flipTourin blanchi à l'ail
Tourin blanchi à l'ail
Why this dish? A daily soup in southwestern homes, tourin comforted the magistrate returning weary from pleadings at the Parlement de Guyenne. Humble and fragrant, it was the potage that opened meals in every household in Périgord and Bordelais.
A mild garlic soup, thickened with egg yolk, poured hot over stale bread slices and brightened with a dash of vinegar. Hearty and aromatic, it began both the day and the meal.
When I came home from the Parlement, my mind weary from pleadings, my table offered this garlic potage they call blanchi. You slowly melt the cloves in fat without browning them, then you thicken the broth with a well-beaten egg yolk. Pour it all steaming over slices of stale bread, and add a dash of vinegar on top: you'll be revived. Believe a man from Sarlat, no dish is humbler nor more faithful to those who appreciate it.
- •Garlic — a fine head (aromatic base)
- •Goose fat — a spoonful (local fat)
- •Water or broth — a large pot (liquid)
- •Egg yolks — two (thickener)
- •Stale wheat bread — a few slices (base in the bowl)
- •Wine vinegar — a dash (final acidity)
- •Salt — to taste (seasoning)
Tourin blanchi à l'ail
A mild garlic soup, thickened with egg yolk, poured hot over stale bread slices and brightened with a dash of vinegar. Hearty and aromatic, it began both the day and the meal.
Why this dish? A daily soup in southwestern homes, tourin comforted the magistrate returning weary from pleadings at the Parlement de Guyenne. Humble and fragrant, it was the potage that opened meals in every household in Périgord and Bordelais.
When I came home from the Parlement, my mind weary from pleadings, my table offered this garlic potage they call blanchi. You slowly melt the cloves in fat without browning them, then you thicken the broth with a well-beaten egg yolk. Pour it all steaming over slices of stale bread, and add a dash of vinegar on top: you'll be revived. Believe a man from Sarlat, no dish is humbler nor more faithful to those who appreciate it.
Ingredients (period version)
- Garlic — a fine head (aromatic base)
- Goose fat — a spoonful (local fat)
- Water or broth — a large pot (liquid)
- Egg yolks — two (thickener)
- Stale wheat bread — a few slices (base in the bowl)
- Wine vinegar — a dash (final acidity)
- Salt — to taste (seasoning)
Ingredients
- Garlic — 8 cloves (aromatic base)
- Goose fat (or duck fat) — 1 tbsp (fat)
- Chicken broth or water — 1 liter (liquid)
- Egg yolks — 2 (thickener)
- Stale country bread — 4 slices (base)
- Red wine vinegar — 1 tbsp (acidity)
- Salt — to taste (seasoning)
Method
- Finely slice the garlic and gently melt it in the goose fat without browning.
- Add the broth or water, salt, and let simmer for about fifteen minutes.
- Beat the egg yolks in a bowl with a ladle of hot broth to temper them, then pour back into the pot off the heat, whisking to thicken without cooking the eggs.
- Place the stale bread slices in the bottom of bowls.
- Pour the boiling soup over the bread, add a dash of vinegar, and serve immediately.
How it was made : Tourin (or "tourain") is an ancient garlic soup from southwestern France, cooked with available animal fat and thickened with egg. It was often finished with "chabrot": pouring a little red wine into the remaining broth at the bottom of the bowl and drinking it directly.
The contemporary twist : Served in a verrine with a garlic-rubbed crouton and a few crushed walnut pieces, a nod to the Sarlat region.
Étienne de La Boétie · Charactorium
