Category Archives: FRENCH CUISINE

CELERY SALAD (CÉLERI SALADE)

For years I have wanted to try a celery salad. I know I could have tried one moons ago, but sometimes you just need a little impetus to get you off your duff. And the inducement to try one now came from my need for a refreshing salad to serve with the French meal I am going to prepare for this Sunday’s JazzVox concert. My menu needed a tart or almost acidic tasting salad to counteract all the richness from the other dishes I had planned. (In case you haven’t noticed, French food can be a bit rich.) I also needed something crisp and crunchy.

I found exactly what I needed when I stumbled onto Ina Garten’s recipe for this delightful salad. I played with it just a wee bit, but the bones of her recipe are still there! Even my dear husband, who normally might be expected to turn up his nose at any dish with celery as the main ingredient, was charmed by this salad.

So give this delightful recipe a try. It’s easy to prepare, the main ingredient is dirt cheap, (who doesn’t like that) and it’s really, really good.

¼ c. extra virgin olive oil (FYI: My go-to olive oil is Trader Joe’s Premium 100% Greek Kalamata Extra Virgin Olive Oil. I use it for everything!)
1 tsp. grated lemon zest
2 T. + 1½ tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 T. minced shallots
½ tsp. celery seed
¼ tsp. celery salt
¼ tsp. anchovy paste
¾ tsp. kosher salt, divided
freshly ground black pepper
2½ c. thinly sliced celery hearts, tender leaves included, thinly sliced on a slight angle (about 6 stalks)
2 T. grated Parmesan cheese
¼ c. toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 T. rough chopped Italian parsley

At least an hour before you plan to serve this salad, whisk together the olive oil, lemon zest, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, shallots, celery seed, celery salt, anchovy paste, ½ teaspoon salt, and pepper. Place the celery in a mixing bowl and toss it with the remaining 1½ teaspoons lemon juice and the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Add enough dressing to moisten well. Cover and refrigerate for about an hour to allow the flavors to develop.

When ready to serve, taste the salad. (If it needs a wee bit more salt, add a light sprinkle of course salt with the pepper when you are plating the dish.) Arrange the celery mixture in a shallow dish or plate, sprinkle with Parmesan, the toasted walnuts, parsley, salt (if needed), and pepper. Serve immediately.

PORK TENDERLOIN WITH MUSTARD CORNICHON CREAM SAUCE (PORC NOISETTES AVEC CHARCUTIÈRE SAUCE)

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Well as you can see, I am still on my French food kick. And will be for the next few blog posts. But I’m thinking you probably aren’t minding my foray into French cuisine, because if you too live in a rural area there are undoubtedly no French restaurants anywhere near you either. For us, there is a wonderful bistro in Arlington, (Bistro Sam Martin) about 45 minutes away. (Not really French cuisine, more world inspired regional cuisine.) And although we would love to eat there on a regular basis (the food is outstanding), it’s just a little out of our price range as a regular place to dine. (It’s one of our “special occasion” places.) So that leaves it up to me to go back to my French lineage and fix dishes that evoke wonderful memories of meals I have previously enjoyed. Or try out new dishes like this wonderful pork tenderloin recipe that I adapted from the Flavor Mosaic blog.

Actually, that brings up a question about the food choices Americans are making these days. For every French restaurant (at least in the greater Puget Sound area) there must be 2,000 Mexican restaurants. Now, I am not putting down Mexican food, because I too love good Mexican food, but why aren’t there more French restaurants? There are plenty of good Italian restaurants (thank God), so Italian cuisine is alive and well. And Thai – we’ve got Thai coming out of our ears. But a good French restaurant? Nary a one for miles and miles. (It’s depressing, as far as I’m concerned!)

So since I happen to love French food, I guess my only recourse is to fix it myself. And of course, share what I learn with you. So come along all you latent Francophiles and we will travel to the land of Pâté, Pissaladière, Aligot, and Céleri Salade (to name a few) together.But hang on tight; it’s going to be a fast ride! (Fun too!)

Hope you enjoy this recipe.

2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 small pork sirloin roast or 2 pork tenderloin, trimmed of all fat and silver skin
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 T. butter
1 lg. shallot, minced (about 3 tablespoons)
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
½ c. white wine (I use Pinot Grigio)
2 tsp. herbs de Provence
½ c. heavy cream
2 T. whole grain Dijon mustard (Maille brand is wonderful)
½ tsp. regular Dijon mustard
3-4 cornichons, not too finely chopped
1-2 T. chopped fresh parsley, garnish, opt.

Pour the olive oil into a deep oven proof skillet over medium high heat. Dry off the sirloin or tenderloins and lightly season with salt and pepper. Place the seasoned pork in the skillet, turning it about every 2 to 3 minutes to brown on each side.

