French Cures for a Hangover: Cassoulet, Eaux-de-Vie, F.O. Soup, and...Rat Poison?

Eaux-de-vie as a hangover cure? Not sure about this one.

I don’t recommend that anyone drink to excess—that is, drink enough to get a hangover. But let’s face it: Sometimes it happens.

Fortunately, I rarely get hangovers anymore simply because I know exactly—from a little too much experience—how much I can drink without being in trouble the next day (two glasses of wine, maybe three if it’s an extended time at the table). But on my recent stay in France, there was that one night….Alas, the next morning sent me in search of a French hangover cure. After doing some research and talking to a few French friends and France dwellers, here’s what I learned:

1. Sugar, Eau-de-Vie, and Café Allongeé

Here’s one from the “hair of the dog” school. D., a French friend of mine, says that a traditional cure in his part of the country (Alsace-Lorraine) is to dissolve a little sugar into a small glass of eau-de-vie (Framboise, Mirabelle, Poire William, etc.), then drink a strong hot café allongé (double espresso with water).

I’m not sure about this cure, mainly because: 1) in my experience, drinking eau-de-vie on an empty stomach is not a good idea (I tried it once, and it felt like I was burning a hole in my entire system), and 2) D. hardly ever drinks at all, so this is completely untested.

Any-Day Cassoulet from The Bonne Femme Cookbook (this one doesn’t take three days!)

2. Cassoulet

My French friend M. told me that she hasn’t had a hangover since the last century. But in her university days, she actually set out to see what it was like to get drunk. (French kids usually learn to drink at home with their parents, hence practice moderation….unless they don’t). She found herself doing shots of all kinds of things she’d never heard of.

Needless to say, she had a blinding hangover the next day. It seems that the cure in her Southwest of France is cassoulet. As she was “sleeping it off” in the morning, her friends made cassoulet (well, something resembling a cassoulet, but likely not the real thing, which usually takes 3 days to make). When she finally awoke, they took it to her and, in spite of her refusal to eat, force-fed her a bowl of the stuff. She went back to sleep and woke up fine, though she hasn’t done shots since.

Practicality: Right. Who has friends that will make them a cassoulet when they need it most? My solution? Make my quick cassoulet and freeze some for such times. It reheats splendidly in the microwave.

French Onion Soup by Startcooking-kathy-amandine via Flickr.

3. French Onion Soup

My twitter buddy Jennifer Greco (@louloufrance), who lives in Normandy and posts beautiful, “let’s-move-to-France”-provoking photos on her blog, told me that the French often recommend French onion soup is often as a cure for hangovers.

It makes sense: The word “restaurant,” is said to have come from the verb “restaurer” (to restore), and some of the first French restaurants were simply places that served broths in the wee hours of the morning to restore revelers after a long night. There is indeed something infinitely restorative about broth.

French onion soup might just have everything you need for a hangover: Soothing broth, filling bread, and a hit of ever-so-important protein (from the melty cheese)….and isn’t there something about protein (especially in the form of fat) that really helps set you straight when you’re feeling ropey?

Practicality: Here’s what I suggest: Freeze some French onion soup (sans the topper) in 1-serving portions. On “one of those mornings,” heat it and make the topping fresh. Surely you have some day-old bread and Gruyère-style cheese around.

4. Eggs

Greco also suggests eggs, and indeed, in my experience, cracking a few eggs and rolling them into an omelet helped set me straight on many a morning in my martini days. Again, it’s the fat (or more nicely put, protein), I think.

Practicality: What’s great is that no matter how achey you feel, you can generally muster what it takes to get an omelet from shells to pan to plate.

PS: I like to bring out party leftovers to put into the omelet, especially soothing ones, like cheeses from the cheese tray.

5. Croissant and Café au Lait

This is my personal favorite. As I’ve mentioned before, a croissant gives you that wonderful hit of fat/protein you need, and café-au-lait, with its abundance of milk, does the same. And caffeine is essential if you have to get going.

Practicality: What? You don’t live around the corner from a boulangerie? Zut alors! Well, I have to admit that I’ve had pretty good luck with Trader Joe’s pain-au-chocolate. Set them out to rise, set your alarm, go back to bed, then get up. Bake, eat, feel better.

6. Rat Poison Nux Vomica? (Don’t Try It!)

I’ve saved the worst for last…..

Another French friend recommended a homeopathic medicine called nux vomica. She said to take it “avant de boire en exces” (before drinking in excess).

I have three problems with this cure:

1. According to WebMD, nux vomica contains strychnine and brucine—two ingredients used in RAT POISON! Um, no thanks.
2. I, personally, never think it’s a good idea to plan to drink in excess.
3. Doesn’t “vomica” sound a little too much like something you want to do when you have a killer hangover? Why add insult to the injury?

Practicality: Don’t do it. It just sounds like a terrible idea all the way around.

Questions à poser?
• What’s your favorite hangover cure?
• Have you ever heard of nux vomica?

Other Posts You May Enjoy:
• French Women Don’t Get Hangovers
• Yes! You Can Freeze French Bread (that way you’ll have some for that French onion soup!)
• Cassoulet—In Much Less Than a Day