The Terroir Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

If Ernest Hemingway described Paris as a feast, it's no surprise. While as an urban center, it could seem as though Paris' terroir is defined by the surrounding countryside, Emily and Caroline are here to show you that's not the whole truth. Delve into underground caverns where button mushrooms grow, and explore the now-defunct marketplace that Emile Zola characterized as the city's belly. It's irreverent and delicious – time to dig in!


Join us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/parisundergroundradio


Find Us Online
Website: www.parisundergroundradio.com/theterroirpodcast
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parisundergroundradio
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parisundergroundradio/


Credits
Host: Emily Monaco. @Emily_in_France; Website: http://www.tomatokumato.com and http://www.emilymmonaco.com
Host: Caroline Conner, https://www.parisundergroundradio.com/carolineconner; https://www.instagram.com/winedinecaroline/, www.winedinecaroline.com; www.lyonwinetastings.com
Producer: Jennifer Geraghty. @jennyphoria; Website: http://jennyphoria.com


Music Credits
Mon Paris by Ikson https://www.iksonmusic.com; https://youtube.com/ikson


About Us
France is home to thousands of wines, thousands of cheeses, and countless recipes – almost all of which are inextricable from their local terroir. Terroir is a word that links foods, wines, and more to the places they're from and the people who make them. Let culinary journalist Emily Monaco and chef and wine expert Caroline Conner take you through the ins and outs of France's phenomenal regional richness.

Brittany boasts some of France's most beautiful coastline, so it's no surprise that it's home to some phenomenal seafood. But this region, which has taken great strides to ensure its independence and uniqueness, is also known for its crêpes, mead, and "white gold" – a flaky sea salt that will blow your mind.


Sparking Mead: https://www.heidrunmeadery.com


Join us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/parisundergroundradio


Find Us Online
Website: www.parisundergroundradio.com/theterroirpodcast
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parisundergroundradio
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parisundergroundradio/


Credits
Host: Emily Monaco. @Emily_in_France; Website: http://www.tomatokumato.com and http://www.emilymmonaco.com
Host: Caroline Conner, https://www.parisundergroundradio.com/carolineconner; https://www.instagram.com/winedinecaroline/, www.winedinecaroline.com; www.lyonwinetastings.com
Producer: Jennifer Geraghty. @jennyphoria; Website: http://jennyphoria.com


Music Credits
Mon Paris by Ikson https://www.iksonmusic.com; https://youtube.com/ikson


About Us
France is home to thousands of wines, thousands of cheeses, and countless recipes – almost all of which are inextricable from their local terroir. Terroir is a word that links foods, wines, and more to the places they're from and the people who make them. Let culinary journalist Emily Monaco and chef and wine expert Caroline Conner take you through the ins and outs of France's phenomenal regional richness.

Lyon is a city fueled by silk production and juicy Beaujolais – and it's also Caroline's home! Tune in this week to find out how leatherworkers contributed to one of the most famous local seafood dishes and why Paul Bocuse felt lost whenever he left this gorgeous, rich, gastronomic center.


Salade Lyonnaise, Tarte aux Pralinés Roses, General Bouchon-y Things

https://www.tomatokumato.com/a-classic-lyonnais-bouchon-at-le-poelon-dor/
https://www.tomatokumato.com/bouchon-tupin-blends-old-and-new/
https://www.tomatokumato.com/a-contemporary-experience-at-le-bouchon-des-filles/


Join us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/parisundergroundradio


Find Us Online
Website: www.parisundergroundradio.com/theterroirpodcast
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parisundergroundradio
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parisundergroundradio/


Credits
Host: Emily Monaco. @Emily_in_France; Website: http://www.tomatokumato.com and http://www.emilymmonaco.com
Host: Caroline Conner, https://www.parisundergroundradio.com/carolineconner; https://www.instagram.com/winedinecaroline/, www.winedinecaroline.com; www.lyonwinetastings.com
Producer: Jennifer Geraghty. @jennyphoria; Website: http://jennyphoria.com


Music Credits
Mon Paris by Ikson https://www.iksonmusic.com; https://youtube.com/ikson


About Us
France is home to thousands of wines, thousands of cheeses, and countless recipes – almost all of which are inextricable from their local terroir. Terroir is a word that links foods, wines, and more to the places they're from and the people who make them. Let culinary journalist Emily Monaco and chef and wine expert Caroline Conner take you through the ins and outs of France's phenomenal regional richness.

