beef, pork, and sheep) per capita than people in the United States. This statistic may contribute to the annoying fact that the French also claim a much lower rate of obesity. When I stroll down almost any busy street in France, it’s fairly easy to tell who the locals are—not just because the tourists have cameras slung around their necks and are sporting shorts and flip-flops, but because their girth is noticeably wider. And let us not forget that the French usually have better haircuts!
You can buy acceptable meat in most of the supermarkets, where you can grab a wrapped package from the meat case without having to stress over interacting with a live person—in French, no less. But if you plan your menu so that you have a good sense of what you’re after, and maybe have a slug of wine to buoy up your courage, you, too, can manage to buy meat or poultry at a specialty shop. The effort is worth the trouble, because what you’ll get is superior to what’s available at Carrefour or Intermarché. Don’t be intimidated about asking un boucher to help. In France, even if the butcher doesn’t speak English, it’s almost a sure bet that someone waiting in line can. And although French people can look dour when shopping, they are generally very kind and willing to help. I mean, who’s joyfully grinning while waiting in a line anywhere? If you’re lucky enough to stay in a particular neighborhood for a while, you may get to know your boucher well. Don’t forget your local farmers’ market, which can be an excellent source for your meat and poultry needs. Let’s dive in and learn about buying and cooking meat the French way.
Beef (Boeuf)
The two most popular cattle breeds are the Limousin, which are a bright reddish-brown color, and the white Charolais. Both animals have inward-curving horns and are considered to be the highest quality. In French markets, the breed will be on the label as well as the words race à viande, that is, cattle raised for beef. You might also see other breeds like Amoricaine, Aubrac, or Lourdais in the market.
Although those big beautiful animals that lounge in tall grass under luminous French skies may look like the ones that provide beef elsewhere, North Americans are sometimes surprised to find that French beef does not taste quite the same as what they find at home. Because French livestock are not fed or injected with hormones or other additives, and are primarily free range, their meat is less fatty. The lower fat content means French beef isn’t always as tasty as the grain-fed beef found in the United States. You’ll just need to make some adjustments in order to produce food that will taste as good as the cows look.
Keep in mind that because of the limited fat marbling in French beef, overcooking will ruin the meat and make it extremely tough. If you like your beef on the done side, without much pink showing, then choose a cut for braising. Long and slow cooking in liquid will render the meat tender and tasty.
The French, like most people in the world, use all parts of the animal in some way. In the market or meat shop, you’ll find brains, kidneys, liver, heart, and lung right alongside the steaks and roasts. One of our favorite restaurants in Paris, Chez L’Ami Jean, has a months-long waiting list for clientele who are willing to endure the crowd to savor its famous beef sausage and delicious dishes using the tongue, sweetbreads, and even the tail of animals. This famous restaurant is crowded, loud, and the service brusque, but the steaming platters of deeply flavorful meat that the waiters manage to wrangle over the heads of patrons bring such exquisite pleasure that people don’t care.
We became such fans of offal (organ meats) that we’d regularly travel across Paris to a tiny restaurant called Le Baratin, where chefs from around the city came to eat a superb, cheap lunch and share the latest restaurant gossip. We learned to love kidneys, beef cheeks, and one of my favorites, liver, which were perfectly prepared and served in a convivial atmosphere.
Here’s a vital cooking tip, whether you’re cooking on the road or in your own kitchen at home: Don’t be afraid to try to cook something new. After all, it’s just food, not an international peace treaty. If you mess it up, the worst that can happen is that you get taken out to dinner instead and the dog next door gets a yummy feast! To give yourself a leg up on your challenge, ask the butcher to tell you how the meat you are buying should be handled. That way you’re less likely to end up producing shoe leather instead of the savory dish you had in mind.
So let’s pretend you’ve bought just the right piece of meat—a steak—brought it home, and unwrapped it in your cute little kitchen. First, mix about a teaspoon of salt and any other spices you are using, like pepper, cumin, oregano, or paprika, or all of them, with some crushed garlic. Rub it all over the meat and let it sit on the counter for an hour or two. This will allow the seasoning to penetrate the meat, and it will also bring the meat up to room temperature so it will cook more evenly.
