Favorite Recipes for Gites or Apartments
Jul 22nd, 2007, 08:31 AM
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Favorite Recipes for Gites or Apartments
MargrietVanderBanck said it best...
"Simple recipes [that] can be cooked from memory or made up on the spot, they don’t require restocking the pantry (about the only herb you can count on finding in a rental kitchen is herbes de Provence), and they don’t create so many dirty dishes that the washers-up revolt."
This is the first time that we will stay in an apartment or a gite so I assembled some recipes from this forum to take with us to France in the fall. I thought that others might want them as well. Better than that, perhaps you have some recipes that you bring with you for those nights when you eat in. Will you share them?
Author: Michael ([email protected])
Date: 01/22/2007, 11:48 am
Foie Gras
Do you use a similar recipe:
1/ Peser le foie (très important pour la suite).
2/ Faire tremper le rouleau de gaze dans de l'armagnac puis essorer en pressant à la main.
Saler et poivrer le foie.
3/ Emmailloter complètement le foie.
4/ Mettre le foie emmailloté dans un saladier et le couvrir de gros sel ; le foie doit totalement être en contact avec le gros sel (le sel va cuire le foie).
5/ Laisser dans le gros sel à raison de deux heures par 100 g de foie (12 heures pour un foie de 600 g).
6/ Passer ce temps, sortir le foie du gros sel, retirer la gaze et laisser au frigo 48 heures.
Pour finir ... A déguster avec un vin blanc moelleux (pacherenc de vic bilh par exemple...).
Author: StuDudley
Date: 01/22/2007, 01:00 pm
Sorry, I don't read French - my wife is proficient in it, but she's not here now.
I have prepared foie gras in 2 different ways.
Clean the lobes by splitting it & pulling out all the blood vessels, & veinlike connective tissues.
Method 1 - poached in Sweet Wine
-Put lobe in a dish & cover with 2/3 C sweet wine. Salt, white pepper & cover with plastic wrap. Put in refrig for 6 hrs, turning often.
-Remove lobe, & wrap in cheese cloth - forming a "log". Tie log to form a piece 7-8 inches long & 2 to 2 1/2 inches in diameter.
-In a pan large enough to hold the lobe, combine 7 C of veal stock, the marinade, and 1 C more of the sweet wine. More S & P.
- Bring to boil, and genly drop the foie gras & poach till tender - 4 to 5 mins.
-fill a bowl with ice & a little water. Drop cooked foie gras in ice & cover with ice. Cool it for 1 minute
-Place cooked foie gras in a rectangular terrine. Put cooking liquid on the ice & chill for about 15 mins.
-Pour cooled cooking liquid over foie gras in terrine
-Cover & refrigirate for 2-3 days.
-to serve, remove cheese cloth & slice with knife which has been warmed by running it under hot water between slices.
method 2
-Sprinkle cleaned foie gras with mixture of 3 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp ground ciniamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, & 1/4 tsp allspice
-line 1 lb loaf pay with Saran wrap & force liver into pan. Sprinkle sweet wine of choice over liver & gathar up plastic wrap & envelope lobe.
-place identical loaf pan over liver & weigh down.
-place pan in water bath & cook in 300 degree oven for 25 mins, or until it reaches internal temp of 100 degrees.
-remove pan & invert on rimmed plate to allow yellow gras fat to run out.
-turn upright, and replace weighted pan on top of liver to press down. Put in refrig & keep overnight.
I have had more success with the first method
Stu Dudley
Author: Carlux
Date: 01/27/2007, 07:54 am
Robjame, just wait until you get here, and go to the market in Souillac (or Sarlat, but we know the people better in Souillac) Buy a fresh foie and saute it with apples and a bit of armagnac. That's what we did at Christmas, and it was heavenly. Luckily we didn't have any guests and could keep it all ourselves!
Or go to Calviac, the next village, about 3 minutes away, and get a jar of their mi-cuit. It is not true that you can't buy mi-cuit, but it usually comes in a jar rather than a tin, so that you can se the fat/foie content. Not sure about taking it back to Canada. Anyway, Jardel in Calviac has duck and goose, and so you can have a horizontal tasting. We have been known to do vertical tasting of sauteed goose vs. mi-cuit, etc., but there is a limit
Author: AnselmAdorne
Date: 03/22/2007, 01:46 pm
Living on rue de Saintonge
Late one afternoon I bought six oysters at the fish shop on rue de Bretagne, then went a few doors down the street to the green grocer for a lemon. That evening, I opened the bag of oysters and inhaled ocean air, seaweed, and iodine. Standing over the sink, I pried them open, delighted that I hadn’t stabbed the heel of my hand. I put the half-shells on a plate, squeezed a few drops of lemon over each, poured a glass of chilled Chablis, and sliced some baguette. These were the best oysters that I have ever eaten.
Author: MargrietVanderBanck
Date: 03/22/2007, 06:49 pm
Breakfast After a few years of research (and for the record I did not spend 20 minutes in the yoghurt aisle at the Carrefour in Uzès—no matter what my brother-in-law says) we have declared Mamie Nova Yaourt Gourmand to be our favourite yoghurt (3.5% BF and 20% fruit). We were very happy to find it at the Monoprix. Unfortunately they didn’t have fig, our all-time favourite, but there was peach, wild cherry, pear and quince, rhubarb, and fresh pineapple and passion fruit. Graham tried the chocolat noir, but even he had to admit that it was a bit much for breakfast.
The bakery was literally across the street from the apartment. We particularly enjoyed their pain au levain (sourdough), which they called “baguette à l’ancienne.” Unfortunately, it wasn’t always ready first thing, but the regular baguette was also very good. Some of us think that breakfast doesn’t get much better than a few slices of baguette with unsalted butter and apricot jam. But the kids were in charge of the morning bakery run, and they tried everything. The viennoiseries (croissants, chocolatines, pains aux raisins, chaussons aux pommes) were excellent—buttery without being greasy or soggy (except for the lovely wodgy centre of the pain aux raisins where they put the pastry cream).
