by Julia Child
A hot vegetable dish
OR:
A shallow baking dish
2 Tb melted butter
2 Tb minced parsley
Lay the paper over the endives, cover the casserole, and bake in middle level of preheated oven for 1 hour. Remove casserole cover but leave paper in place, and bake 30 minutes more or until endives are a nice golden yellow. Either arrange the endives in a hot vegetable dish or around your roast, and sprinkle with parsley, or, for a more golden effect, arrange them in a baking dish, baste with melted butter, and brown briefly under the broiler. Sprinkle with parsley just before serving.
VARIATION
Endives Gratinées
[Endives Gratinéed with Cheese]
Butter-braised endives are also good when sauced and browned under the broiler. For a main-course dish, wrap each endive in a thin slice of boiled ham before saucing. See also the quiche aux endives and the gratin d’endives.
For 6 people
2 cups sauce crème or Sauce Mornay (béchamel with cream, or with cheese)
A shallow, lightly buttered baking dish
12 endives butter-braised as in the preceding recipe
2 to 3 Tb grated Swiss cheese
1 Tb butter cut into pea-sized dots
Spread a third of the sauce in the baking dish. Arrange the braised endives over it, and pour the rest of the sauce over them. Sprinkle with cheese and dot with butter.
Shortly before serving, set under a moderately hot broiler to reheat thoroughly and brown the cheese lightly.
POIREAUX BRAISÉS AU BEURRE
[Braised Leeks]
Braised leeks are a fine accompaniment to roast beef, steaks, or turkey.
For 6 people
12 fine fresh leeks about 1½ inches in diameter
A covered, fireproof casserole or baking dish, square or oval, and long enough to hold the trimmed leeks
3 to 4 cups water 6 Tb butter
½ Tb salt
Trim off the roots, remove any withered leaves, and slit the green part of the leeks lengthwise two ways. Wash thoroughly under running water, spreading leaves apart. Cut off a portion of the green tops to leave the leeks about 7 inches long. Lay the leeks in the casserole, making 2 or 3 layers. Pour in enough water to come two thirds the way up the layers of leeks. Add the butter and salt.
Set over high heat and bring to the boil. Partially cover, leaving a 1/16-inch space to allow steam to escape, and maintain liquid at a fairly fast boil. As leeks soften, water will just cover them. In 30 to 40 minutes, the white part of the leeks should be tender when pierced with a knife, and the liquid should have almost evaporated.
A shallow, fireproof baking and serving dish
Transfer the leeks to the baking dish, and pour the remaining cooking juices over them.
Aluminum foil 2 to 3 Tb chopped parsley
Half an hour before serving, cover loosely with aluminum foil and set in the middle level of a preheated, 325-degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until the leeks have taken on a light golden color. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
(*) After their baking, the leeks may be set aside uncovered, and reheated later.
VARIATIONS
Poireaux Gratinés au Fromage
[Leeks Browned with Cheese]
The preceding braised leeks ½ cup grated Swiss, or Swiss and Parmesan cheese, or mixture of cheese and bread crumbs
3 Tb melted butter
After the braised leeks have browned lightly in the oven, sprinkle them with the cheese or cheese and bread crumbs. Pour the butter over them. Run for 2 to 3 minutes under a moderately hot broiler to brown the cheese lightly.
Poireaux à la Mornay, Gratinés
[Leeks Browned with Cheese Sauce]
The braised leeks in the preceding master recipe
2½ cups sauce mornay béchamel with cheese)
¼ cup grated Swiss cheese
1 Tb butter cut into pea-sized dots
After the braised leeks have browned very lightly in the oven, pour the sauce mornay over them, sprinkle on the cheese, dot with the butter. Run under a moderately hot broiler for 2 to 3 minutes to brown the top of the sauce lightly.
RED CABBAGE AND SAUERKRAUT
Chou Rouge et Choucroute
Both braised red cabbage and braised sauerkraut need 4 to 5 hours of slow cooking for them to develop their full flavor. Once they have been set in the oven they need little or no attention, and are even better when cooked in advance and reheated the next day.
CHOU ROUGE À LA LIMOUSINE
[Braised Red Cabbage with Red Wine and Chestnuts]
Red cabbage braised in this fashion is a fine dish to serve with roast goose, duck, pork, venison, or wild boar. Or you may cook the meat in the casserole with the cabbage, see the recipe for duck. All red vegetables must cook with something acid to retain their color; thus the tart apples and red wine in the following recipe.
For 6 people
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
A ¼-lb. chunk of bacon
Remove the rind and cut the bacon into lardons, strips 1½ inches long and ¼ inch across. You will have about ⅔ cup. Simmer for 10 minutes in 1 quart of water. Drain.
½ cup thinly sliced carrots
1 cup sliced onions
3 Tb rendered fresh goose or pork fat, or butter
A 5- to 6-quart, covered, fireproof casserole
Cook the bacon, carrots, and onions, in fat or butter slowly in the covered casserole for 10 minutes without browning.