Place the roast in a preheated 325 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until the pork reaches 135-140 degrees F. Remove from oven, move to a platter, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest for at least 15 minutes. While the pork is resting, prepare the sauce in the same skillet as the pork was baked. (Don’t clean the pan first.)

Over medium heat, melt in the butter. Reduce heat and add the shallot and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Pour in the white wine and turn up to medium low. Cook until about half of the liquid is evaporated. Stir in the herbs de Provence and a small amount of black pepper. Reduce heat to low and stir in the heavy cream, mustards, and chopped cornichons. Adjust seasonings. (Not too much salt.) Let burble for a few minutes over very low heat. (The flavor doesn’t really develop until the sauce has cooked for a few minutes and thickens.)

When ready to serve, slice the tenderloin on a cutting board and place on platter. Add any accumulated juices from the resting pork to the sauce. To serve, drizzle a small amount of sauce over the sliced pork and sprinkle with fresh parsley. Serve the remaining sauce on the side.

PROVENÇAL VEGETABLE SALAD WITH ANCHOIADE DRESSING

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Since re-reading “A Year in Provence” by Peter Mayle, I am still happily researching food from the South of France. Having visited France twice already, I have firsthand experience of the many culinary delights that are intrinsic to French cuisine. (I do however need a lot more empirical study, so I think another visit in the near future is absolutely necessary!)

This recipe for a simple vegetable salad is just beyond belief delicious. The anchoïade dressing is so full of flavor, yet it doesn’t overpower the veggies. (And yes I know, it takes a lot to overpower radishes, fennel, red onion, and radicchio. But none the less, these veggies together with the dressing make for just a wonderful mouth experience.)

And don’t worry about the number of anchovies used in the dressing. Unless you truly have an aversion to the hairy little beasties, you are not going to find the flavor too intense. (And no, anchovies are not really hairy. They’re really more fuzzy than hairy!)

So do yourself a favor and make this salad next time you want to brighten up your dinner menu. The flavors are just exotic enough to be special, while at the same time, the ingredients are readily available at most grocery stores. And while you are eating this salad, imagine yourself in the South of France, dining al fresco under a late afternoon summer sun. And served along with the salad – local cheeses and sausages, a soft and creamy pâté, fresh baked bread, a variety of olives, young red wine, fresh fruit, and a pear tart for dessert. Now if that doesn’t sound like heaven, I don’t know what does!

1 small tin or jar anchovies in olive oil or 8-10 anchovies, if you buy your anchovies in bulk
¼ c. extra virgin olive oil
2 small cloves garlic, finely minced
1 T. red wine vinegar
1 T. finely chopped walnuts
3 T. walnut oil
1 T. capers washed of brine
freshly ground black pepper – just a grind
pinch of kosher salt, if needed

In a small pan over low heat, melt the anchovies gently in the olive oil. Add the garlic and sauté for about a minute. Allow to cool. Transfer into the bowl of small food processor and add the vinegar, walnuts, walnut oil, capers, and black pepper. Whirl until smooth and emulsified. Add salt if needed.

Thank you Celia Harvey from Cuisine magazine for the bones of this wonderful dressing recipe.

4 stalks celery with leaves (tender pale stalks only), very thinly sliced
4 radishes, very thinly sliced
1 small fennel bulb, peeled of tough outer layers, very thinly sliced
¼ small red onion, very thinly sliced
2 hearts of romaine, cut into bite sized pieces
1 small radicchio, thinly sliced, opt.
1 T. coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Combine all the fresh veggies and toss with a goodly amount of the dressing. Serve immediately.

EGGPLANT, ZUCCHINI, AND TOMATO CASSEROLE (RATATOUILLE) – PROVENÇAL STYLE

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Since this is the time of year when zucchini, eggplant, and tomatoes are in every farmer’s market or home garden in America, I decided to post an absolutely delicious way to serve these delightful vegetables. (And I know what you are thinking. Not another zucchini recipe. But if I may speak frankly, this is not just another zucchini recipe. This is a killer way to use zucchini if I say so myself!)

This dish came about because I started re-reading (for the third time, I think) Peter Mayle’s wonderful tale about the joys of living in Provence entitled “A Year in Provence”. For a foodie like myself, half the reading pleasure in this book is in the telling of the food they eat. So that got me researching recipes from the south of France. When I saw a variation of this dish using zucchini (I had 2 large zucchini in my refrigerator) and tomatoes (I had lots of cherry tomatoes from our garden), I decided I just had to work up a recipe that incorporated these two ingredients. And this recipe is the result.

