Huîtres

This weekend I took advantage of the beautiful, warm and sunny spring weather and headed to the Normandy coast. I visited the stunning Mont Saint Michel (for photos please visit my website at www.janmcintyre.ca). I then headed to the seaside town of Ouistreham for a dinner of “plateau de fruits de mer” at Le Metropolitan, a restaurant with the décor of an antique Paris Metro car. In the morning I headed to the local Marché de poisssons to buy fresh seafood – huîtres de Normandie, palourds, crevettes roses, pétoncles et moules (oysters, clams, shrimp, bay scallops and mussels). I made a quick trip to the Normadie Wine Warehouse http://www.normandiewine.com to pick up a few bottles at bargain prices to restock my cave. The fresh seafood safely tucked away in the cooler (with bags of frozen peas to keep everything chilled), I headed to Deauville for a stroll along the famous boardwalk followed by lunch at the Bar du Soleil. It was another perfect weather day as I sat outside with all the beautiful people eating oysters and a delicious Salmon Caesar Salad.

Huîtres

Oysters are a healthy product. They are low in calories and packed with vitamins and minerals: Vitamins A, B, C, D calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, iron, zinc, copper, selenium, iodine
Oysters are graded by size: The lower the number, the larger the oyster. N° 00 is the largest and n°5 is the smallest.

Chez Jan oysters are served raw on the half shell on ice accompanied with bread and butter, lemon, vinaigre à l’échalote, Tabasco and other hot pepper sauces.
Suggested wines: Champagne, Muscadet Sèvre et Maine sur lie, Chablis, Petit Chablis

Carrot & Pineapple Muffins

I was lucky when I moved to Paris eight years ago that I was able to move all my possessions and had enough moving budget left over to buy new appliances. I arrived with my cookbook collection, full sets of metric and imperial measuring spoons and cups and cooking utensils.

The challenge that faced me as a foreign chef was to find the ingredients that I needed or their French substitutes. The pictures and descriptions in a book called “Le Guide des Aliments” Könemann published in 1999 by Les Editions Québec Amérique Inc.helped me to identify the French names of ingredients.

Most of the hard to find ingredients were available at Lafayette Gourmet and La Grand Epicerie.

La Grande Epicerie de Paris
38, rue de Sèvres - 75007 Paris

Téléphone : 01 44 39 81 00
Fax : 01 44 39 81 17
http://www.lagrandeepicerie.fr/

Lafayette Gourmet
48 bd Haussmann
75009 Paris
Tel: 01 40 23 52 25
http://www.galerieslafayette.com/index.do

Some of the trickier items to find were:
§ Baking chocolate – forget the Baker’s chocolate squares (available at the Real McCoy for a small fortune) and opt instead for bars or a large block of Varlhona chocolate http://www.valrhona.com/.
§ Mayonnaise without mustard - I don’t use enough mayonnaise to warrant making my own so when I need plain mayonnaise the only local option seems to be Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise which is available in small jars at Lafayette Gourmet and La Grande Epicerie for around 3.50- 4€.
§ Baking soda and baking powder - I arrived with a full box of baking soda and a tin of baking powder so I didn’t need to hunt for these until well after I found out where to find them. Baking soda (bicarbonate de soude) was sold in the pharmacy. It is now available in boxes at Monoprix. Baking powder (levure chimique) is sold in a bundle of 5 small packets (each one with enough for 500 g of flour). It is available in the baking section of Monoprix.
Grocery stores have expanded their foreign product lines significantly since I arrived.


Carrot & Pineapple Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

2 eggs
160 mL (2/3 cup) granulated sugar
160 mL (2/3 cup) vegetable oil
375 mL (1-1/2 cups) all purpose flour
5 mL (1 tsp) baking powder
5 mL (1 tsp) baking soda
5 mL (1 tsp) ground cinnamon
1 mL (1/4 tsp) salt
5 mL (1 tsp) pure vanilla extract
250 mL (1 cup) carrots, grated
250 mL (1/2 cup) drained crushed pineapple

Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).

In a large mixing bowl, beat together eggs and sugar. Blend in oil. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Filled greased or paper-lined muffin tins ¾ full and bake for 25 minutes or until golden.

