Maigret, his pipe, his tart rice and lamb Navarin

This is a dish that one likes to smell from the stairwell, the landing or hallway before hanging our clothes peg to fatigue alone. Flavors of meat and vegetables simmered at length. Moving towards the ray of light that filters in the doorway of the kitchen, welcomed the idea of lifting the lid of the casserole melt. Because Navarin lamb cooked there is much more a figure of the imposed fine cuisine housewife. It is an atmosphere, an intimate tastes and culinary expertise that goes beyond the recipe. "Good cooking is the memory," said Georges Simenon which to transmit its emblematic character, Jules Maigret, its strong appetite and his taste for dishes and local market.

Fricot. So when the time comes for vegetables (turnips, carrots, peas, beans, green beans), we look with delight at Navarin spring that the writer put on the menu of the Commissioner of 36, quai des Goldsmith: How many Navarin lamb, Fricandeau with sorrel, beans sheep, blanquette of veal, tripe à la mode de Caen régalèrent Jules Maigret in 75 novels and 28 new? We would have liked to steal some recipes to his wife in the solitude of her kitchen, at 132 Boulevard Richard-Lenoir where Madame Maigret submitted its Fricot when her husband accepted a case, preferring to raise the office sandwiches and beer .

In Simenon novels, there is often much to eat and should always carry a kitchen when we decided to embark on a recipe for long. History of a few pages to sit between two preparations. That day, we decided to reread the Burgomaster of Furnes preparing a Navarin.

For four eaters, you need: 1 kilo of lamb shoulder, cut into pieces (you can also take the collar cheaper) and a bunch of turnips, a carrot, another white bells onion, 300 g peas, 300 grams of green beans and other vegetables according to your taste: beans, small potatoes, peas greedy, radishes, two ripe tomatoes, beef broth or a glass of white wine, a tablespoon flour, a teaspoon of sugar, butter, oil, salt, pepper, a bay leaf, a sprig of thyme.

In a casserole, brown the lamb pieces in a mixture of oil and butter, then remove and drain two thirds of the fat. Replace the meat and sprinkle with the sugar and flour. Making scorch two minute stirring with a wooden spoon, moisten with white wine and water or broth to cover the shoulder pieces. Add the tomatoes, cut into pieces, thyme and bay leaves, salt and pepper. Simmer fifty minutes.

During this time and across two pages of Simenon, fry in butter carrots, turnips and onions. Then add all vegetables to meat and let simmer yet twenty-five minutes. Serve hot.

Wallon. Navarin After, we went to dessert favorite Simenon child pie rice. "Little George had a passion for this dessert typically Belgian than Flemish Walloon all, I think. When children, we conducted among a sample of her aunts, the menu consisted invariably a cake pound cake [very consistent, he wrote, and they did little editor's note], d ' a pie with rice and fruit tarts. He then exchanged his pastry portions against portions of rice tart enjoying it, "writes Robert Courtine in Simenon Maigret and passed to table.