FRENCH

 

BLANQUETTE DE VEAU

For meat and vegetables:

2 3/4 Pound veal breast (bone in)
1 Pound boneless veal shoulder, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 1/2 Quart water
6 fresh parsley sprigs
2 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf (not California)
4 black peppercorns
2 onions, halved
4 carrots, quartered crosswise
1 leek (white and pale green parts only), halved lengthwise and cut crosswise
into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 Pound mushrooms, quartered

For sauce:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons creme fraiche
1-1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Stew meat and vegetables: Cut meat away from veal breastbone, reserving

bone, and cut meat into 2-inch pieces.

Bring veal breast and shoulder, veal bone, and water to a boil over moderate heat in a 7- to 8-quart heavy pot, skimming froth. While water is heating, wrap parsley, thyme, bay leaf, and peppercorns in a small square of cheesecloth and tie into a bundle to make a bouquet. Add bouquet garni and onions to pot and simmer, uncovered, until veal is tender, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Preheat oven to 300 F. Transfer veal with a slotted spoon to a heatproof serving dish and keep warm in oven, covered with foil. Discard veal bone, onions, and bouquet garni, then pour stock through a fine sieve into a large bowl. Return stock to cleaned pot, add carrots and leek, and simmer until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer vegetables to serving dish. Boil stock until reduced to about 2 1/2 cups, about 10 minutes. While stock is reducing, heat butter in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides, then cook mushrooms, stirring, until just tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to serving dish and season veal and vegetables with salt and pepper. Keep warm in oven. Make sauce: Melt butter in a 2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, then stir in flour. Cook roux, stirring, 3 minutes (do not let brown). Whisk in reduced stock and simmer, uncovered, whisking occasionally, 15 minutes. Whisk together yolks and creme fraiche in a small bowl, then whisk in 1 cup sauce. Whisk yolk mixture into remaining sauce with lemon juice, then cook over moderately low heat (do not let boil), stirring constantly, until it reaches 160 F on an instant-read thermometer and coats back of a wooden spoon. Season sauce with salt and pepper and pour over veal and vegetables.

BOEUF BOURGUIGNON

1/4 Pound thick-sliced bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces

3 Pound boneless beef chuck, cut into 2-inch pieces
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup brandy
1 (4-inch) piece of celery
4 fresh parsley stems (no leaves)
4 fresh thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves (not California)
2 cloves
2 onions, finely chopped
3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 carrots, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 (750-ml) bottle dry red wine (preferably Burgundy)
1 Pound small (1 1/2-inch) boiling onions or pearl onions
1 Pound mushrooms, quartered if large

Cook bacon in boiling salted water 3 minutes, then drain. Pat beef dry and season with salt and pepper. Divide flour and beef between 2 (1-quart) sealable plastic bags, seal, then shake to coat meat. Heat 1 tablespoons oil and 1 1/2 tablespoons butter in a wide 6- to 8-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown beef well on all sides in 2 or 3 batches, without crowding, adding remaining tablespoon oil as needed. Transfer to a bowl. Pour off any excess oil from pot, then add brandy to pot. Deglaze by boiling over high heat 1 minute, stirring and scraping up brown bits, then pour over beef. Tie celery, parsley, thyme, bay leaves, and cloves together with kitchen string to make a bouquet garni (tuck cloves into celery so they don't fall out). Heat 1 tablespoon butter in cleaned pot over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then saute bacon, stirring, 2 minutes. Add chopped onions, garlic, and carrots, then saute, stirring, until onions are pale golden, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add wine, meat with juices, and bouquet garni and simmer gently, partially covered, until meat is tender, 3 1/2 to 4 hours. While meat simmers, blanch boiling onions in boiling salted water 1 minute and drain in a colander. Rinse under cold running water, then peel. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté boiling onions, stirring occasionally, until browned in patches. Season with salt and pepper. Add 2 cups water (1 1/2 cups if using pearl onions), then simmer, partially covered, until onions are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Boil, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced to a glaze, 5 to 10 minutes. Heat remaining tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté mushrooms, stirring, until golden brown and any liquid mushrooms give off is evaporated, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir onions and mushrooms into stew and cook 10 minutes. Remove bouquet garni and skim any fat from surface of stew. Season with salt and pepper.

