Cafe de Paris

PREP. PREP. PREP. 

It cannot be said enough.  Prepare your ingredients and have everything on the counter ready.

Frederick has a French bias.  He alluded to the French Resistance but I can't imagine it was his war.  He won't tell me his age, so it is entirely possible. 

There is a framed article hanging in his kitchen on Antonin Careme-father of le grand cuisine. Frederick's wife said she wouldn't be caught dead wearing Empire waists.  She's heard one lecture after another on the superiority of the French cuisine. 

"It's not the complexity, but the simplicity of it all that makes it so."  Or so he says.

 

On my travels this past summer I picked up a mint condition second hand At Elizabeth David's Table. Ms. David had a touch of the curmudgeon in her.  Does David pass muster in F's kitchen?  The editor of Table feels that David has not been given her due.  Frederick feels we've heard more than enough on this grand dame of the kitchen. 

 

Partridge was initially suggested, but it's been an age since the last roast pheasant so faisan it was.  "Brevity is my forte." was Ms. David's motto.  Her recipes are short and to the point so I've taken the liberty of elaborating just a wee bit.

One has to start a meal right.  Gin and Pernod work the appetite effectively on their own so why not combine the two?

 

 

 

cafe de paris

2 oz gin

1 tsp Pernod

1 tsp cream

1 egg white

shake and strain to martini glass; delicious

Notes from F:  Pernod should be drunk with a little cold water to cloud it.  Don't sully it with creme and eggs!


scallops with pancetta & white wine

 

 

 

 

I like three scallops per person.  David calls for two chopped scallops but this looks like a pile of stuff on the plate as opposed to nicely presented scallops and dressing.



 

For every two servings:

 

scallops; rinse & pat dry

1 TBSP flour

fresh pepper to taste

2oz pancetta, chopped

1 TBSP butter

1 large shallot, chopped

1/3 C white wine

chopped parsley to finish

 

Sautee shallot in butter 'til translucent.  Add pancetta. Cook 'til crisping up.  Sprinkle scallops with flour.  Cook 4 min per side.  Remove from pan and keep warm.  Add wine; low boil 'til thickened.

 

I sauteed a little baby bok choy to use as a bed or accompaniment and a bit of colour.

 

Notes from F:  give the pancetta room and time to cook; we're not setting it on fire but cubed pancetta is an unusual texture; finely dice to ensure crisping.

 

 

pheasant with chestnut sauce

 

Chestnut sauce (make ahead)

 

½ lb chestnuts

3 TBSP butter

2 celery stalk

one slice bacon

6 TBSP port

6 TBSP water

Conservative sprinkle of salt

2 TBSP stock OR 35 % cream

Buttered parchment paper

Score chestnuts and roast in 350F oven for 15 mins.  Shell and skin.  Chop into quarters.

Sautee celery, bacon and when tender and crisp add chestnuts, port, water, salt.

Cover and cook for 30 minutes.

 

Roast pheasant in parchment paper, one side for 20 min; second side for 15 mins at 375F then right side up for 20 mins (I gave it  10 extra minutes)

 

Reheat sauce adding cream or stock. 

 

Go with stock as reheating addition. The sauce has a good colour but with the addition of cream, it turned a sickly purple; BUT with further cooking browned nicely

 

Notes from F.~ pay attention to the weight, adjust time accordingly;  allow for extra roasting time; nothing is gained from prolonged parchment cooking; wrap bird in bacon for moisture

Buy good quality bacon.

As chestnuts cook, break them down to smaller pieces.

Don’t let the sauce boil its gut out with the lid on; simmer, simmer, simmer!

Don’t forget to check the inside of the bird for neck, kidneys, etc;  roast the heart for the stock or to garnish the breast!

 

 

 

Good luck on your quest for a pheasant.  Do plan ahead and get a reputable butcher to order one in for you unless you happened to be out in farm country and see one grazing in a farmer's field.

 

pommes de terre l’echirlete  (aka roast potatoes)

½ lb new potatoes

Chicken stock to cover

2 garlic cloves

1 TBSP animal fat

Simmer potatoes in broth. Finish by roasting in bacon fat and minced garlic.

Notes from F:  fat should be hot!

 

 

 



 

 

 chocolate pots (from the delightful Jamie Oliver)

 

 

1 C 18 % cream

7 oz  70% chocolate-broken into pieces

2 yolks

3 TBSP brandy

1 TBSP butter

2 TSP butter

Heat cream ‘til just about on the boil.  Let cool a couple of minutes and incorporate chocolate.  Stir ‘til smooth.  Beat in yolks and brandy. 

Cool.

Beat in butter ‘til smooth.

 Suggested serving to pour into espresso sized cups or other vessel.

Notes:  used 85 % cocoa second time around; received lecture on why not to go any higher than 70 %

The brandy does the job of the other 15% taste-wise

A dollop of whipped 35 % wouldn’t go a miss if you find it too strong!

