French Style :)

Let’s start with a quick course on the history of French cooking. Back in the middle ages, the French cooked very ornate and lavish food that was often also heavily spiced. During the French Revolution, cooking seemed to become less about spices and more about refined techniques. During the 20th century, the modern version of haute cuisine developed and of course the Guide Michelin and increased Gastro-tourism helped make countryside food an important element in French kitchens.

Brittany Fish Stew

Brittany Fish Stew (Cotriade) is just one of many traditional recipes from the region in France. Brittany is on the western coast of France, therefore is stands to reason their diet is dominated by seafood on the coast.

Brittany Fish Stew (Cotriade)
serves:- 6-8, preparation time:- 10-15 mins, cooking time:- 30-35 mins,
Ingredients
* 1.5 kg or 3lb of conger eel, cut into 1 inch slices
* 500g or 1lb of bass, gutted, washed and cut into 3 inch chunks
* 1.5kg or 3lb of wrasse, gutted, washed and cut into 3 pieces
* 500g or 1lb of mackerel, gutted, washed and cut into 3 pieces
* 500g or 1lb of whitting, gutted, washed and cut into 3 pieces
* 500g or 1lb of sardines, gutted and washed
* 200g or 7oz of butter
* 3 large onions, 1 stuck with 2 cloves and the other 2 chopped
* 2kg or 4lb of peeled potatoes
* 1 bouquet garni (thyme, bayleaf, parsley)
* salt and pepper
* croutons.

Method

* melt the butter in a large saucepan and add the chopped onions
* add the whole onion, potatoes, bouquet garni and eel
* cover with 3 litres of water, add salt and plenty of pepper
* bring to the boil and cook for 15 mins
* add the bass, wrasse and mackerel and cook for a further 5 mins
* finally add the whiting and sardines and cook for another 5 mins
* remove all the fish and potatoes from the pan except for 3 potatoes
* 2 chunks of conger eel, a piece of mackerel, a piece of whiting and 3 sardines
* strain the bouillon and keep warm over a low heat
* discard the bouquet garni but save everything else in the sieve and put into a motar
* crush everything together, put it back into the bouillon and sieve again
* this should now be a thickened soup
* save some of the sauce to serve with the fish and the potatoes
* serve the rest as a soup with the croutons as a starter

leek and potato soup

Ingredients :
Known under the name of "Vichissoise soup" this recipe was created by a French chef in exile in the U.S.
It is a soup that is eaten chilled in the heat of the summer. Personally, I enjoy the blend of leek, the potato and crème fraiche flavour. Here, I will give you a recipe for a hot version of this French traditional soup.

leek and potato soup recipe for 4 to 6 people :
350g leek, the white part, finely chopped
350g potato, cut in big cubes
80g butter
3 dl double cream
2 l water
some thyme and a bay leaf wrapped in a small piece of muslin.
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Direction :

1) Heat up the butter in a thick bottom pot. Then add the leek.
2) Cover and allow to gently sweat off the finely sliced leek for 5-6 minutes.
Afterwards add the potatoes.
3) Add the water and bring to the boil. Season well with salt and pepper and plunge your little muslin parcel in the liquid.
4) Gently simmer for 35 minutes.
5) Take the muslin out and blitz your soup until smooth. Then, slowly add the cream while mixing to incorporate it.

Here I serve my soup with some croutons and some grated Gruyère cheese. This is an idea of garnish, up to you to garnish your soup as you wish.

Stuffed Mushrooms

Champignons farcis

Ingredients :
• 1 pound of mushrooms (about 12 medium, or 20 small)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter + about 2 more tablespoons
• 3 peeled shallots (about 3 ounces)
• 1/4 cup dry white wine (substitute 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 3 tablespoons water)
• 1/2 cup fine bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• salt and pepper
• 2 egg yolks

Preparations:


1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and coat a baking dish with olive oil.
2. Quickly wash and carefully dry the mushrooms. Remove the stems by pinching and pulling them off. Place the caps hollow side up in a baking dish, rolling them about a bit to coat with the olive oil.
3. Mince the mushroom stems and shallots.
4. Warm two tablespoons of butter in a medium sized skillet on low-medium heat. Add the minced mushroom stems and shallots. Cook, stirring occasionally for 8 minutes.
5. Stir in the white wine and cook for two more minutes.
6. Remove from the heat and stir in the bread crumbs, parsley and salt and pepper to taste (about 1/8 teaspoon each). Add the egg yolks and stir to combine well.
7. Mound the filling in the caps - you may wish to use your fingers. Top each cap with a small piece of butter.
8. Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, then serve. These can also be served cold.
Makes 12 medium, or 24 small stuffed mushrooms.