Lunch The charcuterie counter at Monoprix and the shops and market stalls around Marché St-Honoré furnished lunch. Ham (jambon à l'os supérieur), paté or terrine, raw veggies, celery remoulade and herring and potato salad, about four kinds of olives (the guys at the market kept giving us different ones to taste), and, of course, cheese—St-Nectaire, bleu d’Auvergne, brebis, chevre in its many forms, brie de Meaux, Munster—we barely scratched the surface.
Supper We ate supper in on four of the nine nights we were in Paris. Which brings us to our second rule: take advantage of the best that France has to offer. I’d heard of the famous blue-legged chickens from Bresse (http://preview.tinyurl.com/yojk4x) in southern Burgundy, but had never eaten one. On Friday we bought one from our local volaillerie, Le Coq St-Honoré (www.coqsthonore.fr). I coated it with Dijon mustard mixed with chopped shallots and garlic, stuck a branch of fresh rosemary (from a plant on the balcony) into the cavity, and roasted it. With it we had a simple green salad and tiny potatoes sautéed in olive oil and butter. The chicken was incredible, intensely chickeny. It was definitely free range—the meat was lean and tender, but firm, not “wet” like most North American chicken. The shape was quite different, too, with a long body and very long straight leg bones. Such perfection comes at a price; at 10€ a kilo, the 2-kg bird cost over $30 Canadian, including the head, the feet, and whatever else madame kindly removed for me.
One of our favourite winter dishes is saucisses lentilles (we braised the sausages with garlic and red wine; the lentils, of course, were lentilles de Puy, which Anselm cooked with onion and carrot). It’s a perfect meal from a suitcase, accompanied with a salad of fennel, orange, and frisée. Leftover lentils mixed with vinagrette make a nice salad for lunch.
And on another night it was lamb chops from Monoprix. They were very good, though not quite as good as the agneau de pays from the butcher in Nyons or the lamb from Besse-en-Chandesse, just a few kilometres down the road from the house we rented in the Auvergne. With the chops we had tomatoes provençales, spinach with cream, and more of those sautéed potatoes.
There you have it, good simple meals eaten in the comfort of our apartment. We usually started with smoked salmon and capers and ended with patisserie from the local bakery. Along the way we drank a bottle of Badoit and a couple of bottles of wine. We found some very good Chablis, Sancerre, Corbière, and Côtes du Rhône Villages in the €6–10 range.
I remember seeing a recipe for cepe omelette that I wish I could find again….
Will you share?
"Simple recipes [that] can be cooked from memory or made up on the spot, they don’t require restocking the pantry (about the only herb you can count on finding in a rental kitchen is herbes de Provence), and they don’t create so many dirty dishes that the washers-up revolt."
This is the first time that we will stay in an apartment or a gite so I assembled some recipes from this forum to take with us to France in the fall. I thought that others might want them as well. Better than that, perhaps you have some recipes that you bring with you for those nights when you eat in. Will you share them?
Author: Michael ([email protected])
Date: 01/22/2007, 11:48 am
Foie Gras
Do you use a similar recipe:
1/ Peser le foie (très important pour la suite).
2/ Faire tremper le rouleau de gaze dans de l'armagnac puis essorer en pressant à la main.
Saler et poivrer le foie.
3/ Emmailloter complètement le foie.
4/ Mettre le foie emmailloté dans un saladier et le couvrir de gros sel ; le foie doit totalement être en contact avec le gros sel (le sel va cuire le foie).
5/ Laisser dans le gros sel à raison de deux heures par 100 g de foie (12 heures pour un foie de 600 g).
6/ Passer ce temps, sortir le foie du gros sel, retirer la gaze et laisser au frigo 48 heures.
Pour finir ... A déguster avec un vin blanc moelleux (pacherenc de vic bilh par exemple...).
Author: StuDudley
Date: 01/22/2007, 01:00 pm
Sorry, I don't read French - my wife is proficient in it, but she's not here now.
I have prepared foie gras in 2 different ways.
Clean the lobes by splitting it & pulling out all the blood vessels, & veinlike connective tissues.
Method 1 - poached in Sweet Wine
-Put lobe in a dish & cover with 2/3 C sweet wine. Salt, white pepper & cover with plastic wrap. Put in refrig for 6 hrs, turning often.
-Remove lobe, & wrap in cheese cloth - forming a "log". Tie log to form a piece 7-8 inches long & 2 to 2 1/2 inches in diameter.
-In a pan large enough to hold the lobe, combine 7 C of veal stock, the marinade, and 1 C more of the sweet wine. More S & P.
- Bring to boil, and genly drop the foie gras & poach till tender - 4 to 5 mins.
-fill a bowl with ice & a little water. Drop cooked foie gras in ice & cover with ice. Cool it for 1 minute
-Place cooked foie gras in a rectangular terrine. Put cooking liquid on the ice & chill for about 15 mins.
-Pour cooled cooking liquid over foie gras in terrine
-Cover & refrigirate for 2-3 days.
-to serve, remove cheese cloth & slice with knife which has been warmed by running it under hot water between slices.
method 2
-Sprinkle cleaned foie gras with mixture of 3 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp ground ciniamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, & 1/4 tsp allspice
-line 1 lb loaf pay with Saran wrap & force liver into pan. Sprinkle sweet wine of choice over liver & gathar up plastic wrap & envelope lobe.
-place identical loaf pan over liver & weigh down.
-place pan in water bath & cook in 300 degree oven for 25 mins, or until it reaches internal temp of 100 degrees.
