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 Boeuf Bourguignon comes from the Burgundy Region in France so naturally shares the splendour of fine red wine. (Makes: 6 to 8 Servings) 1 kg / 2 lb of beef chuck steak 2 rashers of quality bacon 12 small pickling onions 2 cloves of garlic 1 tablespoon of olive oil 30 grams / 1 oz of butter 2 tablespoons of flour 1 cup of quality red wine (Burgundy) 1 cup of beef stock 1 bouquet garni (small bunch of fresh herbs, thyme, parsley and bay leaf) 200 grams / 7 oz of button mushrooms salt to taste For best results buy the highest quality bacon available and use a good quality wine. Peel the 12 pickling onions and garlic cloves, crush the garlic and prepare a bouquet garni. Trim the steak and cut into small 2 cm / inch cubes. Cut the bacon into small strips (lardons). Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan, add the onions and saut until slightly brown on all sides and transfer to a dish. In the same saucepan add the bacon and saut, remove from the saucepan and put aside with the onions. In the remaining fat (add more if necessary), brown the meat adding the garlic once the meat is nicely browned on all sides. Add the flour to the saucepan and stir through. Cook on a low heat for around a minute being careful not to burn the flour. Slowly add the red wine and beef stock a little at a time stirring constantly. The stew will thicken as you do this. Add the bouquet garni and bring the stew to the boil. Return the onions and bacon to the saucepan and simmer for 1 hour.If the mushrooms are large cut them into quarters, otherwise add them whole to the saucepan and stir in thoroughly. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the meat is tender and the mushrooms are cooked. Remove and discard the bouquet garni, add salt to taste and sprinkle with some more fresh thyme if desired. Serve with fresh crusty bread or accompanied with seasonal vegetables. Coq au Vin Coq au Vin was traditionally made with a rooster that was at least twelve months old. The red wine was needed to tenderize the meat. (Makes: 6 Servings) 2 kg / 4 lb of chicken pieces 1 cup of flour salt and pepper 3 tablespoons of olive oil 30 grams / 1 oz of butter 3 rashers of quality bacon 12 small pickling onions 2 cloves of garlic 1 cups / 12 fl oz of quality red wine 1 cups / 11 fl oz of chicken stock 2 tablespoons of tomato paste 1 bouquet garni (small bunch of fresh herbs, thyme, parsley and bay leaf) 200 grams / 7 oz of button mushrooms With chicken there is always a risk of food poisoning, so it is important to clean your hands, board and tools before and after handling the raw meat. In a clean plastic bag combine the flour, salt and pepper. Shake the chicken pieces in the bag to coat, remove and shake off any excess flour. In a deep heavy based frypan or saucepan heat 1 tablespoon of oil and half the butter. Over a medium to high heat cook the coated chicken pieces in batches until crisp and well browned all over. Drain on absorbent paper towels, and set aside. Peel the pickling onions and garlic Crush the garlic. Slice the bacon into small strips (lardons). Heat the remaining oil and butter in the pan. Add the onions and saut until slightly brown on all sides. Transfer to a dish. In the same pan saut the bacon and crushed garlic, add the chicken pieces, tomato paste, wine, stock and bouquet garni. Bring to the boil, return the onions to the pan and reduce the heat. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. If the mushrooms are large cut them into quarters, otherwise add them whole to the pan and stir thoroughly. Simmer for a further 10 to 15 minutes until the chicken is very tender and the mushrooms are cooked. Remove and discard the bouquet garni. Add salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with some more chopped fresh herbs if desired. Serve with fresh crusty bread or accompany with seasonal vegetables. Creme Caramel (Makes: 8 Servings) 200 grams / 7 oz of white sugar 100 ml / 2 fl oz of water 30 ml / 1 fl oz extra water 100 grams / 3 oz of castor sugar 1 litre / 4 cups of milk 6 large eggs 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence or 1 vanilla pod Caramel: Preheat the oven to 160C, 320F or gas mark 3 while you are preparing the