4. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and return the chicken to the pan. Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil, and slide the pan into the oven. Bake, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Spoon everything onto a warm serving platter or into an attractive casserole.
5. To serve: Bring the chicken to the table, and serve with plenty of pieces of crusty baguette to sop up the sauce. Spread the bread with the soft, caramely garlic, which is easily squeezed out of its skin.
Originally appeared in Café Boulud Cookbook, by Daniel Boulud and Dorie Greenspan (Scribner, 1999).
ST. PIERRE DE CHANDIEU—THE ’60s
Lamb Barboton
Makes 4 to 6 servings
In the wintertime, it was often quite wet and raw at our farm. You needed something to warm up your insides and “stick to your ribs,” as they say in America. I always think of my mother making this for Sunday lunch—kind of an Irish stew done Lyonnais style, with the fragrance of serpolet, our Provençal wild thyme. My mother would usually serve it with creamed spinach.
3 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, trimmed of fat and cut into 2-inch chunks
All-purpose flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large onions (approximately 1 pound), peeled and cut into ½-inch wedges
2 medium leeks (approximately ¼ pound), white and light green parts only, thoroughly washed, cut into ½-inch segments
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup dry white wine, preferably a chardonnay
3 pounds Yukon Gold or other yellow-fleshed potatoes, peeled and quartered or cut into 1 ½-inch cubes, reserved in cold water
6 to 8 cups unsalted chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth
2 sprigs thyme, preferably wild (serpolet)
2 sprigs winter savory
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, leaves only, minced
1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Lightly dust the lamb with the flour and season with salt and pepper. In an enameled cast-iron Dutch oven or any thick-sided ovenproof roasting dish, warm 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat. Add the lamb and brown on all sides, 6 to 10 minutes. Add the remaining butter and the onions, leek, and garlic, and sweat the vegetables until they are translucent but still have no color, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the wine, and cook until the liquid reduces by three-quarters. Add the potatoes and stock, making sure that the lamb and vegetables are covered by 1 ½ to 2 inches of liquid. Add the thyme, savory, and bay leaf, and mix well to incorporate. Cover the pan loosely with a lid or with an oiled or buttered piece of parchment paper pricked with a tiny air hole in the center. Return to a boil, and transfer the pot to the preheated oven.
3. Bake the stew for 1 ½ to 2 hours. The lamb should be very tender, and the potatoes should be soft and beginning to break so that they thicken the sauce. Cook a half hour longer, if necessary. Discard the parchment, if using, and the thyme, savory, and bay leaf.
4. Ladle the stew into shallow-rimmed soup bowls and sprinkle with parsley just before serving. Serve with freshly ground pepper and fleur de sel on the side.
Originally appeared in The Pleasures of Slow Food: Celebrating Authentic Traditions, Flavors, and Recipes, by Corby Kummer (Chronicle Books, 2002).
LYON (THE CAPITAL OF SAUCISSON)—1969
Cervelas Sausage with Pistachios
Makes six to seven 6-inch sausages
When I first went to work in Lyon, I lived with my uncle, who was a charcutier. On my day off I would help him out, especially when things got crazy busy in the holiday season. This pistachio sausage was very much in demand that time of year. I kind of think of it as the most extravagant of poached saucissons, especially when you throw in some truffles. They’re expensive, I know, but for Christmas, you might not feel too bad about splurging. (You need a sausage stuffer for this recipe.)
1 pound 6 ounces pork shoulder (or pork cheek meat), cut into 1-inch chunks, well chilled
14 ounces fatback, cut into 1-inch chunks, well chilled
4 teaspoons fine sea salt, plus additional
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus additional
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Pinch of sugar
1 tablespoon Calvados, cognac, or brandy
4 to 5 feet calf sausage casing, about 1 ½ to 2 inches in diameter
½ cup shelled pistachio nuts, left whole
2 pounds fingerling potatoes, scrubbed
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1. Pass the pork shoulder and fatback through a meat grinder set on the largest holes. (Have your butcher perform this step if you don’t own a meat grinder.) Transfer the ground meat to a bowl, and add the 4 teaspoons of salt, 1 teaspoon of black pepper, cayenne, sugar, and Calvados. Mix well, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until needed.
2. Set up the sausage stuffer. Rinse the casings thoroughly, both inside and out, under cold running water. Drain well, and slide nearly the entire length of the casing onto the funnel feeder, scrunching it up as you go. Tie a knot at the free end, and keep it close to the tip of the funnel feeder.
