For Christmas, the yule log is making a comeback in pastries, but what to choose between the traditional yule log and all the variations invented since its creation?

The history of the traditional Christmas log

The tradition of the Yule log was not originally a cake, but rather a piece of wood intended to be burned during the winter solstice, the longest night of the year. This log had to be as massive as possible and come from a fruit tree or an oak to burn for 3 days.

In France, and more generally in Europe, a certain number of rituals intended for the sun were associated with the Yule log (cutting it before dawn, sprinkling it with wine or oil, decorating it in such a way, etc. ). Depending on the sparks that the log produced by its crackling and the color of its flames, we associated various predictions for the years to come such as good harvests or favorable weather.

It was around the 1870s that the Yule log as we know it today was created. We do not really know who invented it because several pastry chefs / chocolate makers argued over its invention. Anyway, everyone had the idea of offering a rolled cake in the same shape and linked to the millennial tradition of the Yule log.

The traditional Christmas log for dessert

Since then, the Yule log has become an essential Christmas pastry. Traditionally, the Yule log consists of a sponge cake wrapped in a ganache or a praline buttercream made from chocolate, coffee or Grand Marnier. Without forgetting the Christmas decorations (ax, saw, trees, sleigh,…) which make this unique cake a real decorative object for the Christmas holidays.

Since its creation, even if the traditional log remains a safe bet, pastry lovers have however moved away from the traditional log to offer a whole number of equally succulent variations.

To name just a few examples, we can find some of the most popular: the chestnut log which will delight lovers of chestnuts, the chocolate and fruit log (pear, raspberry, banana, etc.) to stay in the tradition or even the mascarpone and fruit log for more lightness.

Yule logs recipes

• Christmas log with fruit and mascarpone
• Hazelnut chocolate Christmas log
• White chocolate and speculos Christmas log
• Raspberry chocolate Christmas log
• Lemon and coconut Christmas log

The traditional Christmas log recipe from the restaurant Frédéric Carrion

Ingredients:

• Spoon cookie: 4 egg whites, 125gr of sugar, 80gr of potato starch, 40gr of t55 flour
• Brown muslin: 250gr of chestnut paste, 125gr of butter, 25gr of water, 25gr of rum, 150gr of whipped cream
• Chocolate icing: 4 egg yolks, 120gr of sugar, 250gr of milk, 250gr of cream, 300gr of 63% chocolate minimum 5 gelatin sheets

Progression:

Make the spoon cookie:

1. Whip the egg whites until stiff with the sugar and incorporate the yolks with a spatula as well as the flour and starch mixture.

2. Spread out on a 1cm thick baking sheet bake at 170 ° for 8 minutes

Make the chestnut cream:

1. Mix the butter and the chestnut, add the water, hot rum and whipped cream mixture to Maryse

Make the icing:

1. Same technique as the custard and pour the cooked cream over the chocolate, whip, put the gelatin then leave to cool.

Assemble the log:

1. Hide the chestnut cream cookie

2. Roll up then place on a rack in the refrigerator and topped with cold icing

3. Return to the refrigerator

4. Decorate the log with Christmas subjects, meringue and let your desires do the rest

Good tasting !

If you want to make one of my recipes, in my kitchen, under my direction, a group of 4 or 5 people must be formed and we will then taste these dishes together. Do not hesitate to contact me !

Like hens, poultry and Bresse chicken, Bresse capon has benefited from its own controlled designation of origin (AOC) since 1957, which has become a protected designation of origin (AOP) since 2012. This is why the breeding of Bresse capon is framed by strict rules and regular checks to attest to its globally recognized quality. There are also capons with a red label certification.

Breeding Bresse capon

Bresse capons are bred in France in the natural region of Bresse mainly in Ain and Saône-et-Loire, straddling Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. The capon is a rooster that has been castrated in order to make its flesh more tender, strongly resembling that of the Bresse hen. More generally, the capon also designates castrated males of other types of poultry such as guinea fowl.

The Bresse capon is reared in the open air longer than other Bresse poultry since it will feed for 7 months in its meadow, in particular insects, herbs, worms, molluscs and seeds constituting son of its food. The rest of its diet consists mainly of cereals. This prolonged growth will allow the capon to grow fat more, offering its flesh an exceptional softness and fondant.

Cooking Bresse capon

Bresse capon is generally made in the oven. The most important thing to properly cook a Bresse capon is to control the temperature as well as the cooking time, a too long passage in the oven will make the capon dry and take away its unique tenderness. It usually takes 1 hour of cooking per kilo of capon. To help you keep the tenderness of the Bresse capon, you can also water it regularly with its juice. It is also possible to make a broth to cook the poached Bresse capon. This will prevent the meat from drying out during cooking.

Some examples of Bresse capon recipes

• Bresse capon with truffles
• Roasted Bresse capon with chestnuts
• Poached and roasted Bresse capon
• Capon confit with yellow wine and morels

The Bresse capon recipe from the restaurant Frédéric Carrion

Roasted Bresse capon, chartreuse de scorsonère, sweetbreads, black truffle and port juice

Ingredients for 8 people:

1 capon, 400gr of sweetbread, 1 kg of scorsonere, 200gr of poultry fillet, 6 dl of whipping cream, 5 dl of port, salt, pepper, herbs, onions, carrot, garlic, celeriac, ginger, butter

Progression:

Capon

1. Put the capon to roast with 1 onion, 6 cloves of garlic, 2 carrots, 1 celery ball cut into 4, 50gr of ginger, 3 sprigs of thyme then salt and pepper

2. Put everything in a large casserole dish or baking sheet in a very hot oven at 230 °, 30 minutes

3. Reduce the oven to 170 ° or take it out and bake on a fireproof plate for 3 hours.

Chartreuse

1. Take the chartreuse mold which is slightly conical and butter it generously

2. Blanch the sweetbreads for 5 minutes, then take them out and press them between 2 tea towels, leaving a weight of 1 kg on them.

