Filets de poisson et asperges, grille

A springtime treat, with the asparagus and chives. And it is done in 10 minutes. Using the Silpat saves a lot of cleanup.

Serves 4

4 four to six ounce fish filets, such as trout, ocean perch, tilapia
1 pound asparagus--thinner is better--lower stems cut off
Cajun seasoning
Herbs de Provence
sea salt
pepper
herbs for garnish, such as scallion tops chopped, chives, chive flowers, capers, thyme

Preheat broiler.

1. On a baking pan (half sheet) place one pound thin asparagus, lower stems cut off, and the fish filets, skin side down.
2. Drizzle all with olive oil, toss the asparagus in the oil, and dust the asparagus and the fish with sea salt. 
3. Season the filets with Cajun seasoning and herbs de Provence.
4. Broil the fish for three minutes on top or until they are lightly browned. Turn and broil for one or two minutes more, tossing the asparagus as you turn the fish.
5. [OPTIONAL:] Nap the fish with Hollandaise or herb butter
6. Garnish with scallion tops, capers, chopped chives, and/or chive flowers.

Spinach, pear, roquefort & walnut salad

I had this sweet salad first in a little restaurant in Edmond, Oklahoma, my home town. It was in the space where I had my first job, a clerk in a doughnut shop. We clerks got all the doughnuts and ice cream we could eat. Great perks. I lost the job when my hair got too long and I refused to cut it. Ah the Sixties! The restaurant is now kind of shishi. Like Edmond now. Now I eat sweet salads instead of doughnuts. Ah, my sixties!

If you have the walnuts and bacon ready, this is five minutes to put together. If you don't--and have an oven on for something else--you can cook the bacon and the walnuts while other things are going.

Sugared walnuts are kind of a pain to make, and messy gooey to clean up. So an easy (and easy clean-up) method is to simply put eight ounces of walnuts (whole or pieces) on a Silpat in a baking pan, spray with cooking spray, and toss with two tablespoons of sugar. Bake in a 370 to 450 degree oven (depending on what else you are cooking) for five to ten minutes, shaking once or twice. Check them after 5 minutes. They will be crisp and only slightly sugary. Slide the Silpat out of the baking pan and cool. You can add salt or a bit of cayenne pepper or Cajun seasoning.

5 minutes
Serves 4

• 3 tablespoons vinaigrette
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 8 ounces spinach leaves, from a bag--or if not, washed! (romaine works too)
• 4 strips oven-cooked bacon, crumbled or minced (place bacon on a sheet in a preheated 400 oven for 15-30 minutes)
• 1 cup crumbled Roquefort or other good blue cheese, such as Maytag
• 1 pear, cored and cut into eight sections. (An apple corer will help here.)
• 1 cup toasted or sugared walnuts (or pecans or almonds)

1. Combine the vinaigrette and honey and microwave until warm. Start with 10 seconds on high. OR if the honey is too cold to pour, microwave the honey jar until it is warm (start with 15 seconds) and pour the warm honey into the vinaigrette, stirring with a fork to combine.
2. Chop the pears sections, crumble or mince the bacon, and toss with the dressing.
3. Add the spinach, the Roquefort, and the walnuts and toss again. 

Sauteed liver: Abats 101

There are all kinds of 'abats'--organ meats. (French for slaughterhouse is abattoir.) But liver is the easiest and fastest and healthiest and, well, easiest to take for many people.

Julia has liver exactly right when she says it "cooks hardly more than a minute on each side. Overcooked liver is gray, dry, and disappointing—perfectly sautéed, it is a rosy pink when you cut into it."

The photo shows pork liver, my favorite, cut by the Meat Lab into lamelles, a little thicker than the usual. So it took about two minutes a side.

A lot of paper towels or newspaper will help--to blot the liver and dredge it. If you put it on the counter it makes a huge mess.

• 4 slices (about 1 pound) calf's or pork liver sliced about ½ inch thick
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• ½ cup or more seasoned breadcrumbs or flour in a plate
• 3 tablespoons butter and olive oil combined, or clarified butter

1. Heat the butter and/or oil over high heat. Season the liver on one side with salt and pepper.
2. Dredge the liver in the bread crumbs or flour. Knock the excess of each slice and put each in the skillet.
3. Cook about a minute on each side, or until it's springy to the touch, golden on the outside and pink on the inside (poke and peek until you can feel the doneness). Be sure to remove the slices in the same order you placed them, so they cook evenly.

Julia has some nice variations. But the best for me is the simplest: plain with Dijon mustard. But it takes only a couple of minutes to chop a bit of that precooked bacon that's always in the frig, adding some scallion and stock or wine and mustard to the drippings to make a sauce (which thicken quickly with the crumbs or flour).

