Tour de French Cuisine-Stage 13 Kougelhopf... and more

Stage 13 starts in Vittel in the Lorraine region in the upper NE corner of France and borders Belgium, Germany and Luxemburg. Lorraine has gone through some identity turmoil over its territory since the 16^th century. Stanislaus I of Poland ruled over Lorraine from 1733 to 1766, until in 1766 France re-organzied the area and Lorraine became French again. After France lost the Franco-Prussian War in 1870, Lorraine fell to Germany and remained there until the end of World War I in 1918 when it was returned to France. In 1940 Lorraine was occupied again during World War II by the Germans until November 1944 when it was finally returned to France by General Patton and his army.

 

The Vosges department of the Lorraine region is the home of three river basins: the Rhine, the Moselle with its tributaries including the Vologne and the Meurthe and the Meuse which joins together with the Vair. The eastern part of the Vosges is covered with mountains and deciduous forests. The highest point of the mountains is located within the Balloons Regional Natural Park where the Tour will pass through on the Col de Schlucht pass.

 

The town of Remiremont sits in a densely forested valley of the River Moselle and was once the site of the chapter of the Ladies from Remiremont. In 620, two disciples if St Columban found two monasteries, one for the men and one for the women and built it atop the hill and named it Saint Mont. The nuns settled in the valley and adopted the rules of Saint Benedict. Over time the Chapter of Saint-Peter of Remiremont became the acceptable place to send daughters of the best noble families of France. Later when the “Noble Ladies of Remiremont” was formed it became a school where young girls would go to receive the best education and could attend without taking any vows.

 

Gérardmer lies in a magnificent natural setting of forested mountains and the lakes, Lac de Gérardmer, Lac de Longemer and the Lac de Retournemer with its waterfalls and clear deep blue waters. The lakes have been a popular attraction since the 16^th century but took until the 19^th century for the banks to be covered with hotels and houses. The town was nicknamed the “Pearl of the Vosges” and the first tourist’s office in France was set up in the area in 1875. But Gérardmer had some darker days yet to come. On June 22, 1940, during World War II, the Germans invaded the town. In November 1944, the Allies advanced and the Germans set fire to over 85% of the town just days before it was liberated. The town was completely rebuilt and today it thrives from its role in the textile industry. Le Jacquard Français, the very famous French tea towels are made in Gérardmer and are known throughout the world. The damask linen is woven and images of France, fleurs & jardin and even food inspired images. The linens are beautiful and the images woven in are subtle and very classy. I am very lucky to have quite a few of these amazing lines and they are only used for very special occasions.

 

Heading up the into the Vosges mountains and the Col de la Schlucht, a pass that rises 1135 meters and links the valley of the River Meurthe with the River Fecht and lies on the Route des Crêtes. It is the most traveled passes in the Vosges mountains and in the winter the local ski resorts enjoy good snow cover and some of the longest ski runs make them a very popular winter spot.

 

Most people have heard of the town of Munster, due to the cheese. There is a big difference between the Munster cheese sold in the US supermarkets with the sweet paprika edge and the Munster AOC cheese made in the Alsace region of France. The Munster of France has been around since the 7^th century when the Benedictine monks of the Munster Valley out of necessity began making the cheese. The milk of the Vosgian cows that graze in the valley and mountains of the region in the summer and from farm raised cows in the winter months. In 1969 Munster fell under AOC protection which brings with it tight controls on how it is made. The neighboring town of Gerardmer also makes an almost identical cheese called Gerome which falls under the same AOC as Munster. Munster is aged for 2 to 3 months in high humidity and regular washings of the rind to develop the reddish external bacteria. Munster can be semisoft when it is young and runny when it has aged to its peak and equal to one of the best cheeses Epoisses. The smell of Munster can be very strong; I have seen it described a few places as “a barnyard aroma” which is a pretty accurate description. I was able to find some French Munster at Whole Foods, it was a Munster Haxaire and it had a very strong “ammonia” smell to it. The aroma increases as it ripens, so I would say it was quite ripe. It would be perfect served with an Alsatian Gewurztraminer, and in Alsace it is often eaten at lunch with fruit or with rye bread or with caraway, cumin, fennel or anise seeds directly onto the cheese. The licorice taste of anise and fennel adds a bigger bite to the cheese.

 

The finish town of Colmar lies in the heart of the Alsatian wine country and the starting point of the Route des Vins. The Route is a 180km road that winds its way from Marlenheim to Thann passing through over 65 towns that produce the mostly white wine of the Alsatian region. Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Sylvaner, Pinot Blanc, Tokay Pinot Gris, Muscat d’Alsace and Pinot Noir are all the grape varietals that you will find in the area.

 

Colmar is also the birthplace of the Statue of Liberty and Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi who is the sculptor of Statue de la Liberté. It was Frédéric who came up with the image of the Statue, it is said that he based the face on his mother and the body on his mistress. It was Gustav Eiffel that created the inside support structure of the grand Lady Liberty.

