FOOD FOR THOUGHT:
Fueling the Impressionists
Menu & Recipes
HORS D’OEUVRES
Chicken Liver Pâté ~ Pâté des foie de volaille
Mussels in Wine ~ Moules à la marinière
POTAGES
Meat Broth ~ Bouillon
French Onion Soup ~ Soupe à l’oignon
ENTRÉES
Poached Salmon with Mayonnaise ~ Saumon poché à la mayonnaise
Duck with Olives ~ Canard aux olives
Steak and Fried Potatoes ~ Bifteck-frites
ENTREMETS
Beets in White Butter Sauce ~ Betteraves au beurre blanc
Sautéed French Beans ~ Haricots verts sautés
DESSERTS
Apple Tart ~ Galette au pommes
Meringues with Chantilly Cream ~ Meringues à la Chantilly
Brandied plums ~ Prunes brandy
MARINER’S MUSSELS ~ MOULES À LA MARINIÈRE
Mussels from the coastline surrounding France have been consumed there since ancient times with mussel farms dating to the 13th century. The 19th century railroad system enabled easier transport of fresh seafood into Paris to satisfy the desire for diverse menu items in its many food establishments. Platters of raw oysters and bowls of mussels cooked “sailor-style” were popular appetizers in restaurants as well as crowd pleasers in cafés and bistros.
INGREDIENTS:
¼ cup (2oz/50g) butter
1 shallot, (4oz/110g) finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
30 fresh mussels (2lbs/900g), scrubbed and debearded
3/4 cup (6oz/170ml) dry white wine
1 bay leaf
Few sprigs fresh thyme leaves
Salt and pepper, to taste
Several sprigs fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
PROCEDURE:
1. Melt butter in a large pot; add chopped shallot, garlic.
2. Cook about 2 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring frequently; add wine, seasonings.
3. Bring mixture to a boil; add mussels, cover, cook until mussels open, about 5-8 minutes.
4. Discard any unopened mussels; add parsley, cover the pot firmly, give it a good shake.
5. Pour mussels into a large bowl; serve with crusty French bread, for dipping in sauce.
Serves 4-6
STEAK AND FRIED POTATOES ~ BIFTECK-FRITES
The concept of cutting slices off a raw joint of beef, normally reserved for roasting or braising, to cook them separately was relatively new to France in the 19th century. Introduced by occupying English soldiers after the Battle of Waterloo [1], the beef steak, bifteck, soon became standard fare in Parisian food establishments – as a restaurant entrée with refined sauces and elsewhere (bistro, brasserie) paired with that other newcomer to the French table, the potato.
The humble potato, native to America and long considered by cultured Europeans to be a food fit only for the poor, finally now got a boost from creative chefs realizing its potential and whipping it up into any number of delicious side dish concoctions. Among the most popular and enduring of these is the fried potato that pairs well with so many other foods, such as steak; hence the proliferation of bifteck-frites on Parisian menus from the 19th century on.
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound (450g) new potatoes (gold or white), thinly sliced
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 pounds (900g) boneless rib eye steaks, few drops olive oil, salt, pepper pressed on both sides
PROCEDURE:
1. Heat vegetable oil in wide frying pan; layer potatoes evenly in the pan, add salt, pepper.
2. Cook over medium heat, undisturbed, about 5 minutes or until golden, crusty underneath.
3. Gently flip potatoes and cook until golden on other sides, about 5 minutes more.
4. Stir gently so all are browned; remove pan from heat when all potatoes are golden, tender.
5. Heat grill pan to smoking hot; add steaks, sear 4 minutes without poking or moving steaks.
6. Turn over with tongs; sear on other sides for another 4 minutes, untouched or poked.
7. Remove steaks to wooden board with tongs; leave alone, uncovered untouched, 5-7 minutes
8. Chop steaks into chunks, place with pan juices on warm platter; serve alongside potatoes.
Serves 6
[1] Courtine, Robert. Larousse Gastronique. Crown Publishers, Inc., New York. Page 1018.
BEETS IN WHITE BUTTER SAUCE ~ BETTERAVES AU BEURRE BLANC
In the hierarchy of foods for different classes, lowly root vegetables were long considered more appropriate for peasants and manual laborers than for scholars and aristocrats. It wasn’t until the 19th century that French chefs appeared to set aside such tradition and begin dreaming up new and elegant ways to serve such earthy fare as potatoes, turnips and beetroots. This recipe pairs the earthy root with a luscious sauce in a surprisingly subtle marriage of flavor. Use red or orange beets, or both! Have plenty of bread handy to sop up the rich and colorful sauce.
INGREDIENTS:
6 medium-sized (1½lbs/700g) fresh beet roots, scrubbed clean, leafy tops removed
1 cup (8oz/225g) cold butter
¼ cup (2floz/60ml) wine vinegar
¾ cup (6floz/180ml) dry white wine
2 Tablespoons (¼oz/4g) shallot, finely minced
Few sprigs fresh parsley, chopped
PROCEDURE:
1. Cut butter into many small cubes; place in bowl, cover, refrigerate to keep cold.
2. Bring large pot salted water to boil; add beets, cook about 20-25 minutes or until tender.
3. Drain beets into colander; when cool enough to handle, remove skins with paper towel.
4. Slice beets into ¼ inch slices; artfully arrange on warm serving platter, cover and set aside.
5. Meanwhile, put vinegar, wine, shallots in small saucepan; bring to a boil.
6. Lower heat to medium, partially cover; simmer about 10 minutes to reduce liquid by half.
7. Remove saucepan from heat, whisk in 2 cubes of cold butter until almost entirely melted.
8. Return pan to low heat; continue adding butter a piece at a time, whisking in vigorously.
9. Continue to whisk, removing occasionally from heat, while adding remainder of butter.
10. Texture of sauce should be dense and creamy; add some salt, fresh ground pepper to taste.
11. Pour sauce onto warm beets; dust platter with chopped parsley for garnish, serve at once.
Serves 4-6
APPLE GALETTE ~ GALETTE DE POMMES
A delicious dessert frequently enjoyed and tantalizingly immortalized by Claude Monet.
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups flour
1 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut in small cubes
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup sugar
1/3 cup milk
2 large apples (1lb/450g)
4 Tablespoons butter, for brushing on apples
2 Tablespoons cane sugar
PROCEDURE:
1. Mix flour, sugar, salt into bowl; add cold butter cubes, rub with fingers into mealy dough.
2. Add milk a bit at a time until a dough ball is formed; place onto floured work surface.
3. Roll dough ball into rectangle shape; fold in half, cover with damp cloth, let rest 15 minutes.
4. Roll again into rectangle; fold in half, cover with damp cloth for another 15 minutes.
5. Roll one more time, fold and cover for final 15 minutes; preheat oven to 375F/190C degrees.
6. Core, cut apples into thin slices; melt butter until foam subsides and it begins to brown.
7. Roll dough into large circle; place onto parchment covered baking tray.
8. Place apple slices into circular design in center of dough; leave wide enough edge to fold in.
9. Fold excess dough over edge of apple design; brush apples and crust with melted butter.
10. Dust entire top of galette with cane sugar; bake at 375F/190C degrees 40-50 minutes.
Serves 8