There is no more terrifying experience at culinary school than the French omelette exam. With your classmates rooting you on, and chef instructors watching intently, you head to the stove, with little more than three eggs, and a little butter�okay, a lot of butter�but that�s it.
It�s just you and the ingredients, with no way to fake perfection. A French omelette, or omelet, as we Americans call it, is 10% ingredients, and 90% technique. The good news is, the technique is really simple. The bad news is, it takes a little practice to perfect. But, after making a few hundred of these, you could probably do this half asleep, which is how many brunch cooks actually do it. Just be sure to start the folding as soon as the surface is wet, but not runny.
Feel free to stuff this with your favorite fillings, before folding up, but if you�ve never had one of these before, I highly recommend making one as shown. You�ll be amazed at just how delicious these few ingredients can be, when elevated using this method. Either way, I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for one omelette:
3 large farm-fresh eggs
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cold water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 for the pan, and 1/2 for when it�s done)
I know I�ve made fun of salads served in Mason jars before, but when I was asked to contribute a layered Nicoise to an Allrecipes Easter feature, I immediately thought of this tragically hip presentation. Also, I didn�t have a straight-sided, see-through glass bowl to do the layered salad in.
I love a good Nicoise, and it�s perfect for layering, especially if you slice/chop up the ingredients first. Not only will your layers be easier to keep straight, but chopped salads are always a pleasure to toss with dressing. Speaking of which, I really enjoyed this avocado spiked French-style vinaigrette, and it paired perfectly with the rich, fatty, olive oil-packed tuna.
Look for something from Spain or Italy, and you will be impressed with how much nicer it is than the stuff Charlie and his buddies are pushing. So, whether you composed this on a plate, in the classic fashion, or follow my lead, and create the world�s trendiest Nicoise, I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!
Every once in a while, I get a food wish that has nothing to do with a specific recipe, but rather it�s a request to post something complicated, and challenging to do. Well, this country-style p�t� is about as close as we�re going to get.
Calling this recipe complicated is sort of a stretch; "involved� would probably be more accurate. There are many steps, and the ingredient list isn�t short, but none of the techniques are very difficult, or particularly time-consuming.
Coarsely grinding the meat is probably the most crucial step, but as you saw, if the meat is very cold, the attachment on your stand mixer will do an adequate job. If you don�t have one, you can pulse on and off in a food processor, and as long as your meat was partially frozen, this will work.
Another option is just to place your meat order with a real butcher, and ask them to coarsely grind it all together for you, after which you can simply process the rest of your ingredients, and add them to your already ground meat and fat. Speaking of fat, I used some chopped up bacon, but virtually any kind of pork fat will work.
If you do use bacon, either in the p�t�, orto wrap with, I suggest using one that�s lightly smoked, so as not to overpower the rest of the flavors. Anyway,I realize this may seem like quite a production, but if you enjoy charcuterie, this would make for a very fun, beautiful,and quite delicious project. I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for one P�t� de Campagne (16 portions):
6 ounces duck leg meat (meat removed from 2 or 3 legs)
4 ounces fatty bacon, chopped
4 ounces chicken livers, roughly chopped
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 shallot, thinly sliced
4 cloves minced garlic
1/3 cup chopped Italian parsley
25 grams kosher salt (about 5 teaspoons)
1/8 teaspoon �instacure� pink curing salt
3/4 teaspoon *pate spice mix
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup cognac or brandy
1/3 cup plain dry bread crumbs
2 large eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream 1/2 cup dried cherries, optional 1/2 cup pistachios, optional
8-10 sliced of bacon, or a few sheets of caul fat to line the **mold * For the P�t� Spice:
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
** My bread pan was a little smaller than standard, but a regular 9 x 5 inch loaf pan should work perfectly here. -- Cook in water bath at 350 F. until internal temp of 155 F.
I adore a good hollandaise, and couldn�t survive without mayonnaise, but if I had to pick an all-time favorite �aise, it might just be b�arnaise. This tarragon-spiked, shallot-infused hollandaise is absolutely perfect with any and all steaks or roasts; especially lean ones, like our recent salt-crust beef tenderloin.
