Soupe au Pistou

We are all familiar with pesto, right? Okay, well pistou is simply the French equivalent. It is fresh basil, garlic, olive oil, cheese and tomato (there's the difference) mashed together, classically in a mortar and pestle, or whizzed up in a food processor. Soupe au pistou is French vegetable soup with a dollop of pistou dropped into the soup just before serving. It is garlicky, herby and marvelous.

Pistou
1 medium clove garlic, peeled
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 medium tomato (slightly smaller than a tennis ball), halved, the seeds/goo squeezed out, chopped
1 big handful of fresh basil leaves
3 ounces (100 grams) hard, aged cheese, like Mimolette or Old Amsterdam, grated
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Mash the garlic with the salt in a mortar and pestle. Add in the tomato chunks and mash. Drain off any accumulated liquid, add in the basil and continue mashing. Last, add in the grated cheese and oil and combine. Can be made up to 2 days ahead and stashed in the refrigerator.



Soupe
8 cups vegetable stock
2 small leeks, using only the tender white to light green bit, chop and wash
1/2 cup chopped fennel bulb (including fronds, if you like-- pretty!)
1/2 cup chopped, peeled potato
3/4 cup fresh peas (or thawed frozen)
1 small zucchini, trimmed and chopped
1 tin cannellini or navy beans, drained

Shlamp the stock and leeks into a soup pot and bring to a simmer. Cook gently for 15 minutes, then add the fennel and potato chunks. Cook 10 minutes, then add in the peas, zucchini and beans. Bring to a simmer then cook for about 3 minutes, so that the peas are tender but still bright green. Serve up in pretty bowls with a dollop of pistou on top and some crusty bread on the side.

Makes 4 entree size servings

Tarragon Roast Chicken Salad

Seems like every family has one or two exceptionally crazy days overloaded with activities. For us, it is Thursday. The girls have ballet class, netball practice (similar to basketball), German class and life-guard instruction. Jeff belongs to a running club. I play chauffeur/chef. 
With everyone coming and going at different times it is hard to find a dinner that the family can eat between activities.

It was with this chaos in mind that I came up with this recipe.

One roast chicken can satisfy lots of different tastes.

As I waited to ear dinner with Jeff when he came through the door at 9pm, I ate the crispy, salty skin off the roast chicken. All of it. 

1 free-range chicken

1 bunch tarragon

12 small, new potatoes

½ shallot, minced (about 1 tablespoon)

2 sprigs from the bunch of tarragon (leaves only)

2 teaspoons white wine (or plain) vinegar

½ cup mayonnaise

1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard

Healthy pinch of sugar

Healthy pinch of salt

Salad greens

Boiled green beans, if you’ve got them

1) You can use a roasted chicken from the grocery store if you are in a pinch for time. Otherwise, place most of a small bunch of tarragon (keeping aside 2 sprigs for the salad dressing) into the cavity of the chicken, sprinkle the skin with sea salt and roast at 200C (400F) for about 45 minutes, until crisp, tender and juicy.

2) While the chicken is roasting, simmer the small potatoes, whole in salted water until just tender (about 10 minutes simmering time, depending upon their size). Drain and cool slightly until you can comfortably handle them—then slice into halves or quarters.

3) While the potatoes are simmering and the chicken is roasting, make the dressing: Put the minced shallot into a small bowl with the vinegar. Allow it to steep there for a few minutes while you chop up the tarragon leaves (the vinegar will take the bite out of the shallot). Now, chuck the salt and sugar into the vinegar, too and whisk for a second to help dissolve the granules. Finally, whisk in the mayo, mustard and chopped tarragon. Pour over the potatoes (doing this while they are still warm is fine), toss to coat evenly.

4) Assemble the salad: Lay salad greens on a plate and arrange the potatoes around. Rip the chicken into large chunks and arrange along side the potatoes. Do the same with green beans, if you are using. To make it extra delish, separate the fat from the roasting juices of the chicken. Discard the fat and drizzle the juices over the top of the salad, as well.

Serves 4 with extra chicken left over. I roasted the chicken, boiled the potatoes and served my children that simply with chicken juices drizzled over the potatoes—made up the salad for Jeff and I to eat later.

