Papet Vaudois

Papet vaudois is a creamy stew of leeks and potatoes, served with Vaudois sausage. It is a classic dish of the canton of Vaud in western Switzerland, where the stew and the local pork sausage are eaten together as one plate of food.

What it really is

Leeks and potatoes are cooked together in butter until soft, then finished with cream and simmered until the vegetables break down into a thick, spoonable stew. Salt is the seasoning, so the flavour comes mainly from the leek, the butter and the cream.

Vaudois sausage is a pork sausage from the canton. It is served with the stew, so the pork is the protein on the plate, while the leek and potato provide the bulk.

How it's served

• Hot, in a deep plate, with the stew piled to one side and the sausage beside it.
• The sausage sliced or served whole and eaten with a fork, while the stew is eaten with a spoon.
• As a main course on its own, with the sausage supplying the protein.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the sausage as Vaudois pork sausage, and give the portion weight if you sell by size.
• Flag milk, because the stew is made with butter and cream.
• Say what is standard: leeks, potatoes, butter, cream and salt, served with the sausage.
• If the sausage comes from another region, say so, since guests often expect the Vaud sausage.
• Check the sausage label for sulphites and other additives, and declare any that apply.