Moments to savor
When a food writer goes to cooking school in France for the first time, the lesson is clear: You just had to be there.
Clafouti
1 1/2 teaspoons unsalted butter
1 cup milk
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2/3 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
3 eggs
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 cups whole figs, about 1 pound, stem ends trimmed and halved lengthwise
(see note)
I tablespoon confectioners' sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Butter a 9- to 10-inch baking dish and set aside. Combine the milk, cream, flour, eggs, sugar, vanilla extract and salt in a mixing bowl, and beat by hand or with an electric mixer until the mixture is frothy.
Pour enough of the batter into the prepared baking dish to cover the bottom with a layer about 1/4-inch deep. Cover the surface with a single layer of figs, alternating cut side up and down, and pour the remaining batter over them. Bake the clafouti until it is puffed and brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 to 35 minutes. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.
Serves 6 to 8.
Note: Many fruits can be substituted for the figs, especially stone fruits such as cherries, apricots, peaches and nectarines. Strawberries are unsuitable because of their high water content.
Source: Georgeanne Brennan.
Provencal Chicken With Olives, Tomatoes and Sweet Red Peppers
1 fryer chicken, about 3 pounds, cut into serving pieces, or a selection
of breasts and thighs
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup minced yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups chopped canned plum (Roma) tomatoes and their juice
2 sweet red peppers, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 fresh bay leaves or 1 dried
16 oil-cured black olives
Rub the chicken pieces all over with pepper, half the thyme and half the rosemary. In a Dutch oven, or a lidded pan large enough to hold all the ingredients, heat the olive oil and butter over medium-high heat. When it is hot, add the chicken pieces. Reduce the heat to medium, and saute for 2 to 3 minutes until lightly browned.
Turn the pieces over and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes to brown on the other side. Add the onion and garlic, and continue to cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Pour the tomatoes over the chicken; add the peppers and bay leaves. Cover tightly. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the juices run clear when the thickest part of a thigh is pierced with a knife, about 45 minutes.
Remove the cover, increase the heat to medium, add the olives and cook for another 5 minutes or so to reduce and thicken the sauce. Stir in the remaining thyme and rosemary, and serve hot.
Serves 6.
Source: Georgeanne Brennan.
Duck Breast Glazed With Lavender Honey
2 duck breast halves, each about 3/4 pound
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
3 tablespoons lavender honey (see note)
3 tablespoons white wine
Sprigs of fresh or dried lavender for garnish (optional)
Using a knife, separate the fat and skin from the duck breasts, reserving both. Season the breasts with the salt, pepper and thyme.
In a large skillet, over medium heat, place the reserved fat and skin fat-side down and slowly render the fat until about 2 tablespoons are in the skillet. Discard the remaining fat and skin. Put the duck breasts in the rendered fat and cook over medium heat until browned, about 4 minutes. Turn and cook the other side until browned, about 4 minutes. Top each breast with several teaspoons of the honey, gently basting. Cook 1 minute. Turn, top with remaining honey and cook 1 minute more.
Remove to a cutting board and let rest 2 minutes before slicing into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange the slices on a warmed serving platter and place in a 200 degree oven. Add 1 tablespoon white wine to the pan juices and deglaze the pan. Remove the duck from the oven, drizzle with the pan juices and garnish with a sprig of fresh or dried lavender. Serve hot.
6 ounces Roquefort cheese, at room temperature (see note)
2 tablespoons half-and-half or milk
2 tomatoes sliced 1/4-inch thick (see note)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
On a floured surface, roll out the puff pastry into a circle to a scant 1/4-inch thick and about 101/2 inches in diameter. Carefully transfer it to a 9-inch baking pan with 1/2-inch sides. Pat into the bottom and sides, and trim the edge even with the rim.
In a small bowl, using a fork, mash the cheese together with the half-and-half or milk. Spread evenly over the bottom of the pastry. Cover with the tomato slices in a tightly packed but slightly overlapping single layer. Sprinkle with the pepper, thyme and olive oil.
Put tort in freezer for 15 minutes before baking to ensure a flaky crust.
Bake until the crust is lightly golden and the tomatoes have collapsed, about 15 to 20 minutes. Let stand for 20 to 30 minutes before cutting into slices. Serve warm at room temperature.
Serves 6 to 8.
Note: Gorgonzola, or another good-quality blue cheese, can substitute for the more expensive Roquefort. Also, if the tomatoes are very juicy, drain them on paper towels before laying over cheese; otherwise, the finished tart will be too runny.
Source: Georgeanne Brennan.
Green Beans and Zucchini Ribbon Salad With Anchovies and Lemon
2 pounds fresh cranberry or other beans or peas, shelled
8 cups water
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 pound green beans, trimmed (see note)
4 medium zucchini
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
15 anchovy fillets, preferably olive-oil packed
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, shaved into curls
Marinade:
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup julienned basil leaves
Bring 8 cups of water and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to a boil over medium-high heat. When it is boiling, add the shelled beans and cook about 8 minutes, until tender. Do not overcook. Drain and let cool. (If using peas, add to salad raw.)
Steam the green beans until tender, about 3 minutes. Rinse under cold running water, drain and set aside.
Using a vegetable peeler, peel the zucchini. Using the vegetable peeler (or a mandoline slicer), cut the meat of the zucchini into long, very thin ribbons. Set aside.
To make the marinade, put the garlic and salt in a bowl; using the back of a fork or a pestle, crush them into a paste. Using the fork, incorporate the olive oil, and then the lemon juice and pepper. Put this mixture in a large bowl and add the cooked beans or raw peas, green beans, raw zucchini ribbons and basil. Turn well to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 11/2 hours and up to 5 hours.
To serve, mix all but 4 or 5 of the anchovies into the vegetables. Put in a serving bowl or on a platter, top with the remaining anchovies and the Parmesan cheese curls.
Serves 6.
Note: This recipe originally called for haricot verts, the slender, tender French greens beans. They can be expensive and difficult to find in grocery stores. Regular green beans are an adequate substitute. Also, the anchovies are optional, or the amount can be reduced to retain some of the Provencal flavor.
Source: Georgeanne Brennan.
Rosemary, Gorgonzola and Walnut Cream Sauce
1 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons minced rosemary
2 sprigs rosemary
2 ounces Gorgonzola
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
Simmer the cream with the minced rosemary in a small saucepan until it's reduced by one-third, about 10 minutes. Do not boil. When the cream has thickened, stir in the cheese and about half of the chopped walnuts.
Serve over a pasta that can cradle the sauce, such as penne or medium-sized shells, and sprinkle with remaining walnuts.
