What is charcuterie?
The name is derived from the old French “chair” meaning flesh and “cuit” meaning cooked. Charcuterie in general refers to a variety of meats preserved by boiling, curing, smoking or other methods so they would be available into the depths of winter, when there would not be enough feed available to sustain fresh meat. Paul and his souschef, Mark Lawrence, are big fans or making their own preserved meats. They love to cure, confit, smoke and otherwise make sure that meat lasts a long time and tastes really interesting. Paul devised a goose and pheasant liver terrine this week, au raisin with cognac, that is absolutely delicious. He’s planning to make a dish late next week of veal breast stuffed with pâté and some other stuff. We also did the smoked trout, which is not technically charcuterie, but in the zone. The pair confited duck and made garlic sausage for a traditional cassoulet, a hearty, meaty dish that is perfect for taking off a chill. Cassoulet is a dish that originated in the L
