The French Market Cookbook (15 page)

2. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and ¼ teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring often, until softened, 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and ½ teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring from time to time, until the mushrooms release their liquid, about 5 minutes. Increase the heat and simmer the mushrooms for a few more minutes, just enough for the excess liquid to evaporate. (However, if it looks like it will take more than 8 to 10 minutes to do this, it is better to drain the mushrooms than overcook them.) This can be prepared a day ahead; let cool, cover, and refrigerate.

3. Remove the dough from the fridge 30 minutes before rolling out. Grease an 11-to 12-inch / 28 to 30 cm quiche pan.

4. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to form a circle large enough to line your pan. Line the prepared pan with the dough, allowing a slight overhang of the dough around the rim of the pan. Prick the bottom all over with a fork, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

5. Preheat the oven to 325°F. / 160°C.

6. Remove the plastic from the quiche crust and bake for 20 minutes.

7. In the meantime, in a medium bowl, beat together the eggs, cream, milk, mustard, paprika, ½ teaspoon salt, and some black pepper.

8. Remove the crust from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 350°F. / 175°C. Spread the mushroom mixture evenly over the crust, sprinkle with the chives, and pour in the egg batter. Bake until set and lightly golden, about 45 minutes. Serve warm.

Cauliflower Gratin with Turmeric and Hazelnuts

CAULIFLOWER GRATIN WITH TURMERIC AND HAZELNUTS

Gratin de chou-fleur au curcuma et noisettes

SERVES 4 TO 6

I know many people who dislike cauliflower. Perhaps I am biased since I grew up eating my mother’s killer gratin de chou-fleur, but I don’t see what’s not to like about a vegetable that’s mild-flavored without being bland, as comforting as mashed potatoes when cooked to tenderness, and so good-looking it is described as a flower in numerous languages.

This gratin is particularly successful for recruiting new converts: it is a riff on my mother’s, to which I’ve added turmeric for flavor and color, and a sprinkle of hazelnuts for crunch. The pairing is serendipitously inspired by a loaf of turmeric and hazelnut bread by Paris baker Eric Kayser, which I once ate with a cauliflower soup I’d just made.

The gratin can be prepared ahead in part and it is a good occasion to try your hand at béchamel sauce if you’ve never made it before. The gratin can be made vegan, if you prefer, by omitting the cheese (or replacing it with ¼ cup nutritional yeast) and using the vegan variation of the béchamel.

1 large head of cauliflower or 2 small ones, cut into florets (about 7 cups / 1 kg florets)

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

Freshly grated nutmeg

½ cup / 60 g hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped

½ cup / 40 g freshly grated Comté or Gruyère cheese (optional)

½ teaspoon turmeric

Béchamel Sauce

1. Set up a steamer. Steam the cauliflower florets, tightly covered, until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. They may be cooked up to a day in advance; once cool, refrigerate in an airtight container.

2. Arrange the cauliflower in a shallow 2-quart / 2-liter baking dish. Season with the salt and a touch of nutmeg and top with the hazelnuts and half of the grated cheese (if using).

3. Preheat the oven to 350°F. / 175°C.

4. Whisk the turmeric into the béchamel sauce until well blended and pour evenly over the cauliflower. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese (if using) and the bread crumbs.

5. Bake until golden, 20 to 30 minutes, switching to the broiler setting for the final few minutes for optimal browning. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

CAULIFLOWER

A good head of cauliflower should be creamy white, with no grayish hints, and the florets should be firm and tightly bunched up. Pay attention to the outer leaves, too; they are a good indication of freshness. To use, pull off the outer leaves (save for stock) and then use a sharp knife to separate the white part into evenly sized florets. The stem of the cauliflower can be saved for soup.

SPELT AND VEGETABLE PILAF

Pilaf d’ épeautre aux petits légumes

SERVES 6

Pilaf is a classic cooking method for rice in which the grain is first sautéed with onions and a bit of fat (often butter), covered with water or stock, and left to cook undisturbed in a covered pot, usually in the oven. This produces a notably tender and flavorful rice, and I have found that it can be applied just as successfully to other grains, such as spelt. What’s convenient about the method is that it needs minimal attention while the grain cooks, so you can tend to your other duties.

