Vote Foodie!

Ann’s on the March again this Saturday. Foodies London Saturday 25th June at 10.00a.m. meeting at Monument Tube…
Cacasse bare arse does not normally appear on the menus of chic French restaurants.
But it’s one of many obscure peasant dishes which feature in a new collection of recipes from French politicians. They’ve been compiled by a newly elected Deputy, who was told by her friend: ‘We have gained a politician, but we have lost a good cook!’
A lot of these recipes showcase the rural credentials of the contributors. Rather than foie gras and filet de boeuf, there are variations on sausage, tripe and dumplings. There are tales of family meals remembered from childhood, and of the grandfather who caught rabbits to sell the skin (delicious sounding recipe for a rabbit casserole). Francois Hollande (possible Socialist nominee for the 2012 presidential election) provides a recipe for Farcidure Grillee – a mixture of grated potato and chopped vegetables made into a cake and fried with a little bacon. He explains that in Correze they make this with a special grater which produces the just the right shape for the bits of potato.
But what you really want to know is the recipe for Cacasse a Cul Nu, traditionally eaten by the poor in the Ardennes. (I cannot find a translation for cacasse, but I fear the worst, caca being a frequently used French word.)
You need: potatoes, slices of lean bacon, onions, oil, flour, thyme, bay, salt, pepper and water.
Cook the bacon in a cast iron dish, remove, then add oil, chopped onion and cook until golden brown. Add 2 soup spoons of flour, then the peeled potatoes, cut into four, and cover with water. Add herbs, salt and pepper, cook gently for 35 mins, then put the bacon on top for the last 10 minutes.
Serve with a salad.
And enjoy speculating on what recipes our MP’s would contribute to a book of British political cookery.
Cookery of the Republic – cook with your politicians, is compiled by Francoise Branget.
Foodies London Saturday 25th June at 10.00a.m. meeting at Monument Tube
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