Chicken de la Maison

House chicken, that sums this recipe up. Using common ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen produces a simply delicious dinner. It’s easy to make, yet a real crowd pleaser. Good recipe to keep on hand.

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

150 grams (just under 6 ounces) smoked bacon, cut into small pieces

1 small onion (whatever you have on hand), chopped

2 fat cloves garlic, minced

6 chicken legs, separated into thighs and drumsticks—on the bone, skin removed

½ cup dry white wine

1 cup beef stock (or chicken stock)

1 large tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 pound tiny, new potatoes (or bigger ones cut into large chunks)

150 grams (roughly 6 ounces) small button  (or brown) mushrooms, washed, trimmed and left whole

Chopped, flat leaf (continental) parsley

1) Pre-heat the oven to 175C (350F). Warm the olive oil in a large pan. Place in the bacon and sauté until almost crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan, leaving in up to 1 tablespoon oil/drippings. Brown the skinless chicken pieces in the pan in batches—you are not cooking, just getting color. If the pan gets dry, add more olive oil. Remove the chicken and toss in the onion and garlic, stirring well and sauté for a minute or two, then pour in the wine and stock—scrape the bottom of the pan to get up all the fond (brown bits of loveliness stuck to the bottom).

2) Place the bacon and chicken back into the pot, cover and place into the oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, carefully stir and place the potatoes in the pot. Cover and cook again for 30 minutes more. Remove from the oven, stir and toss in the mushrooms—replace lid and continue to cook for a final 30 minutes.

Arrange everything on a platter, scoop the glorious juices over top and finish with chopped parsley. Serves 6

Duck Provençal

This dish takes effort, but pays back in spades. It is truly a Bistro-quality recipe.

1 duck, split in half, backbone removed (use kitchen shears and cut on either side of the backbone)

2 additional duck legs

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon Herbs de Provence

2 large carrots, sliced into thick chunks

2 large leeks, washed, trimmed and sliced into chunks

2 ribs celery, washed and chopped into thick chunks

1 small bunch parsley

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

Olive Sauce

1tablespoon olive oil

Backbone of duck, split in half

Neck of duck (comes with the duck)

Big handful (about 18) ripe, cherry tomatoes, washed

1 yellow onion or 1 large leek, trimmed and chopped

5 cloves garlic, peeled, left whole

1 cup white wine

2 cups chicken broth

¼ teaspoon Herbs de Provence

Pinch of sugar

1 teaspoon cornstarch (corn flour)

12 ‘gourmet’ green olives, really good quality, left whole

12 dried apricots, chopped

1) Pre-heat oven to 225C (450F). Pierce the skin of the duck and duck legs all over with the tip of a sharp knife or a fork (try not to pierce the meat beneath). Rub with Herbs de Provence and salt on both sides. Chuck the carrots, leeks, celery, parsley and rosemary into a roasting pan and place the duck, skin-side up on top of the veggies. 

Roast in the oven for 10 minutes, then turn the heat down to 150C (300F), pour in 1 cup water and cover with foil and continue to roast the duck for about 2 and ½ hours more, until the meat is ultra tender.

2) While the duck is roasting, make the duck stock for the olive sauce: Brown the duck back pieces and duck neck in 1 tablespoon olive oil, over medium or medium-low heat until brownish (about 10 minutes). Pour out any rendered fat and toss in the cherry tomatoes, onion and garlic—sauté for just a minute—then pour in the wine and stock and sprinkle in the sugar and Herbs de Provence. Simmer gently for 1 hour. Mash the vegetables with the back of a fork. Pour the stock through a strainer into a container and allow to cool a bit then skim the fat off the top—there shouldn’t be much. Set aside.

3) After 2 and ½ hours braising time, remove the foil and crank the heat on the oven up to 200C (400F). Allow the duck to crisp up for about 10 minutes—use your best judgment, get it crisp, but do not allow to burn—duh… While the duck is crisping up, heat the duck stock in a pan. Pour ¼ cup cold water into a jar and add in 1 teaspoon cornstarch. Put the lid on and shake. Add this to the simmering stock to thicken a bit. Now add in the olives and apricots. Simmer just 10 or 15 minutes.

