Like most andouillettes, that of Troyes is made up of cauldrons, that is to say pig intestines, and stomachs of the same animal, cut into strips, lengthwise. It takes 45 tons of pork offal to make 15 tons of andouillettes. Its seasoning is a bit different that of the other sausages, since it is based on onions and a little champagne, in addition to salt, pepper and nutmeg.
The nickname of Troyes used to be the “capital of French charcuterie” and rightly, we can say that the culinary heritage owes it a large number of recipes such as hams, terrines, smoked sheep’s tongues and heads. wild boar, that is to say, preparations made from the head of the animal!
To return to these famous andouillettes, I have a story for you : in 1590, the war of religions between Catholics and Protestants raged. 4,000 soldiers of the Royal Army of Henri IV, Protestant king, enter the city at night, to retake it from the supporters of the Duke of Guise, the Catholic Leaguers. The soldiers are in the Saint-Denis district, when their nostrils are tickled by an appetizing smell… That of the andouillettes that the tripe makers are preparing! They forget their mission and stuff themselves to whom better better. The Leaguers surprise them in the middle of the feast, and murder most of them! That day, the andouillette de Troyes went down in history!
Not sure that you are still hungry after an andouillette… but if in doubt, I suggest you a dessert of Italian origin, which also dates back to the 16th century: the sabayon! A cooked and frothy mixture of egg yolks, sugar and Marsala or Madeira. Here, of course, it’s champagne that is used in the recipe, honor to the local wine obliges!
For the origin of the name, “sabayon”, there are several versions. According to some, the word derives from “San Pascual Baylon, a patron saint of cooks and pastry chefs. The legend tells that this Franciscan monk, of Spanish origin, would have imagined the recipe for his penitents, eager to perk up their tired husbands sexually!
For others, it is a deformation of the Neapolitan “zapillare”, which means “to foam”. And it’s to the very greedy Catherine de Medicithat we should have the sabayon, since she would have brought the recipe to France on the occasion of her marriage to Henry II.
Be that as it may, the champagne sabayon can be eaten warm or cold, alone or accompanied by fruit, and it is a truly restorative marvel, I remind you that it contains egg yolks! So a little difference in speed rather useful for our cyclists…