Tour de French Cuisine-Stage 8; Andorre-la-Vielle to Saint Girons

With the start of stage 8 the Tour is going to leave Andorra behind and head back into France. Back to the safety of cooking that I know, but a nice little spin through Spain and Andorra with some amazing scenery that I hope everybody had a chance to watch some of the coverage on TV. Even if you aren’t a sports fan, it is worth it to tune in and just look at this beautiful part of the word. Andorra has some great houses built literally on the side of a rock cliff, I am not sure how people even get up to them, but it is breathtaking none the less.

 

Before we leave Andorra the Tour will start in Andorra La Vella which is the capital of Andorra and 7 kilometers from the Spanish border. Much of the houses are clustered onto terraces that overlook the Gran Valira. With its location at 1400 meters high, it is the highest capital city Europe and the town and the area surrounding has becoming a hotpot for winter sports, and some of the steepest climbs on this years Tour de France. The only monument in the town is the Casa de la Vall, built on 1580 for the Basquet family, in 1702 it was purchased at Consell General and it now is the home for the Sala de Sessions of Andorra’s parliament and the Tribunal de Corts courtroom. The nearby Escaldes-Engordany has a local hot springs with modern thermal baths of Caldea and a glass pyramid with indoor and outdoor lagoons that provide the latest in hydrotherapy and body treatments.

 

The first big climb outside of Andorra la Vella is the Port d’Envalira with an altitude of 7,897 feet it is one of the highest climbs on the Tour this year. Some of the best panoramic views can be seen from the Port d’Envalira, lush green valleys and high jagged peaks, it is truly a beautiful place.

 

Back into France and into the Ariege department of the Midi-Pyrenees, home to some of the most well know foods of France. It is the region of Foie Gras, pates and of course Cassoulet.  Lying between two of France’s biggest wine growing regions, Bordeaux and Languedoc, the Midi-Pyrenees produces a variety of good wines as well. The best known are Cahors, Fronton, Gaillac, Madiran, Pacherenc, Saint-Mont and the distinctive eau de vie, Armagnac.

 

At the confluence of the rivers Ariege and Oriege is the little resort town of Ax-les-Thermes, an elegant town filled with 19^th century Roman spas. The 64-172 degree spas are used to treat rheumatism, skin problems and breathing disorders. The Bassin de Ladres (lepers) is now a public pool on the place du Breilh which was originally built for the soldiers suffering leprosy in 1260. Besides the spas Ax makes a good central base for venturing out to the mountains and in the winter for the local ski resorts.

 

 In Tarascon-sur-Ariege it is hard to miss the 14^th century St Michel clock tower that watches over the small town from a hilltop. One of the largest towns on the old Raid Pyreneen route and home to many caves popular with speleologists.  Just outside of Tarascon, Lacombe on Route de Banat is Le Parc Pyreneen de l’Art Prehistorique, thirteen caves decorated with rock paintings. And the town of Niaux is also the entrance to La Grotte de Niaux one of Europe’s most important cave painting sites dating back to 12000 BC.

 

The second large climb of the day is the Col de Port, just east of Massat and with a height of 1249 meters. The Col de Port is a natural pathway between the Couserans and Foix and is on the line between two great culinary regions, Gascony and Languedoc.

 

Arriving next in Massat which was once the capital of the Couserans and sits on a slope above the River Arac. The 15^th century church stands at the intersection of two roads that cross the mountains, the Port de Lera and the Col de Port. The town use to be larger but now has a little over 500 people that now nestle in the valley of the Massif de l’Arize.

 

The finish town of Saint-Girons is a meeting point of the three rivers, the Baup, the Lez and the Salat. Just outside of Saint-Girons are the amazing caves of the Grotte de Mas d’Azil, part of the road even goes through the caves. A large arch greats you at the opening and the caves are built out of what was once a underground river beds.

 

 

For stage 8, being in the south of France, what else can I make but Cassoulet. A few months back I found the Thomas Keller Cassoulet recipe in the Williams-Sonoma catalog. Originally made for a slow cooker I adapted it for the oven instead and used a larger Le Creuset French oven, the only alteration I made was to put all the ingredients in the Le Creuset and put in a 250 degree oven for 5 hours, the last hour I turned it up to 350 degrees. It comes out perfect and since I made it back in January I crave this weekly.  The combination of the soft white beans and pork with the crunchy sliced baguettes and the salty pieces of bacon make it a perfect meal. We have a lot left over and the Tour must go on, leftovers are here for anybody that wants to stop by,

 

Bon Appetit!