Bonjour French Market Friends,
Latest ne
ws from France is Prime Minister Lecornu’s Government survived a second no confidence vote brought by far left and far right parties. Despite, this the current Government is hopeful that with some further amendments, there will be sufficient support on all sides to get the perceived “Austerity” budget to be passed, which is needed to bring France’s Finances under control. Currently French debt is almost EUR 3.5 trillion which explains the need for the Austerity budget. Luckily for us, the French cows are still out there producing rich, creamy milk which the farmers are transporting to the dairies, from whence we get our amazing French cheese, long may that continue.
We have just landed about 300 kgs of cheese this week and our favourites cheeses are back in stock. The top of the French Alpine cheeses is Comte Fort St Antoine made by Marcel Petit. This Comte has been aged for over 16 months; it has a deep complex nutty taste and slight crunchiness from the calcium crystallisation. The triple cream Delice 
cheese from Burgundy is at the other end of the scale in flavour and texture, it has extra cream added to the milk, which gives it the richness and creaminess whilst maintaining its delicate flavour. The third highly popular cheese is Vacherousse (this means “russet coloured cow”) the crust has a slightly orange colour with a slight tang, and the centre has a dense cream paste. The flavour is quite delicate. We also have the ever-popular Brie with a layer of truffle cream plus many other amazing cheeses.
We have replenished our stocks of Thomy Hollandaise and Bearnaise sauces. These are good quality sauces with great texture and flavour. As they come in small boxes they can be stored in your food cupboard. The Bearnaise sauce is flavoured with Tarragon and shallots, and I find this can turn even a simple vegetable such as pureed spinach into a far more exciting dish when I add some Bearnaise sauce. The Hollandaise sauce is made with white pepper and has a more delicate flavour; it is ideal served on asparagus. We also stock the Thomy mustard.
We have brought in more stock of the Edleltropfen fruit liqueur chocolates. The liqueur flavours include Kirsch, Poire William, Raspberry and Plum.
New in stock this week is boxes of brown cane sugar crystals from Germany. The flavour is quite different to white sugar, which we also stock in sugar cubes.
For this w
eek’s recipe I am sharing an easy dessert made with fresh pears, chocolate, spices and red wine. The spices and wine give a beautiful flavour to the pears, and the chocolate creates a lovely sauce. The dish has a strong spicy flavour, and it is easy to make. Add a bowl of crème fraiche on the side. I suggest pairing with a glass of Gustave Lorentz Gewurtztraminer from Alsace.
I hope you have an enjoyable weekend and look forward to seeing you again in our shop.
Regards
Suzanne and The French Market Team