Before cooking, wipe off the salt and spices and pat the meat dry. Make your pan as hot as you can and sear the steak on both sides. Then lower the heat to cook to either medium rare or rare. If you’re not sure, make a small incision to check or use a handy instant thermometer. Rare should be at 130°F (54°C) and medium rare at 140°F (60°C). Grass-fed beef cooks fast, so be watchful after the sear. Season it again and, to make up for the lack of fat, drizzle a little olive oil or melted butter over your steak, and then serve it with savoir-faire. The same rules apply for roasting meat. Cook a roast at about 225°F (107°C) to 250°F (121°C). A general rule of thumb is to cook all French beef 30 percent less than you would cook American beef.
A solemn warning about French steak: Even though you will be very tempted to marinate your French steak, don’t do it. Adding a lot of moisture will make it difficult to brown, and you may end up with an unappetizing steamed mess.
Cuts of Beef (Bouef)
Our favorite steak cuts are:
Entrecôte (ribeye)—flavorful and juicy
Onglet (hanger steak)—resembles flank steak
Faux filet (sirloin)—a little tougher but more flavorful
Filet (filet mignon)—tender, juicy, expensive
Pavé or filet de romsteck—similar but not as tender as filet mignon
Bavette d’aloyau—similar to flank steak but more tender
For stews or braises try:
Paleron and macreuse and jumeau—all similar to chuck
Gros bout de poitrine—a brisket
Gite—round steak
Pork (Porc)
The French are prodigious pork producers, consumers, and exporters. While the majority of the swine are grown on the west coast around Brittany, boutique farmers, like the ones from Limousin, who practice sustainable growth and keep traditional methods to raise their free-range pigs, produce superior meat. In that area, many farms breed black-bottomed pigs (cul noir), which have color patterns that look somewhat like Yves Saint Laurent’s geometrical designs in black and beige. These haute porkers can turn a simple pork chop dinner into a memorable culinary treat.
Once again, like most countries in the world, the French eat almost the entire animal, nose to tail. The ears, feet, and head might be considered the nasty bits here at home, but in France those parts are delicacies. We hope that you’ll have the fortitude to try them when you have the opportunity.
If you are a fan of pork tenderloin, look for filet de mignon de porc. If bacon is on your menu, be aware that bacon in France is more like the lean Canadian bacon than the crispy strips you’ll get in the United States. The best substitute for American bacon is poitrine, which is a cut from the breast of the pig. But don’t expect to find an Oscar Mayer or Hormel pound of bacon. Instead, be on the lookout for a diced bacon product called lardons. These brilliant bits of flavor, which come in nature (plain) or fumé (smoked) forms, are mostly pork fat that’s been cut into small pieces. They are good in quiches and any other dish calling for crumbled bacon. Once you’ve had them in your refrigerator, you won’t know how you lived without them. For instance, if you’re staring at a pile of boring green beans trying to figure out something to do with them, pop a handful of lardons into a pan, render their fat, and bang in the beans. The flavor and the crunch will make you happy! Of course, if you’re feeling extra peppy, you could throw in some garlic and maybe some fresh herbs to up your game.
Cuts of Pork (Porc)
Poitrine (bacon)—ask for it to be sliced fine (pronounced feen) or it will be cut thicker than you are used to
Ventrèche (French pancetta)
Lardons (fatty bacon)
Echine (shoulder)
Côtes de porc (a rack of loin chops)
Longe de porc (pork loin)
Filet de mignon de porc (pork tenderloin)
Lamb (Agneau)
I belong to a long line of dedicated lambophiles. Family celebrations like birthdays, Easter, even Christmas, usually mean the designated hostess is going to be intimately acquainted with one or more lamb legs, depending on the number of celebrants who will belly up to the table. We do succumb to tradition and wrangle a turkey to the table for Thanksgiving, but otherwise, we are devoted to ovine feasts. The most exquisite-tasting lamb I’ve ever had was served at Château d’Agneaux, a thirteenth-century château in Northern France. As attractive and historic as the château itself was, my lamb dinner in the hotel’s restaurant was the highlight of the weekend. The meat, cooked simply, was perfectly pink and moist and had a distinct flavor that I couldn’t quite identify. Later, I was telling Deborah about our weekend trip, describing the hotel, the lovely countryside, and the sites we had enjoyed. I asked her if she knew why the lamb flavor was so unusual. Of course, my brilliant friend had the answer: Since the lambs graze near the sea, the grass they eat is bathed in a salty brine. You could say that their meat is salted from the inside out!
