Béarnaise Sauce

My spouse made this to go with an end of summer vegetables meal built around beef tenderloin. It was absolutely delicious, and we put it in a thermos to serve it, and while it wasn't piping hot, that also worked pretty well. 1/2 cup dry white wine 1/4 cup white wine vinegar 3 sprigs chervil, leaves finely minced, stems reserved separately (optional; if not using add an extra sprig of tarragon) 3 sprigs tarragon, leaves finely minced, stems reserved separately 1 small shallot, thinly sliced 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns 2 large egg yolks Kosher salt 1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter Combine wine, vinegar, herb stems, shallots, and black peppercorns in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and lower heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook until reduced to about 1 1/2 tablespoons of liquid, about 15 minutes. Carefully strain liquid through a fine mesh strainer into a small bowl, pressing on the solids with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Combine wine reduction, egg yolk, and a pinch of salt in the bottom of a cup that barely fits the head of an immersion blender. Melt butter in a small saucepan over high heat, swirling constantly, until foaming subsides. Transfer butter to a 1-cup liquid measuring cup. Place head of immersion blender into the bottom of the cup with the wine reduction and turn it on. With the blender constantly running, slowly pour hot butter into cup. It should emulsify with the egg yolk and wine reduction. Continue pouring until all butter is added. Sauce should be thick and creamy (see note). Season to taste with salt. Whisk in chopped tarragon and chervil, if using. Serve immediately, or transfer to a small lidded pot and keep in a warm place for up to 1 hour before serving. Béarnaise cannot be cooled and reheated.

Mushroom Quiche

I cannot say why this is but I had a hankering for quiche, which is apparently very much ut of vogue because I had trouble finding a recipe for one in any of my more recent cookbooks--including a French one that was published this year--but much as I suspected, I very much enjoyed this. I put it in a deeper tart pan, which the crust recipe worked finr for, and doubled the filling. For the crust 1 1/4 cups flour 1 teaspoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 6 tablespoons very cold (or frozen) unsalted butter, cut into bits, plus more as needed 1 large egg 1 teaspoon ice water For the filling 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 small onion, finely chopped Salt Freshly ground black pepper 8 to 12 ounces mushrooms, trimmed, wiped clean with a damp paper towel and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices 3 tablespoons white wine or white vermouth (optional) 3 tablespoons finely minced fresh herbs, such as parsley, thyme, rosemary and/or basil 1/4 cup grated Gruyère, Swiss or sharp white cheddar 3/4 cup heavy cream or 1/2 and 1/2 2 large eggs 2 scallions, white and light-green parts only, thinly sliced (optional) Directions For the crust: Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor and whir a few times to blend. Scatter the bits of butter over the flour and pulse several times, to form a coarse, crumbly mixture. Beat the egg with the ice water and pour it into the bowl in three additions, whirring after each one. (Don’t overdo it; the dough shouldn’t form a ball or ride on the blade.) You should have a moist, malleable dough that holds together when pinched. Turn the dough out onto a work surface, gather it into a ball (if the dough doesn’t come together easily, push it, a few spoonfuls at a time, under the heel of your hand or knead it lightly) and flatten it into a disk. Use butter to grease your tart pan — even though the pan may be nonstick. Roll out the dough between sheets of parchment or wax paper. Lift the paper often (so that it doesn’t roll into the dough) and turn the dough over so that you’re rolling on both sides. The rolled-out dough should be about 3 inches larger than the bottom of your pan. Transfer the dough to the tart pan, easing it into the pan without stretching it. (What you stretch now will shrink in the oven later.) Press the dough against the bottom and up the sides of the pan. If you would like to reinforce the sides of the crust, you can fold some dough over, so that you have a double thickness around the border. Use the back of a table knife to trim the dough even with the top of the pan. Prick the base of the crust in several places with the tines of a fork. Refrigerate or freeze the dough in its pan for at least 1 hour before baking. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Press a piece of lightly buttered aluminum foil against the dough's surface and fill with dried rice, dried beans or pie weights. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone liner. To partially bake the crust, bake (middle rack) for 20 minutes, then very carefully remove the foil (with its weights). Return the bare crust to the oven; bake for 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack and allow the crust to come to room temperature before you fill it. For the filling: Melt the butter in a large skillet, preferably one that’s nonstick, over medium-low heat. Toss in the chopped onion. Season lightly with salt and pepper; cook for about 2 minutes, stirring, until translucent. Add the mushrooms (to taste), season again lightly with salt and pepper. Increase the heat to high; cook for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring, until the mushrooms are softened and browned here and there. At first, the mushrooms will sop up all the liquid in the pan, then they’ll exude it, then take it up again. Add the wine or vermouth, if using; bring to a boil and cook until it evaporates. Sprinkle the onion-mushroom mixture with 1 tablespoon of the minced herbs, cook 30 seconds more, and then transfer to a bowl to cool for at least 15 minutes. When you’re ready to bake the quiche, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the partially baked crust or chilled tart shell on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone liner. Sprinkle half the grated cheese evenly over the bottom of the crust and top with the remaining herbs. Spoon over the onion-mushroom mixture, avoiding any liquid that may have accumulated in the bowl. Lightly whisk together the heavy cream and eggs in a large liquid measuring cup just until well blended, then season lightly with salt and pepper. Pour over the cheese and mushrooms in the crust, then scatter the sliced scallions evenly over the top, if you’re using them, and the remaining cheese. Carefully slide the baking sheet into the oven and bake (middle rack) for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the custard is uniformly puffed (wait for the center to puff), lightly golden and set. Transfer the quiche to a rack and cool until it’s only just warm or until it reaches room temperature before serving.