3. Peel the scorsonères and cook them for 15 minutes in a mixture of water, lemon and flour (called a white)

4. Remove them then cut them 5cm long

5. Return to cooking in the cream over very low heat then season well.

6. Slice the sweetbreads 1 cm thick (in a ham machine if possible) and line the mold completely.

7. Make the poultry stuffing in a blender: chop the poultry with salt and incorporate the cream as much.

8. With the stuffing, hide the sweetbreads in the mold and put in the oven for 5 minutes in a double boiler.

9. Drain the scorsonères and place them in the mold, mask other slices of sweetbreads to close the chartreuse.

10. Cook for 35mn

11. Port juice to reduce and lightly whip in butter

12. Add a little chopped truffle

Dressage:

1. Cut the capon

2. Dress with the unmolded chartreuse and make a corolla of black truffle on the chartreuse in a large dish, port juice on the side.

If you want to make one of my recipes, in my kitchen, under my direction, a group of 4 or 5 people must be formed and we will then taste these dishes together. Do not hesitate to contact me !

Good tasting !

History and harvest of the black truffle

The black Melanosporum truffle grows at the foot of truffle trees (oak, hazelnut, lime, birch or pine) which have the particularity of being mycorrhizal, allowing them to produce black truffles or other fungi at their roots.

The harvest of the black Melanosporum truffle takes place in winter, from November to March for exceptional years, with the help of dogs or truffle pigs knowing how to smell its strong smell of humus and musk.

Despite its nickname “Périgord truffle”, very few black truffles are harvested in this region of southwestern France. 80% of the French production of black truffles is done in the South-East of France (Vaucluse, Drôme, Alpes de Haute Provence) or even in Italy and Spain for example.

The black Melanosporum truffle is the most expensive of the truffles, this due to the difficulty of cultivation and the rarity of it. Its price varies from 600 to 1300 € per kilo.

Black truffle: an inimitable taste

Black on the outside, its flesh is firm and whitish before turning completely black when ripe, except for its white veins running through it from the inside. Its size can be up to 10cm in diameter.

The black truffle can be cooked very well, slowly and not too long, to accompany your hot dishes, but lovers of truffles will always argue that it is raw that it best reveals its aromas and flavor. Unlike the white summer truffle, the black truffle has a strong tenacious smell and gives off subtle aromas that will blend perfectly:

• For your aperitifs, raw and grated or cut into strips and then placed on a slice of bread
• With your pasta, rice, eggs and potatoes
• With poultry, red and white meats
• With fish
• With certain cheeses such as Coulommiers

To dose well, keep in mind that you generally need 10gr of truffle per person.

How to store Melanosporum black truffle?

Finally, to keep the black truffles well, freeze them if you do not consume them quickly to be able to keep their freshness and their fragrance for a maximum of 12 months otherwise keep the truffles in a closed container, on absorbent paper, to keep them for a few days. .

If you know in advance what you are going to prepare as a dish, keep your black truffles with your eggs, for example, to give them a slight truffle taste that will complement your omelets, scrambles, etc. The longer you keep them, the more their taste will dissipate.

Black truffle recipe ideas

• Chicken supreme with black truffle
• Black truffle risotto
• Truffled foie gras
• Black truffle scramble
• Black truffle pasta

The Melanosporum black truffle recipe from Restaurant Frédéric Carrion

Marbled leeks served lukewarm, scallops with stiffened juice, black truffle juice accompanied by shiitake infused with Paris cream

Recipe for 4 people

Ingredients:

5 leeks, 8 pieces of scallops, 120gr of Moorish trumpet, 80gr of black truffle, 200gr of shiitake, 300gr of Paris mushrooms, 2dl white wine, shallot, thyme, 4dl cream

Preparation:

1. Wash, bundle the leeks together and cook in boiling water for 25 minutes so that they are very cooked.

2. Cool and drain for a long time

3. Wash the trumpets, button mushrooms and shiitake.

4. In a saucepan, put the thinly sliced paris, the minced shallot, the thyme, the white wine, the cream, let infuse for 1 hour.

5. Pass to Chinese and put the raw shiitake then let infuse

Juice:

1. Finely chop the shallot, sweat with the trumpets once cooked

2. Collect the cooking water in a Chinese cheesecloth and whisk in the butter, set aside

3. Chop the trumpets very fine and incorporate in the butter to whisk

4. Add 30gr of chopped truffle, set aside

Preparation: continued

1. Trim the leeks from the green, roll them in a film by pressing them and squeezing out excess water.

2. Cut 4 round slices of leeks

3. Sear the scallops on each side until cooked.

Dressage:

1. Lightly heat the leeks in the oven without the film.

2. On the plates, pour the juice in a circle at the bottom of the plate

3. Arrange the leek slices on top

4. Arrange the scallops underneath with a slice of truffle on each scallop

5. In a small bowl, put the infusion with the shiitake and grated truffle in each bowl.

6. Serve

If you want to make one of my recipes, in my kitchen, under my direction, a group of 4 or 5 people must be formed and we will then taste these dishes together. Do not hesitate to contact me !

Good tasting !

Every year from October, the white Alba truffle returns to our plates.

What is the white Alba truffle?

Alba's white truffle, or Tuber Magnatum Pico, is usually harvested from October to December at the foot of truffle trees such as oak, hazel, poplar and lime.

As its name suggests, the white Alba truffle comes from the Piedmont region in Italy, precisely from the city of Alba, but it has recently happened to be discovered in France as well.

It is one of the most famous truffles after the famous black Melanosporum truffle, in particular because the Alba truffle was for a long time a product intended for the tables of the nobles who considered it a high quality product. The rarity, fame and price of the Alba white truffle are both due to the 10 years necessary for its maturation as well as to the reduction in its harvest in recent years.

On the outside, the white Alba truffle is smooth and ocher in color while on the inside it will be slightly reddish depending on its maturity and composed of a white veining.

How to taste Alba's white truffle?

The Alba truffle also owes its reputation to the great fair dedicated to it, which has taken place every year in Alba since the 1920s. In addition to being a large market, this fair allows truffle lovers to participate in tastings and thus discover the different ways of tasting the Alba truffle.

