All our prepared dishes are made without preservatives, additives, emulsifiers, or any artificial or natural flavourings.
We take great care in selecting the ingredients for their composition. The vegetables, herbs, aromatics, and condiments are all grown in our wild kitchen garden and orchard; the pork is the same as that used for our ham and other cured meats.
Among our many prepared dishes, here are three that embody our artisanal craftsmanship, the spirit of our cuisine, and the exceptional quality of our ingredients.
- Rillettes
- Pâté en croûte
- Concentrated bone and ham rind broth
Many other flavourful preparations are available to discover in our shop.
Rillettes
The rillettes are prepared "the old-fashioned way." Although we usually try to avoid this overused expression, it applies perfectly here. The meat (primarily belly and a little shoulder) is first cooked in a cast iron and stainless steel cauldron until deeply browned (about 2 hours with regular stirring).
After adding the aromatics (onions, garlic), the mixture is left to slow-cook, covered, for 6 to 8 hours over a very low heat, then the heat is turned off.
At that point, the fat rises to the surface; the majority is removed, and cooking resumes with constant stirring. The goal is to evaporate as much moisture as possible while shredding the meat. After about two hours of this process, the meat is completely broken down and begins to catch at the bottom of the cauldron (and your arms ache).
From there, the fat is slowly reintroduced while stirring constantly, creating an emulsion (much like a mayonnaise) until saturation.
And then it is finished; it can be put into jars, terrines, or other containers.
This long and demanding technique has delighted generations of French people, producing an extremely flavourful (cascade Maillard reaction) and perfectly stable product—rillettes were invented long before the refrigerator. Indeed, through this process, we replace most of the water in the meat with fat, which prevents the growth of pathogenic bacteria while capturing the full spectrum of aromas.
It is a delight!
We also craft other pâtés and terrines which you can discover in our shop.
Pâté en croûte
At the restaurant, we regularly prepare pâtés en croûte for the pleasure of our guests (and the family). What interests us is taste: the texture, the depth, the balance—all those small details that, together, make the difference. Always guided by the same logic.
It is with this philosophy that we prepare our pâtés en croûte.
The foundation of our craftsmanship is the relentless search for wholesome and respectful ingredients, from the most significant to those that seem negligible, from the most visible to the most hidden. This brings that essential depth of soul to a recipe and defines the unique style of Maison Duler.
For the crust—crispy, savoury, and light—we use:
our truffle wheat flour, our Gascon pork lard to replace butter, natural salt from Salies-de-Béarn (from a saltwater spring), and water from the Source aux Loups located on the estate.
For the meat—tender and deep in flavour—we choose:
pure-bred Gascon pork raised on agroforestry pastures; Nicolas’s organic agroforestry poultry, raised over a long period especially for us; Henri’s organic veal, born and raised in Quercy Blanc just 10 kilometres from Maison Duler; and of course, ultra-fresh foie gras from the Lot, prepared on the day of slaughter.
For the jellies—complex and intoxicating—we use:
our bone and ham rind broth, organic veal bones and trimmings, organic poultry bones and trimmings, aromatics including organic vegetables and herbs from our wild kitchen garden and orchard, and always water from the Source aux Loups.
We master the synergy of all these elements with finesse and technical precision.
This is our constant pursuit.
How a pâté en croûte becomes an exceptional creation!
Concentrated bone and ham rind broth
Almost every week, we make several litres of broth for our restaurant. Another portion is bottled in glass jars, which you will find in our online shop.
These long-simmered broths are not only delicious but also true restorative elixirs.
They offer a concentrated extraction of minerals found in the bones, including calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and sodium.
Thanks to its high collagen content, the broth eases joints and helps eliminate toxins. It is for these reasons that, in the past, a "wholesome broth" was given to revive the sick and convalescing.
To prepare our broths, we cover the bones and rinds generously with cold spring water and add seasonal vegetables from the garden. Then, we bring the broth to a boil and leave it to simmer for at least 24 hours.
Afterwards, we filter it through a fine chinois strainer; the broth goes into the refrigerator and the aromatics to the compost. The next day, we remove the solidified fat from the surface to obtain a perfectly clarified broth.
While winter gastronomy celebrates long-simmered broths, these can be enjoyed in any season.
In summer, serve it hot or cold with finely chopped fresh herbs.
In winter, use it to make an onion soup.
