The wonderful flavor of French food is often the result of a good stock. This liquid is the basis to soups, stews, braised meets, vegetables and French sauces. A stock is obtained from the simmering of meat, bones and vegetables with water. Stock can be made in quantity, frozen and stored for months.
PREPARATION
Makes about 12 cups
Ingredients:
4 lbs. chicken bones
1 onion, quartered
1 large carrot
1 stalk celery
Method:
1) Place all ingredients in a stock pot. Add water to cover bones. Bring to boil and skim off scum that floats to top. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 hours.
2) Strain into a large bowl. Cool completely. Remove fat. Divide into containers and freeze.
TIPS
Tip 1:
Cooling the stock well (15-20 hours) ensures that the fat solidifies on top and can be easily removed to create a fat-free stock.
SHOPPING AND UTENSIL LIST
Store Purchases:
Chicken bones, onion, carrot, celery.
Utensils:
Stock pot, large bowl, large spoon, large sieve.
CB. Salad Dressing (Vinaigrette)
INTRODUCTION
This very basic French dressing can be used for salad greens and as a simple marinade. It consists of a good wine vinegar, a combination of salad oil and olive oil, mustard, salt and pepper. This dressing can be kept in the refrigerator for about two weeks, well sealed. When serving, add herbs or garlic for added flavor. Add the dressing to fresh dry salad leaves just before serving.
PREPARATION
Serves: dress for salad greens to serve 6
Ingredients:
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
4 tbsps. oil (combination of olive and corn oil)
1 tsp. dijon style mustard
salt and pepper
Method:
1) In a small screw-top jar, add all ingredients and shake well.
2) If a thick mayonnaise-like consistency is preferred, add vinegar to a small bowl, whisk in mustard, salt and pepper. With whisk beat the oil into vinegar very slowly until all oil is incorporated.
TIPS
Tip 1:
Remember, to make a thick consistency, add oil very slowly in a thin stream, whisking continuously, until all oil is incorporated.
Tip 2:
To make a beautiful salad use a combination of lettuces, keeping in mind color, textures and flavors.
SHOPPING AND UTENSIL LIST
French Pantry Shelf:
White wine vinegar, olive oil, corn oil, dijon style mustard, salt and pepper.
Utensils:
Measuring cup and spoons, bowl and whisk.
CC. Carrot Soup (Potage Crecy)
INTRODUCTION
This soup╒s namesake ╥Crecy╙ is an area in France that is known for its carrot growing. Cooking carrots and onions slowly until they are very soft and translucent is important for the sweetness of the soup. The large Spanish onions used in this recipe are sweeter than the small cooking onions.
PREPARATION
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
1 large Spanish onion, finely chopped
2 lbs. carrots, peeled and sliced crosswise
1 tbsp. butter
1 clove garlic, minced
4 cups chicken stock
salt/pepper
Garnish:
5 tbsp. whipping cream
4 sprigs mint, finely chopped
Method:
1) In a large saucepan, melt butter. Over medium high heat, saute the vegetables for 2 minutes. Reduce heat, place a round of wax paper over vegetables, cover pot and cook vegetables until they are very soft but not browned, for about 20 minutes.
2) Remove paper, add garlic and cook for about 2 minutes. Add stock, bring to boil and then simmer for 30-40 minutes.
3) Blend in an electric blender until very smooth. Return to the saucepan, add salt and pepper.
4) To serve, ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle some cream decoratively over top and sprinkle with mint.
TIPS
Tip 1:
To chop onion, cut lengthwise through the root. Peel. Lay one-half flat on cutting board. Slice 4-5 cuts into the root then turn the onion and cut crosswise.
Tip 2:
To create a sweet soup, cooking the onions and carrots slowly, covered with wax paper is very important. Cut wax paper to fit over the vegetables and cover the pot with lid. Keep heat very low so that vegetables do not brown.
Boeuf Bourguignon is, perhaps, the most famous of all French stews. In this type of stew, the meat is browned, then simmered in an aromatic liquid such as wine or beef stock. Fortunately, this dish tastes better if made a day in advance. This stew is traditionally served with boiled potatoes but buttered noodles are a good alternative.
PREPARATION
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
2 lbs. stewing beef
4 tbsp. corn oil
3 oz. chunk of bacon
1/4 lb. small white onions, peeled
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp. tomato paste
1 cup red wine
1 cup beef stock
4-6 oz. button mushrooms, cleaned and halved
Garnish:
chopped Italian parsley leaves
Method:
1) Cut meat into 2 inch squares or cubes.
2) Heat 2 tbsp. oil in large skillet. Brown meat quickly and set aside.
3) Cut bacon into 1/2 inch ╥lardons╙. Blanch to remove flavor of smoke. In a separate saucepan, saute bacon and onions together until onions are cooked and browned. Set onions and bacon aside, in separate bowls.
