Looking for Sausage supplier in France

[Wohoki]

Oddley, my statement as-is is that food in France is better than food in Britain. I haven't said that all food in France is better than all food in Britain, just that the average meal served in France is better than the average meal served in Britain, and that there is a level of care in the retail sector that doesn't exist in the UK (if you go to a French supermarket there will be a trained butcher selling meat, and you're not sure what cut you want he'll ask what you intend cooking and prepare the right cut for you; if you're buying fruit you'll be asked if it is to be eaten today or later in the week: compare that with Tesco, or your local market, where the fruit will be a nice one from the front and some crap from behind the counter). If you reread my last post, you might find that I was agreeing with you

I don't live in Central London, but I did return a dish at The Fat Duck and got a free bottle of wine for being right, so don't have a go at my palate. If I was a greasy-tongued, "MacDonalds-is-eating-out" barbarian I wouldn't be here on this forum.

Paul, I do disagree with the whelk thing, I'm a winkle man, but snails go on the path for the thrushes as far as I'm concerned. As worthless as mintless chewing-gum.

[Oddley]

I have just noticed something.

(And Oddley, despite being male I am a house-wife: it says so on my marriage certificate. I wake up thinking about tomorrow-nights dinner: you're not the only one!)

Wohoki if I'm thinking that you are thinking what I think you are thinking then no mate I'm not. If not I'm sorry for thinking that.

Hi Paul I love paella I have a recipe that I made up thats not bad, but would like to see yours. Here's mine.

Paella

Feeds 8 - 10

Ingredients

1 lb Squid
1 lb cod
1 1/2 lbs Live mussels
8 oz peeled Prawns
1 each of Red and Yellow or Orange peppers (Bell Peppers)
1 Large breast or Chicken
5 - 10 Saffron strands
3 large cloves of Garlic (crushed)
4 1/2 Cups of Long grain rice
3 Tbs Olive oil
1 to 2 tins of Tomatoes
2 Pints Water
Salt & pepper

Method

1: Wash mussels boil in 2 pints of water (do a few at a time or they will shrink ) drain and save water from mussels.

2: In a large wok or frying pan heat oil add diced squid chicken and choped garlic stir fry till just cooked then add sliced red and Orange peppers,
Stir fry for about 2 minutes them add rice stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes, add tinned tomatoes then add juices from mussels add saffron salt and pepper simmer until about five minutes before rice is cooked.

3: Add cubed cod mussels and prawns for 1-2 minutes (if rice has soaked up all juices and is still not cooked add small amount of chicken stock).

This dish should come out very moist almost creamy.

[Paul Kribs]

Oddley

Our preferences are pretty much the same for a good paella. I use whiting instead of cod as it is/was cheaper and I believe has a bit more flavour. I also use cubed pork which I marinate in garlic for a few hours, I also use chicken stock instead of water but other than that our recipes are pretty much the same. I dress the end result with slices of lemon and curly parsley. Also use a bit more saffron, ie. a good pinch. The squid guts go in as well, not the quill or the beak. Even cold it is superb.
It's what summers were invented for.

Regards, Paul Kribs

[Wohoki]

Lost, dazed and confused is right. I was stating that I do what French housewives do, I spend all day cooking: I've a wife and six kids.

(But it does say that I'm a housewife on my marriage certificate.)

[Oddley]

Chill out Wohoki, There was no insult intended.

[Wohoki]

& non taken, I could have phrased it better.

[aris]

I think the point of French produce being "better" is that it is grown locally - and shipped to market in season, and quickly. Sadly this is not the case in the Uk with a few exceptions. For instance, I can't wait for the Jersey Royals to come to market!

[Chez Barenton]

Im glad we prompted healthy debate, it seems everyone has the same idea, good produce and good food, thats what weve been trying to achieve (whilst making a little bit of money but hey we all have to survive somehow!)

We love French produce and British produce, we just like French culture more than our old British lifestyle!

