Chicken in a cream sauce (poulet Vallée d’Auge) can be found almost everywhere. Cream naturally plays an important part in many sauces whether with veal or steak. Pork in cider is another country dish which originated in Calvados and Caux area. Lamb on the menu in restaurants in the south of The Manche, near Mont-saint-Michel, will usually include the term “Pré-salé”. This refers to the sheep reared on the salt plains around the bay of Mont-Saint-Michel, which gives the meat a delicate extra taste. Other Norman specialties, which may appeal to the more adventurous, include Tripe traditionally from Caen (Tripe à la mode de Caen) but also served on skewers at la Ferté Macé in the Orne. Vire is famous for its Chitterling ( Andouilles) and in Mortagne-au-Perche, they’re proud of their black pudding. Canard Rouennais is a particular crossbreed of duck from the Seine Valley, which produces a more meaty bird. It is perhaps best not to ask how authentic Canard Rouennais is prepared. For fish dishes, sole from Dieppe is a specialty as is the local fish stew (marmite Diéppoise).

Cheese - Normandy is the undisputed champion of the cheese board and virtually every part of the region can boast its own speciality. Camembert is probably the best known internationally and it hails from the village of the same name near Vimoutiers (just south of the Orne/ Calvados border). If you like your cheese a little stronger, then Livarot and the slightly salty Pont-L’Evêque (both from Calvados) will satisfy. In the Seine-Maritime, it’s the Neufchatel which counts.

Desserts - For a region seemingly overrun with apples and cream then the dessert menu is perhaps predictable. The variety of dishes based on these ingredients which appear on the menu will nevertheless astound you. Of course, the most famous is the apple tart but with the addition of a little flambéed Calvados and fresh cream.

Drink - Normandy cider is generally light and more refreshing to drink than our own notion of “scrumpy” and as such it can be the perfect companion to many dishes. The result of distilling cider is of course Calvados. The fiery Brandy is normally served with (or even in) your coffee although its traditional role is to be drunk between courses. Many restaurants now offer a more refreshing version of the Trou Normand in the form of a Calvados flavored sorbet. Calvados is used with the “must” or the “worst” of cider to produce Normandy’s very own aperitif: the Pommeau. A deliciously refreshing drink when served chilled.

Routes gastronomiques

The Cider Route - To the east of Caen, the cider route is assigned tourist route which weaves its way trough countryside typical of the area, linking the villages of Beuvron en Auge, Bonnebosq and Beaufour Druval via picturesque little roads. The rounded landscape, with its chateaux, manors, half-timbered houses and apple orchards, makes up the picture postcard scene. An authentic land where the horse is king, the Pays d’Auge is dotted with famous stud farms. The cider route links about twenty local producers, easily recognisable by the signpost “cru de Cambremer”. They also welcome visitors, offering a guided tour of the cellars and tasting.

The Tradition Route - Situated close to Caen, this tourist route which winds its way through the pré-Bocage via the villages of Villers-Bocage, Dampierre and Caumont l’Eventé is a true reflection of local tradition. Here farmers and craftsmen remain attached to their tradition. Their living spaces and work places, their knowledge and skills, and certain techniques productions are elements of authenticity and quality which are also linked to the methods and technology of today. These producers are open to visitors wanting to see their work places: they will take you on a tour, explaining their production methods as they go along and then selling the end products: honey, cheese, traditional breads, foie gras, cider, pommeau and Calvados…The route is also dotted with old villages, churches, chapels, and an ancient architectural heritage. Several circular footpaths have been signposted and families can also enjoy the lake at Cahagnes or the zoo at Jurques. At Caumont l’Eventé, the soutteroscope is well worth a visit-created within the old slate mines, it highlights the little-known world of geodes.

The Perry route - This itinerary from Domfront to Barenton invites you to cut cross a country of Bocage planted with hedges and peer tree’s orchards. In this only landscape in Europe was born the Perry Domfront (poiré), traditional drink elaborated from the fermentation of the pear’s juice, and which enjoy of an A.O.C. (quality label). The Domfrontais like the Barentonais could of course be discovered in all seasons. But yet don’t miss to come in April, unforgettable moment where peer tree’s dress with 1000 and one flowers. This is an invite to visit the producers, which will welcome you with pleasure and give you their products for sampling.

Some Norman recipes

Veal Escallopes in a Calvados Sauce

Preparation: 10 minutes Cooking time: 30minutes

Ingredients (to serve 5): 5 veal escalopes, 100g (4 oz) butter, 200g (8 oz) mushrooms, 2 soup spoons of vegetable oil, 1 small glass of calvados, 10 dl (1/5^th pint) crème fraîche, sprig of parsley, salt, pepper

Drink: cider

1) Clean, wash and dry the mushrooms and slice them

2) In a frying pan, heat 50g (2 oz) butter with the oil. Place the escalopes in the pan and cook them on both sides until golden brown. Pour in the calvados, flame. Salt and generously pepper. Add a tiny amount of hot water. Cook over a low heat for 10 mins.

3) In another frying pan, melt the rest of the butter and cook the mushrooms for 6 or 7 mins. Salt and pepper. Wash and shop the parsley.

4) When the escalopes are cooked, add the mushrooms and the crème fraîche and heat until piping hot. Pour into a serving dish, sprinkle on the parsley.

Teurgoule

In a large earthenware bowl, place 25 sugar cubes (= 125g or 5oz), 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, 1 pinch of salt, 150g (6 oz) rice and 2 litters of boiling milk. Add a knob of butter. Leave to cook for 5 hours in a cool heaven.