-remove pan & invert on rimmed plate to allow yellow gras fat to run out.
-turn upright, and replace weighted pan on top of liver to press down. Put in refrig & keep overnight.
I have had more success with the first method
Stu Dudley
Author: Carlux
Date: 01/27/2007, 07:54 am
Robjame, just wait until you get here, and go to the market in Souillac (or Sarlat, but we know the people better in Souillac) Buy a fresh foie and saute it with apples and a bit of armagnac. That's what we did at Christmas, and it was heavenly. Luckily we didn't have any guests and could keep it all ourselves!
Or go to Calviac, the next village, about 3 minutes away, and get a jar of their mi-cuit. It is not true that you can't buy mi-cuit, but it usually comes in a jar rather than a tin, so that you can se the fat/foie content. Not sure about taking it back to Canada. Anyway, Jardel in Calviac has duck and goose, and so you can have a horizontal tasting. We have been known to do vertical tasting of sauteed goose vs. mi-cuit, etc., but there is a limit
Author: AnselmAdorne
Date: 03/22/2007, 01:46 pm
Living on rue de Saintonge
Late one afternoon I bought six oysters at the fish shop on rue de Bretagne, then went a few doors down the street to the green grocer for a lemon. That evening, I opened the bag of oysters and inhaled ocean air, seaweed, and iodine. Standing over the sink, I pried them open, delighted that I hadn’t stabbed the heel of my hand. I put the half-shells on a plate, squeezed a few drops of lemon over each, poured a glass of chilled Chablis, and sliced some baguette. These were the best oysters that I have ever eaten.
Author: MargrietVanderBanck
Date: 03/22/2007, 06:49 pm
Breakfast After a few years of research (and for the record I did not spend 20 minutes in the yoghurt aisle at the Carrefour in Uzès—no matter what my brother-in-law says) we have declared Mamie Nova Yaourt Gourmand to be our favourite yoghurt (3.5% BF and 20% fruit). We were very happy to find it at the Monoprix. Unfortunately they didn’t have fig, our all-time favourite, but there was peach, wild cherry, pear and quince, rhubarb, and fresh pineapple and passion fruit. Graham tried the chocolat noir, but even he had to admit that it was a bit much for breakfast.
The bakery was literally across the street from the apartment. We particularly enjoyed their pain au levain (sourdough), which they called “baguette à l’ancienne.” Unfortunately, it wasn’t always ready first thing, but the regular baguette was also very good. Some of us think that breakfast doesn’t get much better than a few slices of baguette with unsalted butter and apricot jam. But the kids were in charge of the morning bakery run, and they tried everything. The viennoiseries (croissants, chocolatines, pains aux raisins, chaussons aux pommes) were excellent—buttery without being greasy or soggy (except for the lovely wodgy centre of the pain aux raisins where they put the pastry cream).
Lunch The charcuterie counter at Monoprix and the shops and market stalls around Marché St-Honoré furnished lunch. Ham (jambon à l'os supérieur), paté or terrine, raw veggies, celery remoulade and herring and potato salad, about four kinds of olives (the guys at the market kept giving us different ones to taste), and, of course, cheese—St-Nectaire, bleu d’Auvergne, brebis, chevre in its many forms, brie de Meaux, Munster—we barely scratched the surface.
Supper We ate supper in on four of the nine nights we were in Paris. Which brings us to our second rule: take advantage of the best that France has to offer. I’d heard of the famous blue-legged chickens from Bresse (http://preview.tinyurl.com/yojk4x) in southern Burgundy, but had never eaten one. On Friday we bought one from our local volaillerie, Le Coq St-Honoré (www.coqsthonore.fr). I coated it with Dijon mustard mixed with chopped shallots and garlic, stuck a branch of fresh rosemary (from a plant on the balcony) into the cavity, and roasted it. With it we had a simple green salad and tiny potatoes sautéed in olive oil and butter. The chicken was incredible, intensely chickeny. It was definitely free range—the meat was lean and tender, but firm, not “wet” like most North American chicken. The shape was quite different, too, with a long body and very long straight leg bones. Such perfection comes at a price; at 10€ a kilo, the 2-kg bird cost over $30 Canadian, including the head, the feet, and whatever else madame kindly removed for me.
One of our favourite winter dishes is saucisses lentilles (we braised the sausages with garlic and red wine; the lentils, of course, were lentilles de Puy, which Anselm cooked with onion and carrot). It’s a perfect meal from a suitcase, accompanied with a salad of fennel, orange, and frisée. Leftover lentils mixed with vinagrette make a nice salad for lunch.
And on another night it was lamb chops from Monoprix. They were very good, though not quite as good as the agneau de pays from the butcher in Nyons or the lamb from Besse-en-Chandesse, just a few kilometres down the road from the house we rented in the Auvergne. With the chops we had tomatoes provençales, spinach with cream, and more of those sautéed potatoes.
There you have it, good simple meals eaten in the comfort of our apartment. We usually started with smoked salmon and capers and ended with patisserie from the local bakery. Along the way we drank a bottle of Badoit and a couple of bottles of wine. We found some very good Chablis, Sancerre, Corbière, and Côtes du Rhône Villages in the €6–10 range.
I remember seeing a recipe for cepe omelette that I wish I could find again….
Will you share?
Jul 22nd, 2007, 08:57 AM
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I LOVE THIS! In St. Tropez we only ate in restaurants 1 night - the first night for dinner. We did eat fancy lunches when we were out and about...
Carrying a cloth bag in my purse, I just checked out what was looking good at the markets...popped them in the bag and kept on going. (I think this is funny - but my French is rudimentary at best and my numbers in French are crap...I asked for 100 kilos of tiny potatoes at one booth...
did that man's eyes twinkle at me!?)
