Pays de la Loire: Rillettes from Le Mans
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I have never liked recipes that pretend to be more complicated than they are. In LaBouffe, I always come back to what stands on its own: a clear flavour, a simple gesture, a real moment at the table. That is exactly why I am talking about rillettes from Le Mans, this recipe from the Pays de la Loire that appeals to me as much for its roots as for its straightforwardness. I see them as unpretentious cooking, true to what I like in my own rhythm: I get on a train, take notes, watch the landscapes go by, then return to something earthy, slow, reassuring. Rillettes, to me, tell that story very well. I use pork, ideally a mixture of pork neck, belly and fat; I season it with salt and pepper, add bay leaf, thyme and sometimes a clove of garlic, then let it cook gently, slowly, until the meat almost shreds itself. Then I work it with a fork, adding just enough of the cooking fat to achieve that melting texture—neither dry nor heavy. I like to serve it warm or thoroughly chilled on country bread, with a few gherkins, because balance matters just as much as pleasure. It is a canonical, almost archetypal recipe, yet it loses none of its truth when I make it at home: it reminds me that food can remain simple without becoming ordinary. And, ultimately, that is what I seek in LaBouffe: a living voice on taste, habits and balance, without playing a character—simply owning what I truly like.
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Where: Pays de la Loire