Cuts of Lamb (Agneau)
Gigot d’agneau (leg of lamb)
Echine (shoulder)
Côtelette (lamb rack chop)
Souris d’agneau or jarret (shank)
Carré d’agneau (rack of lamb)
Sausage—Dry or Cooked
(Saucisse; Saucisson)
Sampling and cooking with some of the great sausages the French produce is one of the joys of eating like a local in France. The variety of sausage is astounding, and every region has its specialties. Not only are there the kinds we would expect to see, but there are fish sausages and even vegetarian sausages. Many classic French meals include sausage, like cassoulet and lentils, and it is also a significant feature of picnic baskets and hors d’oeuvre spreads. Sausages of all kinds are available everywhere, and it’s helpful to be acquainted with some of the more popular ones so that you can feel a little more confident in your sausage choices.
Generally speaking, unless the sign says otherwise, you can safely assume that the sausage you’re buying in a charcuterie (deli) is made with pork. The others will be labeled to show what meat, fish, or other ingredients are in the sausage.
Andouille is made with pig intestines and many other ingredients. It is usually precooked.
Boudin Blanc is thought of as white blood sausage, but it’s actually made from white pork, chicken, or veal meat with some seasoning. They are often precooked and are great when reheated and served with mashed potatoes.
Boudin Noir is made with pork blood and other ingredients like raisins, chestnuts, apples, or prunes. Buy this very fresh and cook it thoroughly in a pan or grilled.
Cervelas is very popular in Alsace and originated in Switzerland. This sausage is fat and juicy, and it fans out because its ends are sliced. It is sold both cooked and uncooked.
Chipolata is made from pork with herb seasonings. It is also a favorite at French barbecues.
Figatellu is a Corsican specialty. Made from pork liver and tons of garlic, it is great grilled or in a sauce.
Merguez is usually made from lamb, but sometimes beef is included. It is dark red because of the spices mixed in it. A barbecue favorite.
Saucisse is a moist, soft sausage that must be cooked before eating. You must refrigerate it and be aware of its shelf life. You’ll usually be using it as an ingredient in recipes.
Saucisse Chorizo is sold fresh, cured, or smoked. It is a spicy pork sausage flavored with paprika and garlic whose origins reach from France to Spain.
Saucisse de Foie is a liver sausage, mostly pork liver. It is similar to liverwurst. It can be part of a plate of cold cuts.
Saucisson de Lyon must be cooked. It’s wonderful on a bed of lentils or wrapped in brioche.
Saucisse de Montbéliard is usually cooked in boiling water. It comes from Franche-Comté and is smaller, less smoky, and not quite as fatty as the saucisse de Morteau.
Saucisse de Morteau is a smoked sausage from Franche-Comté in the eastern part of France. It is governed by IGP (Indication Géographique Protégée), which is a similar program to the AOC for French wines and cheeses. The designation dictates that it must be produced in a certain way. You’ll usually find it cooked. A small piece of wood called a cheville is used to close it on one end.
Saucisse de Strasbourg and Saucisse de Francfort look and taste a lot like hot dogs. They are often used for dishes like choucroute sarnie, which features sauerkraut or pickled cabbage served with potatoes and meat.
Saucisse de Toulouse is usually one of the ingredients for the quintessential French bean dish, cassoulet. It is also excellent for pan frying.
Saucisson Sec is cured sausage that is dry enough to be sliced thin. Until you slice it, it doesn’t need to be refrigerated. You’ll enjoy this kind of sausage on an hors d’oeuvre tray with olives and fruits.
