Main Dishes Archive

November 17, 2007

Rognons de Boeuf, Cèpes et Oignons

[Beef Kidneys with Ceps and Onions] Squeamish eaters, avert your eyes, and let me direct you here, here, or perhaps here. For the others, those who don't blanch at the mere mention of the words "tripe" or "beef tongue," those who own a dog-eared copy of the nose-to-tail bible* or have it on their wishlist, here is the dish I made last weekend w...

"Rognons de Boeuf, Cèpes et Oignons" continues »

November 2, 2007

Epaule d'Agneau Frottée au Romarin, Anchois et Zeste de Citron

[Slow-Roasted Shoulder of Lamb, rubbed with Rosemary, Anchovy, and Lemon Zest] I say, one can never have too many recipes for lamb shoulder. A versatile cut, the lamb shoulder, one that can be grilled, stewed, braised, or here, slow-roasted. This dish was born out of a typical moment of greenmarket frustration, which I shall get off my chest j...

"Epaule d'Agneau Frottée au Romarin, Anchois et Zeste de Citron" continues »

September 4, 2007

Coquillettes au Comté et Pousses d'Epinard

[Elbow Macaroni with Comté Cheese and Baby Spinach] A lot can be learned about your cooking self by considering what you eat when you're on your own. I have friends who are simply not hungry when they're alone, who forget to eat (who what?), who don't consider it a real meal if there's no dining companion, or -- and I am not making this up -- wh...

"Coquillettes au Comté et Pousses d'Epinard" continues »

August 1, 2007

Birthday Chicken

I normally host a big birthday bash every year, or at least that's what I've done the past four summers, inviting friends, old and new, to celebrate the fact that it is late July and the weather is nice and Paris is empty and I'm a year wiser. But this time, no. I was a little bummed to break from this young tradition, for I really do enjoy the...

"Birthday Chicken" continues »

July 3, 2007

Salade de Quinoa Rouge, Poivrons et Pignons

[Red Quinoa Salad with Bell Peppers and Pine Nuts] I am just a few days -- three, to be terrifyingly exact -- away from delivering the manuscript for my second book*, and although it is nowhere near as stressful a time as it was for my first (why do I sound like a young mother all of a sudden?), it is still a time of waking up bright and early a...

"Salade de Quinoa Rouge, Poivrons et Pignons" continues »

June 6, 2007

Chermoula

The June/July issue of Régal* has just been released, with its fresh batch of inspiring ideas**, and it was my reading material of choice when Maxence and I went out for a drink on a terrace on Saturday afternoon, to bask in the fine weather. And in the midst of the section on farmed vs. wild fish, a ray of sunlight fell on a recipe for barbecue...

"Chermoula" continues »

April 11, 2007

Epaule d'Agneau Confite et Flageolets

[Slow-Roasted Lamb Shoulder with Flageolet Beans] Spring lamb is the traditional centerpiece of Easter Sunday menus in France: the agneau pascal symbolizes the sacrifice of the innocent, and the breeding cycles mean it is at its best this time of year, conveniently enough. My family isn't religious at all and the only thing we've ever commemora...

"Epaule d'Agneau Confite et Flageolets" continues »

March 27, 2007

Petit Salé aux Lentilles

[Cured Pork Shoulder with Green Lentils] If you had told twelve-year-old me that a Sunday morning, fifteen years later, would find me cooking this dish, I would have laughed so hard I might have choked on my petit suisse. Petit salé aux lentilles is a splendid specialty from Auvergne in which cured pork is slowly cooked and served with lentils....

"Petit Salé aux Lentilles" continues »

March 2, 2007

Gratin de Pâtes, Noisettes et Lardons

[Pasta Gratin with Hazelnuts and Lardons] Inspiration came from a recent meal at Le Caméléon, during which one of my dining companions ordered a jumbo foie de veau (veal liver). It appeared, a stately Pasha in a mantle of reduced vinegar, with a side of gratin de macaroni au Parmesan served in one of those miniature cast-iron cocottes that are a...