The first full day we stopped and got good olive oil, fleur du sel, a small pepper grinder, coffee, cream, juices..the necessities ... oh, and of course, wine.
If whatever the seller's were selling looked good, I prepared what they had. No preplanning. Fresh ingredients, simply cooked...the BEST food of all.
Crevettes in garlic & white wine, roasted Belgian endive in butter, a fresh baquette and berries for dessert.
One night we just at a cheese plate, pate, olives and fruit...
No recipes...
Carrying a cloth bag in my purse, I just checked out what was looking good at the markets...popped them in the bag and kept on going. (I think this is funny - but my French is rudimentary at best and my numbers in French are crap...I asked for 100 kilos of tiny potatoes at one booth...
did that man's eyes twinkle at me!?)
The first full day we stopped and got good olive oil, fleur du sel, a small pepper grinder, coffee, cream, juices..the necessities ... oh, and of course, wine.
If whatever the seller's were selling looked good, I prepared what they had. No preplanning. Fresh ingredients, simply cooked...the BEST food of all.
Crevettes in garlic & white wine, roasted Belgian endive in butter, a fresh baquette and berries for dessert.
One night we just at a cheese plate, pate, olives and fruit...
No recipes...
Jul 22nd, 2007, 11:18 AM
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We ALWAYS cook the same two recpies while in Gites:
1. Gite Chicken - very simple
- Purchase a Poulet Fermier at an outdoor market or grocery
- Heat a "tub" of creme fraiche on the cooktop with a heaping tablespoon of Mourtard Ancienne (more if you like mustard). Reduce a little
- reheat the chicken if it's cooled, quarter the chicken, & spoon sauce over it
2. Magret du Canard with blackcurrent sauce
- reduce 1/2 cup of Blackcurrent/Cassis syrup (non-alcohol) together with 1/3 cup of red wine vinegar till it's about 1/3 cup remaining
- pre-heat a skillet (non-stick if possible), and heat the magret for 8 mins on the skin side then 4 mins on the non-skin side. You will probably have to pour off some of the rendered fat in the process.
- remove the magret, clean off the skillet with a paper towell, and pour about 3/4 cup of heavy creme in the skillet.
- reduce the cream by half, pour in the cassis/vinegar mixture & wisk a little to blend
- slice the magret in 1/2 inch slices, fan over a serving plate, & drizzle sauce over the slices
- serves 2
Stu Dudley
1. Gite Chicken - very simple
- Purchase a Poulet Fermier at an outdoor market or grocery
- Heat a "tub" of creme fraiche on the cooktop with a heaping tablespoon of Mourtard Ancienne (more if you like mustard). Reduce a little
- reheat the chicken if it's cooled, quarter the chicken, & spoon sauce over it
2. Magret du Canard with blackcurrent sauce
- reduce 1/2 cup of Blackcurrent/Cassis syrup (non-alcohol) together with 1/3 cup of red wine vinegar till it's about 1/3 cup remaining
- pre-heat a skillet (non-stick if possible), and heat the magret for 8 mins on the skin side then 4 mins on the non-skin side. You will probably have to pour off some of the rendered fat in the process.
- remove the magret, clean off the skillet with a paper towell, and pour about 3/4 cup of heavy creme in the skillet.
- reduce the cream by half, pour in the cassis/vinegar mixture & wisk a little to blend
- slice the magret in 1/2 inch slices, fan over a serving plate, & drizzle sauce over the slices
- serves 2
Stu Dudley
Jul 22nd, 2007, 01:04 PM
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Hi rob,
>I remember seeing a recipe for cepe omelette that I wish I could find again….<
I would,
buy some cepes
slice them and gently saute in butter
set aside
beat 2-3 eggs per person with a little water
add butter to saute pan and heat until foaming stops
sprinkle with pepper
pour 2-3 beaten eggs into pan
swirl
top with cepes
flip one or both sides over to make 2 layers
remove from pan when done
>I remember seeing a recipe for cepe omelette that I wish I could find again….<
I would,
buy some cepes
slice them and gently saute in butter
set aside
beat 2-3 eggs per person with a little water
add butter to saute pan and heat until foaming stops
sprinkle with pepper
pour 2-3 beaten eggs into pan
swirl
top with cepes
flip one or both sides over to make 2 layers
remove from pan when done
Jul 22nd, 2007, 04:18 PM
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It's a bit of a shock to be "mentioned in dispatches". Brings back great memories, though.
Here's the complete recipe for the mustard-coated roast chicken that Margriet mentioned in her post:
2 dollops Dijon mustard
1/4 cup shallots, minced
3 med cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 3-lb chicken, ready for roasting
coarse salt
Note: the chicken should marinate for at least 4 hours, but we often do it for 8. You could prep it in the morning, spend a day touring, and then pop it the oven when you get home.
Mix the mustard, shallots, garlic, olive oil, and pepper into a paste. Spread the mixture evenly over the chicken. Sprinkle lightly with coarse salt. If you have fresh herbs or parsley, put a few sprigs in the cavity. (We've seen lots of rosemary in France; one sprig of that would be perfect.) Put the coated chicken on a roasting rack, put the rack on a platter and refrigerate, uncovered, for 4 or more hours.
Preheat the oven to 450F. Place the rack with the chicken in a roasting pan. When the oven is ready, put the chicken in and immediately lower the heat to 425F. Roast for 25 minutes. Lower the heat to 350F. Cook for 45 minutes to 60 minutes longer. (I have found that it can take up to 70 minutes longer depending on the size of the bird and the oven temperature. You can tell it's cooked if you waggle a leg and find it moves freely at the joint.)