Cheesy Fennel Lasagne

France is a country renowned for its cheeses. The variety is astounding – it has been said to have more than 500 different ones available. There are cheeses to suit every different taste:
– cow’s, goat’s and sheep’s milk
– fresh, soft-white, natural-rind, washed-rind, semi-soft, soft, firm and blue

Comté is a firm cow’s milk cheese from the Franche-Comté region in eastern France, close to the Swiss border. Comté was the first cheese to obtain the coveted “Appellation d’Origine Contrôllée” (AOC) status, certifying that the cheese is produced in accordance with the strict regulations governing the consistency and traditional methods of the area. The cheese is a close relative of Swiss Gruyère. Comté is usually described as salty, mild and fruity. This cheese can be served as part of a cheese platter, in tarts or fondue.

I use Comte in Cheesy Fennel Lasagne. This dish makes great convenience food – prepare it ahead of time and freeze it to use when your schedule is too busy to cook. Just pop it into the oven to heat through and serve it with a tossed green salad.

Cheesy Fennel Lasagne
Serves 6

1 medium fennel bulb, chopped
4 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 large carrot, grated
2 small zucchinis, grated
1 medium onion, chopped
60mL (¼ cup) tomato paste
1 clove garlic, crushed
5mL (1 tsp.) dried oregano leaves
200g (7 oz.) package instant lasagne noodles
80mL (1/3 cup) freshly grated parmesan cheese

CHEESE SAUCE
30g (2 Tbsp.) butter
60mL (¼ cup) plain flour
375mL (1½ cups) milk
375mL (1½ cups) Comté or Cheddar cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 180°C (375°F).

Combine fennel, tomatoes, carrot, zucchini, onion, tomato paste, garlic and oregano in large saucepan, cover, bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender (about 20 minutes; alternatively microwave on HIGH for about 10 min.).

Meanwhile, melt butter in a saucepan, add flour, cook, stirring for 1 min. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly until mixture boils and thickens. Add cheese and stir until melted. Remove from heat.

Layer lasagne noodles with cheese sauce and vegetable mixture in an oven-proof dish, finishing with cheese sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, cover and bake for about 30 min. (alternatively microwave on HIGH for about 20 min.) or until lasagne is tender. Remove lid and bake for a further 10 min. or until browned.

Fennel and Orange Salad

Fennel, with its distinct anise flavour, has become one of my favourite vegetables. These versatile Mediterranean white bulbs originated in Italy and are now also cultivated in Provence and Spain.

Fennel bulbs can be eaten raw in a salad, or cooked - braised, au gratin, puréed, in lasagne – just to name a few ways of preparing this vegetable. Fennel is a superb complement to fish and is a key ingredient in the Provençal fish soup, Bouillabaisse.

Fennel and Orange Salad is a refreshing Sicilian specialty. It is traditionally served at the end of a meal.

Fennel and Orange Salad
Serves 4

2 large fennel bulbs
2 sweet oranges
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
60 mL (4 Tbsp) extra-virgin olive oil
30 mL (2 Tbsp) fresh lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Wash the fennel bulbs and remove any brown or stringy outer leaves. Thinly slice the bulbs and stems. Place in a shallow serving bowl.
Peel the oranges with a sharp knife, cutting away the white pith; slice thinly. Cut each slice into thirds. Arrange over fennel, adding any juice from the oranges.
Mix the oil and lemon juice together. Season with salt and pepper. Pour dressing over the salad and mix well. Garnish with spring onions.

Strawberries Marinated in Balsamic Vinegar

Strawberries from Spain

Strolling through the Marché de Breteuil on Saturday, I noticed the large, lush looking, deep red strawberries from Spain. A sure sign of spring! These pajaro strawberries are not as tasty as the tiny, wild French fraise de bois but those won’t come into season until June. The other varieties of strawberries grown in France will start showing up in May.

Strawberries make a fabulous and versatile dessert. They can be served plain, sugared, peppered or with crème fraîche, whipped cream or ice cream, macerated in wine, champagne or kirsch, or mixed with other fruit in a fruit salad… just to name a few ways.

Here’s one unexpected combination that really does work.

Strawberries Marinated in Balsamic Vinegar
Serves: 4

500 g strawberries, sliced
30 mL (2 Tbsp) sugar
60 mL (4 Tbsp) balsamic vinegar
3 mL (½ tsp) pure vanilla extract
125 mL (1/2 cup) mascarpone cheese
Sugar, to taste
Fresh mint or basil, finely sliced for garnish

Place strawberries in a bowl and sprinkle with sugar. Pour over balsamic vinegar, stir to mix and marinate for about 2 hours.
Mix the vanilla and mascarpone; sweeten to taste with sugar.
Place a dollop of mascarpone on a plate or in a bowl and heap over strawberries with the juice. Garnish with mint or basil.