If you are in a hurry to get to Paris and you don’t want to wait for the rest of the tour when it arrives on the July 26^th, you can start walking there. The world’s longest walk starts on the place de l’Ancienne-Douane in Colmar and goes through 171 towns and villages and 8 departments and is 234 miles in length.

There are a few flavors and foods that are synonymous with the Alsace-Lorraine region. With its geographic location and history with the neighboring countries it is no surprise that this also plays into the local cuisine. Heavy in meat and especially pork is a nod to its German roots, and the hills and meadows inspire the cheese, fruits and vegetables and the rivers that brings fish to every household plate.

Maybe the most famous dish is the Charcuterie garnie a platter of pickled cabbage, or sauerkraut filled with the local specialties of saucisse de Strasbourg or knockwurst, lewerzurscht, bratwurst and cooked hams.  Because of the many lakes and rivers fish is plentiful in the region. Trout, carp, pike, shad and freshwater crayfish are served cooked with wine and light sauces or cooked with beer and onions like in Carpe a la biere. 

Months ago when I began to research the Tour I came across a book specializing in Alsacian cooking, The Patissier by Hossine Bennara is filled with 12 months of seasonal recipes and conversations in the Alsace region. I decided on the Tomato and Gruyere Salad with Alsatian Vinaigrette and a Salmon with a Sorrel Cream Sauce.

The Alsatian Vinaigrette is a twist to a classic French vinaigrette. I changed the original recipe a bit due to time constraints and ingredient availability.

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

½ teaspoon honey

½ tablespoon Dijon mustard

Splash of Worcestershire sauce

Pinch of salt

Pinch of pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

Whisk vinegar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper in bowl. Continue whisking and add olive oil in a slow stream until emulsified.

Salade de Tomates or Tomato and Gruyere Salad

6 sliced tomatoes

1 cup Gruyere cheese, shredded

5 Cornichan pickles, diced

Fresh thyme

Fresh parsley

1 tablespoon fresh basil

Arrange sliced tomatoes on a platter. Sprinkle cheese, cornichans, thyme, parsley and basil over the top. Drizzle vinaigrette over the salad and serve

Salmon with Sorrel Cream Sauce

Serves 2

1 lb fresh Salmon

Salt & pepper

¼ cup Lemon juice

Sauce:

1 cup sorrel leaves, chopped (or Arugula can be substituted)

1/3 cup Crème Fraiche (or 1/3 cup sour cream, 2 tablespoon buttermilk)

½ teaspoon herbes de Provence

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon butter

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Butter a ceramic baking dish. Salt and Pepper both sides of the salmon. Place in baking dish and pour ¼ cup lemon juice over the salmon. Bake in oven for 20 minutes.

Prepare the sauce, place Sorrel leaves, crème fraice, herbs de Provence, lemon juice, butter, salt and pepper to small pan. Heat gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve the salmon with some cream and enjoy.

The most popular desert to come out of the Alsace region is the Kougelhopf, a raison and almond cake that is a little more of a bread then a cake. Made in a special pan, similar to a Bundt pan, the brioche yeast bread is originally from Austria but traveled to Alsace at the same time as Marie Antoinette. 

Kugelhopf

1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast (less than 1 envelope)

2 tablespoons warm water (105–115°F)

1 cup whole milk

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces and softened

6 tablespoons granulated sugar

3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1 cup raisons

1 teaspoon finely grated fresh orange or lemon zest

About 20 whole blanched almonds (1/2 ounces)

1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar

 

Stir together yeast and water in a small bowl and let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes.

 

Heat milk with 6 tablespoons butter and granulated sugar over low heat, stirring, until mixture is warm (105 to 115°F), butter is melted, and sugar is dissolved.

Sift together flour and salt into bowl of standing mixer. Make a well in flour and add yeast mixture. Add warm milk in a slow stream, mixing at low speed with paddle attachment. Increase speed to medium and beat in eggs 1 at a time, then beat in raisins and zest. Continue to beat until dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. (Dough will be very sticky.)

Butter kugelhopf mold with remaining tablespoon butter. Put 1 almond in each depression in bottom of mold (the almonds are only decorative; you can skip them altogether if your mold has no depressions), then scrape spoonfuls of dough evenly into mold (dough will be very elastic). Cover top of mold with oiled plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let dough rise in a warm place until it fills pan, about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Remove towel from kugelhopf and gently peel off plastic wrap. Bake kugelhopf in middle of oven 15 minutes, then loosely cover mold with foil and continue to bake until golden and a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes more. Cool in pan 2 minutes, and then invert cake onto a rack to cool completely, about 1 hour. Dust with confectioners’ sugar.

 

This is best served the same day, I cut the  cooling time in half to just a half hour. The next morning I sliced it and toasted it and served it with a little French butter and it was magnifique!