Goat’s Cheese Soufflés and Twice-Baked Soufflés…. Yes, you can prep them ahead!

As I have been teaching Soufflés classes at La Cuisine Paris for quite some times now, I talked a lot about a recipe we used to do at Travers Smith for the Partner’s buffet.

They liked the Soufflés but as you know, Soufflés is anything but a buffet dish as it has to be served as soon as it is cooked!

They found a solution to that matter indeed…. Here it is: the Twice-Baked Soufflés.

Of course you loose part of the puffiness of the Soufflés but you can still enjoy a moment of lightness which is not so bad when you add the cream to it!

The best part of that recipe is the fact that at last we found a way to prep Soufflés ahead!

Ingredients for the Béchamel / Mornay Sauce:

• 60g of butter
• 60g of plain flour
• 350 ml of whole milk hot or at room temperature
• salt & pepper
• nutmeg
• 75g of fresh goat’s cheese, mashed (the Béchamel becomes a Mornay sauce or Cheese sauce)
• 1 tbsp of freshly gratted Parmesan

Ingredients for the Soufflés:

• Mornay/Cheese Sauce
• 2 tbsp of freshly chopped herbs (parsley, chives, chervil…)
• 3 egg yolks
• 4 egg whites

Ingredients for the Twice-Baked Soufflés:

• 2 cups of cream

Method for the Béchamel/Cheese Sauce :

In a large deep pan, melt the butter and add all the flour at the same time when the butter starts to boil.

Using a whisk, cook the “roux” for 2 minutes in order to get rid of the taste of the flour. You obtain a thick paste getting a color slightly brown.

Gradually add the milk (hot or at least at room temperature to avoid the lumps) to the “roux”.

Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

It will be hard in the beginning and you will work on a thick paste but as you add the milk, the Béchamel will get a nice silky look and get more and more liquid depending on the consistency you are looking for.

Bring the Béchamel to a boil at least 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly. Adjust the seasoning and reserve until needed. (cover with cling film in contact if you do not use it soon enough otherwise, a crust will appear at the surface.

Add the fresh goat’s cheese (mashed) and the grated Parmesan to your Béchamel, it will then becomes a cheese sauce called Mornay sauce in French. Incorporate it to the Béchamel and stir until the cheese is fully melted.

Allow to cool for a few minutes.

Method for the Soufflés:

While the Cheese Sauce is resting, preheat your oven to 180°C.

Melt 20 g of butter in a pan and grease 6 soufflé dishes, using a brush from bottom to the top to help the rising of the soufflé. Sprinkle with flour and remove any excess. Keep the ramequins in the fridge.

Fold the yolks in thoroughly and taste for seasoning, also add the freshly chopped herbs.

Whip the egg whites to stiff peaks with a pinch of salt.

Fold one third of the egg whites into the mixture to slacken it and then fold in the rest gently to keep the the air.

Divide the mixture between the prepared ramequins and stop 1 inch from the top as it will rise a lot. Smooth the surface of each and pass your thumb on the edges to get rid of any excess of mixture.

Bake for about 20 minutes until well puffed and firm to the touch.

Serve them straight ahead with a great green salad on the side.

Method for the Twice-Baked Soufflés:

Preheat your oven to 180°C.

Let the soufflés rest for a few minutes, the will get flat but will be easy to get out of the molds.

Simply invert them onto a gratin dish keeping space in between each soufflés or in Crème Brûlée dishes if you want to serve them individually.

Pour over 1/3 cup of cream on each soufflé to moisten them thoroughly, season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.

The soufflés will-look swollen and golden. Serve them in the small dish or in the gratin dish with a generous green salad.

 

Grilled Vegetables Salad with Almonds and Goat’s Cheese

Once again, I write about grilled vegetables salad…. Yes indeed, I love to prepare them especially when the cold weather invade our day lives….

As I am fond of salads, when it comes to cold days, I need them to help me get through the whole days and grilled vegetables salad are among the good choices!

Add some fresh goat’s cheese and slivered almonds for the texture and you’ll get a gorgeous salad on your table….

