MAY Menu Is Posted

Spring time brings good weather and I can talk without coughing.  I gave a baking class this past Sunday for a Birthday and we made great petit fours and cookies.  They were wonderful but best of all I did not have a problem speaking.  One cannot teach a class if they cannot speak.  So here is the class schedule for May.  Come join me for lots of fun, good eating and best of all comradery amonst friends.  Remember that what we make we eat for lunch!

 

The class of May 8th we will take advantage of seasonal fruits and vegetables to prepare Brochetta, tap the bounty of the sea to create a Bouillabaisse and its accompanied sauces, and make the definative Fruit Crumble that has as many variations as available fruits in summer. We will learn to use the conveniences that are available to create fast and delicious sauces without the time consuming preparation of fonds and fumets. (meat and fish stocks). The versatile red sauce that we create will give the robust flavour to the Bouillabaisse but can also be used on pasta and as a pizza sauce.

 

Two weeks after, on May 22nd, the menu offers a Salad Périgourdine to give you an experience of the flavours of Southwest France, followed by Shrimp in Beer Creole touching the flavours of the French West Indies. There is no better finale to this menu than a Spanish version of Crème Caramel a Spanish Flan.

 

Each menu will teach you different techniques and introduce you to the preparation of different sauces that can accompany so many different meals. For example: a simple creamy vinaigrette will give you the techniques to help you make a mayonnaise; that mayonnaise will give you the bases for making aioli (a garlic mayonnaise to accompany meats and fish) and la rouille (the piquante sauce that accompanies a Bouillabaisse), but also tarter sauce for fish, creamy French dressing, and of course the classic, blue cheese dressing. All are variations on the same theme, an emulsion.

 

Come join me the best is yet to come…

Sunday Dinner Chez Moi

I have not been posting as this winter has not been kind to me.  Hopefully with spring coming soon things will be better. It’s raining, so going to the markets or for a beautiful drive in the Var is not possible so I figured I would make a Sunday midday meal.  I have wanted to make Couscous Marrakesh for several weeks.  All the winter vegetables are plentiful and reasonably priced so couscous is an excellent choice, however the lamb in the dish is another matter.

I have been looking for weeks for a reasonably priced leg of lamb.  French lamb is wonderful however the price is prohibitive.  When we lived in the states the best lamb was New Zealand lamb and it really was and still is wonderful.  Here in France you will only find new Zealand lamb in the frozen food section and usually very reasonably priced 6.99 € per kg.  Not bad considering that French lamb is priced at 14-16 € per kg.   So I am always looking for New Zealand lamb in the frozen food section.  Recently it has been virtually impossible to find, so yesterday when we went shopping we stopped at 4 different stores before I finely found one.  It weighted  2.2 kg so there is plenty to make Couscous Marakkesh and maybe a Navarin d’Agneau or a Lamb Tagine.

The French love Moroccan food so the following recipe should entice all my readers to try it.  It came from a Moroccan employee at the Johnny Rock Café when I was chef there many years ago.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.  The good thing is that it is even better the next day so make a lot for an extra meal during the week.

Couscous Marakkesh

Prep time:  20 minutes    Cooking time: 1h30

This Couscous recipe came from a Moroccan employee who I worked with at the Johnny Rock Café in Paris many years ago.  He asked his wife for the recipe to assure it’s accuracy.  As he said, he only enjoys it, his wife prepares it;

INGREDIENTS:

METRIC	INGREDIENTS	CUPS & OUNCES
1 kg  2 2 cac 3 CAS 1 can 2 2 5 2 1 3 2 1 1 as needed 2 CAS 2 1	lamb, cut into large cubes  onions coarsely chopped fond de veau (maggi – dried) olive oil small can whole plum tomatoes stalks of celery cut in large chunks courgettes (zucchini) large chunks navets  (small turnips) cut in half garlic cloves crushed large green or colored pepper leeks cut in thirds large carrots  cut into large chunks bouquet of fresh coriander slivered bouquet of fresh mint slivered water Couscous spice* handfuls of dark raisins small can chic peas (optional) whole blanched almonds toasted fresh coriander and parsley minced Harissa to taste salt and pepper	2.2 lbs  2 2 tsp 3 Tbs. 1 can 2 2 5 2 1 3 2 1 1 as needed 2 TBS 2 1

DIRECTIONS:

Heat the oil in the pan and add the lamb chunks, seasoning with salt and pepper. Brown the meat

completely then add the onions and continue cooking until the onions have browned as well.  Now add

the canned tomatoes, celery, raisins, couscous spice and enough water to cover the meat.  Let it simmer

and add 2 tsps. of dry fond de veau, mix well and let the meat simmer until it is tender.  If needed add

more water. Once tender add half the slivered fresh coriander, and mint. (Keep the rest to garnish

the dish when serving).  Mix well and add the carrots, leeks and navets. Cook these vegetables until al

dente. The broth should not be thick, add water if needed. The chic peas can be added if desired at this

point.  Now add the peppers and courgettes, being careful not to over cook them.  They should still be a

little crunchy when the dish is finished.  Check the seasoning and add more couscous spice, salt and

pepper to taste.  You can also add some Harissa to make it a little piquant.  Serve on couscous (grain) as

noted below.  Garnish the dish with whole toasted almonds and left over slivered coriander and mint.

*Couscous spices are readily available at any French grocer or oriental food store.

COUSCOUS (grain)

Prep Time: 5 minutes    Cook Time: 5 minutes   Serves:   4-6 people

INGREDIENTS:

METRIC	INGREDIENTS	CUPS & OUNCES
1  1/2 Knife tip 1 2 cac 455g	large shallot or small onion  green and red pepper in small dice Spigol hand full of raisins oil & butter (1 of each) medium couscous equal amount of water to couscous salt and pepper	1  1/2 Knife tip 1 2 tsp 2 cup

DIRECTIONS:

Finely chop the green and red pepper into small cubes. Do the same with the shallot or onion. Soak the raisins in hot water with a tea bag for about 10 minutes, then drain.   Measure the water and mix the spigol into the water.

Now sweat the shallot in a little oil and a dab of butter adding the peppers and the drained raisins at the same time.  Once they have cooked about 2 minutes, add the water and salt and pepper.  When it begins to simmer add the couscous mix well and turn off the stove.  Cover and let stand about 4 minutes.   Uncover and work with a fork to loosen the grains.  Put some butter on the tip of the fork and work it gently into the couscous this will help separate all the grains.  Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.  Serve the Couscous Marrakesh with the couscous grain.

Well Dan is asking for Dinner, enough of this writing and on to the eating.  I wish you all Bon Apetit, enjoy!