Tour de French Cuisine-Stage 12 Tonnerre to Vittel; Quiche Lorraine

As the Tour moves around France stage 12 starts in the Burgundy region and then ends in the Lorraine region, but not before passing through the Champagne region. Ooh la la!

 

The starting town of Tonnerre is the main town of the Chablis region and lies on the banks of the Canal de Bourgogne and the Armançon. The pleasant little town is surrounded by vineyards and dominated by the church of St-Pierre and the tower of Notre-Dame. The Eglise St-Pierre stands on a rocky terrace with a view of the town and the neighboring vineyards. All that remains of the original church is the chancel, built in the 14^th century and the square tower in the 15^th century. The rest of the church was rebuilt in 1556 after a fire destroyed the town. One of the only structures to have survived the fire in the 16th century was the Ancien Hopital. The old chapel was erected between 1293 and 1295 by the widow of Charles d’Anjou, king of Naples and Sicily, Margaret of Burgundy has stayed mostly intact. Tonnerre was once the home for over 1000 hectares of vineyards at the end of the 19^th century but by 1970 they had all but disappeared. Today they have regained their place in the world of Chablis and now cover over 150 hectares of the Tonnerre area. In 2006, Bourgogne Tonnerre was accepted as a white wine AOC. It is the second appellation of Burgundy to have obtained this distinction as an entity but the production conditions are much stricter.

 

Just a short way down the road from Tonnerre is the town of Tanley. With its historic Chateau de Tanlay it is one of the finest examples of Renaissance architecture in all of Burgundy. Built during the 16^th & 17^th century it was the home of the Admiral de Coligny family during the Wars of Religion. In the 17^th century it became the home of the Marquis de Tanlay’s family and has belonged to them ever since. The chateau is known for its tromp-l’oeil and frescoes in the Tour de la Ligue.

 

Les Riceys lies on the border of Burgundy but it’s actually the biggest wine-producing area in the Champagne region. It is the only one to have three AOC labels; Champenois, Coteaux Champenois and Rose des Riceys. It is the Rose wine that is considered to be the best in France. Because of the strict regulations the wine growers are not able to make the wine every year. It is made exclusively from the Pinot Noir grapes grown on the steepest and sunniest slopes of Les Riceys. The town is made up of three hamlets along the banks of the River Laignes, Riceys-Bas, Riceys-Haut and Les Riceys. The 16^th century Eglise St-Pierre-es-Liens in Riceys-Bas has a beautiful carved wood porch. The oldest section dates back to the 13^th. In Riceys-Haut two churches join together to become one by extending the transept of the second church.

 

Essoyes is a very small village located on the banks of the River Ource and at the center of Champagne’s Cote des Bar on the edge of the Champagne and Bourgundy region. The most famous resident of Essoyes was the Impressionist painter Auguste Renoir. In 1865 he purchased a house in the town that was the birthplace of his wife and spent summers there for 25 years. His house and studio can be visited today with collections of his photos, documents and personal belongings are on display and is run by his great granddaughter Sophie Renoir. At the nearby cemetery you can see the graves of Renoir, his wife and children

 

In Colombey-les-deux-Eglises it is hard to miss the large Cross of Lorraine that sits above the village since 1972. In 1934 General Charles de Gaulle purchased a residence in Colombey where he purchased a former brewery and renamed it “La Boisserie” In his memoirs he described the Champagne landscape that he loved “steeped in sadness and melancholy..Former mountains drastically eroded and resigned…quiet, modest villages whose soul and location has not changed for thousands of years…” During the Second World War his home was severely damaged by the Germans, but he returned in May of 1946 after it was repaired and the corner tower and porch were added. The General passed away on November 9, 1970 and is buried in the local cemetery with his wife Yvonne. The large Cross of Lorraine was originally a symbol of Joan of Arc but during World War II it became the symbol of the Free French Forces under General de Gaulle. The 164 foot Cross of Lorraine was erected on a hill above the final resting place of General de Gaulle in 1972 to commemorate his distinguished wartime efforts.                 The Tour has visited Colombey-les-deux-Eglises before, in 1960 the riders briefly stopped to be greeted by the French General who was still President of France at the time.