Put the chicken on a heated platter to rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, you can make a simple gravy by adding some chicken stock to the roasting pan and deglazing the pan. Strain into a gravy separator and pour the defatted juices into a saucepan. Taste and adjust the flavour; add more stock or boil it down or add a few drops of lemon juice … just judge.
You may have trouble finding nice chicken stock ("fond de volaille"
in France. Margriet quartered an entire Carrefour looking for it and drew a blank, so we made our own. Alternatively, you could improvise with some white wine, vegetable cooking water, and pan juices, or skip that bit entirely.
Anselm
Here's the complete recipe for the mustard-coated roast chicken that Margriet mentioned in her post:
2 dollops Dijon mustard
1/4 cup shallots, minced
3 med cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 3-lb chicken, ready for roasting
coarse salt
Note: the chicken should marinate for at least 4 hours, but we often do it for 8. You could prep it in the morning, spend a day touring, and then pop it the oven when you get home.
Mix the mustard, shallots, garlic, olive oil, and pepper into a paste. Spread the mixture evenly over the chicken. Sprinkle lightly with coarse salt. If you have fresh herbs or parsley, put a few sprigs in the cavity. (We've seen lots of rosemary in France; one sprig of that would be perfect.) Put the coated chicken on a roasting rack, put the rack on a platter and refrigerate, uncovered, for 4 or more hours.
Preheat the oven to 450F. Place the rack with the chicken in a roasting pan. When the oven is ready, put the chicken in and immediately lower the heat to 425F. Roast for 25 minutes. Lower the heat to 350F. Cook for 45 minutes to 60 minutes longer. (I have found that it can take up to 70 minutes longer depending on the size of the bird and the oven temperature. You can tell it's cooked if you waggle a leg and find it moves freely at the joint.)
Put the chicken on a heated platter to rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, you can make a simple gravy by adding some chicken stock to the roasting pan and deglazing the pan. Strain into a gravy separator and pour the defatted juices into a saucepan. Taste and adjust the flavour; add more stock or boil it down or add a few drops of lemon juice … just judge.
You may have trouble finding nice chicken stock ("fond de volaille"
in France. Margriet quartered an entire Carrefour looking for it and drew a blank, so we made our own. Alternatively, you could improvise with some white wine, vegetable cooking water, and pan juices, or skip that bit entirely.Anselm
Jul 23rd, 2007, 03:53 AM
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robjame, this has the makings of a great thread. I've never stayed in an apartment, but when I want to pretend that I am, it's rigatoni with gorgonzola. Oh my goodness. Cream or zero-fat evaporated milk (imagine that). I look forward to reading everyone's contributions. J.
Jul 23rd, 2007, 03:57 AM
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These recipes look great!
Suzie - some super ideas there.
Stu - that duck recipe is one we are going to try for sure. Thanks.
ira - that is the same as the recipe that I use but I seem to remember a cepe omelette that involve creme fraiche (I think).
Anselm - that is a wonderful recipe for chicken. We tried it last night, though on a couple of chicken breasts - and thought it was wonderful. I can't wait to try it with a poulet from the marche. Simple enough to do as well.
Suzie - some super ideas there.
Stu - that duck recipe is one we are going to try for sure. Thanks.
ira - that is the same as the recipe that I use but I seem to remember a cepe omelette that involve creme fraiche (I think).
Anselm - that is a wonderful recipe for chicken. We tried it last night, though on a couple of chicken breasts - and thought it was wonderful. I can't wait to try it with a poulet from the marche. Simple enough to do as well.
Jul 23rd, 2007, 04:03 AM
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Hi R,
>I seem to remember a cepe omelette that involve creme fraiche (I think).<
Egads! Think of your cholesterol and triglyceride count.
A. Beat some creme fraiche into the eggs before cooking.
B. Add a little creme fraiche along with the cepes.
C. Top the finished omelette with CF and a sprinkle of chives.
>I seem to remember a cepe omelette that involve creme fraiche (I think).<
Egads! Think of your cholesterol and triglyceride count.
A. Beat some creme fraiche into the eggs before cooking.
B. Add a little creme fraiche along with the cepes.
C. Top the finished omelette with CF and a sprinkle of chives.
Jul 23rd, 2007, 04:49 AM
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Great ideas here, hope I can use some of the recipes when we stay at a gite in Brittany this fall. Usually we are coming back so late from day trips that we just do the cheese, pate, bread and wine dinners. Deborah
Jul 23rd, 2007, 05:57 AM
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Time for one more ...
Margriet mentioned saucisses lentilles. It seems odd to even think about cooking this dish at this time of year, but we’ve found it perfect comfort food on a cool October evening in Provence (and early May in Auvergne and February in Paris).
Olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 small carrot, chopped
˝ celery stalk, chopped
2 cups green lentils, rinsed (use lentilles de Puy, they’re perfect)
3 cups water
2 whole cloves (you may not find these in your rented gîte, but buy a bottle and leave it)
Pepper
A sufficiency of sausages (Carrefour carries an excellent saucisse de Toulouse)
1 clove of garlic, smashed
Ľ cup red wine
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
Salt
Heat a small amount of olive oil in a saucepan and cook the onion until soft. Add the carrot and celery and cook a few minutes more. Add the lentils, water, pepper, and cloves and cook until the lentils are soft. (This takes about 40 minutes, if I recollect properly. You’re aiming for soft with a bit of resistance.) Don’t add salt at this point.
In a large lidded frying pan, brown the sausages on all sides. Add the garlic and wine. Braise the sausages, covered, for 20 minutes, adding a little extra water if need be. Add the cooked lentils to the sausages; stir well; and season to taste with red wine vinegar and salt.
We usually pair this with a green salad (preferably with lots of frisée) and a dressing of olive oil, red wine vinegar, and Dijon mustard. A red from Languedoc will stand up to it all, such as a Minervois.