Like its cousin the white summer truffle and unlike the black truffle, the Alba truffle is consumed exclusively raw to retain its light and delicate fragrance that can be associated with wild garlic.

After grating or cutting the Alba white truffle into strips, you can use it as a seasoning to accompany many of your dishes such as pasta, risotto, eggs or even with more elaborate recipes. You can also taste the Alba truffle as an aperitif to season your toast.

Preservation of Alba white truffle

Several methods exist to preserve the Alba truffle, depending on the method used the flavors of the truffle will be more or less deteriorated.

As with the summer truffle or the black truffle, the best way to preserve the aromas of the white Alba truffle is to keep it in the refrigerator in an airtight container. To absorb the moisture in the jar, you can either fill it with rice or wrap the truffles with absorbent paper (which should be changed regularly).

This will allow you to keep the freshness of your Alba truffles for a maximum of 1 week. For longer storage, Alba truffles can be frozen for several months (whole or already cut) but you will inevitably lose some of their aroma.

Recipe ideas with white truffle from Alba

• Alba truffle risotto
• Mashed potato with Alba truffle
• Alba truffle scramble
• Tagliatelle with white truffle from Alba

The recipe with white truffle from Alba from the restaurant Frédéric Carrion

Pumpkin soup, Cecina chips, watercress vegetable, Paris stuffed baby food and white Alba truffle

Ingredients:

1 piece of pumpkin, 250gr of finely chopped Cecina, 1 bunch of watercress, 500gr of Paris mushrooms, 100gr of chicken fillet, 200gr of cream, 50gr of white truffle

Preparation

1. Peel and empty the pumpkin

2. Cut into regular pieces and steam

3. Mix with 1dL of cream

4. Season and set aside

5. Blanch the watercress in boiling salted water for 3 minutes

6. Refresh, drain, mix, season and set aside

7. Make the poultry stuffing by mixing the poultry and cream, season with salt

8. Empty 3 whole Paris mushrooms per person and cook

9. Slice the Paris mushrooms, cook with the shallot, chop and finely chopped

10. Mix the stuffing and the chopped Paris mushrooms, garnish the Paris mushrooms Steam

11. Spread the cecina on a baking sheet with a sheet of baking paper and place in the oven for 15 minutes at 100 °

Dressage

1. Take a cookie cutter half the size of the plate

2. Place it in the center and run the watercress coulis

3. Arrange the pumpkin soup around the plate

4. Grate the white Alba truffle over the coulis

5. Then arrange the dried cecina and the stuffed bets as you wish.

If you want to make one of my recipes, in my kitchen, under my direction, a group of 4 or 5 people must be formed and we will then taste these dishes together. Do not hesitate to contact me !

Good tasting.

History and harvest of the winter truffle

The winter truffles are harvested from November until March in the regions of southern France, particularly Provence and mainly in Périgord, as well as in Italy, Spain and Australia. It can be found in forests at the foot of oaks, hazelnuts, pines, etc.

The winter truffle is often confused with the Tuber Melanosporum black truffle because of its resemblance to this one and their identical harvest time. It is less prestigious than the black Melanosporum truffle and therefore more affordable in terms of price. The difference between the black Tuber Melanosporum truffle and the Tuber Brumale black winter truffle is mainly in terms of their flavors and their flesh. The winter truffle has a lighter flesh tinted with a dark gray.

Winter truffles: special flavors

The winter truffle can be eaten cooked to bring out its characteristics, which in no way detracts from its distinctive musky scent. You can also enjoy it raw, chopped or cut into strips to complement your starters and main dishes.

The black winter truffle has a very dark bark like the black Melanosporum truffle and its flesh is traversed by very marked white veins and less numerous than on the Melanosporum, differentiating it from dark truffles. Its flavor is more peppery than its cousin the black truffle, its taste is less subtle, slightly bitter and is characterized by aromas of rave, garlic and a powerful smell that can be assimilated to the moss of the undergrowth. The black winter truffle goes perfectly as an accompaniment to your pasta, salads, risottos, omelets as well as to give a slightly spicy taste to your sauces.

The winter truffle, how to store it?

The winter truffle, like the summer truffle, quickly loses its fragrance and taste if it is not stored in the best conditions. You can keep them for a maximum of 5 or 6 days when they are fresh. To preserve them while preserving their freshness, do not let them air dry, put the winter truffles on absorbent paper in a closed plastic box in the refrigerator. To keep them longer, you can also freeze winter truffles for several months.

Winter truffle recipe idea

• Mashed potato with winter truffle
• Winter truffle scramble
• Winter truffle risotto
• Tagliatelle with winter truffle
• Winter truffle soufflés

The winter truffle recipe from Restaurant Frédéric Carrion

Calamari cannelloni with truffle accompanied by truffle celerisotto

Recipe for 4 people

Ingredients:

4 pieces of squid of 400gr, 1 carrot, 8 Paris mushrooms, 1 celery ball, 1 celery stalk, black olives, 1 shallot, 1 onion, 1 clove of garlic, 1 bouquet garni, 1 tbsp of tomato paste , 3 dl cooking armagnac, 3 dl white wine, 200gr butter, 100gr truffle

Preparation:

1. Clean the squid, open to lay them flat

2. Cut each squid in the shape of a rectangle and split in thickness

3. Recover the starts to make the American

American sauce

1. Sear the starts and trimmings of squid in olive oil

2. Add the chopped onions, carrot, garlic clove, Parisian pied de paris, tomato concentrate

3. Sweat and wet with armagnac, white wine, bouquet garni and water up to

4. Salt and pepper

5. Cook for 1h30 on low heat after boiling and pass through the Chinese

Squid stuffing

1. In an airtight container, add the brunoise de paris, shallots, carrots, celery and black kalamata olives.

2. Quickly cook the shallots, carrots and celery in the steamer

3. 3/4 of the way through the cooking time, add the Paris mushrooms and the olives

4. Book

5. Garnish the squid rectangles with the stuffing rolled in film and steam for 1h30

Celerisotto

1. With the celery ball, cut into brunoise of 5 square millimeters

2. Cook with 50gr of butter, salt, add water to the height then cover

3. Book

Truffle

1. Roughly chop 50gr of truffle and cut 16 slices of truffle

Dressage:

1. Cover half of the plate with American sauce

2. With a cookie cutter 4 cm in diameter and high, place the celerisotto inside.

3. Place the cannelloni on the sauce and the truffle slices on the shell-style cannelloni

If you want to make one of my recipes, in my kitchen, under my direction, a group of 4 or 5 people must be formed and we will then taste these dishes together. Do not hesitate to contact me !

