Recipe: Tripes à la mode de Caen

Name: Tripes à la mode de Caen
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 300 min
Total time: 330 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: Tripe à la mode de Caen in homage to Serge* for approximately 8 people :; 3 kg (6.5 lb) of beef tripe (leaflet, sweetbread and skirt) the whole is called "the mesentery" in Norman patois.; 1 calf's foot cut in half; 300 g (10.5 oz) of Créances carrots sliced; 300 g (10.5 oz) of onions (Cévennes) sliced; 1 white part of leek finely sliced; 2 cloves of garlic (de-germed, crushed and chopped); 1 little thyme flowers; 2 bay leaves; 1 l (1.1 qt) of artisanal raw cider; 1/2 l (2.1 qt) of dry white wine (gros plant); 5 cl (1.7 fl oz) of calvados.

By chef patrick Asfaux 4.9/5 (49 reviews) · 🍳 52 made it

Prep 30 min

Cook 300 min

Total 5h30

Servings 8 serv.

Nowadays, tripe is sold washed and clean. Here are therefore the proportions for cooking real tripe à la mode de Caen Slow oven cooking (5 hours at 145°C) gelatinizes the tripe without drying it out. Traditionally, the pot lid was sealed with flour paste for 7-8 hours in the baker's oven. You can start before bed and let the oven finish gently when switched off: that's ideal. Dry Norman cider and calvados are essential.

Ingredients for 8 servings

Adjust for

servings

Tripe à la mode de Caen in homage to Serge* for approximately 8 people :
3 kg (6.5 lb) of beef tripe (leaflet, sweetbread and skirt) the whole is called "the mesentery" in Norman patois.
1 calf's foot cut in half
300 g (10.5 oz) of Créances carrots sliced
300 g (10.5 oz) of onions (Cévennes) sliced
1 white part of leek finely sliced
2 cloves of garlic (de-germed, crushed and chopped)
1 little thyme flowers
2 bay leaves
1 l (1.1 qt) of artisanal raw cider
1/2 l (2.1 qt) of dry white wine (gros plant)
5 cl (1.7 fl oz) of calvados.

Step-by-step directions

1 Place the piece of tripe and the two halves of calf's foot in a large pot. Fill with cold water and bring to a boil (blanch) keep this boil for three minutes then under the cold water tap while cleaning the pieces well.

2 Then drain and cut the tripe into squares of 7 to 8 cm on each side.

3 In the oven-safe casserole (like Le Creuset style) put on the bottom the carrots, onions, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, and the sliced white part of leek, then place your squares of tripe and your halves of feet, salt, pepper with ground pepper and then pour the white wine, cider, and calvados and put a lid that will fit exactly on your pot.

4 Turn on your oven to 145°C (295°F) (th5).

Chef's tip

Tripe à la mode de Caen is Sunday family food, or a meal with friends when you have time ahead. It's also an autumn and winter dish, when rich broth and subtle spices make full sense. Beef tripe, honeycomb, and caillette come from well-fed animals, ideally from Norman farms. Créances carrots and Cévennes onions are real varieties, not just marketing names: they have character in the broth. For wine, forget light reds. Choose a bone-dry artisanal cider (already in the recipe, anyway), or at table a dry, full-bodied white wine: Côtes du Jura blanc, Meursault, or simply a Chablis that stands up to the gelatin and broth richness. If you reach for red, go for Beaujolais village, not too high in alcohol, just enough not to overload. For accompaniments, keep it simple: potatoes boiled in salted water, a few carrots from the broth, nothing else. An endive-beetroot salad as sharp contrast works well too. The day of serving, taste the jus before plating: adjust salt, a grind of black pepper, sometimes that's all you need.

Frequently asked questions

Can you replace the dry cider with standard white wine?

Technically yes, but it's a compromise. Cider brings gentle acidity and slight sweetness that balance the tripe's fat. A dry white wine (gros plant, picpoul) works, but you lose cider's tender acidity. You'll never get the complete Norman result.

How long can cooked tripe keep in the refrigerator?

Maximum three days chilled, in an airtight container. Broth and gelatin protect well. Freezes up to three months: pour into individual containers with the jus. Slow thaw 12 hours chilled, then reheat at 65°C covered, without boiling.

Why seal the lid with flour and water paste? Is it really necessary?

It's an old trick that kept steam trapped and concentrated the jus over 7-8 hours. Today, with a programmable electric oven and 5 hours at 145°C, it's pointless. If you just close the lid normally, you'll get the exact result you want. The paste is for those nostalgic about baker's ovens.