Bon apres-medi, mes amis. Welcome to another addition of What’s For Dinner!
Did you know that Anthony Bourdaine and his brother, Christopher, spent summers in France as boys with their grandmother? This was the first place that ignited Tony’s passion for food.
George Auguste Escoffer (1846-1935) codified the 5 Mother Sauces. I understand that he also created mise en place which I always use. Mise en place is placing all your prepped ingredients in containers in order for making the dish. It really works. I use this method more and more as I get older...
I make these recipes all summer. They taste good and keep well.
A French Salad
From a 1808 cookbook by Marie Rundell found in a Jas. Townsend Calendar
2-3 anchovies, minced
1 shallot, minced
½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
1T olive oil
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 T vinegar ( I use chive vinegar)
1 T brown mustard
Salt & Pepper to taste
¾ pound roasted chicken, cooled and shredded
Optional: tarragon or thyme, minced (I use tarragon)
Whisk the first 7 ingredients together until emulsified; fold in the chicken and herbs.
Refrigerate for 3+ hours until the flavors meld before eating.
Lyonnaise Salad
I changed it a little from the original, but there are a ton of recipes on the web.
1 T red wine vinegar
½ tsp Dijon mustard
2 slices smoked apple bacon, sliced in 1/4” pieces
3 T shallot, minced
4 oz frisee lettuce, torn in large bits
2 large FRESH eggs
1T white vinegar
salt and white pepper to taste
garlic (optional)
bread cubes (optional)
Add the red wine vinegar and Dijon mustard to a large salad bowl and whisk until emulsified.
Heat a small skillet and add bacon. Cook until golden brown and slightly crispy. Remove and place on a paper towel to drain.
Add shallot to skillet and cook for 40 seconds. Remove and drain on paper towel. Then add to salad bowl and mix into dressing. (Optional: add minced 2 garlic cloves and the croutons when you add the shallot to the skillet)
Poach your eggs...do it the way you know it works. The white vinegar is for the water you poach your eggs in to keep the whites contained.
Add the frisee to the salad bowl and toss well.
To plate, croutons on the bottom, frisee and dressing next and poached egg on top.
Peasant Soup
From my “Simple French Cookery” book
2 carrots, diced
2 potatoes, diced
1 turnip, diced
4 C stock ( use the one you like)
salt & pepper
Stale bread
Cook vegetables in 2 cups stock until tender, add remaining stock and boil 5 minutes. Season with salt and white pepper.
Place a slice of torn bread in a soup bowl and add soup. Enjoy!
Apple Galette
1 pie pastry
2 sweet crisp apples, honeycrisp
2 tart apples, granny smith
1T unsalted butter, melted
1T sugar
1 tsp mixed spice
1 egg yolk, whisked
large crystal sugar and salt
Core and slice the apples in 1/4” slices. Toss with the butter, sugar and mixed spice.
Lay out the pastry on a sheet pan. Place the apple slices row by row on the pastry, leaving a ring of pastry to fold over the apples.
Fold the pastry over the outside apples. Brush with the egg wash and then sprinkle all with the large crystal sugar and salt.
Bake at 400 for 15 minutes, turn down to 375 and bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown and the apples are tender.
French 75
Crushed ice
1 ½ oz dry gin or brandy
1T lemon juice
1tsp. Superfine sugar
6 oz chilled champagne
1 drink
½ fill a Collins glass with ice, add gin, lemon juice and stir in the sugar. Add champagne. Serve.
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Bon Appetit!