My Vendée Gâche, When I Want to Rediscover the Right Taste
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In LaBouffe, I often talk about the things that set me right again without asking me to play a part, and Vendée gâche does exactly that for me. I make it because it belongs to a Pays de la Loire that feels close to me—tangible, generous, with that appreciation for simple things well made that I like to return to when my days are moving too fast. I use flour, eggs, very soft butter, a little sugar, salt, baker’s yeast and lukewarm milk, sometimes with a touch of orange blossom water depending on my mood, though I remain attached to the most traditional version from Vendée. I first mix the yeast with the milk, then add the flour, sugar, salt, eggs and butter, and work the dough long enough for it to become supple, almost alive beneath my hands. Then I let it rise quietly, because I have never liked rushing what needs time; I shape it into a beautiful brioche, let it rise a second time, and bake it until it develops that golden crust that already smells like Sunday breakfast. I serve it plain or with just a little butter, sometimes with black coffee, sometimes with fruit, and I especially enjoy the contrast between the softness of its crumb and the unhurried pace I try to keep. When I come home from a train journey, with my photographs, my newspapers and that desire to find a familiar landmark again, I realise that this recipe says a great deal about me: even on my plate, I seek a kind, welcoming network—something straightforward, open and nourishing without being ostentatious. I do not make Vendée gâche to impress; I make it to stay true to who I am, and to remind myself that a regional dish can be, all at once, a memory, a comfort and a very simple way of eating well.
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Where: Pays de la Loire