Sopa de Lima

On my last trip to Mexico, I discovered several new recipes to add to my collection. While staying in the colonial city of Mérida in the Yucatan region, I was introduced to local specialites like Sopa de Lima (lime and tortilla soup), Tacos de Cochinita Pibil (shredded pork tacos), Huachinango al Mojo de Ajo (red snapper with garlic), Chilies Rellenos de Queso (cheese stuffed chillies), Horchata de Arroz (rice drink), among others. Here is my adaptation of Sopa de Lima.

Sopa de Lima (Lime & Tortilla Soup)
Serves 4

15 mL (1 Tbsp) vegetable oil
80 mL (1/3 cup) onion, chopped
250 mL (1 cup) shredded cooked chicken
1 L (4 cups) chicken stock
1 fresh green chilli, roasted, peeled and chopped
1 tomato, roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 limes (1-1/2 for juice; ½ for slices)
Coriander (cilantro) leaves for garnish
Tortillas

Heat vegetable oil in a large frying pan; add onion and chilli. Sauté until onion is tender but not browned. Add chicken and stock; cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add tomato; simmer 5 minutes longer. Stir in the juice of 1-1/2 limes.
To serve, ladle into individual bowls, add some tortilla strips and sprinkle with coriander. Float a lime slice in the centre of each serving.

Dutch Meatloaf

This week’s recipe is a nostalgic one as it one that my mother used to make for us. She served it with boiled potatoes and cabbage. This is comfort food at its best – easy to make, tasty and filling.

Leftover meatloaf makes a great sandwich filling for a baguette or Kaiser bun.

Dutch Meatloaf
Serves 4

MEATLOAF
680g (1-1/2 lbs) ground beef
225 mL (8 oz) can tomato sauce
225 mL (1 cup) breadcrumbs
1 onion, finely chopped
1 egg, beaten
5 mL (1 tsp) dried oregano
Salt and pepper, to taste

SAUCE
30 mL (2 Tbsp) tomato paste
30 mL (2 Tbsp) brown sugar
30 mL (2 Tbsp) vinegar
30 mL (2 Tbsp) mustard
225 mL (1 cup) water

Preheat oven to 160ºC (325ºF).

Mix half of the tomato sauce with the tomato paste, brown sugar, vinegar, mustard and water.

Mix together meat, breadcrumbs, onion, egg, oregano, salt, pepper and remaining tomato sauce. Form into a loaf in a 21cm x 32 cm (8” x 12”) baking dish and bake for 30 min. Degrease, add sauce and continue baking for another hour.

Tzatziki

Around this time of year my friends in Canada and northern US are suffering from ‘February Blues’. A syndrome caused by too much winter already and no end in sight. The lucky ones escape to the sunny Caribbean or for a week or two.

We were fortunate in Paris this year that winter was milder and much sunnier than usual. It is sunny and 16°C as I am writing this. No February Blues here! It is the Parisian school holiday and families have left Paris for the Alps or Pyrenees to ski or for a sunny break in Spain or North Africa.

As a compromise, I suggest planning a Greek menu to take you virtually to an exotic location. Think of the white buildings, blue skies and Mediterranean Sea. Make a large Greek Salad of iceberg lettuce, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, Kalamata olives, red onion and crumbled Feta cheese to serve with souvlakia (lamb or chicken brochettes) or lamb burgers. Serve Tzatziki and pita bread as the accompaniments.


Tzatziki
Makes 625 mL (2-1/2 cups)

500 mL (2 cups) plain yogurt
1 seedless cucumber, peeled and finely diced
30 mL (2 Tbsp) freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
30 mL (2 Tbsp) olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper

Spoon yogurt into a fine sieve lined with cheesecloth or paper towel; let drain for 2 hours. Place cucumber in large colander and let drain for 10 minutes; gently squeeze out the excess moisture.
Combine yogurt, cucumber, lemon juice and garlic in a small bowl. Whisk in olive oil and add pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to allow flavours to blend.

Créme Caramel

As Valentine’s Day approaches, we think about flowers and sweet treats. This year why not make your sweetheart a popular French dessert, Crème renversée au caramel, more commonly known as Crème Caramel.

