Poitou-Charentes invites all those who love food and fine cuisine to its table.  The region’s produce is a delight for the senses.  From a long list of local products that can satisfy most tastes, our chef suggests the following:

A glass of Pineau des Charentes

Pineau des Charentes is produced by a blend of three-quarters fresh grape juice must and one-quarter of cognac that is at least 60 proof.  Since the alcohol prevents the must from fermenting, the blend retains its high sugar content. After energetic blending, it is stored in oak barrels and left to age.  Pineau should be  served well chilled, as an aperitif, a dessert wine or with melon and other fruit.  Pineau blanc is drier, it is made from a grape variety known as “Saint-Emilion des Charentes” or “Folle blanche”.  Pineau rose has a fruitier taste, it is made with red Cabernet and Merlot grapes.

Green Oysters from Marennes-Oleron

Marennes-Oleron is Europe’s leading oyster-producing are.  The oyster get their flavour from the small basins in which they are placed to mature, taking on the tastes specific to oysters from this area and the characteristic green colour thanks to the presence of microscopic algae, the blue navivcula.  The quality production is indicated by red labels and there are various “vintages” (crus) depending on the length of time the oysters have spent in the basins.

“Fines” spend a month there, 
“Speciales” spend two months
“Pousses” spend four to eight months in the basins

Traditionally, they are eaten raw with small sausages flavoured with white wine in Oleron, or accompanied by “grillion” (pork sausages) in Charente. 

My French friends tell me to only eat oysters in months that end in R-
September
October
November
December

Cheeseboard- Goat’s cheeses

Legend has it that the “chabichou du Poitou”  was first made in the 7th century by Saracens who had stayed on in the area after the Battle of Poitiers (“chabi” is said to be distortion of the Arabic word chebi meaning goat).  Its thin white rind tinged with a greyis-blue and white, firm but creamy interior are popular with many people.  Maturing lasts from 10 days to several months a produces a chese that is more or less rounded in taste and  increasingly full of glavour as times goes on.  This area pduces other cheeses including caillebotte, the creamy Mothe-Saint-Heray, cheese from Couhe-Verac and La Creeche, and cylindrical goat;’s chese such as Sainte-Maure.

Desserts

“Broye du Poitou”
The biscuit resembles sweet short crust pastry decorated with sliced almonds.  It is dry and very crisp but full of butter and  almonds.  Traditionally, the broye was never cut with a knife.  It was broken up by being hit with the fist.

Tourteau fromager
This rustic recipe dates back to the days when salt, a rare and costly commodity was used very sparingly and when, instead of salting cheese, it was used  fresh in cooking, as curds, or in a soft cake served for desserts on special occasions.  The cake is spongy but set in a crisp, fresh pasty crust and is made with fresh goat’s cheese (or cow’s cheese if no goat’s cheese is available), eggs, flour and sugar.  It is eye catching for it’s rounded top which is always “burnt” and carmelized.