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FRENCH RECIPES BELOW:
(click here for the Italian recipes)
GOUGERES
(French Cheese Puffs)
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IN BURGUNDY, where they originated, gougeres are considered the perfect horsd'oeuvre. Made from a cheese-flavored/pate a choux (a sticky, pastelike dough that puffs when baked and is also used in making cream puffs, eclairs, and profiteroles), these morsels are complementary to wine and satisfying to the palate without being filling. The secret to successful gougeres—to pate a choux in general, for that matter--is to add the flour all at once and the eggs one at a time.
INGREDIENTS
8 tbsp. Butter, cut into pieces
¾ cup milk
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
1 cup flour
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups grated comte or gruyere cheese
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 400°. Combine butter, l/2 cup of the milk, and 1/2 cup water in a medium saucepan over high heat. Season generously with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and when butter has melted, remove pan from heat. Add flour all at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until mixture forms a thick dough and pulls away from the sides of the pan, 1—2 minutes. Return pan to heat and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
2. Let dough cool to room temperature, then beat in eggs, one at a time, making sure each egg is completely incorporated into mixture and dough is smooth after each addition.
Dough should be thick, glossy, and smooth. Add 1 cup of the cheese and beat in until well combined.
3. Spoon tablespoon-size mounds of dough on nonstick baking sheets, leaving about 1" between them. Brush tops with remaining 1/4 cup milk, then sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake one tray at a time in lower third of oven until gougeres have doubled in size and are golden, 20-25 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
SUGGESTED WINES: Chablis; Macon-Villages; St-Veran; Champagne
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SALADE DES MOINES
(Green Salad with Citeaux Cheese Croutons)
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(serves four)
Marielle Grivot,of Domaine Jean
Grivot in Burgundy's Vosne-Romanee wine
region, gave us this simple recipe. To dress
up a green salad, she adds croutons topped
with melted citeaux. It is this cheese, made at the famous Cistercian abbey in Burgundy,
that gives the salad its name, "monk's salad".
Canada's oka may be substituted.
INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp. sherry vinegar
2 tbsp. walnut oil
1/2 tsp. dijon mustard
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 head butter le ttuce, washed, dried, and torn into pieces
I baguette
8 oz. citeaux or oka
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DIRECTIONS
1. Place an oven rack in top third of oven and preheat broiler.
Meanwhile, in a large salad bowl, whisk together the vinegar,
oil, and mustard and season ro ta ste with sal t and pepper. Add
lettuce, toss widi the vinaigret te, then divide between 4 plates.
2. Make croutons by cutting 12 thin round slices from the
baguette, then place a slice ofctteaux cheese on top of each.
Place slices on a baking sheet and broil until cheese is melted,
30—45 seconds. Garnish each salad with 3 croutons.
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SOUP A L'OIGNON
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A traditional early-morning restorative
for workers at the old Les Halles market in
Paris , this rich soup has found its way onto
menus all over France (and the U.S.). Gruyere
was probably f irst added in the Savoie region, where the cheese is often used in cooking.
INGREDIENTS:
6 tbsp. butter
I tbsp. olive nil
3 Ibs. medium yellow onions,
peeled and thinly sliced
1 tsp. sugar
Salt
1 tbsp. flour
8 cups beef stock (below)
2 cups dry white wine
Freshly ground black pepper
I baguette
1 Ib. gruyere, shredded
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DIRECTIONS:
I . Melt 3 tbsp. of the butter and the oil in a large heavy
pot over medium-low heat. Add onions, cover, and cook,
stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 20
minutes. Increase heat to medium-high, uncover, add the
sugar, and season to taste with salt. Saute, stirring often,
until onions are very soft and a deep golden brown.
2. Reduce heat to medium, sprinkle in flour, and cook,
stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes. Add about 2 cups of
stock and stir to blend, then add remaining 6 cups of stock
and the w ine. Season to taste with salt and pepper and sim-
mer for about 30 minutes. Adjust seasonings.
3 . Preheat oven to 425°. Meanwhile, slice the bread into
at least 8 thick slices. Butter both sides of the bread with
the remaining 3 Tbsp-of butter , then toast until golden
brown on both sides in the oven.
