Pied de porc à la Sainte-Menehould is pig's trotter boiled for so long that even the small bones soften, then breadcrumbed and browned in butter, a Marne speciality.
The story of Pied de porc à la Sainte-Menehould
The dish belongs to the Marne town of Sainte-Menehould. Legends say Charles VII ate trotters there in 1435, and that in 1730 a clumsy cook left them to cook all night; a local tradition based on a story by Camille Desmoulins holds that Louis XVI was caught at Varennes because he lingered over them. In 18th-century cookbooks such as Menon's (1739), à la Sainte-Menehould meant a cooking broth or marinade used for poultry, fish and trotters, not a sauce; the long boil is what lets the whole trotter be eaten, bones included.
How to make Pied de porc à la Sainte-Menehould
Serves: Serves 4
Ingredients
- 4 pig's trotters, cleaned, each tied in muslin or bound with string
- 1 onion stuck with 2 cloves, 2 carrots, 1 bouquet garni
- 250ml dry white wine
- 60g melted butter
- 2 tbsp Dijon or Reims mustard
- 100g dried breadcrumbs
- Salt and black pepper
Method
- Put the bound trotters in a pan with the onion, carrots, bouquet garni and wine, cover with water and simmer very gently for 4 hours, topping up with hot water.
- Let them cool in the broth, then drain and unwrap them carefully, keeping them whole.
- Brush the trotters with mustard and melted butter and roll them in the breadcrumbs.
- Grill under a hot grill for about 10 minutes, turning, until crisp and golden.
Editor tip. Binding the trotters before the long simmer keeps them in shape; serve with mustard and a green salad dressed sharply.
The editor picks for Pied de porc à la Sainte-Menehould in Reims are still in research. Meanwhile, see the Reims signature-dishes index or the Reims food guide.