This dish can be served as a meatless main course or as a side dish that compliments just about any meat you feel like serving. And it is easy to prepare. It takes a little time to cut up the veggies, but once you have the knife work done, the assembly goes rather quickly. I served it last evening with just a salad and it made for a perfect meal.

So if you too are looking for a way to say yes to your neighbor who keeps offering you zucchini, or if you yourself have zucchini threatening to take over your yard, give this recipe a try. Believe it or not, your love for this ever so easy to grow and abundant veggie will be restored with just one bite! In fact, you may never again have to turn down a free zucchini when a neighbor makes you an offer. And won’t that feel good. It’s the neighborly thing to do after all.

2 T. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. dried marjoram
½ c. dry white wine (I use Pinot Grigio)
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. zucchini or yellow summer squash, sliced lengthwise ¼-inch thick (combination is nice)
1 medium sized eggplant, partially peeled and sliced lengthwise ¼-inch thick
1 basket of cherry tomatoes, halved or 2 large beefsteak tomatoes, sliced ¼ inch thick
2 T. chopped parsley
3/4 c. finely grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese (combination is wonderful)

Heat the oil in a skillet to medium-high. Add the onion and sauté until transparent. Stir in the garlic and marjoram and cook for 1 minute. Add the white wine and cook until the liquid evaporates. Season with salt and pepper; remove from the heat.

Oil a 9-by-13-inch ceramic or glass baking dish. Arrange half of the zucchini on the bottom of the dish (single layer if possible but a little overlap is fine), drizzle with oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Scatter half of the onion mixture on top, followed by half of the eggplant. Drizzle the eggplant with oil, season lightly with salt and pepper and sprinkle with half of the parsley. Arrange half of the tomatoes cut side down over the zucchini. Repeat the layering finishing with a drizzle of oil and a light seasoning of salt and pepper.

Bake the vegetables uncovered in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 70-75 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and continue baking until the edges are browned, the vegetables are very tender, and the cheese is melting and starting to brown, about 10 minutes more. Let cool for about 5 minutes before serving.

THE 5 MOTHER SAUCES OF CLASSICAL CUISINE (MADE EASY)

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“Sensible shortcuts” is the way Mr. C refers to my recipes for the magnificent 5 classical French mother sauces. This statement came the day after we had watched the charming movie “The 100 Foot Journey” starring Helen Mirren. On the way home from the movie Mr. C had asked me all about these sauces. I knew for sure about Béchamel, Velouté, and Hollandaise, but I was unsure of the other two, although, as it turns out, I have been making all 5 of these sauces most of my adult life. Of course the way I prepare each sauce is not exactly the way they are prepared by a Michelin 3 star chef! You think! (And yes, I did read up on how to prepare these sauces in Mastering the Art of French Cooking.) As it turns out, my recipes are certainly close to how the masters prepare their sauces, but mine are easier. And since I have never really tasted the “real thing”, I find mine an acceptable substitute. (Well of course I do!)

But I do know how to use each of these mothers (sauces that is), and really, isn’t that the important thing! And I’m sure after you read the recipes for these 5 classics you will realize you have been making your own version of these recipes for years too. Every time you make a white sauce, you are making the French classic Béchamel Sauce. Each time you start a spaghetti sauce, you are making a version of the French classic Sauce Tomate. And good old fashioned chicken or beef gravy; your take on Velouté Sauce (chicken sauce/gravy) and Espagnole Sauce (beef sauce/gravy). And Hollandaise Sauce; merely an extremely rich and decadent butter and lemon emulsion.

So below, please find my way of preparing each of these classic sauces. Each one is lovely by itself, but fabulous as a base for an endless variety of flavors you can achieve through the inclusion of just a few additional key ingredients. With each recipe I have included a few of my favorite dishes starting with the basic sauce.

And for all you foodies out there, if you really want to treat your culinary senses to a non-edible gastronome experience, go see the movie. In truth the movie is more of a fable or fairy tale than a believable story, but the cooking scenes alone are worth the price of admission. Bon Appétit!

Béchamel Sauce (basic white sauce)

2 T. (¼ stick) unsalted butter
3 T. all-purpose flour
2 c. milk, heated to almost boiling (or more to reach desired thickness)
¼ tsp. kosher salt
pinch white pepper

Melt butter in a heavy saucepan. Do not let the butter turn even the least bit brown. Whisk in the flour and cook slowly for about 2 minutes. Slowly stir in the hot milk, salt and pepper; let simmer gently for about 2 minutes or until thick and creamy.