The historic Dauphiné is perhaps best known for its creamy potato gratin, but it's also home to tiny ravioli and to some of our favorite creamy cheeses. Adjacent to the Northern Rhone – home to some of our favorite wines – it's a lesser-known region well worth a closer look.



Join us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/parisundergroundradio


Find Us Online
Website: www.parisundergroundradio.com/theterroirpodcast
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parisundergroundradio
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parisundergroundradio/


Credits
Host: Emily Monaco. @Emily_in_France; Website: http://www.tomatokumato.com and http://www.emilymmonaco.com
Host: Caroline Conner, https://www.parisundergroundradio.com/carolineconner; https://www.instagram.com/winedinecaroline/, www.winedinecaroline.com; www.lyonwinetastings.com
Producer: Jennifer Geraghty. @jennyphoria; Website: http://jennyphoria.com


Music Credits
Mon Paris by Ikson https://www.iksonmusic.com; https://youtube.com/ikson


About Us
France is home to thousands of wines, thousands of cheeses, and countless recipes – almost all of which are inextricable from their local terroir. Terroir is a word that links foods, wines, and more to the places they're from and the people who make them. Let culinary journalist Emily Monaco and chef and wine expert Caroline Conner take you through the ins and outs of France's phenomenal regional richness.

The Alps are shared among France, Italy, and Switzerland, with the former Duchy of Savoie uniting them all. The French side of this relatively young mountain range is home to a host of pressed cheeses, some (questionably) exotic white wine varieties, and loads of comfort food specialties perfect to enjoy after a day of skiing.

NPR podcast Emily references:
https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2014/10/10/355177578/episode-575-the-fondue-conspiracy


Join us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/parisundergroundradio


Find Us Online
Website: www.parisundergroundradio.com/theterroirpodcast
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parisundergroundradio
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parisundergroundradio/


Credits
Host: Emily Monaco. @Emily_in_France; Website: http://www.tomatokumato.com and http://www.emilymmonaco.com
Host: Caroline Conner, https://www.parisundergroundradio.com/carolineconner; https://www.instagram.com/winedinecaroline/, www.winedinecaroline.com; www.lyonwinetastings.com
Producer: Jennifer Geraghty. @jennyphoria; Website: http://jennyphoria.com


Music Credits
Mon Paris by Ikson https://www.iksonmusic.com; https://youtube.com/ikson


About Us
France is home to thousands of wines, thousands of cheeses, and countless recipes – almost all of which are inextricable from their local terroir. Terroir is a word that links foods, wines, and more to the places they're from and the people who make them. Let culinary journalist Emily Monaco and chef and wine expert Caroline Conner take you through the ins and outs of France's phenomenal regional richness.

Périgord and Dordogne are home to some of the most luxurious products money can buy, ranging from foie gras to decades-old cuvées of Bordeaux, from black truffles to sweet white wine. This week, Caroline and Emily delve into some of these most sought-after ingredients – and contend with whether they're worth their massive price tags.


Join us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/parisundergroundradio


Why eating foie gras isn’t unethical:
https://www.seriouseats.com/foie-gras-new-fire-for-an-old-debate

How to Cook a Duck Breast by Caroline Conner

Luckily, duck is extremely easy to cook at home.

I am not very into cooking from recipes. I think it's really important to learn how to trust yourself when cooking rather than following instructions.

