Clarin

Looking for a few quick & easy, "typically French" dinner ideas to make in our apartment; I don't want to be over there preparing the same meals that we have at home! Preferably not a zillion ingredients. Presently, the idea is to just pick up a roasted bird now & again, to be subsidized with some pre-made veggies to-go, but in the event that I'm feeling adventurous (& energized) what might you suggest?

PalenQ

For morning time-honored Trompez au Lait (sp?) my inlaws often do - yesterday's bread in milk!

easy

MissPrism

Croque Monsieur perhaps?

This is a video telling how to make it
http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-...roque-monsieur
Ignore the pronunciation of Monsieur.

Or you could have the blessed Delia's version at http://tinyurl.com/3mugxp

or a very simple version
at http://tinyurl.com/4fvdq7

StuDudley

We call this "Gite Chicken".

Purchase a rotisserie farm raised chicken at a grocery or market. We embellish it a bit by mixing 1 1/2 cups of creme fraiche "epaisse" with a heaping tablespoon of Dijon mustard, and reduce it a little. Often we'll add some grated Tome de Savoie - or any hard cheese. Then pour it over the re-warmed chicken pieces.

This is our favorite, however:

Magret de Canard with Cassis sauce

For 2 people

5/8 cup Sirop/Syrup de Cassis.
This is very hard to find in the US. In France every market has it. It is not the Creme de Cassis that's alcoholic. The Syrup is non-alcoholic and you can probably find it in the section of the store that has Coke, 7-up, etc. It comes in a 750 ML or 1 liter container that is either glass or metal. Cassis is also known as Blackcurrent syrup. There are other flavors of syrup - Peach, Blackberry, etc.

1/2 Cup Red wine vinegar

1 Cup Normandie Cream "Entiere" (full fat).
This is not normally found in the refrigerated section of the store. It comes in a container that is just a little fatter than a pack of cigarettes. It has a red (or it may be blue) plastic screw top & is often shrink-wrapped in a set of 2 to 4 containers per. It does not need refrigeration, until it is opened. You'll probably need 2 containers to get 1 cup (use the rest in your coffee).

2 Magrets
You will probably have some left over. For 4 people, we buy 3 magrets. In groceries, they are usually found in the refrigerated section next to the chickens. Some are larger than others. Get the larger ones. Sometimes they are packaged 2 to a "shrink-wrap".


Pour the Cassis & Vinegar into a sauce pan & reduce to 1/2 Cup. Don't reduce it too much or it will turn into hard candy (this happened to me once).

Score the skin of the Magret with a knife - making 2 sets if diagonal cuts 1 inch apart. This will give you diamond shapes in the middle of the duck. Do not cut through to the meat - just barely cut the skin. Salt & pepper both sides.

Heat a non-stick skillet/saute pan to med hot

Put the Magret on the skillet, skin side down. You do not need cooking oil - the fat will be rendered enough to make the oil. Cook 7-8 minutes on the skin side. If you get a real fat magret, you may need 9 minutes. If you are not using a non-stick skillet, move the magret around every 1-2 minutes to make sure it does not stick. You will probably have to remove the skillet from the heat mid-way through cooking to drain the duck fat from the skillet.

Turn the magret over & cook 4-5 minutes on the flesh side. Add another minute if the magret is large. It will plump up quite a bit while cooking.

Remove the magret, keep warm by covering with a plate or tin foil, and get all the fat out of the pan & wipe the pan clean with a paper towel.

Return the pan to the flame & pour in the cream & reduce to 1/2 cup.

Pour the reduced Cassis/vinegar into the pan with the cream & whisk a bit to blend. Reduce a tad if it's too thin.

Cut the magrets into 5/8 inch slices, put on plate, and spoon the cassis sauce over the

Stu Dudley

AnselmAdorne

Clarin, fellow poster robjame had a thread going about this last year. I'll see if I can find it.

