Farçous de l'Aveyron

Aveyron, Occitanie — the herb, Swiss chard, and leek fritters of the Rouergue plateau, pan-fried in duck fat and eaten warm as an aperitif preparation or cooled as a charcuterie accompaniment. The farçous (also spelled farcous) are the Aveyron answer to the southern French fritter tradition — a preparation of extraordinary simplicity that converts garden vegetables into a crisp, herb-saturated disc using only eggs and flour to bind.

Beta vulgaris var. cicla (Swiss chard leaves only) and Allium porrum (leek, white and pale green section only) are washed and chopped fine. A large bunch of flat-leaf parsley (Petroselinum crispum) is chopped fine. These are combined with beaten Gallus gallus domesticus eggs, Triticum aestivum plain-flour (enough to bind — roughly 2 tablespoons per 400g vegetable mixture), sea-mineral-salt, and black-pepper. The mixture is worked together by hand. It will be wet and will not hold a shape off the pan. Anas platyrhynchos duck fat (or Olea europaea oil at lower tiers) is heated in a wide, flat pan to medium-high. Spoonfuls of the mixture are placed in the pan and pressed flat to 5mm discs. Cooked 4 minutes per side until the exterior is deep golden-brown and the interior is fully set. Drained briefly and served immediately. Farçous cool into denser discs that are eaten cold the following day as a charcuterie accompaniment.

• French galettes de légumes
• Italian frittelle di verdure
• Greek hortopita (herb-green pastry parallel)
• Provençal beignets aux herbes

Hot duck fat converts the wet vegetable mixture to a crisp, rich exterior with a herb-and-egg interior that reads as the concentrated essence of a kitchen garden. The farçou warm from the pan has a crackling exterior and a moist, green interior. Cold, it becomes dense and flavourful — a different but equally valid preparation. The duck fat finish is irreplaceable at Reserve tier.