Shirred eggs -- Oeufs sur le plat -- Oeufs miroir

I know I saw The French Chef episode called "Elegant Eggs" (the video in a new window) with these cool eggs. But I had forgotten it (as I have most things I saw in the 1960s). So it was with a sense of revelation that I discovered a new (to me) way to fix eggs. And super fast (MAFC I p. 122) and so versatile. You can throw anything on them, almost, including chicken livers!--Julia puts this first! 

Plain (or with cream and cheese) it takes only 5 minutes. With sauteed chicken livers it takes 10 minutes. And they really do come out "perfect," as she says in the video.

Serves two as a first course

2 eggs
olive oil cooking spray
[optional:] 2 tablespoons cream or crème fraiche
[optional:] 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan or Swiss cheese
[optional:] chopped herbs or scallion tops

1. Heat the broiler and place the rack in the closest position to it. 
2. Place a half sheet or shallow pan over two burners on high heat and add 1/4 inch water. 
3. Spray small two shallow dishes (3-4" diameter) or ramekins with olive oil cooking spray, place them in the water, and carefully crack an egg into each.
4. Season lightly with salt and pepper (remember the cheese will add some saltiness).
5. [optional:] Spoon one tablespoon of the cream over each and grate about 1 tablespoon of the cheese on them.
6. When the eggs have just begun to set on the bottom (you see the first white), place the pan of water under the broiler so the eggs are almost touching the flame. 
7. Broil for 30 to 60 seconds or until the top has just begun to bubble and set.
8. Garnish with chopped herbs or scallion tops.

VARIATIONS:

Oeufs sur le plat avec leur foies de volailles 

Serves two as a first course

2 eggs
olive oil cooking spray 
1/4 pound chicken livers
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons Port, Madeira, Muscatel, or other fortified wine

[optional:] chopped herbs or scallion tops

1. Heat a small skillet over high heat.
2. Dry the livers on paper towels. Season them.
3. Heat the broiler and place the rack in the closest position to it. 
4. Place a half sheet or shallow pan over two burners on high heat and add 1/4 inch water.  
5. Add the butter and olive oil to the skillet, and when the foam subsides, add the livers. Saute 5 minutes, tossing once or twice so that all the surfaces are browned. When done, the livers will be springy to the touch. Or poke and peek at one. The interior should be rosy pink. Remove to a warm plate and season again if necessary.
6. Spray small two shallow dishes (3-4" diameter) or ramekins with olive oil cooking spray, place them in the water, and carefully crack an egg into each.
7. Season lightly with salt and pepper (remember the cheese will add some saltiness).
8. [optional:] Spoon one tablespoon of the cream over each and grate about 1 tablespoon of the cheese on them.
9. When the eggs have just begun to set on the bottom (you see the first white), place the pan of water under the broiler so the eggs are almost touching the flame. 
10. Broil for 30 to 60 seconds or until the top has just begun to bubble and set.
11. Garnish with the livers and chopped herbs or scallion tops.

Soupe de concombre: Cucumber soup

This to me is the essence of August in Iowa. Well, that and the State Fair.

1 tablespoon mint leaves packed
1 medium cucumber
1 cup yogurt
1 cup milk
salt and pepper

1. Process the mint leaves 10 seconds in a food processor or blender.
2. Peel and roughly chop the cucumber and process 30 seconds
3. Add the yogurt and skim milk, a pinch of salt and a pinch of white pepper, and process one second.
4. Correct seasoning and serve, garnished with mint leaves.

Braised endive / Endive

Belgian endive, braised MAFC I 493). Yumm. I ate this all over Belgium and northern France, Albertville, for example.
A pressure cooker makes this easy, as with most braises. Vegetables or meats.
Serves from 1 to 12

• For each medium endive, with tight leaves, beautifully light green.
• 1 tablespoon butter
• tiny pinch of salt
• two grinds of fresh pepper
• lemon juice--a small squirt

1. Heat a pressure cooker on high
2. Spray the bottom of the pressure cooker with oil or smear with butter
   
3. Halve each endive and cut off the stem end if necessary
4. Place in layers in the cooker, cut side down
5. Sprinkle the top (uncut) side of each half with a tiny pinch of salt, a grind or two of pepper, a squirt of lemon juice, and a teaspoon of butter
6. Seal with the cover and cook under pressure for seven minutes.
7. Release the pressure and remove the endives, cut side up, to a platter or plates.
8. Garnish with chopped chives or parseley
9. [These will keep in the refrigerator for a week, to reheat or prepare as in the variations below.]
   
   

Variation 1

This takes more than 10 minutes, but not much.

1. While the endives are cooking, preheat the broiler.
2. For each two whole endives (four halves) mix together one half cup cream and one egg. or 2/3 cup béchamel sauce.
3. Lay on a baking dish as many thin slices of boiled ham as there are whole (two halves) endives.
4. When the endives are done, wrap each endive (two halves) in ham.
5. Slather the cream and egg mixture (or béchamel) over the endive.
6. Grate about two tablespoons Swiss or Gruyere cheese on top of each endive (two halves).
7. Broil for three minutes or until the cheese is golden brown.