Ingredients:

• 8 carrots peeled and cut lengthways (about 5cm)
• 3 red onions cut into wedges (6-8 depending on their size)
• 1/2 tsp of cumin seeds
• olive oil
• 2 cooked beetroots cut into cubes or wedges (6-8)
• 1 fresh goat’s cheese (such as Petit Billy about 150g) roughly crumbled
• 2 handful of flat leaf parsley roughly chopped
• 1 handful of slivered almonds
• 1tsp of butter

Ingredients for the dressing:

• 2 tsp of reduced balsamic vinegar or pomegranate molasse
• 1 tbsp of olive oil
• salt & pepper

Method:

In a frying pan, melt the butter and add the almonds. Cook them until they are slightly brown. They will also release a nice nutty smell. Let them cool down on the side.

On roasting trays, spread the carrots and red onions, drizzle with olive oil, cumin seeds, salt and pepper and grill at 200-220°C.

In a large salad bowl or serving plate, layer the carrots add the red onions then the beetroot. Drizzle with reduced balsamic vinegar or pomegranate molasse, olive oil, salt and pepper from time to time. Add some parsley as well.

Add the goat’s cheese crumbles and slivered almonds on top.

Decorate with the parsley to bring a nice touch of green to your dish.

Serve it straight away.

Salade de Légumes Grillés, Fromage de Chèvre et Amandes

Ingrédients:

• 8 carottes pelées et coupées en bâtonnets de 5 cm
• 3 oignons rouges coupés en quartiers
• 1 cc de graines de cumin
• sel et poivre
• huile d’olive
• 2 petites betteraves cuites coupées en 6-8 quartiers
• 1 chèvre frais (type Petit Billy environ 150g)
• 1 belle poignée de persil plat grossièrement emincé
• 1 poignée d’amandes effilées
• 1 noisette de beurre

Ingrédients pour l’assaisonnement:

• vinaigre balsamique réduit ou molasse de grenade
• huile d’olive
• sel & poivre

Méthode:

Une fois les carottes et oignons préparés, disposez-les sur des plaques et assaisonnez d’huile d’olive, cumin, sel et poivre. Faites les griller à 200-220°C.

Faites fondre le beurre dans une petite poêle et torréfiez les amandes jusqu’à ce qu’elles prennent une jolie couleur dorée et produisent une agréable odeur noisette, coupez le feu et réservez.

Emiettez grossièrement le chèvre dans un bol.

Dans une large assiette de service ou un saladier, disposez les carottes et les oignons grillés, assaisonnez de vinaigre ou de molasse de grenade, huile d’olive, persil, sel et poivre. Ajoutez les betteraves et assaisonnez de nouveau. Finissez avec le chèvre et les amandes. Parsemez de feuilles de persil plat.

Servez immédiatement.

Hollandaise Sauce: another basic worth knowing

Among the favorite Sauces that my family ask for when I come to cook for them, the Hollandaise is in the top 3.

Yes indeed, it is a perfect match for fish and they do love fish when they do not eat beef!

As I spent a few days in Groix this Summer, I was lucky enough to be there for my cousin birthday. They had been fishing all time long and brought back a crazy amount of Soles.

They did not ask me to fillet them but they wanted a good sauce rather than a simple squeeze of lemon on top.

So I did an Hollandaise!

Ingredients:

• 2 egg yolks
• 10 ml of water
• 125g of butter (clarified if possible)
• a squeeze of lemon
• salt and pepper

Method:

In a bain-marie or in a heavy bottom pan on low heat, whisk together the egg yolks and water until it gets foamy and start to thicken. You are making a zabaglione by slowly cooking and whisking the egg yolks. Stop whisking once the zabaglione is thick enough which means that you can see the bottom of the pan for a few seconds when you whisk.

Get off the heat and keep on whisking then add little by little the butter and keep on whisking. Either pour the butter melted or add it cut in pieces and let it melt while whisking.

The Hollandaise is homogenous and has a thick but liquid consistency.

Add the lemon juice, salt and pepper. You can even add the lemon zest if you want to have a strong lemon flavor.

Adjust the seasoning and serve it straight away or keep it in a bain-marie before serving.

Little tip: If you want to serve it later and the sauce splits, put it back on the heat and whisk again. Add a cube of ice, it will help to bring back together the sauce.

Sauce Hollandaise

Ingrédients:

• 10ml d’eau
• 125 g de beurre
• 1 citron jaune
• 2 jaunes d’oeufs
• Sel et Poivre

Méthode:

Dans une casserole à fond épais ou dans un bain-marie,  mélangez les jaunes d’oeufs et l’eau. Faites les cuire à feu doux en fouettant continuellement. Vous êtes en train de préparer un sabayon.

