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French

Andouillette Grillée — Grilled Tripe Sausage

Andouillette is the most divisive and characterful item in the French charcutier-rôtisseur's repertoire — a coarse sausage made from strips of pork or veal intestine (chaudins) and stomach (panse), bundled, seasoned, and stuffed into a natural casing. When grilled, it develops a crisp, caramelised exterior while the interior becomes tenderly gelatinous, releasing a powerful, funky aroma that is either intoxicating or repulsive — there is no middle ground. The AAAAA (Association Amicale des Amateurs d'Andouillette Authentique) certifies genuine andouillettes that meet traditional standards. The grilling technique: score the casing lightly in a crosshatch pattern (this prevents splitting and allows fat to render through the cuts). Brush with Dijon mustard mixed with a little oil. Grill over medium heat (not fierce — the casing will burst if the interior heats too rapidly) for 8-10 minutes per side, turning carefully with tongs (never pierce with a fork, which releases the precious juices). The exterior should be deeply golden with crosshatch char marks; the interior should be steaming hot (75°C) and gelatinously tender. The classical accompaniment is sauce moutarde (Dijon mustard cream sauce) — the pungency of the mustard is the essential foil to the andouillette's earthiness. Serve with pommes frites or pommes sarladaises. Regional variations: Troyes (strips pulled by hand, bound with string), Lyon (enriched with calves' mesentery and flavoured with onions and white wine), and Cambrai (veal-based, milder). The dish is a badge of honour for adventurous eaters and a litmus test for commitment to authentic French cuisine.

‹Swipe for the next dish›
ServesFour portions
Total25 minutes (plus optional 10-minute poaching)
Sourced0of 8 in BC
Cook
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I

The Market List

The benchmark for each ingredient, and who stocks it near you. Tap a stockist to go straight to the product.

4
andouillettes (AAAAA-certified if obtainable)
pork or veal, natural casing, approximately 150–180 g each
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
For the mustard brush
2 tbsp
Dijon mustard
Your own market
1 tbsp
neutral oil
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
For the sauce moutarde
200 ml
double cream
Your own market
2 tbsp
Dijon mustard
Your own market
2
shallots
finely chopped
Your own market
100 ml
dry white wine
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
To serve
pommes frites or pommes sarladaises
prepared separately
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
II

The Method

1
Optional but recommended: place the andouillettes in a wide pan and cover with cold white wine. Bring to a gentle simmer and poach for 10 minutes. This heats the interior evenly and significantly reduces the risk of casing explosion during grilling. Remove and pat dry with kitchen paper. The sausages should feel uniformly warm to the touch.
2
Using a sharp knife, score each andouillette in a crosshatch pattern through the casing only — cuts approximately 1 cm apart, shallow enough not to penetrate the filling. This prevents unpredictable splitting and allows rendered fat to escape through the cuts. Mix the Dijon mustard and oil to a smooth, brushable paste and coat each sausage evenly on all sides. The casing should show an even pale-yellow film.
From the canon — The application of low heat to solid animal fat (pork belly skin, duck skin, chicken skin, lard, beef suet) to melt and separate the pure fat from the connec… Rendered Fat: Slow Heat and the Rendered Result →
3
Heat the grill or griddle to medium — not fierce. This is where the dish lives or dies: too high a heat and the interior steam pressure builds faster than the casing can yield, bursting it and spilling the filling; medium heat allows the fat to render slowly through the scored cuts, the mustard to caramelise into a savoury crust, and the interior to reach temperature without violence. Lay the andouillettes on the grill and cook for 8–10 minutes per side, turning once with tongs. Never pierce with a fork. The exterior must be deeply golden with defined crosshatch char marks.
4
While the andouillettes grill, sweat the shallots in a small saucepan until soft. Add the white wine and reduce by half. Pour in the cream and simmer until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and stir in the Dijon mustard. Do not boil after adding the mustard. The sauce should smell sharp and dairy-rich in equal measure.
5
Remove the andouillettes from the grill. Press the centre gently with the back of a finger through a cloth — it should yield as tender and gelatinous, not firm or resistant, and a wisp of steam should rise from the scored cuts. The internal temperature must reach 75°C. Serve immediately alongside the sauce moutarde and potatoes.
III

Quality Hierarchy

01
Reserve — An AAAAA-certified andouillette de Troyes — strips pulled by hand, bound with string, the benchmark of the form. Sauce made with a wine-quality Chablis, the Burgundian standard.
02
Estate — AAAAA-certified andouillette de Lyon, enriched with calves' mesentery and flavoured with onion and white wine. Distinctly richer and more complex than Troyes; sauce made with a good dry Burgundian white.
03
Market — A reputable charcutier's andouillette without AAAAA certification but visibly made from coarse strips rather than a homogenised paste. Quality varies; inspect the cut end of the casing before purchase.
04
House — Supermarket andouillette of unknown provenance. The technique remains identical; the result will be blander and less gelatinous. Grigson notes that without honest offal content, the andouillette loses its essential character entirely.
IV

Sensory Tests

◇Sight. The exterior is deeply golden with defined crosshatch char marks; no splitting or splitting only along the score lines, not at random.
◇Smell. A powerful, funky, caramelised aroma rises from the grill — pronounced and unmistakable; absence of this aroma indicates the andouillette has not coloured properly.
◇Touch. Pressed gently through a cloth, the centre yields as tender and gelatinous, not firm; steam rises from the scored cuts.
◇Sight. The sauce moutarde coats the back of a spoon in an even, pale-gold film before the mustard is stirred in.
◇Where it lives or dies. The grill temperature must be medium throughout: fierce heat builds interior steam pressure faster than the casing can yield, bursting it and destroying the dish before it reaches the plate.
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VI

What to Pour

The pairing
Bushmills Malt 10 Year Old
Old Bushmills Distillery · County Antrim — Bushmills Distillery
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Whisky
From British Columbia

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The whole pairing
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