To serve: Pour the sauce on a platter and arrange the duck on top, then scatter the olives and apricot chunks over the duck. Serve with mashed potatoes, cous cous or brown rice. Serves 6 

Lemon-Rosemary Crackers

I watched a Mark Bittman video where he made olive oil matzo and was inspired to make these—almost the same recipe, I just added lemon zest and rosemary. They are delicious; crispy and crunchy! I made them plain (adding no lemon zest or rosemary) for chilli the other night, then topped them with loads of freshly cracked pepper for a get together with friends on another occasion.

Roll these thin and watch them like a hawk as they bake. Depending on your oven, they can take anywhere from 3 minutes in total to bake, or longer.

2 cups all purpose (plain) flour

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

Zest of 1 lemon, minced fine (about 2 teaspoons)

1 heaping teaspoon finely minced, fresh rosemary

½ cup warm water

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Flakes of sea salt

1) Crank of the oven to it’s highest setting to pre-heat—the oven has got to be scorching for this. Whisk the olive oil into the warm water as if you are making a vinaigrette—creating an emulsion.

2) Place the flour, salt, lemon zest and rosemary into the bowl of a food processor. Whiz for just a couple seconds, then drizzle in the water/olive oil mixture in while the motor is running. The dough will look like crumbs.

3) Turn out onto a clean surface and squish the ‘crumbs’ together to form a ball. Break the ball into 12 pieces (for crackers about the size of your hand) or more pieces for smaller crackers. Roll the pieces out very thin and scatter flakes of sea salt over. You could roll out the whole sheet of dough and cut with a round cookie cutter for a more styled finished cracker. Place into an ungreased baking tray and bake for 2 minutes—watching closely—the important part is that they begin to bubble a bit and turn golden. Flip the crackers over and bake for 1-3 minutes more—again watching for colour.

Serve hot or room temperature. Allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Beef Daube (French Beef Stew)

Called a Daube in reference to the pot this stew is traditionally made in, a daubiere, this is a lush, rich beef stew that is fabulous served with broad egg noodles, or crusty bread rolls. It is easy to make, just allow the time required to slowly simmer (3 hours) This is a great weekend dish (reheating the left-overs for lunch later in the week).

Click here to watch JennyB demonstrate how to make this recipe!

5 pounds (2 kg), lean stewing beef, cubed
2 tablespoons olive oil, more if the pan gets dry
4 leeks, washed, trimmed and chopped
2 stalks celery, trimmed and chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
1 head garlic (about 10 cloves)
1 bottle dry white wine
2 cups beef stock (tinned, homemade or bouillon- if you must)
1 tin chopped tomatoes, juice and all
1 big squirt tomato paste (puree)
1 bouquet garni (bunch of fresh herbs- parsley, thyme, bay leaf- tied together in a bouquet)
One 12 to 18 inch long piece of orange zest, or 2 tablespoons chopped zest
Chopped olives of your choice to garnish

1) Brown the meat, in batches, in a big pan. Make sure the pan is hot, set over medium-high heat, before you begin to brown in the olive oil. Do NOT crowd the pan!!! Remove browned (not cooked) meat to a plate to collect the juices.

2) After you have browned all the meat, tip the chopped onion, celery and garlic into the pot and saute for a minute or two. Pour in the bottle of wine (glug-glug), the chopped tomatoes, and the beef stock. Bring just to a simmer, then add in the carrots.

3) Pre-heat the oven to 300F (150C) and assemble the stew: In a large oven-proof pot (with a lid--preferably a clay pot), place the browned beef chunks and all their juices. Pour in the wine/beef stock/vegetable mixture, squirt in the tomato paste (puree) and snuggle in the bouquet garni, then the zest. Stir, cover tightly, then place into the oven and braise slowly for 2 hours.

4) After 2 hours, ladle out 1 cup of stew stock, stick in the fridge to cool completely to room temp, then shake in a jar with 1/4 cup flour. Pour this back into the pot and continue to braise for 1 hour more.

Garnish with chopped olives, of your choice, fat egg noodles and crusty bread. Serves 8-10

Chicken Under a Brick II

Click here to see this recipe demonstrated!