A sauce made from 75% butter has some advantages, and elevating lean meat is just one of them. This is also excellent on potatoes, vegetables, as well as just about any seafood I can imagine. And as I mentioned in the video, this can be used to make quite the memorable eggs Benedict.
We�re using the same revolutionary technique here that we featured in our last hollandaise sauce video, with one small tweak.If you�re feeling lucky, try to create your hollandaise over medium heat, instead of low. That�s what I usually use, but I played it safe, and went with low heat in that recipe, even though using medium is much faster.
You�ll have to keep an eye on things, but you should get results similar to what you see in this video. By the way, just like when making regular hollandaise you can adjust the thickness by adding in a little hot water if necessary. So, whether you�re going to enjoy this with salt-crusted beef tenderloin, or something else just as special, I hope you give this b�arnaise sauce a try soon. Enjoy!
This mille feuille, which I�m sure I pronounced perfectly in the video, is also referred to as a Napoleon, and is the easiest, �fancy� pastry I know. The technique for creating your �thousand leaves� is very simple, especially if you use frozen dough, which any sensible person should do.
Whether you use frozen or homemade dough, the key is to keep it flat. We do this by �docking� the dough, and pressing with another pan. I used a few layers of foil before placing the pan on top, to make sure it was in contact with the dough, and depending on the size and shape of your pans, you may need to do the same.
Most patisseriers will make these well ahead, and keep them in the fridge, so that the pastry softens a bit, as it absorbs moisture from the filling. This is standard procedure, and they are much easier to eat that way, but I actually prefer to enjoy them right away, so as to fully experience the contrast between the crispy, buttery pastry, and the cold, creamy custard.
Stay tuned for the new and improved pastry cream video heading your way soon. In the meantime, your favorite recipe should work, as well as things like whipped cream, sweetened ricotta/mascarpone, and/or lemon curd. I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!
-- Bake at 400 F. for about 15 minutes �pressed,� and then continue for another 10-15 minutes, uncovered, or until browned and crisp. I turned mine once during that time.
-- To make the icing, simply add enough water or milk to powdered sugar, until the right consistency is reached.For the chocolate one, I started with one part unsweetened cocoa to four parts powdered sugar, and then stirred in the liquid. Check this video if you are confused.
I can�t believe after all these years of posting videos, I hadn�t done a proper beurre blanc! Well, I guess I still haven�t, if you take into account bit of cream we sneak in, as beurre blanc purists do not approve. That�s okay; we�ll just distract them by pronouncing it wrong.
They consider it �cheating,� since adding cream helps you create a more stable base for emulsifying in cold cubes of butter. I don�t get how that�s a problem, unless the cream somehow ruined the taste of the sauce, but it doesn�t, and you could argue it actually enhances it. I also think it makes for an even more beautiful color.
Cream, or no, the technique is not at all difficult. Once your wine/acid mixture has reduced by about 75%, turn your heat to low, and whisk in the butter a few cubes at a time. That�s really it. By the way, feel free to use a saucepan for this. I used a saut� pan because it�s easier to film in, but it does make the process a little riskier.
You can switch up the type of vinegar, or go with lemon juice; and the shallots can be switched out for garlic, or finely minced onion. Chives are nice in this, but many other herbs will work, such as tarragon; or chervil, if you�re sexy. No matter how you pronounce it, or what ingredients you use in it, I really hope you give this easy sauce recipe a try soon. Enjoy!
Note: Yes, I can see there�s a spot of sauce splattered on the lens during the final scenes. These things will happen. Just pretend it�s not there. Thank you.
Ingredients for 4 portions Beurre Blanc:
1/2 cup of white wine
2 tablespoons lemon juice, or white wine vinegar, champagne vinegar, herb-infused white vinegar, etc.
2 teaspoons very finely minced shallots
2 tablespoons heavy cream
4 ounces of cold unsalted butter (1/2 cup or 1 stick), cut in one-inch cubes
I�m all about simply prepared vegetables, but every once in a while I need to cover them in caramelized pork and cheese, and this stunningly delicious pancetta-wrapped leek gratin was one of those times. I love those times.