When cooking meat to perfection, whatever timing I give you here is meaningless, you need to practice and play! The only thing I will offer in terms of real specificity is that I highly recommend getting an electric thermometer. They aren't cheap and will set you back about $50 but they are so worth it and they will really help you never overcook your meat.


Serves 2, these are huge

- 1 magret de canard - a large duck breast from a foie gras duck
- salt and pepper
- Sauce bordelaise if you want

1. Put the duck breast in the freezer for 15 minutes, this will help firm up the fat so it's easier to score
2. With a very sharp knife, score the skin through the fat, trying to cut to the flesh but not through it. Don't be mad if it's not perfect!
3. Score again perpendicular to the first round
4. Place the duck breast skin side down in a COLD non-stick pan, ideally cast iron
5. Turn on the burner to low or medium low and do something else for a few minutes, the fat will start to melt
6. As the fat renders out of the skin, hold the breast with tongs and pour out the fat into a bowl, never throw away duck fat use it to cook some potatoes tomorrow or in a few days!
7. You'll need to do this a lot, there is a lot of fat. Check the skin occasionally to make sure it isn't starting to burn and turn down the heat if it is!
8. It will take between 10 and 15 minutes for the skin to render and yield a LOT of fat and be nice and crispy
9. Once it's where you want it, crank up the heat and flip the breasts
10. For medium rare, which is the correct temp, cook them till they reach 125 F internally, which will be another 5 minutes or so
11. Let rest for a few minutes and then carve and serve with truffle mashed potatoes! Or with salad. Or with anything.


Find Us Online
Website: www.parisundergroundradio.com/theterroirpodcast
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parisundergroundradio
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parisundergroundradio/


Credits
Host: Emily Monaco. @Emily_in_France; Website: http://www.tomatokumato.com and http://www.emilymmonaco.com
Host: Caroline Conner, https://www.parisundergroundradio.com/carolineconner; https://www.instagram.com/winedinecaroline/, www.winedinecaroline.com; www.lyonwinetastings.com
Producer: Jennifer Geraghty. @jennyphoria; Website: http://jennyphoria.com


Music Credits
Mon Paris by Ikson https://www.iksonmusic.com; https://youtube.com/ikson


About Us
France is home to thousands of wines, thousands of cheeses, and countless recipes – almost all of which are inextricable from their local terroir. Terroir is a word that links foods, wines, and more to the places they're from and the people who make them. Let culinary journalist Emily Monaco and chef and wine expert Caroline Conner take you through the ins and outs of France's phenomenal regional richness.

Bordeaux is home to some of the most famous – and most expensive – French bottles, but are they really worth that hefty price tag? Caroline schools Emily (and all of us!) on the history of this region with a whopping 53 AOCs, and she dons a chef hat in concocting a recipe for the perfect steak to enjoy alongside your favorite bottle. Meanwhile, Saint-Emilion's Kelley Moueix, of the JP Moueix group, explores some of the nuances of making wine in this medieval village with a rich history, and Emily shares the tale of nuns tasked with using up egg yolks left behind from ancestral fining techniques.

Discover the JP Moueix group and Château Belair-Monange:
https://www.moueix.com/
Find their bags here: https://saint-m.fr/


Map for Occupied France:
https://bit.ly/3qA3JHP

Map of Bordeaux AOCs:
https://bit.ly/3IDUYCu

Article by Jane Anson about Bordeaux under occupation:
https://janeanson.com/world-war-ii-bordeaux-life-under-occupation


Steak a la Bordelaise by Caroline Conner

This is a recipe that is not really a recipe, the basic gist of it is that you reduce red wine and stock until it's got a thick syrupy texture, then mount it with butter. Pretty simple. It's not something that you need huge quantities of either, 2 or 3 spoonfuls is enough. It's intense!