"Gratin de Pâtes, Noisettes et Lardons" continues »

February 27, 2007

Compotée d'Echine de Porc au Cidre

[Cider-Stewed Pork Loin Blade Roast] I find cuts of meat confusing. I find them confusing because the terminology straggles from the technical to the vernacular and back again, because readable diagrams are few and far between, and because the matter only gets murkier when you try to juggle French and English terms used in different countries. ...

"Compotée d'Echine de Porc au Cidre" continues »

January 28, 2007

Jarret de Veau Braisé à la Cuiller

[Spoon-Tender Braised Veal Shank] May I introduce to you my new favorite dinner party recipe, a recipe of the sort hosts and hostesses ardently wish for, a recipe that requires minimal effort and produces spectacular results? Yes, I thought that might interest you. The recipe in question is a recipe for veal shank that one braises for three to...

"Jarret de Veau Braisé à la Cuiller" continues »

October 30, 2006

Rôti de Porc au Chou Rouge Epicé, Pommes et Pruneaux

[Pork Roast with Spiced Red Cabbage, Apples, and Prunes] I don't normally buy meat at the farmers' market: I have a good neighborhood butcher that I like -- his name is Mario, what's not to like? -- and my usual crop of fruits, vegetables, cheese, and flowers is usually so bulky in my rainbow-colored basket (a birthday gift from my neighbors) th...

"Rôti de Porc au Chou Rouge Epicé, Pommes et Pruneaux" continues »

October 3, 2006

Le Poulet de Muriel

[Muriel's Chicken] Cookbook writing guidelines tell you that naming a recipe after someone is not a good idea: it doesn't tell the reader much about the ingredients or the process, the reader doesn't know this person, and frankly, the reader doesn't really care. This is all true of course, but I have a certain fondness for those recipes that sou...

"Le Poulet de Muriel" continues »

August 29, 2006

Osso Buco

Complaining about the weather is a national sport in France, but as is true of most sports -- except perhaps for swimming -- I am not very good at it. I have generally adopted the maxim, "Don't worry about the things you can't control," and while I will do the chit-chat thing with taxi drivers and random people seeking shelter under the same awni...

"Osso Buco" continues »

June 14, 2006

Magret en Croûte de Lavande

[Lavender-crusted Duck Magret] As promised, here is the recipe for the main course in the flower menu I created for the French edition of ELLE (issue #3154, June 12, 2006). My thanks to Catherine Roig for allowing me to reproduce the recipes here. The picture above is a shot of the magazine page: the food styling is by Valérie Lhomme, the photog...

"Magret en Croûte de Lavande" continues »

May 28, 2006

Cacao & Zucchini Absorption Pasta

Chose promise, chose due*, here is my take on absorption pasta, or risotto-style pasta. The idea of this technique is to coat the pasta with a little olive oil, add just enough liquids to cover, and cook until desired tenderness. According to Virka -- who read it in the Italian paper La Reppublica so it simply must be true -- this cooking techniq...

"Cacao & Zucchini Absorption Pasta" continues »

December 19, 2005

Mijoté de Boeuf aux Légumes Racine

[Beef Stew with Root Vegetables] I've noticed that my cooking is most often vegetable-driven: I will buy fresh veggies at the market or at the produce stall, and then decide what fish or meat will complement them -- not the other way around. On Saturday morning I returned from the farmers' market with a basket of mostly root vegetables, not s...

"Mijoté de Boeuf aux Légumes Racine" continues »

October 26, 2005

Fondue Savoyarde chez nos Voisins

[This is the republication of a post originally featured in October of 2003.] [Cheese Fondue at our Neighbors'] We are lucky enough to be very good friends with our next-door neighbors: Stéphan and Patricia live on our floor, in the apartment to the right of ours, and we met on the night of our housewarming party. We had posted a note to apolog...

