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There are local specialities
to enjoy at every season.
You’ll find them in the weekly
markets (look out for the sign ‘Marche des Producteurs’,
where produce is sold by local growers) or at the special markets
held on summer evenings where you can taste traditional local fare. |
Markets
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Tuesday morning : Decazeville et Rignac
Wednesday morning : Aubin et Montbazens
Thursday morning : Villefranche de Rouergue et Figeac
Friday morning : Aubin et Decazeville
Saturday morning : Capdenac
Figeac, Cransac les Thermes, Firmi
Fairs
:
1st and 3d Monday of the month at Villeneuve
d'Aveyron
2nd Tuesday of the month at Capdenac
and Decazeville
Last Tuesday of the month at Decazeville
4th Thursday of the month at Villefranche de Rouergue
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Sample some
of the rich and varied specialities of the Aveyron: charcuterie,
foie gras, confits, pigeons, cabécous (goats cheeses)
estofinade, aligot, tripous, cèpes.....For the sweet toothed, ‘Fouace’,
a traditional cake, tops the bill. But there’s also échaudés;
pompe à l'huile (rather line a treacle tart, made with
sugar and oil), massepain (a very light an airy sponge, great
served with strawberries). All made locally with love. |
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Estofinade is one of the most interesting of local
dishes, traditionally served between October and April and
based on Stockfish (dried cod). It’s
a dish that dates from the time when you could sail the length
of the Lot and was born with the introduction of the
potato in the 18th century. Sailing up the Lot to the port
of Bordeaux the boatmen of Rouergue sold cheeses, wine and
wheat
and brought back salt, spices and Stockfish (dried cod from
Norway). With the development of the mining town of Decazeville
nearby,
this simple, filling and cheap dish became very popular with
miners’ families.
L'estofinade survives today and within Rouergue et Quercy remains
one of the rare French dishes based on Stockfish.
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How
to make Estofinade... |
Everyone
has their own recipe, but here’s
the basic idea: Soak the dried fish for a week in running water.
Once it becomes tender, cook it. Lightly flake and mix it with
potatoes, raw egg, boiling water, garlic, persil, and add (according
to taste), chopped boiled egg, crème fraîche to
bind plus walnut oil or duck fat.
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