What is aligot?
Aligot is a rich and creamy dish from France, primarily made from mashed potatoes and tomme de Laguiole cheese. This is also known as tome fraîche, tomme fraîche, tome d‘Auvergne, tome de l’Aubrac, or tome d’aligot.
Aligot is often served with sausages or grilled meats and a glass of red Auvergne wine.
What is the history of aligot?
Aligot is said to have originated in France’s southern Massif Central, specifically, Aubrac, which encompasses the departments of Cantal, Aveyron, and Lozère.
Grégoire de Tours claims that the dish was the result of ingredients brought for a common meal by three archbishops to the synod of Aubrac in the 6th century.
According to Grégoire, the bishops each brought a local specialty. Cheese from Rouergue, bread from Haut Pays d’Auvergne, and cream from Gévaudan. They combined these three ingredients to make the first aligot.
In the 13th century, a monument to commemorate the synod, “la croix des trois évêques” (the cross of the three bishops) was erected at the junction of the three bishops’ dioceses, now the departments of Aveyron, Cantal, and Lozère.
Others claim that the dish was invented by monks of domerie d’Aubrac in the 12th century to serve to pilgrims making an overnight stop on the Camino de Santiago. It’s possible however, that they were serving a meal that already had a long ecclesiastical tradition.
For centuries, aligot was made with bread until bad wheat harvests during the 1800s necessitated the bread being replaced by potatoes.
Between the European agricultural crisis and the expansion of the railway, aligot found its way to other parts of France during the late 19th century, following the mass migration of the rural Auvergnats (called “bougnats” in Paris).
The capital in particular, saw a huge influx of Auvergnats, who, as well as their labor skills, brought their traditional foods with them. These included aligot, which by the beginning of the 20th century, had begun to appear on menus of Auvergnat-run restaurants in the city.
Aligot is still made by hand in large pans in Aubrac homes and street markets.
What is the etymology?
Aligot (pronounced, “ah-lee-goh”) is the French spelling of the Rouergat (a sub-dialect of Languedoc Occitan) word, alicouot (or aligouot).
In the Trésor du Félibrige, Frédéric Mistral claims that the name comes from the Latin root word, aliquid (“something”).
However, in the Etymological Dictionary of the Langue d’Oc, Robert A. Geuljans states that aligot comes from the old French verb, harigoter (“to tear” or “shred into pieces”).
Some claim this is in reference to the cheesy mash forming excessively long ribbons once it’s fully beaten. However, this is unlikely, due to the fact that prior to the 1960s, this particular theatricality was relatively unknown.
In addition, given that cheese is a later addition, again, this explanation is unlikely. What is likely though, is that it refers to the original recipe of bread being torn or shredded before being mixed with cream.
What is tomme de Laguiole?
Tomme de Laguiole (tome fraîche) is a mildly-flavored, unsalted French cheese that is often used in aligot, as well as other dishes that call for large quantities of melted cheese, such as patranque, rétortillat, truffade, and gratins.
It’s the first stage in the manufacturing of cheese from the area, a process which involves firmly pressing the lightly fermented curds into molds, resulting in a mildly tangy young, dry cheese that’s best consumed between 2 to 10 days old.
Prior to modern production methods, tome fraîche was made by buronniers (cowherds) during the summer months while they lived in burons (stone chalets) in the lush mountain pastures their cattle grazed upon.
Tome or tomme is the gallicization of the Occitan word for cheese, toma. Ergo, tome fraîche simply means “fresh cheese”.
Tomme de Laguiole should not be confused with tomme de Savoie. The two are not interchangeable.
What are the best potatoes to use?
The best potatoes to use are starchy ones, such as Russet. These have a high starch content, which helps to create a smooth and creamy texture when mashed, making them ideal for dishes such as aligot.
What are starchy potatoes?
Starchy (or floury) potatoes have a high starch content.
Russet is the most common type, and is known as Idaho potatoes in the United States. They are generally considered the best for mashing, roasting, frying, and baking.
In the United Kingdom, Maris Piper, Desirée, and King Edward are the most popular varieties of floury potato.
What is the difference between starchy and waxy potatoes?
As their name suggests, starchy potatoes have a high starch content, while the lower starch content of waxy potatoes make them better suited for dishes where the potatoes need to retain their shape, such as in a potato salad.
To easily tell whether a potato is starchy or waxy without cutting it open, simply drop it into a bowl of water. Generally-speaking, floury ones will sink, while waxy ones will float.
Tips for making aligot
- Boil the potatoes whole, and then peel and mash them. This way ensures that maximum starch is kept.
- Do not use pre-made mashed potatoes.
- The mashed potato must be very smooth, so use a potato ricer if possible.
- Aligot is best served fresh and hot.
- Do not use a food processor or blender, as this will in effect, give the potatoes a thick, glue-like texture.
This recipe is validated by our culinary expert in French cuisine, Chef Simon. You can find Chef Simon on his website Chef Simon – Le Plaisir de Cuisiner.
Aligot
Ingredients
- 3 lb mashed potatoes
- 16 oz. fresh Aubrac tomme cheese , tome aligot
- 1 cup thick whole cream
- 5 cloves garlic , peeled and halved
- ½ cup butter , cut into pieces
- Salt
- Black pepper , freshly ground
Equipment
- Potato masher
Instructions
- Peel and wash the potatoes.
- Place the potatoes and garlic in a large saucepan, cover them with cold water, and start cooking in cold salted water.
- Cook for 20 minutes from when it starts boiling again.
- Increase the cooking time if necessary, the potatoes must be well cooked for the purée.
- While the potatoes cook, cut the tomme cheese into thin strips. Set aside.
- When the potatoes are cooked, drain them with a slotted spoon and remove the garlic cloves.
- Pass the potatoes through a potato masher or vegetable mill to obtain a thin, creamy purée (do not use an electric blade mixer).
- In a small saucepan, heat the fresh cream without boiling it.
- In a Dutch oven, over low heat, add the mashed potatoes then add the butter and hot cream, gradually incorporating them into the mashed potatoes using a wooden spoon.
- Stir vigorously while keeping the pot on the heat. When the mixture is hot, gradually add the tomme cheese and continue to mix vigorously until the aligot forms ribbons.
- The aligot is ready when the mixture begins to spin.
Video
Sources
French Provincial Cooking by Elizabeth David
Let’s Eat France by François-Régis Gaudry
The Country Cooking of France by Anne Willan
Wikipedia (FR) – Aligot
Wikipedia (FR) – Tome fraîche
Wikipedia (EN) – Russet potato
Wikipedia (FR) – Bougnat
Venetian-Brit Nicole has always lived a nomadic existence, and has had 56 homes around the world. As a chef, she has cooked in pro kitchens in Thailand, India, and Britain, and has consulted on menus for restaurants & hotels from Japan to the USA. Her work has been featured in some of the world’s best-known publications, including Better Homes & Gardens, Grazia, Femina, Stylecaster, Buzzfeed, and The Guardian. At yumsome.com, she shares stories and recipes from her travels.
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