French Chicken Stew 1/2 c. dry navy beans, soaked overnight and drained 2 c. water 4-6 chicken breasts, skinned, boned, and cut into chunks 1 (16 oz.) can tomatoes 1/2 c. thinly sliced celery 1/2 c. diced carrot 1/2 c. chopped onion 1/8 tsp. garlic powder 1 crushed bay leaf 1/2 tsp. crushed dry basil 1/8 tsp. powdered sage 1/4 tsp. paprika 1/2 tsp. crushed, dried oregano 1 tsp. instant chicken or beef bouillon Place beans, 2 cups of water, and other ingredients in slow cooker/Crock Pot; cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours. Discard bay leaf before serving.
ETUVEE DE VEAU AU VIN ROUGE (veal with red wine) 4 pounds leg of veal, boned and cut in 2" cubes 6 small onions, thinly sliced 6 tablespoons butter Flour seasoned with salt and pepper Red wine (Beaujolais) 7-8 shallots, finely chopped 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 tablespoon fresh (or 1 teaspoon dried) basil Garnish: finely chopped parsley Sauté onions in butter until just wilted. Roll meat cubes in seasoned flour and add to pan. Sauté the veal, turning to brown on all sides. When browned, add enough red wine to just cover the shallots, garlic, and basil. Cover and cook gently in a 325°F. oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until veal is tender. Remove meat to a hot platter and pour sauce over it (you may return it to the top of the stove and stir in beurre manié if you want a thicker sauce). Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with boiled new potatoes and chopped cooked spinach flavored with garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice. With this, drink a fine red Beaujolais. Serves 6.
MARINATED LEG OF LAMB 1 good-size leg spring lamb, boned and tied rosemary or tarragon 2 to 3 onions, thinly sliced 1 bay leaf Few sprigs parsley 1 clove garlic 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Red wine Have the leg boned, leaving just the shank bone, and tied firmly. Pique surface of meat with garlic (cut gashes and insert garlic slivers). Rub leg well with rosemary and tarragon and put it in a deep kettle with the onion, bay leaf, parsley, garlic, salt, 1 teaspoon rosemary, pepper, and enough red wine to cover half the meat. Marinate in refigerator for 30 to 48 hours, turning leg several times to bathe it evenly. To cook, put leg in roasting pan and roast at 375° F., basting occasionally with some of the marinade. Allow 15 minutes per pound for rare lamb or about 18 minutes per pound for medium rare. If you use a meat thermometer, the lamb will be cooked rare when the thermometer registers 140°F. Serve with boiled white beans mixed with chopped garlic, chopped parsley, and olive oil. With this, drink a California Pinot Noir. Serves 6.
BACON-WRAPPED COD The cod here is basically pan-roasted. If you want to increase the recipe, simply roast two one-pound pieces. To serve, cut the cod in half with a very sharp knife that will go through the bacon and the cod. Serve this with a lovely, buttery Chardonnay. 1 pound (500g) fresh cod fillet Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 3 ounces (90g) thinly sliced slab bacon, rind removed 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil For the sauce: 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves 1 shallot 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 3 tablespoons capers 1. Season the cod all over lightly with salt and pepper. Roll or fold the cod so that it looks like a small roast, and wrap the bacon around it, securing the pieces of bacon with a skewer or toothpick, so the cod is almost completely covered with the bacon (except at the "corners"). 2. In a heavy-bottomed skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the fish and brown it on all sides, which will take about 6 minutes. Cover the skillet and continue cooking the cod until it is cooked through, about 16 minutes, turning it occasionally so it doesn't burn. 3. While the cod is cooking, make the sauce. Mince together the parsley and the shallot and place in a small bowl. Whisk in the oil. Coarsely chop the capers and whisk them into the sauce. 4. When the fish is cooked, transfer it to a warmed serving platter and let it sit for about 4 minutes. Remove the skewers or the toothpicks and drain away any liquid that comes from the fish. Pour the sauce over the fish and serve. Makes 2 generous servings. Letter from France
FILLET OF TROUT WITH TOMATO Truite à la Tomate This trout recipe could be page 1 of [fishmonger Neige] Perez's Workbook for Cooking Fish 101. There are no fish bones to fillet, no tomatoes to peel, and no saucepans to clean. Cooked together in a single roasting pan, the capers, olives, onions, tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, white wine, and trout fillets conspire to create a wonderful, unmistakably Mediterranean ensemble sure to entice even Marseillais who were scaling and gutting fish — or so they say — before they could walk. 4 trout fillets, about 6 ounces each Salt 1 tablespoon capers 2 tablespoons green olives, pitted 8 to 10 pearl onions, chopped 1 pound ripe plum tomatoes, chopped 1 tablespoon chopped parsley 1 clove garlic, chopped 1 cup dry white wine 3 tablespoons olive oil Freshly ground black pepper 1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. 2. Place the trout fillets on an oiled baking dish and season with salt. 3. Combine the capers, green olives, pearl onions, tomatoes, chopped parsley, and chopped garlic and spoon the mixture over the trout fillets. 4. Pour the white wine over the fillets and vegetables, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and bake until the fillets are just cooked through, about 20 minutes. Makes 4 servings. Made in Marseille September 2002 by Daniel Young HarperCollins
