Gigot bitume facts for kids

The lamb still in the paper.

A gigot bitume (pronounced "jee-go bee-toom") is a special way to cook a leg of lamb. It means "asphalt leg of lamb" in French. To make it, the meat is wrapped in strong kraft paper. Then, it's placed into a bath of hot asphalt. This unusual cooking method is a tradition in France. People use it to celebrate when big building projects or public works are finished.

What is Gigot Bitume?

Gigot bitume is a unique dish from France. It's not something you'd cook in a regular kitchen! Instead, it's made using the hot asphalt used for roads. The lamb is carefully wrapped to protect it from the asphalt. This method cooks the meat slowly and gives it a special flavor.

How is it Cooked?

The cooking process is quite interesting. First, a leg of lamb is wrapped tightly in several layers of very strong paper. This paper acts like a protective shell. Then, the wrapped lamb is lowered into a large pot or boiler filled with hot asphalt. This is the same hot tar used to build roads. A stone is often tied to the lamb to help it sink into the middle of the hot asphalt. The lamb cooks for about one hour. After cooking, it's carefully pulled out, unwrapped, and then salted.

A Recipe from the Past

This unique cooking method has been around for a long time. A recipe for "gigot cooked in tar" appeared in a French cookbook from 1900. The book was called La Vraie cuisine pratique, which means "True Practical Cuisine." The recipe described it as a "strange cooking method" that workers could use. It promised that one hour of cooking would give the meat a "particularly excellent flavor."

Why Do People Cook This Way?

This tradition started with asphalt workers in the late 1800s. They would use the hot asphalt from their work to cook a celebratory meal. It became a special way to mark the end of a big construction job. It's a fun and memorable way to celebrate teamwork and finishing a large project.