BUTTER
ROAST CHICKEN WITH FRESH HERBS
It
was a Norman cook who taught me that the key to roast chicken is
constant basting with butter. Butter keeps the meat moist, adds flavor,
and toasts the skin to that delectable crispy brown. I fill the cavity
with whatever aromatic herb is available – rosemary, thyme, sage,
tarragon, even parsley – and for good measure sometimes slip a few
herb leaves under the skin on the breast. A large roasting chicken makes
a splendid dinner for four to six people when accompanied by 'Mom’s Own
Fried Potatoes', mashed potatoes or your favorite grain.
a
4 – 5 lb/ 2 kg roasting chicken
salt and pepper
a medium bunch of herbs, more for decoration (optional)
¼ cup/ 60 g butter, softened
3 cups/ 750 ml chicken stock
trussing
string and trussing needle (optional)
Heat
the oven to 425°F/220°C. Wipe the inside of the chicken with paper
towels. Fold back the neck skin and use the point of a small knife to
scrape free and remove the wishbone – this makes the breast meat easy
to carve in neat slices. If you are using soft herb leaves such as sage,
tarragon, or parsley, slide your fingers under the breast skin,
loosening it from the meat without tearing it, and insert a few herb
leaves in a pretty pattern. Season the bird inside and out with salt and
pepper, and put a bunch of herbs in the cavity. Truss the bird using a
trussing needle, or by simply tying it with string so it holds a neat
shape.
Set
the bird on its back in a medium roasting pan (not too large or the
juices will scorch). Spread the breast and leg with butter. If you have
the giblets, add the neck, gizzard and heart to the pan to flavor the
gravy (reserve the liver for
another use). Roast the chicken until it sizzles and starts to brown, 12
– 15 minutes. Turn it onto its breast, baste well with the pan
drippings, and return it to the oven. (Roasting the breast downward
keeps the meat moist.) Lower the heat to 375°F/190°C and continue
roasting, basting at least every 10 minutes.
After
about 30 more minutes, turn the bird again onto its back so the breast
skin crispens. Continue roasting for 15 to 30 minutes longer, basting
often, until the leg joint feels pliable when you pull the drumstick and
the leg meat starts to shrink from the end of the bone. Pierce the
chicken with a two-pronged fork, lift it, and tip the juices from the
center cavity into the roasting pan. If they run clear, not pink, the
bird is done. If pink, continue cooking until they do run clear.
Transfer the chicken to a serving dish or carving board, cover it
loosely with foil, and keep it warm.
For
the gravy, discard all but a tablespoon or two of fat from the pan (some
is needed to emulsify and enrich the sauce). Set the roasting pan on a
burner, add the stock, and bring to a boil, scraping to dissolve the pan
juices. Boil the gravy rapidly for 10 to 15 minutes, until it thickens
slightly and the bubbles break more slowly, showing it is emulsified and
concentrated. If it seems thin, continue boiling until reduced and well
flavored. Strain the gravy into a saucepan, taste, and adjust the
seasoning.
If
you are carving the chicken at the table, discard the cooked herbs from
the cavity. If carving in the kitchen, arrange the chicken pieces on a
serving dish, moisten them with a little gravy, and pass the rest
separately.
POT
AU FEU WITH A TWIST
I’ve
always found pot au feu to be terribly plain – the classic
accompaniments of sea salt, mustard, and gherkin pickles are simply not
my style. So one day, I added a touch of Italy by sprinkling my boiled
meats with gremolata, the aromatic mixture of chopped parsley, garlic,
and lemon zest that is served on osso buco. Squisito! The accompanying
vegetables were vastly improved as well. The right ingredients for pot
au feu are crucial. Meats must include lean beef such as chuck, and
flank or brisket for gelatin to enrich the broth, plus one marrow bone
per person.
