Garburé Sarladaise with Mique

Hearty Périgord stew with salted pork, winter vegetables, and a golden bread-lard dumpling

Garburé Sarladaise is a soul-warming, two-course winter dish from Sarlat in southwestern France. First, you sip the rich, savory broth. Then, you feast on tender salted pork, root vegetables, and the star: the mique — a rustic, golden dumpling made from stale bread, lard, and eggs. It’s the ultimate snow-day comfort food.

Rustic platter of sliced mique, pork, and winter vegetables in golden broth

A Périgord winter classic — broth first, feast second.

Prep Time
30 min

Cook Time
2 hrs 30 min

Total Time
3 hrs

Servings
6–8

Ingredients

1 kg petit salé (salted pork belly or shoulder)
2.5 litres water
4 carrots, peeled and halved
4 turnips, peeled and quartered
4 small potatoes, peeled
4 leeks, cleaned and halved
1 small cabbage, cut into 8 wedges (core removed)
2 onions, peeled and studded with 2 cloves each (optional)
1 bouquet garni (thyme, bay leaf, parsley)
Salt & black pepper
For the Mique (dumpling):
250 g stale bread, crusts removed, cubed
150 g lard (or duck fat), cut into small pieces
3 eggs, beaten
3 tbsp plain flour (plus extra for dusting)

Instructions

Step 1: Blanch the cabbage: Boil cabbage wedges in salted water for 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Step 2: In a large stockpot, combine 2.5 L water, pork, onions, and bouquet garni. Bring slowly to a boil. Skim foam. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook 1 hour.

Step 3: Add blanched cabbage. Simmer covered for another 1 hour.

Step 4: Make the Mique — While the pot simmers: Soak bread cubes in a ladle of hot broth (just moist, not soggy). Mix in lard. Add beaten eggs. Stir in flour one spoon at a time until a soft dough forms. Shape into a large oval. Dust with flour.

Step 5: After 2 total hours of simmering, add carrots, turnips, potatoes, leeks, and a good pinch of pepper. Bring back to a gentle boil.

Step 6: Gently slide in the mique. Cover and simmer 1 hour more.

Step 7: Taste broth. Adjust salt (carefully — pork is salty) and pepper.

Step 8: To Serve (2 Courses)
• First course: Ladle clear broth into bowls. Serve hot.
• Second course: Remove mique, slice thickly. Arrange with pork and vegetables on a platter. Serve with mustard.

Pro Tip: Use duck fat instead of lard for a richer, more authentic Périgord flavor. The mique should be tender but hold its shape — add flour gradually. Make a day ahead; flavors deepen overnight.

Lighter Spring Garburé

Fresh green vegetables, confit duck, and a delicate herb mique — perfect for early spring.

Ingredients (Serves 6–8)

4 confit duck legs (or 800 g fresh pork)
2.5 L chicken or vegetable stock
6 spring carrots, peeled
6 baby turnips, halved
6 new potatoes, halved
4 young leeks, cleaned
1 savoy cabbage, quartered
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
For the Herb Mique:
250 g stale bread, cubed
100 g duck fat or butter
3 eggs
2 tbsp chopped parsley & chives
3 tbsp flour

Method

Step 1: Blanch cabbage and asparagus separately for 3–4 min. Set aside.

Step 2: In a pot, warm stock. Add duck legs (or pork), leeks, and herbs. Simmer 45 min.

Step 3: Make herb mique with parsley & chives mixed into dough. Shape and dust.

Step 4: Add carrots, turnips, potatoes. Simmer 20 min. Add cabbage and asparagus. Slip in mique. Cook covered 40 min.

Step 5: Serve in two courses: light broth first, then duck, greens, and herb mique with grain mustard.

Pro Tip: Use the fat from confit duck to enrich the broth. This lighter version celebrates spring — still hearty, but bright and green.