8. Garnish with chopped parsley, chives, or other herbs.

Amuse-Gueule de Roquefort

J has loved blue cheese ever since we discovered it on our honeymoon in Europe in 1977. She would buy it in every new town, at a cheese shop, and put it in her purse. We ate it for lunch most every day, back when Europe was $10 a day. And she still loves it. Now we live in Iowa, where there's good Maytag blue. And in Ames, where at Iowa State University they created the first process for making blue from cow's milk, homogenized.

This is a recipe for cheese balls in Julia (MAFC I p. 196). But I just use it to top crackers or toast rounds.

4 ounces blue cheese
1 tablespoon chopped chives or green onion tops.
3 tablespoons softened butter
1 tablespoon finely minced celery
Pinch of cayenne pepper
4 turns of a pepper mill
1 teaspoon cognac or two or three drops Worcestershire sauce

1. In a food processor fitted with the steel blade, blend the ingredients until smooth.
2. Garnish with more chopped chives or green onion tops
   

Poulet sauté

Julia prefers thighs for sautes. I do too. And if they are boned, they cook in 10 minutes flat, with time to make a quick sauce. Nowadays, I can get them at the big supermarkets in the little packages of four. But usually I go to Fareway, buy hindquarters for 77 cents a pound, and bone my own. The legs I can roast later or turn into a leggy coq au vin, and the rest goes to make crock pot chicken stock (same). Boned out, the thighs weigh in at 5 ounces, coming from one of the huge modern chickens. So one per person is enough.

There are infinite variations to this possible, and I list some later, especially one that uses leftover sauce from a crock pot coq au vin (pictured).

Serves 4.

Poulet sauté (MAFC I 254).

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil (garlic flavored is nice)
Four boneless chicken thighs
Herbs de Provence (optional)
Shallot
1/4 cup white wine or dry vermouth
1/2 cup chicken stock (on this blog, though canned will do)
Chopped herbs (optional)

1. Melt butter and oil in a large skillet or fait-tout over high heat.
   
2. Dry the top side of the thighs with a paper towel and season them with salt, pepper, and herbs de Provence.
3. When the butter is melted, place the thighs seasoned side down and then season the top side.
   
4. Chop the shallot and the optional herbs.
   
5. Turn the thighs after four minutes. They should be golden.
   
6. Add the shallot.
   
7. After three minutes more, or when they are slightly firm to the touch, remove them to a plate and cover.
8. Add the wine, stock, and half the herbs, scraping the browned bits with a wooden spoon.
9. Nap the thighs with the sauce and garnish with the remaining herbs.
   

VARIATIONS

Au vin
Instead of wine and stock, use leftover sauce from Coq au Vin (pictured)

A la creme (MAFC I 256).
Instead of the stock, add 2/3 cup whipping cream or creme fraiche.

Herbs de Provence (MAFC I 257).
Season the thighs with herbs de Provence and fennel seed
Flame the thighs with Pernod
Add 1 tablespoon minced garlic preserved in olive oil when you turn the chicken.
Add 2/3 cup mayonnaise (or light mayo) to the deglazing juices.
Garnish with 2 tablespoons basil, fennel tops, or parsley.

Doria (from Escoffier)
Peel a cucumber and, using a melon baller, cut garlic-clove-sized pieces out. Microwave them with butter for three minutes. Add these, with the juice they render, with the wine to deglaze the pan and make the sauce.

Normandy
While the chicken is cooking, use an apple corer to core and cut the apple into 8 slices. Halve these crosswise and add them to the saute pan with the chicken. Shake the pan to coat the apples with the fat. Flame the thighs with Calvados. Deglaze with apple cider instead of wine.

Alsatian
Use pears and Poire William instead of apples and Calvados. Use a Riesling to deglaze.

Concombre sauté: Quick cukes: Sauteed cucumbers

Cucumbers are such an uninspiring vegetable. But they are always available, and cheap, and crunchy, and refreshing. And I am trying to find ways this summer to use them.

Julia peels and slices and soaks them in vinegar for 30 minutes before baking them for an hour (MAFC p. 499). Lovely, and probably less than 10 minutes active time. But I never think ahead about veg. I want something to use those cukes in the frig now. I love sauteed zucchini, so why not cucumber? As is often the case, Emiril has good things to do with simple things.

Serves two. Inspired by Emiril.

one large cucumber (English or garden variety) or two small ones
1 teaspoon butter
1 teaspoon olive oil
chopped basil and/or mint, or dill
optional: fresh grated nutmeg, chopped garlic, minced shallot or scallion or green onion tops, added with about one minute left to go.