BAKED FISH WITH MUSHROOMS AND CREAM 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter 1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced 1/4 cup Cognac or brandy 1/2 cup canned crushed tomatoes with added puree 1/2 cup whipping cream 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried 2 7-to 8-ounce orange roughy fillets 1/2 cup grated Gruyère cheese Preheat broiler. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; sauté until golden, about 7 minutes. Add Cognac; simmer until liquid reduces to glaze. Reduce heat to medium. Add tomatoes, cream and thyme; simmer until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in another heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Season fish with salt and pepper. Add fish to skillet; sauté until just cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer fish to broiler-proof baking dish. Spoon sauce over. Sprinkle cheese over. Broil until cheese melts, about 2 minutes. Serves 2. Bon Appétit May 1994 Ann Boulard
MACARONI AND CHEESE WITH PROSCIUTTO "Every time I visit my sister in Los Angeles, we make a point of having dinner at Mimosa, a popular French bistro," writes Frances Candler Brown of Birmingham, Alabama. "I like to think I’m an adventurous diner, but my order there has become only too predictable: a glass of wine, a salad and the restaurant’s delectable version of macaroni and cheese." This French take on macaroni and cheese has a nice assertive flavor. 8 ounces small elbow macaroni (2 cups) 1 1/2 cups (packed) grated Gruyère cheese (about 6 ounces) 1 cup whipping cream 1 cup whole milk 3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, coarsely chopped 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg Position rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 400°F. Butter 11x7-inch glass baking dish. Cook macaroni in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain well. Whisk 1/2 cup Gruyère, cream, milk, prosciutto, Parmesan and nutmeg in large bowl to blend. Add macaroni and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to prepared baking dish. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup Gruyère over. Bake until cheese melts and macaroni and cheese sets, about 20 minutes. Serve warm. Makes 6 servings. Bon Appétit March 2001
PASTA SHELLS WITH HALIBUT AND OVEN-ROASTED RATATOUILLE Nonstick vegetable oil spray 1 1-pound eggplant, unpeeled, trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1 pound plum tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 2 small zucchini, trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1 small red bell pepper, chopped 2 garlic cloves, flattened 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 1/2 teaspoons herbes de Provence* 1 12-ounce halibut fillet 2 cups medium-size pasta shells Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Spread next 5 ingredients on sheet. Drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with herbes de Provence, salt, and pepper. Roast vegetables until tender, stirring occasionally, about 35 minutes. Push vegetables to sides of sheet. Place fish in center of sheet; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until just opaque in center, about 12 minutes. Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water. Return pasta to pot. Add roasted vegetables and enough reserved pasta cooking water to pasta to moisten; toss. Cut fish into 1/2-inch pieces; add to pasta and toss gently. Season with salt and pepper. *A dried herb mixture available at specialty foods stores and some supermarkets. Makes 4 servings. Bon Appétit April 2003
PASTA WITH ROASTED PROVENCAL VEGETABLE SAUCE 1 16- to 18-ounce eggplant, unpeeled, cut into 1-inch pieces 1 large onion, cut into 1-inch pieces 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 medium zucchini, trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 28-ounce can seasoned crushed tomatoes with Italian herbs 12 ounces penne pasta 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme Preheat oven to 400°F. Arrange eggplant and onion on large rimmed nonstick baking sheet. Drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast vegetables until beginning to brown, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes. Stir zucchini and garlic into vegetables; continue to roast until all vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes longer. Stir crushed tomatoes into vegetables on baking sheet; roast until heated through, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Ladle 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid into small bowl; reserve. Drain pasta. Return pasta to same pot. Add roasted vegetable sauce and all herbs to pasta and toss to blend. Gradually add enough reserved pasta cooking liquid to moisten as desired. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer pasta to bowl and serve. Serves 6. Bon Appétit May 1999
SPAGHETTI WITH MUSHROOMS, ZUCCHINI, AND TARRAGON Called "French pasta" at the restaurant, this Provençal-style special (using no butter and a minimum of oil) is typical of Méteigner's light French fare. Olive oil 1 pound zucchini, trimmed, diced 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper 2 pounds mushrooms, sliced 21/2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 3 large garlic cloves, minced 12 ounces spaghetti, freshly cooked 2 large tomatoes, chopped Brush large deep nonstick skillet with oil; heat over medium-high heat. Add zucchini and crushed red pepper; sauté until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Transfer to bowl. Brush skillet again with oil; heat over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; sauté until brown and tender, adding water by tablespoonfuls as needed if mushrooms stick to skillet, about 18 minutes. Add zucchini mixture, herbs, and garlic; stir 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add pasta and tomatoes to mushroom mixture; toss to blend, adding water by 1/4 cupfuls if mixture is dry. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl. Makes 4 servings. Bon Appétit September 2003