For
vegetables, carrots, leeks and celery stalks or roots are mandatory,
with an onion or two sticks with a clove for flavor, and an option on
turnips and rutabaga. The hallmark of successful pot au feu is limpid
broth; slowly simmered so maximum flavor is extracted from each
ingredient. The cooking time of the vegetables, for instance, must be
carefully judged so all arrive just right at the table. The broth is
usually served as a first course, simmered for a few minutes with a
handful of angel hair pasta. Then follows a lavish platter of sliced
meats, which are piled in the center of the dish, surrounded by the
vegetables, each in a small pile or bouquet. Pot au feu forms an entire,
substantial, meal. This recipe serves eight.
A
3 lb/1,4 kg pieces of beef or veal shank with bone tied with string.
2 lb/ 1 kg piece of beef chuck or brisket, tied with string
2 lb/ 1 kg beef short ribs, tied with string
8 quarts/ 8
litres water, more if needed
1 onion studded with 4 cloves
1 celery stalk
a large bouquet garni
1 cinnamon stick
1 tbsp salt, more to taste
1 tbsp black peppercorns
8 beef marrow bones
2 lb/ 1 kg medium carrots, quartered and cut into 3 inch/ 7,5 cm sticks
3 lb/ 1,4 kg leeks, trimmed, halved lengthwise, and cut into 3 inch/ 7,5
cm pieces
1 ½ lb/ 750 g medium turnips cut into eighths
For
the Gremolata:
5 garlic cloves
a large bunch
of flat-leaf parsley
3 lemons
For
serving:
4 oz/125 g angel hair pasta
sea salt, mustard and gherkin pickles
Cheesecloth
for wrapping bones and vegetables.
Put
the beef shank, chuck, and short ribs in the stockpot with enough water
to cover the meat generously. Bring slowly to a boil, skimming often.
Add the studded onion, celery, bouquet garni, cinnamon stick, salt, and
peppercorns. Wrap and tie each bone in cheesecloth so the marrow stays
in place and add them to the pot. Simmer very gently, uncovered,
skimming occasionally, for 3 hours. The secret to a clear broth is to
maintain a gentle simmer with no threat of boiling.
Wrap
and tie the carrots, leeks and turnips in separate bundles in
cheesecloth. Add these to the pot, pushing the vegetables down into the
broth and adding more water if needed to cover them. Continue simmering
for another hour, or until the meats and vegetables are very tender. The
meats should fall easily from a two-pronged fork. If some ingredients
are done before others, remove them to a platter. Be sure there is
always enough broth to cover the meats and vegetables during cooking,
so add hot water if needed.
Transfer
bones, meats and vegetables to a board. Strain the broth, then boil the broth until it is reduced by about half, or
until it is concentrated and well flavored. Taste and adjust the
seasoning. If preparing the pot au feu ahead, replace the meats and
vegetables in the broth and refrigerate them. Shortly before serving,
make the gremolata. Finely chop the leaves together with the garlic and
parsley.
If
necessary, reheat the meat and vegetables in the broth by simmering
until heated through. Discard the cheesecloth from the bones and arrange
them on a very large platter. Slice the meats and arrange them
overlapping on the platter. Unwrap the vegetables and pile them in
mounds around the meat. Cover everything with foil and keep warm.
For
the first course, bring the broth back to a boil, add the pasta, and
simmer until tender, about 2 minutes. Serve the broth and pasta very hot
in a shallow bowl.
For the main
course, sprinkle some of the gremolata
over the meats just before serving. Pass the remaining gremolata with
the sea salt, mustard and pickles in separate bowls.
CHOCOLATE
BEGGARS Mendiants
au Chocolat
For
about 4 dozen beggars, heat the oven to 350°F/ 175°C. Spread ¾ cup/
90 g peeled hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven until
browned (12 to 15 minutes): let them cool. Prepare and set aside an equal
amount of unblanched almonds. Measure ½ cup/ 60 g unpeeled pistachios
and set them aside also. Pour boiling water over 1/3 cup / 60 g diced
candied peel – citron or lemon peel is the most appropriate color but
I think orange tastes best. Drain the peel and dry it on paper towels
– this removes any sugar crystals.
