What do French people eat for Christmas?
What do French people eat for Christmas?
The French Christmas spirit has come to visit you!
Christmas is probably the most celebrated holiday in the world and is well-known for its traditional food and warm atmosphere.
In Australia, prawns, ham glazed with honey and roasted meats such as turkey are usually on the menu, with Pavlova as dessert. But Russians prefer to eat fish, meat pies or dumplings, while the Argentinians love to eat Asado (a sort of chargrill BQQ) and end the meal with a Pan Dulce (a type of Italian Panettone with spices and dried fruits).
Local produce, but also the seasonal climate in December influence the cultural local Christmas menu and tradition of each country and its population.
One thing which is common in most countries is to pair these different specialities with bubbles of Champagne. France has a rich food culture and recipes have been passed down from generation to generation for this unique time of the year.
The Christmas atmosphere
Early December, French families decorate their houses inside and out, with a Christmas tree and lights. However, a special attention is given to a Provence tradition, the crèche- which is composed of small figurines made out of clay and painted by hand, which represents the nativity scene.
The famous Christmas markets are also popular, and some of them have existed for centuries, such as the oldest in the world, the Strasbourg Christmas markets, which are celebrating their 450th anniversary this year.
Setting a memorable table is something which is usually thought about a long time in advance to be sure to impress guests, with a Christmas tablecloth, beautiful silver cutlery and special lollies for young kids.
The best entrées to start the feast
Seafood such as crab tourteau, bulots (a kind of sea snail), small crevettes grises, sea ursin and oyster from Britany or Charente Maritime offer an exceptional moment. It is also the best period for the famous goose or duck foie gras, classically served en terrine or grilled and serve with a chutney of dried fruits for example, but always with a crunchy woodoven sourdough bread. These last few years, some small French caviar producers like Neuvic in Dordogne offer caviar of exceptional quality.
Each region has its own tradition
For some families, a fresh scallop from Dieppe in Normandy or Erquy must always be part of the feast. Gratinée with a light creamy white wine sauce on a bed of leeks or simply seared, but the scallops should never be over cooked. Everyone knows the blood sausage called boudin, but Christmas is a special time in Burgundy to prepare a white boudin which is a chicken or veal mixture. The mixture also contains crea, and black truffles, and the sausage is often served with a seasonal mâche salad.
Venaison are common in gravy sauce and gratin Dauphinois but the star for the last 20 years has been the capon- a castrated rooster to improve the quality of its flesh. Several provinces- notably the South-West and the famous Bresse close to the Burgundy- produce this desirable and outstanding meat. Simply poached in a vegetable broth or roasted with fresh chestnut or à l’orange like the famous duck recipe, it creates a precious souvenir.
If you are in France mid-December, do not miss out on the agricultural contests ‘Glorieuses de Bresse,’ which celebrates and recognises the expertise of the Burgundy poultry rearers. On the eve of the end-of-year celebrations, this contest is an opportunity to spread the word about the excellence of the fattened chicken, capon, turkeys and chickens of Bresse AOC and recognising a unique expertise.
Cheeses and desserts
In France, we have a proverb which says “there is no good meal without cheese.” This is why aged hard cheese Comté or blue cheese such as Roquefort are the highlight of the Christmas menu, often paired with a sweet muscat wine or a famous Sauterne white wine.
The Provence region is well-known for its 13 Christmas desserts which includes the Pompe (local brioche), nougat or dried fruits for example, but the famous Buche de Noel (Christmas Log) is the preferred dessert of the French. Young generation pastry chefs push the limits of their creativity and some of them create a special collection each year like in the fashion haute couture.
To pair with the coffee, Alsatian people prepare famous bredele, small short crust biscuits with a different recipe which is passed on from generation to generation.
My easy Spritzbredele recipe
Ingredients:
320g of plain flour
200g of butter
4 egg yolks
125g of almond meal
200g of caster sugar
Method
Preheat your oven at 180° Celsius.
Keep the butter at room temperature.
Use the hand tool of your dough mixer and mix together the butter and the caster sugar until you get a white and creamy texture.
Use a wooden spoon to add the egg yolks, then the flour and almond meal.
Fill up a pipping bag with a serrated pastry nozzle.
Pipe the dough about 4/5 cm in length in a S shape on a baking tray and refrigerate for an hour.
Bake for 15 minutes in the oven at 180°C.