Authors: Richard Grausman

French Classics Made Easy (5 page)

Food processor, immersion blender, blender, and 250-watt handheld mixer

THE MATERIALS

COPPER

Excellent conductivity allows you to cook rapidly over high heat without worrying about sticking and burning. It also allows even cooking over low heat. It is lined with tin, nickel, stainless steel, or silver for general cooking. Unlined copper pots are used for cooking sugar and jam. If you like shiny copper pans, be prepared to polish them frequently. Years ago in French kitchens, copper pans were cleaned with a combination of salt and vinegar. Sometimes sand was added for extra scrubbing power. These days, a variety of copper polishes easily do the job, but the pans should be well washed with soap and water to make sure no polish is left on the cooking surface. However, I still use vinegar and salt when cleaning a copper egg white bowl (see “Beating Egg Whites: The Magic of the Copper Bowl,”
page 42
). And though 30 to 40 years ago I used my copper pans on a daily basis, I find I rarely use them today.

ALUMINUM

Also an excellent conductor of heat. Can be used with high or low heat. It is not recommended for boiling water because certain minerals cause a dark gray oxide to form, making it difficult to clean. However, when cooking with tomatoes, vinegar, and other acidic ingredients, which pit aluminum, use a utensil that is lined with stainless steel or a nonstick coating, or one that is electroplated with aluminum oxide. The latter creates a virtually indestructible dark gray coating with excellent cooking properties.

CAST IRON AND ENAMELED CAST IRON

Iron is a fairly poor conductor of heat, which means that it takes a long time to get hot, and once hot, it takes a long time to cool down. This property makes it an excellent material for casseroles or Dutch ovens used for long, slow oven cooking, for oven-to-table preparations, and for grill pans and griddles. However, when using cast iron for cooking sauces, care should be taken to stir often to prevent sticking and burning. You should avoid using plain cast iron for cooking sauces containing wine or tomatoes, because a metallic taste often results.

STAINLESS STEEL

By itself, a poor conductor of heat. Utensils made from thin sheets of the metal are usually strong and light and are excellent for boiling vegetables and for making stocks and soups. Aluminum-bottomed or copper-clad stainless steel makes excellent all-purpose pans.

OVENPROOF PORCELAIN AND GLASS

These are very poor heat conductors but are excellent for low-temperature oven cooking and for oven-to-table serving.

CHAPTER ONE
FIRST COURSES

SAVORY CREAM-PUFF PASTRIES

SAVORY PUFF PASTRIES

PASTA

In France, a first course is called (confusingly to English speakers) the
entrée,
which means “entry.” And to begin a French meal properly, there must be one. This is true for the simplest family supper or the most elegant restaurant meal. At home, the first course might be a soup or a crudité or perhaps something from the charcuterie, such as a slice of pâté. At a restaurant, the possibilities are expanded.

In the United States, first courses at home are rare except when entertaining. Americans have a tradition of putting the main part of the meal on the table all at once. The French break the meal into courses, serve smaller portions, and spend more time at the table. To my mind, this is one of the reasons the French do not have the obesity problems that we do. When you eat quickly, you tend to overeat.

The first-course recipes in this chapter were designed to be part of a multi-course meal—just as the main courses in this book are designed to be preceded by a starter course. However, because this is not the way we eat on a daily basis, many of the first-course dishes are also perfectly suited as the main course for a lunch or light supper, and I have given a range of servings to indicate their dual nature.

SOUPS

Formal dining, in years past, always included a soup. It came before the first course, and in general it was a cream soup for lunch and consommé for dinner. This style of dining has all but disappeared (although you can still experience it in some of the fine resort hotels of Europe). I generally use soup as a first course or, when served with bread, salad, and a dessert, as a main course—especially hearty soups such as Mediterranean Fish Soup (
page 21
) or Split-Pea Soup (
page 23
).

Although the generic term for soups in French cooking is
potages,
the classic breakdown of types and terms is far more complex. Simply speaking, soups can be divided into two groups: clear soups (or consommés) and thickened soups. Thickened soups are classically further divided into purées, veloutés, and crèmes, and each follows certain rules. Purées are thickened with a purée of a starchy vegetable or grain (such as potato or rice) or a legume (such as lima bean, lentil, or pea). Veloutés are thickened with a light velouté sauce (a white sauce made with stock), while crèmes are thickened with a light béchamel (a white sauce made with milk). Veloutés are enriched, just before serving, with a liaison of egg yolks and butter, and crèmes are finished with heavy cream.

Over the years, these classic distinctions have been blurred. And, in the case of my soups, they have been deliberately altered to make them lighter than the classics that inspired them. I eliminate the egg yolk and butter enrichment and a good deal of the starch, and use heavy cream sparingly.

