The return of the "Norman hole"
You maybe know the "trou normand", this old gastronomic custom typically French which consists in taking a (small) glass of calvados, generally between the last course and the dessert?
It's something that seems a bit anachronistic nowadays, having a glass of an alcohol of more than 60° in the middle of a meal, often with wines, to supposedly "ease digestion", ouch!
It's something that seems a bit anachronistic nowadays, having a glass of an alcohol of more than 60° in the middle of a meal, often with wines, to supposedly "ease digestion", ouch!
14 K 4.8/5 (13 reviews)
Keywords for this post:MealCustomNormandyNormandCalvadosSorbetLast modified on: December 18th 2021
The return of the "Norman hole"
If the original practice is rather debatable (personally, I'm almost sure that I won't see the dessert, or else in a fog :-), the principle on the other hand is not stupid: In a rather rich meal, like a holiday meal, take a little break before the dessert, and why not, by tasting something different.
It is a little bit towards that that the usage has been adapted for several decades, we always practice the Norman hole, but it is rather with something fresh, like a sorbet, often alcoholic, we do not completely remake.
The great classic, always in the Norman spirit, is a small dish with an apple sorbet, without or with a dash of calvados poured over it just before serving, or its "colonel" version with lemon and vodka sorbet.
The freshness of the sorbet, welcome at the end of the meal, is typical of what great restaurants call the pre-dessert.
In the end, it is a certain contrast that is sought, we have just eaten the main course, often quite substantial, perhaps washed down with strong wines, our mouths are a little full, a touch of lightness, of freshness, would be welcome.
Someone who is a bit strict might tell you to stop fussing, and simply drink a glass of fresh water, that it would be enough, and he would probably be right, but it is a holiday meal, we want to get out of the ordinary.
But instead of limiting yourself to the two initial options, alcohol alone (classic but outdated) or sorbet/ice (more modern but overused), it is also possible to think outside the box and go for something more daring, here are some ideas for, perhaps, your upcoming holiday meals.
- You don't serve anything with it, no little cookies or sweets, that would be too much.
- We serve the guests, and we sit with them right away, it is also a moment of exchange, the preparation of the dessert can wait a little.
- Or something fresh like a small iced coffee, a fruit mousse, a very light cream, a red fruit chantilly, or even a small fresh fruit salad.
- More daring, it could be something hot: a sabayon, vanilla or with a hint of citrus, served in a tiny cup.
- Last hot/tidy idea: mulled apple juice (my favourite), or hot cider.
In all of this, you should find something that will pass the "trou normand" test with flying colors with your guests, and who knows, maybe even surprise them a bit.
In summary:The "trou normand" in its principle, a refreshing break in a meal, is a good idea that can be declined in many ways, not necessarily alcoholic.
It is a little bit towards that that the usage has been adapted for several decades, we always practice the Norman hole, but it is rather with something fresh, like a sorbet, often alcoholic, we do not completely remake.
The great classic, always in the Norman spirit, is a small dish with an apple sorbet, without or with a dash of calvados poured over it just before serving, or its "colonel" version with lemon and vodka sorbet.
The freshness of the sorbet, welcome at the end of the meal, is typical of what great restaurants call the pre-dessert.
In the end, it is a certain contrast that is sought, we have just eaten the main course, often quite substantial, perhaps washed down with strong wines, our mouths are a little full, a touch of lightness, of freshness, would be welcome.
Someone who is a bit strict might tell you to stop fussing, and simply drink a glass of fresh water, that it would be enough, and he would probably be right, but it is a holiday meal, we want to get out of the ordinary.
But instead of limiting yourself to the two initial options, alcohol alone (classic but outdated) or sorbet/ice (more modern but overused), it is also possible to think outside the box and go for something more daring, here are some ideas for, perhaps, your upcoming holiday meals.
A few rules that can't be ignored
- We stick to something small, a ramekin for example is too big, you need a very small glass, or a cup, or an espresso/ristretto cup.- You don't serve anything with it, no little cookies or sweets, that would be too much.
- We serve the guests, and we sit with them right away, it is also a moment of exchange, the preparation of the dessert can wait a little.
And some suggestions
-It can be something very cold, a fruit sorbet with a little acidity for example: apple already mentioned, citrus fruits (clementine for example) or red fruits.- Or something fresh like a small iced coffee, a fruit mousse, a very light cream, a red fruit chantilly, or even a small fresh fruit salad.
- More daring, it could be something hot: a sabayon, vanilla or with a hint of citrus, served in a tiny cup.
- Last hot/tidy idea: mulled apple juice (my favourite), or hot cider.
In all of this, you should find something that will pass the "trou normand" test with flying colors with your guests, and who knows, maybe even surprise them a bit.
In summary:The "trou normand" in its principle, a refreshing break in a meal, is a good idea that can be declined in many ways, not necessarily alcoholic.
Lasts posts
Oven height
When we put a dish or cake in the oven, we naturally tend to put it on the middle shelf, and that's what we usually do. But in some cases, this position and height can be a little tricky, so let's find out why.October 8th 20251,8595
The importance of sieving
In recipes that use a fine powder (flour, powdered sugar, etc.), you'll often see the advice to sift before using it. To sift is to pass the powder in question through a sieve (a very fine strainer) before incorporating it into your recipe. It's often advice, but is it really useful?September 3rd 20257,0613
The grease spray
As soon as you have something in a recipe that sticks to the mold, the question always arises as to how difficult it is to remove from the mold. There's nothing more frustrating than breaking your cake when unmolding it, because part of it has stuck in the mold. The classic way to avoid this is...August 26th 20256,5435
Cake moulds
When we make a cake, or a cake of the same rectangular shape, we usually take out our usual mould and tell ourselves that the recipe is anyway "for a cake", but is it really that simple?August 25th 20256,6205
Thinning out herbs
If you need to add a long-stemmed herb (tarragon, mint, verbena, thyme, etc.) to a recipe, you'll probably only need the leaves and not the stem, so you'll need to remove the leaves. Leaf removal means keeping only the beautiful leaves, and eliminating the ugly stems and leaves, but how do you do...August 8th 20254,7365
Other pages you may also like
The beautiful story of the croissants
As you may have already noticed, cooking, baking and pastry-making are full of stories or legends, usually very romantic, about this or that product or recipe. This is often the case for named recipes, for example tarte tatin, peach melba, paris-brest and many others, but it also applies to very...October 10th 201819 K5
Egg yolks and caster sugar
We often come across recipes where we need to mix egg yolks with caster sugar. This would appear to be a very ordinary and simple thing to do but, be warned, these two ingredients can behave oddly together.February 15th 201882 K 24.3
Kitchen ovens
You certainly have one in your kitchen, an oven, the essential tool for all kinds of cooking, whether in the kitchen of course, but also in pastry, bakery, pizza, and many others. Here is some information on its structure and operation.May 16th 202033 K4.4
Sausage broth
I've already talked to you about vegetable cooking water, which becomes a precious broth after cooking that would be a shame to throw away. Now let's look at the special case of meat cooking broth, and in particular sausages, which are often poached.June 28th 202312 K5
Fruits which can ruin your jelly
There are many ways of making a fruit mousse, but one of the simplest is to prepare a fruit jelly (basically a fresh fruit coulis with gelatine) and then mix this jelly before it sets completely with whipped cream. The result is perfect for filling a charlotte, for example. But do beware;...March 6th 201378 K4.0
Post a comment or question
Follow this page
If you are interested in this page, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the page is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.