recipes

croque-monsieur: a movable feast

April 3rd, 2011

croque-monsieur: a movable feast

Ernest Hemingway said that “[i]f you are lucky to have lived in Paris … then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a movable feast.” He was right. Even if you are not as fortunate as Mr. Hemingway to live in Paris, Paris does not have to be far from you. This week for me was no exception and it inspired this week’s simple pleasure and movable feast: a croque-monsieur.

It is Spring Break for many students, including my children, so I packed up the children, our seventeen year-old Yorkie, my chef’s knife and immersion blender and put them all in a Recreational Vehicle (“RV”) headed for one of the seven wonders of the world: the Grand Canyon.  For those of you who know me, please contain your laughter at the thought of me driving and cooking in an RV.  I am pleased to say that we did so without incident and had a wonderful time.  In truth, however, I did not have to drive 1,200 miles to please the children because they were perfectly content with the accommodations: sleeping in hidden bed they had to climb into (outfit with a privacy curtain) and traveling with a kitchen loaded with their favorite foods.

The beauty and grandeur of the Grand Canyon is beyond compare.  One day after our excursions, we hungrily returned to our movable, temporary home where I made croque-monsieur. As I watched my children gobble down their sandwiches, I could not help but think of Paris, the first time they enjoyed these sandwiches in Paris, the first time I did, and all the times in my life I have a croque-monsieur.  I stopped counting around 30.

The croque-monsieur is as synonymous with Paris as the Eiffel Tower, crêpes, croissants, and baguettes. First served in a Parisian café in 1910, the croque-monsieur continues to be served in cafés, brasseries, and snack bars. Every tourist has tried one at least once. The classic croque-monsieur calls for the use of pain de mie, ham, and Gruyère. If you top it with a fried or poached egg (giving the sandwich a hat they say) then you have created a croque- madame. It is generally served open-faced.

The attached recipe is the one that I have used for events and the one I made in our RV. It can be a main course or cut-up into bite-size squares (garnished with a French-flagged toothpick if you want) and served as canapés. Typically, I make this as an open-faced sandwich (which also cuts down on the fat content and calories), but the two slices make it easier to eat as a finger food (for children or as a canapé).

A croque-monsieur is simple to make, but I have had my share of terrible ones.  Here are a few production notes so your croque-monsieur does not end up in the  “terrible” category.

First, I use a combination of Comté and Gruyère cheese, it cuts the higher fat content of Gruyère and gives the sandwich a little tang.  Both are good melters. Second, although you will be tempted to use fancier breads, the sandwich is best on a pullman or pain de mie, a sandwich bread with a thin crust and nice crumb.  However, use a quality bread (not that airy, sugary sandwich bread with no substance that will stay fresh for a month sitting on a warm kitchen counter).  Also, do not use a baguette or sourdough, the result will be chewy because the crumb is usually too dense and/or the sour flavor will detract from the sandwich.  I leave the crust my croque-monsieur because the extra crunch goes nicely with the creamy fillings and crisp salad.

Third, while some versions only butter the bread, in my opinion, béchamel is best because buttering the bread can make the sandwich too greasy.  I use béchamel as a dressing.  Béchamel is a roux-based sauce with infused milk and  is one of the foundational sauces of French cooking (use this as your opportunity to learn how to make this simple, and versatile sauce).  I do not add the cheese to the béchamel because it allows you to control the amount of cheese (as well as sauce) you want on your sandwich.  Moreover, when béchamel is used as a conduit for the cheese rather than a dressing you end up with a gooey, soggy mess because people are trying to get more cheesy goodness over their ham (and technically speaking adding cheese to the béchamel turns it into a Mornay sauce, a daughter sauce, and is no longer considered a béchamel anyway). Béchamel can be made ahead of time, stored in the refrigerator to be warmed before use and used for a croque-monsieur or other things.

I always top my croque-monsieur with a lightly dressed green salad. In French cafés it is always served with a side green salad and often enjoyed with a glass of light wine such as a rosé, sauvignon blanc or a pinot noir.  This simple and delicious sandwich is one movable feast that can be enjoyed anywhere, even in an RV parked at the South Rim of an American symbol. It is guaranteed to make many “happy campers.” à table!

Je vous souhaite un bon appétit !

LM


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Hello Normandy: marmite à ma façon

April 2nd, 2011

Hello Normandy:  marmite à ma façon 

One of my favorite Norman dishes to make, and one I teach in my Normandy class, is Marmite Dieppoise or simply “marmite.”  Marmite is a seafood casserole which to me represents some of Normandy’s best culinary treasures: white fish, shrimp, mussels, apples, apple cider, cream, butter, and mushrooms. It is a perfect dish any time of the year and can be served family style or more elegantly. My marmite is a modified version that you can make at home (and I use far less cream than most recipes).   