Thanks to all for suggestions, we have found a small supermarket who was selling a couple more flavours than weve seen else where here in France, they have their own 2 butchers working full time and a very old local guy who arrives each evening to make sausages just like hes been doing for over 50 years. Just what we needed so hopefully he'll consider our suggestions and we can bring good food (made with good produce) to our new home town.

We shall let you all know how it goes (and wether we sell more of them to the ex pats or to the French!!)

[Realcat]

Just stumbled onto this topic. Where in France do you all eat????? I cook everything I can from home produced produce. Pork better??? Only if you buy the decent free range stuff, or grow your own. Never been asked what I want to do with anything I have bought, supermarkets I use are much the same as Tesco or Sainsbury.

As for the sausages please dont get me started. Before my mincer exploded I was making them en masse for my husband's french co workers.

And has anyone ever had mashed potato served here - well in my own experience you need a spoon to eat it - reconstituted dried potato with too much water added.

There are some great restaurants we have a local superb one, not all are. Think sometimes the grass is greener. Just my opinion and experience here. Having said that wouldnt change love it mashed potato and all.

[jenny_haddow]

Interestingly, I read an article in a magazine recently while waiting for the ferry to come back to Dover which featured Chez Barenton. They seem to have made a success of their sausage making enterprise, well done to them.

Jen

[Chez Barenton]

Came across this thread we started years ago before we started our business in France and thought you guys might interested in an update......

We got the permission to make sausages from the Health & Safety people, spent some time training with a good butcher friend of ours and then opened our sausage shop in northern France.

2 and a bit years later we have the shop selling over 50 types of sausages + 5 types of bacon,pork pies, pastys, sausage rolls etc. We also have a delivery network that delivers bacon to over 46 supermarkets and in the last few weeks weve started selling sausages to some of them too. Get this...its the French that are buying the sausages in the supermarkets, not the expats.

During that time we also had baby number 3 (3rd and last) so were exhausted and manic but loving it. Fantastic French meat and English recipe, as we say here a 'bon mariage'. :lol:

[saucisson]

Nice to hear from you again, and congratulations on both the business and the family

Dave

[wheels]

Congratulations

As someone who can't do what you have (health reasons) I would love to hear more - pictures?

Phil

[fridgedoc]

Hi all just trolling through the posts and came across this one and as I live here in France thought I would add my 2 pence worth.........

Firstly I can cook, most cuisines as well, father was a chef, and I've worked in Indian restaurants in the UK, I make own sausages, smoked salmon and smoked bacon so I feel I can comment on food both here in France and the UK.

Firstly fresh sausages, the french do not use filler/rusk they also do not mince finely (apart from Toulouse) some are very good but some are not, same in the UK, it's a case of trying and testing.

Curry, well that is almost impossible here for UK taste buds it's very bland certain places will adjust to taste if you ask.

Veggies are very seasonal in France which throws you a bit at first but the taste tends to be better, maybe if you stuck to seasonal in the UK the result would be the same.

Have to agree with realcat, over watered powder mash is used a lot, why? I have't a clue and it's awful.

Restaurants I'm afraid are just like in the UK some are very good some are awful but I would add for a good lunch for €10/12 inc wine and bottled water for 4 or 5 courses can be amazing value for money, in some of the Relais you have a really good buffet to start (eat what you like) a main course, cheese and dessert and wine.

Meat, you can pay a lot of money for beef and it tends to be tough as a lot of it is cow meat and must be cooked medium or medium-rare cook it any more and it's like chewing leather, if you save up enough you can afford lamb €25 a Kg for lamb chops, pork can be very cheap but goes up in price in the summer, chicken about on par with the UK.

The big difference is the diversity of different cuisines in the UK compared to France, the french are very singular and do not like change although to be fair they are changing, I had 22 people (mainly french) come around for curry, none had had it before, all the girls had it mild whereas most of the guys had a hot Madras which threw me, and they loved it!!!!!!

Bonne chance

Fridgedoc