"Fondue Savoyarde chez nos Voisins" continues »

September 22, 2005

Galettes de Riz

[Rice Cakes] "Waste not, want not", saith popular wisdom. I do hate having to throw out good ingredients or tasty leftovers. I generally strive to make the most of my supplies, and in fact it's an excellent exercise for your creative muscles to try and find ways to do so. But I have to admit it's a constant battle between this thrifty side of me...

"Galettes de Riz" continues »

August 29, 2005

Brochettes d'Agneau au Thym

[Lamb Skewers with Thyme] It's strange how much more comfortable I am around vegetables than meat. Vegetables are familiar, safe and easy to work with. I never run out of things to do with or to them, I know how to choose them, how they're supposed to feel in your hand, how long they keep and how they react to various treatments and seasonings. ...

"Brochettes d'Agneau au Thym" continues »

July 28, 2005

Salade de Courgette et Poulet au Vinaigre de Framboise

[Zucchini and Chicken Salad with Raspberry Vinegar] Ever since I served raw zucchini sticks with my anchoïade a few weeks ago and experienced a private tastebud epiphany, I have felt it my personal mission to let the world know how incredibly delicious and subtly sweet zucchini tastes in its most natural simple naked state. It is best to keep t...

"Salade de Courgette et Poulet au Vinaigre de Framboise" continues »

July 25, 2005

Panzanella

Authenticity can be a fine line to tread when it comes to cooking. Dishes and recipes originate in certain parts of the world and are often deeply rooted in local traditions. But then people emigrate, they travel, they adopt, they adapt, they improvize, and the same dish gets recreated in a different kitchen at a different time, with the same nam...

"Panzanella" continues »

May 19, 2005

Souris d'Agneau Confites, Sandwiches de Polenta Grillée

[Braised Lamb Shanks, Grilled Polenta Sandwiches] ...and this is part III of the dinner I served on Saturday, when I was (at long last) given the opportunity to meet Derrick and Melissa, dear friends from the Blogosphere now happily upgraded to dear friends from the Real World. After a lively chat going in ten different directions -- we were so...

"Souris d'Agneau Confites, Sandwiches de Polenta Grillée" continues »

April 27, 2005

Parmentier de Hareng Fumé aux Brocolis

[Smoked Herring and Broccoli Parmentier] In France, we get pretty much the same télé-réalité shows as everywhere else in the Western world -- yet another perk of globalization -- but I don't often watch them, as I find most either really boring or really painful to watch. However, I have somehow let myself get sucked into the current show call...

"Parmentier de Hareng Fumé aux Brocolis" continues »

April 18, 2005

Tarte Asperge et Fraise

[Asparagus and Strawberry Tart] About a year ago, a little group of us Parisian (by birth or by heart) food enthusiasts started a tradition of organizing potluck dinners at one another's place. On Saturday night, my dear friend Alisa hosted her second such event, setting Aphrodisiac Foods as the theme for the night. The event had been scheduled ...

"Tarte Asperge et Fraise" continues »

April 12, 2005

Chicken & Zucchini

We all need easy and healthy meals that can be whipped up in very little time (and even less planning) for a week-end lunch or a weeknight dinner, without sacrificing taste or feeling like you're slapping ready-made stuff together. So I thought I'd share the very very simple lunch we had last Saturday. I'm sure you've noticed how the way you cut...

"Chicken & Zucchini" continues »

March 4, 2005

Gâteau de Panais au Chorizo

[Parsnip and Chorizo Cake] Yes, another gâteau! But it's a savory one this time, that combines grated parsnips, little chunks of chorizo and chopped parsley, baked into a warm golden cake, frittata-like and satifying. The parsnips meld into the egg batter to produce a smooth, almost moussy texture, and the chorizo adds a really nice kick to thei...

"Gâteau de Panais au Chorizo" continues »

December 6, 2004

Mijoté d'Agneau aux Kumquats et aux Pignons, Petit Gâteau de Polenta

[Kumquat and Pinenut Lamb Stew, Little Polenta Cake] Last week, I had my parents and my sister over for dinner. It had occurred to me that the four of us met most often at my parents', and that it was high time I return the invitation, lest they start to wonder why they couldn't benefit from at least some of the good manners it had taken them ye...