Good tasting !

It was in 1957 that the Bresse chicken obtained the controlled designation of origin (AOC) before becoming in 1996 the only poultry in the world to benefit from a protected designation of origin which illustrates the Bresse chicken and its breed. de Gauloise blanche de Bresse at European level.

The history of Bresse chicken

The Bresse chicken is characterized by its thin and smooth blue legs, its white feathers and its red serrated crest, in the colors of the French flag. You can find Bresse chicken in the departments of Saône-et-Loire, Ain as well as in the Jura. The boundaries of the territory of Bresse had to be rigorously precise so that Bresse chicken could benefit from its controlled designation of origin (AOC). This makes it a territory of 100 km long and 40 km wide for an area of 4000 km2.

Bresse chicken has a very special flavor appreciated by gourmets, its tender and marbled flesh will delight your taste buds. It is moreover to preserve its flavor that Bresse chicken is raised in accordance with specific specifications which have helped to make it famous.

Bresse chicken breeding

Unlike usual poultry, Bresse chicken is raised outdoors for at least 4 months, i.e. 3⁄4 of its life. It thus benefits from a large grassy space ranging from 10 to 15m2 per chicken on which it will be able to find 1⁄3 of its food itself (earthworms, fatty herbs, seeds, molluscs, etc.). After reaching 3 weeks, the Bresse chickens are fed exclusively corn or wheat without GMOs produced in the AOC Bresse zone as well as dairy products.

How to be sure to buy a real Bresse chicken?

You have to take certain precautions when buying your Bresse chicken to be sure of its origin:

• A seal must be present at the base of the neck to specify the name of the slaughter structure of the Bresse chicken
• Bresse chicken must be ringed on the left leg to indicate the address and name of the breeder
• The logo and label attesting to the protected designation of origin of the Bresse chicken

Cooking Bresse chicken

Being an exceptional dish, Bresse chicken must be tasted following certain recommendations to retain its tenderness and flavor:

• For cooking, the best is to cook the Bresse chicken in a cast iron casserole dish in the oven for 45 minutes per kilo or simmer it on fire.
• Avoid piercing the skin of the chicken during cooking
• Sprinkle it every quarter of an hour with the juice it will have returned (do not hesitate to do this 5 to 10 times at least during the cooking time)
• Prick the thigh at the end of cooking, if the juice is pink then the Bresse chicken is undercooked

Some Bresse chicken recipes:

• Bresse chicken with yellow wine and morels
• Classic Bresse chicken with cream
• Bresse Chicken with Comté
• Bresse chicken breast confit with truffle

The chicken recipe from Restaurant Frédéric Carrion

Bresse poultry garnished with fine stuffing with fresh herbs (sweet pepper coulis, sweet Cévennes onions with truffles)

Ingredients for 4 persons

• 1 Bresse chicken
• 200gr of dried bread crumbs
• 1 bunch of chervil, tarragon, flat-leaf parsley
• 1 fillet of poultry, 100gr of cream
• 4 sweet onions
• 2 red peppers
• 3 l of poultry broth
• 1 black truffle
• 4 slices of black pork bacon
• 1 branch of herbs (thyme) 2 cloves, 1 slice of fresh ginger, 1/2 teaspoon of dried coriander
• 2 pieces of fennel, 1 carrot, coriander (a few leaves)

Elaboration

1. By his butcher, prepare the poultry (gutted, boneless from the inside)

Stuffed fine

1. Dry the mixed breadcrumbs

2. Remove the leaves from the fresh herbs

3. Coarsely chop and mix with the bread crumbs

4. In a food processor, mix the chicken fillet with a pinch of salt and incorporate the cream

5. Remove and mix with the breadcrumbs

6. Season and garnish the poultry

7. Roll the poultry in a tea towel and poach in the consommé for one hour at about 85 °

Sweet pepper coulis

1. Cook the peppers after having emptied them in the poultry broth 30mn

2. Mix and add 50gr butter

3. Switch to Chinese book

Sweet onions

1. Cook for 45 minutes at 140 ° in baking paper the peeled and whole onions with a knob of butter

2. Cut in 4, each petal incorporate them with thin slices of bacon, truffle and reconstitute

Fennel

1. Cook the bulbs cut in 2, 30mn in boiling water with the carrots

2. Drain, mix and season with coriander and salt

Dressage:

1. Cut the poultry into round slices as for a roast, polish it with a brush of melted butter

2. Arrange on the side of the plate

3. On the other side, cover with coulis and place the sweet onion quarters

4. Serve the fennel puree separately.

Wine suggestions:

• Puligny Montrachet 1er cru Les Folatieres 2011
• Mercurey blanc 2017 Chateau de Chamirey
• Volnay rouge 1er cru les Caillerets domaine la shoot d'or
• Auxey Duresses red 2016 comte Armand

If you want to make one of my recipes, in my kitchen, under my direction, a group of 4 or 5 people must be formed and we will then taste these dishes together. Do not hesitate to contact me !

Good tasting !

Why make gluten-free cakes?

Gluten protein is naturally present in a good part of the most used cereals (rye, oats, wheat, barley, triticale, spelled, kamut), for this reason we find a lot of it in processed wheat products (bread , pizza, cakes,…).

You should know that gluten is more and more present in all industrial products, and not naturally but often added to improve the texture of the products. This is how, in our time, increased sensitivities to gluten or even intolerance appear, it is celiac disease.

For people suffering from celiac disease preventing the correct assimilation of gluten, it is necessary to find alternative products to gluten, in particular for cakes and other desserts which are very often composed of wheat flour, and therefore gluten.