1. Heat the butter and oil in a large sauté pan.
2. Cut the ends off the cucumbers and halve lengthwise. With a spoon remove the seeds, if any. Slice about 1/3 inch thick.
3. Add the cucumbers and sauté, tossing when the cucumbers have browned a bit on one side.
4. Add the herbs, chopped, and toss. Grate a little of the optional nutmeg. Season and serve.

Braised celery

Holidays are, for me, leftovers. And killing time playing games, which we did with Scrabble (see our masterpiece below, in which J and I again lost to our daughter). And I always have not only leftover turkey and potatoes and gravy, but also celery, which I overbuy for the dressing.

Celery takes more calories to chew than it provides to the body. It is calorie negative--or positive, depending on your point of view. So it is the perfect after-holiday leftover accompaniment. And it takes flavors marvelously. Julia has a lovely slow recipe for it (MAFC I p. 491), with a lot of butter. But this one has the butter optional and a lot of other lighter flavor enhancers. If you want more done (less crisp-tender) celery, cut it into half inch pieces or smaller, instead of the one-inch pieces here. Or microwave it (instructions below).

Serves 4

1/4 - 1/2 cup chicken stock or vegetable stock (preferably homemade chicken stock--see this blog)
1 pound celery (slice off about two inches of the end, and reserve the leaves).
1 tablespoon Wondra
Salt & pepper to taste (be generous with the pepper)
Optional: One or more of the ingredients below:

1. Heat the stock on high in a skillet large enough to hold the celery in a single layer.
2. Meanwhile, wash and trim the celery, then slice into one-inch pieces.
3. Add the celery to the skillet and stir to wet.
4. Sprinkle the flour and salt and pepper over top.
5. Cover and shake a bit, holding down the lid, till the flour is no longer visible (a glass top lid is helpful here, but it's really impossible to go wrong).
6. Cook til the celery reaches the 'crunch' you like, shaking or stirring occasionally.
7. Garnish with parsely and enjoy!

VARIATIONS: Add at the beginning (or adjust seasoning with at the end),
Butter
Olive oil
Garlic, chopped or minced
Onion, chopped or minced
Lemon juice--a few drops to brighten the taste
Vinegar: white wine, balsamic, or cider (again a few drops)
Coriander seed, crushed with the flat of a knife or a mortar and pestle.
White wine
Sage leaves (for a lovely late Fall aroma)

Microwave Instructions

1. Mix celery slices, stock, salt, pepper, and any other ingredients in a plastic microwave safe bowl (or in a plastic bag, tied loosely, and set in such a bowl--to save cleanup).
2. Cover and microwave on 'MAXIMUM', for 3 minutes.
3. Stir or shake to mix well.
4. Cover and microwave again 'MAXIMUM', for another 3 minutes
5. Leave to rest for 2 minutes.
6. Garnish with parsley.

Bourride rapide--Provencal Fish Stew with Aioli

This fish stew (MAFC II 50) is all sunny and Midi. It reminds me of Uzès, where I spent a lovely lunch before biking down to Pont du Gard.

I used flounder last time I made this (pictured). But snapper or sea bass or catfish or mahi mahi or a range of other fish will do fine, or a combination. Shellfish is great too, and cooks even faster.

Serves 4

1 to 1.5 pounds of fish fillets (firm-fleshed) in pieces no more that 1/2 inch think
1/2 cup dry white wine or vermouth
1/2 cup clam juice
1/2 cup vegetable stock (best quality)
1 cup aioli mayonnaise with red pepper (see the blog post on aioli light)
1 teaspoon herbs de Provence or chopped fresh herbs
1 bay leaf
(optional) 1 tablespoon Pernod or other anise-flavored liqueur
(optional) herbs or green onions for garnish
(optional) Nice olives for garnish

1. Over the highest heat, bring the wine, clam juice, aioli, and stock to a boil in a large skillet or saucepan.
   
2. Cut up the fish and add it to the pan along with the other herbs and bay leaf.
3. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until the fish is just cooked through (about 4 minutes).
4. Add the optional Pernod. Mince the optional green onions or herbs or olives for garnish.
   
5. Serve in a soup bowl with a slice or two of crusty French bread in the bottom. Garnish with chopped basil (a chiffonade, as in the picture).
   

Soupe de carottes au curry--Curried carrot soup

The secret to 10 minutes is buying a 10-ounce package of grated carrots and throwing it unopened into the microwave.

This soup is even better the next day.