"Mijoté d'Agneau aux Kumquats et aux Pignons, Petit Gâteau de Polenta" continues »

December 2, 2004

Coquilles St-Jacques, Ouvertes Maison

[Scallops, Home-Opened] Perk-to-being-friends-with-a-chef #326 : he will teach you how to open scallops! This in turn allows you to jump the line at the fish stall, because the people in front of you need to have their scallops opened and cleaned (ha!), but you ask politely if you can just buy yours and go. And you know it's just a figment of ...

"Coquilles St-Jacques, Ouvertes Maison" continues »

November 30, 2004

Tarte à l'Artichaut et au Thon Fumé

[Artichoke and Smoked Tuna Tart] ...and here is the tart I made with Pascale's pâte brisée! Slices of artichoke hearts and strips of smoked tuna, on a bed of roquette leaves and a smooth layer of mascarpone cheese. The artichoke's tender sweetness, hand in hand with the salty strength of the tuna -- I cannot recommend the pairing enough. I f...

"Tarte à l'Artichaut et au Thon Fumé" continues »

November 29, 2004

La Pâte Brisée de Pascale

[Pascale's Short Crust Pastry] As surprising as it may seem -- to me at least -- this is the very first savory crust I make from scratch in my entire life. Before that, I would hop gaily to the nearest grocery store, for a ready-made and conveniently rolled-out dough. In truth, savory tarts and quiches had sort of fallen out of fashion in my ki...

"La Pâte Brisée de Pascale" continues »

November 24, 2004

Zucchini Tart on a Hazelnut-Thyme Crust

At the Bar à Veloutés I hosted a few weeks back, one of the little accessories you could choose to dip in your velouté was an Allumette Noisette-Thym, a hazelnut and thyme cracker shaped like a matchstick. These allumettes were a personal favorite of mine, because they happened to be a recipe I had created from scratch, simply based on the idea t...

"Zucchini Tart on a Hazelnut-Thyme Crust" continues »

November 12, 2004

Galettes à la Brise de Châtaigne

[Chestnut Meal Galettes] When I went to the Salon Saveur last spring, I returned with quite a number of purchases. Some of them were fresh and perishable, and the days that followed were a happy procession of delicacies, as we methodically and dutifully consumed what needed to be. Such food shows are always Temptation Hall for me and I would g...

"Galettes à la Brise de Châtaigne" continues »

October 5, 2004

Fregola Sarda with Zucchini and Pinenuts

On a night of ravenous hunger, decide that what you want is something warm soft and tasty with a little crunch, to be eaten in a bowl with a spoon, curled up on the couch and reading a magazine. No need to forage through your kitchen cabinets, you know precisely what will hit the spot. Wash and slice three zucchini thinly with your magnificent...

"Fregola Sarda with Zucchini and Pinenuts" continues »

June 20, 2004

Brochettes de Poissons Tropicaux à la Nectarine, Chutney Assorti (IMBB5)

[Tropical Fish and Nectarine Skewers, Matching Chutney] Yay, it's IMBB time again! Today is the 5th edition of Is My Blog Burning?, the collaborative food blogging event in which food bloggers all over the world unite, and cook something in line with a theme. IMBB is our dear Alberto's brain child, and this fantastic, fun and friendly event has ...

"Brochettes de Poissons Tropicaux à la Nectarine, Chutney Assorti (IMBB5)" continues »

June 8, 2004

Cabillaud aux Fèves, Airelles et Pistaches

[Codfish with Fava Beans, Cranberries and Pistachios] This is the main dish I served on Saturday night, when our friends came to dinner. The idea for this sort of came to me out of thin air : I was leafing through cookbooks but nothing was really calling my name, when all of a sudden I had visions of fish, baked, with colorful little veggies. Th...