Continuez à fouetter jusqu’à ce que vous puissiez voir le fond de la casserole. Le sabayon est prêt lorsqu’il est épais et aéré, continuez de fouetter hors du feu et incorporez le beurre (clarifié, fondu ou en cubes) petit à petit.

Assaisonnez de sel, poivre et d’un jus de citron. Si vous voulez accentuer le goût, vous pouvez ajouter le zest du citron.

Servez la sauce ou réservez-la au bain-marie jusqu’à son utilisation.

Astuce: si la sauce se dissocie, fouettez-la à feu doux et ajoutez un glaçon pour qu’elle redevienne homogène.

Fruits and Frangipane Tartlets

Yes indeed, it’s only 5pm and the sky is dark and you still have a few hours to keep yourself busy at home because you do not even think about going out in the rainy and windy streets even for shopping….

If you happen to have a cupboard full of pastry ingredients and some fruits in a basket or in the freezer, here is a recipe that will keep you busy long enough!

On the pictures, you’ll see some variations but also some ideas to present them: whip some cream and fold caramelized nuts in it, serve with a small vodka glass filled with custard or with a spoon of ice-cream for example.

Apple and Frangipane Tart

Fig and Frangipane Tartlet with Caramelized Slivered Almond Whipped Cream

INGREDIENTS FOR THE SWEET PASTRY DOUGH (Makes 1 large tart or 8 individuals)*

• 250g of flour
• 5g of salt
• 100g of icing sugar
• 125g of butter cold and diced
• 1 egg whisked
• Plain flour to roll out the dough
• Iced water if necessary

*To make your pastry more original, you can add spices or flavor to it. For example, I add a tbsp of poppy seeds, a grated lemon zest, a tsp of ginger, cinnamon or sometimes I put only 180g of flour and 70g of almond powder. It will make the difference….!

METHOD**

By hand: Place the flour, icing sugar, salt and cold diced butter in a bowl and start bringing the ingredients together until they form a light bread crumb consistency.  Now, add the egg and combine completely. Add a little water if the dough is to dry. Form a ball with the pastry and wrap it in cling film. Let it rest in the fridge for at least half an hour.  This freezes beautifully.

With a Magimix: Sift the flour, salt and icing sugar into the bowl of a food processor and add the cold diced butter.  Pulse until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.  Whisk the egg and add to the pastry mixture and stir well to bring together, adding a little more iced water if necessary.  Bring the pastry together into a flat disc, wrap it with cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes before rolling out.

Once the pastry is firm enough to roll out, sift a little flour on a clean surface and on your rolling pin and start rolling out your dough until it is 3-4mm thick. As the dough is very fragile, you can either fold it from the center into 4 like a “crepe” or roll it gently on your rolling pin and unroll it on top of the pastry case.

Once it is on top of your pastry case, press gently towards the bottom of the case so that the dough perfectly fits to the pastry case. Remove the excess of dough using a sharp knife around the edges of the case or simply roll once the rolling pin on top of the case. The excess will fall in a very clean way.

In a preheated oven (200°) bake the pastry case blind for 10-15 minutes until it gets a nice golden color. The dough is cooked but still need to cook longer as you will add the almond cream. Remove and let it cool down on a rack or fill it straight away.

** As usual, if you are in a hurry, you can use a ready to roll sweet pastry, it will save you a little time. You’ll just have to go straight to the baking instruction.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE ALMOND CREAM:

• 150g of butter at room temperature
• 150g of sugar
• 150g of ground almond
• 150g of eggs (about 3 medium eggs)
• optional flavor: 1tbsp of rose water or orange blossom water, seeds of a vanilla pod, 1 tbsp of rum, 1 lemon zest, 1 tbsp of pistachio paste…

METHOD FOR THE ALMOND CREAM:

In a bowl, whisk together the butter and sugar until it gets white, creamy and fluffy.

Add the ground almonds then the eggs. You will obtain a thick and smooth paste.

You can use it straight away or keep it refrigerated up to 3 days in an airtight container or with clingfilm in contact.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE TART OR TARTLETS:

Fresh seasonal fruits:

• figs cut into 4 base still attached
• sliced pears or apples
• apricots cut in halved
• peaches or nectarines quartered
• cherries stoned and halved
• red fruits whole or sliced into 2 for strawberries
• prunes stoned and halved

METHOD FOR TART OR TARTLETS:

Spoon the almond cream in the tart shell until it reaches half its height.