10-ounce package of grated carrots
1 quart vegetable or chicken stock in a microwave-safe container.
1/2 onion (pre-sliced or diced if possible)
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt (a pinch--1/8 teaspoon)
1/4 teaspoon curry powder (or to taste)
1/8 Cajun seasoning (or to taste)
[optional: 2 teaspoons minced garlic]
[optional: 2 teaspoons grated freshly peeled ginger root]
1 orange
1/4 to 1/2 cup creme fraiche (or sour cream, even no-fat)

1. Put the carrots unopened into the microwave and cook on high for 5 minutes. (If the bag pops or breaks, no problem.) Put the stock in the microwave to heat also
   
2. Heat a fait-tout on high. Chop the onion finely. Add the oil, butter, and onion to the pan and cook on medium high until the onions are softened, stirring often. [add the optional garlic and ginger]
   
3. Add the curry, salt, and Cajun seasoning after about three minutes. Juice the orange.
4. When the carrots are done, open the bag carefully (use scissors or a knife) and add the carrots to the pot, along with the stock, creme fraiche and orange juice.
5. Puree the soup finely with a blender wand or in a blender (in batches).
6. Serve garnished with a minced (chiffonade) parsley OR chives OR scallion tops.
   

Mussels: Moules marinière

These must be God's fast food, or fast food of the gods. Out behind the Gran' Place in Brussels, there are bunches of these moules joints, jammed full of locals at lunch (I was there in February). They bring these steaming crocks and tons of bread. And you just dig in and get good and messy, and then mop up the juice with the bread. The frites are the best in the world there, but they barely rate an afterthought compared to those black bivalves.

I was just amazed, years ago, when I first cooked them. They were cheap, I recall. I filled up a big pot, put in maybe a half cup of white wine i had left, steamed them up, and they pushed the lid off, like popcorn. There was just so much of their own liquor they drool out when they open! It mingled with the wine (or whatever) and made it better than the finest fancy fish fumet to me .

Serves 4 as a first course. [MAFC I 226 FC10M 75-76]

• Two quarts of mussels, well washed and scribbed (have the market do this!)
• 1 cup dry white wine or vermouth
• 2 tablespoons scallion white, chopped finely.
  
• 4 parsley sprigs
• 1 thyme sprig
• bay leaf
  

1. In a four quart pot or fait-tout over high heat (ideally with a clear glass lid), heat all the ingredients, covered, except the mussels. Salt and pepper.
2. Add the mussels and cover. Steam for four minutes or until they are almost all open.
3. Divide them and the liquor into bowls. Serve very hot, garnished with chopped parsley.
   

Check out the full panoramic photo above from Wiki Commons, GNU Copyright. Click it, and when it opens, click again. Gran' Place looks just like that at night.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0e/Grand_Place_panorama.jpg

Les Saint Jaques (ou crevettes) en bouillebaisse

Julia gives a lovely little recipe for scallops or shrimp with Provencal flavors. II 37. I add a little Pernod for that Provence alcoholic licorice flavor (a hint of fresh tarragon in summer will do as well or better).

And I use canned "fire-roasted" diced tomatoes with garlic, which they didn't have in Julia's day. I have no more need to justify using the occasional canned product than Julia needed for canned tomato paste or stock. There. But it's almost as quick in high summer tomato season to chop up some big fresh ones, cutting away as much of the peel as is convenient.

Good bread is always good with soup. Couscous, orzo, or reheated rice, will work too, and can be prepared in the same or less time than the stew.

Serves 4 as a main, or 6 as a starter

1/4 cup olive oil
1 and 1/2 cups (combined) yellow onions, scallions, and/or leeks, all sliced very thin.
2 large garlic cloves
2 tablespoons fresh herbs or 2 teaspoons herbs de Provence.
1 can (14 ounce) fire roasted tomatoes with garlic, drained, reserving the liquid
3 cups liquid (tomato liquid, clam juice, white wine, or water)
1 pound scallops and/or shrimp (deveined and, if you wish, peeled)
(optional: 1 tablespoon Pernod, Ricard, or other licorice-flavored liqueur)
(optional: Cajun seasoning or pepper flakes)
(Aioli sauce)

1. Heat a fait-tout over high heat and add the olive oil and onions (or leeks) and garlic mashed in a press. Chop and add the herbs. Reduce the heat to medium and cook three minutes, covered.
   
2. Add the drained canned diced tomatoes and the liquid. Cover and boil for three minutes.
3. Add the shrimp and/or scallops, and the optional Pernod. Season with salt and pepper and Cajun seasoning or red pepper flakes, to taste. Boil two minutes, covered.
   
4. Serve in soup bowls, garnished with fresh herbs used in the sauce and/or aioli. Can be served as a simple stew or over over rice, orzo, or couscous.

Poulet bourride

I had forgotten about Bourride, that simple Provencal stew of most anything, crowned with rouille, until I walked into French Roast just before midnight, on our last trip to New York for the New Yorker Festival. French Roast is a neighborhood restaurant/coffee shop on West 11th and 6th Avenue, by the hotel where we always stay, The Larchmont. And it stays open 24/7. We had been going so hard we hadn't had dinner, and the seafood bourride was the daily special on Fridays, and it was superb. Tons of shellfish swimming in an autumn gold sauce.

