Cooking France-Nord-Pas-de-Calais

 Gastronomy

Maroilles cheese
Maroilles cheese is believed to have been invented by the monks at Maroilles Abbey in 960. A decree dating back to 1245 ordered farmers to transform the milk produced by their livestock into cheese on the 24th of June (St. John the Baptist's day) and then to hand over the cheese to the Abbey's clerk on the 1st of October (St. Rémy's day). The result, which came to be known as 'La Merveille de Maroilles' (the 'Marvel of Maroilles'), was enjoyed by Charles V and Henry IV, and is considered to be one of the best strong cheeses. This soft cheese made from cows' milk is covered with a rind that is brushed and washed, and then matured for up to 4 months in the cellars of Thiérache (whose specific atmosphere are ideal for producing a unique type of flora) where 'Brevibacterium linens' (or 'red smear') bacterai grow, modifying the flavour and aroma of the cheese. In 1955, Maroilles was given its own 'Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée', a controlled designation of origin restricting the manufacture of the cheese to one area of Thiérache (from the Avesnes district in the south to the Vervins district in the north). It can be enjoyed hot, in a Flamiche pie, or in a sauce to accompany meat, poultry, and fish, but it is of course best enjoyed as the star addition to any cheeseboard. Indeed, as the old Maroilles brotherhood saying goes: "Evil unto he who claims to lay an honest table without Maroilles".
>br/>Belgian endive
The Belgian endive was discovered quite by chance a century and a half ago in the Brussels region. It was introduced to France around 1920 by Belgian seasonal workers, and since then the Nord-Pas de Calais region has become the world's leading endive-producing region. With 190,000 tons grown annually, it provides 83% of France's Belgian endive crop and 50% of its worldwide production. The roots of the endive, which are also known as 'carrots', are grown in the fields from May to November. They are then kept in a cold room, before being moved into a warm and humid atmosphere that triggers the growth of the endive. Endives can be eaten raw (in a salad) or cooked (in a gratin, quiche, or soup), and feature in many recipes, including pan-fried endives, scallops with endive and barley, autumn endive pie caramelised with soft brown sugar, etc.

Garlic from the north
In Arleux, near Douai, garlic production is a tradition dating back to the Middle Ages. Locon, which is located between Béthune and Merville, is the second centre of production. The garlic is planted in winter and harvested in August. The bulbs are pulled out of the ground and left to dry in the fields for a few days before being collected, cleaned, plaited into bunches, and hung up to dry. This is done by smoking them over a fire of sawdust, marsh peat, and straw. The garlic is mainly used as a condiment, and is also used as an ingredient in a number of regional dishes, for example, fried zander fillet with smoked garlic cream and garlic soup.
>br/>Waffles
Waffles are a speciality shared by the Nord-Pas de Calais region and Belgium. They come in many shapes and sizes, including: stroopwafels, Liège waffles (thick and made using lumps of pearl sugar), waffles with holes, Belgian waffles, and hard waffles (small, dry, circular waffles made by pressing little balls of waffle dough in an iron with a fine honeycomb pattern). This wide range is matched only by the great variety of toppings and fillings, for example, sugar, chocolate, preserves, whipped cream, maple syrup, etc.
>br/>Herring
This 'prince of fish', or even 'king of fish', is an essential part of the northern European diet. In the Middle Ages, its absence from the fishmonger's stalls was a sign of hard times, and it was long used as a form of currency or given as a gift. The salting, smoking, and drying techniques used to transform the herring in Boulogne-sur-Mer are ancient, and the combinations produced offer an impressive range of products: salted herring stored in special barrels; smoked herring - salted, soaked, and smoked; 'gendarme' herring (because of its stiffness) - salted for at least 9 days; 'bouffi' or 'craquelot' herring - a whole, lightly smoked herring; kippers - whole herrings, salted and lightly smoked; rollmops - marinated in vinegar and served on a cocktail stick, rolled around onion rings; buckling herring - salted for a few hours then hot-smoked; and small herrings - served as pilchards in tomato sauce. Thanks to these many different types of preparation, chefs can concoct dishes like sweet herring fillets on potatoes, cream of split pea soup with sweet-smoked herring, and even herring cakes. The importance this fish has in the region is illustrated in February, during the carnival, when it is traditional for kippers to be thrown from the town hall out into the crowd.