 

126 kilometers into the stage the Tour passes through the town of Chaumont that dates back to the 10^th century and overlooks the valleys and the River Suize and the River Marne. The town was founded by Geoffroy I of Chaumont and by the 12^th century the town was ceded to the Counts of Champagne. The marriage of Jeanne of Champagne to Phillip the Fair the future King of France allowed the town to be developed during the 13^th & 14^th century. In 1814, during the Napoleonic Wars, the town was occupied by the United Kingdom, Russia, Prussia and Austria, and it was in Chaumot that the Treaty of Chaumot was signed.  The Treaty was to be rejected cease-fire of the Allies of the Sixth Coalition to Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon was to return all his conquests back to the 1791 Pre-French Revolutionary War bars in exchange for a cease-fire. If he declined, the Allies pledged to continue the war, the following day he rejected the treaty.

 

The finish town of Vittel is a spa lover’s dream and for those looking for some therapeutic cures from the water that flows in this beautiful wooded area. The Vittel waster is used for the treatment of arthritis, gout, allergies, kidney & liver disorders and migraines. (did they say migraines? I think I will move here) Not only do they use the water for treatment but it is also the largest mineral water bottling plants in the world. Nestle Waters Supply bottles the water and has sold hundreds of millions of bottles of Vittel water. Vittel has also been the official water sponsors of the Tour de France for the last few years, oh and don’t bring up the brand Perrier in the town of Vittel. At the Usine d’embouteillage de Vittel you can watch the production of the plastic and glass bottles and the bottling and packaging process where the factory puts out 5.4 million bottles a day.

 

With the Tour ending in the Lorraine region of France what else would we want to have for dinner but Quiche Lorraine. The fact that it was about 94 degrees today made the decision a bit easier as well, standing over a hot stove did not sound very fun. Quiche Lorraine in its most classic state is heavy cream, eggs and bacon, and that’s it. It is a custard based treat that is very smooth and flavorful and paired with a perfect buttery crust it is fantastic. I of course went with Julia Child’s recipe in Mastering the Art of French Cooking and was not sorry. John actually said it might be his favorite thing he has ever eaten. And as I write this the day after, it is pretty darn good the next day reheated for about 30 seconds. I was very excited to use my Flan ring for the crust; it is just a ring without a bottom and is just placed on the baking sheet and then used like any other pan. When it is done you can just pop it up and have perfect straight sides.

 

Pate Brisee is the best pie crust that you can ever make. It is always delicious and so easy to make. And if you are one of those people that “buys” pie crust, just make this one time and see how easy it is, it will only take you 5 minutes.

 

Pate Brisee
2 cups flour
1⁄4 tsp. salt
8 tbsp. cold butter, cut into small pieces
3 tbsp. cold vegetable shortening, cut into
   small pieces
1 egg, lightly beaten

FOR THE FILLING:
6-oz. slab bacon or sliced bacon, diced
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1⁄2 to 2 cups heavy cream
1⁄2 tsp. salt
Freshly grated nutmeg
Freshly ground black pepper

1.For the crust: add the flour and salt to a food processor and pulse once to combine. Add eggs and pulse until just combined, add the cold butter and pulse until it resembles a coarse meal, while continuing to pulse, add the ice water 1 tablespoon at a time through the feeding tube until it is just combined. It will noticeably sound different as it comes together. Scrape the dough out and form into a flat disk and cover in plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.

2. Preheat oven to 400°. Allow dough to soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out on a lightly floured surface into a 14'' round. Fit dough, without stretching it, into a buttered 10'' bottomless metal flan ring, 1 1⁄2'' deep, set on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet with no rim. Press overhanging dough down slightly into sides of ring to make the sides of the crust a little thicker and sturdier. Run the rolling pin over the top of the ring to remove any overhanging dough. Using a fork, prick bottom lightly, then make a decorative edge around the rim. Line dough with buttered aluminum foil, and then add pie weights or dried beans. Bake until crust is set and edge just begins to color, about 25 minutes. Remove foil and weights, brush bottom and sides with egg, and continue baking until crust is pale golden, another 2-5 minutes.

3. For the filling: Reduce heat to 375°. Put bacon in a medium pan, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 5 minutes, then drain. Return bacon to pan and cook over medium heat until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel to drain, then arrange on bottom of crust.

4. Beat eggs, cream, and salt together in a medium bowl and season to taste with nutmeg and pepper. Pour mixture into crust and bake until custard is puffed and golden and just set in the center, 30-35 minutes. Slide quiche off parchment paper onto a serving platter and ring. Serve quiche warm or at room temperature, sliced into wedges.

 

The buttery crust and the dots of butter on the top give it an incredible rich but not heavy taste. This is truly a wonderful dish and perfect for a light dinner, brunch or even sliced as an appetizer.