Gluten-free desserts, and in particular cakes, are not exclusively reserved for people with celiac disease, but also for people developing an increased sensitivity to products containing gluten (bloating, stomach aches, nausea, etc.).

Gluten-free cakes, what to replace wheat flour?

To help you in your quest for alternative flours for your gluten-free cakes, you can consume these products which are naturally gluten-free (be careful depending on whether your recipe is sweet or salty, you should not use just any flour):

• Rice flour
• Potato starch
• Cornstarch
• Corn flour
• Chestnut flour
• Buckwheat flour
• Quinoa flour
• Chick pea flour
• Oatmeal
• Millet flour
• Sorghum flour
• Fonio flour
• Amaranth flour
• Cassava flour or starch (tapioca)
• Almond powder, walnuts or hazelnuts

Gluten-free sweet cakes

Usually for the preparation of sweet pastries, wheat flour is replaced with rice or corn flour which is similar to wheat flour in terms of taste, they don't have much and will not change the flavor of your dishes.

However, if you use it in your cakes without pairing them with corn or potato starch, they will tend to crumble. This is why it is advisable to mix the rice / corn flour with potato or corn starch (approximately ⅓ starch and ⅔ flour).

To improve the texture of your gluten-free cakes and make them softer, you can also add starch, instead of flour, ground almonds, walnuts or hazelnuts. Respect a dosage of around 50% starch and 50% powdered almonds, walnuts or hazelnuts depending on the amount of wheat flour indicated in your recipe.

Savory gluten-free recipes

For your savory recipes using wheat flour, if you want to make a gluten-free version for your diners, you can replace it with buckwheat flour which contains no gluten. Be careful, however, of the pronounced taste of buckwheat that you can dilute by mixing it with another softer flour (rice for example).

It is also possible to use chickpea flour, which does not have a very pronounced taste and does not rise, so it adapts perfectly to your savory recipes.

Recipe ideas: gluten-free cakes

• Gluten-free chocolate fondant (cornstarch and almond powder or rice flour)
• Gluten-free yogurt cake (corn or rice flour)
• Gluten-free clafoutis (cornstarch or rice flour)
• Gluten-free pancakes (cornstarch and rice flour or chestnut flour according to your tastes)

The gluten-free cake recipe from Restaurant Frédéric Carrion

Moist andoan chocolate biscuit from Peru, organic gluten-free, served with its white 100% arabica coffee sauce

Ingredients for 6 people:

• 380gr of chocolate
• 4 egg yolks
• 350gr egg whites
• 50gr potato starch
• 70gr melted butter

Ingredients white coffee sauce:

• 200gr of white chocolate
• 200gr of 35% liquid cream
• 200gr of water
• 200gr of coffee beans

Recipe progress:

1. Melt chocolate and butter together

2. Whip the egg whites

3. Incorporate the yolks and cornstarch into the whipped egg whites and the chocolate mixture.

4. The mixture should be done delicately à la Maryse

5. Bake in a pan 15 minutes at 180 degrees

White coffee sauce:

1. Infuse the cream and coffee beans in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

2. Melt white chocolate and water together

3. Pass the cream through a Chinese to the maximum and mix with the melted white chocolate

4. Serve on the side

Decoration:

1. You can with 70% almond paste

2. Spread the marzipan and roast on a baking sheet

3. Let it be like a parchment and put on the plate

If you want to make one of my recipes, in my kitchen, under my direction, a group of 4 or 5 people must be formed and we will then taste these dishes together. Do not hesitate to contact me !

Good tasting !

The white summer truffle, also called Tuber Aestivum or Saint-Jean truffle, makes its return in spring as it does every year.

History and harvest of the summer truffle

It is harvested in regions of southern France such as Provence or Périgord as well as in Italy where it is called “Truffe du soleil”. It can be found in forests at the foot of poplars, hazelnuts or holm oaks.

For a long time, due to its comparison with the black truffle, the white summer truffle attracted little chefs and foodies. Thirty years ago, it was hardly ever harvested and was intended to feed pigs or wild boars.

Since then, habits have evolved and the summer truffle has proven itself to stand out from the black truffle, particularly in the way it is consumed and the dishes it accompanies.

Summer truffles: subtle aromas

Harvested from April / May until August or even the end of September in some exceptional years, summer truffles, unlike black truffles, are generally eaten raw to preserve their particular fragrance. More or less white on the inside depending on its maturity and black on the outside, its subtle aromas of hazelnuts make summer truffles a very different truffle from black truffles, with a more powerful and pronounced taste.

The summer truffle goes perfectly with white fish or poultry and can accompany, for example, your pasta, salads, omelets as well as your sauces. You can also consume it as an aperitif, grated, minced or cut into strips and placed on your toast.

The white summer truffle, how to store it?

The aromas of summer truffles are particularly volatile, so care must be taken to preserve the truffle in order to preserve them.

You can freeze them if you do not consume them right away to keep their freshness and taste for a few months, otherwise keep them in the refrigerator in a closed container on absorbent paper for a maximum of 1 week after harvest. Be careful not to let the truffle air dry.

Namely: keep your truffles in the same box as your food such as rice, eggs, pasta, will give them a light scent of summer truffle and will strengthen its taste in the mouth during tasting.

