by Julia Child
ALSO BY JULIA CHILD
Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume I
(with Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle)
The French Chef Cookbook
Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume II
(with Simone Beck)
From Julia Child’s Kitchen
Julia Child & Company
(with E. S. Yntema)
Julia Child & More Company
(with E. S. Yntema)
The Way to Cook
Cooking with Master Chefs
In Julia’s Kitchen with Master Chefs
(with Nancy Verde Barr)
Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home
(with David Nussbaum)
My Life in France
(with Alex Prud’homme)
These are Borzoi Books, published in New York by Alfred A. Knopf.
Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Soups and Two Mother Sauces
PRIMAL SOUPS
Leek and Potato Soup
STOCKS
Light Chicken Stock
Simple Beef Stock
Fish Stock
SOUPS MADE FROM STOCK OR CANNED BROTH
Chicken Soup with Vegetables
Mediterranean Fish Soup
Scotch Broth
CREAM SOUPS
Cream of Mushroom Soup
FAT-FREE CREAM SOUPS WITH PURÉED RICE
Rutabaga Soup Soubise—with Rice and Onion Purée
CHOWDERS
The Chowder Soup Base
TWO OF THE MOTHER SAUCES
Béchamel Sauce
Hollandaise Sauce
Salads and Their Dressings
SALAD GREENS
Mixed Green Salad
SALAD DRESSINGS
Basic Vinaigrette Dressing
Chopped Hard-Boiled Eggs—Salad Mimosa
Curly Endive with Bacon and Poached Eggs
Warm Duck Leg Salad
MAIN COURSE SALADS
Salade Niçoise
Chicken Salad
Pasta Salad
American-Style Potato Salad
COLE SLAW AND OTHER VEGETABLE SALADS
Cole Slaw
Celery Root Rémoulade
Grated Beet Salad
Cucumber Salad
Vegetables
THE BLANCH/BOIL SYSTEM FOR GREEN VEGETABLES
BLANCH/BOIL VEGETABLE CHART
STEAMED VEGETABLES
A HANDFUL OF STEAMED VEGETABLES
THE BOIL/STEAM SYSTEM FOR VEGETABLES
BOIL/STEAM VEGETABLE CHART
ROASTED OR BAKED VEGETABLES
Tomatoes Provençal
Baked Winter Squash
Baked Eggplant Slices and Eggplant “Pizza”
Cauliflower au Gratin
SAUTÉED VEGETABLES
Sautéed Mushrooms
Pipérade—Sautéed Peppers and Onions
Grated Sautéed Zucchini
Grated Sautéed/Steamed Beets
Brown Onion “Marmalade”
BRAISED VEGETABLES
Braised Celery
Braised Endives
Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage
POTATOES
Mashed Potatoes
Steamed Whole Potatoes
Boiled Sliced Potatoes
Scalloped Potatoes—Gratin Dauphinois
Sautéed Diced Potatoes
The Best Grated Potato Pancakes
French Fries
RICE
Plain Boiled White Rice
DRIED BEANS
Dried Beans Preliminary—the Quick Soak
Open-Pot Bean Cookery
Pressure Cooker Beans
Crock-Pot or Slow-Cooker Beans
Illustrations: Part 1
Meats, Poultry, and Fish
SAUTÉING
Sautéed Beef Steaks
Calf’s Liver and Onions
Fillets of Sole Meunière
Thick Pork Chops
Thick Veal Chops
Sauté of Beef Tenderloin
Sauté of Pork Tenderloin
Chicken Sautéed in White Wine
BROILING
Broiled Butterflied Chicken
Broiled Fish Steaks—About ¾ Inch Thick
Lamb Brochettes
Broiled Flank Steak
Broiled Hamburgers
Butterflied Leg of Lamb
Roast/Broiled Butterflied Pork Loin
ROASTING
Roast Prime Ribs of Beef
Roast Top Loin (New York Strip) of Beef
Roast Tenderloin of Beef
Roast Leg of Lamb
Imported Legs of Lamb (New Zealand, Iceland, etc.)