This �umami bomb� is so flavorful and satisfying, it almost seems disrespectful to serve it as a side dish. Pair this with a slice of buttered bread, hedge your bets with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, and enjoy a truly special lunch.
For extra credit, after you finish your meal, call your best French friend and describe what you had. They will love and hate you for it. So, whether you make this for lunch, or use it to upstage a steak or grilled piece of salmon, I hope you give this great leek gratin a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 2 portions:
3 large leeks
about 4 oz pancetta
2 tsp olive oil
salt, pepper and cayenne to taste
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup drinkable white wine
1/3 cup heavy cream
finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese as needed chives to garnish
I don�t think I�ve made Duck �a l'Orange� since culinary school, nor tried to pronounce it, but thanks to a rather enticing photo in a friend�s cookbook, I decided to go full culinary time machine, and I�m so glad I did.
This is one of those classic dishes that somehow became a clich�, and people stopped making it for fear of looking un-cool, which is too bad, since it�s really good. This is traditionally done with a whole roasted duck, but by using breasts we get pretty much the same results, in a lot less time.
My version is very close to Hank�s, except I don�t use orange juice. I prefer the flavor of the sauce with just marmalade, zest, and Grand Marnier. Speaking of the Grand Marnier, other than other orange liquors, I�ll be offering no alternatives. That�s what literally gives the sauce its soul.
By the way, if you want to raise your �game� game, I encourage you to check out Hank's cookbook. I think it�s very well done, and gets basically all 5-star reviews on Amazon. So, check that out, check this out, and as always enjoy!
Coquilles St-Jacques is the kind of unapologetically rich shellfish dish that we used to be able to enjoy, before the book-writing dieticians and celebrity chefs ruined it for everybody.
Fats of all sorts were demonized, and young cooks far and wide were told to never, ever, under any circumstances, cover-up the delicate flavors of seafood with heavy sauces, especially ones containing cheese.
So, an amazing recipe like this went from classic French treat to crime against nature, and it slowly but surely started disappearing from menus. You can still find it in a few of the braver bistros, but to enjoy on any kind of semi-regular basis, you�ll need to master it at home. The good news is that�s very easy to do.
By the way, this is a great recipe for entertaining larger groups during the holidays, since it can be prepped well ahead of time. For this reason, Coquilles St-Jacques has always been a favorite of caterers and banquet chefs, and below the ingredients list, I�ll give some instructions on how they do it.
You can use sea scallops like I did, or the smaller, sweeter bay scallops, which are really nice in this. Of course, if you use bay scallops, you�ll only need a minute in the simmering wine, so be careful. No matter what you use, be sure they haven�t been dipped in a preservative solution. If you buy them frozen, which you should, the label should only say, �Scallops.�
The shells can be easily found online, or at your local restaurant supply store. Otherwise, simply use some small, shallow gratin dishes, which will work exactly the same. Find something, and give this �scallop recipe that time forgot� a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 4 portions:
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup diced shallots 8 oz button mushrooms, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup white wine
1 pound sea scallops (about 3 scallops per person)
1/2 cup heavy cream 1 egg yolk
cayenne to taste 2 tsp minced tarragon
1 tsp lemon zest
1/4 cup grated Gruy�re cheese
Broil on high, about 8-10 inches under the flame, until the scallops are hot, and the cheese is browned and bubbling. Because of the sugars in the wine and cream, the edges will br�l�e or burn, but this is not a problem, and actually how it�s supposed to look.
NOTE: You can make these ahead, and refrigerate until needed. Since they will be cold, you�ll need to bring back to temperature before you broil them. Preheat oven to 350 F. and bake for about 12-15 minutes (will depend on how you constructed them), or until the centers are just warm. Switch oven to broil, and broil on high as shown.
Whenever someone asked me why I hadn�t done a baguette video yet, I�d tell them because you just can�t recreate an authentic loaf of French bread at home.
I�d explain about the water, the flour, the centuries old starters, and the steam-injected ovens. I told them what I�d been told; that it was simply impossible, or as the French say, "impossible!"
That was, until I actually tried to make some. Much to my amazement, not only was it possible, it was really pretty simple. The key is water. That goes for the dough, and the baking environment. The dough must be very sticky, as in hard-to-work-with sticky. This is nothing well-floured fingers can�t conquer, but I did want to give you a heads-up.
