Christmas traditions and Savoyard gastronomy through the eyes of our elders: portraits of Méribel

Their shared history began in their teens, when they met while working at Le Dahu. Over the years, they have become key figures in Méribel, proudly passing on the Savoyard traditions that are so close to their hearts.

Could you introduce yourself to those readers who don’t already know you?

Jeannine: I’m Jeannine, nicknamed ‘Christ’s Daughter’ after my father’s surname. I was born in 1948 in Moûtiers. I’ve always lived and worked in Méribel.

Gisèle: My name is Gisèle, but I’m often called ‘Gisèle la plus belle de Méribel’ (the most beautiful in Méribel). I was born in 1945 in Mussillon. I grew up there. My mother worked as a chambermaid at the Grand Coeur hotel in Méribel, and my father was a landscape gardener before becoming a ski lift employee. He was even the first ski patrolman in the valley.

🧺 Ingrédients :  

300g wheat flour; 200g buckwheat flour; 2 eggs; 1 teaspoon salt; warm water.

🥄Préparation de la pâte : 

Mix all the ingredients together until you have a homogenous dough that is neither too soft nor too firm, so it can be rolled out like pastry. If necessary, add a little warm water to adjust the texture.

Roll out the pastry to a thickness of 3 to 4 mm, then leave to rest for 15 minutes. Turn the dough over and leave to rest for a further 15 minutes.

Using a pastry wheel, cut the pastry into small squares of 1 to 2 cm. Arrange the pieces on a clean tea towel to dry.

🍜 Cooking : 

Cook the pasta in a large volume of salted water for around ¾ of an hour.

Melt a large knob of butter until it turns a nutty colour, then coat the crozets with it. For even more deliciousness, add a little crème fraîche.

👩🏽‍🍳Chef’s tip: Crozets go wonderfully well with stuffed turkey!

🧺 Ingredients for 6 people

3 eggs; 75g sugar; 45cl milk; a vanilla pod.

🥚 Prepare the soft meringues:

Separate the whites from the yolks.

Whisk the egg whites until stiff with a pinch of salt to stabilise them.

🥛Prepare the vanilla milk:

Pour the milk into a large saucepan. Add a vanilla pod split in two and the sugar.

Heat over a low heat while stirring to dissolve the sugar. When the milk is close to boiling, remove the vanilla pod.

🍳Cook the egg whites:

Reduce the heat so that the milk barely simmers. Using a large spoon, scoop out portions of the egg whites and carefully place them on top of the hot milk.

Once cooked, remove with a skimmer and place on absorbent paper to drain.

Prepare a custard. 

🥄Assemble and serve:

Pour the cold custard into a large dish or individual ramekins. Arrange the cooked egg whites on top of the custard. Refrigerate until ready to serve.