Press the fruits in it so that it looks nice.

Bake in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes until the almond cream gets a nice golden brown color and a knife comes out clean when inserted inside.

 

Red Berries Tartlets
  Fig and Frangipane Tartlet with Caramelized Slivered Almond Whipped Cream

  Apple and Frangipane Tart

Cauliflower Gratin…. Autumn is in the air! Let’s focus on the Bechamel technique

Yes indeed…. Temperatures are dropping down, we are looking for scarves, gloves and comforting food of course!

As I am traveling every week-end to the countryside, I am on a family mood cooking. Earthy dishes for the younger and the older….

Cauliflower gratin is part of those dishes. Because it contains veggies, it is considered as an healthy dish and because it is covered with cheese sauce, it is appreciated by the kids as well as the grown-ups.

It’s also an opportunity to get back to the basics and focus on the White sauce called Béchamel in France and also on the fact that once you add cheese in it, it becomes a cheese sauce that is called Mornay sauce in French.

Ingredients for the Béchamel / Mornay Sauce:

• 75g of butter
• 75g of plain flour
• 1 l of whole milk
• salt & pepper
• nutmeg
• a generous handful of grated cheese such as Emmenthal or mild Cheddar (the Béchamel becomes a Mornay sauce or Cheese sauce)

Ingredients for the Cauliflower Gratin:

• Béchamel or Mornay sauce
• A cauliflower, cut into florets

Method for the Béchamel :

In a large deep pan, melt the butter and add all the flour at the same time when the butter starts to boil.

Using a whisk, cook the “roux” for 2 minutes in order to get rid of the taste of the flour. You obtain a thick paste getting a color slightly brown.

Gradually add the milk (hot or at least at room temperature to avoid the lumps) to the “roux”.

Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

It will be hard in the beginning and you will work on a thick paste but as you add the milk, the Béchamel will get a nice silky look and get more and more liquid depending on the consistency you are looking for.

Bring the Béchamel to a boil at least 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly. Adjust the seasoning and reserve until needed. (cover with cling film in contact if you do not use it soon enough otherwise, a crust will appear at the surface.

Method for the Cauliflower Gratin:

You can add grated cheese to your Béchamel, it will then becomes a cheese sauce called Mornay sauce in French. Use freshly grated Emmenthal, Mild Cheddar or Parmesan for example. Incorporate it to the Béchamel and stir until the cheese is fully melted.

Bring to a boil a large pan filled with water. Add some salt and boil the cauliflower until it is cooked.

The cauliflower is cooked when you can pierce it with a knife without any resistance.

Pass it through a colander. You can use it straight away if your Béchamel or Mornay sauce is ready.

Preheat your oven to 200°C (350°F).

In a gratin dish, spread a generous serving spoon of Mornay sauce on the bottom of the dish so that the cauliflower lay on a moist base.

Spread the cauliflower on top and cover with the Mornay sauce.

The cauliflower has to be coated with the sauce.

Bake it in the oven until it gets a nice golden brown color on top.

Serve it hot with meat, fish, green salad or cold meat.

 Gratin de Chou-Fleur / Sauce Béchamel-Mornay

Ingrédients pour la Sauce Béchamel / Mornay:

• 75g de beurre
• 75g de farine
• 1 l de lait entier porté à ébullition ou à température ambiante
• sel et poivre
• 1 pincée de noix de muscade
• 1 bonne poignée de fromage râpé tel que du Gruyère, du Cheddar ou du Parmesan

Ingrédients pour le Gratin de Chou-Fleur:

• Sauce Béchamel ou Mornay
• Un chou-fleur détaillé en bouquets de tailles moyennes

Méthode pour la Sauce Béchamel :

Dans une casserole à hauts bords et assez large, faites fondre le beurre puis une fois que celui-ci est bien chaud, ajoutez toute la farine d’un seul coup.

A l’aide d’un fouet, travaillez le « roux » et portez-le à ébullition 1 à 2 minutes pour ne pas garder un arrière-gout de farine. Le roux doit prendre une jolie couleur dorée-brune.

Commencez à incorporer le lait (chaud ou à température ambiante pour éviter le développement de grumeaux). Le roux va s’épaissir et prendre un aspect pâteux, continuez à incorporer doucement le lait et à le travailler au fouet pour que le lait s’intègre au roux.