Rack of Lamb
Roast Loin of Pork
Meat Loaf
Roast Chicken
Steam-Roasted Duck
Steam-Roasted Goose
Roast Whole Fish
STEWING, BRAISING, AND POACHING
STEWING
Pot au Feu Boiled Dinner
BRAISING
Beef Bourguignon—Beef in Red Wine Sauce
Lamb Stew
Lamb Shanks
Ossobuco
FISH AND SHELLFISH—POACHING AND STEAMING
Fish Fillets Poached in White Wine
Sea Scallops Poached in White Wine
Poached Salmon Fillets
Whole Steamed Salmon
Steamed Lobsters
Egg Cookery
The French Omelet
Scrambled Eggs
Poached Eggs
Shirred Eggs
Eggs Baked in Ramekins
Hard-Boiled Eggs
SOUFFLÉS
Savory Cheese Soufflé
DESSERT SOUFFLÉS
Vanilla Soufflé
SAVORY CUSTARDS
Individual Broccoli Timbales—Molded Custards
MOLDED DESSERT CUSTARDS
Caramel Custard
CUSTARD DESSERT SAUCES AND FILLINGS
Crème Anglaise—Classic Custard Sauce
Floating Island
Pastry Cream—Crème Pâtissière
Sabayon
Classic Chocolate Mousse
Illustrations: Part 2
Breads, Crêpes, and Tarts
BREADS
Basic Dough for White Bread, French Breads, Pizzas, and Hard Rolls
To Form and Bake 2 Long French Loaves
Baking in the Bread Machine: White Sandwich Bread—Pain de Mie
TWO DESSERTS BASED ON BREAD
Apple Charlotte
Cinnamon Toast Flan—a Bread Pudding
CRÊPES—PAPER-THIN FRENCH PANCAKES
All-Purpose Crêpes
ROLLED CRÊPES: SAVORY AND DESSERT ROULADES
Savory Spinach and Mushroom Crêpe Roulades
Strawberry Dessert Crêpes
LAYERED CRÊPES: SAVORY AND DESSERT GTEAUX
Savory Tower of Crêpes with Lobster, Broccoli, and Mushrooms
Dessert Gâteau of Crêpes à la Normande
Crêpes Suzette
TARTS
All-Purpose Pie Dough—Pâte Brisée Fine
Forming a Tart Shell
Prebaking a Shell—“Blind Baking”
Quiche Lorraine
Apple Tart
The Famous Upside-Down Apple Tarte Tatin
Cakes and Cookies
CAKES
Génoise Cake
The Genoa Almond Cake—Pain de Gênes
Le Brantôme—a Walnut Layer Cake
La Reine de Saba—the Queen of Sheba Chocolate Almond Cake
Meringue-Nut Layer Cakes—Dacquoise
FILLINGS AND FROSTINGS
Italian Meringue
Chocolate Ganache
Soft Chocolate Icing
Brandy-Butter Cake Filling
Apricot Filling
COOKIES
Cat’s Tongues—Langues de Chat, Finger-Shaped Sugar Cookies
P.S. BISCUITS
Baking-Powder Biscuits
Kitchen Equipment and Definitions
KITCHEN EQUIPMENT
Oval Casseroles
Saucepans
Baking Dishes
Chef’s Skillet and Sauté Pan
Knives and Sharpening Steel
Wooden Spatulas and Rubber Scrapers
Wire Whips or Whisks
Bulb Baster and Poultry Shears
The Vegetable Mill (or Food Mill) and Garlic Press
The Food Processor
Mortar and Pestle
Heavy-Duty Electric Mixer
DEFINITIONS
Sauces, Soups, and Stocks
Roasts
Casseroles
Acknowledgments
This book represents some forty years of happy collaboration on cookery with colleagues and friends. The idea for it came when we decided to make a television special out of snippets from my earlier shows starting with the very first one, “Boeuf Bourguignon,” that famous French beef stew, which aired February 11, 1963, on Boston’s “educational” station, WGBH. You can’t have a food show without a book to go with it—hence this volume. It is with deepest appreciation that I acknowledge the following angels who made it all possible.