BOUILLABAISSE

3/4 cup light olive oil

2 onions, thinly sliced
2 leeks, sliced
3 tomatoes - peeled, seeded and chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 sprig fennel
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon orange zest
3/4 pound mussels, cleaned and debearded
9 cups boiling water
salt and pepper to taste
5 pounds sea bass
1 pinch saffron threads
3/4 pound fresh shrimp, peeled and
deveined

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, and add the onions, leeks, chopped tomatoes, and garlic. Cook and stir over a low heat for a few minutes until all vegetables are soft. Stir in the fennel, thyme, bay leaf, and orange zest. Add shellfish and boiling water; stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Turn up the heat to high, and boil for about 3 minutes to allow the oil and water to combine. Add fish, and reduce the heat to medium. Continue cooking for 12 to 15 minutes, or until fish is cooked. The fish should be opaque and tender, but still firm. Fish should not be falling apart. 4 Taste the bouillabaisse and adjust the seasoning. Stir in saffron, and then pour soup into a warmed tureen or soup dishes. Serve immediately.

CHICKEN CORDON BLEU

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
6 slices Swiss cheese
4 slices cooked ham
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350F. Coat a 7x11 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Pound chicken breasts to 1/4 inch thickness. Sprinkle each piece of chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Place 1 cheese slice and 1 ham slice on top of each breast. Roll up each breast, and secure with a toothpick. Place in baking dish, and sprinkle chicken evenly with bread crumbs. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove from oven, and place 1/2 cheese slice on top of each breast. Return to oven for 3 to 5 minutes, or until cheese has melted. Remove toothpicks, and serve immediately.

COQ AU VIN

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

2 cups small whole fresh mushrooms
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1 cup Burgundy wine
16 pearl onions, peeled
1 tablespoon bacon bits
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 teaspoon dried marjoram, crushed
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
1-1/2 cups cold water
1/8 cup all-purpose flour

Spray a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray. Saute chicken over medium heat for about 15 minutes, or until lightly browned on both sides. Add the mushrooms, carrot, wine, onions, bacon bits, parsley, garlic, marjoram, thyme, bouillon, pepper and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 25 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink inside. Using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken, mushrooms, carrot, and onions to a platter, discarding bay leaf; cover to keep warm and set aside. In a small bowl combine flour and water and whisk together. Stir mixture into skillet and cook until thick and bubbly, 5 to 10 minutes. Cook and stir 1 minute more and pour mixture over chicken and veggies. Serve warm.

COQUILLES ST.-JACQUES

1-1/2 Pound medium sea scallops (24 to 28),

1/4 cup dry vermouth
1-1/2 tablespoons minced shallot
1-1/2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
1-1/2 tablespoons dry white wine
1 tablespoon cold water
9 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces
1-1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh tarragon

Marinate scallops in vermouth 15 minutes. Make beurre blanc: Simmer shallot in vinegar and wine in a small heavy saucepan until liquid is reduced to about 1 tablespoon. Remove from heat and add water. Reduce heat to low and cook, whisking in 6 tablespoons butter 1 tablespoon at a time, adding each new piece before previous one has melted completely and occasionally lifting pan from heat to cool mixture. (Sauce must not get hot enough to liquefy; it should be the consistency of a thin hollandaise.) Remove from heat and whisk in tarragon and salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm off heat, covered. Cook scallops: Drain scallops and pat dry between paper towels. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of remaining butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides. While butter is heating, season half of scallops with salt and pepper. Saute scallops, turning once, until just cooked through, about 4 minutes total. Wipe out skillet and saute remaining scallops in remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons butter in same manner.
Serve scallops with beurre blanc.

LAMB EN DAUBE

Shoulder of lamb, boned, larded, and cut in thick slices

Salt, freshly ground black pepper, thyme, basil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Red wine
2 medium onions, chopped
8 slices bacon or salt pork, chopped
1/2 cup chopped parsley
Orange rind
Slices of larding pork

Put the lamb slices in a deep pan with 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon basil, and 1 teaspoon thyme, small chopped onion, carrot, 2 finely chopped cloves garlic, and enough red wine to cover. Marinate for 2 hours. Arrange one half of the lamb slices on the bottom of a terrine or casserole. The meat must be packed in to fit together tightly, so be sure select the right size casserole. Add a layer of the chopped onion, bacon or salt pork, and remaining garlic with the parsley and a little thyme and basil, all mixed together. Top with a few pieces of orange rind. Arrange rest of meat in casserole, packing it tightly on top of the layer of seasoning. Strain the marinade and add enough of the liquid to barely cover the meat. Put strips of larding pork on top, cover and bake in a 325 F. oven for 2 hours. Reduce heat to 300 and cook for another 1 1/2 hours. Finally, reduce heat to 275 F. and cook for 1 hour.

