Gastro-Podium - Tag - kirA platform on which to discuss French gastronomy: the production and preparation of food and wine. Gastropoda: snails, escargots!2013-06-20T11:42:12+02:00Brookurn:md5:ab0be764f586efd2fd2624b95ad4ccd0Dotclear3 easy recipes to start eating Frenchurn:md5:eb3073a3a3f44ad6747ff445c71f302f2012-11-21T16:13:00+00:00Brook Lowry Rivetaperitifcreambacon saucegougereskirvinaigrette <p>
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<p class="p2">French cooking is not just foie gras and truffles, or rich sauces
and puff pastry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Remember Julia
Childs cursing as she flops a crepe on the floor or nicks her finger slicing fish
or boning duck?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>She didn’t always
make it look easy, but French cooking <em>can</em>
</p>
<p class="p2"> My
first recipe is a nod to my husband, who first impressed me by making his own
salad dressing. French people are surprised to see bottled salad dressing
in US grocery stores. In France we make simple <em>vinaigrette</em><span style="
The next recipe is a cream, bacon and white wine pan sauce for cutlets--I like
it with turkey. It's a pretty well known sauce from the region of Normandy, a
bit like the Midwest version of velveeta nacho sauce.</p>
<p class=" p2"="">
The third recipe is a favorite appetizer here in my adopted Burgundy; gougeres (goo-zhairs).
These are bite-sized savory puffs of egg, butter and flour dough, with ham and
cheese bits stirred in. The French love to entertain for 'aperitif' (uh-pair-uh-teef);<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>it’s simply a pre-dinner drink, often Chardonnay
or Cremant, our local sparkling wine. <span style="mso-spacerun:
yes"> </span>Kir is the standard offering here in Burgundy and you can
read about here: <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=brook%20lowry%20rivet%20kir&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CDAQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.burgundyeye.com%2Frestaurants%2Frestaurants-1%2Fdijon%2Fmr-kir-and-the-cocktail-hour-in-burgundy%2F&ei=ovisUKiBKoigywH_xYGwCA&usg=AFQjCNEGLxRgZfb_NRM2AcjFwtZ91KN2vw&sig2=EXaXeQ7cW3M4mB_BjQBtnwjon%2Fmr-kir-and-the-cocktail-hour-in-burgundy%2F&ei=ovisUKiBKoigywH_xYGwCA&usg=AFQjCNE">Kir
in Burgundy</a>. Aperitif will include a dry snack such as nuts, olives, or quite
often gougeres. This is an easy, impressive way to treat your guests or family
to a French 'aperitif'. </span></p>
<p class="p2"> <a title="Par Jebulon (Travail personnel) [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons" href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3APetites_goug%C3%A8res_ap%C3%A9ritif.jpg"><img width="256" alt="Petites gougères apéritif" src="http://escargot.blog.free.fr//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/ba/Petites_goug%C3%A8res_ap%C3%A9ritif.jpg/256px-Petites_goug%C3%A8res_ap%C3%A9ritif.jpg" /></a></p>
<p class="p2"> <strong><ins>French
vinaigrette salad dressing</ins></strong></p>
<p class="p2">1/4 cup red wine vinegar</p>
<p class="p2">1 Tbsp water</p>
<p class="p2">2 Tbsp dijon mustard</p>
<p class="p2">1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper</p>
<p class="p2">1/2 tsp salt</p>
<p class="p2">1 cup corn, safflower or sunflower oil</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p2">1/ mix the vinegar, water, salt, pepper and mustard in a dish or
jar with a fork or mini-whisk until it forms a smooth emulsion.</p>
<p class="p2">2/ While continuously mixing, slowly pour the oil in a thin
stream. You can also add the oil in 1/4 cup increments to a jar,
cover tightly and shake. This dressing keeps for a month covered tightly
and not refrigerated.</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p2">
<strong><ins>White wine, cream and bacon pan sauce</ins></strong></p>
<p class="p2">2 tsp olive oil</p>
<p class="p2">2 turkey or veal cutlets, or 2 chicken filets, pounded flat or pork
filet medallions for 2</p>
<p class="p2">4 slices smoked bacon, chopped</p>
<p class="p2">1/2 onion, chopped fine</p>
<p class="p2">1/2 cup dry white wine</p>
<p class="p2">1 cup creme fraiche OR 1/2 cup sour cream + 1/2 cup heavy cream or
half and half</p>
<p class="p2">salt, pepper</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p2">1/Heat olive oil in non-stick pan and fry the meat, covered, over
medium heat for 15 minutes until just done (use a meat thermometer, or cut into
the meat to check it's not pink)</p>
<p class="p2">2/ remove meat to a plate and cover or put in microwave to keep
warm</p>
<p class="p2">3/ saute the bacon in the hot pan for 2 minutes. Add onions
and continue frying until the onions and bacon begin to caramelize.</p>
<p class="p2">4/Pour the wine over the onions and cook 1-2 minutes, stirring to
unstick all the brown bits that have a nice flavor and let the alcohol
evaporate from the wine.</p>
<p class="p2">5/Stir in the cream and a pinch of salt and pepper, taste to adjust
the seasoning. Add the meat back in the pan and heat briefly. . .serve
over noodles or potatoes.</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p2">
<strong><ins>Gougeres</ins></strong></p>
<p class="p2">3 large eggs</p>
<p class="p2">3/4 cup water</p>
<p class="p2">6 tablespoons butter, cut up</p>
<p class="p2">3/4 cup flour</p>
<p class="p2">1/4 tsp salt</p>
<p class="p2">3/4 cup comté or emmental cheese, chopped fine in a food processor</p>
<p class="p2">1/2 cup cooked bacon or ham, chopped fine by hand</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p2">1/Preheat oven to 400 F.</p>
<p class="p2">2/Place water and butter in saucepan with salt and bring to a full
boil over medium heat. Boil just until butter is melted. Turn heat
off.</p>
<p class="p2">3/Add flour all at once and beat quickly and vigorously with a
wooden spoon until mixture forms a ball and leaves sides of pan. </p>
<p class="p2">4/Add eggs, one at a time and beat well after each addition.</p>
<p class="p2">5/After last egg is added, beat well for 30 seconds
longer, then stir in cheese and ham. Do not let cheese melt—it
should stay in little chunks.</p>
<p class="p2">6/Make teaspoon sized mounds, as for cookies, 1 inch apart on
a greased or parchment-lined cookie sheet. You can also pipe out little
mounds with a pastry bag. </p>
<p class="p2">7/Bake immediately 20-30 minutes until puffed, light brown and
crisp. Serve warm in a basket covered by a tea towel so they stay hot.</p>
<span style="mso-ansi-language:EN-US;
mso-fareast-language:EN-US">You can bake the puffs ahead, refrigerate or
freeze, and heat in the oven 5 minutes before serving. Bon
appetit !</span><!--EndFragment-->