4) In skillet where meat was browned, saute garlic for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and meat. Add wine, stock and lardons and bring to a simmer. Cover stew with wax paper. Place cover on the skillet and simmer for about 2 hours or until meat is tender. (This can also be cooked in the oven at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 2 hours.)
5) While meat is cooking, saute mushrooms in a little oil.
6) During the last 15 minutes of cooking, add onions and mushrooms to stew.
7) Add salt and pepper as desired. If stew is too thin, add approximately 1 tsp. of beurre manie to thicken. (A beurre manie is a classic method of thickening stew. Blend together equal amounts of butter and flour to make a paste.)
8) Turn stew into a decorative bowl, garnish with parsley and serve hot.
TIPS
Tip 1:
Remember to blanch lardons to remove some of the smoky flavor. The French have non-smoked bacon which is difficult to find in North America. To blanch, place lardons in a pot with cold water, bring to a boil and simmer for about 3 minutes. Drain and rinse.
Tip 2:
To peel a clove of garlic, lay it on a cutting board. Put flat of a knife over garlic and whack knife with the heel of your hand. The skin of the garlic should slip right off.
Tip 3:
When a piece of paper (wax or parchment) is placed over stew before cover goes on skillet, the French term used is ╥cartouche╙. This is done to prevent pieces of meat sticking above liquid from drying out.
SHOPPING AND UTENSIL LIST
Store Purchases:
Stewing beef, bacon, small white onions, garlic, tomato paste, beef stock, button mushrooms, Italian parsley leaves.
French Pantry Shelf:
Corn oil.
Utensils:
Chefs knife, large skillet, large metal spoon, paring knife, measuring spoons, measuring cup, cutting board, large decorative bowl for serving.
CE. Roast Chicken
INTRODUCTION
In France, they say you can judge the quality of a cook or a restaurant by its roast chicken. It may not require years of training to cook a succulent, buttery, browned chicken but some easy techniques can help you achieve this goal. Once the chicken is cooked, cover with aluminum foil and allow it to sit for 20 minutes to allow the juices to flow back into the bird. Boiled potatoes and green beans or peas are a good accompaniment.
PREPARATION
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
1 roasting chicken weighing about 3 lbs.
2 tbsp. butter
2-3 sprigs herbs such as rosemary or tarragon
2 cups chicken stock
Method:
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2) Place herbs in cavity of bird. Truss chicken. Rub chicken with 1 tbsp. butter. Place chicken in a roasting pan and cover breast with aluminum foil. Add 1 cup chicken stock.
3) Place chicken in oven for 10-15 minutes then remove aluminium foil. Roast chicken for another 45 minutes or until chicken juices run clear.
4) Remove chicken from roasting pan and cover with foil. Let sit while you make sauce. Add remaining stock to roasting pan and scrape up bits of chicken from bottom. Add salt and pepper and 1 tbsp. of butter (if desired) and simmer for a few minutes until desired thickness and taste.
5) Joint chicken, quarter or halve depending on size of chicken. Place on serving plate and glaze with sauce. Serve immediately.
TIPS
Tip 1:
To joint a chicken for serving, start with legs. Remove legs by cutting down into joint. Once they are removed, separate leg and thigh. Remove wing tips. Start a cut half-way down breast and cut down into joint to cut off part of breast and wing. Once wings are removed, use scissors to remove breast and cut into two pieces. You should have 8 pieces in all.
Tip 2:
To make sauce, deglaze roasting pan where chicken was cooked. Deglaze by placing pan over hot burner and adding liquid such as chicken stock or wine. When liquid boils, scrape all burned and browned bits from bottom of the pan. Add salt and pepper and a little butter and continue to boil until desired thickness is achieved. This will make a small amount of sauce.
En papillote means cooking in paper. Parchment paper is an oiled paper and is usually found in rolls like wax paper. It can be found in most cookery shops and grocery stores. If parchment cannot be found, then use aluminum foil.
PREPARATION
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
6pcs 5 ounce fillets of salmon, skin and bones removed
1 1╙ piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 large shallot, peeled and finely chopped
2 tbsp. softened butter
salt/pepper
2 limes, one squeezed for juice and the other cut into 12 thin slices
1/3 cup white wine or vermouth
6 small sprigs of dill
6 sheets of parchment paper, approximately 12╙ by 18╙
Method:
1) Cut parchment into heart shaped discs. Lay open on counter.
2) Place a piece of salmon onto the right side of heart, then spread on 1/6 chopped ginger, shallots, butter, salt, pepper, two lime slices and one sprig of dill. Pour a little of the lime juice and white wine over salmon.
