Guillaume Desmurs from L'Authentique with his hand made sausages. Photo / Babiche Martens
Guillaume Desmurs from L'Authentique with his hand made sausages. Photo / Babiche Martens
KEY POINTS:
It's all about the French today. To make the most of the film festival, get in the mood pre- or post-film screening with some of these delicious morsels. A little goes a long way when tasting such flavoursome treats and, when paired with a glass of lightly chilledrose, brunch can easily become a delightful lunch or supper.
Charcuterie is an art. The word describes the making of sausages and pate, which was inherited from the Greeks and the Romans. In the Middle Ages there were specific jobs to be done - either as a "sausager" or "roaster" or "pastry chef" - all authorised to work with pork until 1475 when the King of France created a unique profession - the "charcutier".
Each commonly known word has a rich history. For example, "pate" means crust. The pork meat was minced and cooked then rolled in flour to preserve it. The flour would soak up the moisture thus creating a crust; a "pate". Later, the patissiers created the "pate en croute" [literally terrine in crust] where the meat is actually cooked in the crust.
Guillaume Desmurs is a man with a passion.
His kitchen is filled with the most delicious smells imaginable - garlic, fennel, slow-cooked pork with wine and prunes. He started L'Authentique two years ago and makes terrines and sausages so moist and filled with delicate flavours I urge you to go and discover them.
Made with local ingredients - no gluten, flour or breadcrumbs and all chemical free, Guillaume makes his products as natural as possible.
L'Authentique products are available in Auckland at Farro, Nosh [terrines only], Fishmart and also La Cave in Hamilton, Bel Mondo in Tauranga and Moore Wilson in Wellington. You can contact Guillaume at lauthentique@xtra.co.nz.
