The recipes of the Tarn & Garonne

After visiting our section on the specialities and typical local dishes of these departments, you will want to start cooking yourself. Back from a trip to Tarn, Tarn & Garonne and the Aveyron, or about to go on holiday there, you can familiarise yourself with the cuisine of this region. Here, cream, cheese, good fat and sweet delicacies are so appetizing that it would be a shame to miss them...

Let’s start cooking ! If you can't find specific products from the Tarn & Garonne, you can substitute them with local alternatives (for example use garlic, melon and grapes that are available).

Cassoulet

Cassoulet is the most consumed traditional French dish in France. Each region of the southwest has its own recipe including the Tarn & Garonne, indeed they claim it originated there, or at least one of the recipes did... If you find lots of recipes for cassoulet, we suggest this one. You can give us yours if you want to !

Cassoulet, yum !

• Soak 500g tarbais beans overnight, change the water, and cook for 30 minutes.
• In a large pan (preferably cast iron) brown 1 onion and some garlic in duck fat, add 200g of peeled tomatoes and 1 bouquet garni. Add the drained beans, 3 cloves of garlic and water to cover it. Cook for 90 minutes.
• In another pan, cook the Toulouse sausages, 2 to 3 duck leg confits, some lard.
• Add to the beans and cook for another hour, adding water regularly.
• Transfer all to an oven dish (terracotta is best), sprinkle generously with breadcrumbs and cook at 180C for an additional hour.

Melon

The melon of Quercy is soft and sweet, it can be found all over France.

• Choose 2 beautiful melons, not too ripe, but full of sunshine !
• Make melon balls.
• Put the melon balls in a dish, add a hint of fresh cream and a bit of dry, fruity white wine from the Tarn & Garonne. Mix, keep cool.
• Serve in cups with sprigs of basil and a few grapes from Chasselas de Moissac.

Lomagne garlic soup

Yum... garlic soup is really nice anytime of the year! It is also a healthy option, since garlic is a powerful antioxidant. Do not cook it at a high temperature in order to maintain all the properties of the garlic ! The only problem is that you need to eat something minty afterwards or take your toothbrush with you !

• Bring 2 litres of water to the boil, with approximately ten Lomagne peeled, crushed garlic cloves. Add salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Cook at a low heat for 15 minutes.
• Beat 1 egg in a bowl, add the broth from the garlic and pour it into a pan with the soup.
• The soup is ready ! Place some country style bread in each bowl and pour over the soup, yum !! You can add a little bit of grated cheese or mustard on the top before serving.

Garlic soup

Chasselas de Moissac Poultry

You can use the whole chicken or just the legs, or small quail for this recipe. It is delicious.

• Brown some shallots in butter in a large casserole, add the pieces of poultry (cut into pieces if it is a whole chicken). Let it brown.
• Add 150/200mls white wine and a bit of thyme. Cook, covered, on a low heat for 30 minutes.
• Take the berries from the bunch of Chasselas de Moissac grapes, wash them and add them to the casserole, carry on cooking for 10/15 minutes.
• Remove the chicken and the grapes ; heat the juice gently with 2 tablespoon of corn starch to thicken the sauce.
• Serve the poultry, grapes and the sauce with rice.

Walnut and Apple Cake of the Tarn & Garonne

Apples and walnuts are a combination that is mouth wateringly delicious. The sweetness of the walnut and the sugary acidity of the apples blend perfectly. For food lovers, you can add a little apple based alcohol to give a gourmet touch to the cake... There is no oil or butter in this cake because walnuts already have oil in them)

• Beat together 200mls fresh cream and 2 eggs (and a dash of vanilla extract or apple based alcohol)
• Add 130g of brown sugar, whisk
• Add 100g flour with 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder, whisk
• Add 150g walnuts, crushed.
• Pour this dough into a buttered and floured cake mould.
• Slice an apple (tangy variety if possible) and push the slices into the dough in the cake mould. Sprinkle with sugar and cook for approximately 45 minutes at 180C degrees.

Walnut and Apple Cake

Coque Quercynoise

The coque is a brioche that is usually eaten at Easter. It is round in shape, topped, or not, with candied fruit. The name of “coque” comes from the Occitan word “COCO” which means cake ! This is the express family version using dry baker’s yeast.

• In a bowl, beat 4 eggs, 70g butter (melted), 70g sugar and 1 tablespoon of orange blossom water.
• Pour this mixture onto 500g strong flour mixed with 2 sachets of dried yeast.
• If you have a bread machine, use it, if not knead by hand for 10-15 minutes. Add lukewarm water or flour if necessary. The texture must be a little bit elastic but not too sticky.
• Form into a smooth ball of dough, brush it with olive oil and let it rise in a warm place for about an hour. It should have tripled in size.
• Knock back the dough to remove the air.
• Form the brioche, in a round shaped mould or as a ball in a tart dish. Brush the top of the brioche with butter or milk. Let it rise again covered with a dishcloth for 4 hours.
• Place in the oven at 210C degrees for 30/45 minutes, with a glass of water in the oven to give it a softer crust and a homogenous brioche. Remove the brioche once it is golden.
• To serve, sprinkle with big chunks of sugar and candied fruit.