This is a really fast adaptation of Julia's recipe for chicken bourride (MAFC II 263). But much, much lighter, because I use light aioli, which has become my all purpose sauce in the summer. I use chicken breasts instead of Julia's poached chicken, but you could make this even faster by buying a roasted chicken on the way home from work.

• 1 cup white wine and/or chicken stock
• (optional: 1 tablespoon Pernod, Ricard, or other licorice-flavored liqueur)
• 1 and 1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tablespoons fresh herbs or 2 teaspoons herbs de Provence.
• (optional: Cajun seasoning or pepper flakes)
• 1 bunch scallions sliced very thinly, whites and some green.
• (optional: a zuchinni cut into 1/2 inch chunks, or asparagus or thin green beans cut in 2" pieces.)
• 1 can (14 ounce) fire roasted tomatoes with garlic, drained, reserving the liquid
• 1/2 cup aoili sauce

1. In a fait-tout, heat wine (and/or stock) over high heat, covered.
   
2. Cut half breast lengthwise into three or four long strips--lamelles. Season with salt, pepper, herbs de province, and Cajun seasoning (optional). Place them in the pan, cover again.
   
3. Stir in a diced tomato (fresh, with skin on, or canned), very thinly sliced scallions (white and some green), and adjust the heat to keep simmering. The chicken lamelles should be pinkish inside at the thickest part (poke and peek).
   
4. Spoon into bowls or deep plates, spoon some aeoli onto each and and garnish with herbs.

Rillettes de saumon--salmon spread

I first had this in Tours, as I started my bike trip along the Loire last summer. It was a little tourist restaurant called Roi something. On the Rue du Grand Marché just off the vieux carré.

The salmon at the best places comes from the Loire, where there has been an effort to help the Atlantic salmon spawn far up the what is the longest river in France. The river system is beautifully clear (compared to Iowa especially). I could look down from the grand gallery at Chenonceau, the chateau the spans the Cher (a Loire tributary) and snap a pic of the fish in the afternoon light below. The story is that during WWI, soldiers taken there to recover from their wounds fished from their hospital beds in the river below.

The charcutiers compete as much on the salmon rillettes as they do on their pork rillettes (pork meat and fat melted into a spread). And I had several versions of both during my five days on the bike.

This is great on a buffet, with bread or crackers, but also as a first course.

Serves 12 as a first course on crackers or bread.

• 8 ounces smoked salmon (thin sliced Scottish style)
• 8 ounces cooked salmon (leftover, or microwaved 3 minutes)
• 3 ounces European-style butter (e.g., Plugra)
• 6 ounces creme fraiche (recipe below)
  
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tablespoon chopped dill and more for garnish.
  

1. Soften the butter in the microwave (about 7 seconds on high). Mince the dill.
2. Cut the smoked salmon into thin strips lengthwise, then cut crosswise into small dice. Roughly chop the fresh salmon.
3. With a fork or whisk, toss the salmons, softened butter, creme fraiche, lemon juice, dill, and freshly ground pepper until it is lightly combined.
4. Put in ramekins or a bowl. Garnish with additional dill. Refrigerate for two hours if possible.
   
   

Creme fraiche: If you can't buy this in a market, you can make it overnight. In a microwave, warm a 1/2 pint carton of heavy cream slightly (110 degrees, for those who must be precise). Pour 1 tablespoon buttermilk into the carton of heavy cream. Shake and leave out about 24 hours, or until the cream has thickened (check it every eight hours or so). Then refrigerate.

Côtes de porc poelées: And the tragedy of the other white meat

The other white meat is dry and tasteless, as everyone who cares about the taste of pork knows now, except Big Pork. And I live in Iowa, the largest pork producing state in the USA. When they bred out the fat, the bred out the taste, and texture too. Shame. But what to do?

In the last few years a few Iowa producers have met the white tablecloth restaurant demand by producing "heirloom" pork. Very expensive and slow to order. But often available from the crunchy granolas at Wheatsfield. It's heaven, cooked very slowly. And fairly forgiving even when it's cooked quickly, as it's full of fat (love alliteration). But there's no getting around it takes more than 10 minutes.

But what to do quickly? Tender juicy pork chops in 10 minutes flat?

Yesterday at Fareway they had a cut of pork I've never had: pork rib eye. Cut from the small end of the loin. Marbled, just like a beef rib eye. It's seasoned with pepper and Cookie's at the store. So tender you can flatten them from their inch thickness to 3/4 inch with your palm. Little five-ounce boneless beauties for a dollar each.

So now it's possible to make Julia's Côtes de porc poelées (MAFC I 366) in 10 minutes flat, and have deep pork flavor in a fork tender boneless chop.

