14 always more online @ eatdrinkmag.net issue twelve ? september 2008 KITCHENS
Copper is Cookware for Kings
By Ann McColl Lindsay At one point, as the swift River Sor cuts through the mountains in Languedoc, its rushing waters provide forges with power to heat maleable copper sheets that will be formed into cookware for the top chefs of France. Wedged between the sheer rock face of the Montagne Noire and the Sor, the village of Durfort has harnessed its natural resources to become a centre for manufacturing copperware for 500 years. The great kitchen of the French Kings at the Palace of Versaille would have gleamed with rows of saucepans, sautés and stock pots made in this picturesque town on the edge of the Sor Valley. The name, Durfort, means hard, strong, hallmarks of professional quality copper. It is smelted from the mountain's ore in village forges, using methods and tools that have remained unchanged over the centuries. Artisans use a heavy tilthammer to shape the pliable metal into classic cookware shapes. We drove up the hillside to witness this whole process in the studios and workshops that turned out to all be closed for the sacrosanct two-hour French lunch break. One of the original coppersmith's houses has been turned into a museum, with a sign on the door that promised exhibits of older kitchenwares and videos explaining how the copper is manufactured. Thankfully, the stores surrounding the town square remained open, displaying the same wares that are in closed museum and workshops. Whether you come intent on acquiring a coveted piece of cookware or just as an interested tourist, an understanding of the properties of this pricey metal will add a dimension to your visit. Copper reacts immediately to the source of heat, allowing maximum control of cooking times and temperatures. It transmits heat evenly so that food bubbles at the edge of the pan to the same degree as it is bubbling in the centre. One of copper's negative features is its propensity to interact with just about everything. Contact with the air causes oxidization and discolouration of its attractive glowing finish. Salt water is corrosive. Acidic foods form a chemical reaction with copper that results in a metallic taste, discolouration of food, and the release of harmful toxins. Leave tomatoes, wine or lemon-based sauces in an unlined copper vessel and The town of Durfort, France has been a copperware manufacturing centre for 500 years.eatdrink savour stratford this september 20th & 21st!6 34 40 45 14 32eatdrink? crunchy carrots & tasty tomatoesthe return to flavourslow foodbenvenuti to authentic italian ...9519 667 0535thebraywick thebraywickthe best products you'll never seegreat food ... fine wine ... good times copper is cookware for kingsin stockelegance & simplicityvisit our newly designed & expanded showroom onta rio's west coast choco-liciousthe buzzthe sunnivue farmstore schnitzel schnitzel??????????????????????? katana kafémykonosjambalaya is jump-up world cuisine25years 28celebrate the harvest30www.relishelgin.cawalker's is a tradition to savour33foraging now easier in bayfieldwinemaker's dinner serieswhat's up, doc? carrots!chocolate carrot cakechianti culture in casks39screen doors and sweet teacooking blue cheese pecan breadbounty from prince edward countyartevino 2008 wine award winnerswhat's brewing in craft beer culture46what do london women want?"more than a visit... an experience!?