Anselm
Margriet mentioned saucisses lentilles. It seems odd to even think about cooking this dish at this time of year, but we’ve found it perfect comfort food on a cool October evening in Provence (and early May in Auvergne and February in Paris).
Olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 small carrot, chopped
˝ celery stalk, chopped
2 cups green lentils, rinsed (use lentilles de Puy, they’re perfect)
3 cups water
2 whole cloves (you may not find these in your rented gîte, but buy a bottle and leave it)
Pepper
A sufficiency of sausages (Carrefour carries an excellent saucisse de Toulouse)
1 clove of garlic, smashed
Ľ cup red wine
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
Salt
Heat a small amount of olive oil in a saucepan and cook the onion until soft. Add the carrot and celery and cook a few minutes more. Add the lentils, water, pepper, and cloves and cook until the lentils are soft. (This takes about 40 minutes, if I recollect properly. You’re aiming for soft with a bit of resistance.) Don’t add salt at this point.
In a large lidded frying pan, brown the sausages on all sides. Add the garlic and wine. Braise the sausages, covered, for 20 minutes, adding a little extra water if need be. Add the cooked lentils to the sausages; stir well; and season to taste with red wine vinegar and salt.
We usually pair this with a green salad (preferably with lots of frisée) and a dressing of olive oil, red wine vinegar, and Dijon mustard. A red from Languedoc will stand up to it all, such as a Minervois.
Anselm
Jul 23rd, 2007, 06:25 AM
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Speaking of chives, when in France we usually buy a live chive plant at a market so we can snip some whenever we need (over fresh chevre, etc.)
When we're in France in the fall, we ALWAYS make a Cepe fretatta, or an omelette the exact same way Ira first posted. Cepes are a luxury because they are very expensive here & cheap in France. We often just have a plate of sauteed Cepes for dinner - and that's all.
The Sat & Wed market in Cahors usually has 2 Cepe vendors. One is a vendor with a table full of several types of mushrooms, and the other is an old lady that sits on a stool with a basket of Cepes. They sell out very early. When the old lady arrived at the market later than most vendors, there was a line waiting for her. I prefer the Cepe stems over the caps, so I get any cepes that have lost their caps. I like the smaller ones that are VERY firm. Squeeze the stems to make sure that they have not been eaten away by worms, or they are too old & dried out. Once I purchased some & let them sit for 2 days, and much of the water evaporated & they dried out and were not good at all.
Most of the markets sell mi-cuit Foie Gras. You can purchase almost any size you want. That's what we do, instead of trying to prepare it ourselves. I don't like the stuff in jars - get the shrink-wrapped mi-cuit. The canned stuff that you see in the stores everywhere is only slightly better than canned cat food, IMO.
For the Duck, you can purchase the Magrets at almost any grocery & most outdoor markets. If you get large ones, the recipe serves two. The cassis is in every grocery also - look for the section with all the syrops (in canes or bottles)
Stu Dudley
When we're in France in the fall, we ALWAYS make a Cepe fretatta, or an omelette the exact same way Ira first posted. Cepes are a luxury because they are very expensive here & cheap in France. We often just have a plate of sauteed Cepes for dinner - and that's all.
The Sat & Wed market in Cahors usually has 2 Cepe vendors. One is a vendor with a table full of several types of mushrooms, and the other is an old lady that sits on a stool with a basket of Cepes. They sell out very early. When the old lady arrived at the market later than most vendors, there was a line waiting for her. I prefer the Cepe stems over the caps, so I get any cepes that have lost their caps. I like the smaller ones that are VERY firm. Squeeze the stems to make sure that they have not been eaten away by worms, or they are too old & dried out. Once I purchased some & let them sit for 2 days, and much of the water evaporated & they dried out and were not good at all.
Most of the markets sell mi-cuit Foie Gras. You can purchase almost any size you want. That's what we do, instead of trying to prepare it ourselves. I don't like the stuff in jars - get the shrink-wrapped mi-cuit. The canned stuff that you see in the stores everywhere is only slightly better than canned cat food, IMO.
For the Duck, you can purchase the Magrets at almost any grocery & most outdoor markets. If you get large ones, the recipe serves two. The cassis is in every grocery also - look for the section with all the syrops (in canes or bottles)
Stu Dudley
Jul 23rd, 2007, 08:24 AM
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Thanks Anselm - another winner
Stu - At first I laughed about your chive idea. We have so many chives growing here and we can never find recipes to use them. The idea of chives on chevre is one we are going to try.
I was also thinking that there is no reason why you couldn't substitute cassis(alcoholic) for the syrup. The alcohol burns off and we would then have the cassis available for kirs - I wonderful thought, n'est-ce pas?
Stu - At first I laughed about your chive idea. We have so many chives growing here and we can never find recipes to use them. The idea of chives on chevre is one we are going to try.
I was also thinking that there is no reason why you couldn't substitute cassis(alcoholic) for the syrup. The alcohol burns off and we would then have the cassis available for kirs - I wonderful thought, n'est-ce pas?
Jul 23rd, 2007, 09:26 AM
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We actually use the non-alcohol cassis for Kirs. We have one every night here at home and in France also. It's a lot less expensive than the stuff with alcohol. The syrop is sweeter and a little more concentrated than the alcohol cassis. We purchase the syrop by the case & have done so for over 27 years. It's difficult to obtain in the US, but in almost all groceries in France you'll find several different brands. Peach syrop makes a good Kir also.
The Duck recipe specifically calls for the syrop - it says not to use the alcohol type. I make the duck at home & in France (where magrets are much less expensive) when I don't want to get involved in a complicated meal preparation. I've made it over 100 times at least. On the recipe I posted, I guessed at the proportions of cassis & vinegar - I hardly ever measure anything. I think I would add a little more of the cassis and the vinegar that I originally posted, and reduce it to 1/2 to 5/8 cups.
