City of art and history, ancient Gallo-Roman town, then capital of the kingdom of France, Tours enjoys an exceptional place at the centre of the famous Loire Châteaux valley, in the heart of the garden of France. Tours, the original home of the French language and the "art de vivre" is a land of harmony and proportion, graced by two major rivers. The celebrated author Balzac, claimed Tours to be "laughing, loving, fresh, flowered, perfumed better than all the other cities in the world". We sincerely hope that you too will fall in love with this favourite city of kings. Tours, capital city of art of living - which of course includes eating and appreciating fine wines - is evidently a gourmet's paradise. In the great tradition of Rabelais, the Touraine offers numerous gastronomic specialities: foie gras, goats cheese (Sainte-Maure), eels, pike, sandres and, last but not least, veal. Constance Spry & Rosemary Hume wrote: "Cooking is an art, it demands hard and sometimes distasteful work but, on the whole, it is the creative side that prevails".
ESCALOPES DE VEAU, SAUCE AUX CHAMPIGNONS
Veal escalopes in a mushroom sauce
Ingredients for 6 runners: 6 veal escalopes pounded; salt and ground pepper; 300 grams mushrooms, sliced; 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; 1 shallot, chopped; 2 tablespoons tomato purée; 180 ml veal stock.
For the garnish: 750 grams fresh noodles, cooked; finely chopped parsley.
Season the escalopes. Melt the butter in a pan, add the escalopes and sauté until lightly browned on both sides and just cooked. Remove the pan and keep warm.
Add the mushrooms to the butter with the oil and cook until golden brown. add the shallot and cook for one minute.
Stir in the tomato purée, stock and meat glaze, to make a rich sauce.
Place the escalopes on a bed of noodles, if you like. Spoon the sauce over the escalopes, sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Bon appétit! Enjoy the meal!
Suggested wine - World renown for the great white wines of Vouvray and Montlouis and the red wines of Chinon, Bourgueil and St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil (perfect to come with this recipe) confirm the Touraine region as an important area for wine lovers.