My continuing gratitude goes to Judith Jones, who has been my editor since the beginning of my cookbook life. Hers is the conception of this book, and it is she who carefully went over each suggestion, each chapter and paragraph, yes, and even each sentence. Her remarks and suggestions are golden, and her advice is treasured. My admiration of Judith as an editor and my affection for Judith as a person are boundless.
David Nussbaum, my collaborator, has done a magnificent job of gathering and sifting through material from all the various shows and books. He has done testings and comparisons, made outlines and suggestions, and always presented me with detailed material eminently ready to work on. The book, literally, could not have been done at all, and certainly not by the deadline, had it not been for David.
My special thanks go to Geoffrey Drummond, producer of the two-hour PBS television special Julia’s Kitchen Wisdom that gave rise to this book. Geof and his editor, Herb Sevush, went through miles of old tape to pick out just the right episodes to show, and then edited them all into a lively whole. Geof’s company, A La Carte Communications, Inc., with Nat Katzman, also produced my last four series, Cooking with Master Chefs, In Julia’s Kitchen with Master Chefs, Baking with Julia, and Jacques and Julia Cooking at Home, as well as two Cooking in Concert PBS specials with Jacques Pépin. Segments from all of these shows appear in the present special. We have always had a great time working together, and my admiration and affection for Geof are infinite.
Continuing and enthusiastic thanks to Public Television for making my career possible. I simply would not have existed without them, and I very much appreciate the support and the freedom that PBS offers its participants. How lucky we are that it exists!
Sincere thanks to many who have helped me through the years and whose work has meant much to the success of our TV special as well as to the recipes in this book: William A. Truslow, Esq., my family lawyer and faithful friend. Russell Morash, my first producer, who started us out on The French Chef and kept us going through the Julia Child & Company series; and Marian Morash, The Victory Garden Cook and our first executive chef. Ruthie Lockwood, sometime producer of The French Chef, unique personal director, and valued friend. Rosemary Manell, talented food designer for photography as well as television, and recipe developer for many of the shows and books. The wonderfully talented Sarah Moulton, sometime executive chef on our Company series. Stephanie Hersh, my longtime assistant and friend, without whom my office would be a mess and my life both dull and in disarray.
A project of this magnitude cannot happen without the support of generous sponsors, and this is particularly true of Public Television. I am proud that we are associated with the Robert Mondavi Winery, whose pioneering spirit and generosity have made California wines recognized throughout the world. I am delighted, too, that my favorite spread, Land O’ Lakes Butter, is with us again—we used an incredible 573 pounds of it on our Baking with Julia series. And much of that good butter finds its way into the pots and pans of All-Clad Metalcrafters, our final sponsor. Heartfelt thanks to you, all three.
Toujours bon appétit!
Introduction
So often you can be in the midst of cooking and you just can’t remember whether that leg of lamb should roast in a 325° or a 350°F oven, and for how long. Or you’ve forgotten just what you do to unmold a jelly-roll cake, or the system that so successfully brings back the hollandaise sauce. This book aims to give quick, snappy answers to many of those questions.
It won’t by any means answer everything, and it doesn’t go into such complicated subjects as French puff pastry, for which you need pages of instruction and numerous photographs. In other words, it doesn’t pretend to take the place of a big, detailed, all-purpose cookbook like my Way to Cook or Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volumes I and II. It is, rather, a mini aide-mémoire for general home cookery, and is aimed at those who are tolerably familiar with culinary language; whose kitchens are normally well equipped with such staples as jelly-roll pans, a food processor, a decent rolling pin; and who know their way around the stove reasonably well.
