French Meats & Pâté
In France there is a deep appreciation of all meat products, generically described under the name “Charcuterie”. This includes all meat products from different animals. No part of an animal is wasted and chefs have created dishes over the centuries using local ingredients which transform the dish into a regional speciality. For example traditional dishes from Gascony will often include the local brandy, Armagnac, and dishes from Perigord will often include truffles. When you walk through a typical market in France you will see the tables loaded with Charcuterie such as Pates, Terrines, Rillettes, Saucisson sec and Confit de canard. The added herbs from Provence and spices such as nutmeg, give these French products their unique flavour.
Preserved Meats
Our range of preserved meats in jars or tins includes pork, duck, wild boar and game meat. Confit de canard is duck thighs (cuisses) that have been cooked very slowly and then preserved whole in fat, this was the traditional way to preserve meat before fridges existed. Rillettes are similar to Confit, the meat is cooked until it falls off the bone, then it is shredded and packed in its fat with some mild spices, for example Rillettes du Mans is shredded pork meat in fat. Cassoulet is a traditional dish made with white coco beans, confit de canard, saucisse de Toulouse and a tomato garlic sauce. You will find a wide range of different sized preserved meats in our store.
Fresh Sliced Meats
In our freshly sliced meat range we stock large terrines from France, Saucisson Sec made for us locally and sliced Italian and Spanish hams and meats. The French Market’s pâtés come in various styles, smooth and creamy ones are usually made from liver and often referred to as a Mousse, such as the Mousse de Canard (Duck mousse) which has a gamey flavour. The outside is coated with a thick layer of yellow duck fat, while the inside is smooth and easy to spread on toast. This makes great canapés to serve at a cocktail party or as a starter for a dinner.
Other pâtés which are spreadable but have some small chunks in them, such as the Terrine de Campagne, are made with liver and tasty chunks of meat. And then there are the coarser style terrines which have a lot of meat and are generally sliced rather than spread. A baguette is a great accompaniment for any pâté. The French choose red wine to pair with their choice of pâté and accompany it with some crunchy green cornichons.
Rich Duck and Goose Liver (Foie gras)
Foie gras (rich liver) is highly rated by the French and is traditionally served at Christmas, on New Year’s Eve and at major celebration meals. It comes in several styles and is made from duck or goose liver. Whilst the goose liver has a more subtle flavour and a finer, creamier texture than duck liver, the duck liver is favoured for its more gamey flavour. The cooked liver usually comes in glass jars or tins. As the liver is very rich, one does not need a huge quantity.
Foie gras is traditionally served on a lightly toasted slice of Brioche (a sweet bread) or Pain d’Epice (spiced bread) with a glass of chilled Pineau de Charente or a Sauternes (Noble late Harvest wine). Ideally paired with preserved figs.
There are three types of cooked foie gras:
Foie Gras “Mi-cuit” (trans – half cooked) is foie gras that has been lightly cooked and has a very smooth, light texture. This is the nearest experience to the freshly cooked one. It has to be kept refrigerated until eaten.
Foie gras “Entier” is a preserved, whole piece of cooked liver which can be kept in a cupboard at room temperature for several years.
Foie gras “Bloc” is pieces of liver that have been blended together then cooked, it looks similar to a smooth pate. This can be kept in a cupboard at room temperature for several years.