For those of you who believe you cannot cook fish, this is a very forgiving recipe because the fish is poached and therefore kept moist.  This recipe is also very versatile. I like clams, shrimp, and mussels in mine, but you can choose the seafood (and the type of fish) to your liking.  However, do not use salmon, swordfish, halibut, or tuna because the texture is either too dense or too oily for this cream-style sauce. Lastly, I omit the mushrooms in the spring and summer seasons, but leave them in when the weather is cold.  In summer, I also garnish the marmite with fresh coriander to brighten it a little.

Je vous souhaite un bon appétit !

LM

 

 marmite à ma façon 

stats: serves 6

what you need:

16 ounces of 3 types white fish fillets
(i.e., Sole, Turbot, Cod (Cabillaud), Plaice (Carrelet), Hake (Colin), Brill (Barbue)),
trimmed, skins removed
kosher salt (as needed)
freshly ground pepper (as needed)
unsalted butter (as needed)
2 large apples, peeled, cored, and sliced (about 1- 1 1/2 cups yield)
2 cups fish stock 
1 cup apple cider

seafood and aromatics

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1 leek (white portions only), sliced 
1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1 cup sliced mushrooms
½ cup reduced cuisson 
½ cup white wine
½ pound clams
½ pound mussels
12  shrimp, cleaned and deveined (preferably La Hague)
¾ cup heavy cream (or 20 cl Elle & Vire Crème entiere de Normandie)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
kosher salt (as needed)
fresh coriander (optional)
fresh minced Italian parsley (optional)

how to:

  • Season Fish. Season both sides of fish fillets with salt and pepper.  Set aside.
  • Clean Seafood.  Remove heads, legs, and shells from shrimp, leaving tails on. De-vein and rinse well. Rinse clams and mussels with cold water (do not soak).  Remove beard from mussels and use back of a spoon or knife to clean the shells.  Set aside (but do not clean clams and mussels more than one hour before cooking).
  • Shallow Poach Fish – STOVETOP.  Butter an oven-proof sauté pan.  Place apple slices on top of the butter (as a bed for the fish). Place fillets on top of apples.  Add stock and cider (fish should not be submerged).  Bring to a simmer on the stove top.  
  • Shallow Poach Fish- OVEN. Once you have reached a simmer, remove the pan from the stove top and cover with a buttered cartouche.  Place pan in an oven preheated to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celcius). Fish is done when it is is just beginning to flake (about 5-7 minutes). 
  • Keep Fish And Apples Warm. Use a slotted spoon to remove the fish and place it on a plate.  Cover fish with aluminum foil to keep it warm.  Use the slotted spoon to remove apples and reserve in a separate bowl. Cover the apples with foil. 
  • Reduce Cuisson.  Strain the cuisson (liquid in which you poached the fish) and put into a clean sauce pan. Reduce cuisson to ½ cup. Set aside.
  • Sauté Aromatics. Place a large sauté pan over high heat. Add butter. Once butter is melted, add garlic. When garlic is fragrant, add shallots, leeks, mushrooms, and fennel. Cook until slices are tender. Add cooked apples.
  • Add Liquid. Add white wine and cuisson.  
  • Steam Seafood And Remove.  Add shrimp to pan. Add mussels and clams.  Cover for about 3 minutes.  Remove shrimp and shellfish once the shells have opened (do not over-cook). Cover with foil to keep warm.
  • Reduce Cooking Liquid.  Reduce the cooking liquid (the white wine/cuisson mixture) by half.  
  • Temper In Cream.  Whisk about one cup of the cooking liquid into the cream to bring the cream up the temperature.  Add all of the (now warm) cream to the remaining liquid.  Reduce liquid to à la nappe stage (when it coats the back of a spoon).
  • Add Butter.  Remove liquid from heat and swirl in cold butter.   Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  • Add Fish and Seafood. Return fish and seafood into the liquid and gently toss to coat.  
  • Garnish. Garnish with parsley (and fresh coriander).  
  • Serve. Serve warm with crispy lean bread.
 
