FRICASSEE OF LOBSTER WITH PASTA The Hotel Le Maquis and its restaurant, L'Arbousier, are the labor of love of one remarkable woman, Catherine Salini. She bought the land many decades ago and built this charming inn very close to where she grew up in Porticcio. The rooms are decorated with antiques (personally selected and purchased by Salini), and the walls are hung with paintings by local artists. It's a true pleasure to dine on L'Arbousier's terrace just above the beach, with its wonderful views of the bay. Here you can taste the famous sardines stuffed with Swiss chard and brocciu (a local cheese), prepared by chef Gérard Lorenzoni Salini, Catherine's son. Another favorite dish is this lobster fricassee, which evokes the sunny splendor of this island treasure. 2 1 1/2-pound whole live lobsters 1/4 cup olive oil 9 shallots, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups) 2 tablespoons Cognac or brandy 1 cup dry white wine 1 1/2 cups whipping cream 6 ounces angel hair pasta Cook lobsters in large pot of boiling salted water 4 minutes (lobsters will not be completely cooked through). Working over bowl to collect juices, twist off lobster heads to separate from tails. Cut heads in half lengthwise. Cut tails into thick medallions (do not remove shells). Crack claws but leave intact. Heat oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. Add shallots and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add lobster with shells and juices and Cognac and ignite carefully. Cover skillet to extinguish flame. Add wine and simmer 3 minutes. Add cream and simmer until sauce thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat. Cover to keep warm. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain. Transfer to platter. Spoon lobster with sauce over pasta and serve. Makes 4 first-course servings. Bon Appétit May 2002 chef Gérard Lorenzoni Salini
CHEESE TOAST Tranches au Fromage 1 large slice black bread, approximately 1-inch thick and 5 to 7 oz French mustard 8 ounces Gruyère cheese, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick strips Spread bread with a thick layer of French mustard, then cover the whole surface of the bread with strips of cheese. Put slice of bread on an ovenproof dish and under the grill until the cheese softens and turns golden brown. Just before it begins to run, remove the dish and carry it to the table. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cut slice in four and serve on hot plates. Makes 4 servings. Gourmet March 1970; reprinted September 2001 and just like at tiger forums even cooking chat rooms have the occasional bickering back and forth : A Cook on 12/13/03 Old City - your guests ended up hungry because you didn't carry the toasts to the table and serve them on a hot plate so that the toasts got cold and unpalatable. But then, they probably made a reservation as a back up plan. This is a delicious recipe! Try it! A Cook from NY, NY on 03/07/03 To the cook in Old City - either grow up or find something to occupy your time rather than write nasty comments that are unnecessary. The point of 'carry it to the table' was meant to serve it immediately before the cheese cooled. I thought they were great. A Cook from Old City, Philadelphia on 01/08/03 Ingenious!!! I don't know how they ever thought of such an unprecedented technique. Pay particular attention to the "carry it to the table" instructions -- I forgot this crucial step, and my unfortunate guests ended up going hungry that night.
CRISP POTATO PANCAKES WITH GOAT CHEESE ON MIXED GREENS An elegant appetizer from Fleur de Lys in San Francisco. For salad 1 tablespoon Sherry vinegar or balsamic vinegar 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 4 cups mixed baby greens For pancakes 2 russet potatoes, peeled, grated 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil 4 ounces soft fresh goat cheese (such at Montrachet), crumbled 4 teaspoons finely chopped fresh chives Make salad: Whisk vinegar and mustard in small bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Mix in chives, shallot and garlic. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place greens in large bowl. Set aside. Make pancakes: Place potatoes in dry kitchen towel and squeeze to remove as much moisture as possible. Transfer potatoes to large bowl. Add salt and pepper and toss to combine. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Mound 1/3 cup potatoes in skillet. using spatula, flatten to 3-inch round. Repeat 3 times, forming 4 pancakes. Top each cake with 1/4 of goat cheese. Sprinkle each with 1 teaspoon chives. Cover each with another 1/3 cup potatoes; press to adhere, enclosing cheese completely and flattening slightly. Cook until bottoms are golden, about 6 minutes. Add 1/2 tablespoon oil to skillet. Turn pancakes over; cook until golden, about 6 minutes. Toss greens with enough dressing to coat. Divide salad among plates. Arrange 1 pancake atop each salad. Serves 4. Bon Appétit January 1996 cook's commentary's: A Cook from islington london on 09/09/03 This was truly divine - I served it with slices of smoked salmon and lemon wedges. This will be a regular. A Cook from Mpls, Mn on 07/30/03 Tasty! Mine took waay longer than 6 min per side. but ? could've been user error. they still turned out great. A Cook from Salt Lake City, Utah on 10/05/02 Served this as a salad instead of an appetizer. WOW! So easy and all compliments. This makes a novice cook like me feel like a pro! A Cook from Boston, Ma on 09/23/02 I made this last nite for a dinner party. It was simple yet delious. For a short cut, I used Ore Ida hash brown (found in the freezer section of your market) and tossed those in a bowl with some salt and pepper. I made these potato and goat cheese patties ahead of time and just reheated in oven before serving. The dressing was so tasty. A Cook from Cleveland, Ohio on 09/02/02 Very good and easy to make. I was in a time crunch and bought potatos already. Still worked great. Will definitely make this one over and over.
o.k., so this one isn't exactly from france but it is from new orleans chef john folse and is worthy of posting. figured this was as good a home as any.... Chef John Folse' Tomato Basil Pie Serves: 6-8 I remember one Saturday afternoon when Patti Fullilove, owner of Fullilove Herb farm in Shreveport, Louisiana, and I spent time discussing her famous tomato and basil pie. She remarked that any Cajun addition to the pie would make it better. I never knew the origin of the dish until I found a similar version served at Magnolia Plantation in Natchitoches. It's definitely Creole. Ingredients: 4 - 5 medium size ripe tomatoes 1/2 cup torn basil leaves 1 cup Monterey Jack 1/2 cup olive oil 1/2 cup julienned andouille sausage 1 cup crawfish tails 1/2 cup cheddar cheese 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese 1 small Bermuda onion, sliced salt and cracked pepper to taste 1 cup seasoned Italian bread crumbs 1 9-inch prebaked pie shell Method: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut tomatoes into one quarter inch slices. Drain for approximately one hour on paper towels. You must remove the excess liquid, otherwise the pie will be soggy. Generously layer Monterey Jack into the bottom of the prebaked pie crust. Place a layer of sliced tomatoes, paint with olive oil and sprinkle with basil, andouille, crawfish, cheddar and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Add two to three slices of Bermuda onion and continue until the pie is filled. Once the top layer has been added, sprinkle generously with a mixture of bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Add the remaining Monterey Jack and basil. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bread crumbs are well browned. Allow pie to cool slightly before serving. You may place the finished pie in the refrigerator and serve cold or freeze for later use.
here is a link to cooking 2000.com which is a translated (i hope) french cooking and recipe site. the recipes don't quite give you the step by step approach we are used to in the u.s. but may give you some neat ideas..... http://translate.google.com/transla...?q=sauce+piquante&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8
