The Best of Taste Le Tour with Gabriel Gate s15 ep305
Channel: Peter J Warren
Date: 2020-03-07

"Bonjour and welcome to best of Taste le Tour.  
Today we feature ancient cellars where some of the most exquisite French spirits and liqueurs are made and matured "
"France is home to some of the best liquors and spirits in the world.
Over the years I have been lucky to try many of them."
This is Château de Maniban in Mauléon d’Armagnac here I meet Florence Castarede, a sixth generation Armagnac maker, who runs the oldest Armagnac house which was founded in 1832.
"So Armagnac is the result of a distillation of white wine.
The magic of the aging of Armagnac is the mysterious alchemy between this and the wooden cask."
The wooden cask makes the colour and the aromas so more you are aging the Armagnac the more you have complexity and the more you have aromas in your glasses.
The first flavours of Armagnac is flavours of fruit, like prune.
You can have a smell also of pear, of vanilla, so this is the first impression, the prune especially the prunes.
Parfait au Café et aux Pruneaux å L’Amagnac /  Coffee Parfait with Prunes and Armagnac
Armagnac is a much-used liqueur amongst chefs and pastry cooks, and this iced coffee dessert with prunes soaked in Armagnac is out of this world.
I first cut 15 prunes in half and mix gently with 50 ml Armagnac.
I then make a syrup by cooking sugar and water together until it takes on a light yellow tinge.
I place 6 egg yolks in a mixing bowl and, while beating, pour the syrup in bit by bit.
It needs to be beaten for about 10 minutes until creamy and cold.
"Gently I Mix in 1 tsp coffee essence and the macerated prunes and fold in 300 ml whipped cream.  
Before transferring to a mould and freeze for at least 8 hours."
The fun part is to dip the mould in warm water to un-mould the parfait.
"I like to garnish it with crystallised violets - a speciality of Toulouse - and a few extra prunes soaked in Armagnac.
Yum!  For adults only."
One of the most famous liquors in the world, the green Chartreuse, has been made in the Alpes since 1737 by the Chartreuse Monks from a secret recipe.
The liquor is complex with strong dominant herbal notes.
The top of the range is aged for 10 years and is a wonderful taste experience.
The beautiful and world-famous liqueur of Cointreau was created and is made in the city of Angers.
I have enjoyed the orange liqueur from this iconic bottle all my life and used it in many desserts. 
"I love the idea of learning to make simple, no fuss, refreshing cocktails.   
Maude, my cocktail teacher, adds 50 mls of Cointreau and tops with a little sparkling water and the juice of half a lime."
One cocktail is flavoured with strawberry pieces and crushed mint.
That is good!
Tomorrow on the best of Taste le Tour we feature two great french classics, the Cassoulet dish and the Roquefort cheese.