2 lbs. (6 to 7 cups) red cabbage leaves cut into ½-inch slices
Stir in the cabbage leaves and when well covered with the fat and vegetables, cover and cook slowly for 10 minutes.
2 cups diced tart apples
2 cloves mashed garlic
¼ tsp ground bay leaf
⅛ tsp clove
⅛ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp salt
⅛ tsp pepper
2 cups good, young red wine (Bordeaux, Mâcon, or Chianti)
2 cups brown stock or canned beef bouillon
Stir in all the ingredients listed at the left. Bring to the simmer on top of the stove. Cover and place in middle level of preheated oven. Regulate heat so cabbage bubbles slowly for 3 to 3½ hours.
24 peeled chestnuts
Salt and pepper
Add the chestnuts to the cabbage, cover and return casserole to oven for 1 to 1½ hours more, or until the chestnuts are tender and all the liquid in the casserole has been absorbed by the cabbage. Taste carefully for seasoning, and serve as follows:
(*) If not served immediately, set aside uncovered. Reheat slowly before serving.
4 or 5 sprigs of parsley
A hot vegetable dish
Turn into a vegetable dish or heap around your meat, and decorate with parsley.
CHOUCROUTE BRAISÉE À L’ALSACIENNE
[Braised Sauerkraut]
In France before sauerkraut is braised with wine, stock, aromatic vegetables, and spices, it is always drained and soaked in cold water for 15 to 20 minutes to remove all but a suggestion of its preserving brine. If you have never cared much for the sour flavor of most sauerkraut dishes, this recipe may well change you into an enthusiast. Sauerkraut makes a most savory accompaniment to duck, goose, pheasant, pork, ham, or sausages any of which may even cook along with the sauerkraut and give it that much more flavor.
For 6 people
2 lbs. (about 5 cups) fresh sauerkraut (canned raw sauerkraut may be used, but it is never as good as the fresh)
Drain the sauerkraut (either fresh or canned) and soak it in a large basin of cold water for 15 to 20 minutes or more, changing the water three times. Taste the sauerkraut, and when as much of the briny flavor as you wish has been removed, drain it. Taking it by small handfuls, squeeze out as much water as you can. Pick it apart to separate the strands.
A ½-lb. chunk of bacon
Remove the rind and slice the bacon into ½-inch pieces about 2 inches long. Simmer it in 2
quarts of water for 10 minutes. Drain.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
½ cup thinly sliced carrots
1 cup sliced onions
4 Tb rendered fresh goose or pork fat, or butter
A 2½- to 3-quart, covered, fireproof casserole
Cook the bacon, carrots, and onions, in fat or butter slowly in the covered casserole for 10 minutes without browning. Stir in the sauerkraut and when it is well covered with the fat and vegetables, cover and cook slowly for 10 minutes more.
The following tied in washed cheesecloth:
4 sprigs of parsley
1 bay leaf
6 peppercorns
10 Juniper berries (or add ¼ cup gin to the casserole)
1 cup dry white wine or ⅔ cup dry white vermouth
2 to 3 cups white stock, brown stock, or canned beef or chicken bouillon
Salt
A round of buttered paper
Bury the herb and spice packet in the sauerkraut. Pour in the wine, and enough stock or bouillon just to cover the sauerkraut. Season lightly with salt. Bring to the simmer on top of the stove. Lay on the round of buttered paper. Cover and set in middle level of preheated oven. Regulate heat so sauerkraut bubbles slowly for 4½ to 5 hours, and until all the liquid has been absorbed by the sauerkraut. Taste carefully for seasoning.
(*) If not served immediately, set aside uncovered. Reheat slowly before serving.
TO SERVE
Choucroute Garnie
[Sauerkraut Garnished with Meat]
Braised sauerkraut may be used as a bed for sliced roast pork, pork chops, ham, or browned sausages, or with roast goose, duck, or pheasant. The dish is usually accompanied with boiled potatoes and either a chilled Alsatian wine such as Riesling or Traminer, a white domestic wine of the same type, or beer.
If you wish to cook your meats in the sauerkraut, brown them first in a skillet in hot fat; then bury them in the casserole while the sauerkraut is braising, timing the meats so they and the sauerkraut will be done together. See the recipe for duck braised in sauerkraut on this page.
CUCUMBERS
Concombres
CONCOMBRES AU BEURRE
[Baked Cucumbers]
If the natural moisture content is not withdrawn beforehand, cucumbers exude so much water as they are heated that you usually end up with a tasteless mush and swear never to attempt cooked cucumbers again. Blanching for 5 minutes before cooking will remove unwanted water, but also most of the cucumber flavor. A preliminary sojourn in salt draws out the water and also the bitterness, if they are of the bitter European type, yet leaves the flavor, which a little vinegar and a pinch of sugar accentuates. We have found the following method delicious, and suggest it for all cooked cucumber recipes. Baked cucumbers go with roast, broiled, or sautéed chicken, roast veal, veal chops or scallops, and sautéed brains or sweetbreads.
For 6 people
6 cucumbers about 8 inches long
Peel the cucumbers. Cut in half lengthwise; scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Cut into lengthwise strips about ⅜ inch wide. Cut the strips into 2-inch pieces.