CHICKEN CONSOMME

[CONSOMMÉ DE VOLAILLE]

One of the true tests of a good chef is his ability to make an excellent consommé. It should be crystal clear, full of flavor, yet not too salty, and it should have a lovely color ranging from light gold to deep amber. The process for making consommés is long and tedious, and it is rare to find them on restaurant menus today. If you do find one, you can be sure the chef is proud of it.

A classic consommé is made with a double-strength veal, beef, or chicken stock. This stock is further strengthened and then clarified (a process necessary for a perfectly clear soup). From beginning to end, making a consommé can take up to two days.

Since most of us rarely are able or willing to devote so much time to making a soup, this version takes some shortcuts without shortchanging the taste. By starting with canned stock (see “Using Canned Stocks,”
page 305
), the consommé takes less than an hour.

It can be served cold (it will be lightly jelled) or hot. If you are making a hot consommé and want to serve it in the French fashion, garnish it with finely diced or julienned cooked vegetables, shredded chicken, rice, or vermicelli.

SERVES 6 TO 8

2 quarts double-strength chicken stock, homemade (see Note), or canned (see chart,
page 305
)

2 egg whites, well whisked

4 envelopes unflavored gelatin, softened in ¾ cup cold water

1 pound ground skinless, boneless chicken breast

1 carrot, finely chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 leek (white part only), washed and chopped

2 celery ribs, with leaves if possible, chopped

1 large tomato, chopped

10 sprigs parsley, chopped

3 sprigs fresh tarragon or

2 teaspoons dried

20 sprigs fresh chervil or 2 teaspoons dried (optional)

1 teaspoon salt (omit if using canned stock)

⅛ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons Chicken Glaze (optional;
page 310
)

1.
Clarify and intensify the stock: Place the stock in a 4- to 5-quart saucepan. Add the egg whites, stirring vigorously so they blend with the stock. Add the softened gelatin and all the remaining ingredients.

2.
Stir the mixture slowly and constantly with a whisk (to keep the egg whites well distributed in the stock) over high heat until the first sign of boiling, about 12 minutes. Immediately stop stirring; reduce the heat and simmer gently for 20 minutes. As the egg whites cook in the hot
stock, they harden and rise to the surface, carrying impurities with them.

3.
Using a skimmer, gently remove most of the vegetables, chicken, and egg white from the surface of the stock. Line a strainer with a dampened kitchen towel or several thicknesses of dampened cheesecloth and pour the stock through it. The strained stock or consommé should be perfectly clear. If not, it may require a second straining.

4.
Degrease the consommé: If, after straining, there are any remaining droplets of fat on the surface of the consommé, cut a paper towel into quarters. Place one square at a time on the surface of the soup, and immediately draw it across and away. Continue this with as many squares as you need (cutting more paper towels, if necessary) until there is no more visible fat.

5.
Serve hot or cold.

NOTE

If you are interested in making your own strong chicken stock, you might consider making the Poule au Pot on
page 113
. The chicken for this simple and delicious dish is cooked in chicken stock, thus creating a double-strength stock that can be used to make the consommé.

IN ADDITION

The seasoned ground chicken, cooked egg white, and vegetables used to clarify the consommé do not have to be discarded once their job is done. After skimming them from the soup in step 3, set them aside, let cool, and refrigerate, covered. A quick béchamel flavored to taste with tomato paste or curry powder can be mixed with the chicken mixture and served with rice—it goes very nicely with basmati or Texmati—for an easy lunch or dinner. The chicken and sauce can also be used as a filling for crêpes.

C
LASSIC
C
ONSOMMES

Consommés can be made from beef, veal, chicken, fish, or game. In classic French cooking, the name of the consommé changes depending on the garnish served with it. In the classic repertoire there are hundreds of different garnish combinations and, therefore, soup names. For example:
Consommé Bretonne
is garnished with julienne of leek, celery, onion, and mushroom and shredded chervil.
Consommé Solange
is garnished with pearl barley, squares of lettuce, and chicken julienne.
Consommé Rossini
is thickened with tapioca, flavored with truffle essence, and garnished with profiteroles stuffed with foie gras and chopped truffles.

VARIATION

B
EEF
C
ONSOMME
[CONSOMMÉ DE BOEUF]

A beef consommé is made in principally the same way. Replace the chicken stock with 2 quarts double-strength beef stock, homemade or canned (see chart,
page 305
). Use 1 pound lean ground beef instead of ground chicken breast. Before serving, stir in ¼ cup Madeira (optional).

ONION SOUP

[SOUPE À L’OIGNON]

Although I normally make this soup with stock, a more delicate version can be made with water. The caramelized onions will provide the necessary flavor.

SERVES 6 TO 8