Chop
¾ lb/375 g of your favorite dark chocolate and set it in a metal bowl
over a pan of hot but not boiling water. Heat gently, stirring with a
wooden spoon until the chocolate is melted. Professional chocolatiers
would temper the chocolate at this stage to give it more gloss, but I
don’t bother. Line 2 baking sheets or trays with wax or parchment
paper. Drop teaspoonfuls of warm chocolate onto the paper to make 1 ¼
in/ 3 cm rounds. If the chocolate runs too much, wait a few minutes
until it cools and thickens a bit. After shaping dozen rounds and before
the chocolate sets, add a hazelnut, almond, pistachio, and cube of
candied peel to each one. Continue with the remaining chocolate. Leave
the beggars to set in a cool place (they will lose their gloss in the
refrigerator), then peel them from the paper. Store them, layered with
paper, in an airtight container.
APPLE
TART TATIN
Starting
with the basic Tarte Tatin for caramelized apples baked with a pastry
topping and turned upside down, over the years we have evolved such
refinements as caramelizing the butter and sugar before adding the
apples to ensure a deep color, and turning the apples so the halves are
evenly browned. In early fall when apples are fresh and full of juice,
I’ve resolved problems by peeling and then drying them in the oven to
keep them firm. They will look shriveled and brown, but don’t worry,
this disappears during cooking. It is hard to beat the classic
accompaniment to Tarte Tatin of crème fraîche, but a scoop of vanilla
ice cream is acceptable. One tart serves eight.
About
5 lb/ 2 - 2,5 kg firm apples
½ cup/ 125 g butter
1 ½ cups/ 300 g sugar
For
the Pâte Brisée:
1 2/3 cups/ 200 g flour
7 tbsp/ 100 g butter
1 egg yolk
½ tsp salt
3 tbsp/ 45 ml water, more if needed
a 10 – 11 inch/ 26 - 28 cm Tatin mold, skillet or deep heavy frying
pan.
Heat
the oven to 350°F/175°C. Peel and halve the apples and scoop out the
cores. Set the apples cut-side up on a baking sheet and bake for 12 to
15 minutes, until their surfaces are dry but they are still firm (if
your apples are on the dry side, skip this step). Let them cool and turn
up the oven temperature to 400°F /200°C.
Meanwhile,
make the pâte brisée. Sift the flour onto the work surface and make a
well in the center. Put the eggs or egg yolks, salt and water in the
well along with any flavorings such as sugar. Pound the butter with a
rolling pin to soften it, add it to the other ingredients in the well,
and work them with the fingers of one hand until thoroughly mixed. Using
a pastry scraper, gradually draw in flour from the sides and continue
working with the fingers of both hands until coarse crumbs are formed.
If the crumbs seem dry, sprinkle with another tablespoon of water; it
should be soft but not sticky. Press the dough together into a ball, but
don’t overwork it; the dough will be uneven and unblended at this
point.
Blend
the dough quickly so the butter doesn’t become too warm. Put the dough
in front of you and use the heel of one hand to push away a bit at a
time and flatten it against the work surface; this flattening motion
evenly blends the butter with the other ingredients without overworking
the dough. When the entire ball of dough has been blended in this
fashion, gather it up with a scraper into a rough ball, and repeat this
process of blending with the heel of your hand until the dough is
pliable and pulls away from the work surface in one piece, 1 to 2
minutes. Shape it into a ball, wrap in plastic, and chill it until firm,
at least 30 minutes.
Melt
the butter in the Tatin mold, skillet or frying pan. Sprinkle in the
sugar and cook over medium heat without stirring until it starts to
brown and caramelize. Stir gently, then continue cooking until it is
golden brown. Let it cool in the pan for 3 to 5 minutes – the butter
will separate, but this does not matter.
Arrange
the apples in the mold in concentric circles with the cut sides standing
vertical – the caramel will help to anchor them. Pack them as tightly
as possible as they will shrink during cooking. Cook the apples over
medium heat until the juice starts to run, about 8 minutes, then raise
the heat and cook them as fast as possible until the underside is
caramelized to deep golden and most of the juice has evaporated, 15 to
20 minutes.
