Free French Provincial Cooking by Elizabeth David Page A

that evening, was composed of a cream of pumpkin soup with little croûtons fried in butter, a young turkey roasted on the spit accompanied by a large country sausage and a salad of potatoes, dandelions and beetroot, and followed by a big bowl of pears cooked in red wine and served with whipped cream.
    ‘Next morning at the agreed hour, we were all ready, and furnished with the necessary provisions and accompanied by local guides, we climbed the rocky paths, real goat tracks, without too much difficulty; and before long the fusillade began. It was those members of the party who had gone ahead who were opening the shoot by bagging two hares; the day promised to be fairly fruitful. And indeed so it turned out, since we were back at the house by about four o’clock, somewhat tired, but proud to count out: three hares, a very young chamois, eleven partridges, three capercailzies, six young rabbits and a quantity of small birds.
    ‘After a light collation, we patiently awaited dinner contemplating the while the admirable panorama which lay before us. The game which we had shot was reserved for the next day’s meals.
    ‘Our dinner that evening consisted of a cabbage, potato and kohl-rabi soup, augmented with three young chickens, an enormous piece of lean bacon and a big farmhouse sausage. The broth, with some of the mashed vegetables, was poured over slices of toast, which made an excellent rustic soup. What remained of the vegetables were arranged on a large dish around the chickens, the bacon and the sausage; here was the wherewithal to comfort the most robust of stomachs, and each of us did due honour to this good family dish.
    ‘To follow, we were served with a leg of mutton, tender and pink, accompanied by a purée of chestnuts. Then, a surprise—but one which was not entirely unexpected from our host, who had an excellent cook—an immense, hermetically sealed terrine, which, placed in the middle of the table, gave out, when it was uncovered, a marvellous scent of truffles, partridges, and aromatic herbs.
    ‘This terrine contained eight young partridges, amply truffled and cased in fat bacon, a little bouquet of mountain herbs and several glasses of fine-champagne cognac. All had been lengthily and gently cooked in hot embers. At the same time was served a celery salad. As for the wines, we had first the excellent local white wine, then Burgundy, and finally a famous brand of champagne. The dinner ended with beautiful local fruit, and fine liqueurs.’

    ‘The next day, Saturday, after breakfast, which consisted of boiled eggs, fresh butter from the farm and coffee with cream, we spent the morning visiting the farm and the neighbourhood. At half-past twelve we were once more gathered in the great dining-room, with two extra guests. The mayor and the village curé had been invited, an invitation which must have been all the more acceptable to them because of their rather monotonous lives in this remote part of the country.
    ‘Luncheon was composed partly of the trophies of the previous day’s shooting; the pure mountain air had advantageously taken the place of any apéritif; nor did we have any hors-d’œuvre but instead, some ombres-chevaliers 3 from the lac du Bourget, cooked and left to get cold in white wine from our host’s own vineyards. These were accompanied by a completely original sauce, and here is the recipe:
    RECIPE: Grated horseradish, mixed with an equal quantity of skinned walnuts finely chopped; a dessertspoon of powdered sugar, a pinch of salt, the juice of two lemons, enough fresh cream to obtain a sauce neither too thick nor too liquid.

    ‘After the ombres-chevaliers , we had eggs scrambled with cheese, enriched with white truffles which a shepherd had brought from the boundaries of the Savoie, close to the frontier of Piedmont.
    ‘Then came an excellent civet of hare à la bourgeoise, assuredly far superior to all the fantasies known as à /a royale ; there seems no point in giving the