Readers on the Survive France forum share what they’ve been making at home: pastries, spiced apple cake, and South Asian dishes. Practical notes include ingredient swaps and where to buy harder-to-find meats in the Gard region.
Homemade baking featured: a Paris-Brest and a spiced apple cake with a recipe and one suggested twist (marzipan and lemon zest).
Sourcing mutton and speciality ingredients locally: suggestions include halal butchers serving Maghrebin customers, Sanya Supermarket in Alès (and a branch in Nîmes), and Syrian supermarkets for items like dried limes.
Practical shopping tip: call specialty shops before visiting and try Fridays for best stock on mutton.
A poster suggested an optional tweak: halve the sugar and add small dice of very cold marzipan plus grated lemon zest for added interest.
South Asian cooking: kheema and meat choices
A forum member described cooking lamb kheema after months of barbecues. The same contributor noted a preference for mutton over lamb because mutton requires longer cooking and develops deeper flavour. Other replies clarified that kheema can be made with lamb, goat, or beef provided the meat is minced. One member said beef kheema is acceptable but not their favourite.
Local sourcing for mutton and speciality ingredients
Several practical tips for sourcing less common items in Gard appeared in replies:
One contributor described meal plans tied to pantry supplies: an evening of lamb sabzi with rice Tajdig, with upcoming Pakistani and Indian dishes pending a trip to Nîmes to restock Kashmiri chillies and powdered spices. They also noted running out of certain fresh chillies and keeping Scotch Bonnets in the freezer as a fallback.
Why this matters for home cooks in France
If you cook dishes that rely on specific cuts (mutton) or non-standard ingredients (dried limes, Kashmiri chillies), the thread's takeaways are direct and usable: expand your supplier list to include halal and ethnic supermarkets, call stores ahead, and be willing to substitute similar meats when needed.
Of course she did! And then put it in the cardboard box to make an attractive photo.
Good idea - I’m definitely up for this. Thanx
…we are able to buy mutton in Sanya Supermarket in Ales sometimes. There’s also one in Nîmes but probably best to call them first and Friday’s are always best of course!. We are eating lamb sabzi this evening with a rice Tajdig. All Persian this evening and thank goodness for nearby Syrian supermarkets for the dried li
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