Christmas and New Year celebrations in France are perfect for festive fusion cooking and a soupcon of edible entente cordiale – French Christmas dishes with British and Irish flavours – delivered to you in France.
Edible Entente Cordiale – British and Irish food delivered to France
With that in mind, what about cooking up some heart-warming foodie ideas using fresh products and some store cupboard staples, straight from the Bacon by the Box family farm in Waterford, Ireland – combined with the best of your local French produce, it’s the best of all worlds! Bacon by the Box ship great Irish and British food to your doorstep in France and if you spend over €150, postage is free. So, stock up for Christmas, team up with friends and neighbours, and enjoy a winter of fabulous fusion food and dishes bursting with flavour.
Christmas traditions
Do you hold dear to the Christmas traditions of years gone by or are you all about creating new traditions which also reflect your life in France? Either way, here are a few special ingredients to inspire your Christmas festivities this year.
In Tudor times beef was a popular and special Christmas meal, and the Bacon by the Box Irish beef topside joint grazed on the pastures of Lisduggan Farm is a great choice for a main meal. But what about creating a real French fusion by serving their beef steak on Christmas Eve for Le Réveillon de Noël, along with foie gras, French truffles and green beans, all served with champagne, of course. What a way to get the festivities started!
Turkey is still a popular choice for a French Christmas lunch and succulent Lisduggan Farm boneless turkey crown makes Christmas lunch easy as well as full of Irish flavour. Serve it with locally made chestnut and apple stuffing, potatoes gratin Dauphinois and green beans Almondine (green beans tossed in butter with toasted almonds and shallots) for a truly French feast. And don’t forget to order you cranberry sauce, sausages and bacon for those pigs in blankets, and your Christmas crackers for the table. Then relax and unwind with a little bit of wine tasting at your local Cave à Vins while you choose the perfect pairing.
Cold cuts and cheese
If you’re looking forward to that wonderful period in between Christmas and New Year, with long afternoons in front of the TV in your PJs or friends popping over for impromptu get togethers, then a gammon joint is a must. It makes an easy buffet meal served with left over turkey and lashings of local French cheese, and it also makes a great addition to Bubble and Squeak which will keep you going if you’re thinking of heading out for a winter walk! Wash it all down with a cheeky glass of Sauvignon Blanc or a full-flavoured Languedoc red like a Minervois. This is left-over dining at the top of its game.
Bacon by the Box can supply uncooked smoked and unsmoked gammons, as well as cooked, unsmoked honey-glazed gammon.
A sweet tradition
While French neighbours and friends may be keen to serve you a traditional Bûche de Noël, what better way to embrace two cultures than by introducing them to two Irish and English Christmas classics, Christmas pudding and mince pies? If you’re short of time, that’s fine, order your puds and pies ready made from Bacon by the Box but if you really want to embrace the season, why not make your own? Bacon by the Box can deliver mincemeat, dried fruit and mixed peel so that all you need to find is a good French brandy or Cognac!
New year and new ideas
If your French friends have been trying to persuade you about the joys of Andouille, it’s time to introduce them to black pudding and haggis, along with a bit of Celtic culture. Burns Night is held on the 25th of January and celebrates the life and poetry of Robert Burns.
A typical Burns supper includes a Scottish soup followed by haggis, neeps and tatties. Bacon by the Box can provide the haggis and the Scotch Broth soup so all you need to do is whip up the neeps (swede) and tatties (potatoes) using local produce. You might want to serve it all up with a French made whisky, a Shiraz or a Beaujolais. Don’t forget you’ll need to read at least one poem and finish the meal with either French cheese or trifle, or both perhaps. And yes, Bacon in the Box can supply the custard and the jelly for the trifle.
Sweet treats and special products
All your favourite sweet things are available – from Cadburys Roses and Quality Street to biscuits and more. “It’s not just about tinsel and tubs though” say the Bacon by the Box team, “we’ve also hot traditional Irish Barmbrack bread, Camp Chicory, curry sauces for cosy nights in with a big of spice and heaps more.”
Joyeux noël. Merry Christmas and athbhliaon faoi mhaise daoibh
Whatever your cultural background, for most of us, Christmas and winter involve a healthy dose of good food and the sense of wellbeing that comes from that.
Don’t forget to put in your order in good time (they deliver to France weekly), then tuck in your napkin, embrace all that is special about Irish, English and French cuisine and enjoy a thoroughly gourmand Christmas and Near Year.
You can sign up to their regular newsletter, and order from Bacon by the Box here: baconbythebox.com
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