Common Uses: To prepare creamed vegetable dishes (always with a tiny bit of freshly grated nutmeg), base for cream soups, lasagna (my Lasagna Bolognese calls for Béchamel Sauce), cheese sauce for macaroni and cheese or fresh veggies, and mustard sauce to accompany roast meats (just add a little Dijon)

Lasagna Bolognese

Velouté Sauce (chicken flavored sauce)

2 T. unsalted butter
3 T. all-purpose flour
2 c. boiling chicken stock
kosher salt to taste
white pepper to taste

Melt butter in a heavy saucepan. Do not let the butter turn even the least bit brown. Whisk in the flour and cook slowly for about 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the hot chicken stock and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute or until sauce is smooth and velvety. Remove from heat, taste, and add salt if necessary and a very small amount of white pepper. Remember: white pepper actually has a stronger flavor than black pepper, so use sparingly.

Common Uses: Mushroom sauce for pasta, shrimp sauce, base for chicken stew, chicken pot pie, chicken and biscuits, and gravy for roast chicken

Chicken Gravy

Espagnole Sauce (beef flavored sauce sometimes called Brown Sauce or Sauce Brune)

2 T. unsalted butter
½ c. diced onions
¼ c. diced carrot
¼ c. diced celery
2 T. all-purpose flour
3 c. commercially prepared or homemade beef stock (see recipe for homemade beef stock below)
2 T. red wine
1 T. tomato paste
1 bay leaf
½ tsp. dried thyme
1 T. chopped fresh parsley

In a heavy sauté pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the mirepoix (term for the combination of onion, carrot, and celery) to the butter and sauté for about 5 minutes or until the veggies are lightly browned. Whisk in the flour and cook for about 5 minutes or until the paste (roux) turns a lovely light brown. (Watch carefully so that it does not burn. It will smell kind of nutty when it is done.) Whisk in the beef stock, red wine, and the tomato paste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and add the bay leaf, thyme, and parsley. Simmer uncovered for about 45 minutes or until mixture has reduced by about one-third. Stir frequently. Discard bay leaf. If a smooth consistency is required, purée the sauce in a blender or food processor.

Common Uses: Base for beef stew, beef pot pie, beef gravy, Swiss steak, beef stroganoff, and as a delicious drizzle over grilled steak

Beef Stew

Homemade Beef Stock

3 lbs. beef and veal meat, bones and scraps
1 onion, chunked
1 carrot, chunked
2 sprigs parsley
6 black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
3 qt. cold water

Spread meat and bones out on a large rimmed baking pan. Bake at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes or until the meat, bones and scraps are well browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes. Transfer bones and all drippings to a large covered stock pot. With a small amount of water, lift all the browned bits off the bottom of the baking pan and add to stock pot. Add onion, carrot, parsley, pepper corns, bay leaf, and water. Bring liquid to a simmer, cover, and cook gently for about 4 hours. Remove from heat. Let cool for about 30 minutes. Slowly strain into another container. Discard bones and vegetables. Chill broth. (I usually refrigerate overnight.) Lift off as much of the fat as possible from the top of the now thin jelly like broth.

Hollandaise Sauce

4 egg yolks
½ tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. dry mustard
1 T. fresh lemon juice (must be from a real, picked from a tree, lemon)
dash hot sauce
½ c. (¼ lb.) butter

Put all ingredients in blender except butter. Cover and whirl for 30 seconds. Melt butter until very hot. Add to blender in a steady stream through the little lid in the big lid until mixture is completely emulsified. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Common Uses: Eggs Benedict, slathered over cooked veggies (asparagus is our favorite), served over scrambled eggs that have been scooped onto cut croissants, and my personal favorite – dolloped onto any kind of baked, poached, or BBQ’d seafood. (Well actually, that’s not quite accurate. My all time favorite way to eat hollandaise is with a spoon, right out of the container in the refrigerator.)

Asparagus topped with Hollandaise

Sauce Tomate (basic tomato sauce – recipe number 1)

2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 T. butter
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 lg. carrot, diced
1 c. chopped celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 (28-oz. cans) Italian tomatoes (chopped, diced, or whole – your choice)
2 c. chicken or beef stock
½ c. dry white wine
2 T. tomato paste
freshly ground black pepper
pinch sugar
1 bay leaf
½ tsp. dried thyme
2 T. chopped fresh Italian parsley

Pour olive oil and place butter into a large covered sauce pan. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and sauté until onion is tender. Stir in the canned tomatoes, stock, wine, tomato paste, pepper, sugar, bay leaf, thyme, and parsley. Cover pan and bring contents to a low boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently for about 2 hours. Stir frequently. Add water if mixture becomes too thick. After 2 hours, adjust seasoning. Discard bay leaf. Purée the sauce in a blender or food processor if a smooth consistency is required.