Spaghetti Squash

Gratin de courge spaghetti

Ingredients:
• 1 spaghetti squash, about 4 pounds
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons creme fraiche or whipping cream
• 2 ounces shredded Gruyere or other cheese

Preparations :
1. Oven. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. Squash Preparation. Carefully wash and dry the squash. Slice off about an inch off of the ends. Balance it on one of the sliced off ends and then slice it through lengthwise. Use a spoon to scrape out the fiber and seeds.
3. Bake. Arrange the cut squash flesh side up on a baking sheet. Drizzle a little olive oil on each half and use a pastry brush to distribute the oil. Sprinkle on some salt and pepper. Bake for 40 minutes at 375°F (190°C).
4. Shred. Remove the squash from the oven and allow it to to cool enough to handle easily. Use a fork to scrape up and shred the flesh into filaments (the spaghetti).
5. Mix. Place the shredded flesh in a greased baking dish and stir together with the crème fraiche or whipping cream. Top with the shredded cheese.
6. Bake again. Bake another 15 minutes at 375°F (190°C).
Makes about 6 side dish servings.

Quick and easy Steak Frites

Ingredients :

1. 6 rib eye steaks (about 1/2 pound each)
2. 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus 1 1/2 tablespoons, melted
3. Freshly ground pepper
4. 1 ounce Roquefort cheese, at room temperature
5. 4 large baking potatoes
6. Peanut oil, for deep-frying
7. Coarse sea salt

Steps:
1. Brush the steaks with the melted butter and season with pepper; let the steaks come to room temperature.
2. In a small bowl, beat the 4 tablespoons of butter with the Roquefort until blended.
3. Peel the potatoes and slice lengthwise 1/4 inch thick. Cut the slices into 1/4-inch-wide sticks and soak in ice water for 15 minutes.
4. In a deep-fryer or a large saucepan, heat 2 inches of oil to 325°. Drain the potatoes and blot them completely dry. Divide the potatoes into 4 batches and fry each batch until cooked through but not browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried potatoes to paper towels to drain.
5. Light a grill. Generously season the steaks with salt and grill over a hot fire for 4 to 6 minutes per side for medium rare. Alternatively, pan-fry the steaks over moderately high heat for about 4 minutes per side.
6. Reheat the oil to 375°. Fry the potatoes until crisp and golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes per batch. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the frites to fresh paper towels to drain. Top each steak with a spoonful of Roquefort butter and serve the frites on the side.
Make Ahead The frites can stand at room temperature for up to 4 hours after their preliminary frying.

Quick and easy Cuban Sandwhich

The menu showcases French cuisine like rainbow trout with parsnip puree and Cassoulet Toulouse. But it is the Latin-inspired dishes that really shine. The classic French starter of cauliflower soup has a drizzle of piquillo pepper romesco sauce. And Chez Henri proves that the complex flavors of Cuban cuisine are not just heat. Good ceviche is hard to find in New England, but the ceviche at Chez Henri with mango lime mojo, sugarcane and chayote is sparkly fresh. The fennel scented flounder comes with quinoa pilaf and toasted almond milk. The dish is decidely French, but with a subtle twist. For dessert? If it is on the menu, go for the “tres leches cake”. The sweet, milk-soaked Latin dessert made at Chez Henri is locally famous.


Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
•1 Loaf of Cuban Bread (Substitutes: French or Italian Bread)
•1 pound cooked ham (sliced)
•1 pound roasted pork (sliced)
•1/2 pound Swiss cheese (sliced)
•dill pickles (sliced)
•Yellow mustard or Mayonnaise

Preparation:

1. Preheat a griddle or frying pan on medium heat.
2. Cut the loaf of bread into quarters and slice each quarter in half lengthwise for the sandwiches.

3. Spread the mustard or mayonnaise on the bread. Then make each sandwich by layering the pickles, roasted pork, ham, and cheese.

4. Lightly coat the cooking surface of the griddle or frying pan with cooking spray or butter. Place one sandwich onto the hot surface.

5. Put a clean, heavy skillet on top of the sandwich to flatten it. Press the bread down to about 1/3 of its original size.

6. Leave the skillet on top of the sandwich and grill for one or two minutes. Lift the heavy skillet, turn the sandwich over and repeat this step for the other side of the sandwich.

7. The cheese should be melted and the bread golden brown. Slice each sandwich in half diagonally and serve.