A new season begins for prized pré-salé lamb
Have you ever eaten lamb des prés-salés de la Baie de la Somme? In season from July, it is one of only two kinds of French lamb to have an Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée from the EU (the other is Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy).
Acclaimed by foodies for its quality and the careful methods by which it is raised, the salt marsh lamb is grass-fed with the salty and iodine-rich flora from the pastures of the Baie de la Somme and Authie areas in Picardie in the north – which are known for being nutritionally rich thanks to the tidal estuary (the ‘baie’ of the name).
This gives the meat a fine and moist texture, and a unique flavour.
Supply is limited, which each farmer – depending on the size of their farm – expected to sell on average fewer than 100 animals before the season finishes at the end of summer.
This high quality and limited supply means ‘pré-salé‘ often costs €10 more per kilo than more commonly-seen lamb, but this does not appear to deter gastronomic tourists, who flock to the region to taste the new season produce.
The lamb is so full of flavour that butchers in the area recommend cooking it simply; one such example is to gently pan-fry the chops before serving with seasonal vegetables, such as flageolet beans or other fresh greens.
