03 Jan Bistro de l’Octroi, Sarlat-la-Canéda

For dinner we tried a bistro recommended by both the hotel and the tourist info centre, called Bistro de l’Octroi.

Foie Gras

Mum was the only one who ordered an entrée. The duck foie gras (€12) was quite rich and I could taste the liver flavour. I didn’t try any, but mum said the square jelly was quite salty. The plate also came with caramelised onion, crushed walnut bits and salt.

Civet Of Wild Boar In Bergerac Wine

For mains, I ordered civet of wild boar in Bergerac wine (€14.50). Civet is a type of stew. Mum and dad both had confit Magret of goose, fried potatoes with parsley (€16.50). The other dish that looked interesting was the guinea fowl supreme in morel sauce (morel being a type of mushroom).

All the main plates came with a green-coloured square that tasted like quiche, and a square of something mushroom flavoured. The wild boar was sort of like slightly gamey beef, though I’m still not exactly sure what it tastes like because the wine flavour in the stew was so strong. The toast provided with my dish was peppery and garlicky. Not mentioned in the menu was the inclusion of potato gratin.

Confit Magret of Goose, Potatoes Sarlaidoise

The goose tasted like duck, but with a less intense flavour and coarser grain and the fried potatoes were very good – quite a lot of garlic was used. Whilst very browned, they weren’t overly oily. Later I found out that the potatoes were prepared in a particular way and the dish is called Pommes de Terre Sarladaise. It’s a common dish in the Dordogne region and includes garlic, parsley and duck or goose fat, which is probably why it was so crispy and tasty.