Note: If the sauce is not as thick as desired, mash 1 tablespoon flour into 1 tablespoon room temperature butter and whisk into sauce. Stir for about 2 minutes or until thick. Not thick enough; repeat process.

Common Uses: basic vegetarian base for any pasta dish calling for red sauce, eggplant Parmesan, chicken cacciatore, etc.

Sauce Tomate

Sauce Tomate – Classic Marinara Sauce (recipe number 2)

2 T. extra-virgin olive oil
½ c. chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (28-oz.) can chopped or diced tomatoes (Italian tomatoes preferably)
1 bay leaf
pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp. dried oregano
½ tsp. kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
3 T. chopped fresh basil leaves
1-2 T. butter, optional

In a large covered sauce pan, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft and translucent, about 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for an additional minute. Add the tomatoes, bay leaf, red pepper flakes, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes. (Take the lid off part way if the sauce is too thin.) Remove from heat, remove bay leaf, add basil and adjust seasoning. If the sauce tastes acidic, add butter 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavor.

FLAGEOLET BEAN AND HAM SOUP

Before soup season officially closes for another year, I thought I would share this wonderful and easy to prepare soup recipe with you. Now one of the things you are really going to like about this recipe is the fact that no olives or veggies were hard pressed in the making of this soup. The only fat in this soup comes from the ham hock. And then, all that’s left are dried beans, veggies, herbs, and water. So basically this soup is low fat and very, very nutritious. It also features one of my favorite herbs – summer savory. If you have never cooked with savory, allow me to extol its virtues for you right here and now!

Savory is in the family Lamiaceae and is related to rosemary and thyme. To paraphrase the description on the label of a Spice Islands jar, “Summer savory is often compared to marjoram (another one of my favorite herbs) or thyme in flavor. Summer savory has a spicy aroma and pungent, peppery flavor. Savory is one of the key ingredients in classic herb blends like bouquet garni and Herbes de Provence. It is an indispensable ingredient for kicking up mild foods without overpowering them. Use it to brighten everything from omelets to chowders. Or combine it with snipped chives, lemon, and mayonnaise to coat chicken or fish.”

I use summer savory whenever I want a less robust flavor than either rosemary or thyme would provide. The same way I use marjoram instead of oregano when I need a calmer, sweeter flavor. In this recipe I chose to use an equal amount of both thyme and savory with a couple of bay leaves thrown in for good measure.

I also prefer flageolet beans over Navy beans when I make this soup because they are just so creamy and delicious. They can be difficult to find, but well worth a trip to Central Market or PFI (Pacific Food Importers).

So next time you are in the mood for an easy to prepare hearty soup, give this recipe a try. I like to start this soup on a Saturday or Sunday morning and serve it for lunch. And yes I know I could make this soup any week day now that I am retired. But I’m here to tell you, even though I have been retired for over 10 years, I still look forward to Friday nights, making soup on the weekends, hosting dinners on Saturday nights, and hate when Sunday night rolls around. Some habits and inclinations just don’t go away easily, especially if they were hard wired into your psyche for so many years before retirement. Or maybe it’s just that I’m sensitive to the fact that so many of our friends and relations are still putting in their 9-5. Whatever the reason, I usually only make soup on weekends. If any of you have a solution to my dilemma, I’ll happily build you a pot of soup some Wednesday in the near future!

1 meaty ham hock (usually come cut in thirds)
5 c. water or part veggie stock
1 c. dry Flageolet beans (French) or Navy beans
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 T. chopped fresh parsley
2 tsp. dried thyme
2 tsp. dried summer savory
2 bay leaves (Turkish bay leaves have the best natural depth of flavor)
freshly ground black pepper
toasted chewy baguette slices

Combine all ingredients in a medium sized, covered soup pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 90 minutes or until beans are tender. Stir frequently. Remove ham hock and allow to cool enough to handle. Remove meat from bones and add back to soup. Discard bones. Serve soup piping hot with baguette slices.

SEARED SCALLOPS WITH BEURRE BLANC SAUCE

So, just to prove that I can cook fairly sophisticated food when need be, I decided to post this recipe for seared scallops. Actually, I was recently asked if I would give a class on sauces, especially sauces for seafood, but I had to respectfully decline. I’m already way over committed, plus my good friend Gay and I made a pact on New Year’s Eve that in 2014 we would get a whole lot better at saying no. Two months ago she told me she had said no to what would entail a great deal of effort on her part, something to do with a conference if I remember correctly, and I had nothing to contribute. Now at least I can tell her next time we meet that I too have conquered my addiction to the word “yes”. And just like with any other addiction, it wasn’t easy for me to break my lifelong habit. It actually took me a few days to come to my decision, but I know I made the right one. But I did promise the person that requested the class that I would post a recipe for an easy and almost fool proof recipe for beurre blanc within the next few days.