3) Starting at top of the heart, seal packet by folding around edge of heart. Place onto a large oven tray. Repeat for the other 5 fillets of salmon.
4) Heat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
5) When oven is ready, place tray in oven and cook for about 5-7 minutes. Remove from oven, check to see if salmon is cooked. Do not overcook. Remove each fillet from paper, pour the little bit of sauce over salmon and serve.
TIPS
Tip 1:
Remember when using papillotes that they are similar to small pressure cookers so require some liquid in them to create steam. In this recipe we use lime juice and a little wine.
Tip 2:
To chop a shallot, peel it first. Cut lengthwise through root. Lay one-half flat on cutting board and cut 3-4 cuts into root. Then slice with a chef╒s knife crosswise to create an evenly chopped shallot.
Tip 3:
To chop fresh ginger, first peel it. Chop crosswise into coin size pieces. Then hold front end of the chef╒s knife down and chop ginger until fine pieces.
SHOPPING AND UTENSIL LIST
Store Purchases:
Salmon, ginger, shallot, limes, dill.
French Pantry Shelf:
Butter, salt and pepper, white wine/vermouth.
Utensils:
Parchment paper, chef╒s knife and baking sheet.
CG. Broccoli with Cheese Sauce
INTRODUCTION
The French take their vegetables very seriously. Cooked green vegetables should retain their bright color, fresh taste and flavor. Broccoli is a very popular vegetable and is delicious served with a Mornay Sauce (cheese sauce).
PREPARATION
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
1 head broccoli, cut into flowerets
1 tbsp. salt
2 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. flour
2 cups milk
salt/pepper
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
Method:
1) Peel thin green skin off broccoli stalks.
2) Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt and broccoli flowerets. Bring back to a boil and boil for about 3 minutes. Drain.
3) In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Remove from heat and add flour. Stir until smooth. Add milk and stir until all lumps are removed. Place back on heat and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 5 minutes.
4) Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and add cheddar cheese. Stir until smooth.
5) To serve, place broccoli in an oven proof dish and drizzle with cheese sauce. Place under broiler for about 1 minute or until top is lightly browned.
TIPS
Tip 1:
To peel broccoli, be sure to have a very sharp peeler so that only a thin layer is removed from the vegetable.
Tip 2:
It is important to use a large pot of water so when the vegetable is added, the water comes back to a boil as quickly as possible.
Tip 3:
If Mornay Sauce is too thin, simmer sauce for a few extra minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon until desired consistency is achieved. If sauce is to thick, thin it with milk.
SHOPPING AND UTENSIL LIST
Store Purchases:
Broccoli, milk, cheddar cheese.
French Pantry Shelf:
Salt and pepper, butter, flour.
Utensils:
Vegetable peeler, large saucepan, small saucepan, strainer, wooden spoon, grater, measuring cup and spoons.
CH. Caramelized Custard (Creme Brulee)
INTRODUCTION
Although Creme Brulee originated in England at Christ╒s College in Cambridge, this custard is quintessentially French and should be fundamental to anyone╒s French repertoire. Vanilla is the classic flavoring for Creme Brulee but many other versions using ginger, orange and pumpkin are now used. Brulee the top by placing under a broiler. An easier and more effective method is to use a blow torch to caramelize the sugar.
PREPARATION
Serves: 8
Ingredients:
3 cups whipping cream
1 vanilla bean
7 egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Garnish:
Sugar
Method:
1) Put cream in heavy-bottomed saucepan. Split vanilla bean and scrape out seeds. Add seeds and bean to cream.
2) Scald cream.
3) Beat the egg yolks with sugar until thick and light yellow in color. Slowly pour milk into yolk mixture, mixing well.
4) Pour the whole mixture back into a double boiler, put back on stove over low heat and cook until mixture coats back of spoon, about 5-10 minutes.
5) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Fill small ramekins with mixture, place in a bain marie (roasting pan with hot water from tap half-way up sides of ramekins) and put into preheated oven for 15 minutes.
6) Remove the ramekins from oven and bain marie, cool and place in refrigerator. A small crust will form on top. These are best made 1 day ahead.
7) To serve, liberally sprinkle tops of brulees with granulated sugar. Light a blow torch and brown tops of the brulees. Serve immediately.
TIPS
Tip 1:
To remove seeds from vanilla beans, use a sharp knife and split bean lengthwise half-way through. Scrape the knife along bean from top to bottom. The seeds are tiny and will stick together. Once beans have been used, wash them well and dry. Keep them because they still have a lot of flavor. They can be used to make vanilla sugar by inserting them in a container of sugar.
Tip 2:
A double boiler can be created by placing a metal or glass bowl over a small pot of boiling water. No need to buy one.