Serves 2

2 five-ounce boneless pork rib eye chops, flattened to 3/4 inches.
1 tablespoon olive oil or bacon drippings
[Optional vegetable garnish: zuchinni in 3/8 inch slices, asparagus, crinkle cut carrots, etc.]
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar (cheap is fine)
2 tablespoons honey
OR
1/4 cup red or white wine
1/4 cup balsamic roast gravy (see my boef a la mode recipe on this blog)

1. Heat a large skillet on high. Pat dry and season the chops (if they are not already seasoned)
2. Add the oil and saute the chops for four minutes (and the optional vegetables)
3. Turn the chops and cook another four minutes (and the vegetables as necessary)
   
4. Remove the chops to a plate and cover (and the optional vegetables as necessary)
   
5. Add the vinegar and honey (or wine and gravy) and stir rapidly, scraping up all coagulated juices. Reduce slightly over high heat. Taste for seasoning and pour it over the cops and serve

VARIATION:

Côtes de porc Nénette (MAFC I 387)

1. Complete steps 1-3 of the master recipe above.
   
2. While the pork is cooking, beat together 3/4 cups whipping cream or crême fraiche, one and one-half teaspoons dry English mustard, and one tablespoon tomato paste.
3. Microwave the mixture on high for two minutes, covered lightly with a paper napkin.
   
4. Remove the pork from the pan and stir in the cream mixture, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom, until the sauce has thickened slightly, about one minute.
   
5. Stir in the one tablespoon chopped basil, parsley, or cilantro, and pour the sauce over the chops.
   

Tranches de jambon Moranville

I know that Julia braises a whole ham (MAFC I 391). But hey, I grew up on fried ham. So this is country fried French.

The secret is of course good ham. And we have that in Iowa. It's not as good as Kentucky, those southern smoked hams. But damned good, especially if you can get some old genes (heirloom) pork.

For 4 people

1 to 1.5 pound excellent smoked ham, cut 3/8 to 1/2 inch thick
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon brandy
1/4 cup Madeira OR port
1 shallot or scallion white, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 cup creme fraiche OR no-fat sour cream
1/2 cup pot roast gravy OR 1/2 cup beef stock mixed with 1 tablespoon Wondra
1 tablespoon chopped parsley or scallion greens

1. Heat a large skillet on medium high and add the olive oil and butter. Warm the oven.
2. Add the ham, cut into 4-5 ounce portions and patted dry. Saute until the edges begin to blacken, about 3 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, mince the shallot or scallion and chop the parsley or scallion green. Mix the liquids.
4. When the ham is browned, remove it to a plate, cover with another plate, and place in the warm oven.
5. Add the shallot to the skillet and cook 30 seconds.
6. Add the wine, gravy or stock, brandy, tomato paste, and cream. Stir until smooth.
7. Pour any accumulated juices from the ham into the sauce, then distribute the ham onto four plates and pour on the sauce. Garnish with parsley or scallion greens.

Blancs de poulet a la crème et aux champignons

I love this recipe from Julia. It's so tender, melt in your mouth. And so so fast--as long as the breast pieces are a reasonable size. In these Tyson days, two breasts will feed four people. (Chicken is sold by the pound but bought by the piece, which means they make the damned chickens as big as possible.)

The big 10 ounce US chicken breasts need to be cut into fifths, to produce 10 two-ounce pieces--and nothing over one and 1/2 inches or they won't cook through properly. I put them into my fait-tout along with the wine, stock, lemon juice, and butter, covered them with waxed paper, and they cook fast enough on medium.

Use creme fraiche or heavy cream. The no-fat sour cream produces a weak sauce, but OK for dieting.

One pound boneless chicken breasts cut into pieces no more than 1 and 1/2 inches thick (about two large breasts)
1 tablespoon butter
1 lemon
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
1 tablespoon chicken stock or beef stock (or gravy from a chicken or beef stew)
2 tablespoons white wine or dry vermouth
2 tablespoons chopped scallion or 1 tablespoon minced shallot
1/4 cup  heavy cream
(waxed paper)

1. Heat a covered fait-tout on high (thaw the stock in the microwave on high if necessary)
2. Grate some lemon rind onto the breast pieces, about 1 teaspoon. Squeeze lemon juice on them. Salt and paper lightly, and toss.
3. In the fait-tout, add butter, stock, scallions, mushrooms, wine, and breast pieces.
4. Cover with waxed paper and reduce heat to medium.
5. Cover the fait-tout and simmer for 5 minutes, shaking occasionally or turning once if necessary.They are done when they are slightly springy to the touch (poke and peek at the biggest one to check). Do not overcook. They will cook a bit more when removed from the pan.
6. Raise the heat to high and remove the chicken to a warming oven or or platter, covered by the waxed paper.
7. Add the cream and stir till blended, boiling down the sauce until very slightly thickened. Check seasoning.
8. Pour the sauce over the chicken and garnish with chopped scallion greens or herbs.

VARIATIONS:

• Substitute champagne, cognac, scotch, bourbon, or Pernod for the wine.
• Add asparagus tips with the chicken, instead of the mushrooms.
• Add very thin green beans, broccoli, or cauliflower in the first step.
• Add a teaspoon of curry powder and use brandy instead of wine.