It began as my loose-leaf kitchen reference guide gradually compiled from my own trials, remedies, and errors—corrected as I’ve cooked my way through the years. Now that it has evolved into a book, information is arranged according to the large categories of soups, eggs, bread, and so forth, with the emphasis on technique. Whether a crêpe is rolled with mushrooms for a main course or with strawberries for dessert, all crêpe dishes are made in much the same way, so they are all together in one chapter. The same goes for soufflés, tarts, meats, and the rest of the menu. In the roasting section, for instance, the master recipe, though brief, details the technique for dealing with a large piece of meat. Here the master recipe is for roast beef, and is followed by still briefer variations for other roasts such as leg of lamb, roast chicken, turkey, fresh ham, and even a big whole fish. They all cook in essentially the same way, though small details differ. The same is true for soufflés and tarts; and green vegetables are grouped in two convenient charts according to method. Once you have mastered a technique you hardly need look at a recipe again, and can take off on your own.
If you have watched the PBS television special that was the inspiration for this book, you will note that the recipes demonstrated there are included here but that the method or ingredients are often not quite like those on the screen. Many of those recipes were conceived years ago. Take the garlic sauce for mashed potatoes as an example. That was a good system for its time, but an involved one. Here it is much simpler and equally good, if not even better.
A thorough professional index is essential for this kind of book. When you have a question, for instance, just look it up by subject, such as “Chocolate, about melting,” or “Mayonnaise, about troubleshooting,” or “Sole Meunière,” or “frying pans,” and so forth. My own little loose-leaf served me well, and I am hoping this book version will give you, too, as well as me, many of the essentials needed for brief instruction and problem solving.
Julia Child
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Soups and Two Mother Sauces
“Once you have mastered a technique, you hardly need look at a recipe again.”
Homemade soups fill the kitchen with a welcome air, and can be so full and natural and fresh that they solve that always nagging question of “what to serve as a first course.”
PRIMAL SOUPS
These are the basic soups, the least complicated, and often the most lo
ved.
MASTER RECIPE
Leek and Potato Soup
For about 2 quarts, serving 6
3 cups sliced leeks (white and tender green parts; see box below)
3 cups peeled and roughly chopped “baking” potatoes
6 cups water
1½ tsp salt
½ cup sour cream or crème fraîche, optional
Bring ingredients to the boil in a 3-quart saucepan. Cover partially and simmer 20 to 30 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Correct seasoning. Serve as is, or purée, and/or top each portion with a dollop of the cream.
VARIATIONS
ONION AND POTATO SOUP. Substitute onions for leeks, or use a combination.
CREAM OF LEEK AND POTATO SOUP. After simmering the preceding soup, purée it and whisk in ½ cup heavy cream. Reheat to the simmer again before serving.
WATERCRESS SOUP. Add a bunch of washed watercress leaves and stems to the base soup for the last 5 minutes of cooking. Purée. Garnish with a scattering of fresh watercress leaves.
COLD SOUPS, such as vichyssoise. Purée any of the above, stir in ½ cup cream, and chill. Correct seasoning just before serving; stir in chilled cream if you wish. Top each bowl with minced fresh chives or parsley (or fresh watercress leaves).
SOUPE DU JOUR. Meaning add anything else you have on hand, such as cauliflower, broccoli, green peas, spinach, cooked or raw. This is how you may come up with some of your own marvelous ideas and secret “house recipes.”
HOW TO PREPARE LEEKS. Trim off the root ends, keeping the leaves attached. Cut off tops so the leeks are 6 to 7 inches long. Starting ½ inch from the root and keeping leaves attached, slit each leek lengthwise in half and then in quarters. Wash under cold running water, spreading the leaves apart to rinse off all dirt. Leeks can be braised whole or sliced crosswise into pieces for soup. To julienne, cut leeks crosswise into 2-inch pieces, press leaves flat, and slice lengthwise into matchsticks.
TO PURÉE A SOUP. To use an immersion blender, set the machine upright in the center bottom of your soup pan, turn it on and move it around, but do not bring it to the surface. To use the food processor, strain the soup and turn the solids into the processor, adding to them a little of the liquid, then process, adding a little more liquid as needed. To use the vegetable mill, strain the soup and add the solids gradually to the mill, passing them through with small additions of the liquid.