Rather than cook the grain solo, I add vegetables so they’ll contribute their flavor to the dish and make it a one-pot meal. I like this version with leeks, carrots, and Jerusalem artichokes, but any mix of seasonal vegetables will work, as long as they’re cut into small enough pieces that they’ll cook at the same rate as the grain. Sometimes I top it with a fried egg. Leftovers may be eaten cold over the next day or two, blended into a salad of chopped mixed greens.

1½ cups / 300 g spelt berries

2 small red onions (4¼ ounces / 120 g each), thinly sliced

Fine sea salt

1 medium leek (11 ounces / 300 g), trimmed, carefully washed and thinly sliced

2 medium / 250 g carrots, peeled and diced

8 ounces / 225 g Jerusalem artichokes, peeled and diced

¾ teaspoon finely chopped dried rosemary

½ cup / 120 ml dry white wine

3 cups / 720 ml Vegetable Stock, heated to a simmer

1 cup / 20 g chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Freshly ground black pepper

1. If you have the forethought, put the spelt in a bowl a few hours beforehand, cover with cold water, and let stand on the counter. Otherwise, simply rinse the spelt before starting.

2. Preheat the oven to 400°F. / 200°C.

3. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and ½ teaspoon salt, stir, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

4. Drain the spelt well, add to the pot along with another ½ teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Add the leek, carrots, Jerusalem artichokes, rosemary, and ½ teaspoon salt. Pour in the wine, bring to a low simmer, and cook until the wine is reduced to a glaze, about 5 minutes.

5. Stir in the stock, cover, and bake until the spelt is cooked through and the liquids are absorbed, 40 to 50 minutes. Check halfway through that there is some liquid left in the pot; add a little hot water if it’s running low.

6. Let stand on the counter, covered, for 10 minutes. Stir in the parsley, sprinkle with black pepper, and serve.

pantry gem

SPELT, EMMER WHEAT, AND EINKORN WHEAT

Spelt, emmer wheat (sometimes sold as farro), and einkorn wheat are ancient cousins of wheat, domesticated and first cultivated millennia ago. Higher-yield crops have long displaced these nutritious grains, but they are now regaining popularity in the Western world—in whole grain, flour, or rolled grain form—as conscious eaters try to add variety to their diet and not rely so heavily on common wheat, which is often highly processed.

Einkorn wheat is the favored variety in France: petit épeautre de Haute Provence is believed to have been grown in the southeast of France unchanged, i.e., without crossbreeding, for 9,000 years, and has PGI (protected geographical indication) status.

LENTIL CROQUETTES

Croquettes de lentilles

MAKES 12 GOLF BALL–SIZE CROQUETTES

Few foods are as nutritious and satisfying as lentils, which also happen to be quite versatile, making them easy to incorporate into your meals. An option that’s often overlooked is the croquette, which could be described as the legume’s answer to meatballs: cooked lentils are shaped into balls, battered, and baked in the oven until they form a crisp outer crust, while the inside remains tender.

I serve these croquettes warm, over a zesty salad of grated carrots, with an herbed tahini sauce drizzled on top, as you might a plate of falafel. This recipe can also give new life to leftover cooked lentils: you’ll need 2¼ cups / 450 g cooked lentils for the full recipe, but it can be scaled up or down to match the amount of lentils you have on hand.

1 cup / 230 g French green lentils

1 small yellow onion (4¼ ounces / 120 g), finely diced

2 cups / 480 ml Vegetable Stock

¼ cup / 35 g all-purpose flour

¼ cup / 40 g plain dried bread crumbs

½ cup / 20 g very finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1. A day before serving, cook the lentils: In a medium saucepan, combine the lentils, onion, and stock. Cover and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until the lentils are fairly soft so they can be shaped into balls, 20 to 30 minutes depending on the lentils. Drain well, and stir in the salt. Cool completely and refrigerate overnight.

2. Preheat the oven to 400°F. / 200°C. and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

3. Set up 3 wide shallow bowls. Put the flour in one. Lightly beat the egg in the second. Put the bread crumbs in the third. Arrange the bowls and the prepared baking sheet on the counter in an assembly line.

