Saturday, July 14, 2018

Wine and Food of the Tour de France Stage 8: Dreux to Amiens Métropole

Where are we?
Dreux : Michelin tells me that; Dreux, caught between Île-de-France and Normandy, is an attractive town with a pedestrianised centre, presided over by the majestic royal chapel, in which the Orléans family elected to be buried. With its tombs and recumbent figures it is a veritable museum of 19C sculpture. Be sure to see the superb belfry (16C), the Renaissance Château d'Anet and, with children, the medieval garden of the Écomusée des Vignerons et Artisans drouais. More on that royal chapel:   From 1830, Saint-Louis Chapel of Dreux became the necropolis for the House of France. The recumbent statues from the family of King Louis-Philippe, ordered from some of the most well-known names in 19th-century funerary sculpture: Millet, Barre, Lenoir, Pradier and Mercié. It is Pradier and Mercier who carry out the work on the mausoleum for the King and Queen Marie-Amélie. A visit among the tombs is a way to reminisce on the glories and misfortunes of the members of the Bourbon-Orléans family in the turmoil of the 19th century.
LeTour specialties: Feuille de Dreux (cow’s milk cheese wrapped in chestnut leaves), Durocasse (pastry, vanilla butter cream), brioche with syrup and nougat

Amiens Métropole: Michelin tells me that: Amiens, the capital of Picardy, is home to the largest Gothic cathedral in France, which is twice the size of Notre Dame in Paris and has been designated a World Heritage Site by Unesco. The little cobbled streets around it give the city a medieval appearance. To the north, the canals of Saint Leu are reminiscent of Amsterdam, while to the south, 19C rows of terraces mingle with features of post-war urban planning, symbolised by a tower: the Tour Perret. Finally, the charming marsh gardens (hortillonages) can be visited by boat.
The local tourist site has more about that cathedral: A UNESCO heritage site.
Proof of real technical genius, the Notre-Dame d'Amiens cathedral demonstrates architectural harmony. Built from 1220 to 1288, its size makes it one of the biggest Gothic buildings ever built: 145 m long, 42 m high, and a total volume of 200,000 m3. Its indoor and outdoor statuary is just as remarkable as its architecture. Since it was restored, the polychromy of its Gothic doors has become a main reference. This revelation gave rise to the "Amiens, a cathedral in colours" show, which offers a reproduction of the original medieval colours. 

 LeTour specialties: Macaroons, duck pâté, ficelle picarde (savoury pancake filled with cheese, mushroom and ham), flamiche aux poireaux (leek tart) 

 


The stage: 
Our morning Bastille day break:


Interesting that they chose a relatively quiet stage for Bastille Day and saved the excitement for tomorrow. Alas.
Eighty four kilometers to go and the escapees had 3:45 over the bunch. The expected bunch sprint was continuing to look very likely.
Looks like the whole town came out to watch.


Fifty kilometers to go and the break's advantage was down to two minutes.
Twenty eight kilometers to go and the gap remained around two minutes. The peloton has not been in a hurry to catch them, but it was getting close to go time.
At the bonification point, GVA once again jumps from the bunch, grabbing the remaining second available.
Crash! Among those down, Dan Martin, Jacob Fuglsang, Bauke Mollema, and Julian Alaphilippe. Not a good time to have to chase back on as the peloton was determined to catch the break.
Ahead, with fifteen kilometers to go, the gap to the break had shrunk to forty seconds.


Back to the bunch, Fuglsang but Dan Martin and Alaphilippe would have a more difficult chase. Ahead, Grellier was solo, but would be caught with six kilometers to go.


Wow! Impressive show of speed from yesterday's stage winner, Groenewegen. 
The loser of the day, Dan Martin, losing 1:15.



 Stage:


GC:





The wine: Eric Bordelet 18 Year Single-Cask Calvados
From CopakeWineworks 
Getting a bit fancy here. As a fan of Bordelet's ciders, I could not resist when Christy suggested this splurge.
A description, from Chambers Street Wines:
For lovers of Calvados, I implore you to consider this: a single cask selection by none other than Eric Bordelet. Many of our customers are familiar with Bordelet’s phenomenal ciders, some of the best in Normandy, and this is his second release of brandy. The juice in the bottle was originally distilled in 1998 by a neighbor of Eric’s named H.B. Beudin (who I am unable to find any information on), and spent 18 years in cask without any additives, including water, and was bottled unfiltered at cask strength resulting in a fantastically pure expression of barrel-aged spirit. It is incredibly aromatic with baked apple tatin, cinnamon, dried orange peel, brown sugar, stewed plum, and dried flowers on the nose. The palate is robust with a touch of spice and lifted fruit, and is incredibly balanced and long. This is an incredibly unique addition to anyone’s bar, and I hope to see more spirits from Bordelet in the future!

The food: Flamiche Aux Poireaux (Leek Tart



  • Yield Eight servings
  • Time 1 hour 30 minutes, plus 1 hour's refrigeration



The pastry:

  • 1 ⅓ cups unbleached flour
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 4 to 5 tablespoons ice water

The filling:

  • 12 small leeks (about 3 pounds)
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 large eggs
  • ¼ cup creme fraiche or heavy cream
  • 4 slices unsmoked ham, such as prosciutto, coarsely chopped
  • ¾ cup grated Gruyere-style cheese, such as Comte
Preparation

  1. In a food processor, process the flour, butter and salt until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about 10 seconds. Add three tablespoons of water and process for three seconds. Pinch the dough, and if it does not hold together, add additional water and process for several more seconds. Be careful not to overmix. The dough should not form a ball. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead, just until it forms a ball. Wrap the pastry in plastic wrap and flatten into a disk. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
  2. Roll out the dough to line a 10 1/2-inch tart pan. Carefully transfer the dough to the pan. Chill for another 30 minutes, or until firm.
  3. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
  4. Trim the leeks at the root. Cut off and discard the fibrous, dark green portion. Split the leeks lengthwise for easier cleaning and rinse in cold water until no grit appears. Coarsely chop the leeks.
  5. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat, add the leeks, salt and pepper and cook, covered, until the leeks are very soft, about 20 minutes. They should not brown.
  6. If the leeks have given up an excessive amount of liquid, drain them in a colander. Combine the eggs and creme fraiche in a medium-size bowl, mixing until thoroughly blended. Add the leeks and mix again. Reserve a quarter cup each of the cheese and the ham to sprinkle on top of the tart. Mix the rest into the leek mixture.
  7. Pour the leek mixture into the prepared tart tin. Sprinkle with the ham, then the cheese. Season generously with freshly ground black pepper.
  8. Bake until nicely browned, 40 to 45 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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