Anselm

seafox

This is probably not the most glorious meal but after a busy day being tourists I often make a quick stop in a market and buy a pre-made quiche, some salad greens a bottle of dressing that does not look like something we get at home and then a pre-made desert. All from the refrigerated section of the store Quiche, salad and perhaps a pudding, voila...almost no work and with a nice bottle of white wine we are very happy. Another option is the grocery at Bon Marche.... not inexpensive, but fabulous pre-made foods.... one of the cheese assortment plates makes my mouth watre just thinking about it.

AnselmAdorne

Found it ... lots of good ideas.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35037246

AA

Underhill

You will be amazed at the variety and quality of ready-to-go food at charcuteries and the food departments of department stores (especially at Au Bon Marché!). That's the best part of being able to fix your own dinners...things like escargots come ready to heat up, along with all sorts of delicious possibilities. I dream about those shops.

Padraig

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35099140

Ronda

Stu, that sounds really yummy!

Clarin

Holy smokes - what a delightful assortment of ideas. Thank you all so much for sharing recipes & tracking down prior threads. (And to think I was sure the responses would be along the lines of, "Hey lady - get a cookbook already.&quot

Really appreciate it.

Ronda

I made the mustard chicken last night with chicken breasts and put the paste under the skin. Delicious!

How about an omlet? I wouldn't attempt to tell someone how to make one as I'm no pro at it, but I do like an omelt with sauteed mushrooms. That seems pretty simple.

Ronda

that should be under the chicken skin lol

Lawchick

Galeries Lafayette Gourmet has a great fish counter...

get 12 oysters, some lobster (precooked) and a bottle of champagne.....

hey presto ...instant dinner.

Ronda

Or how about some mussels? My husband makes them with olive oil, butter, white wine, garlic, parsley, onion, and a salad and french bread! Yummm

Clarin

Lawchick - Hah! I think we're on the same wavelength. Now that's the kind of "recipe" I can relate to. I've never been to the Lafayette fish counter, but it sounds like a "must do" for one evening.

And thanks everyone, for the continuing suggestions. I think I could surely try a chicken, and the mussels would be an easy & delish change of pace.

djkbooks

http://frenchfood.about.com/od/topre...etarian.01.htm

Above you'll find wonderful recipes to take advantage of the beautiful fresh produce.

I also love the scallops still in their shells with the roe attached. You can use the shells to prepare them. I brought a bunch home with me and love using them - always reminds me of shopping for those scallops!

cafegoddess

Go to Fauchon pick-up some shrimp marinated in olive oil, some bread, salad mix, sundried tomatoes in herbs and olive oil and french mustard.

Cut-up the sundried tomatoes, mix with a little mustard and use this as your salad dressing. Make a sandwich with the marinated shrimp.

Also, Galleries Lafayette sells cooked jumbo shrimp that taste like lobster.

Have a great time!

GSteed

Recipes: Real French cooking/recipes are time intensive. Many recipes require special equipment and a considerable pantry. Use a Julia Child cookbook to find 'typically French' dinner recipes that agree with your resources. I suggest making crepes and then filling them with locally available 'whatever'.

roussillon

Some excellent ideas above. My Julia Child book is now torn, and brown, and stained with god knows how many sauces and spills. It is a great reference, but often the recipes take both skill and time.

I am looking on our cookbook shelf, and our "go to" books for simple but good French inspired food are

-Pierre Franey's "60 min Gourmet" books, which are compendiums of things he published in his columns in the NY Times. Almost always good, plus easy.

-Jacques Pepin's "Fast Food My Way"

Both of these guys were classically trained French chefs with long careers, and then tried to simplify (without trivializing) the essence of some French dishes and techniques.

I am sure you can get these at the library, and they are quick and good, and real. Copy a few to bring and try. Rouss

(PS anyone else out there keep a copy of "Larousse Gastronomique" on their shelf? A thousand wonderful pages on French dishes and technique!)