Original recipe notes that separation can occur if you add the butter too early; it’s your best judgement on gauging the correct temperature; if in doubt, leave a minute longer.  For some reason mine worked.

 

Pouilly Fuisse for the table. Dry but doesn’t suck the life out of your mouth.

Frederick extra: Pouilly comes from Pouilly sur Loire, a small town on the East bank of the Loire.  Lots of fine vineyards in Pouilly and Sancerre which sits opposite.  (I was spared the details on the romp through a vineyard with a fine young mademoiselle.  I have the cognac to thank for that.)

 

 

Scallops From Away-Curried Scallops

After experimenting in Caker Land, it is time to get back to meals that require a little more effort and that produce much tastier results. I think more nutritious, also. Ah, the complicated recipe. Yes, there was a head of broccoli in that casserole, but it just felt wrong to be prepping for, making and eating it. The empty jar of Cheez Whiz was carefully placed into the recycling bin this week leaving space in the fridge for fresh cheese. Perhaps we'll crack open the Caker book on the post's anniversary. I do enjoy the CakerCooking blog, though. I like the tongue-firmly-planted-in-cheek style.

I was in the grocery store beginning of the month and someone reminded their partner to go and get the Cheez Whiz. "Don't do it!" the brain screamed. "Go to the cheese counter and see what you can do with that!" Great line from Mother with Albert Brooks. Mom has a hunk of fossilized cheese she's keeping in the freezer. "I can tell from the gross weight I'm not going to like it," John says to her as she slices off a piece with the electric knife.

Try this for a month. Break out of the cheese rut and buy a different cheese each week. Just a few ounces, that's all I ask. A blue, a brie, a goat, a cheddar. Go Canadian. I'm trying to do the 100 mile thing but it is challenging. Obviously I'm buying bananas that have travelled great distances. Short of staging a raid on the Gage Park tropical greenhouse, I have to let the guilt go on the banana front. Likewise with the avocado. I was mortified to find last week's blackberries came from Mexico. I didn't realize. Remember years ago when we debated about South African oranges and Chilean wine? Politics went deep. See what democracy has done? Now it's just a matter of how far it's travelled to your doorstep. (Side note on wine-if you think it's Canadian, check again. Is it 100% local grape or a mix bag of imported grape that is merely cellered locally? Yes, by all means buy the Italian, French or Australian but make sure the local stuff is local.)

This is Frederick. As you can see, Frederick likes his food. He also likes a drop of wine. Frederick is never without his tasting spoon, but he broke it recently in a fit of kitchen pique. Someone put chicken nuggets in his oven and he wasn't best pleased. Frederick is a coq au vin kind of guy. He likes his game bird-pheasant, partridge and quail.

Frederick has connections. The scallops in this recipe came hand delivered from Nova Scotia waters. When I was presented with them, I had about four cents on hand. I have not forgotten about the IOU.

A complicated recipe this is not. This is very simple but very satisfying dish and if you don't have Frederick's connections, some chicken or shrimp will work very well.

1 TBSP butter
2 leeks, sliced
sprinkle of nutmeg
1/3 C chicken stock
1/4 C 35% cream
sea salt
12 scallops or to taste depending on size
curry powder~either the "yellow" stuff, Tandoori, your own blend or try Patak's paste; the choice is yours

Saute leeks in butter; add stock; sweat for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with nutmeg.
Add cream.
Simmer 'til thickened.

Pat scallops dry.
Sprinkle with a little sea salt.
Give the scallops a massage with the powder or paste.
Pan fry in butter, 5 minutes a side.

Serve on leeks with a side of rice.
Serves 2; just. Increase portions accordingly.
Great smell in the kitchen and very tasty. Putting it into steady rotation.

Pass the tarragon, please. Tarragon Sauce & Crusted Scallops

Day four of take out burgers and subs?
No justification for this.
Instead take ten minutes to poach some chicken and prepare tarragon sauce OR enjoy a tarragon crusted scallop or two.


Sauce

Boil up 1 cup bouillon from scratch[if time permits], from a box or from a cube. (We've all read the cookbooks, we know scratch is best, but save it for when you have time.)

Add 1/2 cup creme fraiche; simmer 'til thickened. Adjust quantity as needed.
Add 1/4 cup chopped fresh tarragon.
Simmer for a couple of minutes.
Season with fresh ground black pepper, if desired. Yes, get yourselves a pepper mill! 
 

Serve with a simple side- rice, orzo, etc.

Tarragon Crusted Scallops

Saute: 1 tbsp butter, 1 clove garlic.
Add 1/4 cup chopped tarragon.
Add 1/4 cup bread crumbs. (bonus points if you grate the bread yourself)
Saute further 5 minutes.

Can cool for future use.

Sear scallops.
Top with bread crumb mixture.
Finish in a 400C oven for 5 minutes.

Post Script
Frederick says he's going to try and get some local scallops for the next recipe.  Says you can taste the difference.