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But back to dinner in Neuilly, most likely we were all a carefully sitting on the antique chairs not daring to be caught tilting (so help if I catch you doing that again…) If we were lucky we might have to listen to a certain French General and politician arguing that the only vote in the upcoming elections was a oui massif then lengthy accusations that inevitably included Americans and their government; there was some sport in watching my father get all worked up, red in the face, veins popping and all because of le General. So the Sunday dinner would be a steaming hot Shepherd’s Pie, salad, cheese and a bottle of red and our glasses might or might not be mixed with just a little red.
I find myself at the helm of yet another regional dish and I’m quite certain you will like her. This particular one is from the Basque region, no surprise to some of you as it is a regional favorite of mine and one that is well known for such things as the piment d’Espelette, the jambon de Bayonne, the tuna from Saint-Jean-De-Luz as in Marmitako Ragout of Tuna Basque Style and their famous cakes gâteau basque à la cerise d’Itsassou. The dish is a slight variation on a theme. It is named after Antoine-Augustin Parmentier, a French pharmacist, nutritionist, and inventor who, in the late 18th century, was instrumental in the promotion of the potato as an edible crop. The word “hachis” means a dish in which the ingredients are chopped or minced, from the same root as the English word “hatchet”. Thanks largely to old man Parmentier’s efforts, the Paris Faculty of Medicine wisely declared potatoes edible in 1772. McDonald’s, as we know, was next.
Basque Style Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients:
(Serves 8)
3 red peppers
3 green peppers
1/2 cup of dry white wine
4 or 5 little onions
2 lbs of cubed beef
Herbs de provence
1 teaspoon piment d’espelette (if you can’t find the piment use Paprika or red pepper)
5 teaspoons of flour
2 lbs potatoes
Nutmeg or Noix de muscade
Milk
Crème fraîche.
Directions:
Over medium heat sweat the sliced peppers and onions for approximately 30 minutes. Near the end add the herbs and white wine. Make sure you taste the wine first, this important. Completely drench the beef in flour.
In a second pan brown the beef, season with salt and pepper then add in peppers and the piment. The piment is not for the faint of heart so judge accordingly. I like to spice things up and suffer but that’s just me.
Prepare your potatoes, peel them and boil them until nice and tender. Add a little bit of water, milk, the crème fraîche. Add in a little grated nutmeg then thoroughly blend together.
Cover the beef and peppers with the puréed potatoes and serve. I like to take one step further and liberally apply grated cheese on top and place in a heated oven at 350 degrees until cheese is nicely brown.
Wine Pairing Suggestions:
Irouleguy wines come from Lower Navarre in the Northern Basque Country, France and are usually considered as part of the wine region of South West France (Sud-Ouest). They are named after the village of Irouléguy and are the only wines with AOC certification in the Northern Basque Country. Irouléguy wines are often referred to as coming from “the smallest vineyard in France, the biggest in the Northern Basque Country.”Red grape varieties include Bordelesa Beltza (Tannat), Axeria (Cabernet Franc and Axeria Handia (Cabernet Sauvignon.) The Domaine Arretxea Irouleguy Rouge 2009 will have you dancing in your birthday suit especially tailored for the event.
Madiran wine is a robust red wine produced around the village of Madiran in Gascony. A very reasonable selection is a Chateau Peyros “Magenta” Madiran 2006. By reasonable I mean I don’t have to think about getting a second job to pay for my wine habit.
Tursan wine comes from an historic area of the South West region of France which survives in the names of two local parishes – Castelnau-Tursan and Vielle Tursan. The wines are quite similar in style to those made in Madiran, just a short distance to the east. Historical note, at the end of a full day of pillaging and other sport, the Roman centurions would often be found stretched on their shields (alive) sipping a red or white Tursan wine. Years later, very little has changed.