Tip 3:
To brulee, liberally sprinkle granulated sugar over top of the custard. Tip the blow torch so that the hottest area in the flame touches the sugar. The heat from the torch will ╥burn╙ sugar. Turn ramekin carefully to make sure whole top is bruleed. Let sit for about 5 minutes to cool and allow brulee to harden. Be careful not to leave finished creme brulee too long as the hardened brulee will begin to soften.
A souffle is a sauce containing such flavorings as cheese, leek or chocolate into which beaten egg whites are incorporated. This mixture is turned into a mold and baked until it puffs up and the top browns. The lightness of a souffle depends on how voluminously the whites have been beaten and how lightly they are turned into the base. A souffle should be eaten immediately once removed from the oven - so have your guests at the table.
PREPARATION
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
1 tbsp. melted butter
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
3 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
4 egg yolks
salt/pepper
5 egg whites
Method:
1) Heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare souffle dish by brushing with butter and coating with dried bread crumbs.
2) Melt butter in saucepan. Remove from heat and add flour. Stir until well blended. Add milk and again stir until lumps are all removed.
3) Place over medium heat and simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add cheese, egg yolks, salt and pepper.
4) Place egg whites in a copper bowl. With a balloon whisk, whisk egg whites until they reach soft peaks. Stir about 1/4 of the whites into the base to lighten it. With a spatula, gently fold remaining whites into the base. Be careful not to over fold.
5) Turn souffle into prepared mold. Set on middle rack of oven. Cook for about 15 minutes. The souffle should be cooked on the outside but slightly soft in the centre. Serve immediately.
TIPS
Tip 1:
The egg whites should be clean of any yolk. Ensure that your bowl is free of water or grease.
Tip 2:
The egg whites should be at room temperature.
Tip 3:
A copper bowl will allow whites to beat higher and remain more stable. If you do not have a copper bowl use a pinch of cream of tartar.
Tart Tatin was made famous by two Tatin sisters from the French village of Lamotte-Beuvron. Classic Tatin is made with apples but this is a pear-filled version and is, very simply, caramelized pears with a thin layer of pastry. Once the dessert is cooked, it is inverted onto a cake plate and served hot with vanilla ice cream. An eight-inch Pyrex plate can be used for baking unless you are lucky enough to have a copper Tartin Tatin dish (to be found in small cookery shops in Paris.)
PREPARATION
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients:
Pastry:
6 oz. cake and pastry flour
4 oz. butter (or 3 oz. butter and 1 oz. lard)
1 tsp. fine sugar
1 egg yolk
3-4 tbsp. cold water
Pear Tart:
6 tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
7 firm Bartlett pears, peeled, cored and quartered
Garnish:
Vanilla ice-cream
Method:
Pastry
1) Sift flour with a pinch of salt. Add butter and cut into flour with a pastry cutter or knives. When cut into small pea-size pieces, use fingers to rub the butter into the flour until mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. Do not overwork. Stir in sugar.
2) Mix yolk and water together. Tip onto flour, mixing quickly to form a dough. Turn onto a floured board and knead briefly until smooth. Wrap in wax paper and put into plastic bag and chill for 15-20 minutes before rolling.
3) With a rolling pin, roll pastry to fit an 8╙ pie plate. Cut to fit inside of plate. Place dough on a cookie sheet and put into refrigerator for 15-20 minutes.
Pear Tart
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2) Melt butter and sugar in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add pears and stir occasionally so the pears do not stick, about 10 minutes. Increase heat to high and cook pears to a golden brown, about 10 minutes. Stir to keep pears from sticking.
3) Turn the cooked pears into an 8 inch pie plate and cool. Place the pastry over the pears, tucking edges of pastry down into dish.
4) Bake for about 40 minutes or until pastry is browned. Remove from oven and invert onto a flat serving platter. Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream.
TIPS
PASTRY
Tip 1:
Remember to keep all ingredients for pastry cold. Also, pastry needs to rest for 20 minutes in the refrigerator after each handling.
Tip 2:
To roll pastry, place on counter and pat down carefully with rolling pin. Flour counter surface and rolling pin lightly. Roll pastry only in one direction and quarter turn after each roll. This is to ensure pastry does not stick while rolling.
PEAR TART
Tip 1:
Make sure pears are well caramelized or the dessert will taste sweet.
Tip 2:
To turn out dessert, place platter over pie plate and invert, always tipping away from you. Remove pie plate.
SHOPPING AND UTENSIL LIST
Store Purchases:
Eggs, Bartlett pears, Vanilla ice-cream.
French Pantry Shelf:
Cake and pastry flour, butter, fine sugar, unsalted butter, granulated sugar.
Utensils:
Large bowl, pastry cutter, knife, small bowl, fork, rolling pin, large skillet, wooden spoon, measuring cups, weigh scale, pie plate, flat cake plate.