caramel. Grease eight ovenproof dariole moulds or ramekins which hold around half a cup of liquid. When making caramel or toffee it always pays to take extra care as the sugar reaches extremely high temperatures. As a precaution, fill the kitchen sink with cold water and make sure you have an oven or heat resistant cloth handy. In a medium sized saucepan dissolve the sugar in 100 ml / 2 fl oz of water over a low heat and bring to the boil. It is important not to stir the caramel to prevent it forming crystals. Boil for around 5 to 10 minutes brushing any sugar that lands on the side of the saucepan and crystallizes back down into the mixture with a pastry brush dipped in water. Remove the mixture from the heat when it has changed to a golden caramel or light amber colour, a dark amber colour indicates the caramel is over-cooked and will taste burnt and bitter. Standing well clear of the saucepan to avoid getting burnt by the hot sugar add the extra water quickly to stop the caramel continuing to cook and burn. Pour a little of the hot caramel into each of the prepared moulds and swirl the mixture around to cover the bottom of each mould. You may need someone to help to do this as the caramel sets quickly. Place the saucepan in the sink of cold water. When the saucepan is cold pour boiling water into the saucepan to make it easier to clean. Custard: In a medium saucepan scald the milk and remove from the heat. In a large bowl whisk the eggs and castor sugar together until the sugar has nearly dissolved. Add the vanilla and warm milk. Sieve the custard mixture into a jug or pitcher - this removes the eggs anchor (chalaza). Skim off any bubbles or froth from the custard. Pour evenly into the 8 moulds and place in a baking dish. Pour hot water (not boiling) into the baking dish until the water reaches half way up the sides of the moulds. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until the custard is set. Cool and refrigerate for at least 3 to 4 hours before serving. To serve, turn the custards out of each mould by holding the mould upside down and pressing your fingers against the edge of the custard. The custard should loosen and slip out onto the serving dish. If necessary shake the mould gently or if all else fails use a hot wet knife around the edge. Pour any caramel liquid left in the moulds over the custard (if the caramel is hard dip the bottoms of the mould. Fish Provenal (Makes: 4 Servings) 2 tablespoons of olive oil 1 or 2 cloves of garlic 2 anchovy fillets (optional) cup of finely chopped courgette (zucchini) and/or eggplant (aubergine) if desired 1 400 gram / 16 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes 1 teaspoon of white sugar 2 tablespoons of capers 2 tablespoons of stoned black olives one pinch of cayenne pepper salt and pepper 500 grams / 1 lb of firm white fish fillets Peel and crush the garlic. Dice the whole peeled tomatoes. Cut each fish fillet into three pieces. In a deep frying pan or saucepan gently saut the garlic and anchovies. Add the tomatoes, juice and sugar. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add the capers, olives and cayenne pepper. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the fish fillets and stir to ensure they are covered with the tomato mixture. Cover the pan and cook for 4 to 6 minutes or until the fish is just cooked through. Caution: the fish will fall apart if over cooked. French Onion Soup (Makes: 4 Servings) 4 large onions 30 grams / 1 oz of butter 2 cloves of garlic 1 teaspoon of white sugar (optional) 1 tablespoons of flour 4 to 5 cups of beef stock salt and pepper In a medium saucepan heat the beef stock through and keep warm. Peel and chop the onions into thin wedges (lyonnaise) and crush the garlic. In a large saucepan melt the butter, add the onions and saut for 10 to 12 minutes until well browned all over but not burnt. Add the garlic and sugar - the sugar helps the onions to caramelize. Stir through the flour and sweat for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the warm stock a little at a time. The soup will thicken as you add the stock. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes and season to taste. Ladle into warmed soup bowls and garnish with flutes (recipe follows). Flutes: 1 small baguette (french bread stick) cup of grated parmesan cheese Slice the bread stick diagonally into 1 cm / inch thick slices and toast on both sides. Sprinkle the slices with grated parmesan cheese and grill until golden. Lamb Shanks With Garlic Sauce Garlic perfumes the tomato sauce for these tender lamb shanks in a preparation typical of the cooking of southwest France. (Makes: 6 Servings) 6 lamb shanks (about 1 lb each) sawed into 3 or 4 pieces 2 bulbs garlic, separated into unpeeled cloves 6 large tomatoes, cored 3 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp kosher salt 1 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper 1/2 cup minced shallots 4 large sprigs fresh thyme 1 1/2 cups dry red wine Preheat oven to 325 F - Trim shanks of any visible fat, reserve - In a large roasting pan, drizzle garlic cloves and tomatoes with oil - Roast, uncovered, for 45 minutes - Transfer tomatoes and garlic to a bowl - When cool enough to handle, peel tomatoes and garlic - Chop tomatoes coarsely - Raise oven temperature to 400 F - Season shanks with salt and pepper - Roast 30 minutes, turn shanks, add shallots, and cook for 15 minutes - Spoon of all but 2 tbsp fat - Add tomatoes, garlic, thyme and red wine to pan - Cover and bake for 30 minutes - Uncover and continue baking for 30 minutes - Turn shanks and continue cooking until they are fork-tender (20 to 30 minutes) - Remove from oven, discard thyme - Transfer shanks to a warm platter, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and keep warm in a low oven - Pour contents of pan into a measuring cup and let settle 5 minutes - Spoon off any fat that floats to surface - Place contents of cup in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth and silky - Reheat sauce and spoon over and around shanks Navarin Of Lamb Navarin is the French term for a rich mutton or lamb stew which has been cooked with root vegetables, usually including small onions or potatoes. (Makes: 4 to 6 Servings) 1 kg / 2 lb of boneless lamb leg steak suitable for stewing 30 grams / 1 oz of butter 2 tablespoon of olive oil 2 large onion or several baby onions 1 to 2 cloves of garlic 2 carrots 2 small parsnips 2 stalks of celery 2 potatoes 12 fresh green beans cup of flour 2 tablespoons of tomato paste 2 teaspoons of dijon mustard 2 cups of beef or chicken stock 1 bouquet garni (small bunch of fresh herbs, thyme, parsley and bay leaf) cup of fresh chopped parsley Trim the meat, remove any excess fat and cut into small 2 cm / inch cubes. Wash, peel and rewash the carrots, parsnip, celery, potatoes and chop the vegetables in small chunks. Peel the onion and garlic. Cut the onion into wedges or leave baby onions whole. Crush the garlic. Prepare a bouquet garni and trim the top and tails off the green beans. In a large saucepan heat the butter and oil and saut the meat in batches until well browned. Remove, drain and set aside. In the remaining butter saut the onion until golden. Add the garlic, chopped carrot, parsnip and celery and sweat for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the flour and then add the tomato paste and mustard. Return the meat to the saucepan and add the potatoes and bouquet garni. Pour the stock over and mix thoroughly. Bring to the boil and simmer covered for 1 hour or alternatively transfer to a casserole dish and bake for 45 minutes at 160C, 300F or gas mark 2. Add the green beans and cook for a further 20 to 30 minutes. The meat should be lovely and tender and the sauce thick. Remove and discard the bouquet garni. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley and serve with crusty bread. Piprade Piprade is a delicious excuse for brunch, creamy scrambled egg is tossed through ham, capsicum, tomato and garlic. (Makes: 4 to 6 Servings) 50 grams / 2 oz of butter 1 onion 1 to 2 cloves of garlic 1 small red capsicum 1 small green capsicum 10 cherry tomatoes 2 tablespoons of freshly chopped herbs (parsley and chives) 8 large eggs 200g / 7 oz of thickly sliced ham salt and pepper Peel and slice the onion into thin wedges (lyonnaise) and crush the garlic. Core and deseed the capsicums, removing the white pith from inside the capsicum as it can be bitter and cause some people indigestion. Slice the capsicums into thin strips. In a large frying pan set