1 Sirloin Steak (8oz for two people seems good to me with sides but you may want 2 x 6oz, leftovers never hurt)
Sauce Bordelaise
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 cup of red wine
1 cup of chicken, beef, or veal stock
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs of thyme
2 tbsp of butter, divided

In a small saucepan reduce the red wine and the stock with the bay leaf until it has reduced to about a quarter cup, it should be thick and syrupy
Press the steak dry with paper towels and then salt and pepper liberally
I set up a little bowl of salt and pepper mixed together before doing this step so I'm not getting meaty hands all over everything
Add a glug of neutral oil to frying pan or cast iron pan and get it searing hot, it should smoke
Add the steak and press down on it with your spatula
Flip and press until it's nice and brown and cooked to your liking . You can see a guide here for internal temps!
Remove from the pan and cover with foil to rest
Add 1 tbsp of butter to the pan and the diced shallot along with a pinch of salt and cook for a minute or two until the shallot goes translucent
Add the stock/wine reduction and whisk
Off the heat, whisk in the other 1 tbsp of butter and season with salt and pepper
Slice your steak and serve with a few spoonfuls of this intense sauce!


Wine Dine Lyon: https://www.winedinecaroline.com/french-wine-tours-retreats/lyon-french-wine-tour/

Join us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/parisundergroundradio

Find Us Online
Website: www.parisundergroundradio.com/theterroirpodcast
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parisundergroundradio
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parisundergroundradio/


Credits
Host: Emily Monaco. @Emily_in_France; Website: http://www.tomatokumato.com and http://www.emilymmonaco.com
Host: Caroline Conner, https://www.parisundergroundradio.com/carolineconner; https://www.instagram.com/winedinecaroline/, www.winedinecaroline.com; www.lyonwinetastings.com
Producer: Jennifer Geraghty. @jennyphoria; Website: http://jennyphoria.com


Music Credits
Mon Paris by Ikson https://www.iksonmusic.com; https://youtube.com/ikson


About Us
France is home to thousands of wines, thousands of cheeses, and countless recipes – almost all of which are inextricable from their local terroir. Terroir is a word that links foods, wines, and more to the places they're from and the people who make them. Let culinary journalist Emily Monaco and chef and wine expert Caroline Conner take you through the ins and outs of France's phenomenal regional richness.

A rose by any other name may smell as sweet, and this bit of southwestern France – whether you call it Dordogne or Périgord or even Aquitaine – smells sweetly of walnuts, washed-rind cheese, and wine. Emily and Caroline are breaking down Périgord's seven strawberry varieties, delving into why a cheese invented by monks was vastly improved by nuns, and explaining how the wines here got to be so deceptively delicious for how reasonable they are. Caroline shares a recipe for a delicious local walnut cake, Emily reduces the 100 Years' War to 15 seconds or less, and they both fangirl over the ultimate badass Eleanor of Aquitaine, who married two kings and proved to be cooler than both of them.


Tarte Aux Noix Perigourdine Recipe by Caroline Conner

I made these into little tartlets but you could just as easily make one big tart. It was so delicious, pecan pie vibes but more caramelly and with the lightest crispest pastry!

Yes, you could buy pastry, but store bought pastry sucks. It sucks! Making your own pastry is so easy and it's really a zillion times better. The pastry makes enough for 6 tartlets easily cut out with as many scraps leftover for the next project, or one big tart again with scraps. It's so easy, trust me!

If you want to make one big tart, increase the cooking times on everything by about 20 minutes

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

200g walnut halves
200g sugar
200g of creme fraiche or heavy cream
30g unsalted butter cut into cubes
1/4 tsp of salt
30g honey
2 eggs
Pate sucrée - or sweet pastry crust - this makes enough for 2 big tarts

Start by making the pastry since it will need at least an hour in the fridge before rolling.