BEEF (Boeuf)
LOOKING AT ALL the beautiful cattle roaming the picturesque pastures in the French countryside just might make you hungry for beef. Deborah serves up two exquisite recipes—one for a quick and delicious steak dinner and the other for a hearty stew you’ll love to come home to for a comforting, cocooning evening.
Hanger Steak (Onglet) with Sautéed Mushrooms (Cépes), Cream, and Brandy
serves 4 
This dish is rich and decadent, perfect for visitors or for a special occasion.
Ingredients
4 onglet steaks (or filet if you prefer)
Salt
Pepper
5 tablespoons (75 ml) butter, divided
1 tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable oil
2 pounds (900 g) cépes (small brown mushrooms), halved
2 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
1 teaspoon (5 g) finely minced fresh thyme
¼ cup (60 ml) brandy
½ cup (125 ml) cream
Equipment
Knife for slicing
Large sauté pan
Measuring cups and spoons
Method
1. Season steaks with salt and pepper.
2. In a sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the butter and the oil until bubbling and hot. Sear the steaks 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Don’t keep turning them—you want to get good color so only one turn is necessary. The goal for this kind of steak is to cook it no more than medium rare.
3. Take the steaks out of the pan and put aside to rest.
4. Put the pan back on the stove and, still on high heat, add 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the butter. Add half of the mushrooms when the butter is bubbling. Make sure not to overcrowd the mushrooms or they won’t brown. When they are golden, remove them to a plate and repeat with the rest of the mushrooms.
5. When the next batch are golden, add the other mushrooms back to the pan as well as the garlic and thyme.
6. Season with salt and pepper, deglaze with the brandy, lower heat to medium, and let the mixture reduce by half. Stir for an additional minute.
7. Add the cream and let it simmer a minute or so while you slice and plate the steaks.
8. Cut the steaks across the grain into finger-wide slices. Arrange on a platter. Spoon mushrooms onto the platter and drizzle the sauce.
Pairing Red Bordeaux
Variations, Ideas, Suggestions Serve with a platter of oven-roasted asparagus.
If the cream is too rich for you, substitute 1 cup (250 ml) low-sodium beef broth, reduce by half, and finish with a tablespoon (15 ml) butter.
Beef (Boeuf) Bourguignon
serves 6 or 7
Deborah’s grandmother used to make this dish from Julia Child’s cookbook, and everyone would swoon. It had fallen out of her repertoire until a friend served it for a party. The next day, Deborah called and begged him for his recipe. When he told her it was Julia Child’s, she knew exactly why she loved it so much.
Here is Deborah’s simplified, flourless version. If possible, make this the day before because it’s even better after it has rested in the braising juices overnight.
Ingredients
3 pounds (1.5 kg) beef chuck roast or brisket (paleron, macreuse, or jumeau), trimmed and cut into 2-inch (50 mm) chunks
Salt
Pepper
6 ounces (170 g) lardons or bacon, coarsely chopped
20 pearl onions
2 carrots, cut into ½-inch (13 mm) pieces
1 pound (450 g) mushrooms, quartered
3 tablespoons (45 ml) butter, more if needed
1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil, more if needed
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons (30 ml) tomato paste
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ bottle (375 ml) red wine
Herbs (2 parsley sprigs, 2 thyme sprigs, 2 bay leaves) tied together, so you can fish them out later
2 cups good quality beef stock, more if needed
Equipment
Dutch oven or large pot with lid
Knife for chopping and slicing
Slotted spoon or slotted spatula
Method
1. Pat the beef dry and season with salt and pepper. In a Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until crispy. Fish the bacon out, leaving the grease, and set aside.
2. Increase the heat to medium high and brown the beef pieces on all sides. Do not overcrowd the meat in the pan. There must be a bit of space between each piece. Otherwise, the meat will not brown as the steam will not be able to escape. Therefore, you may have to brown the meat in batches. Use some oil if you need to.
3. After all the meat has been browned and removed from the pot, sauté the pearl onions, carrots, and mushrooms separately until golden, using the butter (use more butter if necessary). Remove from the pot, keeping them separated. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Add oil to the pot and when hot, add the onion to the pot, lowering the heat to medium. Sauté until softened. Then add the tomato paste and garlic, stirring about a minute, until fragrant.