Petit à petit, la préparation va se détendre et prendre un aspect uniforme. Plus vous ajouterez du lait, plus la Béchamel sera liquide. Ajoutez plus ou moins de lait selon la consistance désirée. Pour le gratin, il faut que la Béchamel soit suffisamment liquide pour bien couvrir le chou-fleur.

Assaisonnez de sel, poivre et noix de muscade. Si vous ajoutez du fromage après, réduisez la quantité de sel.

Portez la Béchamel a ébullition 3 à 4 minutes en remuant constamment.

Gardez de côté jusqu’à utilisation. Couvrez de film transparent à contact si elle ne doit pas être utilisée dans l’heure sinon, une croûte se formera à la surface.

Méthode pour le Gratin de Chou-Fleur:

Si vous le souhaitez, vous pouvez ajoutez du fromage à la Béchamel pour en faire une Sauce Mornay. Tant que la Béchamel est chaude, incorporez-le jusqu’à ce qu’il ait totalement fondu.

Faites cuire le chou-fleur dans une grande casserole d’eau bouillante et salée. Le chou-fleur est cuit lorsque vous pouvez le percer avec un couteau sans résistance.

Egouttez-les et garder les de côté jusqu’au moment de l’assemblage.

Préchauffez votre four à 200 °C.

Si votre Sauce est prête, versez une généreuse cuillère de service au fond d’un plat a gratin.

Versez le chou-fleur sur cette Sauce et recouvrez avec le reste de la sauce. Le chou-fleur doit être bien enrobé de sauce et uniformément réparti dans le plat.

Faites cuire le gratin au four 15-20 minutes, jusqu’à ce que le gratin prenne une jolie coloration brune en surface.

Servez tout de suite avec une bonne salade verte ou en accompagnement d’une viande, d’un poisson.

Fudge Brownie Recipe: Back to the basics….

Fudge Brownie belongs to those deserts that we all used to crave for as we were kids but still enjoy as grown-ups….

They are the perfect treat for kids for birthday parties, lunch box or travel.

Many variations exist but still the most common brownie is made of dark chocolate and walnuts.

Have fun if you want and use peanuts, macadamias, pecans or use white chocolate maybe. Add mini marshmallows or chocolate chips, salted caramel butter, mix the batter with cheesecake batter….

Thousands of combinations exist but here is mine and I like to stick to it as my relatives still enjoy it!

INGREDIENTS for 24 portions

• 300g Butter
• 350g Chocolate
• 550g Caster Sugar
• 3 Tsp Vanilla Essence
• 6 Eggs
• 350g Plain Flour
• 4 Tbs Cocoa Powder
• 200g Walnuts
• Pinch Salt

METHOD

Preheat your oven to 180°C.In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until it gets a nice white creamy consistency.Add the vanilla essence, flour and cocoa powder.In a double-boiler, melt butter and chocolate.

Mix it with the preparation. If you want nuts in your brownie, fold them in.
Line an 11” x 17” tin with parchment paper and pour in the chocolate mixture.
Put into the oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. The batter has to be baked but can still be slightly moist as it keeps on cooking when cooling down.

Once it is cool, use a bread knife and cut the edges.

Then cut the brownie into long stripes about 5 cm wide and cut them the other way to get nice squares or larger if you want rectangle shape.

The brownie freezes beautifully and can be kept in an airtight container for up to 3 days in a dry place or in the fridge.

INGREDIENTS for 24 portions

• 300g de beurre
• 350g de chocolat
• 550g de sucre
• 3 cc d’essence de vanille
• 6 oeufs
• 350g farine
• 4 cas cacao en poudre
• 200g de noix grossièrement concassées
• Une pincée de sel

METHODE

Préchauffez votre four à 180°C.

Dans un bol profond, fouettez les œufs et le sucre jusqu’à obtention d’un mélange lisse et aérien.

Ajoutez la vanille puis la farine et le cacao.

Faites fondre le chocolat et le beurre dans un bain-marie.

Incorporez le chocolat et le beurre au mélange puis ajoutez les noix concassées si vous souhaitez un Brownie aux noix.

Recouvrez de papier sulfurisé un moule rectangulaire de 40cm x 20 cm puis versez la préparation dessus.

