Tête de veau in Blanceret

I gave into tourism, because I do know a rare sight when I see one and when I saw Madame Monique do her thing, with implements of dissection,  

I knew this was indeed rare. Yes, folk, on a Thursday in August, this little restaurant in Blanceret was packed.  The 29.50 euro menu  was the Maison Mayançon main event, the Thursday specialty, Tête de veau.

 

 

That would be the chin, Monique said to me. Ah yes, I thought, hair and all-- nestled between the blanched onion and the boiled carrot and some cartilige and whatever. 

 

To think it all started life as one of these .  

 

Now, one of the best versions I've come by how to make this gelatinous gloop, bolito misto-like boiled body part comes from Nicolas Lander.  Monique, as powerful as  a hummingbird attacked one head after the other. I  was just compelled.  

 

and then for a closer look....    that's the

ear, she said to me, that thing falling off the plate.

The head is split, stuffed and cooked beyond recognition.

 The great thing about this presentation is that you can ask for the bits you want, and hence the packed crowd. So if you want to avoid the hairy chin, it's possible! 

And so I ordered a plate of tomatoes that I thought was a safe bet in August. But no. That didn't quite work. But it came with a sublime though surprising poached egg, (Russell said that Monique had feared for my nutrition, thus the supplement.)  For a traditional, home cooked place if meat is your game, fresh eggs and well picked animals, this is a swell spot for a spot of that old-world Beaujolaise. I enjoyed the theater and saved my stomach for dinner.

 To drink? A beaujo blanc, raised in Acacia. Actually not bad, not natural, had that enzymed texture, but  still,  well, you know, wet.  

Comments

[Ljones]

fascinating-- in the same way that I used to gaze at dead rabbits hanging in the windows of Italian butchers in the Village. Glad to know someone is keeping these old traditions alive. I guess. Why waste a calf head, after all?

[Alicefeiring]

My friend Melissa did a pig head the other day, she would have eagerly stuck her fork in here. It is fascinating, but this was such a traditional, old- fashioned restaurant that the carrot and onion inside of the head were the only vegetables I could see as I looked around me.

[Brigitte Armenier]

Une Tete de Veau un 10 Aout? Citoyenne Alice, la Republique Reconnaissante te decerne le Ruban Rouge de la Charte de BoVin Naturel
http://www.tete-de-veau-rochelaise.fr/confrerie-tete-de-veau/la-charte-de-la-confrerie-de-la-tete-de-veau

[Alicefeiring]

Who knew! But where are the pictures?

[Brigitte Armenier]

Pas de photos, c'est la Convention.

[Laracchapman]

Hi, New to this site but glad to be here... until I stumbled upon this story :) The calf heads were just too much for me. The chin was pretty bad too. Are you glad you didn't partake in the feast??

[Alicefeiring]

Hi Lara, try to stick to the wine on the site, the chins were a side show. And as a long time vegetarian, partaking was not really in the cards and I was delighted to abstain. Thanks for stopping by.