The Little Paris Kitchen (21 page)

The lavender fields in Provence are a spectacular sight, but if you can't make it to see them, I think that using a little lavender in your cooking is probably the next best thing. In moderation, lavender tastes delicious in both savory and sweet dishes, but don't use too much or they'll start tasting like granny's soap. A crisp green salad and some boiled new potatoes are a great match for this summery dish.

SERVES 4–6 AS A MAIN COURSE

For the marinade:
2 tbsp dried lavender • 4 tbsp olive oil • 4 tbsp lavender honey or plain runny honey • 2 sprigs of thyme • finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

• 1 chicken, cut into 8–10 pieces • a generous pinch of salt

TO MAKE THE MARINADE:
Crush the lavender using either a mortar and pestle or a rolling pin. Put the crushed lavender into a large bowl with the oil, honey, thyme, lemon zest, and juice. Mix well.

Place the chicken pieces in a large plastic container. Pour the marinade over the chicken and make sure all the pieces are well coated. Cover and leave to marinate for 30 minutes (or up to 4 hours).

When you are ready to cook, preheat the oven to 400°F. Put the chicken and marinade into a roasting pan and sprinkle with the salt. Roast the chicken for 45 minutes, turning the pieces over halfway. To check if the chicken is done, pierce the thickest part of the flesh with a skewer—the juices should run clear, not red or pink.

Serve the chicken with the cooking juices poured over and around.

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Resting time: 30 minutes
–
4 hours
Cooking time: 45 minutes

You can't go wrong with this classic, and the white wine sauce is great to know. You can flavor it with fresh herbs, such as parsley, tarragon, or dill, and use it with many other ingredients besides chicken and mushrooms. I like it with poached fish or vegetables (especially leeks and boiled potatoes), and it's also an easy way to make something tasty out of leftovers—it's really good poured over roast chicken or turkey. Serve with steamed rice or pasta.

SERVES 4 AS A MAIN COURSE

For the sauce:
2 tbsp butter • ¼ cup all-purpose flour • 2 cups chicken stock, lukewarm • ½ cup dry white wine • 4 tbsp heavy cream • 1 tsp lemon juice • salt and pepper

• 2 tbsp butter • 1 lb chicken or turkey breast, cut into chunks • 8 oz button mushrooms, brushed or peeled, then sliced • a handful of finely chopped tarragon or parsley

TO MAKE THE SAUCE:
Melt the butter in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the flour and beat hard until you have a smooth paste
(roux)
. Continue to beat until the
roux
begins to have a golden color. Take off the heat and gradually add the stock, whisking constantly.

Place the pan back over a medium heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes, whisking frequently to ensure none of the sauce burns on the bottom of the pan. If the sauce becomes too thick, whisk in a little more stock.

Add the wine and continue simmering for 10 minutes, then take off the heat and whisk in the cream and lemon juice. Taste for salt and pepper.

While the sauce is simmering, melt the butter in a large frying pan until sizzling, add the chicken, and fry for a few minutes until golden. Add the mushrooms and fry for another 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

To serve, mix the sauce with the chicken and mushrooms and sprinkle with some fresh tarragon.

Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 30 minutes

The French like their one-pot wonders—
coq au vin, boeuf bourguignon
, and
pot-au-feu
, for instance.
Blanquette de veau
is another “throw it all in the pot” type of dish, and it's actually simpler than many other stews, as there's no browning of the meat to be done—hence the name
blanquette
.

Normally some of the stock is combined with egg yolks and cream to make a rich white sauce, but as this dish should be about keeping work to a minimum, why bother when you can make a pretty mean sauce with just a tub of crème frâiche (full fat, please), some orange zest, and black pepper? My
caviste
(wine guy) gave me the tip of adding orange zest to the stew. Boiled potatoes, rice, or even pasta go nicely with this dish.

SERVES 4–6 AS A MAIN COURSE

• 2-lb piece of veal belly (breast) with skin • 10 button onions, peeled • 6 carrots, cut into chunks • 1 bay leaf • 1 sprig of rosemary • 1 sprig of thyme • 10 peppercorns • a bunch of parsley stalks • pared zest of 2 oranges • 10 button mushrooms, brushed or peeled • salt

For the sauce:
7 tbsp crème fraîche • finely grated zest of 1 orange • salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Place the meat in a large ovenproof pot with all the other ingredients except the mushrooms and salt. Pour in cold water until the meat and vegetables are submerged, then cover the pot with its lid, place in the oven, and cook for 2 hours.

Take the pot out of the oven. Remove the meat, onions, and carrots from the stock and set aside. Tip the contents of the pot into a very fine sieve or coffee filter set over a bowl and let the stock run through (to remove any impurities).

Pour the stock into a clean pot and add the meat, onions, carrots, and mushrooms. Simmer gently for about 5 minutes or until the mushrooms are cooked. Taste for salt.

TO MAKE THE SAUCE:
Mix the crème fraîche with the orange zest and season with salt and pepper.

Lift the meat out of the stock and cut into slices. Serve each person with a slice of veal, a spoonful of vegetables, a ladleful of stock, and a large helping of the sauce.

Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 2–2½ hours

Each region in France uses their own local red wine for this dish, so you don't need to use a bottle of Burgundy. The idea of the dumplings came to me when I started accumulating odd ends of leftover baguettes. They make a great alternative to potatoes, as well as soaking up the juices from the stew.

SERVES 4–6 AS A MAIN COURSE

• 2 lb beef shin or stewing beef, cut into 6 large chunks • 3–4 tbsp all-purpose flour • 2 tbsp vegetable oil • 5 oz lardons or cubes of smoked bacon • 10 button onions or shallots, peeled • 2 cloves of garlic, crushed until flat • 1 bay leaf • a bunch of parsley stalks • 1 sprig of thyme • 1 sprig of rosemary • 3 cloves • 10 peppercorns, crushed • 2 cups red wine • 1¼ cups water • 1 tbsp tomato paste • a pinch of sugar • 7 oz stale baguette or other bread (crust included) • 1 cup milk • a pinch of nutmeg • salt and pepper • a handful of chopped parsley • 1 egg • 10 chestnut mushrooms • 2 tbsp butter, for frying

Preheat the oven to 300°F. Dust the meat with 2 tablespoons of the flour. Heat the oil in a large casserole dish over a high heat and fry the meat in batches until browned. Remove each batch, then fry the lardons, onions, garlic, herbs, and spices in the same pan until golden brown. Return the meat to the pan and add the wine, water, tomato paste, and sugar. Scrape up the caramelized bits—they will add flavor. Cover, place in the oven, and cook for 3 hours or until the meat is tender and almost falling apart.
*

Cut the baguette into small cubes and place in a bowl. Bring the milk to a boil and pour over. Stir so that the milk is absorbed evenly, then cover and leave for 15 minutes. Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper; stir in two-thirds of the chopped parsley and the egg; and mix in 1 tablespoon flour. If the mix is too wet (it should be moist and only slightly sticky), add the remaining tablespoon of flour. Wet your hands a little to help stop the dough sticking to them, then make 12–14 dumplings (smaller than a golf ball).
*

About 20 minutes before the stew is ready, add the mushrooms and season with salt. Heat the butter in a large frying pan and fry the dumplings on a medium heat for 5 minutes or until golden brown and crisp, then drain. Garnish the stew with parsley and serve with the dumplings.

*
Make the stew the day before to give the flavors time to develop. Add the mushrooms before gently reheating (no boiling). The dumplings can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 hours
.

Preparation time: 45 minutes Cooking time: 3 hours