Poultry holds a special place. What would Christmas Eve be without a red turkey from the Ardennes? It is a breed of local turkey whose specificity is a tawny red plumage. It is cooked with a Champagne stuffing made from pork flesh, small bacon bits and white pudding. Rethel white pudding is one of the great specialties of the region. The secret of its creamy recipe is passed down from generation to generation. It can be made plain, with mushrooms, foie gras or truffles. Ardennes cuisine also gives pride of place to fish. You can enjoy fried fry from the Meuse or stuffed pike in the best restaurants. The very popular dessert for wedding meals is the calf cake. It is a very light sponge cake baked in a high, wavy mould. Finally, the famous "galette à suc" is an emblematic preparation of the Ardennes. As its name suggests, it is a leavened dough covered in sugar and butter.
Champagne hotpot is a particularly famous and celebrated speciality. This very complete dish is prepared with cabbage, ham, bacon, sausages, potatoes, turnips and onions. Troyes sausages are made from pork. They can be eaten fried or stuffed. As for the Sainte-Menehould pork trotters, they are boiled with carrots and onions before being breaded and grilled. This method of preparation considerably tenderizes the meat. This dish is best enjoyed with a local wine. As for sweets, pink biscuits from Reims like croquignoles from Reims are at least as well known as champagne. Moreover, traditionally, they are savored dipped in champagne. Cheeses are also part of the regional specialties to discover, such as chaource. It is made from triple cream cow's milk. It is a soft cheese with a rather bloomy rind.