Cabbage and Jalapeno Gratin

When my Food 52 Cookbook group did Melissa Clark's Dining in French it was early in the pandemic. April, in fact, when it was actually hard to get some very basic ingredients. Not our issue--we even had 25 pounds of all purpose flour and a good 10 pounds of bread flour even. But for those who live week to week, either because of finances or space or habit, it was a challenging time. Melissa Clark herself was devoting the New York times food column to recipes that could be made with things in your pantry. So I never gave this book the due it deserved. I have had a collossal amount of cabbage this winter (a giant head every two weeks since September, to be exact, sometimes a Napa cabbage added on for good measure) and I finally got around to making this easy gem. 10 cups of shredded cabbage 1-2 cups of diced onions 3 cloves of garlic minced 1 jalapeno, sliced thinly 2 Tbsp. butter 2 Tbs. olive oil salt and pepper to taste 3/4 cup Gruyere cheese grated 1/4 cup Paremsan cheese grated a splash of half and half Saute the onions in the butter and olive oil. Add the garlic and jalapenos after the onions have softened. In another few minutes add the cabbage and cook until it is soft and silky. Turn off the heat and splash in some half and half or cream if you are adding. I mixed in the cheese but the original recipe has you put the cabbage in a gratin dish and sprinkle it on top. Broil it until the cheese is melted (I on the other hand put it in a hot oven and let the flavors settle in together.

Roasted Chicken with Mushrooms

Melissa Clark did a terrific job of focusing on pantry recipes early on in the pandemic when there was a brief interruption in the food supply so that it was really hard to get many things, including flour, sugar, and yeast.  The down side is that my Food 52 cookbook group did her new cookbook, Dining in French, in April, and well, we just could not get in to it.  First of all it was crazy at work (we are both in health care) and we were not all that motivated to eat luscious French style food.  So now, in the fall with the weather changing, now we are ready.

• 1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh tarragon leaves, plus 4 large sprigs

• 1 3/4 teaspoons fine sea salt, plus more as needed

• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

• 1 whole (3 1/2- to 4-pound) chicken, patted dry with paper towels

• 6 sprigs fresh thyme

• 8 ounces mixed mushrooms (any kinds you like), sliced 1/4 inch thick

• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

  Dinner in French by Melissa Clark

Directions

1. In a small bowl, mix together the chopped tarragon, salt, pepper, and lemon zest. Use this salt mixture to season the chicken inside and out. Refrigerate the chicken, uncovered, for 1 hour.

2. Heat the oven to 450°F.

3. Place the chicken, breast-side up, in a roasting pan or on a rimmed baking sheet. Stuff the cavity of the chicken with the tarragon and thyme sprigs. Roast for 30 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, toss together the mushrooms, oil, and a large pinch of salt.

