This French pancake dish is among the 30 worst specialties in the world according to this ranking

Hold on to your forks, because French gastronomy is not immune to the judgments of a new world ranking of the worst dishes. Among specialties from around the world, our local icon, ficelle picarde, received a note that made gourmets shudder. How can such a popular recipe appear on such a list? Let’s discover this ranking, where the love of pancakes clashes with strong opinions!

On the first step of this unflattering ranking is a Brazilian specialty called coxão duro. This piece of beef, renowned for its tough and fibrous texture, is generally eaten as a stew or sliced ​​on the barbecue, but it failed to convince gourmets, obtaining a score of 1.5/5. In second place is blodpalt, a traditional dish from the northern regions of Finland and Sweden, consisting of small dumplings made from rye or barley flour and reindeer blood. Although sometimes served with lingonberry jam, this atypical dish does not seem to appeal to the taste buds. In third place is aginares salata from Greece, a simple salad made with artichokes, lemon, olive oil, mustard and dill, which scores 1.8/5.

And what about our proud Picardy string? Ranked 23rd, this specialty created by chef Marcel Lefèvre in the 1950s is a delicious combination of crepes topped with a duxelle of mushrooms, cheese and ham, all gratinated in the oven. Traditionally served as a starter, it offers a melting texture and comforting flavors. Despite its local popularity, it seems to have difficulty seducing palates beyond our borders. Although it is not the only French recipe to receive criticism in this ranking since veal’s head, rabbit in cream, andouillette, endives with ham and Caen-style tripe are also highlighted. finger, Picardy ficelle remains an emblematic and rather consensual dish appreciated by young and old alike. To support this specialty that is perfect for the season, here is the recipe to easily reproduce it at home:

For the pancakes: 250 g flour / 3 eggs / ½ l milk / 1 pinch of salt

Prepare the pancake batter by mixing the eggs with the flour, then gradually add the milk to obtain a smooth texture. Add a pinch of salt. If lumps form, pass the dough in a blender or through a strainer to make it smooth. Let the dough rest.

Mushroom duxelles: 500 g button mushrooms / 1 shallot / 20 g butter / 2 tbsp. to s. thick crème fraîche

Wash the mushrooms carefully, then chop them in a blender. Brown the finely chopped shallot in hot butter. Then add the chopped mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper, then cook over medium heat, stirring regularly so that the mushrooms release their vegetation water. Once the water has evaporated, add the crème fraîche and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

To assemble the string: 10 slices of Paris ham / 10 tbsp. to s. crème fraîche / 150 g grated gruyere / salt / pepper

Cook the pancakes, lightly browning them on each side.

Spread a pancake, place a slice of ham on top, then add a little duxelles to form a sausage. Roll the crepe gently without pressing too much to prevent the stuffing from overflowing. Arrange the Picardy strings in a gratin dish. Top each with a spoonful of crème fraîche, sprinkle with grated gruyere, then brown in the oven until the cheese is nicely browned.