Galette des rois is new meat treat

NOT content with a galette des rois of jaw-achingly sweet frangipane, or the brioche version smothered in dried fruit and coarse sugar, bakers in Alsace have begun making meaty versions.

It is the idea of the region’s butchers and traiteurs who have created what they call the tourte des rois - a puff pastry with a filling of beef, lamb or chicken sauce instead of the frangipane... a bit like a French take on a sausage roll, Cornish pasty or Scottish bridie.

Regional newspaper L'Alsace points out that different producers are coming up with their own ideas for the fillings with a pastry covered in star designs and a wine-marinated chicken and mushroom sauce in Mulhouse, while in Heimsbrunn Pierre Pross uses a recipe from his mother that uses spices such as nutmeg.

Each cake still has a fève ‘treat’ inside with porcelain designs representing côte de bœuf, gigot d'agneau, paupiette de bœuf, osso-buco or bacon.

While one baker in Meurthe-et-Moselle has hidden special diamond-shaped beans in two galettes, which can be swapped for a real diamond worth €600 – see our story on the history of galette des rois at connexionfrance.com – others are including kama sutra fèves in Le Mans, Tour de France fèves in Manche and in Lorraine they have fèves commemorating this year’s 100th anniversary of the Battle of Verdun. (See bottom of page for photos)

Meanwhile, in the Somme town of Abbeville pâtissier Patrick Lombart said that while travelling the country as a compagnon du Tour de France apprentice he found that different areas like different types of galette des rois:

He told Courier Picard that the puff pastry version was No1 in the north of France, making up three-quarters of sales, while in Savoie it was the sugary brioche ring with red pralines and in Midi it was a version tropézienne using a brioche with cream filling.

This year he is offering a galette sèche dry galette with only crème pâtissière as a filling – that can be sliced horizontally and filled with your own favourite jam.

Bakers Emmanuel and Sandra Brand show
L'Alsace their tourte des rois at Wittmann Brand

The Gerbe d'or boulangerie in Le Mans shows its
kama sutra fèves to France Bleu

Ouest France shows the special Tour de France fèves
used by bakers in Manche for this year's start

Denis Pultier shows Est Républicain the Verdun
fèves being offered by bakers in Meuse this year