Gramat: a culinary experience at the Grand Couvent

For several months now, the Grand Couvent de Gramat has been offering a brand new concept: “Happy Sundays”. An appointment to discover authentic monastic meals from medieval times. Who better than the Grand Couvent of Gramat can offer the experience of meals from monastic cuisine? One Sunday per month, the kitchens of the Grand Couvent de Gramat offer you the opportunity to enjoy a monastic lunch from medieval times. What an authentic experience to taste what the monks ate in the Middle Ages while being in a still consecrated religious establishment!

The new director of the great convent Christophe Charbogne was thus inspired by the book by Marc Meneau and Annie Caen “The kitchen of the monasteries”. The menus are taken from the recipes in the book. They combine consistency and balance while still being adapted to the tastes of today's palates. The products chosen are also in accordance with the seasons. Some are specific such as monastic cheeses like L'Échourgnac from Trappes Abbey. All this requires special attention from cooks. In this ideal place to enjoy meals from monastic cuisine, the lucky ones will be able to find products concocted in the abbeys, for a recurring event. Here everything will be done on site using seasonal products as the monks did. They lived in self-sufficiency with the products of the gardens adjoining their cloister and the orchards close to the living buildings, with incomparable products since, as soon as they were picked, they were found fresh and cleaned on the plate. This implies that the preparation of meals may call for products that must be sourced elsewhere than in local production. At the Grand Couvent the cooks want to work with all the products available to us today and these “Happy Sundays” will be a mix of current products and recipes from yesteryear with as many meats as fish. The menus will consist of a starter, a main course, a cheese and a dessert with bread and period drinks. In short, recreate the desire, go back in time, arouse curiosity, rediscover the flavors of yesteryear.

One Sunday per month, the kitchens of the Grand Couvent de Gramat will offer you the opportunity to enjoy a monastic lunch from medieval times. With dishes with typical names such as Talmouses aux porettes, hen in the pot of the good Christian, capuchin nougat.