over a medium heat melt half the butter and add the sliced onion, capsicum and garlic. Cover and sweat for 8 to 10 minutes, stiring occasionally. Pierce the cherry tomatoes with a small knife to prevent bursting and place them on top. Continue cooking for 2 to 3 minutes. If there is more than a couple of tablespoons of liquid, increase the heat and uncover to allow the liquid to evaporate.Sprinkle the vegetables with salt and freshly ground pepper. Turn the heat to very low so that the vegetables stay warm but do not burn. In a large bowl beat together the eggs, herbs and a little more salt. Chop the ham into small chunks. In another pan heat the second half of butter and saut the ham until golden. Remove and place on top of the vegetables. In the remaining butter (add more if necessary) pour the egg mixture and scramble over a low heat, moving the egg around the pan as soft lumps appear to keep the mixture soft and creamy. When the eggs are done toss them through the vegetables and ham. Serve immediately with fresh bread. Quiche Lorraine Quiche Lorraine is a specialty of the region Nancy, Lorraine on the French and German Border. Originally a flan filled with a mixture of egg and bacon or ham, cheese was a later addition to quiche recipes. If you add onions you have Quiche Alsacienne. (Makes: 6 Servings) 1 and cups of plain flour a teaspoon of salt 85 grams / 3 oz of butter 1 egg 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar 250 grams / 8 oz thick bacon 5 eggs 1 cups of cream salt and pepper to taste teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg cup of grated cheese, Gruyre or cheddar (optional) Short Pastry: In a large bowl or food processor sift the flour and salt, cut the cold butter into small cubes and add to the flour. Rub the butter into the flour with your hands or using the food processor, until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Make a well in the centre; add 1 beaten egg and the vinegar mixing to a firm dough. If the dough seems a little dry add a little water. Handle as little as possible as this prevents the pastry from becoming hard when it is baked. Roll into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Filling: Preheat oven to 190C / 425F. Cut the bacon into small strips (lardons), saut until crisp and put aside to cool. Whisk together the eggs, cream, grated nutmeg and pepper in a large bowl. Assembly: On a lightly floured bench or board roll the short pastry out to around 5 mm (1/8 inch) thick. Line a flan or pie dish with dough, flute and crimp the edges decoratively. Scatter half the cheese (optional) over the bottom of the pie crust. Continue by placing the cooled bacon lardons over evenly and pour in the egg and cream filling mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Place into the pre-heated oven on a middle rack and bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until the top is browned and an inserted knife-edge comes out cleanly. Finally let the quiche cool for 15 minutes before cutting. Serve wedges with a fresh green salad and a chilled glass of Sauvignon Blanc. Ratatouille Originally from the Provence region in southern France, Ratatouille makes excellent use of the local produce. (Makes: 4 Servings) 2 aubergines (eggplant) 3 courgettes (zucchini) cup of olive oil 1 large onion 2 to 4 cloves of garlic 1 to 2 teaspoons of white sugar salt & pepper 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar 1 225 gram / 8 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes or several fresh tomatoes cup of quality white wine Wash the aubergines and courgettes. Cut the aubergine into small 1 cm ( inch) cubes and slice the courgettes into 5 mm ( inch) slices. Sprinkle with salt and set aside for 30 minutes. This removes any bitter taste from the vegetables. Rinse the salt off under water and pat dry with absorbent paper towels. Cut the onion into thick wedges and crush the garlic. Heat the olive oil in a deep heavy based frying pan or saucepan. Add the onions and saut until golden brown. Add the aubergine, courgette and garlic and cook until golden. Red and green capsicum can also be added. Stir in the sugar, red wine vinegar, tomatoes and wine. Cover and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with fresh crusty