Recipes
Here at Lauroux, in the heart of Gascony, the vineyard plays host to many private lunches and corporate hospitality events. Of course, our own Floc de Gascogne, wines and Armagnac are served but they are also used in some of the dishes we serve to our guests.
To visit us for lunch, please mail us at sales@lauroux.com with your required dates and guest numbers and we'll send you a sample menu.
We hope you will be inspired to try out some of these wonderful recipes.
Daube de Biche à la Gasconne - Courtesy of Mike and Jean Lees, Hotel Fleur de Lees,
24 avenue Henri IV, Barbotan-les-Termes, Gers. www.fleurdelees.com
(for 4 people)
750 gm stewing venison
150 gm smoked streaky bacon
100 gm unsmoked streaky bacon
250 gm carrots
1 medium onion
75 gm shallots
2 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp Armagnac
1/2 bottle red wine
1 tbsp redcurrant jelly
1 sugar cube
30 gm butter
1 bouquet garni
zest of 1/2 orange
1 tbsp plain flour
4 crushed juniper berries
a knob of beurre manié (soft butter and flour mixed in equal quantities) or cornflour
seasoning to taste
Cut the venison into cubes and the bacon into small pieces. Peel the carrots and cut into 3 cm chunks. Slice the onions and shallots. Crush the garlic. Marinate all together overnight in the wine, Armagnac, orange zest, redcurrant jelly, sugar and seasoning. Remove the meat and coat in flour and pan fry in the butter together with the bacon and vegetables until golden brown.
Put into a casserole together with the marinade mix. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours on a low light. Uncover and cook for a further 15 minutes to reduce the sauce. If the sauce is still too liquid, use a little of the beurre manié or cornflour to thicken it. Serve with seasonal vegetables and mashed potatoes topped with fried bacon bits and mushrooms
Chocolate, Prune and Armagnac cake
This recipe comes courtesy of Katie and Alex Clarke at The George in Rye, Sussex -
www.thegeorgeinrye.com.
Tel: 01797 222114.
Ingredients: 220g unsalted butter, 120g plain chocolate broken into pieces, 250g caster sugar, 5 large eggs, separated, 200g ground almonds, 30ml Armagnac, finely grated zest of 1-2 oranges.
Method: Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas mark 5. Butter the sides of a 23cm round spring-release tin and place a piece of greaseproof paper in the base and around the inside. Place the butter and chocolate in a in a large bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, until melted. Remove from the heat and beat in the sugar and egg yolks. Whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks. fold in the ground almonds, Armagnac and grated orange zest, very gently. Add the egg white mixture to the melted chocolate and transfer to the prepared tin. Cook in the centre of the oven for 35 minutes, until risen and firm to the touch but still a little wobbly in the centre. Cool in the tin. Serve with crème fraîche.
Armagnac & walnut brownies
Ingredients - 50g good quality dark chocolate broken into pieces, 50g stoned prunes chopped and soaked overnight in 60ml of Armagnac, 50g walnut pieces, 110g unsalted butter, 2 large eggs, beaten, 225g demerara sugar, 50g plain flour, 1 tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp salt.
Method - Preheat the oven to 180°C, 350°F/Gas mark 4. Chop the walnuts roughly then place on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for a few minutes until brown - watch them carefully. Put the chocolate and butter in a large bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, until melted, remove from the heat and beat until smooth. Stir in all other ingredients until well blended. Spread the mixture into a lightly greased, parchment lined tin (25.5cm x 15cm) and bake in the centre of the oven for 30 minutes. Leave to cool for 10 minutes before cutting into squares.
Diana's Fig and Armagnac Jam - 1 kg figs - roughly chopped, 500g soft brown sugar, 300ml water, 1 lemon, 3 cloves, 2 tablespoons Domaine de Lauroux Armagnac. Put sugar and water in a large pan, bring to boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the figs, pared lemon peel, juice of lemon and cloves. Fast boil for 1 - 2 hours or until the jam begins to set, (Diana says the jam tends to set more as it cools). When the jam is cool, add the Armagnac, put into sterilised jars and store.
Wonderful French Onion Soup
This recipe needs quite a lot of wine but it really is worth it!
750g thinly sliced white or yellow onions, 3 crushed cloves of garlic, half a teaspoon of sugar, 50g salted butter, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1.2 litres of beef stock, 275ml fruity, dry white wine and yes, ours is perfect! Salt and pepper to taste. Heat the oil and butter in a big saucepan, add the onions, garlic and sugar, turn the heat down to low and cook for between 20 to 30 minutes until the onions turn soft and golden and the bottom of the pan is coated with a caramelized film which you should scrape back into the onion/garlic mixture. Then add the beef stock and wine, boil and simmer with the lid on, over a low heat for about an hour. Here at Lauroux, we find that the addition of a couple of teaspoons of Armagnac really finishes the soup beautifully and adds extra depth and richness.
Almond and Apricot Muffins
We are very proud of our breakfast muffins, served to our chambre d'hote guests (free-range eggs from the Lauroux chickens really make a difference), our guests regularly ask for the recipes to take home with them.
225g Plain flour, 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powser, 1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda, 60g flaked almonds (see below), 1 free-range egg, 120g light brown soft sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla essence, 170g ready to eat dried apricots chopped, 240ml milk, 90ml vegetable oil, muffin cases. Preheat oven to 200°C (gas mark 5-6). Spread the flaked almonds on a baking sheet and bake for about 5 minutes until lightly browned - keep an eye on them... Sift together flour, baking powder, bicarb of soda and salt. Stir in toasted almonds. In a second bowl, beat the egg with a fork. Stir in sugar, vanilla, chopped apricots, milk and vegetable oil. Pour all the wet mixture into the dry, stir until just combined and no dry flour is visible - don't worry if there are a few lumps. Fill muffin cases 3/4 full and bake for 20-25 minutes until tops are lightly browned and feel quite firm when pressed gently.