So here ladies and gentleman is my way of preparing one of the best known classic sauces. Considering that you only need a very small glazing of this simple and elegant sauce to add a depth of unparalleled flavor to any type of simple seafood preparation, any lack of healthy attributes in the sauce can and should be forgiven. (My subtle way of telling you that this sauce is full of “f” and “c” – fat and calories.) But truly, a tablespoon or two is sufficient. In fact, any more would take on the aspect of “gilding the lily”. Which brings up a subject near and dear to my heart; the idea that if some is good, a whole lot is better!

I believe this notion of more, more, more is one of the differences between an OK cook, and a really excellent cook. In fact, I think the better the cook, the more that person is able to show restraint. An excellent cook doesn’t over season food. Or add too much cheese, for example, or ever allow any one ingredient to overpower all the other flavors in a dish. If I may use a musical analogy, no section of a choir, band or orchestra should ever be allowed to drown out the sound of all the other singers or instrumentalists. The term we use musically is “blend”. And that’s exactly what we want to achieve in every dish we prepare – a perfect blend or marriage of flavors. Every ingredient should compliment every other ingredient. In other words, we should simply not allow any one ingredient to become a bully! And to take the concept one step further, we shouldn’t allow a base, like pasta, rice, or as in this recipe, perfectly seared scallops to be ruined by too much sauce.

In conclusion (I feel like I have been delivering a lecture and lectures always come with a conclusion) I should at least mention that the seared scallops in this recipe are pretty darned delicious too! (Nothing new or exciting about the preparation, in fact, possibly the easiest way there ever was to cook a scallop.)

So next time you are in the mood for a seafood dish that’s fit for even the most discerning palate in your family or group of friends, give this recipe a try. It is simply a perfect marriage of flavors.

Beurre Blanc Sauce:

1 shallot, very finely chopped
½ c. dry white wine
1 T. fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
2 tsp. heavy cream
6 T. cold unsalted butter, cubed
pinch kosher salt
pinch white pepper
cut fresh chives, garnish, opt.

Combine the shallot, white wine, and lemon juice in a non-reactive fry pan over high heat and reduce to 1 tablespoon. Reduce heat and whisk in the cream. Once the liquid bubbles whisk in the butter one cube at a time until there are only 2 or 3 cubes left. Remove from heat and continue whisking while adding the last few butter cubes. Continue whisking until the mixture is fully emulsified. Add the salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning. To keep the sauce warm while you cook the scallops, place the fry pan over a bowl of hot water.

Seared Scallops:

8 good sized scallops (or as many as you need)
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 T. vegetable oil, or more as needed to lightly coat the bottom of your pan

Pat the scallops dry with paper towels. Lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a fry pan until just about smoking. Add the scallops and sauté for about a minute or until you start to see brown around the lower edges of the scallops. Flip the scallops and cook for about another minute. Remove from pan and serve lightly glazed with the Beurre Blanc sauce and garnished with fresh chives. Serve immediately.

STEAK AU POIVRE (PEPPERCORN STEAK)

So, we don’t eat steak very often but when we do we go all out. And this is one of our favorite ways to enjoy this rare treat. And I do mean rare! I actually used to order or cook my steak very, very rare, in fact almost so rare that you could hear an echo of mooing in the background! But over the years I have learned that the best way to cook or order a steak is medium rare. (Mr. Cs more refined palate preferred medium rare steaks all along. It just took me longer to realize that medium rare was the perfect way to appreciate steak.)

Cooked to an internal temperature of about 125-130 degrees, a good steak is tender, juicy, and full of flavor. Cook it past 160 degrees or higher, and your beautiful cut of meat will become tough, dry, and flavorless, basically fit only for Fido, who might actually reject it, or your compost heap (most likely won’t reject it)!

And I know there are those who prefer their steak well done. If you happen to know someone like that and you are doing the shopping and cooking for this person, order lovely cuts of well marbled steak for anyone else. For the person who likes his/her steak well done, buy a cheaper cut of meat. Believe me, they will be none the wiser. Regardless of what you start with, past 160 degrees any superior qualities that were in the meat to begin with are now relegated to history.

Of course, even if you or one of your family members or guests likes massacred meat, the Steak au Poivre sauce will still be a delicious accompaniment. The sauce is easy to prepare and a perfect complement to the peppery crust on the steak.

So however you like your steak cooked, give this recipe a try. And if I have offended you in any way by my opinionated comments regarding your or a loved one’s idea of how a steak should be prepared, please forgive my culinary fervor! It’s just my opinion after all. Well, to be truthful, it’s how most connoisseurs feel about over cooked steak. Oh, never mind!