bread or as a side dish. Silk Chocolate Pie (Makes: 8 Servings) 200 grams / 7 oz of flour teaspoon of baking powder 120 grams / 4 oz of butter 50 grams / 2 oz of castor sugar 1 egg 230 grams / 8 oz of soft butter 1 cups of white sugar 115 grams / 4 oz of cooking chocolate, melted and cooled 4 eggs 2 teaspoons of vanilla essence Whipped cream to garnish Pastry: Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl or food processor. Cut the butter into small cubes and rub into the flour either with your hands or using the food processor, until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Whisk the castor sugar and egg together and add to the mixture to make a firm dough. On a lightly floured bench or board knead the mixture until it forms a smooth ball. Handle as little as possible to prevent the pastry from becoming hard when baked. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200C, 400F or gas mark 6. On a lightly floured board or bench, roll out the pastry to fit a 23 cm (9 inch) flan or quiche dish. Place the pastry in the dish and trim the edges.Prick (dock) the pastry and cover with cooking paper. Pour blind baking beans or rice on top of the cooking paper and bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the beans or rice and continue cooking for 5 minutes or until the pastry is a golden colour. Allow the pie shell to cool. Filling: Cream the butter with the sugar until it is smooth, fluffy and nearly white in colour. Fold in the melted chocolate and vanilla. Using an electric beater, beat in the eggs thoroughly, one at a time. Pour the mixture into the pie shell and chill for several hours. This is best left over night. Decorate with whipped cream just before serving. Tarte Tatin This caramelized upside down apple tart originates from the Htel Tatin in the Loire Valley, Western France. (Makes: 4 to 6 Servings) 100 grams / 4 oz of butter 100 grams / 4 oz of white sugar 6 large apples fresh lemon juice 1 sheet of flaky or puff pastry (pre-rolled) The pan you choose for Tarte Tatin is important as it must be able to withstand cooking on a stove top and in the very hot oven with extremely hot caramelizing sugar. A heavy bottomed seasoned cast-iron pan is preferable. Preheat the oven to 200C,390F or gas mark 5. Measure your pan and cut your pastry sheet into a round disc to fit as a lid. Cover the pastry so it doesn't dry out and put aside for later. Peel the apples and cut into quarters removing the core. Brush with lemon juice so they do not brown. Melt the butter and sugar together in the pan and slowly cook together until the sugar dissolves. Arrange the apple quarters in the sugar mixture in a snug even pattern. Cook over a slow to medium heat for around 20 minutes until the apples are slightly soft and the sugar has begun to caramelize. Place the pastry round securely on top of the apples. Bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes until the pastry is golden brown. Place a serving dish over the pan and flip upside down to release the dessert, so that the pastry is underneath. Serve at once, sprinkled with icing sugar if desired. Veal Cordon Bleu (Makes: 4 Servings) 8 small veal steaks or schnitzels 4 slices of ham 4 slices of Gruyre cheese 1 cup of plain white flour 2 eggs 4 cups of fine dry breadcrumbs grated rind or zest of one lemon (optional) 4 tablespoons olive oil 40 to 60 grams / 1 to 2 oz of butter salt and pepper to taste Trim the veal steaks of any sinew or fat. Using a meat mallet or rolling pin gently pound the steaks evenly and thinly. Place a slice of ham and a slice of cheese between two pieces of steak and trim neatly, pressing the edges firmly together to form nice square parcels. Place the flour into a shallow dish. Beat the eggs together lightly and pour into another shallow dish. Mix together the breadcrumbs with lemon rind and salt and pepper. Pass one steak parcel through the flour, through the beaten eggs and finally coat the parcel in the breadcrumb mixture. Repeat with the remaining meat parcels. Heat a large frying pan, melt the butter and oil. Add the steaks to the pan and cook over a medium heat on each side for about 3 minutes or until golden. Drain on absorbent paper and serve immediately with a fresh green salad or seasonal vegetables. |