Joyce really liked them. But to me they don't have that perfect consistency of the oven poeled ones Julia does.

3 mousses au chocolat: légère, Julia's & 5-minute

Here is chocolate mousse three ways. I made it for Valentine's day yesterday, and I realized I can make Julia's version in 10 minutes, with some fancy footwork. And I even do a 5-minute version sometimes that feeds a crowd very fast. But my favorite is a light one that was inspired by Julia's. I give all three here.

I invented the light version for a dinner party my daughter gave for five of her teenage friends, years ago. She wanted me to make chocolate mousse. And I remembered back 35 years ago when I first made it from Julia. I loved the orange flavor (MAFC I p. 604). And it was this recipe (and TV episode) that taught me to beat and fold in egg whites. I had few of the ingredients and no time. So I made a light version for the girls.

I serve this in little 3-ounce cordial glasses. A fun treat rather than a big chocolate dig-in. Nobody complains except kids. And you can haul out the leftovers and let them fight over them.

Chocolate is always an issue in a small town. The other day, I picked up a bar of Hershey's Special Dark chocolate in the baking chocolate section, then noticed the same bar in the candy section (conveniently placed next to the express lane at Fareway) for almost exactly half the price. It worked fine. Of course you can buy the fanciest chocolate you can. If time is money, then this recipe is a bargain no matter how expensive the chocolate is.

The 5-minute version is heavier because you don't take time to beat the egg whites. But hey, it tastes really good. And it's not all that heavy. The guys at the shelter love it. So here they are: light, Julia's shortened, and 5-minute. (By the way, the Valentine's day menu yesterday was Caviar deviled eggs with Parmesan crisps, rib-eye steaks fry-broiled, roasted winter vegetables (potatoes, parsnips, carrots, Brussels sprouts), Maytag blue cheese with olive oil and pepper)

Mousse au chocolat légère

Serves 4-6

8 ounces excellent semi-sweet or milk chocolate
1 teaspoon Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur
4 egg whites

1. Separate the eggs, placing the whites in a clean metal mixing bowl and reserving the yolks for another use (they freeze fine).
2. Break the chocolate into pieces in a microwave safe plastic bowl. Add the orange liqueur and microwave on medium for about 35 seconds, or until just melted.
3. With a hand mixer, beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks (MAFC I pp. 159-160).
4. With a spatula, stir 1/4 of the whites into the chocolate. Then turn the chocolate mixture into the egg white bowl and carefully fold the whites and the chocolate together (MAFC I pp. 160-161)

VARIATION: Mousseline au chocolat; Mayonaise au chocolat; Fondant au chocolat

This is the original recipe from MAFC1 p. 604 speeded up. The ingredients from Julia's recipe are the same. A fast operator can have this ready to chill in 10 minutes, and two hours later, about dessert time, it's ready.

Serves 6-8

6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips or baking chocolate broken into bits with a kinfe
1/3 cup powdered sugar
4 Tb strong coffee
1/4 cup orange liqueur
6 ounces unsalted butter (one and one half sticks)
4 eggs
optional: 1/4 cup finely diced, glazed orange peel (candied)
1 can compressed whipped cream

1. Run warm water in a large bowl or sink while you separate the eggs, putting the whites in a clean mixing bowl. Float it on the warm water.
2. Put the coffee and orange liqueur in the microwave on high for one minute, until very hot but not boiling
3. Place the chocolate and sugar in a blender and blend on high for 15 seconds.
4. Add the hot liquid and blend 15 seconds or until smooth.
5. Add the butter, cut into 1/2 inch slices, and the egg yolks. Blend on high for 15 seconds.
6. Using a hand mixer, beat the yolks with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form.
7. Pour the chocolate mixture into the egg whites and fold the c
8. Pour into elegant serving bowls, wine glasses, flutes, or ramekins and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.
9. Garnish with the whipped cream and optional candied orange peel or chocolates.

VARIATION: Blender chocolate mousse in 5 minutes
Serves 8-10

Here's the one I did for the Emergency Residence Project on 1/14/11. I made it in 5 minutes, with time to chop the pistachios.

1 (12 ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips (Hershey's Special Dark is good)
1/2 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1 cup hot cream (160 degrees F/71 degrees C)
1/4 cup strong coffee, heated
1/4 cup orange liqueur
[optional] whipped cream pressurized, pistachios

1. Open the cream carton and put it in the microwave on high for one minute.
2. Put the chocolate chips and the sugar in a blender and blend on high for 10 seconds.
3. Add the hot milk, hot coffee, and orange liqueur and blend on high for two minutes.
4. As it is blending, add the eggs one at a time through the top hole.
5. Pour into a glass serving bowl, individual glasses, bowls, or ramekins, and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.
6. Garnish with whipped cream and/or chopped pistachios