2 Tb wine vinegar
1½ tsp salt
⅛ tsp sugar
A 2½-quart porcelain or stainless steel bowl
Toss the cucumbers in a bowl with the vinegar, salt, and sugar. Let stand for at least 30 minutes or for several hours. Drain. Pat dry in a towel.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
A baking dish 12 inches in diameter and 1½ inches deep
3 Tb melted butter
½ tsp dill or basil
3 to 4 Tb minced green onions
⅛ tsp pepper
Toss the cucumbers in the baking dish with the butter, herbs, onions, and pepper. Set uncovered in middle level of preheated oven for about 1 hour, tossing 2 or 3 times, until cucumbers are tender but still have a suggestion of crispness and texture. They will barely color during the cooking.
(*) Set aside uncovered; reheat before serving as in the following suggestions.
TO SERVE
Concombres Persillés
[Parslied Cucumbers]
A hot vegetable dish 2 Tb minced parsley
Turn the baked cucumbers into the vegetable dish, sprinkle with minced parsley, and serve.
Concombres à la Crème
[Creamed Cucumbers]
1 cup whipping cream Salt and pepper 1 Tb minced parsley
Boil the cream in a small saucepan until it has reduced by half. Season with salt and pepper, fold into the hot, baked cucumbers, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.
Concombres aux Champignons et à la Crème
[Creamed Cucumbers with Mushrooms]
½ lb. fresh mushrooms
An enameled skillet
1 cup whipping cream
1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tsp water
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Tb minced parsley
Trim, wash, and quarter the mushrooms. Dry in a towel. Set them in the dry skillet and toss over moderately low heat for 5 minutes. Pour in the cream and cornstarch mixture; boil slowly for 5 minutes or so, until cream has reduced and thickened. Stir in salt and pepper, simmer a moment and check seasoning. Fold into the hot baked cucumbers, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.
Concombres à la Mornay
[Cucumbers with Cheese Sauce]
1½ cups sauce mornay (béchamel with grated cheese)
2 to 3 Tb grated Swiss cheese
1 Tb butter cut into pea-sized dots
Fold the cheese sauce into the hot, baked cucumbers. Sprinkle with cheese, dot with butter, and run under a hot broiler for 2 to 3 minutes to brown top delicately.
EGGPLANT
Aubergines
Eggplants, like cucumbers, contain a considerable amount of water which must be removed before cooking; in their raw state they also have a bitter, puckery quality. The most satisfactory way to remove both moisture and bitterness yet retain flavor is to let them stand in salt for about half an hour.
AUBERGINES FARCIES DUXELLES
[Eggplant Stuffed with Mushrooms]
This excellent eggplant dish goes with roast lamb, lamb chops, or roast, sautéed, or broiled chicken. Or it may be a separate vegetable course. Preparation is somewhat long, as it is for many good things, but you may have the dish ready for the oven several hours or even the day before baking it.
For 6 people—12, if the eggplants are divided as they are served
3 eggplants about 6 inches long and 3 inches in diameter
Remove the green stem covering and cut the eggplants in half lengthwise. Cut striations an inch apart in the flesh, going down to within ¼ inch of the skin. Preheat broiler in time for paragraph three.
1 Tb salt
2 Tb olive oil
Sprinkle the flesh with salt and lay the eggplants flesh down on a towel for half an hour. Gently squeeze them to extract as much water as possible. Dry them, then dribble the oil over them.
A shallow roasting pan large large enough to hold eggplant halves in one layer
Place them flesh-side up in a roasting pan and pour ⅛ inch of water around them. Set them so their flesh is 4 to 5 inches from preheated, moderately hot broiler for 10 to 15 minutes, until tender, and lightly browned on top.
A 3-quart mixing bowl
Leaving the skin intact, remove all but ¼ inch of the eggplant meat with a spoon. Chop it and place it in a mixing bowl.
NOTE: In the following stuffing, you may, if you wish, substitute for part of the mushrooms 1 cup of rice steamed in butter.
1 cup finely minced yellow onions
1½ Tb olive oil or butter
A 9- to 10-inch enameled skillet
Salt and pepper
Cook the onions slowly in the oil or butter in a skillet for about 10 minutes until very tender but not browned. Season lightly and add to the eggplant in the mixing bowl.
1 lb. finely minced fresh mushrooms
3 Tb butter
1 Tb olive oil
> Salt and pepper
Following the recipe for mushroom duxelles twist the mushrooms, a handful at a time, in the corner of a towel to extract their juice. Sauté them in butter and oil until very lightly browned (5 to 6 minutes). Season and add to the mixing bowl.
1½ packages (4½ ounces) cream cheese
4 Tb minced parsley
½ tsp basil or ¼ tsp thyme
Mash the cheese with a fork, then beat it into the mixing bowl. Beat in the herbs, and taste carefully for seasoning.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
3 Tb grated Swiss cheese mixed with 3 Tb fine, dry, white bread crumbs
2 to 3 Tb melted butter