Recipe idea:

• Soft-boiled egg with summer truffle
• Summer truffle scramble
• Summer truffle risotto
• Tagliatelle with summer truffle

The summer truffle recipe from Restaurant Frédéric Carrion

Vegetable plants with the scent of summer truffles

Vegetarian recipe for 4 people

Ingredients:

• 4 eggplants, 4 Marmande tomatoes, 200gr pitted black olives,
• 2 lettuce hearts, 8 small new potatoes, 4 young leeks, 2 red peppers, 4 beautiful truffles, 200gr of parmesan, basil

Preparation:

1. Roast the eggplant in the oven in olive oil for 25 minutes at 180 degrees, empty after cooking and roughly chop with a knife

2. Peeled tomato, crushed and baked with 1 onion, 1 clove of garlic, 1 sprig of thyme 1 hour at 150 degrees, set aside

3. Mix the olives, add a spoon of balsamic vinegar and 3 spoons of olive oil, set aside

4. Cook the potatoes and leeks in the English style, set aside

5. Grill the red peppers to remove the skin and cut a fine brunoise, set aside

6. Wash the lettuce hearts

7. Fry 4 large basil leaves

8. Mix the eggplants and tomatoes then flavor with small basil leaves.

9. Grate the Parmesan on a baking sheet and cook at 200 degrees for 8 minutes

Dressage:

1. Pour the black olive mixture in a circle on the plate then

2. Take a circle 6 cm in diameter by 4 cm high and incorporate the eggplant tomato mixture inside.

3. Arrange the leek around the circle

4. Season the lettuce heart with the pepper and olive oil arranged harmoniously

5. Finish with the potatoes just seared in the pan, season well then place on the olive juice.

6. After rapping the truffle, place it on the eggplant in a corolla then place the parmesan tile.

If you want to make one of my recipes, in my kitchen, under my direction, a group of 4 or 5 people must be formed and we will then taste these dishes together. Do not hesitate to contact me !

Good tasting.

Since 1957, the Bresse chicken as well as its fellow capon, poultry and Bresse chicken, are the only French poultry to have obtained a controlled designation of origin (AOC). As a result, breeding practices and their origin are systematically monitored to guarantee you meat that will thrill your taste buds.

The history of the Bresse chicken

During the first centuries of our age in Bresse, the foreign invaders who usually moved with their livestock, very probably imported Andalusian or Mediterranean blood into the backyards. This is how Bresse poultry was born by assimilating the best contributions from these breeds of poultry.

Bresse poultry (hen, capon, poultry and Bresse chicken), are produced in a relatively limited area (100km by 40km) located in Ain, Saône-et-Loire and Jura. They are raised in the countryside around the main towns such as Bourg-en-Bresse, Louhans, Pont-de-Vaux and Montrevel-en-Bresse.

As a reminder, the hen is a young hen which has not yet laid eggs. There are hens with the red label certification but only the Bresse hen, also called fine poultry, has a controlled designation of origin (AOC), which attests to its reputation for tender, juicy and respectfully raised meat. The breeding of the Bresse hen is done for 4 months in the open air minimum, in comparison the chickens in battery are raised less than 40 days. During this period, the hens will be fed mainly on corn and wheat and will have to find ⅓ of their food by themselves in the undergrowth where they will be able to taste herbs, worms and insects of all kinds. In addition to this diet, they will feed in part on soybeans, alfalfa, vitamins and other minerals.

Cooking the Bresse chicken

Now let's move on to the basics, cooking the Bresse chicken. It is usually cooked in a casserole dish in the oven. There are little tips to apply before and during baking to help keep the chicken tender:

• Do not pierce the skin, keep as much juice as possible inside.
• Do not salt the Chicken before cooking, take care to do so when cooking it or during it so as not to dry it out.
• Remember to baste it regularly during cooking, there should always be a little water at the bottom of the dish.
• Plan at least 45 minutes of cooking per kilo

Some examples of Bresse chicken recipes

• Poularde demi-deuil is a chicken stuffed with truffled poultry mousseline, poached and served topped with supreme sauce (cooking in the oven in a casserole dish).
• Bresse chicken in yellow wine accompanied by chestnuts and pumpkin purée with crushed walnuts (cooking in the oven in a casserole dish).
• Chicken stuffed with morels and chestnuts (cooking in the oven in a casserole dish)
• Chicken with champagne / riesling, cream, foie gras and mushrooms (champagne, riesling or yellow wine / on a casserole dish)
• Chicken with morels, yellow wine sauce (on a casserole dish)
• Chicken thighs with orange and rosemary (grilled in the oven)

The chicken recipe from Restaurant Frédéric Carrion

Bourgeois roasted Bresse chicken (candied kumquats, grilled leeks with eggplant)

Ingredients for 4 persons

• 1 tapered Bresse chicken weighing 1,800 kg
• Cooking garnish: 1 carrot, 1 onion, 3 cloves of garlic, 1/4 ball of celery, 1 sprig of thyme
• Accompaniment: 2 leeks, 8 pieces of kumquats, 2 eggplants, 4 almond potatoes

Recipe progress:

1. Empty, flambé, clamp the chicken (otherwise you can ask your butcher)

2. In a casserole dish, heat the butter and season the chicken inside with coarse sea salt.

3. Place it in the foamy butter so that it browns gently for 5 to 6 minutes

4. Incorporate the peeled and cut into large peasant cooking garnish

5. Bake 45 minutes at 210 degrees, basting very regularly

Support:

1. Confine the kumquats cut in 2 (the fruit crosswise)

2. Make a syrup with 250cl of water, and 125g of sugar

3. Cook over low heat for 20 minutes

4. Cut the eggplant squares in half, bake in the oven with olive oil

5. Once cooked, empty the eggplant, keep the skin

6. Wash the leeks, bundle them and cook in salted water for 25mn

7. Drain and cut 4cm sections

8. Take eggplant skins of the same size to wrap the leeks and then grill.

9. Peel the potatoes, cut into thin strips and brush well with melted butter.

10. Make rosettes of several thicknesses, season and flavor with thyme

11. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes at 210 degrees

12. Reserve the eggplant pulp, chop, season and add a touch of balsamic vinegar

Dressage:

1. Cut the chicken into 4 or 8, place a little eggplant pulp at the top of the plate

2. Place the grilled leeks on top, take the rosette at the bottom of the plate and put the chicken on top

3. Pour a little cooking juice and the kumquats

Wine suggestions:

• Puligny Montrachet 1er cru Les Folatieres 2011
• Mercurey blanc 2017 Chateau de Chamirey
• Volnay rouge 1er cru les Caillerets domaine la shoot d'or
• Auxey Duresses red 2016 comte Armand

If you want to make one of my recipes, in my kitchen, under my direction, a group of 4 or 5 people must be formed and we will then taste these dishes together. Do not hesitate to contact me !

Good tasting !

