Our “Products from here” series takes you to discover local, culinary or artisanal specialties, made in South Aveyron. In this third part, here are the secrets of fricandeau. But not only…
To make this discovery, simply go to Rue Droite, on a weekly market day, and pass in front of Nicolas Pingaud's charcuterie located near the tourist office at the foot of the Belfry.
Indeed, given the crowd present in the latter, certainly small, but above all by the good smell which tickles your nostrils, we say to ourselves that we are at the right address.
An address that the person concerned made his own in July 2013 when the former owner, Patrick Ramondenc, left the delicatessen which was already a good address well known to those in the know.
Old-fashioned love of work
Nicolas Pingaud therefore continued in the same vein. A choice that he does not regret, as he himself admits. A profession as a charcutier that he knows well, having started it at the age of 20. “I started at the age of 20 at the Saint-Affrique slaughterhouse with the Apolit brothers. I made deliveries, after manufacturing, it lasted 12 years and then I came here (in Millau, Editor’s note).”
And unlike what sometimes happens when there is a change of ownership, he did not make a clean sweep of the past but on the contrary, he kept the store in its original state so that the customers would not be disoriented, and finds that smell of good preparation with which the store is permeated.
“It's true that when the fricandeaux cook in the workshop behind or when I prepare the puddings, all this perfumes the store and even the street when you open the door, he concedes. But people appreciate it and realize that it’s made on site.”welcomes our interlocutor attached to working the old fashioned way by doing the traditional. So if you want white ham, you will be offered two kinds, one made by Nicolas Pingaud and another with more preservatives to keep it longer.
This old-fashioned way of working, in an artisanal way, is part of the DNA of our butcher who highlights his philosophy in this area: “We can't make all the products that are for sale in the store, it's impossible. But what we don't do, we try to find craftsmen who have the same outlook as us so that customers don't Don't be disappointed.”
A popular commodity
And among the many products that Nicolas Pingaud makes in his workshop, there is of course one of the Aveyron specialties, fricandeau, the smell of which fills the store during its preparation, which he has just finished the very morning of our meeting. .
“Fricandeau is specific to Aveyron and not only to the south of the department. It is a pâté made from liver and throat rolled up in a ball strainer that is baked in the oven. Afterwards, everyone has their own recipe. There are as many fricandeaux as there are artisans, each one putting their own personal sauce into it.”
One thing is certain, fricandeau remains a commodity appreciated by connoisseurs especially since it can be eaten cold like pâté as a starter but also it can be cut into thin slices to fry on the grill and it is as delicious as all the products that Nicolas Pangaud offers in his charcuterie which smells of the terroir.
Millau Journal – JB
An old-fashioned window
A sign at the entrance to the store already makes your mouth water with the variation of some of all the products that you can find inside. A glance in the window only fuels your desire to take the plunge… to the delicatessen door.
In addition to the good smell that fills your nostrils, your eyes are also attracted by the many specialties present. In addition to fricandeau, Nicolas Pangaud also offers another specialty, fresh blood sausage: “We do it twice a week, especially on Friday, market day. People come that day to eat it at lunchtime.”
The opportunity for him to advise his customers on possible recipes with this ingredient that can be eaten with apples or potatoes. This is what our butcher also likes in his profession. “the relationship with customers, happy people who enjoy what we make and who tell us to continue”. And customers who are increasingly younger, as Nicolas Pangaud points out: “Young people are cooking more and more and like their parents, they like good products.”
And to the two products mentioned above, fricandeau and black pudding, we can of course add fresh or dry sausage but also pork trotters and ears in jelly, pork shanks or even spinach farçou. A non-exhaustive list without mentioning the homemade pâtés or even the sausage in oil.
So many specialties that smell of the terroir of a region where we like to eat well.
