Gourmet and Norman recipes by Altacasa
Maison des Chérottes is located in the department of Eure, in the heart of Haute-Normandie, an area rich in gastronomic tradition and a producer of fine cheeses. A network of local markets attracts producers of all kinds, selling a variety of foods grown and produced in the region.
Numerous Michelin-starred chefs have restaurants in the area; these include Arnaud Viel, Nicolas Fages, Jérôme Bansard and Philippe Hardy. There are also tourist attractions like the Busnel distillery, the Ferme des Peupliers (poplar farm) and the Cluizel chocolate factory, located 5 minutes from the house, Maison des Chérottes.
Three-starred Michelin chef Alain Passard has his kitchen close by. Visit the estate and leave with the chef's products, ingredients for Norman recipes that will wow your guests. Here is a selection of dishes worth experimenting with:
Normandy-style free-range chicken
Ingredients for 4 people:
8 free-range chicken thighs from the region
30 g unsalted butter
2 yellow onions
2 stalks of celery
1 clove of garlic
500 ml of local farm cider
100 ml beef, poultry or vegetable stock
Bouquet garni (bundle of herbs): bay leaf, thyme and fresh rosemary
2 generous tablespoons of fresh cream
2 teaspoons of mustard
Salt and pepper
Preparation:
To start, season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper.
Preheat the oven to 180°.
In a hot skillet, melt the butter then brown the chicken over high heat for 4 minutes on each side and then put aside.
After rinsing, mince the garlic, onions and celery. Fry until tender. Deglaze with cider.
Add the broth of your choice, as well as the herbs: thyme, rosemary and bay leaves.
Pour this over the chicken; cover and bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
Take the dish out of the oven and remove the chicken. Add the fresh cream and mustard to the sauce in the pan, stir over low heat for 5 minutes until thickened.
Pour the sauce into a dish and then add the chicken.
Sprinkle with fresh thyme and pepper.
Fish à la Normandie
Ingredients for four servings:
700g local potatoes
4 local apples
1 onion, 1 shallot
200 ml local cider
4 white fish fillets (e.g. bass or hake)
Cinnamon, quantity to your liking
30g of butter
4 tablespoons heavy cream
Salt and pepper
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 220°.
After washing the potatoes, cook them in a pot of salted water.
Once peeled, cut the apples into medium wedges and slice them thinly.
Slice the onion into thin slices.
Arrange the apples in an ovenproof dish, add the onion (cut into thin strips) and sprinkle with half the cider.
Arrange the white fish fillets on top.
Season to taste with cinnamon, salt and pepper.
Put the dish in the oven for 20 minutes. Check to see when its done.
While cooking, make the sauce: peel the shallot then brown it in butter. With the rest of the cider, deglaze then add the fresh cream. Thicken for about ten minutes.
Take the dish out of the oven and cover it with the sauce and enjoy.
Norman soft-boiled eggs
Ingredients for four servings:
12 eggs
250g mushrooms
80g butter
20g flour
1 onion
400ml of local cider
100ml fresh cream
Salt and pepper
Preparation:
Wash the mushrooms then remove the stems. Wipe the heads and chop them finely into strips.
In 30g of butter, sauté the mushrooms until the water evaporates.
Add salt and pepper.
Finely chop the onion and sauté it with the rest of the butter.
Add the flour and continue cooking for a minute while stirring.
Deglaze with cider and cook over low heat for 10 minutes.
Add the mushrooms, season to taste and simmer over low heat.
To finish, soft-boil the eggs (+- 6 minutes), cut them in half and arrange them on a dish, the yolk visible.
Drizzle with the sauce and savor.
Normandy tart
Ingredients for 6 servings
1.5 kg of local apples
2 eggs
80g of sugar
250g heavy cream
1 sachet of vanilla sugar
For the dough:
250g flour
150g butter
1 teaspoon of sugar
2 pinches of salt, ideally fleur de sel
6 tablespoons of milk
1 egg
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 210°
To start, prepare the pie crust. Cut the cold butter into pieces and add together with the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl and mix with a food processor until you obtain a sandy mixture. Add the whole egg then the milk and mix until the dough forms a ball. Sprinkle it with flour and refrigerate.
Butter your pie pan, then flour it.
After peeling the apples, remove the core and cut into quarters.
In a bowl, whisk the whole eggs, cream and sugar.
Roll out the dough with a rolling pin, put it in the mold and crush it with a fork.
Spread the apple quarters in a rosette on the dough.
On top, pour the egg, cream and sugar mixture over the apples.
Sprinkle with vanilla sugar and bake for 15 minutes in the oven.
Lower the temperature of your oven to 180° and continue baking for 30 to 40 minutes.