As soon as the results of the Gard Gourmand competition are communicated, a line sets up in front of his stall. Mamie Côtelettes, alias Laurent for close friends, officiates in her traveling caravan every Thursday and Sunday, and has done so since 2018., And what joy and pride for her loyal customers to learn that, for the second year in a row, this butcher and charcutier enthusiast won not one, but two awards. The bronze medal for the white puddings and the gold medal for the herb curds. Laurent describes with great humility receiving this medal that he should never have had. In fact, this butcher, originally from Belgium, began to learn his trade at the age of 12. “I started in a vocational high school. At the time, we had theoretical courses but also practical courses. Then over the years, practice took precedence over theory and that's where born my passion. But be careful, in the middle of all this, I still learned Latin.”says Laurent, laughing.
“This product was completely unknown to me”
“For the abomasum, when I say that I should never have received the reward, it is in a roundabout way. Originally, when I started officiating here in the South, a lot of people asked me for abomasum.” However, this product was completely unknown to him due to its origins. So, it was by talking with his customers, taking bits of traditional Ardèche recipes, here and there, from the lips of an old or a young seasoned consumer, that he worked in his lab. And through stubbornness, this has to be paid for. The customers were delighted. And in recent days, Laurent has also been famous for this product which was unknown just a few years ago. “I have already been assured of the taste of my abomasum by my fine gourmets, a medal is the Holy Grail.” The blood sausages and pâté en croute, which already won awards last year, are back on its stall, alongside the precious balls of meat and herbs.
