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Loris made this perfect Boeuf Bourguignon for us in our kitchen in the south of France.
For the beef, select pieces with good marbling and attached fat if possible.
The red wine should be a wine you like to drink. The heavier French wines (syrah, grenache) such as Corbieres, are perfect for this purpose. There are numerous reasonably priced wines available in the Languedoc region from any wine shop.
Ingredients:
1-2 pounds beef steak, cut into 1-inch to 1-1/2-inch chunks
Sel de fleur (gris)
Freshly ground pepper
Flour
Olive oil
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 large onion, chopped in 1/2-inch pieces
2 cups mushrooms, small, whole
2 cloves fresh garlic
1/2 beef boullion cube
2 carrots, chopped
Dried or fresh thyme
Dried or fresh bay leaf
Instructions:
Cut the beef into 1 x 2 inch. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with about 1 Tbsp. flour.
Heat a frying pan on medium high, and when the edge is hot, add a generous amount olive oil and heat.
Add the meat to the pan and brown all sides. While browning the meat, chop up half a large onion.
Put the browned meat into a heavy casserole dish with a lid.
Keep the frying pan on medium high, and deglaze the frying pan half cup red wine and half cup water.
Add the chopped onion, mushrooms, garlic cloves, peeled and smashed, and the half beef bouillon cube. When bouillon cube is melted, pour everything into the casserole over the meat.
Add two chopped carrots 1/2 inch, 3 sprigs thyme and 1 bay leaf (dried or fresh)
Cover and put into oven at 400 degrees F for 1 hour. The liquid will dry up and the meat will caramelize. Make sure it doesn't burn.
Add 1 cup water and turn the heat down to 250.
Cook another 3 hours. Check every hour for liquid and add water if needed.
This soup is perfect for when you are sick or any time. You will need chicken, onion, carrots, and potatoes, but if you don't have the rest, just use salt and pepper. It only takes about half an hour to make. The garlic and parsley help you get well but if you are sick at home, and don't have them, just go ahead without.
Ingredients:
Chicken thighs (or other pieces) with skin and bone (2 per person)
1 onion
2-4 carrots
1-4 yellow potatoes (Yukon gold, Island Amber, German)
Sea salt
Whole peppercorns, allspice, star anise, bay leaf.
Fresh garlic, 2-4 cloves, peeled
Fresh flat leaf parsley
Instructions:
Fill a pot half full with fresh cold water.
Add the chicken, salt, garlic cloves, and the whole spices in a spice or tea ball (or small piece of cloth or gauze). Simmer until the chicken is partially cooked.
Meanwhile, chop the onion, carrots, and potatoes into bite-size pieces. Add the onion, carrot, and potato, and simmer until vegetables are cooked.
Remove the chicken, cut into small pieces and add back to the pot. Remove the spice ball.
Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary.
Serve and get well.
This is from the Sunday Afternoon Food Club at Wanderlust. Great with fresh local cherries.
Ingredients:
1 or 2 ducks
Orange juice
2 lemons
5 star anise
2 cinnamon sticks
Fresh local cherries, pitted and halved
Port
Ginger, grated
Lemon zest and juice
Orange zest and juice
Instructions:
Put the duck into a large pot of water with the spices, orange juice and lemons and boil gently for 6 minutes. This will
Roast the ducks with foil over them (to keep the grease from coating your oven) for 30 minutes at 425 degrees F and another 30 minutes at 300 degrees F.
The ducks will become very crisp and golden brown.
Remove the ducks and set aside to rest.
Meanwhile, make the fresh cherry sauce.
Simmer cherries in port, grated ginger, lemon zest and juice, and orange zest and juice.
Pull apart the duck or chop into pieces and serve drizzled with cherry sauce.
I scored this recipe at Akbar's a few weeks ago but have not tried it yet.
Ingredients:
1 large purple eggplant
ginger
garlic
Onions
Tomatoes, chopped fine
Salt
Red chilis
Coriander
Cumin
Instructions:
Bake the eggplant in the oven at 360 degrees F for 30 minutes until it is soggy and shriveled.
Peel and mash the eggplant.
Chop onions very fine.
Heat oil in pan, and saute onions until soft.
Grate in ginger and garlic and saute another minute.
Add the eggplant, tomatoes and spices.
Cook for another 5 minutes.
When I was travelling in Italy this year, I was surprized at the number of fellow tourists (usually Brits) who mentioned how they missed their vegetables. It was heart warming, because I despair at the number of people who won't eat vegetables or salads.
I absolutely love turnips and carrots together. They enhance each other.
Turnips and Carrots
Ingredients:
1 small turnip (officially a rutabaga, the yellow turnip with purple skin at the top)
5-6 carrots (approximately the same amount of turnip and carrot)
Butter
Salt
Pepper
Fresh dill (optional)
Instructions:
Peel and cut the turnip into 1/2-inch pieces.
Cut the unpeeled trimmed carrots into 1/2-inch pieces.
Cook in salted water until soft.
Drain and add 2-3 Tbsps. of butter, salt and pepper, and some chopped fresh dill.
Mash with a potato masher into a rough mash.
I made this one last night and it turned out really great. It is worthwhile making the poaching liquid but you can't use the shells for broth.
I bought 3 pounds of live spot prawns at T & T. Allister beheaded them (tearing the heads off works best).
Ingredients:
3 pounds live spot prawns
1 lemon
1 orange
1 lime
6 garlic cloves
sea salt
pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
Instructions:
Tear the heads off the prawns and set aside.
Zest the orange, lemon and lime. You can cut the peel in strips or use a grater to zest.
Squeeze the juice out of the orange, lemon and lime.
Put the oil into a large pan along with the juice and zest. Grate in the garlic cloves.
Slowly heat the mixture to medium.
Add the prawns and toss for 3-4 minutes (they should be medium rare).
Serve in a low dish with the sauce from the pan, which is lovely over boiled Yukon potatoes.
Akbar's on Broadway makes the best Palak Paneer --- I love the smooth consistency. Our waiter cheerfully provided the recipe and we tried it with great success.
It is a bit of a fuss, but cooked spinach is yucky so this recipe is worth it.
Ingredients:
2 pounds fresh spinach --- about one big box
Sea salt
Garlic (2 cloves)
Ginger (1 inch piece)
Small onion, very finely chopped or grated
1 tsp. ground cumin
Garam masala (1 tsp each ground cinnamon, coriander, cardamon, pepper)1/2 pound paneer
Ground red chili
Instructions:
Cook the spinach for 20 minutes with a bit of salt.
Blend the spinach until smooth.
Heat the pan on medium. Add oil.
Grate garlic and ginger and fry for a minute.
Add the onion and fry until golden brown.Add the spinach and cook for 5 minutes. Add a little water if necessary.
Add the paneer and cook. You can also fry the paneer until golden separately.
Remove from the pan into a bowl.
Mix oil and 1 tsp chili in the hot pan and pour over the spinach.