PATE DE CAMPAGNE

2 and one quarter pounds pork, both lean and fatty, cut in 1-inch chunks

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 shallots, minced
1 small onion, minced
40 sprigs fresh thyme
9 dried, imported bay leaves
11 ounces fresh pork liver
10 peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Cornichons, for garnish

Place the pork, olive oil, shallots, onion, all but six sprigs of the thyme, and all but six of the bay leaves, and the remaining herbs and salt in a large, non-reactive bowl and toss so that all is thoroughly combined. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours. Remove the bay leaves and the thyme from the pork, and transfer the meat to a food processor. Process until the meat is coarsely chopped. The meat needs to be in uneven pieces to give texture to the pate. Place the liver in the food processor and puree it. Add it to the pork and other ingredients in the bowl and toss until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined. Cook a teaspoonful of the mixture to taste for seasoning, remembering that when the pate is chilled its seasoning will be muted. Adjust the seasoning if necessary. Place three of the bay leaves and three generous sprigs of thyme on the bottom of an 8 cup (2 liter) porcelain terrine mold, or other non-reactive container. Top with half the pork mixture, smoothing and pressing it into the terrine, then top with the remaining three sprigs of thyme. Cover with the remaining pork mixture, smoothing it out and pressing it down into the terrine, then top that with the remaining three bay leaves. Top with parchment paper and then either the lid of the terrine mold, or a piece of aluminum foil. Place the terrine mold into a pan large enough to hold it with room to spare, and pour in boiling water half way up the sides of the terrine mold Bake until the terrine is cooked through and registers about 170 F on a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the terrine, about 2 hours. Remove from the oven and let cool. Place at least 3 one-pound weights on the parchment paper atop the terrine, to weight it down, and when it has reached room temperature refrigerate it for at least 24 hours. Serve chilled, with plenty of cornichons alongside.

POT AU FEU

5 pounds beef including top or bottom round, beef cheeks, and pot roast

1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
1 pound small onions
6 cloves
6 small turnips, peeled and quartered
1 medium rutabaga, peeled and cut in eighths
12 medium leeks, trimmed and tied in two bundles of six each
1-1/2 pounds carrots, trimmed, peeled, and cut in half, then in quarters
lengthwise
2 pounds celery root, peeled and cut in 4 x 1/2-inch sticks
1 bouquet garni
10 peppercorns
2 dried, imported bay leaves
1 marrow bone
6 slices day-old bread
2 cloves garlic, peeled

Coarse sea salt

Cornichons
Pickled onions
Horseradish
Mustards

Tie the top or bottom round, the beef checks, and the pot roast separately so they are compact and don't fall apart during cooking. Place them, with the oxtails, in a large, deep stockpot. Add the salt, cover by at least two inches with water and bring just to a boil, then reduce the heat so the liquid is simmering. When impurities begin to rise to the surface of the water skim them off, and continue skimming until you see no more impurities, which should take about 20 minutes. Pierce the onions with the cloves and cut the onions in half. Add half the vegetables and the bouquet garni to the meat in the pot and make sure all is covered by at least one inch with water. Add half the peppercorns, cover, and bring just to a boil. Adjust the heat so the liquid is simmering it shouldn't boil or the meat will be tough. Cook, partially covered, for at least three hours. Remove the meat from the broth. Strain the broth and discard vegetables. Return broth to the pot and add bay leaves. Bring it just to a boil. Add the carrots and the rutabaga and cook until they're beginning to turn tender, about 10 minutes. Add the turnips and onions and cook until they're beginning to turn tender, about 10 minutes. Add celery root and leeks and cook until they, and all the vegetables, are tender through. Remove vegetables from the broth and place them in a shallow bowl. Moisten with some of the broth, cover, and keep them warm. Add the meat back to the broth along with the marrow bone and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the meat from the broth, drizzle it with a ladle or two of broth and keep it warm. Rub each piece of bread with garlic and place it in the bottom of a shallow bowl. Pour equal amounts of broth over it and serve as a first course. Remove the strings from the meat and cut the pieces either into thick slices or into chunks. Arrange the meat on a warmed platter surrounded with the vegetables. Serve it with the condiments alongside.

QUICHE LORRAINE

1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch single crust pie

12 slices bacon
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1/3 cup minced onion
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups light cream
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white sugar
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 425F. 2 Place bacon in a large skillet, and fry over medium-high heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels, then chop coarsely. Sprinkle bacon, cheese and onion into pastry shell. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, cream, salt, sugar and cayenne pepper. Pour mixture into pastry shell. Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce heat to 300F and bake an additional 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted 1 inch from edge comes out clean. Allow quiche to sit 10 minutes before cutting into wedges.