Posts Tagged ‘casserole’

Local Hero #9 Bistrot De La Grille

Sunday, January 10th, 2010

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I was in Paris with the missus for a few days over the New Year period. The weather wasn’t great, but it’s still one of the greatest cities in the World (IMHO). As you might expect the food has a great deal to do with this, and I’m a huge fan of the traditional French bistro.

I love the simple, tasty food, the still tobacco stained walls, the atmosphere and the tradition of it all. Maybe it’s because we don’t have many good examples of this type of place in London, but I’d honestly prefer to sit down at a chequered tablecloth in a back street bistro to a plate of oeufs cocotte and an entrecote, than some foam drenched nonsense from an Alain Ducasse restaurant. No offense Al.

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Bang On

Monday, November 2nd, 2009

I’m a big fan of the humble banger, and It’s British Sausage Week, so if you’ve been neglecting one of the Western World’s greatest inventions, nows your chance to make amends. I don’t know why, but food writers tend not to eulogise about the sausage in the same way that they might do about oysters or fois gras, but I read a great article by Matthew Fort on the subject a few years ago which for some reason I kept. I think he sums up the appeal pretty well.

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“As far as I’m concerned, the sausage is just about man’s noblest creation. It is a wonder (or should be), a perfect piece of design, elegant and economical…Sausages are classless, as acceptable on the table of the royal family as on that of the Royle family. Is there anyone who does not smile at the sight of a sausage? Who’s mouth does not salivate just a bit at the thought of that first bite?”

So in honour of the banger and British Sausage Week, here’s a recipe for a warming and tasty sausage casserole. It’s a bit of a French remix of a Delia recipe, and is the perfect dish for this time of year.

Ingredients

6 good quality Toulouse sausages

4 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

150 g lardons

15 shallots, peeled

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