Here are a few delightful dishes of the famous French cuisine.
POTAGE PARMATIER VICHYSOISE
A lovely soup.
500 g (1 l peeled and coarsely chopped potatoes
500 g (l lb) trimmed and thinly sliced leeks
3 1/2 pints (7 cups) chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
1/4 pint (1/2 cup) cream
3 tbsp finely snipped chives
Simmer the potatoes, leeks, chicken stock and salt in a large saucepan, partially covered, for 40 to 50 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Blend the soup and pour back into the saucepan. Season with salt and pepper and pour in the cream. Before serving return the soup to low heat and bring to the simmering point. Ladle the soup into a tureen. Serve in soup bowls garnished with chopped chives.
QUICHE LORRAINE
To make a 29 cm (9 inch) quiche you will need:
Pate Brisee:
120 g (4 oz) chilled butter, diced
240 g (6 oz) plain flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
About 2 teaspoons iced water
Mix butter, flour and salt in a large, chilled bowl. Rub flour and fat together until they look like fine bread crumbs. Add the eggs and mix the dough with your hands. Gather the dough into a ball, if it seems crumbly add a little iced water. Dust the dough with a little flour, wrap it in cling film and refrigerate for 3 hours or until it is firm.
Remove the pastry from the fridge 5 minutes before rolling it out. Place the ball of dough on a floured board and with the heel of your hand press it into a flat circle. Roll it out thinly and line a buttered flan dish. Prick the bottom of the pastry all over with a fork Roll the pin over the rim of the flan tin to remove the excess pastry, and crimp into a pretty pattern Chill for1 hour.
Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F). Place a piece of crumpled aluminium foil to prevent the sides from crumbling and bake in the centre of of the oven for 10 minutes then remove the foil and prick the pastry once more and return it to the oven for about 3 minutes or until starts shrinking for the tin and begins to brown. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
Custard Filling:
1 tsp butter
6 rashers bacon cut into small pieces
2 eggs plus 2 egg yolks
500 ml (2 cups) thick cream
4 tbsp grated cheese
White pepper to taste
30 g (1 oz) butter, cubed
Preheat oven to 190 C (375 F), Fry the bacon in butter until lightly brown and crisp, and place on kitchen paper to drain. Beat the eggs, egg yolks, cream, and seasonings with an egg beater in a large bowl, Stir in the grated cheese.
Place the cooled pastry case on a baking sheet, scatter the bacon evenly over and carefully ladle in the egg cheese custard over. Sprinkle the top with dots of butter and bake in the top part of the oven for about 25 minutes, until puffed and golden.
Serve hot or warm with a green salad.
CHAMPIGNOS ALA GRECQUE
A delectable side dish.
Marinade:
500 ml (2 cups) chicken stock
250 ml (1 cup) dry white wine
250 ml (1 cup) olive oil
4 tbsp lemon juice
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
6 parsley sprigs
10 peppercorns
1 scant tsp salt
500 g (1lb) fresh mushrooms
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
2 lemons cut in slices
Bring the marinade to the boil and simmer over medium heat, Drop in the mushrooms. over the saucepan and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain the mushrooms and reserve the marinade. Taste the marinade for seasoning then pour it over the mushrooms and place in the refrigerator to cool. When they are chilled cover the dish with cling film and refrigerate for 4 hours before using. Arrange them attractively on a serving dish, sprinkle with chopped parsley and garnish with lemon slices.
BOEUF BOURGUIGNON
A delicious French beef stew that is very easy to prepare.
500 g (1lb) beef cut into bite-sized chunks
250 g (1/2 lb) smoked bacon
125 g (1/4 lb) chestnut mushrooms
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
250 (1/2 lb) pearl onions, peeled
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 bay leaves
1 heaped tbsp plain flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
500 ml (2 cups) Pinot Noir or any other good red wine
Heat the oven to 180 c (350 F).
Place the first 8 ingredients in a medium-sized Pyrex dish and season well. Then sprinkle with flour and using both hands, toss in all around until everything is lightly covered with flour.
Pour in the wine, cover with a lid and bring to the boil, Then place the pyrex in the oven and bake for 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours until the meat is tender.
