Pamela Vandyke Price
The English, defeated at the battle of Castillon in 1453, thenceforth relinquished their rule over the Duchy of Acquitaine. But they never did abandon their influence throughout the Gironde and, in matters of wine and food, they demonstrate that quiet, seeming-casual expertise that resulted in the best meals I recently enjoyed in the region, whether in the homes of the young executives in the wine trade, as guest in restaurants where the contemporary version of the ' milor ' had cast an aweinspiring eye upon the kitchen beforehand, or on the occasions where we ate whatever had been previously prepared in the kitchen of the vendangeurs and was sent over to the dining-room. (Significantly, the vintage kitchens most sought after by hungry students doing a stint in the vineyards are on the British or partly-British owned properties, even though a Frenchwoman may be the actual cook.) Brightest of many highlights was a new dish created by Pam and John Salvi, he of Maison Sichel, she formerly secretary to a renowned Master of Wine, within days of the birth of her fourth child, and plus the one-year-old son and three-year-old twins, thinking nothing of evolving two remarkable dishes on a Sunday morning. The chicken stuffed with fresh tarragon and cepes will be beyond the resources of most of us, but, although I haven't yet tried to cook what I must call Salvi artichokes, I think they should be fairly simple if you have a recipe for cheese soufflé on which you can rely.
For a supper dish, you allow a large artichoke each, for a first course, a small one, Half or third cook the artichokes, then take them out and remove the chokes. Into the centre of each put a portion of cheese soufflé mixture, using the hollowed-out vegetables just as you would ramekin dishes for individual little souffles. Bake until the souffles have puffed up and are just set, then serve. The presentation is delightful, the flavour of the leaves dipped into the slightly creamy souffle delicious. You only need a knife and fork to eat the fond of the artichoke. Obviously the amount of soufflé mixture depends on the number of artichokes — and their size; if you parcook the artichokes and let them get cold, you must allow slightly longer in the oven when you have added the soufflé mixture than if you put it into the hot vegetables. Otherwise, between 30 and 40 minutes in a moderate oven will be the time to calculate. Be careful not to salt the soufflé too much, as the artichoke may be slightly salty as well.
Another delectable idea for enlivening the autumn: sorrel as the accompaniment to grilled sole. This was suggested to the HOtel Atlantic, in Wimereaux, famous for its wine list as well as its cooking, and where I admitted I was tired and could only eat something light. The freshness of the sorrel (Elizabeth David gives instructions in French Provincial Cooking as to how to prepare it), and its soft green colour, is delicious with the fish.
Finally — the prevalence of serving yin blanc cassis as an aperitif. This generous glastul 01 white wine, ' spiked ' with cassis liqueur, is something that no one can dislike — and that many people can enjoy far more sincerely before a meal accompanied by fine wines than anything snore elaborate. Called ' rince cochon ' in some parts of France, it is also known as ' un Kir ' in Burgundy, because of the revered Canon Kir, Mayor of Dijon, whose courage during the Occupation earned him respect and whose enjoyment of the Nod things of Burgundian life (he was well into his nineties when he died) won him affection. The original white wine for this was Macon blanc, or Bourgogne Aligote, but any fairly dry white wine will serve. It's up to the individual to put a teaspoonful or dessertspoonful into the glasses. 1 don't think that blackcurrant syrup will do at all — the drink seems to need the infinitesimal kick of the liqueur. So Creme de Cassis costs about £2.20 — but a bottle goes a very long way indeed via vin blanc cassis. And, If you're thinking along harshly economic lines, it enables you to serve a really cheap white wine without risking your guests putting their glasses down and saying, haven't you got any whisky? It looks pretty too.
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