"Cabillaud aux Fèves, Airelles et Pistaches" continues »

April 14, 2004

Pissaladière

Pissaladière is a specialty from Nice, in the South of France. It's an onion tart with black olives and anchovies, on a thin pizza-like dough. The name comes from "pissalat", a condiment made with pureed anchovies, cloves, thyme and bay leaves, which was spread on the tart before baking. The name has taken on a somewhat looser meaning in my fami...

"Pissaladière" continues »

March 18, 2004

Dorades à l'Orange et au Fenouil

[Orange Fennel Sea Bream] We have officially elected the Poissonnerie Bleue on the rue des Martyrs as the best fishmonger in our area. Their wide selection of fish and shellfish is very fresh and reasonably priced, the staff is kind, and they are very generous with their advice and tips, which is a surefire way to win me over. As I walked by th...

"Dorades à l'Orange et au Fenouil" continues »

March 5, 2004

Nuggets de Poulet et Frites de Légumes Racine

A Take Chicken Nuggets and Fries. My sister Céline came to have dinner with us the other night. She has recently started working for a major French car company, and part of the integration process for new hires is to go through four weeks at one of the factories, working the line just like the other workers. This is a trying experience to say th...

"Nuggets de Poulet et Frites de Légumes Racine" continues »

February 23, 2004

Galettes de Sarrasin

Tomorrow is Mardi-Gras, the last day before Lent begins. The Mardi-Gras tradition in France, amongst other things, is to gorge on crepes, supposedly to use up the eggs and butter that you won't be allowed to eat until Easter. I am not religious and so I don't observe Lent, but I will gladly take any opportunity to eat crepes! And last Friday, whe...

"Galettes de Sarrasin" continues »

February 16, 2004

Chicken Udon with Cabbage and Parsnip

The other night, we had two friends over for a casual dinner : Marion, a friend of mine from university, and Marwane, whom Maxence has known since junior high. Being on a Japanese food kick induced by Maxence's recent successful forays, I decided to make some kind of udon dish topped with stuff. That seemed reasonably doable (I mean, how ambitiou...

"Chicken Udon with Cabbage and Parsnip" continues »

February 6, 2004

Which Came First Donburi

And this is the delicious main course that Maxence concocted for our dinner party this past Saturday! The recipe is from the same "Cooking Class Japanese" cookbook as his last cooking stint. I have taken the liberty to rename the dish though. Well, yeah, if I don't cook, I have to at least do something! In the book, the recipe is called "Chicken...

"Which Came First Donburi" continues »

January 30, 2004

Courgettes Rondes Farcies

[Stuffed Round Zucchini] We buy most of our fruits and vegetables at our favorite little fruit stand in the rue des Abbesses, where the staff is friendly, greets us with big smiles, gets stuff for us from the back - often including a little freebie - and is always happy to discuss what's the best seasonal choice and how to prepare it. But somet...

"Courgettes Rondes Farcies" continues »

January 27, 2004

Sauteed Ginger Beef and Cabbage

As much as I love to cook, it is sometimes very nice to have your boyfriend say, on a lazy Sunday afternoon : "you know, I think I'd like to make dinner tonight". Though usually more of a whip-it-up-by-instinct kind of cook, on this occasion he takes out the Japanese cookbook he bought in London, picks a recipe, makes a list, goes shopping, comes...

"Sauteed Ginger Beef and Cabbage" continues »

January 12, 2004

Boudin Blanc Truffé aux Noisettes, Deux Purées de Pomme

[Truffle Hazelnut Boudin Blanc, Two Mashes] Boudin blanc is a soft sausage, made with white meat (usually chicken or veal) enriched with pork or veal fat, cream, eggs, flour and mie de pain (the inside of a bread loaf), finely mixed and well seasoned. It is traditionally a Christmas dish, but in Paris you can pretty much find it in charcuteries ...