This method of cooking chicken is classic French. Usually this recipe uses a whole chicken, literally compressed under the weight of a brick, but I wanted to make dinner for just my husband and I; a whole chicken would be too much. I used boneless, skin-ON breasts and it turned out beautiful. The entire dish, velvety smooth sauce included, took less than 15 minutes to make.

2 Boneless chicken breasts
Sea salt
Vegetable or olive oil
1 shallots, minced
1 plump clove garlic, minced
3/4 cup tomato concasse (chopped fresh tomato flesh- no seeds)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Handful of freshly chopped herbs (parsley, tarragon-- whatever you like)

Special equipment: Heavy saute pan (I use cast iron), a smaller saute pan, a brick or very heavy mortar and pestle, or the heaviest heat-proof thing you have handy.

1) Place the cast iron skillet over medium heat and allow to get hot. Sprinkle the chicken with sea salt. Pour enough oil into the skillet to liberally coat the bottom. Lay the chicken in, skin side down. Now, turn over the smaller saute pan and lay it on top of the chicken, balance the mortar and pestle, or heavy object on top of the saute pan and leave the chicken, undisturbed to cook for 3 and 1/2 minutes. After 3 and 1/2 minutes, take the weight and saute pan off the chicken, and carefully turn the chicken over. Put the pan and weight back on the chicken and cook the second side for an additional 3 and 1/2 minutes.

2) After 7 minutes (TOTAL cooking time), the chicken should be just cooked through, juicy and succulent. Remove your breasts from the pan (or course, not literally YOUR breasts... they should not be in the pan, that would hurt), and keep them warm on a plate.

3) Pour out the oil from the pan and crank the heat up to high. Add in the shallot and garlic to the pan and stir for just a few seconds. Add in the tomato concasse, stir and shake the pan, then add in the wine. Simmer, and reduce for 1-2 minutes. Turn off the heat, or remove the pan from the heat, and whisk in 2 pats of butter, then stir in the fresh herbs. Place the chicken back in the pan to warm, then serve at once.

Serve with rice and a fresh, steamed green veg. Serve 2

Chicken Under a Brick

This is one of my all time favourite recipes—for chicken or anything else. I first read this recipe in Patricia Wells’ cookbook, ‘Patricia Wells Trattoria’, and have eaten it once or twice in Italian restaurants. I use this recipe regularly and it has never failed me. Be prepared for some splatter of oil, but it is so very worth the slight mess; Crisp and golden skin on the outside with succulent meat impossibly juicy beneath. This recipe is tried and true and a real keeper.

This is loosely Patricia Wells’ recipe:

1 free range chicken
Sea salt
¼ cup good quality olive oil

1) Place the chicken breast side down on a clean, flat surface. Using poultry shears, cut the backbone out (remove and save for stock or discard). Open the bird flat and flip it breast side up. Press down with the heel of your hands to make the bird as flat as possible. Alternatively, you can ask the butcher to ‘spatchcock’ your chicken (if you have the nerve). Season the bird with sea salt.

2) Using at least a 12 inch skillet (or larger), heat the oil over moderately high heat. When the oil looks to be quivering, place the chicken in breast side down, place a smaller lid on the bird and on top of that, a 10 pound can, or bricks, or rocks (I stack my cast iron pots on top, so it is teetering like something out of a Dr, Seuss book—not recommended)—anyway, you get the point, the chicken must be weighted down to cook properly. At this point, I set the timer (which is something I rarely do) for 13 minutes. Keep the heat moderately high all the time. After 13 minutes, the skin will be golden and gorgeous. Carefully now, remove the weights and lid and, using tongs, turn the bird over. Replace the lid and weights and cook this side for 13 minutes, as well. Pierce the thigh with a skewer or sharp knife—the chicken is done when the juices run clear.

3) Place the chicken on a platter, cover with aluminium foil and allow it to rest for 10-30 minutes. I usually cut into 10 pieces (cutting the breasts in half).

Serve with mashed potatoes or French fries or roasted potatoes, or simply with a green salad.

