Good Food

Burgundy

By Chef Viggo Anderson

Chef Viggo Andersen

Gevery-Chamertin, Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet and Nuits-St.-George: these names alone are enough to send thrills through wine lovers the world over. Likewise, the cuisine of this rich and plentiful land is regarded as one of the finest in Europe, a harmonious partner to her wines.

The region is large and varied, located in eastern France on the crossroads to Switzerland and Italy, between Paris and sun-drenched Provence. Dijon is its largest city and its historical center, home of the powerful dukes of Valois, who in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries oversaw a Burgundian empire that extended as far as Belgium and the Netherlands. And the city Beaune is the capitol of the wine trade.

Her celebrated cuisine is not sophisticated but its essence, in fact, is simplicity.

The point has to be stressed because so rich is this land in great wines, natural produce, and gastronomic traditions that one might expect the region itself to be ostentatious, robed in finery like the scarlet and ermine livery of the members of the "Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin."

The greatest annual occasion here is the "Trois Glorieuses," held in the third week in November, described as the largest charity sale in the world. The main event is an auction of wines from vineyards of the "Hospices de Beaune," a charitable hospital that also owns some of the finest plots of land in Burgundy.

As well as being an important event for Burgundy lovers the world over (since prices of the wines from the "Hospices" are taken as an indication of price trends of Burgundy in general for that year), it is also an excuse for a great party which the whole region joins in enthusiastically.

There is so much to tell about the food and wine of Burgundy that there would not be room in this paper, so I recommend that you to read up on it or visit if you are able.

But let's make some food from there.

Truites a la Dijonnaise
(Trout in Dijon Mustard Sauce)
serves 4

1 oz (2 tbs) butter
2 tbsp olive oil
4 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
4 medium sized trout, cleaned , salted, scaled, and washed
2/3 cup white burgundy
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 tbs Dijon mustard
3 tbs fresh cream
Handful of chopped chives

Heat butter and oil in a large frying pan. Add the shallots and saute until soft. Lay the fish on top of the shallots, season, and add white wine. Slowly bring to boil and simmer for about 20 minutes, turning the fish once or twice.

When they are tender but not soft, transfer them to a hot serving dish, and keep warm.

Stir pan juices over a high heat until they have reduced. Adjust seasoning , and add mustard and cream. Gently heat for a moment (do not boil). Pour over fish and garnish with chives.

Suggested wines: Chablis, Pouilly-Fuisse or Meursault.

La Queue de Boeuf des Vignerons
(Oxtail cooked with Grapes)
serves 4 to 6

2 oz (1/3 of a stick) butter
4 oz (1/4 lb) bacon diced
2 large onions peeled and diced
2 garlic cloves peeled and chopped
6 carrots, diced
2 oxtails cut into short lengths
3 bay leaves
Sprig of fresh thyme
Handful of freshly chopped parsley
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 lbs white grapes ( seedless)

Melt butter in a large casserole. Add bacon and fry gently. Add onions, garlic, and carrots and cook over low heat for 15 minutes.

Add oxtail and herbs. Season, cover and cook over low heat for 20 minutes.

Lightly crush the grapes in a bowl and add them to the casserole. Transfer to a low oven (275 degrees), for 3 to 4 hours or until the meat almost falls off the bones. Skim fat from the surface of the sauce, and serve immediately from casserole. Serve with oven roasted red potatoes.

Suggested wines: Mercurey, Givry, or a Cote de Beaune.

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