Taste Le Tour with Gabriel Gate S14 287 Chestnut Cream Surprise with Mendiants
Channel: Peter J Warren
Date: 23/07/2018

Chestnut Cream Surprise with Mendiants

script
Ep 14 (287)
INTRODUCTION PTC This is the beautiful city of Mende on the side of the Lot river in the Lozère region.

VO  I have a soft spot for this attractive old city tucked in the valley at the north of the Languedoc Roussillon.

PTC This region produces some of the finest meat in France - the beef from Aubrac, The beef from Aubrac is world-class and the lamb from the Lozère is one of the tastiest in France. But there is also a speciality of sausage, some with cabbage and some with silver beet.  

VO the centre of town is exquisite, dominated by the five-century-old cathedral

PTC.The historic cathedral square of this city is the perfect place to taste the local biscuit speciality, called le croquant de Mende. It is made with hazelnuts and almonds and was created by a local pâtissier in 1900.
 
 Chestnut Cream Surprise with Mendiants
Surprise de Crème de Marrons et Mendiants

PTC  This chestnut cream dessert is packed with delicious surprises.

VO   First I melt some chocolate in a bowl over a bath of hot water.
Once it’s melted, I stir it until very smooth and shiny.

I then spoon little mounds of chocolate on baking paper and form small 
3cm discs.  I garnish the discs with pieces of confit orange, sultanas and roasted hazelnuts. These chocolate treats are called mendiants.

I whip some cream until firm, then fold in a little sweetened chestnut spread, called ‘crème de marrons’.  I place it in a piping bag and pipe a little into some chocolate cups.

PtC   These cups are available from specialist gourmet stores.

VO   I top with preserved cherries, some meringue pieces, then cover with the chestnut cream.

I dust a little icing sugar on top of fresh cherries and garnish the dessert with a cherry and a mendiant.

This surprise de crème de marrons avec des mendiants is sure to impress.

VO  Today I am thrilled to visit a typical provincial French hotel, the Hôtel de France in Mende. In the last two weeks I have been to expensive top end restaurants, so today I am meeting Luc Boudon, an excellent restaurateur, who runs the hotel’s affordable traditional French restaurant.  

INTERVIEW  
J’aime recevoir, je crois que c’est ça. J’aime faire plaisir.
I love welcoming people, I think that is the key. I love to please.
Je pense que c’est à la fois d’être disponible,
I think it is in some ways to be available
dans une certaine douceur, être là au bon moment
with a certain softness, to be present
sans trop en faire, mettre de lelégance dans le geste.
without overdoing it, and to be elegant in our movements.

VO  His chef, Christophe, also works harmoniously with his cuisinier.
The lamb looks great.


L’agneau vient de chez Jean Pierre, mon frère, mon frère ainé.
The lamb comes from Jean Pierre, my older brother.
Il nous produit un agneau de pays magnifique.  C’est un pur bonheur.
He produces a magnificent local lamb. It’s pure pleasure.

VO Oh, yes pure pleasure it is!

VO  the excellent and good value regional red wine called Corbières is a great match with the lamb.
The plateau de fromage has a magnetic effect on me. 

INTERVIEW
Ah! le plateau de fromage, le plateau de fromage,
Ah! the cheese platter, the cheese platter.
c’est essentiellement des fromages de pays,
We have essentially regional cheeses
mais j’aime aussi aller voir ce qui se passe ailleurs.
But I also like to propose cheeses from elsewhere.


V0  It’s common in rural France for the cheese course to be cheaper than dessert.
So why deprive myself.

PTC  Tomorrow I am in the amazing city of Carcassonne to taste the speciality of cassoulet.