fastidious nose away from the seductions of the burnt
onion and the garlic clove, the foundations upon which
rests the whole edifice of Pyrenean cooking. Phari-
i saical density would be only wasting time, for these
two vegetables will be your constant companions so
soon as you decide to sample the cuisine bourgeoise of the
country. You should on no account fail to venture
on this voyage of exploration, as some of the dishes
are excellent, all of them interesting, and, once tasted,
never to be forgotten.
To attempt to enumerate them all, to describe them
minutely, or to give any account of their preparation,
hardly comes within the scope of these notes. Suffice
it to give the names of two or three.
First comes the Garbure , a kind of thick vegetable
soup containing Heaven knows what ingredients, but
all the same sure to please you. Next comes the
Confit dlOie , a sort of goose stew, utterly unlike any-
thing you have tasted before, but not without its
merits. Next, the Cotelettes' dl Izard marine may in-
terest you. The izard, or chamois of the Pyrenees,
has been marine or soaked for some time in wine,
vinegar, bay leaves, and other herbs. It thus acquires
a distinctive and novel flavour. Don’t forget the
Ragout and the Poulet , either chasseur or else paysanne ;
nor yet the Pie cle Mars if in season. By way of fish
you will always find the trout delicious, either fried or
else a la meuniere. (Don’t miss the alose if you are at
Pau.) Lastly, the Pyrenean pates , Gibier and Foie de
Canard , are justly celebrated, and can more than hold
their own in friendly and patriotic rivalry with any of
those purporting to come from Strasbourg or Nancy.
At first acquaintance you will not care much for
pic-ci-pou or the wine of the country, but with patience
you may possibly learn to appreciate the Vin de Juran-
90m Tradition has it that Henri Quatre’s nurses
preferred to give this form of nourishment rather than
126 The Gourmet's Guide to Europe
the Mellin’s Food of the time. Perhaps babies were
differently constituted in those days.
In any case you will always be able to get a good
bottle of claret, bearing the name of some first-class
Bordeaux firm, such as Johnson, Barton Guestier, or
Luze, &c. If you are lucky enough to obtain a glass
of genuine old Armagnac, you will probably rank it,
as a liqueur, very nearly as high as any cognac you
have ever tasted.
A word of warning ! Don’t be too eager to order
whisky and soda. The “ Scotch” is not of uniform
quality.
So much for eatables and drinkables. A few hints
now as to where you might care to lunch or dine.
Pau
To begin with Pau. There is really a great artist
there — a man whose sole hobby is his kitchen ; and
who, if he chooses, can send you up a dinner second
to none. H is name is Guichard. Go and have a
talk with him. Hear what he has to say on the fond-
de-cuisine theory. Let him arrange your menu and
await the result with confidence. That confidence
will not be misplaced.
For general comfort the English Club stands easily
first, and the Englishman who has been privileged to
become a temporary member will find that the coffee
room is admirably “ run,” and as for wine and cigars
Palais d Hiver, they are the best that money can buy.
Parc Beaumont For a supper after the play you should
2;ive a trial to the restaurant of the Palais d’Hiver.
O ^
Page 70
Presented as published in 1903. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
fastidious nose away from the seductions of the burnt onion and the garlic clove, the foundations upon which rests the whole edifice of Pyrenean cooking. Pharisaical density would be only wasting time, for these two vegetables will be your constant companions so soon as you decide to sample the cuisine bourgeoise of the country. You should on no account fail to venture on this voyage of exploration, as some of the dishes are excellent, all of them interesting, and, once tasted, never to be forgotten.
To attempt to enumerate them all, to describe them minutely, or to give any account of their preparation, hardly comes within the scope of these notes. Suffice it to give the names of two or three.
First comes the Garbure , a kind of thick vegetable soup containing Heaven knows what ingredients, but all the same sure to please you. Next comes the Confit d'Oie , a sort of goose stew, utterly unlike anything you have tasted before, but not without its merits. Next, the Cotelettes d'Izard marine may interest you. The izard, or chamois of the Pyrenees, has been marine or soaked for some time in wine, vinegar, bay leaves, and other herbs. It thus acquires a distinctive and novel flavour. Don’t forget the Ragout and the Poulet , either chasseur or else paysanne ; nor yet the Pie de Mars if in season. By way of fish you will always find the trout delicious, either fried or else a la meuniere. (Don’t miss the alose if you are at Pau.) Lastly, the Pyrenean pates , Gibier and Foie de Canard , are justly celebrated, and can more than hold their own in friendly and patriotic rivalry with any of those purporting to come from Strasbourg or Nancy.
At first acquaintance you will not care much for pic-a-pou or the wine of the country, but with patience you may possibly learn to appreciate the Vin de Jurancon Tradition has it that Henri Quatre’s nurses preferred to give this form of nourishment rather than
126 The Gourmet's Guide to Europe
the Mellin’s Food of the time. Perhaps babies were differently constituted in those days.
In any case you will always be able to get a good bottle of claret, bearing the name of some first-class Bordeaux firm, such as Johnson, Barton & Guestier, or Luze, &c. If you are lucky enough to obtain a glass of genuine old Armagnac, you will probably rank it, as a liqueur, very nearly as high as any cognac you have ever tasted.
A word of warning ! Don’t be too eager to order whisky and soda. The “ Scotch” is not of uniform quality.
So much for eatables and drinkables. A few hints now as to where you might care to lunch or dine.
Pau
To begin with Pau. There is really a great artist there — a man whose sole hobby is his kitchen ; and who, if he chooses, can send you up a dinner second to none. H is name is Guichard. Go and have a talk with him. Hear what he has to say on the fondde-cuisine theory. Let him arrange your menu and await the result with confidence. That confidence will not be misplaced.
For general comfort the English Club stands easily first, and the Englishman who has been privileged to become a temporary member will find that the coffee room is admirably “ run,” and as for wine and cigars Palais d Hiver, they are the best that money can buy. Parc Beaumont For a supper after the play you should 2;ive a trial to the restaurant of the Palais d’Hiver.
O ^