Kig Ha Farz or "Dough and Meat"


There is very traditional recipe from a quite small region of Brittany called “Bas Leon” which is situated to the North-Est of the western tip of Brittany. Kig ha farz means meat and dough. It is a peasant dish based on a buckwheat dough cooked in a linen bag, vegetables and low cuts of meat.
There no real written recipes for Kig ha farz as the Breton language was mainly transmitted through word of mouth. I will give you here a recipe that I got from a local farmer’s wife few years back.

This would serve about 10 people :

Meats
· 6 pig Shanks.
· 600g pig Belly.
· 800g Oxtail.
· 600g beef Shoulder.
· 2 or 3 lamb Shanks.

Vegetables
2 large Leeks.
8 Carrots.
3 large Onions.
1 green Cabbage.
6 medium white Turnips.
8 Potatoes.
3 cloves of Garlic.
1 Bay leaf.
10 Peppercorns.

Dough
500g Buckwheat flour.
30g Salt.
20g Sugar.
50g melted Butter.
50g melted Lard.
1/2 pint Milk.
250g Creme Fraiche or sour cream.
2 Eggs.
In large pot place all the vegetables peeled and washed with all the meats. Then cover with water and bring to the boil.
In a large bowl place the flour, sugar and salt. Mix in the eggs then fold the lard, butter and creme fraiche. Finish by adding the milk to bring the mix to a thick Consistancy (you may not need all the milk).
Pour the dough mix in a linen bag (see picture on the left) and close tightly with a peace of sting. Place it in the pot with the rest of the ingredients. Cook slowly for 4 hours.

When the dough and meat is cook take the bag out and leave to rest for 10 minutes. Then place it on a clean surface and roll it form side to side while apllying some pressure. Then open it.
Traditionally the bouillon obtained is served as a first course. Then the vegetables, the meats and the dough as a main-course.
This is a bit of work but it is an all in one dish. It is suitable for coeliacs as buckwheat flour is gluten free.
Enjoy!


“The way you cut your meat reflects the the way live”
Confucius

Gluten free, suitable for pregnant women, contains dairy.

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