Chicken with Apricots and Olives

Inspired by my aunt Gretchen’s wonderful Provençal kitchen, I made this dish the evening we returned from her house in the South of France. The flavors are so sunny and warm. The sweet apricot and salty olive play nicely off one and other. It’s a great dish to prepare ahead and just pop in the oven 45 minutes before dinner.

4 boneless and skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon Herbs de Provence
Equal parts water and dry white wine
20 ‘gourmet’ green olives (with or without pits, but not cheap ones from a jar)
10 unsweetened, dried apricots, sliced in half
Salt

1) Brown the chicken breasts in a non-stick pan, in the olive oil-- not cooked, just a minute or two on each side. If you are in a rush, this step can be skipped.

2) Place browned or raw chicken breasts in a casserole dish just big enough to fit them snuggly. Pour in equal parts water and wine to come halfway up the side of the chicken-- do not submerge. Sprinkle with Herbs de Provence and season lightly with salt. Scatter the olives and apricots around the chicken in the liquid. Cover or seal with aluminium foil. At this point, the dish can be held, covered, in the refrigerator for a few hours until ready to bake (just make sure to remove from the refrigerator 20 minutes before baking, to 'warm up' on the counter until baking time.)

3) Preheat oven to 175C or 350F. Bake chicken, covered for 45 minutes. Remove and serve with all the gorgeous goop and a side of couscous.

Serves 4, easily doubled.

Salad Lyonnais (or Salade aux Lardons)

Ubiquitous throughout Lyon‘s bouchons, bistros and mères, this is a great main course salad. Placing a poached egg on top of the salad is simply old school genius. No wonder Lyon claims to be the gastronomic capital of Europe.

Fresh eggs, one per person
Thick cut bacon (2 pieces per person) or lardons-- slab bacon, if you can get it
Frisee, or curly endive lettuce for as many portions as desired
Lemon dressing (see below)
Fresh cracked black pepper

1) Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Place an egg in a soup spoon and carefully lower it into the water, continue until all eggs are in the water. Bring back to a strong simmer, but not a boil, and cook for 4 minutes (this must be timed). When done, remove from water immediately. This will produce a runny yolk, which is crucial for this salad.

2) While the eggs are poaching, cut the bacon or lardons into ½ inch pieces and fry until cooked to your liking. Drain on paper towels.

3) Dress the frisee and arrange on plates. Scatter cooked bacon. Very carefully, peel the eggs and place one on top of each salad. As the egg is cut open the yolk will ooze down into the salad (yum!). Crack pepper on top. Serve immediately.

I was cheeky enough to place a ’BBQ Salmon Burger’ sans bbq sauce (find the recipe under Seafood on this site) on top of this salad, with the poached egg balanced on top of the salmon. It was sublime…

Lemon Dressing

This is a very mellow salad dressing, not too acidic. It is a nice dressing for any sort of salad topped with seafood (grilled shrimp or salmon, crab cakes or tuna steak), grilled chicken, or to use in a classic Salade aux Lardons from Lyon, France.

1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon finely minced shallot
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1) Whisk everything but the oils in a bowl until salt and sugar begin to dissolve. Slowly whisk in oils until an emulsion is created-- or use a blender, small food processor or stick blender.

Makes about 2/3 cup. Store in a jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Warm Asparagus Dijon

Easy to make ahead and so yummy. An elegant dish to take along to a picnic—great with a grilled steak!

1 kg (2.2 pounds) fresh asparagus, woody ends trimmed and discarded, stalks cut into thirds.
1 green onion, trimmed and sliced into thin rounds
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar (add more if you like)
¼ teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
Fresh cracked pepper to taste
1 teaspoon dry dill weed
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons good quality extra virgin olive oil
2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped

1) Bring a medium-large pot of salted water to boil then add asparagus pieces. Cover, bring back to a simmer, and cook for no longer then 4 minutes.
2) Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette. Whisk together green onion through Dijon mustard then slowly add in the oil, while whisking.
3) Once the asparagus are al dente (crisp-tender), drain well and toss while hot with the vinaigrette. Allow to sit at room temperature until ready to serve (up to 4 hours—otherwise stick it in the fridge and allow to come back to room temp before serving). Toss in the chopped eggs just before serving.

This is good at room temp or warm. Makes enough for 4 hungry adults.