I would never have discovered Troyes, a beautiful medieval town of
timber-framed buildings, were it not for a pale, lumpy sausage made from
pigs’ intestines that smells like a pissoir.
To historians, Troyes may be the ancient capital of Champagne, but to food
lovers, it is the spiritual home of the andouillette. The champagne
cork-shaped town in the department of Aube has been linked with the
mal-odorous sausage since the year 877, when Louis II was crowned King of
France in Troyes cathedral and the whole town feasted on andouillettes in
celebration.
By 1475, the town’s charcutiers had formed guilds devoted to preserving their
craft, and the fame of the andouillette grew. Everyone who passed through
Troyes, from Louis XIV in 1650 to Emperor Napoleon I in 1805, stopped for a
tasting. There is even a fan club, formalised in 1976 by a group of
andouillette lovers and food critics to protect its standards and preserve
its status. Known as the Association amicale des amateurs d’andouillette
authentique, the “Five A’s” has become a symbol of excellence, found on the
menus of the most discriminating bistros throughout France.
Outside France, not everyone is a fan. Even the fearless Hugh
Fearnley-Whittingstall of River Cottage calls it “challenging”. “I can’t
stand andouillette,” says one well-travelled friend when she hears of my
pilgrimage to Troyes. “It really, genuinely, stinks.” Yes, it does. To eat
it, your eyes, hands and mouth must override your brain, which sends out
frantic signals and alarm bells. But if you can triumph over your nose, then
your palate will be amazed at the milky, nutty, sweet and savoury complexity
of this king of sausages.
To uncover the finest andouillette in Troyes is as gruelling a task as finding
the best Guinness in Dublin. First, I visit an enormous factory in the
industrial backblocks, where the Gilbert Lemelle company manufactures a
staggering 20 million andouillettes a year. Now run by bon vivant and rugby
fan Dominique Lemelle, it produces a limited number by hand, deemed worthy
of AAAAA status.
From him, I learn that the true andouillette de Troyes is pure pork, with only
white wine, onions, salt and pepper added. The finished sausages are slowly
poached for up to six hours in an aromatic stock. “It’s like Coca-Cola,”
says Monsieur Demelle. “You must stay true to the original recipe.”
At the other end of the scale is charcutier Christophe Thierry, who handcrafts
his andouillettes in a spotless workroom behind his little charcuterie in
suburban Troyes.
Thierry’s output is a more modest 600 andouillettes a day, and it is here,
speaking of internal organs, that I lose my heart. I watch as he
meticulously cuts the stomach and intestine from organically fed Brit-tany
pigs into dangly little strips like so many rubber bands, which he scoops up
and loops over a piece of cord. Then with the sleight-of-hand of a magician,
he somehow doubles them back on themselves and threads the lot through a
sheaf of pig gut, tucking in the ends to form perfect little dimples. I
break into spontaneous applause.
But it’s time to eat, which means it is also time to decide how and where to
eat. At the pretty little Au Jardin Gourmand restaurant, owner Jacques
Lebois presents Monsieur Thierry’s AAAAA andouillettes in a dozen different
ways; poached in Champagne, served with foie gras, or with a rich sauce made
from the soft, creamy local cheese, Chaource.
To be honest, I barely notice the distinctive smell as I cut through the skin
and the labyrinthine bibs and bobs inside tumbleout.Matched with a bottle of
the local Rosé de Riceys, it is a wonderfully warming and restorative eating
experience.
My andouillette the next day is even better, taken at the cosy wine bar Aux
Crieurs de Vin in the heart of town. Simply grilled, and served with a
mountain of potato purée, a pot of mustard, and a flute of the fine local
Drappier Champagne, it makes me feel strong, ready for the worst that winter
can bring.
By pursuing the andouillette, I have opened a door otherwise closed. Much more
than a smelly sausage, it is a symbol of the great French tradition of
charcuterie and of “making-do”; the perfect mix of French pragmatism and
savoir-faire. I have also accidentally stumbled across a fascinating little
corner of France that demands a revisit.
We travel for all sorts of reasons – for business, pleasure, in search of
culture or just getting away – but we could do far worse, and get more of
the flavour of each place, by travelling in search of the great dishes of
the world.
The specials
Four other great winter dishes
Cassoulet A dish of white beans, pork, sausages, vegetables and duck or
goose confit, sealed with breadcrumbs and baked. Where to eat it: Restaurant
Comte Roger, 14 rue St Louis, Carcassonne. (00 33 4 68 11 93 40, www.
comteroger.com).
Onion soup gratinée Traditionally used as a restorative after a
night’s drinking. Sweet onions are cooked until soft in a meaty broth and
topped with bread and melting cheese. Where to eat it: Brasserie Balzar, 49
rue des Ecoles, Paris (00 33 1 43 54 13 67, www.flobrasseries.com
).
Coq au vin A darkly serious chicken fricassée cooked in the red wine of
Burgundy, with onions, mushrooms and lardons of bacon, thickened with
rooster blood. Where to eat it: Le Chabrot, 36 rue Monge, Dijon (00 33 3 80
30 69 61).
Choucroute garni Sauerkraut (fermented white cabbage) piled high with
knackwurst sausages, potatoes and pork knuckle. Where to eat it: Zuem
Strissel, 5 Place de la Grand Boucherie, Strasbourg (00 33 3 88 32 14 73, www.strissel.fr).
Need to know
Stay Le Relais Saint-Jean, 51 rue Paillot-de-Montabert, (00 33 3 25 73
89 90, www.relais-st-jean.com).
In the heart of the old town, a warm and welcoming family-run hotel with
underground car park.
Eat Au Jardin Gourmand, 31 rue Paillot de Montabert (00 33 3 25 73 36
13). Aux Crieurs de Vin, 4 place Jean Jaurès(00 33 3 25 40 01 01).
Buy Andouillette to take home, from Charcuterie Thierry, 73 avenue
Général Galliéni, Sainte Savine (00 33 3 25 79 08 74).
Getting there London St Pancras to Troyes (via Paris) starts at £79
return through Rail Europe (0870 8304862, www.raileurope.co.uk).
Further information France Information Line (0906 8244123/60p a min, www.franceguide.com);
www.tourism-troyes.com; www.aube-champagne.com;
www.tourisme-champagne-ardenne.com
