A ball of bread baked in the oven and filled with rillettes, mushrooms, mogettes or butter, the fouée is a gastronomic speciality of the West of France and particularly of the regions of Tours, Saumur and Angers. Very appreciated by the locals who taste it on every festive occasion and known for centuries, it is always the delight of traditional restaurants!
The recipe for fouées is very old. Rabelais mentions it in his famous novel Gargantua. Published in 1534, this book tells the stories and adventures of the giant Gargantua, whose image has remained in our collective imagination as the very definition of the "bon vivant. »
Legend has it that the fouées were invented by chance. A baker, wanting to check the temperature of his oven and not spoil the rest of his bread dough, would have cut several pieces and put them in the oven. Appreciating the result, he would have repeated the operation until it became known throughout the region and became a true tradition. Even if its preparation requires a real know-how, the watchword attached to the fouée has always been conviviality!
No dishes, everyone eats according to their appetite and chooses the accompaniment they prefer. The idea is to have a good time and enjoy the simple pleasure of food.
Traditionally consumed by the rural population and totally forgotten after the Second World War, fouée is today one of the main gastronomic specialities of the Touraine and Saumur regions. Present at local events and large gatherings, it is a favourite at all the inns set up in the typical troglodytic cellars of the region. Made according to the rules of the art, the fouées are cooked in a large bread oven often considered as the centre of the restaurant.
Still hot and stuffed, the fouées are accompanied by mogettes, rillettes, mushrooms and snail butter. Today, there are also many sweet side dishes including strawberry, apple and chocolate.
Tasting fouées in a troglodytic inn is one of the most emblematic activities of the Loire Valley. It is a must for both the culinary side and the atmosphere.
Good addresses for fouées in Saumur.
Bérengère for Comme des Français
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Would you like to discover other regional specialities?
- Always based on bread: the baked camembert or the pretzel
- Based on (a lot of) butter: kouign-amann
Crédits photo : F. Ayroulet – Collectif F4 – Saumur Val de Loire