Faites cuire 30 à 40 minutes jusqu’à ce que le Brownie soit cuit mais toujours moelleux au centre car il va continuer à cuire une fois sorti du four.

Laissez-le refroidir dehors puis découpez les pourtours du gâteau à l’aide d’un couteau à pain.

Détaillez ensuite le gâteau en carrés ou rectangle de taille moyenne.

Le Brownie se conserve très bien quelques jours dans une boite hermétique et peut aussi se congeler sans problème.

Haddock and Leek Fondue Crumble

Last Monday, I was looking for a nice place to have lunch with a friend I had not seen for years. As you know, many good places are closed on Monday to recover from the busy Saturdays and Sundays.

Convinced it would be closed too, I went on the website of the restaurant Le Petit Matieu. Luckily…. they are open on Mondays….

A friend of mine recommended the place because it is good, simple and warm but also because it has been opened by a former Gregoire Ferrandi student who runs the place by itself with another girl still learning in the same school.

There I was on Monday, the place was really busy, especially for a Monday and the Menu very simple…. 2 starters (Thin Tomato Tart or Cauliflower Soup), 2 mains (Veal “Blanquette” or Haddock and Leek Crumble), 1 dessert (Chocolate Chip Cookie) and at night, you have a A la Carte Menu with lots of products and wines from Corsica (the place the owner comes from)…

As I really don’t like the “Blanquette”, I choose the crumble even if the haddock is not my favorite fish…

Guess what, I loved it…. so much that I tried it during one of my Market Class.

We choose a great piece of smoked haddock at the Baudoyer Market, choose great leeks as well and used good white wine and cream of course….

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients for the Leek Fondue:

• 2 onions diced
• 6-8 leeks washed and thinly sliced, green part cut off
• 1 tbsp Butter
• 1 tbsp Cooking Olive Oil
• Salt and freshly Ground Pepper
• White Wine to deglaze (2 tbsp)
• Cream or Milk and Cream used to poach the haddock

Method:

In a pan, start to cook the onions with oil and butter until they get a nice golden color.

Add the seasoned leek .

Once the water is evaporated and the leeks start to soften, deglaze with white wine.

Let it reduce and add 1/2 cup of cream or the poaching liquid of the haddock.

Let it simmer for another 6-8 minutes, taste and rectify the seasoning.

Set aside.

Ingredients for the Crumble Mix:

• 200g of butter diced and cold
• 200g of flour
• 100-150g of young Parmesan finely grated
• Ground Pepper (no salt as Parmesan is salty already)
• 150g of Breadcrumbs (Chapelure) if you wish a crunchier texture
• Finely chopped aromatic herbs (optional)

Method:

By hand or on a low speed with your Kitchen Aid, mix together all the ingredients until you obtain a crumbly mix ready to spread on top of your dish, keep in the fridge.

Ingredients for the Haddock:

• 1.5kg of Smoked Haddock
• 1l of cream
• 1l of milk
• a bay leave

Method:

Pour the haddock in a large pan and cover with milk and cream, add a bay leave.

Bring the mix to a boil and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Set aside and let it cool down.

Remove the haddock from the pan and start to tear apart the flesh, get rid of the skin and bones.

In a gratin dish, spread a layer of leek, add the haddock flakes on top and repeat the process until you have reach 1/2 to 2/3 of the dish.

Spread the crumble on top and cook in the oven 20-30 min at 200° C (about 350°F).

The crumble is ready when the surface is golden brown and the crumble mix crunchy and soft at the same time but not raw in the middle.

Serve it with a generous salad and white wine.

Crumble Haddock-Fondue de Poireaux

 

Ingrédients pour la Fondue de Poireaux:

• 2 oignons émincés
• 6-8 poireaux lavés et émincés
• 1 cas de beurre
• 1 cas d’huile d’olive
• Sel et Poivre du Moulin
• 2 cas de vin blanc pour déglacer
• De la crème liquide ou le liquide de pochage du haddock

Méthode:

Dans une grande poêle à fond épais, faites revenir les oignons dans de l’huile et du beurre jusqu’à ce qu’ils deviennent translucides et prennent une jolie couleur dorée.

Ajoutez les poireaux émincés et laisser les réduire jusqu’à évaporation de l’eau qu’ils contiennent.

Lorsque les poireaux sont tendres et commencent à dorer, déglacez au vin blanc puis ajoutez 10 cl de crème ou de liquide de pochage.

