Pate – serves 4 to 6
Pâté is a well-seasoned, finely textured meat loaf meant to be eaten cold. Once cooked, it will keep, well covered, for 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator.
Ingredients:
1/2 lb. veal, chicken or turkey, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 lb. bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 garlic clove, halved
1 shallot, halved
1/4 lb. smoked ham, cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 egg
Tiny pinch of ground cinnamon
1 Tbs. cognac or other good-quality brandy
1 bay leaf
Directions:
- Preheat an oven to 400°F.
- In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine the veal, bacon, garlic and shallot and process until minced. Add the ham, salt, pepper, egg,cinnamon and cognac and process until the ham is finely chopped.
- Transfer to a rectangular loaf pan or terrine with a 2-cup capacity, packing it in firmly. Smooth the top with a rubber spatula and press the bay leaf gently into the meat mixture. Bake, uncovered, until the pâté has pulled away from the sides of the dish and the top is nicely browned, about 45 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, let cool, cover and refrigerate for 1 day to allow the flavors to develop. Cut into slices to serve.
Radishes with Butter and Salt
Ingredients :
2 bunches radishes with the tops intact
Sea salt
Herbed Butter (recipe follows)
1 French baguette, sliced diagonally, and lightly toasted
Directions:
- Arrange the radishes on a bed of sea salt.
- Spread the butter on slices of toasted bread and arrange artfully on a platter.
- Serve at room temperature.
Ingredients (Herbed Butter):
1/4 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons minced scallions
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh dill
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley leaves
1/2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper
Directions (Herbed Butter):
- Combine all the ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on low speed until combined. Do not whip.
Cassoulet D’Artagan and French Bread
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds haricots tarbais, pinto, fava, navy, lima, or flageolet beans, rinsed and picked over
1/2 pound piece ventreche
10 cloves garlic
2 medium onions, halved
1 carrot, coarsely chopped
5 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
3 celery leaves
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
5 whole cloves
10 black peppercorns
4 legs duck confit
2 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
3 tablespoons duck and veal demi-glace
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 links (8 1/2 ounces) duck and Armagnac sausages, lightly browned, and halved crosswise
17 1/2 pound fresh garlic sausage, cut into 8 slices
1/4 cup duck fat – melted
Directions:
- Place beans in a large bowl; cover with water and let soak overnight.
- Drain beans and place in a large earthenware casserole or enameled cast-iron Dutch oven along with ventreche, garlic, 1 onion, and carrot.
- Wrap parsley, celery leaves, thyme, bay leaf, cloves, and peppercorns in a piece of cheesecloth and tie to form a bouquet garni.
- Place bouquet garni into the casserole and cover with 10 cups water.
- Place casserole over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently, until beans are just tender, about 1 hour.
- Drain, discarding onion and bouquet garni, and return to casserole.
- Add remaining onion, duck legs, and tomatoes.
- In a medium bowl, stir together demi-glace with 4 cups water, and add to casserole.
- Season with salt and pepper and place casserole over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until duck legs are tender when pierced with a fork, about 15 minutes.
- Drain mixture into a colander set over a bowl; reserve cooking liquid.
- Cut ventreche into 1/2-inch square pieces; set aside. Cut each duck leg in half at the joint; set aside.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Season beans with 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. Place half of the beans in the casserole. Add ventreche, duck legs, duck, and garlic sausages; cover with remaining beans.
- Pour reserved cooking liquid over top and drizzle with duck fat.
- Cover, and bake until heated through and bubbling, about 2 hours.
- Cassoulet may be cooled and refrigerated at this point for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before proceeding.
- Increase temperature to 400 degrees.
- Uncover casserole, and bake until top is browned, about 20 minutes.
Caesarʼs Salad – Makes 2 to 3 servings
Ingredients:
18 -24 leaves romaine lettuce hearts, crisp narrow leaves from the hearts of 2 heads romaine lettuce ( or a package romaine lettuce hearts ,about 1 pound)
1 cup plain toasted croutons
1 large garlic cloves, peeled
1/4 cup excellent olive oil
salt
1 large egg
fresh ground black pepper
1 whole lemon, halved and seeded
Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons freshly grated imported parmigiano-reggiano cheese
Directions:
- To flavor the croutons, crush the garlic clove with the flat of a chef’s knife, sprinkle on 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and mince well.
- Pour about a tablespoon of olive oil on the garlic and mash again with the knife, rubbing and pressing to make a soft purée.
- Scrape the purée into the frying pan, add another tablespoon of oil, and warm over low-medium heat. Add the croutons and toss for a minute or two to infuse them with the garlic oil, then remove from the heat. (For a milder garlic flavor, you can strain the purée though a small sieve into a pan before adding the extra croutons. Discard the bits of garlic.)
- To coddle the egg, bring a small saucepan of water to a simmer.
- Pierce the large end of the egg with a pushpin to prevent cracking, then simmer for exactly 1 minute.
Mixing and serving the Caesar:
- Dress the salad just before serving.
- Have ready all the dressing ingredients and a salad fork and spoon for tossing.
- Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the romaine leaves and toss to coat, lifting the leaves from the bottom and turning them towards you, so they tumble over like a wave.
- Sprinkle them with a generous pinch of salt and several grinds of pepper, toss once or twice, then add the lemon juice and several drops of the Worcestershire, and toss again.
- Taste for seasoning, and add more, if needed.
- Crack the egg and drop it right on the romaine leaves, then toss to break it up and coat the leaves. Sprinkle on the cheese, toss briefly, then add the croutons (and the garlicky bits in the pan, if you wish) and toss for the last time, just to mix them into the salad.
- Arrange 6 or more leaves in a single layer on individual plates, scatter the croutons all around, and serve.
* Raw Egg Warning
Food Network Kitchens suggest caution in consuming raw and lightly cooked
eggs due to the slight risk of salmonella or other food-borne illness. To reduce
this risk, we recommend you use only fresh, properly refrigerated, clean grade A
or AA eggs with intact shells, and avoid contact between the yolks or whites and
the shell. For recipes that call for eggs that are raw or undercooked when the
dish is served, use shell eggs that have been treated to destroy salmonella, by
pasteurization or another approved method.