Stu Dudley
The Duck recipe specifically calls for the syrop - it says not to use the alcohol type. I make the duck at home & in France (where magrets are much less expensive) when I don't want to get involved in a complicated meal preparation. I've made it over 100 times at least. On the recipe I posted, I guessed at the proportions of cassis & vinegar - I hardly ever measure anything. I think I would add a little more of the cassis and the vinegar that I originally posted, and reduce it to 1/2 to 5/8 cups.
Stu Dudley
Jul 24th, 2007, 03:19 PM
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My brother sent me this ratatouille recipe. I must admit that it came about after we had both seen Disney’s “Ratatouille” and were discussing the cooking in it. (A wonderful movie for anyone who enjoys Paris and cooking. I took my grandchildren which was a real special way to see a movie.)
I think that this recipe would be perfect for an apartment or gite as it is much less complicated than most.
1.6 kg tomato [tomate]
700 g eggplant (2) [aubergine]
500 g zucchini (2) [courgette]
700 g bell pepper (2-3) [poivron]
1 kg onion [oignon]
6 cloves garlic [ail]
Herbes de Provence (basilic,thyme, parsley)
olive oil [huile d'olive]
salt, pepper [sel, poivre]
140 g tomato paste
1. Prepare a large cooking pot with thick bottom, put in plenty olive oil.
2. Chop the onion, put it into the pot and start it cooking slowly. Chop and add the garlic.
3. Wash the bell pepper, cut into small strips, and stir it in.
4. Wash the tomatoes, chop them up in big chunks, and throw them in (no peeling) and stir in well.
5. Add the herbs de Provence and pepper. If the tomatoes are flavorless (all too common these days), we add a small can of condensed tomato sauce at this time.
6. Cut the eggplant and the zucchini into big chunks, then throw them into the pot. Then they need to be stirred down frequently until they've merged with the rest of the ingredients.
This takes about an hour, from when we first start chopping until everything is in the pot together. We then cook slowly for one to two hours, depending on how chunky you want in and how eager you are to try it.
I think that this recipe would be perfect for an apartment or gite as it is much less complicated than most.
1.6 kg tomato [tomate]
700 g eggplant (2) [aubergine]
500 g zucchini (2) [courgette]
700 g bell pepper (2-3) [poivron]
1 kg onion [oignon]
6 cloves garlic [ail]
Herbes de Provence (basilic,thyme, parsley)
olive oil [huile d'olive]
salt, pepper [sel, poivre]
140 g tomato paste
1. Prepare a large cooking pot with thick bottom, put in plenty olive oil.
2. Chop the onion, put it into the pot and start it cooking slowly. Chop and add the garlic.
3. Wash the bell pepper, cut into small strips, and stir it in.
4. Wash the tomatoes, chop them up in big chunks, and throw them in (no peeling) and stir in well.
5. Add the herbs de Provence and pepper. If the tomatoes are flavorless (all too common these days), we add a small can of condensed tomato sauce at this time.
6. Cut the eggplant and the zucchini into big chunks, then throw them into the pot. Then they need to be stirred down frequently until they've merged with the rest of the ingredients.
This takes about an hour, from when we first start chopping until everything is in the pot together. We then cook slowly for one to two hours, depending on how chunky you want in and how eager you are to try it.
Jul 24th, 2007, 04:27 PM
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Sigh. You just reminded me that we haven't made "ratat" in quite a while. It's a wonderful dish.
I'm trying persuade Margriet to post a couple of tomato recipes and something about lamb, but she wants to make curtains. Maybe later.
Anselm
I'm trying persuade Margriet to post a couple of tomato recipes and something about lamb, but she wants to make curtains. Maybe later.
Anselm
Jul 24th, 2007, 04:57 PM
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We cooked according to what we bought at the market each day or two. Stu's recipe above for the chicken with mustard sauce is a staple for us here at home. I learned it from my host family in Tours, but they prepared it using rabbit, which we found readily available at our neighborhood market at our rental apt. in the 9e.
We also had the luxury of our laptop and internet, so if a dish caught our eye, we looked up recipes online.
We also had the luxury of our laptop and internet, so if a dish caught our eye, we looked up recipes online.
Jul 24th, 2007, 07:01 PM
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Robjame,
I've set aside the curtains for a bit. Your ratat recipe is very like the one we use. When I write it out for people, I say to use more olive oil than they think they’ll need and then double it. I think that’s key to the depth that a really good ratatouille has. We also sweat the onions—cook them covered over very low heat for 5–10 minutes to get the greatest sweetness.
It’s wonderful with lamb. We’ve found that the lamb sold by butchers in the small towns and villages we’ve stayed at to be incredibly good. When we commented on it to M. Huard in Nyons, he beamed and said, with evident pride, “C’est l’agneau de pays, guaranti!” And madame at the butcher shop in Montaigut-le-Blanc told us which village her lamb came from.
Here are a couple of things I do with tomatoes. First is Tomato Fondue, a very simple sauce where you cook the tomatoes in butter until they just begin to lose their shape. I found it years ago in <i>From Julia Child’s Kitchen</i>, but it’s so easy that I haven’t looked at the original in years. It dresses up plain rice (from the Camargue, of course) and is perfect with simple grilled or sautéed meat or poultry. Use the best and ripest tomatoes you can find; if they’re at all unripe or cotton-woolly in texture, don’t bother making it. Seeding the tomatoes is very important—the juice adds no flavour and simply dilutes the sauce.
<b>Tomato Fondue</b>
<i>(For 2–4)</i>
Half a shallot, finely chopped
1 Tbsp butter
Two medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
Some taragon (preferably fresh)
Salt and pepper
Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Bring it to the point that the butter is just about to boil, add the shallots, and lower heat. Cook, over very low heat until soft.
