Great French Recipes

• In a bowl, whisk together butter, parsley, wine, cognac, garlic, and shallots with a fork. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight to let the flavors meld.
• Heat oven to 400°. Spoon about 1⁄2 tsp. of butter mixture into each snail shell. Push a snail into each shell; fill shells with remaining butter mixture. Cover bottom of a 9″ x 13″ baking pan with a layer of rock salt. Arrange snail shells butter side up on bed of salt and bake until butter sizzles, 10–12 minutes.
• Serve with crusty bread

Making the Dough

• In a large mixing bowl whisk together your water, and yeast until the yeast is dissolved.
• Next add the bread flour and salt.
• Mix everything with your dough scraper until it comes together into a rough dough and continue to mix until there is nothing particularly dry left in the bowl and nothing particularly wet either.
• Cover your bowl with a clean cloth and rest on the kitchen side for 30 minutes.

First Fold

• Dust your work surface with a little flour and turn your dough out of the bowl onto it. Flatten it with your fingers a little and then, with fingers and thumb, pinch and pick up any edge of the dough, lift it, and fold it over the top to stick back to itself. Work your way around all edges repeating the fold 12-15 times. The idea here is to fold the dough into a smooth ball, all joins and seems happen on that one side, the side facing up, and so the underside becomes a smooth surface. Then, turn your dough over, revealing that nice smooth “top” surface, place it back in the bowl, cover again and rest for 30 minutes.

Second Fold

• Next, you’ll be doing exactly the same as the first fold but only 10 folds this time. Make sure to turn the dough out of the bowl upside down before you start folding, then turn it smooth side up again before placing back in the bowl. Cover and rest again for 30 minutes.

Dividing and Pre-shaping

• When your dough has rested and risen, turn it out of the bowl. Divide it into four pieces and if you’d like to get them EXACTLY the same weigh them to around 215g each.. Roll each piece into a rough, loose sausage and allow 15 minutes for them to rest and relax on the table, seam side down, ready for the final shape.

Final Shape

• Place a proving cloth on a large baking tray and dust it well with flour
• One by one shape up your baguettes by turning over a sausage of dough and pressing gently with fingers and knuckles once again to flatten. Roll up the dough into a sausage in stages; starting from the side furthest from you fold a little of the dough towards you and pinch the seam to stick. Then repeat again folding the now fatter top edge down and pinching the seam to stick. Continue until the sausage shape meets the bottom edge and pinch the seam to stick one final time.
• Roll out with your palms to around 30cm making the ends pointed if you like. Line your baguettes up, seam side up, on the cloth and make a pleat in between each one so they don’t stick.

Rest and Bake

• Rest your baguettes for 30 minutes. In the meantime, place a baking stone in your oven on the middle or top shelf, and a deep roasting tray on the floor of the oven, and preheat to 230°C fan / gas mark 8.
• When you are ready to bake, boil the kettle. Carefully transfer your baguettes onto wooden peels, seam side down. Make a few diagonal cuts with a Grignette and slide them onto the hot baking stone. Carefully pour about 2-3cm deep of boiling water into the tray below and shut the oven door. Bake for 15-20 minutes (see note on crust below).
• Cool on a wire rack.

Prep Leeks

• Trim leeks, removing tough outer layers and cutting off root ends. Leave a little green at the top. Make a lengthwise slit part way down each leek. Put leeks in a large basin of warm tap water and swish vigorously to dislodge any sand or dirt. Remove carefully, leaving grit in basin.
• Fill a medium sauce pot with water and bring to a boil. Add a generous pinch of salt and put in leeks. Cook at a brisk simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, until leeks are quite tender when pierced with a paring knife. Drain and cool to room temperature.

Prep vinaigrette:

• Put mustard and vinegar in a bowl and whisk to begin emulsion. Whisk in olive oil VERY slowly. Season with salt and pepper.

Assemble

• Divide field greens among 4 plates. Blot leeks and divide among 4 plates. Spoon vinaigrette over leeks, smearing with back of spoon. Sprinkle with capers. Garnish each plate with cornichons, olives and half an egg.