Pate Sucrée

250g AP flour or pastry flour
95g powdered sugar
30g ground nuts, walnuts if you have them, but almond or hazelnut will do, you can skip this if it's too much of a pain
2 big pinches of salt
150g butter
1 large egg

Combine flour, powdered sugar, salt, and ground nuts. Whisk together
Cut butter into cubes and mix into the dry ingredients, pinching and rolling the butter between your fingers until the mixture is sandy and there aren't any big pieces of butter left
Crack the egg into a bowl and break it up with a fork, then add it in and fold with a spatula
You want to work the dough enough so it starts to create a mass, but it doesn't need to be uniform or totally cohesive
Dump it out onto plastic wrap including any dry crumbs, flatten into a disk shape and wrap
Store in a cold part of the fridge for at least an hour
Preheat the oven to 350F or 175C (if using convection lower it by 10 or so degrees)
Spray or butter the tart shells
Roll out pastry with plenty of flour
Line the tart shells, it doesn't matter if there are some holes just patch them up!
Grease some foil and lay it butter side down over the pastry and fill with either rice, beans, or baking beads
Blind bake like that for 10-15 minutes until the sides look like they are starting to be drier
Remove the foil and beans and bake for another 10 minutes

Meanwhile - for the tarts

Have all your ingredients at hand before you make the caramel, it waits for no (wo)man! And for god's sake be careful, caramel is dangerous.

Roast the walnuts in the oven or toast them in the microwave so they get all that good roasted flavor, I don't have a microwave so it's usually 10-15 minutes in the oven for me
I dump them into a kitchen towel and crunch them up with my hands, this keeps the chunks large enough to be toothsome and removes some of the bitter skin
Melt the sugar in a dry pan over medium heat, you can stir the unmelted sugar into the melted sugar to help it along
Once it is uniformly melted and a rich amber color, take it off the heat and add the butter cubes and stir, it will spit!
Once the butter is in add the honey and cream and salt
Put it back on the heat and cook it until it thickens up a bit, it should coat the back of your spoon or spatula rather than sliding straight off
Add the walnuts and stir, removing from the heat
Ignore for 15 minutes so it cools down and doesn't immediately scramble your eggs
Add the eggs one at a time and stir in until the mixture is uniform
Spoon into the tart shells and then return to the oven for about 15 minutes, it's done when the whole surface looks set, there will be bubbles
Let it cool before you stick your face in it, which will be difficult


Join us on Patreon: Patreon.com/parisundergroundradio

Find Us Online
Website: www.parisundergroundradio.com/theterroirpodcast
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parisundergroundradio
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parisundergroundradio/


Credits
Host: Emily Monaco. @Emily_in_France; Website: http://www.tomatokumato.com and http://www.emilymmonaco.com
Host: Caroline Conner, https://www.parisundergroundradio.com/carolineconner; https://www.instagram.com/winedinecaroline/, www.winedinecaroline.com; www.lyonwinetastings.com
Producer: Jennifer Geraghty. @jennyphoria; Website: http://jennyphoria.com


Music Credits
Mon Paris by Ikson https://www.iksonmusic.com; https://youtube.com/ikson


About Us
France is home to thousands of wines, thousands of cheeses, and countless recipes – almost all of which are inextricable from their local terroir. Terroir is a word that links foods, wines, and more to the places they're from and the people who make them. Let culinary journalist Emily Monaco and chef and wine expert Caroline Conner take you through the ins and outs of France's phenomenal regional richness.

Normandy is a dairy powerhouse in France, home to one of its three AOP butters, its only AOP cream, and four of its 46 AOP cheeses. From stanky Livarot to oh-so-popular Camembert, Emily and Caroline guide you through the history of top-quality dairy in Normandy.