More than 1300 chefs on 5 continents for a unique evening: on March 19, French gastronomy will shine, thanks to a world-class event, initiated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development entitled Goût de / Good France. Frédéric Carrion will celebrate this event by offering you an “All lobster” menu. For this beautiful evening, the menu will be priced at 130 € food and wine pairing. Do not hesitate to call us for any information. Reservations for this evening will only be made by phone.

Burgundy cheeses

Why not take advantage of your stay in Burgundy to discover some of the region's many cheeses?

Epoisses

Epoisses was invented (around the 16th century) in the village of the same name located in the department of Côte d'Or, but it is now mostly produced throughout the department.

This soft cow's milk cheese is matured for a minimum of 4 weeks and its rind will be regularly rubbed and washed with Marc de Bourgogne, which contributes to giving it a unique taste.

Its Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) since 1996 certifies its quality and preserves the know-how that makes Epoisses so tasty.

The Epoisses is quite spicy on the palate, its fruity taste is also salty and its slightly alcoholic rind with Marc de Bourgogne.

To enjoy it optimally, it is generally necessary to wait until April (until December) when the grazing periods begin.

The Abbey of Citeaux

Exclusively produced at the Abbey of Cîteaux located in the Côte d'Or department in Burgundy-Franche-Comté, Abbaye de Cîteaux cheese is one of the few to still be produced according to the monastic traditions of the Abbey where it was invented. Certainly some parts of the production have been automated, but it is still the monks who carry out the refining by hand for a minimum of 2 months.

It is very famous internationally (especially in Tokyo, Dubai and Cape Town) and in 2017 won the title of best cheese at the Tokyo competition.

Cîteaux Abbey is also a soft cow's milk cheese with a washed rind. Often compared to Reblochon, it has more pronounced fruity notes and a very creamy paste.

The Monastic label enjoyed by Abbaye de Cîteaux cheese attests to production exclusively carried out in a monastery under the responsibility of the monks.

Brillat-Savarin

Unlike Epoisses, Brillat-Savarin is much smoother on the palate. It is a triple cream made from cow's milk and with a soft paste.

Invented in Forges-les-Eaux in Normandy, it was also produced at the time in Burgundy and Seine-et-Marne.

However, its IGP label, obtained in 2017, only retains an area including Burgundy and part of Île-de-France as production sites.

The particularity of Brillat-Savarin is its extremely melting taste and its flowery rind covered with a light white down, making it even smoother.

Whether mature or fresh, Brillat-Savarin can be enjoyed as desired.

Chaource

Originally from Chaource in the Aube in the Grand-Est region (Alsace, Lorraine, Champagne-Ardenne), the Chaource is today mainly produced in Avallon and Sens (Yonne) located in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté but also in its department of 'origin the Aube.

A soft cow's milk cheese , Le Chaource resembles Brillat-Savarin in appearance but their flavors are different.

The most notable is that the Chaource will be systematically matured for at least 14 days while the Brillat-Savarin can be enjoyed fresh, so it has a slightly stronger taste.

It is also very melting, has a tasty creamy side that forms on its outline and we can find subtle flavors of hazelnuts.

The Chaource has a flowery rind, it is covered with a light white down (called flower) very pleasant on the palate.

Since 1996, it has had a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO).

Goat cheese

Saône-et-Loire in Burgundy-Franche-Comté is not lacking in variety compared to its cheeses made from goat's milk.

Whether Racotin, Saint-Vincent, Charolais, Mâconnais, Satonnay, Autun, Bouton de culotte or Clacbitou, there is something for everyone.

The region's goat cheeses are all soft and have a bloomy or natural rind, easily recognizable by their small cylindrical shape.

All are slightly alike with very often a slight goat taste in the mouth which gains in intensity over time accompanied by aromas specific to different goat cheeses.

Charolais, Racotin and Clacbitou are very similar in taste with light aromas of hazelnuts while Mâconnais and Saint-Vincent are more acidulous. The Panty Button meanwhile will have a more characteristic peppery flavor.

Thus ends our tour of some of the most popular cheeses of the region, but do not hesitate to go and discover others such as Saint-Florentin, Affidélice, Aisy Cendré, l'Ami du Chambertin. or the Délice de Bourgogne.

Cluny

Created in 910 and famous for having been one of the high places of Christianity thanks to its abbey, the medieval city of Cluny is a must-see in the region.

In addition to the abbey of Cluny classified as a historical monument, its great historical past has left it with many monuments, notably old bell towers, towers and even the stud farm where splendid vintage horse-drawn vehicles are kept.

In addition, the surrounding forests will offer you a good setting for your walks and hikes, both on foot and by bike.

The abbey is located about 25 km from Viré.

Cormatin Castle

A few kilometers from Cluny, you can visit the splendid Château de Cormatin and its flower gardens full of boxwood sculptures.

Its Renaissance interiors will delight lovers of architecture and history while its outdoor labyrinth will amuse young (and old)

Built in 1606, the Château de Cormatin has been listed as a historic monument since 1862 and is located more or less 25 km from Viré.

Medieval village of Brancion

Still not far from there is the medieval village of Brancion, famous for its fortified castle built in the 12th century of which only vestiges remain today.

It is a place filled with history dating back even to the Bronze Age. It was a hotbed of resistance for the Catholic League in the 16th century before being captured and then sacked.

Fortunately, tedious restoration work has been carried out for decades to allow Brancion to continue to share its history.

Compared to Viré, the medieval village of Brancion is about twenty kilometers away.

Lamartine Road

For your hikes, do not hesitate to cross the Lamartine road dedicated to the poet, writer and politician of the same name.

Crossing several towns of Saône-et-Loire over 60kms, this route will give you a good overview of the region made up of vineyards, forests, rocks and mountains.

You will see the house of Alphonse de Lamartine located in Milly-Lamartine as well as many castles including winegrowers' estates.

You can join the route of the Lamartine road about twenty kilometers from Viré.

Wine hamlet in Romanèche-Thorins

Created by Georges Duboeuf in 1993, the Hameau du vin is a museum dedicated to vines and winemaking.

