Le Navarin d’agneau.
Historical dishes: recipes from the past still have a future!
From Béchamel sauce to tarte tatin, chicken in a pot and veal Marengo, the great recipes of French cuisine are made up of little stories!
On the way for a journey through time (and into the back kitchens) to discover the secrets of some of the jewels of our gastronomy...
Navarin of lamb.Where does the word “Navarino” come from? Why is this kind of lamb stew called so?
Several explanations circulate, as often.
- Historical version: the Greek city of Navarino was the scene of a famous naval battle in 1827. The English, Russian and French fleets inflicted a "stinging" defeat on the Turkish-Egyptian fleet in the war for the independence of the Greece.
- Culinary version: navarin is a slang expression that appeared in 1847, synonymous with turnip, in the sense of "null", "bad". This may have something to do with the naval battle by the way! Still, the turnip (new if possible) being the vegetable essential to the success of Navarin, it is possible that it took its pejorative name.
- The trick: even if it can be eaten all year round, Navarin is a typical spring dish! The lamb and the early vegetables that make it up (carrots, turnips, peas, new potatoes) are tastier (and cheaper) there at this season.
