Saturday, December 28, 2013

Christmas Dinner in Périgord

Everyone is a little bit jealous when I tell them I'm going to France for Christmas. And maybe they should be, but probably not for the same reasons they think. The weather is cold and it rains a lot but even so the country side is beautiful. Unless we go into town, there isn't much shopping or even movies. But there is some of the best food in the entire world.

This is because we are in Périgord, considered the most gastronomic region of France. Not only are we living amongst the vineyards of Bordeaux, but this is the home of fois gras, black and white truffles, and local caviar. Fresh apples, lettuces and organic vegetables are everywhere, visible from the side of the road. Even the oysters come from just down the road, less than 2 hours away. 


A 2007 Bordeaux Pomerol


For the French, or at least my in-laws, Christmas isn't really about presents if you are over 13 years old. It's about sitting at the table and eating… a lot.

Lucette, my mother-in-law who is in her 70's, still cooks fabulously and is not in the least bit intimidated by making an elaborate, multi-course meal for many. 

This holiday we were only six at the table, but she still served up more than fifty local oysters, cooked with butter, parsley and garlic to kick off the meal. 


Then came gambas, steamed and served with a mustard-mayo sauce. 


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Next came a fois gras the size of your head, served with crusty baguette. This particular one was procured by father-in-law Frank on Christmas Eve. He went to the farm where the geese are raised, which apparently belongs to a friend. He assures us it's very humane and there's nothing remotely "factory" about the place. I believe him. 


There will be plenty of fois left over.



Bring on the roast duck! This was as good as it looks..



Especially with chestnut and prune stuffing..



And "gras" which is gravy that they more correctly call "fat." Since I don't eat fois gras, I figured I had some calories to spare and used half of this vessel on my plate. 



 Cooked, shredded fennel made a nice side dish.


In case we didn't get enough chestnuts in the stuffing, there was a giant bowl of sweet chestnuts to eat on the side. 



For dessert? More chestnuts served up glazed, chocolates and an assortment of candies. So blissed out was I that I forgot to photograph…. but here's an idea of what it looked like...