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Andouillette

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Barbecued andouillette from Troyes.
Andouillette in aspic from Troyes on sale at a charcuterie in Montmartre, Paris.

Andouillette (French pronunciation: [ɑ̃dujɛt]) is a coarse-grained sausage made with pork (or occasionally, veal), intestines or chitterlings, pepper, wine, onions, and seasonings. Andouillette sausage is very different from and is not simply a smaller version of the andouille sausage, which is largely a mild to spicy garlic flavoured sausage. Tripe, which is the stomach lining of a cow, is sometimes an ingredient in the filler of an andouillette, but it is not the casing or the key to its manufacture. True andouillette will be an oblong tube. If made with the small intestine it is a plump sausage generally about than 25 mm in diameter but often it is much larger, possibly 7-10 cm in diameter, and stronger in scent when the colon is used. The spicier, Cajun version of andouille is used as an ingredient for various Cajun foods such as soups, stews and meat dishes. There are a number of French versions of andouille produced that generally provide a spicy, smoky, rich, earthy flavor, which may also have a slightly sweet taste. Andouille sausages are commonly found in many countries. By contrast, true andouillette is rarely seen outside France. All have an extremely strong, distinctive odor related to their intestinal origins and components. Although sometimes repellant to the uninitiated, this aspect of andouillette is prized by its devotees. Many restaurants that serve andouillette will advertise that they are serving artisanal andouillette sausages and approval by the Association Amicale des Amateurs d'Andouillette Authentique.

Ingredients and history

The original composition of "andouillette sausages" is not known and there is no record of the andouillette's composition from earlier than the nineteenth century. Nineteenth century dictionaries simply describe them as "small andouilles" (petites andouilles).

During recent decades, a range of differently composed andouillettes are or have been offered by Charcuterie producers: the principal differences concern the primary ingredients used, whether pork or veal or a mixture of the two. During the twenty-first century the incorporation of veal, historically the more costly meat ingredient, has been banned in response to concerns over BSE. Some French regions such as Cambrésis (the area surrounding Cambrai) and Lyonnais were still including veal right up to the ban. In other regions, pork has been the only meat in an andouillette for more than a century: that is the case with the andouillette "of Troyes", which is currently the type of andouillette most likely to be encountered in national outlets, such as supermarkets, throughout France. But it seems likely that through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, local producers were using their own unique recipes according to time and place: the recipes used by local specialised outlets continue to vary considerably.

A number of andouillettes sold as local specialities have nevertheless evolved or indeed disappeared, such as the andouillettes of Villers-Cotterêts which received a mention in the posthumously published Culinary Dictionary (Grand Dictionnaire de cuisine) by Alexandre Dumas.

The French parliamentarian Edouard Herriot once said; "Politics is like an andouillette – it should smell a little like shit, but not too much."

Serving

In major restaurants, andouillettes can be served either hot or cold. As with all true lower intestine sausages, andouillettes are an acquired taste. Their smell may offend people unaccustomed to the dish. The texture is somewhat rougher than sausages, as the content is coarsely cut. Primarily pan-fried (sometimes breaded), it can also be boiled, barbecued or grilled. The sausage is often served with vegetables in a mustard or red wine sauce. It is best served with either dry white wine, brut champagne or Pinot noir.

Andouillettes today

Their popularity (particularly around Troyes, Lyon, Tours, Orléans, Eastern and Northern France) has remained constant over the last few centuries. From the 1970s Lyon has been the centre of a fan club which rates restaurants based on the quality of their andouillettes.

Andouillette is often described on French menus as AAAAA; this acronym stands for the Association Amicale des Amateurs d'Andouillette Authentique,[1] roughly translated as the Amicable Association of Lovers of Authentic Andouillette.

References

  1. ^ Acronym Finder.com, definition of AAAAA
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