4. Add the parsley, garlic, and coriander to the cooked lentils and stir well to combine. With moist hands, scoop out a small handful of this mixture, about the size of a golf ball. Squeeze to remove excess moisture and shape into a ball between the palms of your hands. If you find the lentils resist shaping, mash them slightly with a potato masher—don’t turn them to a complete mush, just enough for them to hold together.

5. Dip into the flour to coat lightly, then into the egg, and then the bread crumbs. Put the breaded croquette on the prepared baking sheet.

6. Rinse your hands (keep a bowl of water on the counter for that purpose) and repeat with the rest of the lentils; you should get a dozen croquettes.

7. Bake until golden and crusty, about 30 minutes.

BREAD CRUMBS

There are many ways to upcycle staling leftover bread, including making Garlic Rosemary Croutons or Tomato and Tarragon Bread Soup, but the easiest is to turn them into bread crumbs. Dice the leftover bread and leave it out on the counter to dry completely. (In humid weather, dry the bread in a low oven without allowing it to brown.) Grind in the bowl of a sturdy food processor, or in batches in a spice grinder, until reduced to coarse crumbs. Transfer to a jar and use within a few months. You could season the bread crumbs with salt, spices, or dried herbs, but they’ll be more versatile if you leave them unseasoned.

Savory Pumpkin and Cornmeal Quick Bread

SAVORY PUMPKIN AND CORNMEAL QUICK BREAD

Cake au potiron et semoule de maïs

MAKES ONE 9 x 5-INCH / 23 x 12 CM LOAF

This recipe is inspired by méture, a rustic bread from the Landes region in the Southwest of France. This all-but-forgotten loaf, made with corn flour, was baked on farms where a small portion of the corn harvest was set aside for the household.

I once read about a méture au potiron, made with pumpkin, and although I was unable to find a recipe for it, the idea lodged itself in my head and emerged one day in the form of this moist quick bread, flavored with herbs and walnuts.

In France, we simply call such loaves cakes—pronounced with a French accent—and serve them by the slice at buffets and picnics or in bite-size cubes to accompany a predinner drink. Pack some for lunch to pair with a salad or a soup.

1¾-pound / 800 g wedge of baking pumpkin or winter squash

2 tablespoons olive oil for cooking, plus more for the pan

¾ cup / 120 g fine-grind stone-ground cornmeal, plus more for sprinkling

¾ cup / 100 g all-purpose flour, sifted

1½ teaspoons fine sea salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup (100 g) walnut halves, toasted and roughly chopped

1 cup / 20 g chopped fresh chervil or flat-leaf parsley leaves

1. Peel and seed the pumpkin and then cut it into ½-inch / 1 cm chunks. Set up a steamer. Steam the pumpkin, tightly covered, until soft, 8 to 12 minutes depending on the pumpkin. Put through a ricer or food mill.

2. Transfer to a fine-mesh sieve and set over a bowl to cool and drain for 1 hour, stirring gently from time to time to encourage the juices to drain; pumpkins tend to release a fair amount of liquid, but if you’ve used another type of squash, there may not be much to drain at all. This should yield about 2 cups / 340 g drained pumpkin flesh.

3. Preheat the oven to 350°F. / 175°C. Grease a 9 × 5-inch / 23 × 12 cm loaf pan with oil, line the bottom with parchment paper, and sprinkle the sides with cornmeal until entirely coated.

4. In a medium bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and walnuts.

5. In a large bowl, beat together the cooked pumpkin, eggs, 2 tablespoons oil, and the chervil. Fold in the flour mixture with a spatula just until no trace of flour remains; avoid overmixing, or the texture of the loaf will be heavier.

6. Pour into the prepared pan and level out the surface. Bake until the top is crusty and golden and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.

7. Transfer to a rack. Let cool for 20 minutes before turning out, and serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

note Season the drained pumpkin juices with celery salt, black pepper, and hot sauce for a simplified Virgin Mary.

PERSONALIZED DINNER ROLLS

Petits pains personnalisés

MAKES 8 DINNER ROLLS

When I was growing up, our neighborhood bakery displayed bread rolls with first names written on them in edible ink. It seemed to me the height of sophistication. I must have been ten the day I decided to secretly place an order for each member of my family and sneak out before Sunday lunch to get them. I put them on the table, and beamed as my parents and sister discovered my surprise.