Ah, Correze cuisine! It brings back so many memories...

It's our childhood: our holidays in Corrèze, our grandfathers gardening, our grannies cooking. It's the smell escaping from the cooking pot, the casserole simmering in the cantou, the millassou clinking in the pan on the cooker. It's the big family get-togethers, it's Sunday evenings by the fire. The specialities of Correze are a taste of the real thing.

Would you like to find out more about our grandmotherly recipes? Read on... But shhhhh, that's just between us ㋡

tourtou

What is a tourtou?

Tourtou is a thin cake made from buckwheat flour. It used to replace bread. 

The recipe for tourtou

Ingredients (for around thirty tourtous): 300 g buckwheat flour, 100 g flour, 1 baker's yeast cube, 1.5 litres warm water

  • Dilute the yeast cube with a little warm water.
  • Mix the two flours in a large bowl, make a well and add the yeast.
  • Mix in the rest of the water a little at a time.
  • Leave to rise for 1? hours in a warm room.
  • Cook the tourtous like pancakes.

Grandma's Tip

Ideal as an accompaniment to a stew or a dish in sauce. Or as an aperitif rolled with rillettes. Any left over? A little crème fraîche and pan-fried, it's a delight...

mique

What is mique?

Mique is a ball of leavened dough poached in broth, served with salted pork, andouille sausage, and vegetables (potatoes, carrots, and leeks).

Mique Recipe

Ingredients (for 6 people): 3 eggs, 750 g flour, 150 g softened butter, 4 tablespoons salt, 2 packets of yeast, 200 ml warm milk

Preparation:

  • In a large bowl, mix the flour, yeast, salt, eggs, and milk. Knead to obtain an elastic and supple dough.

  • Let the dough rise for 2 hours in a warm place.

  • Wrap the dough in a cloth and cook it in the broth used for the salted pork, andouille, and vegetables. Cook for 2 hours, turning the mique after 1 hour.

  • Remove the mique with its cloth.

  • Serve with the salted pork, andouille, and vegetables

Grandma's Tip

The final texture should be slightly sticky on the outside and soft inside. Leftovers? Cut into cubes and sautéed in butter, it pairs wonderfully with jam. Some daring chefs even reinvent it as... a burger!

farcidures

What are farcidures?

These are balls of grated potatoes cooked in a broth with salted pork and andouille sausage. They are made from September to April using two potato varieties: Monalisa and Spunta.​

Farcidures Recipe

Ingredients (for 4 people): 3 kg potatoes, Parsley, Garlic, Salt, 1 or 2 cubes of lard per farcidure

Preparation:

  • In a large pot, bring water to a boil to cook the salted pork and andouille.

  • Peel and grate the potatoes, then let them drain in a colander for a few minutes.

  • In a bowl, combine the grated potatoes with 2 pinches of salt, minced garlic, and parsley.

  • Take an amount equivalent to a small pétanque ball of the mixture, insert pieces of lard in the center, and shape into a ball.

  • Place the balls into the boiling water after removing the cooked meat and cook the farcidures for about 45 minutes. Taste to check doneness.

Grandma's Tip

Shaping is crucial (not too firm, not too soft). Purists eat them with salted pork and andouille; others prefer them with a stew. Leftovers? Slice and pan-fry...

millassou

What is a millassou?

It's a grated potato pancake. The recipe starts similarly to farcidures, grating raw potatoes using a special grater.

Millassou Recipe

Ingredients (for 4 people): 1 kg firm-fleshed potatoes, 2 garlic cloves, 1 onion, 1 bunch of parsley

  • Peel the potatoes, rinse them in cold water, dry them, then grate them. Place them in a colander and let them drain.

  • Chop the peeled garlic cloves, onion, and parsley.

  • Add them to the grated potatoes.

  • Season with salt and pepper.

  • Pour the mixture into a hot oiled pan and cook for 10 minutes over medium heat.

  • Flip the millassou and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes.

Grandma's Tip

With a good green salad from the garden or red beets, it's excellent. Leftovers? Impossible!

flognarde

What is a flognarde?

It's a Corrèze dessert, a kind of crepe batter baked in the oven with apples. Be careful, it's not a tart!

Flognarde Recipe

Ingredients (for 4 people): 4 eggs, 200 g sugar, 100 g flour, 3 apples, 1/2 liter whole milk

  • Preheat the oven to 200°C (thermostat 6/7) and butter a large tart pan.

  • In a bowl, break the eggs and add the sugar.

  • Incorporate the sifted flour into the mixture.

  • Add the milk and mix well.

  • Peel, slice, and add the apples.

  • Pour the preparation into the pan and bake.

  • Cook for about 30 minutes.

  • Let cool to room temperature before serving.

Grandma's Tip

Serve cold or warm, as you prefer, accompanied by a glass of sweet wine. Replace the apples with cherries, and you'll have a clafoutis. Enjoy!

Tête de Veau (Calf's Head)

What is "tête de veau"?

It’s a Corrèze specialty, similar to a pot-au-feu. Among the many traditional veal dishes, farm-raised Limousin veal stands out. Legend has it that it was former President Jacques Chirac’s favorite meal.

Tête de veau recipe

Ingredients: 1 rolled calf’s head, 4 carrots, 4 turnips, 1 leek, 4 potatoes, 1 bouquet garni (thyme, bay leaf, parsley), Salt and pepper

  • Place the calf’s head in a large pot with the bouquet garni, carrots, turnips, and leek (washed and cut into chunks). Cover with cold water.

  • Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 2 hours.

  • Add the potatoes after 1 hour of cooking.

  • Check for doneness and adjust seasoning.

Grandma’s Tip

Serve it hot with a vinaigrette or a gribiche sauce (a traditional French cold egg sauce). You can also accompany it with steamed or sautéed vegetables for a hearty dish that brings people together.

Did you know?

Mique in the dictionary!

"Ball of dough, usually made with goose or duck fat, poached in a stew or pot-au-feu broth": this is how mique is defined in the 2018 edition of the Larousse dictionary (published June 20, 2017).
It sure took time for this Corrèze specialty to be officially recognized!

So... when will millassou, tourtou, or farcidures get their turn?

📅 May 31, 2017


THE Grater!

Millassous/farcidures = same battle: you need a proper potato grater (and absolutely NOT a food processor, unless you want to ruin the recipe!). But not just any grater…

The one and only place to get THE grater is in Tulle, at the legendary Neige hardware store.
100% made in Corrèze, of course.

A little backstory: the original mold was created by a former employee of the French Arms Factory (Manufacture d’Armes Française). It is said that each worker used to make their own grater. A proud tradition passed down from generation to generation...

A Brotherhood for Farcidure and Millassou

A brotherhood to promote potato-based local cuisine? You read that right!

The Brotherhood of Farcidure and Millassou, founded in 2004, aims to celebrate the art of local gastronomy, foster friendship among its members, and take part in festive events. It’s based in Sainte-Fortunade, in the Tulle region.

A big thank you to them for keeping Corrèze’s traditional recipes alive with joy, generosity, and a deep love for our local produce!

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