4. Place a slice of toast in each of 8 ovenproof bowls,
then fill bowls with the onion soup. Spread a thick layer
of cheese on top of soup. Set bowls in 2 baking pans,
place in the oven, and bake until cheese has browned. |
Suggested wines: Beaumlais-Vitlaees: EoursuKne Rbure
BEEF STOCK
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Stocks are the "fonds de cuisine" in a French kitchen—literally, the very foundations of cooking . Stocks give texture, richness, and real depth of flavor. If meat and
bones are browned first with the vegetables, as in this recipe, the result will be a fond brun, or brown stock—darker in color and even richer in flavor than a fond blanc, or white stock, made without
browning. This beef stock is a class ic building block for many traditional French dishes, such as soupe a 1'oignon gratinee (above). The most
important ingredient here is patience: long, slow
cooking is essential.
INGREDIENTS:
6 lbs. beef hones (shin, oxtail, and neck)
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp. tomato paste
2 carrots, scrubbed and coarsely chopped
4 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
2 medium yellow onions, halved
2 leeks, trimmed, washed, and coarsely chopped
2 whole cloves
8 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed
1 cup red wine
Bouquet garni
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DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 375°. Brush beef bones with 1 tbsp.
oil, season generously with salt and pepper, put into a large
roasting pan, and roast until just browned, about 30 minutes. Smear tomato paste over bones and roast for 20 minutes more. Toss carrots, celery, onions, leeks, cloves, and garlic with remaining oil and add to pan with bones. Roast for 20 minutes more.
2 . Transfer bones and vegetables to a large stockpot. Deglaze
roasting pan on stovetop over medium heat with red wine, scrap -
ing browned bits from bottom of pan, then pour juices into stock-
pot. Add bouquet garni and cover with 5 quarts water. Bring
to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer,
uncovered, until stock is reduced by two-thirds, about 4 hours,
occasionally skimming off any foam that rises to the surface.
3. Strain stock and discard solids. Transfer Stock to a bowl,
cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours
or overnight. Remove and discard fat that has formed on
surface. Stock may be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3
days or in the free zer for up to 6 months. |
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SOLE MEUNIERE
(French Onion Soup)
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The term sole is falsely applied to several species of flounder in the United States. True sole can be found only in Europe, where the best-known variety is dover sole. To filet the fish, trace backbone with a knife, cutting through to bone, then lift flesh off. Gently lift out bone.
INGREDIENTS:
4 14-oz. whole dover sole
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
Flour
1 cup clarified butter
1 large russet potato, peeled and thickly sliced
16 tbsp. (2 sticks) butter
Juice of 2 lemons
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DIRECTIONS:
1. Cut off head and fins of sole with sharp kitchen scissors. Scrape scales from the white-skinned side (bottom) of the fish with a large wide knife. On dark side offish, score skin just above the tail width a sharp knife, then, holding the fish by the tail with one hand use the other to peel off the dark skin all at once. If the skin catches, use a sharp knife to free it from the flesh. (There is no need to skin the
other side.) Wipe fish with a damp kitchen towel, taking care to
wipe away any blood. (To spare yourself these steps, ask your fish-
monger to give the fish to you pan-ready.) Pat dry, season to taste
with salt and pepper, and dredge in flour, shaking off any excess.
2. Pour 1/2 cup clarified butter into each of 2 large skillets set over
medium-high heat. When butter is just smoking, after about
3 minutes, place 2 fish, white side down, in each pan. Immediately
place a slice of raw potato under rail of each fish to raise thin end
of sole up from the heat and help prevent overcooking- Brown fish,
about 3—4 minutes on each side, pressing down on fish with a spatula and basting continually with butter. Add 2 tbsp. of the regular
butter to each pan, season to taste with salt and pepper, and baste
for 1 more minute. Transfer to serving platter and keep warm.
3. Melt remaining 12 tbsp. of the regular butter in a small
skiller over high heat. Swirl pan over heat until butter foams
and turns light golden. Whisk in lemon juice and pour over
sole, coating them completely. Serve fish on a platter garnished
with lemon and fresh herbs, if you like.