Besides the water content in the dough, the oven must also be moist. This humidity, in addition to some occasional misting will give the crusty baguettes their signature look. How does this work? You know how when someone pours water on the rocks in a dry sauna, and suddenly it feels way hotter? It probably has something to do with that.
Anyway, who cares why it works, the important thing here is that real, authentic, freshly-baked baguette is now an everyday reality. One thing worth noting; I adapted this no-knead version from a recipe I found herelast year. The original is in metric, so I�ve converted it, but also included the original flour and water units in case you want to get it exact. I hope you give this easy, and so not impossible baguette recipe a try soon. Enjoy!
For 4 smaller or 2 large baguette:
1/4 tsp dry active yeast (I used Fleischmann's Rapid Rise Yeast) (Note: if you want to use a traditional bread technique, add the whole package of yeast (2 1/4 tsp) and proceed as usual)
1 1/2 cups water (325 grams)
1 3/4 tsp salt
18 oz by weight all-purpose flour (500 grams), about 4 cups
- Mix dough and let rise 12-14 hours or until doubled
- Punch down and shape loaves, let rise covered with floured plastic 1 to 1 1/2 hr or until almost doubled
- Bake at 550 F. about 15 minutes or until well-browned
- Spray with water before baking, at 5 minutes, and at 10 minutes during cooking time
How great is Salad Lyonnaise? Lyon is considered the meat capital of France, and yet the city�s most famous, and reproduced dish is probably this simple frisee salad. Now that�s some delicious irony. Don�t worry�this salad is far from vegan. The mildly bitter greens are dressed in a shallot and Dijon dressing, it�s spiked with a generous handful of crispy lardons, or bacon in my case, and topped with a runny egg.
By the way, unless you�re some kind of crazy person, you�re going to need some crispy croutons or crostini to finish this masterpiece off. Here�s a link to the ones I used for this, sans Parmigiano-Reggiano. You�ll also want to taste and adjust the dressing to your liking. I use a 2-to-1, oil to vinegar ratio, as I think you need some acidity to cut the richness of the bacon and egg yolk, but you may not want it as sharp.
As I joked about in the video, this is so tasty, it may be the only salad that has a chance to be picked as someone�s last meal. There�s good, and then there�s death row good. Anyway, I�ve been dying to film this old favorite, and I really hope you give it a try soon. Enjoy!
For 4 generous portions:
2 heads frisee lettuce, aka curly endive, or use arugula
8 oz bacon (or pancetta if you want to experience something closer to real lardons)
4 large eggs
1 tbsp chives
For the dressing (makes extra, about 3/4 cup total):
Of course you can�t make a real cassoulet in an hour, but you can make this very acceptable cheater version, and as long as you manage expectations, you�re in for a great, cold-weather meal.
Real cassoulet is an involved process, with several days of prep just to make the various meats served in this rustic bean casserole. Once everything is prepared, the dish bakes for hours, during which time the ritualistic crust forming and re-forming occurs.
Buttery breadcrumbs are scatted over the top, and when they form a crusty, golden brown layer, they�re pushed down into the bubbling mixture, and new crumbs applied. This is done several times, creating the dish�s signature texture. A creamy, aromatic, not-too-wet-or-too-dry bean mixture into which is suspended the chunks of succulent meat.
Here, we�re taking lots of short cuts. Chicken thighs replace the classic, and time-consuming, duck confit; canned beans replace dried; and bacon serves as a convenient substitute for other, more involved smoked pork options.
While it will be tempting to dig right into this as soon as the final �gratin� is formed, please follow the advice in the video, and let your cassoulet rest in the hot oven for 15 minutes. This will allow the beans and buttery crumbs to absorb the last of the excess liquid, and make for a better texture.
By the way, please adjust your seasoning depending on the sausage used. Mine was plenty garlicky, so I didn�t add any additional cloves. You�ll also have to taste and alter the salt, depending on whether your bacon and sausage shared enough with the rest of the ingredients. I hope you give this hearty, cold-weather classic a try soon. Enjoy!
