Tripoux d'Auvergne

Ingredients

• 8 pieces sheep's rumen and reticulum (tripe), cut into 10 cm squares, cleaned and blanched
• For the stuffing
• 200 g sheep's tripe (cleaned), finely chopped
• 150 g ham or petit salé, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 60 ml dry white wine, a splash; optional
• 1 tsp fine salt
• ½ tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• For the braise
• 1 calf's foot, split by the butcher
• 1 large onion, peeled and halved
• 1 large carrot, peeled and roughly cut
• 1 bouquet garni, bay, thyme, parsley stems
• 250 ml dry white wine
• 500 ml water, or just enough to cover; adjust to pot size
• To serve
• 800 g floury potatoes, boiled in salted water

Method

1. 1
   Place the tripe squares in a large pot of cold water. Bring to the boil, blanch for 10 minutes, then drain. Scrape each piece clean with the back of a knife and rinse under cold running water. The tripe should smell neutral and show no grey or slippery patches.
2. 2
   Combine the finely chopped tripe, diced ham or petit salé, minced garlic, chopped parsley, salt, pepper, and the splash of white wine if using. Mix thoroughly. The stuffing should hold together when pressed in the palm.
3. 3
   Lay each blanched tripe square flat. Place one generous spoonful of stuffing at the centre. Fold the edges up and over to form a tight parcel. Tie securely with butcher's string so that no stuffing is exposed. The parcel must be firm enough to hold its shape through the long braise.
4. 4
   Arrange the tripoux in a single layer in a heavy earthenware pot. Nestle the split calf's foot among them. Add the onion, carrot, and bouquet garni. Pour over the white wine and then enough cold water to just cover. This is where the dish lives or dies: bring the liquid to the gentlest possible simmer — a bubble should break the surface only every few seconds — and hold it there, covered, for 8 to 12 hours. Any sustained rolling boil will tighten the tripe irreversibly and cloud the sauce. The modern equivalent is a sealed pot in a conventional oven at 120 °C for 10 to 12 hours.
5. 5
   At the end of cooking, lift a tripoux with a slotted spoon. It should offer no resistance when pressed gently — silky and yielding throughout, not rubbery at the centre. Remove the calf's foot, bouquet garni, onion, and carrot. If the braising liquid is thin, reduce it briefly over moderate heat until it coats the back of a spoon and shows a visible gloss.
6. 6
   For the best result, cool the tripoux completely in their liquid, refrigerate overnight, and reheat the following day. The gelatin will set firmly around the parcels; when reheated gently the sauce becomes dark, concentrated, and deeply flavoured. Serve the tripoux in their cooking liquid alongside boiled potatoes.