Crème Caramel is a simple to make egg custard baked in a ramekin with caramel in the bottom. The caramel melts during baking turns into syrup over the custard when turned out onto a plate.

Crème Caramel is not be confused with Crème Brûlée which is a richer custard made with cream and is covered with a hard caramel graze.

Crème Caramel
Makes 8 servings

CARAMEL:
200 mL (3/4 cup) granulated sugar
50 mL (1/4 cup) water

CUSTARD:
5 large eggs
125 mL (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
750 mL (3 cups) milk (whole or 2%)
3 mL (3/4 tsp) vanilla

Preheat oven to 160ºC (325ºF).

CARAMEL:
Place sugar in small heavy saucepan and drizzle water evenly over the top. Place the pan on medium heat; gently swirl the liquid to form a clear syrup (remove the pan from heat as necessary to avoid boiling before syrup is formed). Increase the heat to high and bring to a rolling boil; cover the pan tightly and boil for two minutes. Remove the lid and cook the syrup until it begins to darken. Gently swirling the pan, cook until the syrup until it turns a deep amber colour. Quickly (but very carefully to avoid burning your skin with the hot syrup) pour the caramel into eight ramekins. Using a potholder, immediately tilt the ramekins to spread the caramel over the bottom and halfway up the sides.

CUSTARD:
Whisk eggs, sugar and salt until just blended. Heat milk until just steaming. Gradually whisk the milk into the egg mixture and stir gently until the sugar dissolves. Strain the mixture through a fine-meshed sieve into a bowl with a pouring lip. Stir in vanilla. Pour into the caramel-lined ramekins.

Bake in a bain-marie (pan filled with water to half way up the sides of the ramekins) until firmly set in the centre about 40 to 60 minutes. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

TO SERVE:
Unmold by briefly dipping the ramekins into hot water then running a knife around the edges, and inverting onto individual plates deep enough to catch all the caramel syrup.

Fettuccine with Scallops & Mushrooms

I grew up in Nova Scotia and was introduced to seafood at any early age. My favourites are lobster, shrimp, scallops, oysters and mussels. We were fortunate enough to be able to get fresh shrimp direct from the boats and live lobster dropped off at our home. I love going to Normandy and Brittany to eat fresh plateau de fruits de mer (large platter of mixed seafood) and pick up some fish and seafood at the waterside marchés to bring back to Paris with me (safely tucked inside a cooler in the trunk of my car for the +/-3 hour drive).

My local marchés (Avenue de Saxe and Boulevard de Grenelle) have several poissonnières where I can indulge my cravings a little closer to home when things are in season and not too expensive. Noix de Saint Jacques (large sea scallops) are usually sold in the shell and the fishmongers will shuck them for you but they leave the corail (red roe) on. The roe is edible but I do not particularly care for it and remove it when I do the final cleaning at home. In Paris, the smaller bay scallops tend to be sold already cleaned. In Normandy, they are sold in the shells and you will have to shuck them yourself but this is easy enough to do.

Seafood and pasta dishes make for simple and elegant meals to impress your friends. Fettuccine with Scallops and Mushrooms has been a favourite since I discovered it in the early 1980’s. In this dish I use small bay scallops and champignons de Paris (white mushrooms). I prefer to use larger sea scallops where they can be used whole. To add a colourful twist, use squid ink fettuccine and add a shot of Pernod to give the dish an anise flavour.

Fettuccine with Scallops & Mushrooms
Serves 4

45 mL (3 Tbsp) unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
250g (1/2 lb) mushrooms, sliced (if mushrooms are large, cut in half before slicing)
375 g (3/4 lb) bay scallops (or sea scallops, quartered)
5 mL (1 tsp) lemon zest, finely grated
250 mL (1 cup) whipping cream
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 mL (1/4 tsp) nutmeg
500 g (1 lb) fettuccine noodles
45 mL (3 Tbsp) fresh parsley, chopped

In a large skillet, melt butter, stir in garlic and cook over medium heat until fragrant but not coloured. Add mushrooms and cook about 5 minutes or until soft and any liquid in pan has evaporated. Add scallops and cook for 1 minute. Stir in lemon zest and cream and bring to a boil. Season with pepper and nutmeg. Set aside.

Cook fettuccini in large pot of boiling water until al dente. Just before pasta is ready, reheat sauce. Drain fettuccine well and place in large pasta bowl or platter. Toss well. Sprinkle with parsley. Taste and adjust seasonings.