CLAFOUTIS LIMOUSIN
A fabulous cherry dessert.
3/4 pints (1.5 cup) milk
3 eggs
60 g (2 oz) plain flour
60 g (2 oz) sugar
3 tbsp dark rum
45 g (1.5 oz) butter
750 g (1 1/2 lb) sweet, black cherries. washed, stalked and stoned
Icing sugar
Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) Place the milk, eggs, flour, rum and butter in a blender and pulse for 2 seconds. Scrape down the sides and blend for 40 seconds more until the batter is smooth.
Pat the cherries completely dry with kitchen paper and spread them evenly into a buttered pyrex dish. Pour in the batter and bake in the centre of the oven for 30 minutes, until browned and puffed.
Serve dusted with icing sugar.
POTAGE PARMATIER VICHYSOISE
A lovely soup.
500 g (1 l peeled and coarsely chopped potatoes
500 g (l lb) trimmed and thinly sliced leeks
3 1/2 pints (7 cups) chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
1/4 pint (1/2 cup) cream
3 tbsp finely snipped chives
Simmer the potatoes, leeks, chicken stock and salt in a large saucepan, partially covered, for 40 to 50 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Blend the soup and pour back into the saucepan. Season with salt and pepper and pour in the cream. Before serving return the soup to low heat and bring to the simmering point. Ladle the soup into a tureen. Serve in soup bowls garnished with chopped chives.
QUICHE LORRAINE
To make a 29 cm (9 inch) quiche you will need:
Pate Brisee:
120 g (4 oz) chilled butter, diced
240 g (6 oz) plain flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
About 2 teaspoons iced water
Mix butter, flour and salt in a large, chilled bowl. Rub flour and fat together until they look like fine bread crumbs. Add the eggs and mix the dough with your hands. Gather the dough into a ball, if it seems crumbly add a little iced water. Dust the dough with a little flour, wrap it in cling film and refrigerate for 3 hours or until it is firm.
Remove the pastry from the fridge 5 minutes before rolling it out. Place the ball of dough on a floured board and with the heel of your hand press it into a flat circle. Roll it out thinly and line a buttered flan dish. Prick the bottom of the pastry all over with a fork Roll the pin over the rim of the flan tin to remove the excess pastry, and crimp into a pretty pattern Chill for1 hour.
Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F). Place a piece of crumpled aluminium foil to prevent the sides from crumbling and bake in the centre of of the oven for 10 minutes then remove the foil and prick the pastry once more and return it to the oven for about 3 minutes or until starts shrinking for the tin and begins to brown. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
Custard Filling:
1 tsp butter
6 rashers bacon cut into small pieces
2 eggs plus 2 egg yolks
500 ml (2 cups) thick cream
4 tbsp grated cheese
White pepper to taste
30 g (1 oz) butter, cubed
Preheat oven to 190 C (375 F), Fry the bacon in butter until lightly brown and crisp, and place on kitchen paper to drain. Beat the eggs, egg yolks, cream, and seasonings with an egg beater in a large bowl, Stir in the grated cheese.
Place the cooled pastry case on a baking sheet, scatter the bacon evenly over and carefully ladle in the egg cheese custard over. Sprinkle the top with dots of butter and bake in the top part of the oven for about 25 minutes, until puffed and golden.
Serve hot or warm with a green salad.
CHAMPIGNOS ALA GRECQUE
A delectable side dish.
Marinade:
500 ml (2 cups) chicken stock
250 ml (1 cup) dry white wine
250 ml (1 cup) olive oil
4 tbsp lemon juice
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
6 parsley sprigs
10 peppercorns
1 scant tsp salt
500 g (1lb) fresh mushrooms
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
2 lemons cut in slices
Bring the marinade to the boil and simmer over medium heat, Drop in the mushrooms. over the saucepan and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain the mushrooms and reserve the marinade. Taste the marinade for seasoning then pour it over the mushrooms and place in the refrigerator to cool. When they are chilled cover the dish with cling film and refrigerate for 4 hours before using. Arrange them attractively on a serving dish, sprinkle with chopped parsley and garnish with lemon slices.