 
 
 
 
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fish, floods, and Fridays: john dory en croûte

March 24th, 2011


fish, floods, and Fridays:John Dory en croûte

It was an unusual Sunday for Los Angeles and as I ran in torrential rain for 3 plus hours my thoughts were of food. Fantasies prompted by the fragrant waves of the morning’s food preparations: the flavorful broths in little Tokyo, braised meats and legumes throughout Olivera and the surrounding streets, citrus-toned  Intelligentsia coffee on Sunset, buttermilk-laden pancakes with maple-roasted bacon served in the coffee shops in boys’ town.  Although it would have been wonderful to sit leisurely with my feet in dry, fuzzy slippers and a fluffy cappuccino accompanying a warm bowl of steel-cut oats with fresh berries, brown sugar and toasted nuts in front of me (rather then running 26.2 miles in such conditions), I was not thinking of eating, I was thinking of bathing. In particular, I was thinking of rendered duck fat and how comforting a warm bath of thick, sweet-smelling duck fat would be.  How lovely it would be to be a duck leg right now, a confit duck leg gingerly soaking in melted fat for twelve hours with bath salts of black pepper, bay leaves, star anise, and thyme. If duck fat was not available, my plan B fantasy was to be encased in salt, fortified with egg whites and baked in a hot oven, the hard salt shell protecting me from the punishing rain.  Somewhere around mile 17 or so, I passed my Church and  again I thought of food but this time of lenten abstinence and meatless Fridays. I decided at that point that this week’s simple pleasure should be fish baked in salt.  Ah, to be that fish.

Baking fish in salt is a consistently popular subject for cooking classes because it is super simple, delicious, versatile, impressive to dinner guests, and wonderful for your health (fish is full of omega-3 fatty acids, good for your heart, high in protein, and low in calories and saturated fat). This recipe calls for a whole fish (clean and gut the fish but leave the head and tail on).  Mixing the salt and encasing the fish takes all of 5 minutes.  Depending upon the size of the fish, it will only take about twenty to twenty-five minutes in the oven. If you cannot find John Dory you can easily use this en croûte recipe for other round fish such as salmon, loup de mer (bar or loubine), white fish, whiting, cod (calbillaud), brill (barbou), red snapper, or sea bass (to name just a few).

I chose John Dory for this recipe because its white, firm flesh is sweet, a little buttery, and just plain delicious.  John Dory is perfect for baking in salt because it is a fish best prepared whole.

By way of background, john dory is found in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean as well as waters surrounding New Zealand and Australia.  It can be purchased in the States. In France, john dory is commonly referred to as “Saint Pierre” or Saint Peter’s fish.  The name “john dory” is the result of a poor pronunciation of the fish’s French nickname Jean-doré (alluding to the fish  golden color).

John dory is at most 6-7 pounds in size but it is a dramatic fish with its large head and mouth, 10 spines on its dorsal fin, and four spines on its anal fin (the fillets account for only about 40% of the fish so be warned that it is not a high-yield fish).  In addition, it has a dark spot on its side which according to legend represents Saint Peter’s thumbprint the result of either: (a) the Saint tossing the fish back into the water because of the fish’s moaning;  or (b) the result of Saint Peter trying to remove a coin from the fish’s mouth. The circumstances concerning the coin are unclear; however, apparently the fish does moan when it is removed from the water (making the John Dory as dramatic in action as it is in appearance).  The delicious taste of the john dory combined with the Saint-related legend (and served in a salt tomb) makes it a perfect choice for meatless Fridays. Lent aside, I think this en croûte recipe will be one of your “go to” meals year round.

For those of you wondering how the Los Angeles Marathon turned out, well, it turned out wonderfully. True, I was disappointed by my time and I spent an hour in a “warming” bus under blankets and heat packs with dozens of other runners only to be released out into the unrelenting rain to walk to my car (which was not close at all).  However, en route to my car a woman and her daughter offered me a ride. They could not have been more God-sent (or patient when I could not remember where I parked my car at 4 am that morning).  Turns out the mother and her family are cherry farmers and she ironically ran the same Venice, Italy marathon I ran.  The kindness of the duo reaffirmed my long-time proclamation that farmers and teachers are my favorite people: sincere, kind, humble, occupationally motivated by reasons nothing to do with financial gain yet they have the opportunity to positively (or negatively) impact our bodies and minds now and for the rest of our lives. Well, Missy Gotelli and her daughter made my day and I want to thank them and all of those who braved the weather to pass out water, bananas, orange wedges, soggy pretzels, and skittle soup to those of us fools running in the rain. I now wait with anticipation for May and the Gotelli’s summer cherries to hit the markets and for the impending Paris marathon (where I hear cheese is passed out to the runners at mile 22…French cheese in a marathon… c’est un rêve).  Until then, tomorrow is Friday and rain is in the forecast … lucky fish.  Lucky you.

Je vous souhaite un bon appetit !

LM

ce blog est dédié à mes filles : la seule raison que j'ai eue de vouloir finir le marathon et de ne pas abandonner.