Faites réduire, ajustez l’assaisonnement et gardez de côté.

Ingrédients pour le Crumble:

• 200g de beurre froid et coupé en dés
• 200g de farine
• 100-150g de Parmesan râpé
• Poivre du Moulin (pas de Sel car le Parmesan est déjà très sale)
• 150g de Chapelure pour donner une texture plus croustillante
• Des herbes aromatiques finement émincées

Méthode:

Dans le bol de votre Kitchen Aid ou dans un grand saladier et à la main, mixez tous les ingrédients ensemble (à vitesse moyenne au Kitchen Aid) jusqu’à obtention d’une pâte friable.

Gardez-la au réfrigérateur jusqu’à utilisation.

 

Ingrédients pour le Haddock:

• 1.5kg de Haddock fume
• 1l de crème liquide
• 1l de lait entier
• 1 feuille de laurier

Méthode:

Placez le haddock dans une grande casserole remplie de crème et de lait. Ajoutez le laurier et porter à ébullition. Laissez frémir 4-5 minutes et laissez reposer.

Une fois refroidi, émiettez le haddock et jetez les arêtes et la peau.

Commencez le montage du crumble et préchauffez votre four à 180-200° C.

Dans un grand plat à gratin, étalez une généreuse couche de poireaux puis recouvrez de haddock et de nouveau de poireaux. Si le mix est un peu sec, ajoutez un peu de liquide de pochage.

Finissez en parsemant la surface d’une généreuse couche de crumble.

Faites cuire 20-30 minutes. Le crumble est prêt lorsque la surface a pris une jolie coloration dorée et que le crumble est cuit et croustillant. Il ne doit pas rester cru.

Servez tout de suite avec une généreuse salade verte bien assaisonnée.

 

 

 

Frenchie to Go…. simply yummy!

The Frenchie saga seems to be never ending and since I came back to France, I have been trying to go to any of there places without success! Lack of organization or place overcrowded!

Today, I got organized and told my friend Charles to be there at 12.20 to be sure to get a seat.

People don’t have lunch too early in this area…. arriving at 12.20 is almost like coming for breakfast!

The place is small but nice, simple but comfortable. High iron and wooden stools, same for the table. Open windows and very large kitchen with a good and silent extraction…. which means you do not smell like a fried sandwich when you leave the place!

As the menu is short and simple, we made-up our choice pretty quickly…. a Reuben’s sandwich and a Lobster roll to start and a Cheesecake to share with our coffee!

It was simply delicious….

The Lobster roll is in a very soft grilled brioche bun, the lobster (from Brittany) is perfectly cooked and dressed in a delicious butter sauce with celery. Of course, 22 euros is pretty expensive for a sandwich but it’s worth the price if it does not become your everyday habit.

The Reuben’s sandwich was great too but very different. Closer to the street food that you expect when you go to Frenchie to Go.

The beetroot coleslaw is fresh and well dressed, the bread is well grilled and crispy and you have a lot of Pastrami, Bacon and Cheddar. Maybe the bacon was a bit too smoky for me and overpowered the Pastrami but in the end, we were both happy and satisfied.

Was the Cheesecake the best part? I really don’t know but it was a delight for sure. Made with Brillat Savarin, Figs and Walnuts, it was really creamy with a citrus hint (orange zest?). The portion was not too big, just the perfect side to share with a coffee. The strawberry puree on top was a perfect balance as well and you know when you taste it that it’s an homemade puree.

Of course, you also have lots of other treats and options but those were the one we choose and they made us happy.

Take the time to give it a try…. it’s really worth it and the service is fast, professional.  Also, unlike many places in Paris, the waiters and waitresses are genuinely smiling!

Also, we did not try them but they have a great range of Beers.

Frenchie to Go

5-6 rue du Nil

Paris 2eme

Metro: Sentier

Grilled Tamari Marinated Beef with a Chimichurri Sauce

When I was working at Travers Smith, one of my chef’s signature dish was Peter Gordon’s Beef Pesto. This is an amazing recipe indeed and very easy. Not a last minute one though as you have to marinate the beef up to 1 week!

You can serve that beef with Pesto for example but I tried it with a Chimichurri sauce and it was really great as well.

The Chimichurri sauce is usually served on the side of the grilled beef in Argentina and everybody has its own recipe as we all have our own way to prepare the French Dressing or Mayonnaise in France.