COQ AU VIN
This is a delicious dish of Provincial France. Start cooking it a day before you need it.
2 tbsp olive oil
8-10 rashers of lean bacon, fat discarded and cut into small
pieces
20 or more shallots, peeled
2 chickens – 2 ½ - 3 kg (5-6 lbs), drumsticks and thighs
skinned, breasts skinned, cartilage discarded then cut into bite-sized pieces
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced
62.5 ml (¼ cup) Metaxa brandy
750 ml (1 bottle) Ayiorgeorgitiko or Pinot noir
250 ml (1cup) hot tasty chicken broth
2 tbsp tomato paste diluted in
62.5 ml (¼ cup) chicken broth
1 bouquet garni (2 sprigs thyme – 2 sprigs rosemary – 1 bay
leaf)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
500 g (1
lb) champignons de Paris (white mushrooms)
½ tbsp
olive oil
A touch of
garlic
A little
salt
Beurre Manie :
1 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp soft butter
(Mix together until smooth, cover and refrigerate)
In a large saucepan, sauté the bacon in 1 tbsp olive oil
until crisp and place on kitchen paper to drain. Then sauté the shallots until golden and
reserve.
Sauté the chicken in batches with the remaining olive oil for
4-5 minutes on each side. Remove the fat
from the saucepan, add the garlic and simmer until soft. Add the brandy and
cook briskly, stirring to deglaze the saucepan and remove from the heat.
Arrange the drumsticks and thighs in the saucepan and return
to the stove. Pour into wine and cook for a few minutes until the alcohol evaporates.
Add the shallots, chicken broth and tomato paste, the bouquet garni, a little
salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover the saucepan and simmer gently for
20 minutes. Place the chicken breasts
and bacon on top, making sure that they
are submerged completely into the sauce, adding a little chicken broth if
necessary. Cover and simmer very gently
20-25 minutes until the chicken is tender. Cool and refrigerate.
The next day, cook the mushrooms and garlic in olive oil,
over high heat, until tender and sprinkle with a little salt. Bring the coq au vin to the boil, add the
sliced mushrooms, taste and season, if necessary. Arrange the chicken, shallots, bacon, mushrooms
attractively on a hot serving dish and reserve.
.
.
Meanwhile, thicken the sauce with a tiny piece of beurre
manie, whisk and simmer the sauce adding more thickening agent until it
acquires the desired thickness. Spoon
the sauce over the chicken, shallots, bacon and mushrooms and serve immediately
with creamy mashed potatoes. Garnish with thyme and rosemary sprigs.
BOEUF BOURGUIGNON
A delicious French beef stew that is very easy to prepare.
500 g (1lb) beef cut into bite-sized chunks
250 g (1/2 lb) smoked bacon
125 g (1/4 lb) chestnut mushrooms
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
250 (1/2 lb) pearl onions, peeled
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 bay leaves
1 heaped tbsp plain flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
500 ml (2 cups) Pinot Noir or any other good red wine
Heat the oven to 180 c (350 F).
Place the first 8 ingredients in a medium-sized Pyrex dish and season well. Then sprinkle with flour and using both hands, toss in all around until everything is lightly covered with flour.
Pour in the wine, cover with a lid and bring to the boil, Then place the pyrex in the oven and bake for 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours until the meat is tender.
CLAFOUTIS LIMOUSIN
A fabulous cherry dessert.
3/4 pints (1.5 cup) milk
3 eggs
60 g (2 oz) plain flour
60 g (2 oz) sugar
3 tbsp dark rum
45 g (1.5 oz) butter
750 g (1 1/2 lb) sweet, black cherries. washed, stalked and stoned
Icing sugar
Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) Place the milk, eggs, flour, rum and butter in a blender and pulse for 2 seconds. Scrape down the sides and blend for 40 seconds more until the batter is smooth.
Pat the cherries completely dry with kitchen paper and spread them evenly into a buttered pyrex dish. Pour in the batter and bake in the centre of the oven for 30 minutes, until browned and puffed.
Serve dusted with icing sugar.
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| National Emblem of France |
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