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corned beef and cabbage reinvented: sou-fassum, Lou Fassum, and Saint Patrick’s Day

March 16th, 2011

corned beef and cabbage reinvented:
 sou-fassum, Lou Fassum, and Saint Patrick’s Day

chef Morgan's french take on Saint Patrick's day


Sou-fassum is a farce, a chou farci à la Niçoise (a stuffed cabbage the way they prepare it in and around Nice) to be exact. Sou-fassum, a speciality in the south of France, is blanched cabbage leaves stuffed with a combination of swiss chard, rice, ground pork, bacon (more pork), onions, and tomatoes. The farce is then cooked in cheesecloth which is wrapped around the cabbage and the entire package forms a ball known as a fassumier.  Thefassumier is then cooked in a stock pot-au-feu for about three and one-half hours.

The first time I hadsou-fassum was at the Michelin-starred restaurant “Lou Fassum” located in Grasse (Grasse is about twenty to thirty minutes West of Nice and known for its perfume and summertime Jasmine festival). The only thing that could match the breathtaking view and first-rate service of this amazing restaurant is the superb food created at the hands of Emmanuel Ruz.  The dish was delicious.  As I ate it (sharing it with no one) I kept thinking of how the preparation naturally lent itself to the corned beef and cabbage tradition of Saint Patrick’s Day.  This should be done to corned beef.  After all, why do we have to have the same brisket (many times stringy) year after year served with the same (soggy and greasy) side of cabbage?  Well, we do not and this year it is time for something new.

This week’s simple pleasure reinvents the sou-fassum classic by adapting it to this fun holiday.  It is a little healthier in that it has less fat than traditionally is used and I use farro instead of white rice.  A classic sou-fassum includes concassé tomatoes and the forcemeat is layered with additional cabbage leaves; however, I eliminated both to simplify the dish.

Chef Morgan's french take on Saint Patrick's day

A few ingredient and production notes. First, the recipe calls for minimal salt because I know many of you do not have time to make stock and will use store purchased stock which tends to be salty. However, you will have to season to taste, the stock is your variable so I cannot tell you exactly how much seasoning to add.  Second, if you buy the brisket and it is already marinaded in pickling spices, then put the pickling marinate in your pot-au-feu and you can eliminate making a sachet.  Third, you can ask your butcher to grind the brisket for you; however, ground brisket can produce dry results.  I find that cutting the brisket into large dice and minimally pulsing the meat in the food processor is actually better. Fourth, you can cut the recipe in half and use one half a pound of brisket  if you are only serving 4 people (although the leftovers are just as tasty and they can be a great addition to a tomato sauce).

As written, this is a simple dish to make: blanche, sweat, mix, stuff, simmer, forget about it for 3 to  3 1/2 hours, and serve.  It is fun to make (it is a hobo pack in cheesecloth for goodness sake !) and a great break from the normal routine. Your Saint Patrick’s Day sou-fassum may not involve a Leprechaun, but you will have created your own pot of gold.

Je vous souhaite un bon appétit !

LM


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Bugnes Lyonnaise

March 8th, 2011

Bugnes Lyonnaise

Bugnes Lyonnaise (like all beignets) are synonymous with the festivities during Mardi Gras, the period before Ash Wednesday which begins the forty-day Lenten period of abstinence for Catholics.  Beignets are fried pastry dough topped with icing sugar and eaten warm.  To Americans beignets are simply doughnuts but in France beignets can be sweet or savory.

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le printemps est arrivé ! (Spring has sprung !)

March 3rd, 2011

le printemps est arrivé !
(Spring has sprung !)
taking advantage of the early Spring crops with savory pancakes and tarts

Every season gives us an array of new flavors and colors. Autumn’s coolness is tempered by the warm oranges and reds of pomegranates, winter squashes, pears, and apples. Winter has its dark kales, pale cabbages, brilliant white cauliflower and sunchokes, and bright citrus. Then there is Spring. Spring bursts with newness: vegetables and fruit trees are covered with blossoms and the bright shades of green fill the markets.  English peas, shelling beans, asparagus, fava beans, ramps, baby spinach, spring onions, and fresh garlic are just a few of the season’s treats. Vegetables harvested in the Spring are at their sweetest and mildest (baby carrots, spring garlic, spring onions, baby leeks, and new potatoes, to name a few).

Despite the chilly air (and threats of snow on the Hollywood sign), Spring has sprung in Los Angeles and bringing the season’s beautiful and tasty bounty to your family’s table is easier than you think. This week’s simple pleasure is devoted to the green of Spring and because I could not make a decision as to which recipe to post I am posting two: an elegant and beautiful savory tart topped with sautéed Spring vegetables, flowers and goat cheese; and savory Spring vegetable pancakes. Both are simple to prepare.