Join us on Patreon: Patreon.com/parisundergroundradio

Find Us Online
Website: www.parisundergroundradio.com/theterroirpodcast
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parisundergroundradio
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parisundergroundradio/


Credits
Host: Emily Monaco. @Emily_in_France; Website: http://www.tomatokumato.com and http://www.emilymmonaco.com
Host: Caroline Conner, https://www.parisundergroundradio.com/carolineconner; https://www.instagram.com/winedinecaroline/, www.winedinecaroline.com; www.lyonwinetastings.com
Producer: Jennifer Geraghty. @jennyphoria; Website: http://jennyphoria.com


Music Credits
Mon Paris by Ikson https://www.iksonmusic.com; https://youtube.com/ikson


About Us
France is home to thousands of wines, thousands of cheeses, and countless recipes – almost all of which are inextricable from their local terroir. Terroir is a word that links foods, wines, and more to the places they're from and the people who make them. Let culinary journalist Emily Monaco and chef and wine expert Caroline Conner take you through the ins and outs of France's phenomenal regional richness.

With links to the Norsemen of yore, Normandy is so much more than the home to the D-Day beaches. This week, Caroline and Emily delve into the history of this rich region, home to some of France's best beef and its most famous apple brandy: Calvados. Plus, Benjamin Renaud of the Ferme de Romilly takes us through some of his efforts to modernize his historic cider house.


Ferme de Romilly:
romillycidre.com


Fall Fashioned Recipe by Forest Collins
The recipe is in parts (instead of ounces/milliliters) because I usually batch it in a large bottle making it easy to serve when guests arrive, meaning less time messing with measuring and mixing. I also serve it over smoked ice to add a special touch for guests, which is  something I can also prepare ahead of time and leave in the freezer until I’m ready to go (put it in a ziplock bag or two to keep the smoke smell from invading other things in the freezer) I have put the amonts for a single serving in parentheses after the parts 

Fall Fashioned
6 parts calvados*** (2 ounces/60ml)
1 part brown sugar syrup (equal parts brown sugar and water) (1-2 barspoons/10ml)
several dashes whiskey aged bitters** (3-4 dashes)

Mix together over large block smoked ice cube* in rocks glass and express lemon peel over
*for the ice cube, I usually use my smoker, but if you want the quick and easy way, just add liquid smoke to the tray when making the ice.

**I add 3 to 4 dashes of bitters per drink. If you have a rough idea of how many drinks are in your batch you can multiply that by 3. Otherwise, you can just add three or four dashes when you pour the drink from the batch. 

***While we sometimes use calvados from small local producers, I suggest Christian Drouin as something easier to find if you aren't local

Sometimes for extra theatrics I’ll serve the Fall Fashioneds in a separate little perfume flacon next to the chilled glass with the ice cube ( I bought these new for the purpose – be careful about reusing bottles that had perfume in them already). Guests can then pour it themselves over the ice block. This isn’t just kind of cute and interactive but practical. I bought perfume bottles that hold nearly exactly 2 ounces (60 ml) of liquid, so I know I’m giving the same measure for each cocktail and not getting accidently overly heavy handed with the pours. 


Wine Dine Lyon: https://www.winedinecaroline.com/french-wine-tours-retreats/lyon-french-wine-tour/

Join us on Patreon: Patreon.com/parisundergroundradio

Find Us Online
Website: www.parisundergroundradio.com/theterroirpodcast
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parisundergroundradio
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parisundergroundradio/


Credits
Host: Emily Monaco. @Emily_in_France; Website: http://www.tomatokumato.com and http://www.emilymmonaco.com
Host: Caroline Conner, https://www.parisundergroundradio.com/carolineconner; https://www.instagram.com/winedinecaroline/, www.winedinecaroline.com; www.lyonwinetastings.com
Producer: Jennifer Geraghty. @jennyphoria; Website: http://jennyphoria.com


Music Credits
Mon Paris by Ikson https://www.iksonmusic.com; https://youtube.com/ikson


About Us
France is home to thousands of wines, thousands of cheeses, and countless recipes – almost all of which are inextricable from their local terroir. Terroir is a word that links foods, wines, and more to the places they're from and the people who make them. Let culinary journalist Emily Monaco and chef and wine expert Caroline Conner take you through the ins and outs of France's phenomenal regional richness.