2 New York, filet mignon, or rib eye steaks, cut 1¼-inch thick
kosher salt
1 – 2 T. coarsely ground black pepper (depending on size of steaks)
2 T. butter, divided
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
¼ c. finely chopped shallots
½ c. beef broth
¼ c. Cognac or brandy
1 T. heavy cream

Pat the steaks dry with paper towels. Sprinkle liberally with salt and then press the black pepper evenly on both sides. (If your steaks are quite large, you will probably need 2 tablespoons of cracked pepper. You want a nice “pepper crust” on the steaks.) Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter and the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat until the butter almost smokes. Place the steaks in the pan and lower the heat to medium. Cook the steaks for 3-4 minutes on 1 side and then for about 3 minutes on the other side, or until the internal temperature is about 125-130 degrees depending on how “rare” you like your medium rare. (See meat temperature chart below.)

Remove the steaks to a serving plate and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Meanwhile, add the shallots and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the beef broth and cook over high heat for 4 to 6 minutes, until reduced by half, scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the Cognac and cream; cook for 2 more minutes. Off heat, swirl in the remaining tablespoon of butter and adjust seasoning. Serve the steaks with the sauce poured on top.

Meat (Beef)Temperature Chart in Degrees F

Rare 120-125
Medium-Rare 130-135
Medium 140-145
Medium-Well 150-155
Well done 160 and above

BOEUF à la BOURGUIGNONNE (BEEF BURGUNDY)

I’ll tell you one thing for sure. Julia Child’s Beef Bourguignon recipe has nothing on Margaret Hilty’s version. And who is Margaret Hilty you ask? Well, she was the former wife of one of my former husband’s former physics professors. That’s who! She was also one heck of a wonderful person as well as a fantastic cook. A little story about this amazing woman and this recipe.

For whatever reason, Mrs. Hilty took a liking to me. (Even though Mrs. Hilty was divorced, her former husband (Professor Hilty) used to invite his students and their wives to her house for get-togethers. Apparently they had been married for decades before the divorce, and she still loved having young people in her home.) During these infrequent get-togethers, Mrs. Hilty would serve us the most delicious food.

One night, it was just my husband and I who were invited for dinner and Margaret (by then she had asked us to call her Margaret) served us this amazing dish. I had never tasted anything so good. So right there and then I begged for the recipe. (If possible, I would also have adopted her that evening, but that might have been asking too much!) She was like the perfect white haired grandmother. She enjoyed hearing about my aspirations, was never judgmental, and laughed at my jokes. I made a vow right there and then that when I got older and had a home of my own, I too would always have good food around, not only for my own family but for whoever happened to be in my home at the time.

I also remember thinking that not only was she the best cook I had ever known, she was probably just about the best person I had ever had the privilege to meet. Her way of living life was an inspiration to all of us college age kids. Her ability to keep an open mind and a generous and forgiving spirit was a model for all of us to follow. She was simply an amazing, bright and loving woman. I feel very blessed to have had her in my life, even if it was for only a brief time.

I actually hated when we had to leave her behind after college. But if I ever make it to heaven, I know she will be there waiting with more wonderful recipes to share with me. I hope you enjoy Margaret Hilty’s recipe as much as I do. And thanks for letting me share her story with you.

¼ lb. bacon, chopped
2 lbs. rump roast or other stew type meat cut into 1-inch cubes
½ c. flour
½ tsp. kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 carrots cut into ¼-inch thick rounds
2 medium onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
3 c. burgundy wine
2 c. beef stock (I use 2 cups water and 2 heaping teaspoons Better Than Bouillon Beef Base)
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1 T. tomato paste
2 T. butter
1 lb. small whole mushrooms (button preferably)
2 T. minced fresh parsley

Fry bacon until crisp in a large, heavy covered pan. Remove the bacon and set aside. Dry the beef cubes and place in a large plastic bag along with the flour which has been seasoned with the salt and pepper. Shake well to coat the meat. (Don’t forget to zip the bag first, or you too will be coated with flour!) Fry the cubes in the remaining bacon grease until well browned. (Add additional bacon grease or butter if needed to brown all the meat.) When all the meat is brown, remove to a container and set aside. Add the carrots and onions to the pan. Cook until lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Again, if you need to add more fat to brown the veggies, do so. Add cooked bacon and meat cubes, along with any meat juices that have accumulated back into the pan with the carrots, onions, and garlic. Stir in the wine while scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen the browned bits on the bottom. Add the beef broth, bay leaf, thyme, and tomato paste. Cover and simmer slowly for about 3 hours or until the meat is fork tender. Stir periodically.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a fry pan and sauté the mushrooms for about 5 minutes. When the beef is tender, add the mushrooms. If the gravy is not as thick as you would prefer, add a couple of tablespoons of flour to about a quarter cup of water and slowly stir into the stew. Bring to a boil and let simmer for about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve over Creamy Mashed Potatoes (recipe below) and sprinkle with parsley.

