Tuesday, July 13, 2021

Wine & Food of Le Tour 2021, Stage 16: Pas de la Case to Saint Gaudens

Where are we? Leaving Andorra and heading back to France.

Pas de la Case: A tourist resort in Andorra. Because it amused me, I checked out the CIA listing for Andorra: The landlocked Principality of Andorra is one of the smallest states in Europe, nestled high in the Pyrenees between the French and Spanish borders. For 715 years, from 1278 to 1993, Andorrans lived under a unique coprincipality, ruled by French and Spanish leaders (from 1607 onward, the French chief of state and the Bishop of Urgell). In 1993, this feudal system was modified with the introduction of a modern constitution; the co-princes remained as titular heads of state, but the government transformed into a parliamentary democracy.
Andorra has become a popular tourist destination visited by approximately 8 million people each year drawn by the winter sports, summer climate, and duty-free shopping. Andorra has also become a wealthy international commercial center because of its mature banking sector and low taxes. 

Saint Gaudens: The local tourist site tells me that: The inhabitants of Saint-Gaudens will tell you: if you only see one monument during your time here, it should be the Saint-Pierre church! Renowned as one of the most beautiful churches along the Way of Saint James, it is one of the most recognisable symbols of Saint-Gaudens.
At the heart of the old town, this building is impressive for its dimensions and impressive bell wall. History and architectural buffs, take notice: the collegiate church, dedicated to Saint Pierre and Saint Gaudens, is a true masterpiece of Romanesque art, built between the 11th and 12th centuries.
This is the largest Romanesque church in all of the Comminges (and in our opinion the most beautiful)!
The pretty cloister is a great place to linger and admire the surrounding architecture.
The kids’ discovery circuit, organised by the Saint-Gaudens tourist office, offers young visitors a fun way to explore the Saint-Pierre collegial church!


Le Tour specialties:
Pas de la Case: Escudella (pot au feu), trinxat (cabbage, potatoes and bacon), mountain meats, Andorran-style river trout, cold meats, cheeses, wines and craft beer
Saint Gaudens: south-western gastronomy, duck, confit

Christian Prudhomme says: The Yellow Jersey contenders could enjoy a moment of truce and the hilly stage profile seems to favour breakaway riders who will still be fresh enough in this third week of racing. They will have to shake up the race if they don’t want to miss out on one of the last clear opportunities of shining.



The stage: Well, I watched the stage. But my internet was down until about forty kilometers to go. On a positive note, it did seem to be a stage for the break and there had been limited drama, despite a late start due to the cold and rain. Also, Lachlan Morton made it to Paris!
Thirty six kilometers to go and Konrad went solo.
As they continued to climb, there was a chase duo of Colbrelli and Gaudu. On the downhill, Colbrelli was struggling, which slowed the chase. Twenty kilometers to go and Konrad had forty five seconds.
Really nice win for Konrad!
After that finish, a split in the field for the peloton. It looked like most of the top ten riders were there, making it a rather strange move.


Stage:

Pos.		Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Patrick Konrad (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe4:01:59
2Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bahrain Victorious0:00:42
3Michael Matthews (Aus) Team BikeExchange
4Pierre-Luc Périchon (Fra) Cofidis
5Franck Bonnamour (Fra) B&B Hotels p/b KTM
6Alex Aranburu Deba (Spa) Astana-Premier Tech
7Toms Skujins (Lat) Trek-Segafredo0:00:45
8Jan Bakelants (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
9David Gaudu (Fra) Groupama-FDJ0:00:47
10Lorenzo Rota (Ita) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux0:01:03


The wine: Domaine du Moulin Mauzac NV
Christy tells me that: Sparkling wines made from the mauzac grape are wonderfully unfashionable. And wonderfully delicious. If you're craving something that's a little less fruity than prosecco, a little softer than a cremant or champange, and a little more classic than a cool-kid petnat, this bottle could be just what you need. It's tasty, apple-y, all-around yummy goodness.

The food: Le Tour tells me that: Mounjetade, which takes its name from the Occitan word munjeto (white bean), is the Ariège version of cassoulet. It is also the traditional dish of Comminges and Saint-Gaudens. Google found this recipe.

Ingredients

. 500g of pre-soaked Tarbais beans
. 1 pork knuckle
. 1 rind sausage
. 500 g of sausages
. 2 confit goose legs
. 1 ham bone
. 500 g of tomatoes
. 1 onion studded with cloves
. 1 head of unpeeled garlic
. 1 head of peeled garlic
. 1 minced onion
. 1 bouquet garni

Preparation

- Soak the Tarbais beans for 12 hours in cold water.
- Drain them, cover them largely with cold water. Blanch them, then discard the water.
- In a frying pan, melt the tomatoes, garlic and onions.
- Pour the vegetables into a large casserole dish.
- Add the rind sausage, the pork knuckle, the ham bone and the beans.
- Cover with two and a half liters of lukewarm water.
- Add the bouquet garni, the head of unpeeled garlic and the onion studded with the cloves.
- Simmer for at least 3 hours.
- ½ hour before the end of cooking, add the defatted confit.
- Pepper.
- The “cassoulet” sauce should not be too short.
- Add water during cooking to obtain the right consistency if necessary.
- Put the fresh sausage previously pan-fried on the beans.
- Gently brown for 1 hour, possibly adding cooking liquid.
- The "mounjetado" is ripe when the cooking liquid creams on the edges.

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