5. After 30 minutes, baste the chicken with the pan juices, or drizzle it with a little olive oil if the pan is dry, and scatter the mushrooms around the chicken in the pan. Continue roasting until the chicken’s juices run clear when the skin is pierced with a knife, 20 to 30 minutes more, tossing the mushrooms after 10 minutes.

6. When the chicken is done, transfer it to a cutting board and tent it with foil to keep it warm, leaving the mushrooms in the pan. Let the chicken stand for 10 minutes before carving. 

7. Add the butter and parsley to the mushrooms in the roasting pan and toss to melt the butter. Serve the chicken with the buttery mushrooms on top.

Thinking Ahead

Chicken: You can marinate the chicken, uncovered, in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

Mushrooms: You can slice the mushrooms up to 24 hours ahead and store them in a sealed plastic bag in the fridge.

 

Beef Daube

This is from Dorie Greenspan's spectacular book Around My French Table.  She is a favorite with the Food 52 Cookbook group I am in, and it was the first time we tasted the cow we just got a 1/2 of (sharing with a coworker of my spouse and presenting challenges related to freezer space in the midst of a pandemic, where appliances are hard to come by).
This is delicious (and so is our cow, thank goodness).

• 4 slices thick-cut bacon, cut crosswise into 1-inch-wide pieces
• 3 1/2-pound beef chuck roast, fat and any sinews removed, cut into 2- to 3-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons mild oil (such as grapeseed or canola)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 yellow onions or 1 Spanish onion, quartered and thinly sliced
• 6 shallots, thinly sliced
• 1 garlic head, halved horizontally, only loose papery peel removed
• 1 1/2 pounds carrots, trimmed, peeled, halved crosswise, and halved or quartered lengthwise, depending on thickness
• 1/2 pound parsnips, trimmed, peeled, halved crosswise, and quartered lengthwise (optional)
• 1/2 cup Cognac or other brandy
• 1 750-ml bottle fruity red wine (I know this may sound sacrilegious, but a Central Coast Syrah is great here)
• A bouquet garni — 2 thyme sprigs, 2 parsley sprigs, 1 rosemary sprig, and the leaves from 1 celery stalk, tied together in a dampened piece of cheesecloth

Instructions

 

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

 

2. Put a Dutch oven over medium heat and toss in the bacon. Cook, stirring, just until the bacon browns, then transfer to a bowl.

 

3. Dry the beef between sheets of paper towels. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil to the bacon fat in the pot and warm it over medium-high heat, then brown the beef, in batches, on all sides. Don’t crowd the pot — if you try to cook too many pieces at once, you’ll steam the meat rather than brown it — and make sure that each piece gets good color. Transfer the browned meat to the bowl with the bacon and season lightly with salt and pepper.

 

4. Pour off the oil in the pot (don’t remove any browned bits stuck to the bottom), add the remaining tablespoon of oil, and warm it over medium heat. Add the onions and shallots, season lightly with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until the onions soften, about 8 minutes. Toss in the garlic, carrots, and parsnips, if you’re using them, and give everything a few good turns to cover all the ingredients with a little oil. Pour in the brandy, turn up the heat, and stir well to loosen whatever may be clinging to the bottom of the pot. Let the brandy boil for a minute, then return the beef and bacon to the pot, pour in the wine, and toss in the bouquet garni. Once again, give everything a good stir.

 

5. When the wine comes to a boil, cover the pot tightly with a piece of aluminum foil and the lid. Slide the daube into the oven and allow it to braise undisturbed for 1 hour.

 

6. Pull the pot out of the oven, remove the lid and foil, and stir everything up once. If it looks as if the liquid is reducing by a great deal (unlikely), add just enough water to cover the ingredients. Re-cover the pot with the foil and lid, slip it back into the oven, and cook for another 1 1/2 hours (total time is 2 1/2 hours). At this point, the meat should be fork-tender — if it’s not, give it another 30 minutes or so in the oven.

 

7. Taste the sauce. If you’d like it a little more concentrated (usually I think it’s just fine as is), pour it into a saucepan, put it over high heat, and boil it down until it’s just the way you like it. When the sauce meets your approval, taste it for salt and pepper. (If you’re going to reduce the sauce, make certain not to salt it until it’s reduced.) Fish out the bouquet garni and garlic and, using a large serving spoon, skim off the surface fat.

 

8. Serve the beef and vegetables moistened with the sauce.