The recipes of the Aveyron

In Aveyron, culinary specialities are so numerous that it is impossible to make a list. Between the huge variety of cheeses, vegetables and the different alternatives to the dishes of the southwest, you will taste a riot of flavours. Here are some recipes to try.

Aligot

Ahhhhhhhhh the famous Aligot ; it is impossible to miss. It is a sacrilege not to try it if you are visiting the Aveyron! It is so simple to make and so good to eat ! Some cooks add garlic and butter to this recipe.

• 1kg mashed potatoes.
• Add 200g of fresh cream (from the Aubrac, of course !)
• Place the mash in a casserole and add the magic ingredient : 400g fresh Tome cheese, for example grated Laguiole.
• Stir and lift the mixture to get a classic result: a ribbon of simultaneously light and melting mash.

Aligot Sausage

Roquefort Salad

Yum, what could be better than a nice fresh, crunchy salad to spice up the meltingly, soft taste of a Roquefort cheese ? Scatter seeds over it for crunch, here is a lovely recipe !

• In a big bowl, place lamb’s lettuce (well washed), with 75g diced Roquefort.
• Brown 100g bacon and deglaze it with Balsamic vinegar. Add to the bowl.
• Dry roast pine nuts and sunflower seeds in a pan and add the lettuce.
• Toss with a honey dressing (olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, piment Espelette pepper, (cayenne pepper is an alternative) salt, pepper).

Roquefort Salad

Bleu des Causses Pasta

This is another recipe using a blue veined cheese, soft and perfect for an unctuous sauce for a pasta dish.

• Cook fresh tagliatelle pasta, drain and serve !
• In a small pan, melt 150g Bleu des Causses cheese, 20g fresh cream, a bit of milk and nutmeg.
• Add the pasta and mix well, serve with walnuts !

Bleu des Causses Pasta

The Farçous (French chard fritters)

These are round, plump fritters. You can try them in the markets. They are made from chard, the leaves not the stalks. Some make a vegetarian version, others use sausage meat or bacon, onions... Whatever you choose it is tasty and easy to make at home. It can be served with salad. Authentic ones are made with bread, rather than flour, this is a traditional recipe for using up leftovers.

• Chop 1 onion and 1 garlic clove. Mix with the chard leaves (3 or 4 depending on the size), finely chopped.
• In a bowl, beat 4 eggs ; add 3 tablespoons flour (wheat or corn) and milk to create a thick batter, (like a waffle batter or flapjack pancake batter).
• Add an handful of parsley, mix and cook in oil for a few minutes on each side. The Farçous must be golden but not brown ! Make sure they are well cooked on the inside too.

The Farçous in Aveyron

The Pounti

The Pounti Auvergnat is a chard pudding recipe, which goes well with prunes. It is a recipe that children love, best served with salad or chips. We use chard or cardes (it is the same thing), but it is also good with pak-choï (a little bit less Auvergnat though...). Add a bit of cabbage to it, eg. curly cabbage, it is lovely...

• In a bowl, mix 3 eggs and 100g flour. Add 250mls milk.
• Add the rest of the raw thinly sliced ingredients : 6 chard leaves, 2 onions, 1 bunch parsley, 250g meat (pork belly, sausage meat... left over from yesterday ?!)
• Line a cake tin with greaseproof paper and pour in the mix. Stone the prunes and push them into the dough. Place in the oven for 50 minutes at 180C degrees.
• Serve lukewarm with salad or chips.

The Pounti

The Soleil de Marcillac (The Sun of Marcillac)

A lovely sun for dessert : dough with almonds, shaped as a “galette” crimped round the edges to look like the sun. Best served with coffee, a scoop of ice cream or hot chocolate.

• In a bowl, mix 3 eggs, 200mls cream, 130g sugar, 50g ground almonds, a pinch of salt.
• Add 500g flour and 10g baking powder. Add as much flour as necessary to get a light pastry like for a tart.
• Roll the pastry into a round, in the middle cut out a star shape and fold the sides to make a hole. Then cut slots in the edges of the pastry (see drawing).
• Brush with an egg, decorate with chopped almonds and place in the oven at 180C degrees for approximately 20 minutes.