The Latest from the FlipKey Blog

---

Boles de Picolat and the Languedoc-Roussillon Posted: 19 Oct 2011 06:00 AM PDT When you hear the words. “South of France,” the first images that usually come to mind are those of the Mediterranean coast – beautiful, to be sure – but not even close to representing the entirety of the southernmost border of this country. The Languedoc-Roussillon – closer to Barcelona than to Italy – is often neglected. What awaits here, however, is a land of mystery, open to exploration. The Languedoc-Roussillon is home to the ruins of several old Cathar châteaux, the last remaining evidence of a border between France and Occitania. The Cathars – a peaceful Christian population – were able to hide out in these châteaux, guarded by certain Catholics against the Inquisition and its accusations of heresy. While the Cathars didn’t survive in this region, the châteaux that kept them in safety did, and many are open to the public. Ranging from Aguilar and Montségur, today merely a suggestion of the mighty châteaux that once stood atop these hills, to Quéribus and Peyrepertuse, offering a more concrete vision of the people that lived within these stone fortresses, the Cathar châteaux should be visited by all enchanted by this beautiful region. The châteaux were built atop hills, to better their defensive value, which means that today’s explorers must climb to reach them. What better way to recuperate one’s strength upon coming back down than with a regional delicacy? Boles de picolat are Catalan-style meatballs, and while they can be made at home with a combination of pork, beef and spices, they are stewed for a long time, a preparation that can take away from your precious exploration time. Instead, let the professionals take care of the meatballs themselves — Francois Esquines sells a great jarred version — and use the prepared meatballs to develop the rest of this peasant dish in under an hour. Boles de Picolat 1 800 g. jar of prepared Boles de Picolat (Note: If you’d like to try your hand at preparing these yourself, use ground pork and beef, grated onion and garlic to make meatballs, frying them up in peanut oil and then stewing them in a sauce of tomatoes, white wine, whole black olives, salt and pepper). 1 800 g. can of white beans, drained 10-15 black olives 1 cup water Stew the prepared Boles de Picolat, white beans, olives and water in a covered heavy saucepan over low heat. Stir occasionally and cook for an hour, adding more water if necessary to keep the beans and meatballs from sticking to the pan. Serve with local red wine and lots of crusty bread to mop up the sauce. Emily Monaco is native New Yorker, living and writing in Paris since 2007. She loves discovering new places and, of course, their local cuisines! Read about her adventures in food and travel at tomatokumato.com or follow her on Twitter at @emiglia

You are subscribed to email updates from The FlipKey Blog - Vacation Rental Market News, Travel Tips, and Big Ideas To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610