A 100% Norman meal

Thanks to the Gourmandie website, we’ve put together the most mouth-watering of menus. Discover four recipes and get back to us with what you think! Got your apron? Ready? Steady? Cook!

Our selection

Aperitif: norman COCKTAIL

Courtesy of Dominique Grousseaud, from the Lycée hôtelier François Rabelais in Hérouville St Clair

Ingredients:

• 10 cl of Norman apple juice
• 10 cl of Norman pear juice
• 2 cl of caramel syrup

Preparation:

Pour the apple juice, pear juice and caramel syrup into a shaker. Give it a vigorous shake. Pour into a glass and add a pile of crushed ice.

STARTER: Scallops from Port en Bessin, pan-fried with spices

Courtesy of Nicolas Fages, from the Château de Sully

4 people 25 minutes 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 12 large Normandy scallops
• 400 g sweet potato
• 1 parsnip

Creamed fish stock:

• 80 g fish stock
• 20 g single cream
• 20 g salted butter

Spice Mix:

• 56 g breadcrumbs
• 38 g ras el hanout
• 7 g orange powder
• 7 g carry colombo
• 30 g of cooking butter
• Candied orange zest
• Freshly peeled orange segments
• Cider pairing
• Bessin Cider

Preparation:

Cook the sweet potato (bring to the boil from cold salted water) for about 10 minutes. Prepare a fine smooth purée and season. Chop up the parsnip, boil and then sear them in the pan destined for the scallops. Prepare your mix of spices.

Cook the fish stock in a saucepan with the cream and salted butter, then add the spice mix and salt. Melt the butter in the pan, salt the scallops and sear them for just one minute on each side. Drain off excess oils from the pan and stir in the spice mix and continue cooking for just 30 seconds. Add the candied orange peel and orange segments for a decorative touch.

MAIN COURSE: Fillet of salt-marsh lamb in a fig curry and vegetables from the Manche

Courtesy of Jean-Christian Thomas, from the Café Mancel in Caen

4 people 30 minutes 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 450 g Normandy lamb
• ¼ white cabbage
• 1 parsnip
• 1 “Créances” carrot (a delicacy from the Cotentin)
• 1 red onion
• 2 Norman potatoes
• 30 cl Normandy apple juice
• 2 cl cider vinegar
• 4 figs
• Curry powder
• 1 clove of garlic
• salt, pepper
• Isigny butter AOP

Cider Pairing

Normandy Dry Cider IGP (brut)

Preparation:

Peel and cut the potatoes into cylindrical form and then thickly slice. Pan-fry the potatoes on each side and then set aside.

Chop up the onion into fine pieces and with the garlic lightly caramelise in a frying pan. Then add the potatoes and apple juice and season according to taste. Put aside your cooking juices and add the cider vinegar.

Make a thin (1 to 2mm) diced Brunoise style preparation for your parsnip, white cabbage, carrot and cook them with a knob of butter, salt, pepper and finally the curry powder.

 Cook your lamb for 5 minutes on each side.

On a plate arrange the potato slices and neatly place the brunoise on top of it with the help of a ring mould. Mix the cooking juices with the onion, garlic and cider vinegar. Cut up the fig and the lamb. Season with fleur de sel.

DESSErT: Apple Aumônière, caramel sauce with salted butter

Courtesy of Saïd Khelfoun, from the Collège Victor Hugo in Caudebec-en-Caux

4 people 20 minutes 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 sheets of filo pastry
• 600 g Normandy apples
• 80 g sugar
• 200 g Isigny AOP salted butter
• 40 g flour

Cider Pairing

Normandy Sweet Cider IGP (doux)

Preparation:

Core and peel the apples and cut into quarters. Melt the butter in a frying pan, lightly sauté the pieces of apple with 30 g of sugar. Turn off the heat as soon as the apples begin to soften.                                                                                                            

Make the salted butter caramel with the remaining sugar. Add knobs of butter as the caramel turns brown.

On a sheet of filo pastry carefully place the apple pieces in the middle and pour onto it two teaspoons of caramel sauce. Fold over the sheet and then carefully place the aumônières on your oven shelf covered with a sheet of greaseproof paper. Pre-heat the oven to 220°C and cook for 7 to 8 minutes.

Alcohol is dangerous to the health and should be taken in moderation

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MORE RECIPES

The above recipes are taken from the Gourmandie Website. You’ll find the search engine which allow you to select the sort of dish, or the product or ingredient you’d like to see included in the recipe. There are dozens of recipes to choose from!

TASTINGS WITH THE local PRODUCERS

Camembert, Neufchâtel, scallops, oysters, cider, Calvados etc. Get a taste of the flavours and savours of Normandy and discover the secrets behind their preparation and manufacture by visiting a farm, a producer or a shop specialising in locally grown foods.