Wonderful story thank you for sharing Kate! I love M. Dupuy’s recipe for purging escargot with rose petals. Does the flavour delicately infuse the cooked escargot? My neighbour starved hers in a finely meshed cage. They were too chewy and tough for my palette - and bland!
The rose petals like other things we purge escargot with--pasta, rice, cornmeal, should fatten them up as well. Starving them seems counterproductive. And then we cook them with ham garlic, tomatoes and parsley- so plenty of flavor!
I agree, starving them did seem counterproductive and a bit mean! Much better to give them a delicious end-stage life experience! I did find the flavour was all in the extras unfortunately. The chef was rather rustic in her approach but she did cook a tasty girolles omelette. Have a great weekend foraging!
Starving snails is done in order to evacuate the cloaca (dark curl of intestine at the tail-end, tucked right inside the shell, which is where toxins gather). You have to rinse out 'les ordures' every day or two till they're more less clean. Winter snails, dug up from their subetrranean winter-quarters rather than gathered above-ground, are self-starved because they hibernate. I'm sure you know this already, Kate - but just for those who don't.
Utterly brilliant, Kate, and of course I remember the unforgettable M. Dupuy and am so glad I had a chance to meet him long, long ago. I love all these stories but especially the sense of an emerging sensibility, your own, as you encounter the place and the people, the land and the seasons. Keep it coming!
A treasure Kate.. It would be wonderful to think that everyone who moves to France had a M Dupuy to guide and give and show all that we don’t know (and let’s face it, there is so much) on arrival...
Ours were called M Marty and M Tamalet - sadly neither could ever agree on any one subject and we were left utterly clueless after every visit!
Then came the darling M Lissorgues who told us to ignore everything either one had told us... (life long family feuds apparently) and began again with the who, where and how. He was a font of knowledge even as to where to find ceps and chanterelles which I’m sure you know well is sacred information..!
Wonderful story thank you for sharing Kate! I love M. Dupuy’s recipe for purging escargot with rose petals. Does the flavour delicately infuse the cooked escargot? My neighbour starved hers in a finely meshed cage. They were too chewy and tough for my palette - and bland!
I’m so enjoying your stories! Thankyou! 😊
The rose petals like other things we purge escargot with--pasta, rice, cornmeal, should fatten them up as well. Starving them seems counterproductive. And then we cook them with ham garlic, tomatoes and parsley- so plenty of flavor!
I agree, starving them did seem counterproductive and a bit mean! Much better to give them a delicious end-stage life experience! I did find the flavour was all in the extras unfortunately. The chef was rather rustic in her approach but she did cook a tasty girolles omelette. Have a great weekend foraging!
Starving snails is done in order to evacuate the cloaca (dark curl of intestine at the tail-end, tucked right inside the shell, which is where toxins gather). You have to rinse out 'les ordures' every day or two till they're more less clean. Winter snails, dug up from their subetrranean winter-quarters rather than gathered above-ground, are self-starved because they hibernate. I'm sure you know this already, Kate - but just for those who don't.
Elisabeth, many thanks for the technical info- always important to know the Why behind the How!
Wonderful stories, Kate! So happy that you're telling them with such affection and skill.
Thank you Elisabeth. How lucky we are to have led these delicious lives and to share them.
Utterly brilliant, Kate, and of course I remember the unforgettable M. Dupuy and am so glad I had a chance to meet him long, long ago. I love all these stories but especially the sense of an emerging sensibility, your own, as you encounter the place and the people, the land and the seasons. Keep it coming!
A treasure Kate.. It would be wonderful to think that everyone who moves to France had a M Dupuy to guide and give and show all that we don’t know (and let’s face it, there is so much) on arrival...
Ours were called M Marty and M Tamalet - sadly neither could ever agree on any one subject and we were left utterly clueless after every visit!
Then came the darling M Lissorgues who told us to ignore everything either one had told us... (life long family feuds apparently) and began again with the who, where and how. He was a font of knowledge even as to where to find ceps and chanterelles which I’m sure you know well is sacred information..!
All three are still alive too.
This is the most wonderful little story
I wish I had known him, also.
You know some stuff 🥂☀️🥖
Love this one Kate, my favourite so far!!
Thanks Jan! I, too, feel like I am just hitting my stride.
I love this section, Portraits. Just lovely. I am very much enjoying your work. Thank you.
You have compelled me in a matter of minutes to fall in love with M. Dupuy.
He was a rascally old fellow, but I'll always have a soft spot for him and am happy to share.
<3