Bonjour French Market Friends,
French politics can be confusing to outsiders. This weekend France holds the first round of Elections for their National Assembly (Parliament) following the decision by President Macron to hold a snap election. This was due to President Macron’s centralist party 
Renaissance (RE) being beaten in the recent European Parliament elections by the French extreme right-wing party Rassemblement National (RN) headed by Marine Le Pen. The third contender in the French election is a new coalition of the parties on the extreme Left under the name of Nouveau Front Populaire. A name resurrected nearly 100 years after the original Left-wing coalition formed in 1936. To gain absolute majority in this first round of elections for the 577 seats in Parliament this weekend, one party must win 289 seats. As this is usually an unlikely outcome, the second round of elections takes place the following weekend. Only the higher supported candidates get into this second round and the winning party claims the Election or creates a coalition when there is no definite majority winner. The French love discussing politics for hours on end, they will often say they support one party but in private will vote for another. I was once told by a French friend that the French frequently vote on the first weekend against their party of choice to teach them a lesson, and give them a fright, then on the second weekend they vote for the party they really want to run the country. It’s complicated! This time there could be a major disruption in France as the extremists on both sides believe they have a chance of pushing out the centralists. Macron is banking on the fact that the more moderate voters will turn out and support his party just to keep the extremists out, we shall see.
To the average cow chewing grass in the peaceful pastures far from the politicians, life continues as normal with 
the production of their beautiful creamy milk that makes France’s cheese the best in the world. This week we have lots of creamy and flavoursome cheese for you to enjoy. I suggest try some of our Brie de Meaux. This raw milk cheese has been made in the region of Brie to the East of Paris since the 7th Century, where it was perfected by the local monks and made famous by the Kings of France, who served it at their banquets. In the 1800s at the Congress of Vienna, following the 
fall of the French Empire, Master statesman the Duke of Talleyrand held a competition of cheeses from the nations attending the Congress, and Brie de Meaux was nominated the winner of this competition and named King of cheese. Our brie de Meaux is still made in the traditional manner, hand ladled into the moulds, then rubbed with dry salt, after which the white bloomy rind develops. The cheese needs to ripen for a minimum of 4 weeks and is ready to be served once the centre of the cheese is soft. The aromas are described as white mushroom and cauliflower. Note there is a big difference in flavour between an original Brie de Meaux A
OP and a pasteurised milk Brie. The pasteurised Brie is still soft and creamy, but the flavour is far milder. For wine pairing a Pinot Noir is recommended. I suggest try pairing with the Louis Latour Valmoissine Pinot Noir from the Var region south of Burgundy.
The other type of Brie that we stock is the Brie with a layer of truffle cream. A contemporary development of the original Brie. The truffle
pieces are contained in a thick creamy layer in the centre of a wheel of pasteurised Brie. The distinctive truffle flavour pairs well with the flavour of the white bloomy rind. This exotic form of Brie has an amazing flavour and is quite addictive for truffle fans. Try pairing with a dry Champagne such as the Tribaut Schloesser Brut to match the earthiness of the truffle flavour and creaminess of the Brie.
Another creamy cheese that has a devoted following in my shop is the Triple cream delice and Vacherousse. The triple cream cheese has a delicate flavour and intensely rich texture, this comes from the additional quantity of fresh cream that is added into the recipe. The Brut Champagne pairs well with the Delice. For the Vacherousse, with its very creamy centre and light orange coloured crust the Champagne will also pair well, or you can try a fruity Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire such as the Comte Lafond Sancerre.
In 
our fresh produce range, we have a selection of locally grown fruit and vegetables including the Jerusalem artichokes, ginger, garlic, celery, leeks, red cabbage, sweet potatoes with orange flesh, lots of fresh fruit and the fresh black winter truffles that are growing here in South Africa. Average truffle weights range from 30gr up to 200gr. These need pre-ordering, and we can have them in the shop within 24 hours.
In our preserved meat range, we have a wide variety of French pates, terrines and rillettes. This week we received a new stock of duck confit. The French ducks are much bigger than our local ducks. Due to the colder winters these breeds carry far more fat to protect themselves from the winter chill. Duck Confit is slow cooked duck legs and thighs which are then packed in duck fat with some white spices. This traditional method for preserving meat through the wintertime has been used in France for centuries.
One of 
my favourite dishes is Confit de Canard, not only does it taste delicious, but it is quick and easy to p
repare. My favourite is to use the duck fat to roast potatoes because duck fat can obtain a higher temperature than other fats and gives a beautiful golden crispy crust to the potatoes. I recommend adding some freshly grated black winter truffles over the potatoes. Serve the duck hot, on a large platter, surrounded by the potatoes and topped with thinly sliced fresh truffle. Pair with a Merlot wine from Bordeaux, such as Les Tours de la Roque Merlot 2018 from St Emilion available at our shop or order online.
I hope that you have a good weekend and that the elections proceed peacefully in France.
Suzanne and The French Market Team