Add the diced tomatoes, tarragon, and freshly ground pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook, covered, for about 5–10 minutes, then remove the cover, raise the heat, and cook for a few minutes more to reduce the cooking liquid.
Adjust the seasoning; it will need salt. (Fresh basil will also work if you don’t have tarragon.)
Tomatoes Provençale are also great with lamb. They’re a bit more work, but since they need time in the oven, the cook has a chance to sit down and have a civilized drink.
<b>Tomatoes Provençale</b>
<i>(For 2–4)</i>
2 large ripe tomatoes
Salt and pepper
1/3 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 Tbsp minced shallots
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
1-1/2–2 Tbsp olive oil
Pinch of herbes de Provence
Heat the oven to 400°F (200C°).
Halve the tomatoes (round the equator), gently squeeze out the excess juice, and scoop out the seeds. Season the insides lightly with salt and pepper and turn upside down to drain while you prepare the stuffing.
Toss the breadcrumbs, shallots, garlic, parsley, and herbs. Season with a little salt and pepper and add drops of olive oil to moisten. Divide the mixture into four and fill the tomatoes with it. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the crumbs are browned and the tomatoes hot, but don’t let them collapse.
Note: You can leave out the herbes de Provence, but I’ve never met a rental kitchen that didn’t have a jar. If you’re lucky, the kitchen will have some kind of chopper for the crumbs; otherwise use a grater, and watch your fingers.
I've set aside the curtains for a bit. Your ratat recipe is very like the one we use. When I write it out for people, I say to use more olive oil than they think they’ll need and then double it. I think that’s key to the depth that a really good ratatouille has. We also sweat the onions—cook them covered over very low heat for 5–10 minutes to get the greatest sweetness.
It’s wonderful with lamb. We’ve found that the lamb sold by butchers in the small towns and villages we’ve stayed at to be incredibly good. When we commented on it to M. Huard in Nyons, he beamed and said, with evident pride, “C’est l’agneau de pays, guaranti!” And madame at the butcher shop in Montaigut-le-Blanc told us which village her lamb came from.
Here are a couple of things I do with tomatoes. First is Tomato Fondue, a very simple sauce where you cook the tomatoes in butter until they just begin to lose their shape. I found it years ago in <i>From Julia Child’s Kitchen</i>, but it’s so easy that I haven’t looked at the original in years. It dresses up plain rice (from the Camargue, of course) and is perfect with simple grilled or sautéed meat or poultry. Use the best and ripest tomatoes you can find; if they’re at all unripe or cotton-woolly in texture, don’t bother making it. Seeding the tomatoes is very important—the juice adds no flavour and simply dilutes the sauce.
<b>Tomato Fondue</b>
<i>(For 2–4)</i>
Half a shallot, finely chopped
1 Tbsp butter
Two medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
Some taragon (preferably fresh)
Salt and pepper
Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Bring it to the point that the butter is just about to boil, add the shallots, and lower heat. Cook, over very low heat until soft.
Add the diced tomatoes, tarragon, and freshly ground pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook, covered, for about 5–10 minutes, then remove the cover, raise the heat, and cook for a few minutes more to reduce the cooking liquid.
Adjust the seasoning; it will need salt. (Fresh basil will also work if you don’t have tarragon.)
Tomatoes Provençale are also great with lamb. They’re a bit more work, but since they need time in the oven, the cook has a chance to sit down and have a civilized drink.
<b>Tomatoes Provençale</b>
<i>(For 2–4)</i>
2 large ripe tomatoes
Salt and pepper
1/3 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 Tbsp minced shallots
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
1-1/2–2 Tbsp olive oil
Pinch of herbes de Provence
Heat the oven to 400°F (200C°).
Halve the tomatoes (round the equator), gently squeeze out the excess juice, and scoop out the seeds. Season the insides lightly with salt and pepper and turn upside down to drain while you prepare the stuffing.
Toss the breadcrumbs, shallots, garlic, parsley, and herbs. Season with a little salt and pepper and add drops of olive oil to moisten. Divide the mixture into four and fill the tomatoes with it. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the crumbs are browned and the tomatoes hot, but don’t let them collapse.
Note: You can leave out the herbes de Provence, but I’ve never met a rental kitchen that didn’t have a jar. If you’re lucky, the kitchen will have some kind of chopper for the crumbs; otherwise use a grater, and watch your fingers.
Jul 25th, 2007, 06:33 AM
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After the recent discussion of ratatouille and "Ratatouille", Canada'a Globe and Mail Newspaper today does an article on the movie and the dish complete with recipe. Do you think that they were eaves dropping?
http://tinyurl.com/3aue8p
http://tinyurl.com/3aue8p
Jul 25th, 2007, 08:50 AM
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LOL, I've yet to see the movie but I made a ratatouille this past Friday night, as I never know when himself gets home. Anyway, Sunday night I made risotto. And didn't the left over "ratat" blend in deliciously?
oo-la-la.
Years ago I wanted to make my Mother my risotto but I was sure that I couldn't find the right rice in Daytona Beach (hardly kidding but haute cuisine is Applebee's!), anyway I portioned the rice in a zip lock back. The x-ray at security noted something in a ziploc and I thought ALL the security guards rushed to me.
GULP... not funny then. Is now though.
Can we say middle aged drug mule?
oo-la-la.
Years ago I wanted to make my Mother my risotto but I was sure that I couldn't find the right rice in Daytona Beach (hardly kidding but haute cuisine is Applebee's!), anyway I portioned the rice in a zip lock back. The x-ray at security noted something in a ziploc and I thought ALL the security guards rushed to me.
GULP... not funny then. Is now though.
Can we say middle aged drug mule?
