SearchUser loginNavigation |
FranceQuatre-EpicesThis is the classic seasoning used in French pates and terrines served cold. The proportions vary widely among chefs; this one is from Jane Grigson's excellent Charcuterie. Some use almost equal parts of the spices, but Larousse Gastronomique uses more than twice the amount of pepper that this recipe calls for. Quatre-epices means four spices, but of the four traditional spices, three are always used (pepper, clove, and nutmeg) and then the fourth is either cinnamon or ginger, depending on your taste and how you're using it. I like to use cinnamon with a pork pate. Cassoulet of Castelnaudary
Cassoulet is a legendary dish of white beans and mixed meats from Languedoc in southwestern France. Much has been written about it, and much confusion has ensued. If you're a real cassoulet nerd, you know that there are three "authentic" cassoulet recipes: this Cassoulet de Castenaudary (considered the original), the famous Cassoulet Toulousaine, and the Cassoulet de Carcasonne, which includes lamb. And if you're a cassoulet nerd of the fanatical variety, then you need to know about D'Artagnan's annual Cassoulet War in New York City! Here I'll do my best to present something authentic and cookable. Absinthe cocktail I think no drink has more romantic lore than the Absinthe Cocktail! There's a lot of romance and mystery to poke through here to get to the simple truth that foodies need, so: Peas braised with Lettuce, Pearl Onions, and ParsleyThis is a wonderfully strange and delightful recipe that requires intimate knowledge of the main ingredient. You braise new spring peas in a little liquid for a comparatively long time. This means the tiniest spring peas would be overdone, but fully mature summer peas lack the sweetness of their adolescent kin, and it's that sweetness that so perfectly complements the peculiar choice of lettuce as a seasoning. A Feast of Burgundy on French Election Day On the day of an exciting election in France, we had our friends Kurt & Debbie over for a feast from Burgundy. I love the cuisine of Burgundy, and not just the celebrated wine. When we toured France in 2015, we drove from Lyon in the south to Dijon in the north and back again, through Beaujolais and the Cotes de Nuit to the Cotes d'Or. We drove past vineyards large and small, with gorgeous old manor-houses and rustic outbuildings and other structures that made no sense to us. Among the vineyards on hills poorly suited for grapes were farms producing beautiful produce. Burgundy is known for food of all kinds. The inhabitants of the medieval gray stone buildings of Dijon in the north are fond of cheeses, pork, mushrooms, cream, and of course mustard. At the southern end, just past Beaujolais, is Lyon, the culinary capital of France. There is a long tradition of courtly fare, but for this feast, I focused on the well-known hearty country fare.  We enjoyed: Pate en Croute
All you do is line the mold with pastry and then bake the pate. The melted fat stays inside, topped up with aspic. You can make this with the Pate de Campagne but I think the pastry treatment deserves a finer pate like the one below. Quatre-epices
This is the common blend of spices used in making French pates. You can substitute ginger for cinnamon, and white pepper for black pepper, depending upon the meats in the pate.
Pate de Campagne
This is a coarse pate, hearty picnic fare, best served in slabs with crusty bread, cornichons, and coarse mustard, and washed down with young, rustic wine.
Sauce Perigueux
This decadent brother of the delicious Sauce Madere is best reserved for special occasions and the finest cuts of beef. Please see the Notes before attempting this expensive dish.
Sauce MadereSauce Madere is a spectacular savory sauce to accompany your finest beef. This recipe is kin to and the base for the even more decadent black truffle infused Sauce Perigueux. The recipe comes from the incredible Escoffier Cookbook, but the recipe there is very confusing. This is because M. Escoffier works backwards from the finished sauce to the base ingredients (make the Sauce Madere from veal stock and half-glaze; make the half glaze from Brown Stock and Sauce Espagnole; make the Sauce Espagnole from Brown Roux, Brown Stock, and Mirepoix...) All of those recipes are written for different volumes of resulting sauce, so there's quite a lot of math involved. Fortunately for those of us in the Plymouth area, Erik Piantedosi at Piantedosi Butcher Shop in North Plymouth saves us most of the hard work by selling the demi-glace in frozen 14-oz containers! That excellent product brings this delicious sauce into reach for regular cooking. 
|
The Foodie Pilgrim is also active on: Newest Recipes
|
This is the classic cassoulet recipe lightly adapted to the American kitchen from the master recipe published by the Grande Confrérie du Cassoulet de Castelnaudary. 
Pate en Croute is nothing more than a pate baked in a crust, but it looks fabulous! The first trick is to find a mold - after that, the rest is easy.
