Par Margaret Kemp
“Ask not what you can do for your country. Ask what’s for lunch.”
Orson Welles (1915-1985)
Mixing finest French Terroir products with the Best of British, ‘Mincemeat’ and other ‘So British’ Christmas treats are waiting to be enjoyed at
L’Entente, British Brasserie during the Yuletide Season.
Here’s where you’ll find delicious
British Christmas desserts, including ‘Mince Pies’ and ‘Christmas Puddings’. These delights, as traditional as they are delicious, are found on every table during UK’s Christmastide. Often composed of dried fruits, almonds, Bramley apples, Brandy and spices.
Oliver Woodhead, the charming owner of L'Entente, happily highlights these two delightful desserts on his menu for the Christmas and Holiday season.
Le ‘Mince Pie’
This pretty sweet tartlet (€12) traditionally served during the Christmas holidays dates to the 13th century when European crusaders brought back recipes from the Middle East combining meat, fruits and spices. The recipe evolved over the centuries to become a true tradition at the English Court, Buckingham Palace, first, where it was served at every Christmas meal to Queen Victoria, thanks to chef Charles Elme Francatelli (1805-1876) then copied in more or less every English dining room!
The perfect pairing…
To accompany le ‘Mincemeat’, L’Entente offers a completely original, fresh and explosive pairing.
The ‘Sloe Gin Sour’, signature Cocktail (€15) of English Sloe Gin that matches perfectly with these festive pastries. To be enjoyed with moderation!
"We are proud of our British traditions, I’m delighted to be able to pass them on to my guests, French or international, and to tell them a little of our history and customs. These traditional desserts are the fruit of a living and ancestral British culture; they bring indulgence, comfort and a lot of joy to our Christmas tables" smiles Oliver Woodhead.
The 'Christmas Pudding' or, more simply, 'Christmas Pudd'
The essential Christmas Pudding, very rich in candied fruits and spices, generous and rounded in shape, is the
must of British Christmas desserts. Typically English, it is patiently steamed for long hours, then left to mature for several weeks/months in a cool and dark pantry. Every 3 to 5 days, it’s sprinkled with a spoonful of brown alcohol according to the chef's taste, traditionally with 'Brandy' (Cognac or Armagnac), but it can also be anointed with rum such as 'Pusser's/Mount Gay' for example. Then, on Christmas Day, just before serving, it’s sprinkled a second time with alcohol, then steamed again. Served with its 'Sprig of Holly' (holly hat) the blue flame burns and fascinates. Make a wish!
This cooking technique, dating back about two hundred years, remains unchanged, guardian of a culinary and family tradition. Sometimes, in some families, parents hide silver coins in it, the equivalent of the French Galette des Rois with its beans. Watch your teeth!
However, the pudding as we know it today, dates to the 19th century, when it was developed with the idea that "the more, the better". Often very rich and spicy but no less delicious, the pudding is eaten warm, accompanied by custard or a sauce made with Cognac 'Brandy Butter' (€14 per slice)
At L'Entente, open 7/7, tradition reigns and, throughout December, gourmets come to taste the 'Christmas Roast' which includes roasted and stuffed guinea fowl, 'Roast potatoes,' 'Roast Carrots', 'Brussel Sprouts' and 'Devils on Horseback'.
“And, other bric a brac comes to us from across the Channel: 'Christmas Crackers' popping with panache reveal corny jokes, gaudy paper hats that match perfectly with our Xmas jumpers!” laughs Oliver Woodhead. “And of course the ‘Christmas Brunch’, which is a must, served on the weekends before and after Christmas”, he adds.
https://lentente.paris/signature-dishes
Christmas Pudding Recipe
Serves 4
Preparation time: 30 mins
INGREDIENTS
225g Bramley apples • 115g suet (or vegetable shortening) • 117g raisins • 115g sultanas • 115g currants • 115g candied peel • 175g brown sugar • 1 orange • 1 lemon • 25g flaked almonds • 2 tsp ground mixed spice • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon ground nutmeg • 5 cl of cognac (very important)
PREPARATION
Grate the apples, chop the candied peel, squeeze the juice and grate the orange and lemon zest. Place all the ingredients, except the cognac, in a large saucepan and mix well. Cover and place in the oven preheated to 120°. Cook for 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Leave to cool, add the cognac, cover and refrigerate. Store the mincemeat in the sterilized jars. To sterilize: wash the jars thoroughly in hot soapy water and rinse well. Place the jars on a baking sheet and place in an oven preheated to 150°C for 10 minutes to dry completely. Boil the rubber seals for 3 minutes. Fill the jars with the mixture, close them and store in a cool, dry place until ready to enjoy.
13 rue Monsigny, 2nd
T: 01 47 42 92 35
M: Opéra/Pyramides
Open 7/7 from 12pm to 3pm and from 6pm to 11pm
Saturdays and Sundays - 9am to 11pm.
A la carte brunch every Saturday and Sunday from 9am- 4pm
‘Le Sunday Roast’ from 5pm on Sundays (€35)
L’Entente serves on every public holiday of the year, including Christmas Day & January 1st
Christmas brunch on December 28th and 29th
https://lentente.paris
Octobre 2024
