A great classic of French cuisine, hotpot is an old and popular dish whose name comes from the earthen pot in which it was originally cooked. Close to the pot-au-feu or the garbure, the hotpot is nevertheless distinguished from its cousins by its solid appearance. In France, there are almost as many varieties of hotpot as there are regions. Auvergne hotpot is prepared with cabbage, potatoes, lean bacon, pork knuckle and sausages. It is prepared in three stages. First you have to desalinate the meat overnight in water or 5 min in boiling water, then you have to cook all the ingredients together:the meat and the vegetables (cabbage, potatoes, carrots, etc.). Finally, the cabbage is braised with the charcuterie to bring more flavor.
A traditional culinary specialty of the Aubrac region (Aveyron, Cantal, Lozère), aligot is a rural dish made from mashed potatoes and fresh tome cheese. Formerly a subsistence dish, it is now a festive dish; it is also called the ribbon of friendship. To prepare aligot, mix mashed potatoes with cream, butter and fresh aligot tome then add crushed or finely chopped garlic. Its characteristic very elastic texture is obtained by working the preparation for a long time. Aligot should not be confused with truffade, originating from the Cantal mountains, in which the potatoes are cut into strips then browned in white bacon before adding the tome.
A jewel of Auvergne gastronomy, tripous are a typical culinary specialty of which the locals are very proud. Tripous are prepared with veal or mutton tripe cut, rolled, garnished with belly, ham and parsley. The tripous should benefit from slow cooking to allow the reduction of the veal stock and white wine broth and the perfect cooking of the meat and vegetables (carrots and tomatoes). They are traditionally served with aligot, truffade or simply boiled potatoes. The "best tripou" competition takes place every year in Rodez.