5. Add the lardons, beef, wine, herbs, and stock to the pot. The beef should be just covered with the liquid. If not, add a little more stock. Add the pearl onions.
6. At this point, you can either put it in a preheated 350°F (175°C) oven for 3 to 4 hours or simmer on the stove on low about 2 hours. Make sure to put the lid on.
7. Halfway through cooking, add the carrots. When you have about 15 minutes left, add the mushrooms and leave the lid off to thicken the sauce a bit. The meat should be pretty much falling apart. Fish out the herbs.
8. Serve in bowls with crusty bread with a lovely green salad on the side.
Pairing A rich Pinot Noir or a Rhône blend are good choices.
Variations, Ideas, Suggestions Sometimes we roast cubed potatoes tossed in olive oil or butter in the oven until they are golden and crispy, and then throw them in when the carrots are added.
PORK (Porc)
PORK IS ONE of the most versatile meats. Its mild flavor blends with almost any cuisine, and it can be cooked with almost any method! You’ll find recognizable, yummy cuts in every meat case. Deborah’s pork loin with apples and onions is comfort food brought to a whole new level.
Pork Loin (Longe de Porc) with Apples (Pommes) and Onions
serves 4
We think that the sign of an accomplished cook is his or her ability to take simple ingredients and prepare them perfectly. This recipe will make you the hero of the evening anywhere in the world you cook it for your family or guests. Add this fail-safe gem to your repertoire and shine every time.
Ingredients
Salt
Pepper
1 pork tenderloin roast—about 1½ pounds (680 g) silver skin removed
4 cups (950 ml) apple juice or cider, reduced to about ½ cup (80 ml) or until syrupy
2 tablespoons (30 g) minced thyme
1 tablespoon (5 g) rosemary, minced
2 tablespoons (30 ml) Dijon mustard
6 tablespoons (90 ml) butter
20 pearl onions
3 tart apples, cored and quartered
2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
¼ cup (60 ml) apple juice
¾ cup (375 ml) hard cider
Equipment
Knife for chopping and slicing
Measuring cups and spoons
Meat thermometer (optional)
Roasting pan
Method
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Salt and pepper the tenderloin. Mix together the apple reduction, thyme, rosemary, and mustard. Rub over the pork in a roasting pan. Dot with butter.
3. Toss onions and apple quarters with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Arrange around the pork.
4. Roast until 145°F (63°C) inside, 25 to 30 minutes.
5. Remove pan from oven and put the pork, apples, and onions on a platter and let rest about 10 minutes, tented with foil.
6. While the pork is resting, immediately put the roasting pan on a burner, add the ¼ cup apple juice and ¾ cup hard cider and turn the heat up high, quickly reducing to a sauce.
7. Slice pork into desired thickness, serve on the platter with the onions and apples scattered around the pork. Drizzle the sauce over the pork. Sprinkle with thyme leaves or sprigs.
Pairing Hard cider or Pinot Gris
Variations, Ideas, Suggestions
• If you don’t have a meat thermometer, try the old-fashioned way and use the touch method. When touched, raw meat has a mushy feeling. When it’s firm, it’s well done. You want pork cooked somewhere in between, but on the firmer side. If you are unsure at first, and you think your meat is done, make a small cut in the middle and use your eyes. And remember, when it rests, it will keep cooking a tiny bit more. Pork is perfect when it’s still a little pink in the center. Almost no one likes dry meat.
• If you have a larger crowd, choose a pork loin instead of the smaller tenderloin and adjust the cooking time and ingredients.
LAMB (Agneau)
IT’S HARD FOR ME to understand how anyone could not love lamb. This dish is so delicious that I think it might even convert vegetarians.
Mead and Honey Braised Lamb Shanks (Souris d’Agneau)
serves 4
This dish is even better the next day. And just so that you’re aware, lamb shanks in France are not as large as they are in the United States.