Mine is very straightforward and a little spicy. Have fun and use that recipe as a base for your own Chimichurri.

Ingredients for the Beef Marinade – 6-8 persons:

• 1 piece of mid beef fillet, about 1,2 kg
• 500ml of tamari (soy sauce)
• 250ml of Cider Vinegar
• 1 red chilli (not too hot)
• 6 cloves of garlic

Method:

Puree all the ingredients of the marinade in a blender and pour on top of the trimmed beef.

Cover with cling film and turn every 12 hours for at least 2 days.

Cut into 6-8 pieces and grill 3-4 minutes on each side or longer if you like your beef medium to well-done.

Once the beef is cooked, serve the whole piece along with Chimichurri and the side of your choice or thinly slice it and serve it hot or cold with Chimichurri sauce on the side.

Ingredients for the Chimichurri

• 1 onion
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 generous bunch of cilantro
• 6 tbsp of olive oil
• 3 tbsp of red wine vinegar
• 1 red chilli
• 1 green chilli
• salt

Method:

In a blender, pour all the ingredients and only half of the olive oil.

Process and gradually add the rest of the oil until you reach the consistency you want.

Taste and adjust the seasoning.

You can add lemon or lime juice to adjust the consistency and taste.

 

 

 

 

Apricot Tatin and Caramelized Pecans Brittle … Let’s enjoy the last days of the Summer

Summer time in my family always reminds me of great amount of peaches, nectarines, melon or apricots trays stored in the freshness of the garage or the cellar.
Yes, all Summer long we enjoy tasty tomatoes, fresh salads, basil from the gardens and fruits all the time….
As the numbers tends to vary dramatically from one week to another, we always have to think about new ways to recycle the leftovers.
When it comes to fruits, we usually think about homemade jam, preserves but also poached fruits or tarts.
Ripen apricots are perfect for the Tatin as they will caramelize and soften in the oven.

Ingredients for the Apricot Tatin:

• a block of good puff pastry or a ready to use one
• a dozen of apricots halved and stoned
• 100g of caster sugar
• 50g of unsalted butter, cubed and at room temperature
• aromatic herbs optional (rosemary, basil…)
• plain flour for dusting
• unsweetened vanilla whipped cream or ice cream, for serving

Ingredients for Caramelized Pecans Brittle:

• 1 cup of pecans
• 1/2 cup of sugar
• a Silpat or parchment paper

Method for the Tatin:

Start a caramel in a medium ovenproof frying pan (about 24cm in diameter). Put the sugar in the pan over a medium heat and let it cook until the sugar gets a nice golden brown color. Don’t stir the sugar but swirl it around the pan every now and then so that it caramelize evenly.

Stir the butter in carefully as it may splatters in reaction to the extremely hot caramel. At that stage, if you want to give an extra flavor to your Tatin, add the herb of your choice (be careful with rosemary, it quickly overpower the other flavors, only put a small amount). Stir for about 2-3 minutes until a smooth caramel starts to get together. Remove the herbs if you have put some and place the apricots on top, keep on cooking for 2-3 minutes on very low heat just to get the apricots slightly cooked. Then let them cool down for 15-20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

If your puff pastry is not rolled out, flour a flat and clean surface and start to roll it out until 2mm high and cut a circle out of it, 2-3cm wider than the pan. Place it on top of the apricots and gently push down or fold the sides so that the puff pastry fits in the pan. Using a fork, prick the surface so that it doesn’t rise too much.

Bake the tart in the pan for 25 minutes or until the apricots are well cooked and the surface of the puff pastry gets a nice golden color.

Using an oven glove, get the Tatin out of the oven and leave it to rest a few minutes then place a serving dish (larger than the pan) on top of the pan and quickly turn it upside down. When you feel that the Tatin is out of the pan, remove the pan, clean the edges of the serving dish and serve it straight away with vanilla whipped cream or ice-cream.

 

Method for the Caramelized Pecans:

For the pecans, start another caramel in a clean heavy bottom frying pan. Bring the sugar to a nice golden brown caramel and spread the pecans on top of it. Using a silicon or wooden spatula, quickly help the pecans to get coated off the heat. Gently pour the content of the pan on the Silpat or a piece of parchment paper. Let it cool down and once it is cold, roughly chop it in order to get small pieces of caramelized pecans.

Spread them on top of the whipped cream, ice-cream or tart.