Hint: Don’t ever discard bacon grease after you have cooked bacon. Store it in a covered container in your refrigerator for just such an occasion as browning the meat in this recipe. BTW – bacon fat has about the same shelf life as a Twinkie. (Don’t quote me on this, because I don’t want the Twinkie folks to sue me, but truly, bacon fat can be stored for months.)

CREAMY MASHED POTATOES

2 very large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into about 2-inch pieces
kosher salt
6 T. butter, room temperature
freshly ground black pepper
milk

Place the potatoes and about a tablespoon of salt in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until potatoes are super tender, about 20 minutes. Drain. Pour back into pan and set on stove using lowest heat setting available. Mash the potatoes and butter together. Add pepper and enough milk to make a creamy, not too stiff mixture. Adjust seasoning. Cover pan, turn off heat and serve immediately. Or, place in oven on low setting until ready to serve.

POULET AU VIN BLANC (CHICKEN WITH WHITE WINE)

Recently I posted a recipe for Carbonnade à la Flamande (Belgian Beef, Beer, and onion stew). On that post I also referenced Boeuf à la Bourguignonne (Beef Bourguignon or Beef Burgundy). (Recipe to be posted within the next couple of days.) But today, I am going to write about my take on a less well known classic French dish – Poulet Au Vin Blanc.

Poulet Au Vin Blanc, a stew like dish with chicken, wine and vegetables is the absolute definition of comfort food. Doesn’t matter whether you are sitting in a French café during a thunderous rainstorm or sitting in your own dining room listening to your children argue over whose turn it is to clear the table, this dish is magnificent! It is also a dish that I think your entire family will enjoy; even your children who might normally reject food containing onions, mushrooms, or carrots. (Actually your little ones might not even notice these evil ingredients if you serve the stew over mashed potatoes.) I personally prefer biscuits with this stew, but I realize some concessions have to be made when there are pre-pubescent gourmets in the family.

BTW, I would much rather be sitting in a small café in Paris eating this dish than at a table with young children. But then, you see, I’ve survived the pleasure of dining with small children. I remember thinking at the time – will these darlings ever grow up? (I probably used another word besides “darlings”, but I obviously blocked the word from my memory bank.) Now I only wish I could dine more often with their adult counterparts.

And yes, this is definitely one of the dishes I would fix for them. And yes I like to use the French name for a dish when appropriate. Someday I’ll even go so far as to post a recipe for a “casserole” on this site. That should prove how sophisticated I am about French cuisine!

2 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite sized pieces
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 T. unsalted butter, divided
½ lb. small white mushrooms, quartered
1 lg. Yukon Gold potato (10-oz.), peeled and cut into ½-inch dice
1 lg. carrot, cut into ½-inch dice
1 medium onion, cut into ½-inch dice
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ c. flour
1 c. dry white wine (I use Pinot Grigio)
2 c. chicken stock or broth (I use water and a couple teaspoons (or to taste) of either Better Than Bouillon Chicken or Turkey Base
2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves or ¾ tsp. dried
1 bay leaf
½ c. heavy cream
1 T. coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley, opt.

Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet. Add the chicken pieces, which have been generously seasoned with salt and pepper, in a single layer. Fry the chicken over moderately high heat, turning once, until golden brown and cooked through, about 7 minutes total. Transfer the chicken to a bowl. (Do not over-cook the chicken. You want it tender and juicy.) Add 1 tablespoon of the butter to the pan and add the mushrooms; cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the mushrooms to the same bowl as the chicken; set aside.

Add the second tablespoon of butter to the pan along with the potato, carrot, and onion; cook until the vegetables are lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one more minute. Stir in the flour. Pour in the wine and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the stock, thyme, and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer over low heat until the potato and carrots are tender, about 15 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Stir in the heavy cream, the cooked chicken and mushrooms, along with any accumulated juices, and adjust seasonings. Simmer for about 2 minutes, or until all the ingredients are hot. Sprinkle with parsley and serve over buttermilk biscuits or Creamy Mashed Potatoes. (Recipe for potatoes under blog post for Carbonnade.)

CHEZ CARR CUISINE

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Category Archives: FRENCH CUISINE

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STEAK AU POIVRE (PEPPERCORN STEAK)

BOEUF à la BOURGUIGNONNE (BEEF BURGUNDY)

POULET AU VIN BLANC (CHICKEN WITH WHITE WINE)