In addition to learning the secrets of making prestigious Burgundy and Beaujolais wines, you will of course be able to practice and taste excellent wines such as Pouilly-Fuissé, Saint-Véran, Saint-Amour, etc.

The hamlet of wine is about thirty kilometers from Viré.

Castle of Berzé le Châtel

Created in the 10th century at the beginning of feudalism, at the same period as the abbey of Cluny, the castle of Berzé le Châtel was, among other things, a strategic place of defense during the Hundred Years War before being abandoned and left in ruins.

It was subsequently completely rebuilt and is now accessible to the public.

You will be able to visit many rooms from the Middle Ages such as medieval rooms, prisons, the guard room, the weapons room or the chapel from the Carolingian period.

The castle is located about 20 km from Viré.

The rock of Solutré

Dominating the surroundings, the rock of Solutré will offer you a breathtaking view where you can sometimes see the Jura or Mont-Blanc in the distance.

It is above all a prehistoric site dating from the Paleolithic period, occupied by humans for more than 55,000 years. Numerous archaeological excavations have been and still are carried out on this site in order to enrich the collection of the prehistoric museum located at the bottom of the Solutré rock.

Finally, this is where Pouilly-Fuissé was born, one of the most famous white wines in the region.

The Solutré rock is less than 30 km from Viré.

Royal Monastery of Brou in Bourg en Bresse

On the other side of the Saône, in the Ain, there is a place that should not be missed: the Royal Monastery of Brou. Capital of the former Duchy of Savoy, it was built by the famous Margaret of Austria, Duchess of Savoy.

It is a marvel of Gothic art from the beginning of the 16th century, classified as a historical monument.

Do not hesitate to visit the monastic buildings such as the cloisters, the church, the refectory as well as the princely tombs composed of sublime decorations carved in noble materials (white Carrara marble, black stone from Switzerland and Belgium, etc.) .

Brou Monastery is 50 km from Viré.

Good visit !

Beef Bourginon

Made up of pieces of beef meat and a Burgundy red wine sauce, Burgundy beef is cooked in a casserole dish with onions, garlic, bacon or bacon.

Burgundy being best known for its beef (especially Charolais) and red wine, boeuf bourguignon which combines the two is the emblematic dish of the region.

The secret of its delight lies in the quality of the beef and its cooking. This one is seized, singed then cooked on low heat. The cooking is very slow and should last several hours, so your beef will be as tender as possible.

It can usually be served with gratin dauphinois, potatoes, carrots or even with pasta.

Burgundy snails

Iconic dish of the region, the famous Burgundy snails help to promote French gastronomy internationally.

Traditionally prepared in their shell, Burgundy snails are covered with butter, parsley and garlic before being put in the oven. Their delicate and subtly grassy taste make them an ingredient highly prized by great restaurateurs around the world.

The recipe for the Burgundy snail was actually designed in 1814 during a meal between Talleyrand (Napoleon's steward) and Tsar Alexander I.

The snails of Burgundy are unfortunately very little produced in France nowadays because of their success and probably pesticides, they are mainly imported from the countries of Eastern Europe.

Note: the only species consumed as a Burgundy snail are Helix pomatia (for the most part), Helix aspersa (large-grays and small-grays) and also Helix lucorum.

Burgundy truffles

The Burgundy truffle (Tuber Uncinatum) resembles its cousin Tuber Aestivum, also called summer truffle. Both possessing light and subtle aromas of hazelnuts, the Burgundy truffle still has a more pronounced flavor and a darker flesh.

Due to its volatile aromas, Burgundy truffles are generally eaten raw or lightly cooked.

The easiest way is to sprinkle lightly with Burgundy truffle shavings on your dishes such as your omelets, gratins, pasta, salads, etc.

Burgundy truffles are generally harvested from mid-September to the end of December. It fears strong heat, which is why it is now cultivated mainly in Italy or in the countries of eastern Europe. There are still a few producers in France but it is a minority.

To ensure that you have the best Burgundy truffles, they must have a very regular marbled flesh, be very firm. The penknife, which consists of removing part of the truffle in order to see its flesh, is systematically carried out by the producers in order to be able to observe precisely the state of maturity of the truffle and to rule out those which are frozen or crooked.

Parsley ham

A Burgundian specialty dating from the 12th century, parsley ham is exclusively produced in France. Prepared at the base in Côte-d'Or near Dijon, parsley ham was a dish served on the occasion of the Easter celebrations.

To produce it we use the most noble pieces of the thighs and shoulders of the pork: the ham or the blade.

After stripping it off, the meat will be cooked in a flavored broth (garlic, onions, shallots, thyme, bay leaf, rind, etc.) containing Burgundy wine and to which veal or pork trotters will have been added to extract the gelatin and help make the jelly stuffing.

Burgundy nonnettes

The delicious Dijon nonnettes are the region's most famous cakes.

Composed of gingerbread, honey and generally filled with orange marmalade, you can find something for all tastes, whether it is blueberry, apricot, raspberry, etc.

For history, nonnettes were created in the Middle Ages by nuns (hence the origin of the name of cakes) who usually sold them to travelers.

Burgundy hotpot

A traditional dish of Burgundy cuisine, the Burgundy hotpot mixes vegetables, meats and cold cuts.

This hotpot, generally consumed in winter, is prepared with pork in various aspects (head, breast, ham, bacon, shank, etc.) and vegetables (potatoes, cabbage, turnips, carrots, etc. ).

Cooking consists of stewing meat and vegetables cut into pieces. The broth is then set aside to accompany the meat and vegetables served on the side.

Eggs meurette

Finally, to end our tour of Burgundy cuisine, the famous eggs meurette are prepared with poached eggs accompanied by the same sauce as the beef bourguignon, do not hesitate to use your leftover sauce from the day before!

For the poached eggs, you can either serve them directly cooked in the sauce so that they soak up its flavor, or cooked in water and then served with the meurette sauce. It is above all a question of taste.

They are usually served with bacon, onions, shallots or mushrooms in butter and you can enjoy them with garlic toast as is often done.