Apple Flan flavoured with Calvados

Preparation: 15 mins. Cooking time: 45 mins.
Ingredients (to serve 4): 125g (5 oz) flour, 175g (7 oz) caster sugar, 100g (4 oz) butter, 4 soupspoons cream, 8 dl (1/6th pint) milk, 4 cl (1/3 gill) calvados, 4 apples, 3 eggs, pinch of salt.
For flambée: 6 dl (1/2 gill) calvados. To grease tin: 20g (1 oz) butter. To decorate: 2 dl (1/6 gill) very fresh pouring cream.
1) Put the flour in a bowl and make a well in the centre, into which put 125g (5oz) sugar, the cream and the calvados. Melt 50g (2 oz) butter without heating and pour into the well.
2) Add a whole egg. Separate the remaining two eggs. Add the 2 yellows to the flour mixture and put the whites to one side.
3) Slightly warm the milk. Add to the flour-cream-sugar-egg mixture and stir. The whole should have the consistency of a batter.
4) Peel the apples and cut them in half. Remove the heart and the pips. Cut them into thin slices. Melt the rest of the butter in a pan and when hot, throw in the apples. Sprinkle over the rest of the sugar and gently caramelise. Keep hot.
5) Heat the oven to a moderate temperature. Grease a sandwich tin. Add the pinch of salt to the egg whites and beat them until stiff and peaky. Gently fold into the mixture.
6) Place the apples in the base of the sandwich tin. Pour over the mixture. Put into oven and cook.
7) Once cooked, let dessert cool and then remove from tin and place on serving dish.
Heat the calvados. When boiling pours it over the flan and flame
8) Serve with a jug of fresh cream.
Variations:
1) Can also be served warm and flamed with chilled calvados custard.
2) You can sprinkle the top of the flan with roughly chopped almonds before putting it in the oven.

Tripe traditionally from Caen cooked in cider

Preparation and marinating: (if using raw tripe) 1 hour
Cooking time: 8 hrs 30 mins (4 hours if using a pressure cooker, 45 mins if using ready cooked tripe and trotters.
Ingredients (To serve 6 people) 1 kg (2 pounds) tripe (very white and thick), 1 calf's trotter and 1 cow's trotter (deboned), piece of bacon rind, 2 carrots, 2 leeks, 4 onions, 1 bouquet garni, (thyme, parsley, bay, celeriac), one clove of garlic, 1 branch of tarragon, 5 cloves, 1 glass of calvados, enough cider to fill the cooking pot, salt, pepper, Cayenne pepper, soupspoon of flour for the lid.
Drink: cider.
1) If you are using raw tripe and feet, scrape them and wash them several times over. Heat a pan of water. When the water is boiling, add the tripe etc. Cook for 3 mins in the simmering water, strain, dry in a tea towel. Cut the tripe into evenly sized pieces. Debone the calf and cows' trotters, cut into squares.
2) Peel the carrots, leeks, onions and garlic. Dice the white of the leeks. Cut the rind into four.
3) In the base of a thick-sided pot (in the past earthenware pots were used), place the carrots, leeks, onions, garlic, tarragon, bouquet garni, cloves, and pieces of rind. Salt and pepper. Add the tripe, trotters and pour in the calvados. Leave to marinate for _ hour.
4) Pour in the cider until all the ingredients are covered. Add a little hot water to the flour and roll the edges of the cooking pot lid in this paste (it will form a kind of glue). Put the lid on the pot. Cook in the oven for 8 hours.
5) A quarter of an hour before the end of the cooking time, warm a deep dish.
6) When the tripe is cooked, place it in the dish and keep warm. Pass the cooking juices though a small metallic conical strainer. Pour over the hot tripe. Serve immediately.

Oyster tartlets Normandy style

Preparation: 45 mins.
Total cooking time: 20 - 25 mins.
Ingredients: (to serve 4 people): 2 dozen oysters, _ litre mussels, 1 sachet of shelled prawns, 100g (4oz) button mushrooms, 1 lemon, 1.5 dl (1/8 gill) dry white wine, 1 shallot, 3 dl (1/4 gill) crème fraîche, 100g (4oz butter), 8 short crust pastry tartlets, salt and pepper.
Drink: a Pouilly Fumé, Quincy or fine bottled cider.
1) Scrape the mussels, carefully wash them several times, strain them. Peel the shallot and finely chop. Squeeze the lemon.
2) In a saucepan, add the shallot, white wine and a little pepper. Bring to the boil and then throw in the mussels and cook them over a strong heat for 8 mins, stirring occasionally.
3) Clean, wash and dry the mushrooms. If they are too big, cut them into quarters.
4) In a saucepan, add the lemon juice and a glass of water. Salt and pepper. Bring to the boil and throw in the mushrooms. Cover and cook for 8 mins, stirring occasionally.
5) Remove the mussels from pan and shell them. Carefully filter the cooking juice through a cloth. Put them to one side.
6) Open the oysters, pour the juice into a pan. Remove the oysters from their shells and gently simmer them in their own juice for 4 minutes.
7) Strain the mushrooms and the oysters, keeping their cooking juice. Heat the oven to a cool temperature.
8) Pour the mussel juice into a pan. Add the oyster juice and half of the mushroom juice. Evaporate off 9/10ths of this mixture and then add the crème fraîche and reduce until the mixture thickens. Remove the pan from heat and add butter cut into small pieces. Stir. The sauce must not boil.
9) Heat the tartlets in the oven.
10) Add the mussels, oysters, prawns and well-drained mushrooms to the sauce. Heat gently without boiling. Use this mixture to decorate the tartlets. Serve piping hot.