A slow-cooked masterpiece and a showstopping classic boozy pudding

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here’s a reason classic French bistros will never go out of fashion, and that’s because they serve food that, deep down, we really want to eat. Think the comforting familiarity of terrine and steak tartare, of onion soup and moules-frîtes, the sheer pleasure that is a proper Paris-Brest or tarte tatin … In my home town of Lyon, we’ve even developed our own local take on the bistro in the form of the bouchon, to showcase and preserve the region’s culinary traditions. Bistro, bouchon, brasserie: whatever you call it, this is, above all else, good, honest cooking, rustic rather than show-offy, and it’s made to share around a noisy table, whether that’s in a restaurant or in the comfort of your own home.

Yes, there’s a fair amount of soaking, curing and marinading going on here, but it’s all well worth the effort – plus none of it requires much in the way of actual hands-on work, anyway.

Prep 20 min