Suggested wines: Chablis; Sancerre; Pouilly Fume
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POUSSIN VALLEE D'AUGE
(Baby Chicken with Calvados and Cream)
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(Serves 6)
Calvados, the famed apple brandy from I Normandy,is distilled from cider just as cognac is from wine. This classic Norman preparation is named for the best calvados-producing region. The recipe can be adapted for larger chickens, other fowl, and pork.
INGREDIENTS:
6 poussins or cornish game hens
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
2 cups pearl onions
1'/2 cup calvados
3/4 cup heavy cream
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DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 400°. Rub poussins inside and out with a generous amount of salt and pepper.
2. To truss poussins, fold wing tips back beneath shoulders (drum-
sticks should fit snugly against the tip of breastbone) and hold in
place by tying legs together with kitchen twine.
3. Rub birds with butter and arrange in a roasting pan so that they
do not touch. Scatter unpeeled onions around birds, then place pan
in lower third of oven and cook for at least 45 minutes, basting sev-
eral times. Prick fat part of drumstick on 1 bird after 45 minutes;if juice runs clear, the birds are done.
4. Transfer poussins and onions to a serving platter. Place the roast-
ing pan on top of the stove and bring the pan drippings to a boil over
medium-high heat, scraping with a wooden spoon to loosen any
browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Warm calvados in a
small pot, then add to pan juices and carefully ignite with a kitchen match, keeping a large pan lid nearby to extinguish flames if neces-
sary. When flames die out, stir in cream and continue to reduce sauce until thickened, about 5 minutes. Adjust seasonings as needed. Untie twine and discard. Pour sauce over and around poussins.
Suggested wines: Meurs'autf; Alsatian Pinot'.Gris
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GRATIN DAUPHINOIS
(Potatoes Baked in Milk and Cream)
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(Serves 6)
A gratin is simply a dish whose top is browned in the oven. This one takes its name from the Dauphine, a region that stretches from Savoie to Provence and is renowned for the quality of its milk and cream, as well as for its potatoes. Adaptations of this dish may include
such other ingredients as garlic, butter, cheese, eggs, and even slices of black truffle.
INGREDIENTS:
2 Ibs. large russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg
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DIRECTIONS:
I. Preheat oven to 275°. Arrange layers of slightly over-lapping potato slices in an 8-cup gratin or baking dish. Mix together milk and cream in a bowl, then pour over
potatoes to cover completely (use a little more cream or milk if necessary). Bake for 1 1/2 hours.
2. Increase heat to 400°. Remove pan from oven and generously season top of potatoes with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Return pan to oven and cook until brown and
bubbling, about 30 minutes more.
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SOUFFLE AU CHOCOLAT
(Chocolate Souffle)
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(Serves 3-4)
Souffles (the name comes from the French verb simffler, to blow or whisper) were originally savory, not sweet like this one. This version is flourless and therefore particularly delicate in texture.
INGREDIENTS:
3 tbsp. milk
5 1/2 tbsp. sugar, plus additional sugar for dusting souffle dish
4 oz. semisweet chocolate,c oarsely chopped
2 egg yolks
3 egg whites
Confectioners' sugar
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DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 375°. Place milk and 4 tbsp. of the sugar
in a small saucepan and stir over medium-low heat until sugar
dissolves, about 4 5 seconds. Stir in chocolate and cook until
melted, 1—2 minutes. Transfer to a large mixing bowl, let
cool for 5 minutes, then beat in egg yolks.
2. Beat egg whites in a very clean glass or stainless-steel
mixing bowl until foamy, then sprinkle in remaining P/2
tbsp. sugar, beating until stiff peaks form.
3. Butter a small (3-cup) souffle dish (2 W deep and 6" in
diameter; souffle will not rise in a larger dish), then lightly
dust with sugar. Gently mix one-third of the egg whites into
chocolate mixtrure, then fold in remaining whites, one-third
at a time. Do not overmix. Spoon batter into dish.
4 . Make sure oven rack is low enough to allow souffle room
to rise by as much as 2" above the dish. Bake until puffed, about
25 minutes. Du st w ith confectione rs' sugar and serve imme-
diately. (Souffle will begin to deflate after about 2 minutes.) |
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