• Preheat the oven for 375˚F (190˚C).
• Slice the eggplant, tomatoes, squash, and zucchini into approximately ¹⁄₁₆-inch (1-mm) rounds, then set aside.
• Make the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch (30-cm) oven-safe pan over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion, garlic, and bell peppers until soft, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then add the crushed tomatoes. Stir until the ingredients are fully incorporated. Remove from heat, then add the basil. Stir once more, then smooth the surface of the sauce with a spatula.
• Arrange the sliced veggies in alternating patterns, (for example, eggplant, tomato, squash, zucchini) on top of the sauce from the outer edge to the middle of the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover, then bake for another 20 minutes, until the vegetables are softened.
• Mix herb seasoning ingredients and pour over the cooked ratatouille.
• Serve while hot as a main dish or side. The ratatouille is also excellent the next day–cover with foil and reheat in a 350˚F (180˚C) oven for 15 minutes, or simply microwave to desired temperature.

• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
• Heat the olive oil in a large sauteuse. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is lightly browned. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a large plate.
• Dry the beef cubes with paper towels and then sprinkle them with salt and pepper. In batches and in single layers, sear the beef in the hot oil for 3 to 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove the seared cubes to the plate with the bacon and continue searing until all the beef is browned. Set aside.
• Toss the carrots, and onions, 1 tablespoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of pepper in the fat in the pan and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
• Put the meat and bacon back into the pot with the drippings. Add the grape juice, vinegar, and just enough stock to barely cover the ingredients. Add the tomato paste and thyme. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place it in the oven for about 1 1/4 hours or until the meat and vegetables are very tender when pierced with a fork.
• Combine the 2 tablespoons of butter and the flour with a fork to form a liaison and stir into the stew. Add the pearl onions.
• Saute the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of butter for 10 minutes until lightly browned and then add to the stew. Bring to a slow boil on top of the stove, then lower the heat to a bare simmer for 15 – 30 minutes. Season to taste.
• To serve, toast the bread in the toaster or oven. Rub each slice on 1 side with a cut clove of garlic. For each serving, spoon the stew over a slice of bread and sprinkle with parsley

• Preheat the oven to 350°.
• Butter a 9-inch gratin dish or 2 5 inch gratin dishes.
• In a bowl, whisk the flour, sugar and a pinch of salt. Whisk in the eggs, butter and lemon zest until smooth. Add the milk and whisk until light and very smooth, about 3 minutes.
• Pour the batter into the gratin dish and top with the raspberries.
• Bake for about 30 minutes, until the clafoutis is set and golden. Let cool slightly. Dust with confectioners’ sugar, cut into wedges and serve.

• In a large mixing bowl, combine flour and salt, then rub butter and shortening into flour with your fingertips until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle 3 tbsp. ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, into flour mixture, and knead until dough just holds together. Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate.
• Preheat oven to 425°. To fan pears, place core-side down on a cutting board. Starting from just below the stem, cut each one into 4 lengthwise slices, leaving stem end attached. Place in a bowl, gently toss with lemon juice and 1⁄4 cup of the sugar, and set aside for 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in a 9″ ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add remaining 1 cup sugar and cook, stirring constantly, until it turns golden brown and caramelized. Remove skillet from heat. Stir to cool, as the sugar will continue to darken even off the heat.
• Drain pears and place in skillet with caramelized sugar round side down, with stems facing center. Gently fan slices out.
• Roll out dough on a floured work surface into a 10″ round about 1⁄4″ thick. Place dough on top of pears, covering edge of skillet. Press edges down between pears and inside of skillet and cut four 1⁄4” steam holes in center. Bake for 25 minutes or until pastry is golden brown.
• Remove skillet from oven and tilt it carefully, using a baster to draw off excess juices. Transfer juices to a small saucepan and reduce over high heat until thick. Place a large, flat serving platter on top of the skillet and invert quickly and carefully. Spoon the reduced caramelized juices over the pears. Serve warm or at room temperature.