The specialties of Perigord

Impossible to talk about the Périgord without evoking its legendary and diversified gastronomy. It has for base these wonderful products which are the foie gras, the duck comfit, the truffle, the walnut, the jam and the wine. You will also be able to buy all these products in one of the many local markets or from the producers.

Le foie gras

Nowadays, its the duck foie gras which is the most consumed, its affirmed taste pleases greatly. The geese foie gras, on its side, is more refined, more delicate and attracts also many sticklers.

The raw geese foie gras weighs about 600g to 700g and a raw duck foie gras weighs the most often between 450g and 600g. However, to get the denomination Foie Gras, a minimum weight is to be respected. 400g for a geese Foie and 300g for a duck Foie.

duck confit

The duck comfit is a very sought-after ingredient of the cuisine of Périgord. It is made from fat birds, fattened by force-feeding, the same which are used to produce the duck breast and the foie gras. The meat is cooked more than one hour in hot fat, then put into jars and covered of fat so that the air cannot come in contact with it and deteriorate it. In old days, this was (with the salting) one of the very few methods allowing to preserve meat for a period going from a few months to one year.

A classic recipe based on duck comfit consists in frying or roasting the meat in a small part of its fat till its is well brown and crisp, then to roast potatoes seasoned with garlic in the remaining of the fat to accompany it. Potatoes prepared in this way are called potatoes à la sarladaise.

You will find that dish on the Snack of the Le Moulin de David campsite.

The cep

The cep is a variety of boletus, very famous in French gastronomy. Its name comes from its local name "cep" which means "trunk". It is recognizable by its top, plump and round. White, yellow, purplish blue or brown, its diameter varies between 6cm and 20cm. Infrying pan full plain or seasoned with parsley and garlic, it is a dream garnish for meat, fish or game dishes. It can also be used with many accompanying sauces, with wine, with fresh cream...

It always enhances preparations based on eggs, either soft-boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, shirred eggs or an omelet. A big classic of the cuisine of Périgord, the omelet with ceps is a delight by itself. Sufficiently copious, it makes itself a meal, with a green salad and a small cabécou (raw goat's milk cheese). 

the walnut

Périgord is certainly one of the cradles of the walnut. We indeed find the Périgord 's Nut in the 17,000 years old dwellings of the man of Cro-Magnon and in the Azilian period in the site of Peyrat near Terrasson in Dordogne. Its value was such that, already in the 10th century, the peasants were settling their debts in measures of walnuts. Walnut oil was considered as a good as precious as gold. Besides it was walnut oil which contributed to the wealth of the region. In 1730, three-fourth of the peasants were using only walnut oil for cooking. Since, walnut oil has acquired its letters patent of dietetic and gastronomic nobility.

Note that the half-walnut has an appellation of controlled origin only in Périgord.