3. Remove the meat from the refrigerator and mix in the pistachio nuts. Turn the machine on, and slowly add some of the stuffing, gently holding and guiding the casing with your free hand so that it fills evenly and firmly. Stuff a 6-inch link, being careful to avoid air bubbles, and then leave a ¼-inch bit of empty casing before making a second link. Repeat with the remaining stuffing, and then detach the long sausage from the machine. Twist the casing at the empty spots or tie it with kitchen string to form distinct and separate links. Tie the ends closed, and cut off any excess casing. Let rest uncovered in the refrigerator for at least 2 days and up to 4 days to allow the casing to dry out a bit as well as to let the meat rest.
4. Using a small needle, prick each sausage link in a few spots. Place them in a pot along with the potatoes, and add enough cold water to cover at least 1 to 2 inches. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer very gently until the potatoes are tender enough to be pierced with a fork or the point of a knife, 15 to 20 minutes. Keep the sausages and potatoes warm in the cooking liquid until serving.
5. To serve: Drain the sausages and potatoes, and cut the sausages into their separate links. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper, toss them with the butter and parsley, and place them in the center of a warm serving platter. Arrange the sausages on top and serve immediately.
ASCAIN—1971
Trout à la Crème with Chorizo and Peppers
Makes 4 servings
When I took my first trip away from my home region, it was to work in the Pays Basque at a place that had only a coal stove. The mountains were full of rivers. The rivers were full of trout. And at the Hotel Etchola in Ascain, the cellar was full of aging Bayonne hams. Sometimes we would get so busy and the orders would come so fast and furiously that we would throw four or five trout in a pan, poach them with cream and vegetables, and send them out to the dining room, which was full of folks on holiday.
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and deveined
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and deveined
1 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and deveined
1 small onion
1 medium tomato, peeled and seeded
4 ounces dried chorizo
2 cups heavy cream
½ teaspoon piment d’Espelette (Espelette pepper)
Four 6- to 8-ounce trout, cleaned and boned
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
8 to 12 slices unsmoked, cured dry ham, such as Jambon de Bayonne, Serrano ham, or prosciutto
1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Cut the green, red, and yellow bell peppers, onion, tomato, and chorizo into strips measuring 1 inch by ¼ inch.
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bsp; 3. In an oval fish pan or a 12-inch ovenproof skillet, mix together the peppers, onion, tomato, chorizo, cream, and piment d’Espelette, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a low simmer, and cook until the cream has reduced and thickened, 35 to 40 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, season the inside of each trout with salt and pepper. On a flat work surface, lay 2 to 3 ham slices vertically, slightly overlapping each other. Place the trout across the center of the ham slices. One by one, wrap each piece of ham around the trout. Continue until all four trout are wrapped.
5. Add the fish to the pan, and bake for 30 minutes or until the fish are cooked through. Serve immediately.
VONNAS—1973
Crêpes Vonnassiennes
Makes about 4 dozen crêpes
When I arrived at La Mère Blanc, it was the first time I worked in a restaurant with women in the kitchen. Georges Blanc’s mother was there on weekends, and there were also two women in the kitchen whose only job was to oversee some of the traditional dishes: Frog’s Legs, Poulet à la Crème, and Crêpes Vonassiennes. Truly nobody could approach the magic touch that Marie, one of the chefs, had with this dish.
1 pound Yukon Gold or Idaho potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
4 large egg whites
2 tablespoons crème fraîche
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
Clarified butter
1. Put the potatoes in a large pot of salted cold water, bring to a boil, and cook until the potatoes are tender enough to be pierced with a fork or the point of a knife, about 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Set the pot over medium heat and, shaking the pot to keep the potatoes from sticking, cook just until the potatoes are dry, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, and spoon the potatoes into a potato ricer or a food mill fitted with the fine blade. Push the potatoes through the ricer or food mill into a large bowl. Stir in the milk, and let the mixture cool to room temperature. Using a whisk, stir in the flour, eggs, egg whites, and crème fraîche, mixing well after each addition. The mixture should have the consistency of a thick custard. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. Warm 1 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. When the butter is hot, spoon into the pan as many 2-inch circles of batter as will fit. Cook until golden brown, 20 to 30 seconds. Flip the crêpes over and cook on the second side until golden brown, 20 to 30 seconds. Transfer the crêpes to a paper towel–lined plate. Repeat with the remaining batter, adding butter to the pan as needed.
3. Serve warm as a side dish, or sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar and serve as a dessert.
With thanks to Georges Blanc and Larousse Gastronomique.
MOUGINS—1975
Filet of Beef with Raisin and Pepper Sauce
A glorified steak au poivre. The first time I tried it was with Vergé. It was sweet, spicy, beefy, and what I loved most was that it wasn’t the classic creamy steak au poivre. The sauce is more like one you might serve with game. In fact, you can apply this recipe to venison or bison as well as beef.