With
a two-pronged fork, turn the apples one by one so the uppersides are now
down in the caramel, and continue cooking until this second side is
brown also and almost all the juice has evaporated, 10 to 15 minutes.
The time will vary very much with the apples. Let them cool to tepid.
Roll
the pastry dough to a round just larger than the mold. Wrap the dough
around the rolling pin and transfer it to cover the apples. Tuck the
edges down around the apples, working quickly so their warmth does not
melt the dough. Poke a hole in the center to allow steam to escape.
Bake
the tart until the pastry is firm and lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes.
Take the tart from the oven and let it cool for at least 10 minutes, or
until tepid. If you make Tarte Tatin ahead, keep it in the mold, then
warm it to tepid on the stove or in the oven before unmolding: This
softens the caramel and loosens the apples.
Shortly
before serving, unmold the tart onto a flat platter with a lip to catch
any juice. To do this, set the platter on top of the tart pan and, in
one swift motion flip the tart onto the platter. Be careful because you
can be splashed with hot juice.
WHOLE
TANGERINE SOUFFLÉ
The
whole tangerine, peel, pith and all is simmered in orange sugar syrup to
flavor this masterly soufflé, which is raised simply with a light
meringue. The short list of ingredients give a clue to its simplicity.
It makes six individual soufflés.
1
lb/ 500 g tangerines
2 cups/ 500 ml orange juice
1 ½ cups/ 300 g sugar
3 tbsp Grand Marnier
6 egg whites
For
the orange strawberry sauce:
1 quart/ 375 g strawberries
1 tbsp Grand Marnier
2 to 3 tbsp sugar
6
ramekins (1 cup)/ 250 ml each)
Quarter
the tangerines and discard any seeds. In a medium saucepan, heat the
orange juice and two thirds of the sugar until the sugar is dissolved.
Add the tangerines, cover the pan, and simmer until the tangerines are
very tender, 25 to 35 minutes. Strain them, pressing gently to extract
most of the juice, and set them aside. Measure ½ cup/ 125 ml juice and
reserve the rest. Put the tangerines with the measured juice in a food
processor and work for 3 to 4 minutes to form a fairly rough purée –
this forms the base of the soufflé. Work in the Grand Marnier. The purée
should just hold a shape without being sticky; if necessary, work in a
little more juice. Return the purée to the saucepan.
For the orange
strawberry sauce, hull the strawberries, washing them only if they are
sandy. Purée them in a food processor with the Grand Marnier, sugar and
2 to 3 tbsp of the reserved tangerine juice. Taste and add more sugar if
needed. Chill for serving. For the soufflé, heat the oven to 400ºF/
200ºC. Generously butter the ramekins, chill them for 10 minutes in the
freezer and butter them again. Set them on a baking sheet. Whip the egg
whites with a tablespoon of the remaining sugar until the whites hold a
stiff peak 1 to 2 minutes in an electric mixer. Add remaining sugar and
stir with a spoon until the whites are glossy and form a long peak when
the spoon is lifted, about 1 minute.
Heat
the tangerine purée until the edges start to bubble. Take it from the
heat and add about a quarter of the whites, stirring until well mixed,
the heat cooks and slightly stiffens the whites. Add this mixture to the
remaining whites and fold together as lightly as possible. To finish,
transfer the soufflé mixture to the ramekins filling them to the rim
and mounding the mixture generous in the center of the dishes. (If you
overdo this, the soufflés will look like volcanoes, but than can be
fun, too). Run your thumb around the edge of the mixture to detach it
from the ramekin so it rises in a hat. Bake the soufflés until puffed
and brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Set the ramekins on small plates,
preferably lined with a napkin or paper doily so the ramekins do not
slip and rush the soufflés at once to the table. Leave your guest to
poke a hole in the center of their soufflés and pour in some cold
sauce.