Ingredients
Salt
Pepper
4 small lamb shanks
1 tablespoon (5 g) finely minced fresh rosemary
4 tablespoons (60 ml) olive oil, divided
4 tablespoons (60 ml) butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 shallots, minced
2 cups (½ L) mead
2 cups (½ L) rich beef stock
¼ cup (60 ml) honey
1 sprig thyme
Equipment
Oven
Measuring cups and spoons
Ovenproof pot with lid
Method
1. Preheat oven to 275°F (135°C). Salt and pepper the lamb shanks.
2. Mix rosemary with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the olive oil and rub all over the shanks.
3. In an ovenproof pot with lid, melt the butter and add the remaining two tablespoons olive oil.
4. Over medium-high heat, brown the shanks on all sides. Don’t crowd them or they won’t brown. Remove shanks from the pan and set aside.
5. In the same pot, sauté garlic and shallots in the pan juices until fragrant. Add the shanks back to the pot, add the mead and enough beef stock to barely cover. Stir in the honey and add the thyme.
6. Braise for about 3 to 4 hours, or until the meat is loosening from the bone. Check once every hour and add more beef stock if necessary.
7. Before serving, remove shanks from the braising liquid, and reduce the liquid by about half.
8. Add the shanks back to the pot and simmer with reduced braising liquid on very low heat until heated through.
9. This is great served with the Pearl Couscous from the poultry chapter (see page 135). Spoon the sauce over. Enjoy!
Pairing Red Rhône or mead from northwestern France
Variations, Ideas, Suggestions If you don’t have a reliable oven, you can braise this on the stove top. Simmer on low for about the same amount of time. If you don’t have a lid for the simmer, just use a plate that is a bit larger than the pot. If you are low on mead, feel free to substitute with white wine or beer.
SAUSAGE—DRY OR COOKED (Saucisse; Saucisson)
THE HUGE VARIETY of sausages in Europe has always fascinated me. Every country has its own specialties, and I have learned to love blood sausage and other mystery meats that I had never encountered in the United States. Be sure to try as many of them as you can while you are in France.
Lentils (Lentilles) with Andouille and Vinaigrette
serves 4
A wonderful, very French-feeling dish for a picnic or lunch.
Ingredients
2 whole andouille sausages (about ½ pound; 225 g) or saucisson de Lyon
1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
8 ounces (225 g) beluga or du Puy lentils, rinsed
3 sprigs thyme
2 cups (½ L) chicken stock
2 cups (½ L) water
Salt
Pepper
2 teaspoons (10 ml) red wine vinegar
Pinch of very finely minced rosemary
½ small red onion, or small shallot, finely diced
1 tablespoon (15 g) chopped parsley
2 tablespoons (30 ml) (or to taste) Dijon Vinaigrette (see page 198)
Equipment
Large pot
Large sauté pan
Knife for dicing and chopping
Measuring spoon
Strainer (optional)
Method
1. Cut the sausages into ¼-inch (6 mm) slices.
2. If using cooked sausages, heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan and sauté the sausages on medium heat until lightly browned. Set aside and let cool. If using raw sausages, make sure to cook the sausage slices all the way through. You may need a little more oil.
3. Put lentils and thyme in a large pot and add the chicken stock and water to cover by 2 inches (5 cm). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer gently for about 30 minutes for beluga lentils and about 45 minutes for du Puy lentils. Do not overcook or boil too rapidly, as they will turn to mush. Then you will need to make soup instead of this dish! They should be tender yet firm and not mushy when finished.
4. Strain off any remaining liquid and spread out the lentils on a sheet pan (or a large plate or platter) to cool so they don’t keep cooking. You want the steam to be released. Season with salt and pepper and red wine vinegar and the rosemary while they are still warm. Toss to distribute. Pick out thyme when it is cool enough to touch.
5. Toss the cooled lentils with the raw red onion, parsley, sliced andouille, and vinaigrette.
6. Can be served warm or room temperature.
Pairing Red Rhône blend or Corbières
Variations, Ideas, Suggestions
• Try substituting warmed leftover lamb, guinea fowl, or duck. Add chopped arugula to the chilled lentils for a lighter dish.
• Omit the sausage for a vegetarian dish.
• Omit sausage, vinaigrette, parsley, and onion and serve as a hot side dish.
MEATY FRENCH FESTIVALS