For the roasted fingerling potatoes:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound fingerling potatoes, scrubbed and halved lengthwise
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 sprig thyme
Warm the oil in a large skillet over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the potatoes, and season with salt and pepper. Brown evenly on all sides, turning as needed. Reduce the heat to medium, add the butter, garlic, and thyme, and cook until the potatoes are tender. Discard the garlic and thyme. Set the potatoes aside and keep warm.
For the sautéed spinach:
1 ½ teaspoons unsalted butter
1 ½ pounds spinach, stemmed and tough center veins removed
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
Melt the butter in a large skillet over high heat. Add the spinach and garlic, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss until the spinach is tender but still bright green, about 5 minutes. Discard the garlic and drain off any liquid remaining in the pan. Set aside and keep warm.
For the beef and sauce:
½ cup golden raisins
¼ cup cognac or Armagnac
1 teaspoon coarsely crushed whole pink peppercorns
1 teaspoon coarsely crushed whole green peppercorns
½ teaspoon coarsely crushed whole black peppercorns
½ teaspoon coarsely crushed Szechuan peppercorns
1 whole Jamaican peppercorn, crushed
One 1 ½-pound beef tenderloin, trimmed of fat and cut into 4 slices
Coarse salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
⅓ cup unsalted beef stock or low-sodium beef broth
1. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the raisins, reduce the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain the raisins and run them under cold running water. Drain again. Place the raisins in a small bowl, and pour the cognac over them. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
2. Combine the peppercorns. Season the meat with the coarse salt, and press the peppercorns into the meat. Warm 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Slip the filets into the pan and cook for 4 to 5 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Transfer the meat to a platter and keep warm.
3. Drain the fat from the skillet. Add the raisins and cognac to the pan, return the pan to high heat, and bring to a boil. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half. Add the beef stock, reduce the heat, and simmer for 2 minutes. Cut the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter into very small pieces. Gradually add the butter to the sauce, stirring constantly. Season to taste with salt. Add the meat to the pan and baste with the sauce.
4. To serve: Divide the meat and sauce among four warm dinner plates. Serve with the fingerling potatoes and spinach.
Adapted from Roger Vergé’s original recipe as it appeared in Roger Vergé’s Cuisine of the South of France (William Morrow and Co., 1980).
COPENHAGEN—1977
Chestnut-Crusted Venison Loin
Makes 6 servings
In Denmark, especially during hunting season, we served a lot of game. Elk and venison were particular favorites. In the restaurant we often served venison with huckleberry sauce. The chestnut-crusted loin is an idea that came to me years later, but I think of it as an homage to my time in Denmark.
For the crust:
¾ pound peeled fresh chestnuts (from about 1 ¼ pounds in the shell), or ¾ pound dry-packed bottled or vacuum-sealed peeled fresh chestnuts
1. Break each chestnut into a few pieces, and spread them out on a baking sheet. Allow the pieces to dry overnight in a warm place—inside an oven with a pilot light is perfect.
2. The next day, place the chestnuts in the work bowl of a food processor, and pulse until they break into ¼-inch chunks. Sift the chestnuts, reserving the larger pieces that remain in the sieve, and discarding the powder or saving it for another use. Transfer the pieces to a plate and keep close at hand.
For the marinade:
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground star anise
¼ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 sprig thyme
Two 1 ½-pound venison loins, trimmed
Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a shallow pan, then roll the venison around in the marinade to coat. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight, turning the meat a few times during this period.
For the rut
abaga:
Zest from ½ orange (pith removed), cut into very thin strands
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large rutabaga, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
Large pinch of ground cinnamon
Small pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Small pinch of ground star anise
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 sprig thyme
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup unsalted chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth
1. Put the orange zest in a small pot of water and bring to a boil. Boil 2 minutes; drain and set aside.
2. Warm the olive oil in a large sauté pan or skillet over medium heat. Add the rutabaga, spices, garlic, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste, and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, without letting the rutabaga color. Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil, cover the pan, and lower the heat to keep the liquid at a simmer. Braise the rutabaga for 15 minutes, or until it can be pierced easily with the tip of a knife.
3. Remove the cover and cook the rutabaga, stirring and turning it gently, until it is glazed and the liquid in the pan has evaporated. Discard the garlic and thyme. Just before serving, stir in the orange zest. (The rutabaga can be made several hours ahead, kept covered in the refrigerator, then warmed over gentle heat before serving; stir in the zest at serving time.)
Letters to a Young Chef Page 13