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Spring vegetable and flower savory tart with goat cheese

March 3rd, 2011

Spring vegetable and flower savory tart with goat cheese

spring vegetable and flower savory tart with goat cheese

 

makes 4 tarts (4” by 4”)

what you need:

pastry

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, defrosted and cut into 4 squares (4 by 4 inches)
2 ounces young goat cheese
1 egg, mixed

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Spring vegetable pancakes

March 3rd, 2011

Spring vegetable pancakes

stats:

makes 8-10 pancakes

what you need:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup finely minced fennel bulb
1/4 cup soybeans (fresh or frozen), shelled
1/4 cup spiral cut carrots (or grated)
1 cup grated potatoes, large grate with skins Read the rest of this entry »

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pea pusher no more: spring peas à la française

February 24th, 2011

pea pusher no more:
spring peas à la française

The phrase “pea pusher” describes someone who pushes their food around on their plate rather than eating it.  If you are a parent chances are that you know someone who has “pushed peas” on their plate creating a road (or a series of roadways) to create the illusion that the peas or other green food product has been eaten. This week’s simple pleasure, peas braised with soft butter head lettuce and pearl onions, will cease the veggie construction and turn your pea pusher into an eater of peas.

Petit pois à la française (peas cooked in the French style) is a classic french side dish.   It is a reliable standby for adults and children. Simple to prepare the dish can be enjoyed throughout the year but it is particularly tasty in the Spring when peas are their sweetest.

When buying fresh peas, buy them in the shell and use them within a couple of days.  Peas loose their sweetness and freshness rapidly. You can also use frozen peas because  they are typically frozen immediately after harvest when they are naturally sweet (however make sure that sugar is not listed as an ingredient). Do use canned peas because they have a “canned taste.”  You can try to minimize this taste by blanching, draining, and then sautéing the peas to eliminate the excess moisture.  However, if you have the choice, it is easier to go the fresh or frozen route.

Use butter head lettuce for this recipe.  Do not use mesclun or mâche because they are too delicate; large romaine and iceberg are too watery.  Similarly, do not use any greens that are bitter (i.e., arugula).  If you do not have  pearl onions, you can use small cipollini onions or slice larger sweet onions (i.e., Maui or Vidalia).  Do not use red onions or yellow onions because they are too harsh.

I cut back on the butter and sugar that is traditionally used. A nominal amount of sugar remains to allow the braising liquid to thicken (you do not need the sugar as a sweetener if your peas are young). If you do not want to add the sugar, you can use a beurre manié (cold butter with flour mixed in it and added at the end) but you will be left with the flour taste in your peas. To me, the sugar is preferable.

Lastly, do not overcook the peas and lettuce or they will turn an unattractive brownish grey. They should braise no longer than 20 minutes. The condensation which gathers on the lid and drips down combined with the general moist heat in the pan will cook the lettuce even though the peas and lettuce are largely above the water line. Do not stir the peas too much or too forcefully while cooking or you will have an unattractive pea mash.

These peas are an excellent companion to poultry, pork, meats or fish. They are particularly good with lamb. However, whether enjoyed alone or as a side, they will be eaten.

Je vous souhaite un bon appétit !

LM

dinner music
(to the tune of the chorus in Train’s song “Soul Sister”)

“hey pea pusher
aren’t those veggies veggies
on your plate you know…your tummy grows
the way you eat so fast right now

hey pea pusher
you don’t wanna miss
a single pea … it’s there …
[indicating] your right

hey… hey… hey ...”

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power down power food: kale and quinoa tabbouleh

February 18th, 2011

power down power food:
kale and quinoa tabbouleh

You cannot separate what you do as a profession from who you are as a person.  I am a chef, a mother of two, and I run fifty miles a week.   I am not only passionate about cooking but food in general.  I believe that healthy food habits have healing, preventative, and restorative power.  Unhealthy food habits deteriorate our bodies and starve our minds.

When I am training for a marathon I try to make what I eat count a little more: more protein, leafy greens, and healthy carbs, and less foie gras and Valentine chocolate.  As a mother I am always looking for inventive ways to incorporate protein and greens into my childrens’ diet.  Two things in my “more” category are quinoa and kale; however, I have found that people often do not know what to do with either one when it comes to cooking.  It does not help that kale is usually stuffed on the bottom shelf in the produce aisle (hidden by other greens) and uncooked quinoa looks like bird seed.  To give you a little inspiration of how to use these two ingredients, this week’s simple pleasure is the combination of the two in a simple and delicious salad: kale and red quinoa tabbouleh.

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