"Boudin Blanc Truffé aux Noisettes, Deux Purées de Pomme" continues »

January 3, 2004

Terrine de Rougets

[Goatfish Terrine] Every once in a while I get cooking cravings - the sudden desire to tackle a new sort of dish or technique. About six months ago, I decided I really needed to try and make terrines. I promptly bought myself a little recipe book, simply called "Terrines", by Catherine Quévremont. It contains thirty easy and tempting recipes of ...

"Terrine de Rougets" continues »

December 28, 2003

Escalope de Foie Gras Mi-Cuit, Poire Pochée, Toast de Campagne

[Scalloped Foie Gras Mi-Cuit, Poached Pear, Toasted Rustic Bread] Christmas eve this year was spent just the four of us : my parents, my sister and myself. A week before, having come to my parents' on a weeknight, my mother and I had brainstormed over an after-dinner cup of tea, and we had come up with the Christmas menus. My mom having taken ca...

"Escalope de Foie Gras Mi-Cuit, Poire Pochée, Toast de Campagne" continues »

December 22, 2003

Filet de Boeuf, Compotée d'Echalottes, Rattes au Romarin

[Roast Beef, Shallot Compote, Rosemary Fingerling Potatoes] While planning for our Saturday night dinner, I conducted a little research to find out what was best to eat with Baptiste's bottle of St Julien. My sources were comfortingly unanimous. Red meat, roasted, was the card to play. I chose to roast a filet de boeuf, a very tender beef cut, a...

"Filet de Boeuf, Compotée d'Echalottes, Rattes au Romarin" continues »

December 9, 2003

Galettes de Polenta Grillées

[Grilled Polenta Slices] I have a strange relationship with polenta. I either love it or loathe it, depending on how it's prepared. If it's just been cooked and it's mushy, the smell and texture really put me off. But if you let it settle and you slice it, or even better yet, if the slices are grilled, then polenta is my very good friend. And on ...

"Galettes de Polenta Grillées" continues »

December 8, 2003

Brochettes de Poulet, Ananas et Gingembre

[Ginger Pineapple Chicken Skewers] This was the main dish for our dinner party on Saturday. I got the inspiration from a recipe in the excellent cookbook "Mes petits plats 100% naturels" by Catherine Mandigon and Patricia Riveccio, which I recommend wholeheartedly : the recipes are amazingly unusual and tempting, and everything I've cooked from ...

"Brochettes de Poulet, Ananas et Gingembre" continues »

November 3, 2003

Porcini Walnut Risotto

My sister Céline lives in Frankfurt, Germany. Thankfully she is to come back to work in France at the beginning of next year, which makes me deliriously happy, but until then we have to make do with the week-ends she comes to spend with us. This Saturday, after the traditional afternoon of shopping together, Céline came over for dinner. She is ve...

"Porcini Walnut Risotto" continues »

October 31, 2003

Boudin Antillais, Purée Maison

Last week-end, as Maxence was walking up the rue Lepic, he was lured into one of the many inviting charcuteries (a charcuterie is a store halfway between a butcher's shop and a deli). The boudin antillais was tempting, so he bought four small ones. Boudin antillais (a twist on boudin noir) is a specialty from the Antilles, the French Carribeans. ...

"Boudin Antillais, Purée Maison" continues »

October 29, 2003

Salmon & Leek Quiche

Picard Surgelés is a French chain store, the concept of which finds no equivalent in the US (to my knowledge) : it only sells frozen goods. This may not sound very appealing to the foodiest foodies among you, but their products are surprisingly good and high-quality, much like I remember the frozen section at Trader Joe's, in which I loved to wan...

"Salmon & Leek Quiche" continues »

October 25, 2003

The Paradoxical Duck Confit

Thursday night, on a whim, we asked our neighbors Stéphan et Patricia over for dinner, and I prepared the kind of dish that epitomizes the French paradox * : duck confit. Back in July, Maxence and I spent a lovely extended week-end in the South-West of France, visiting his grandparents in Gourdon and driving around the incredibly beautiful coun...

"The Paradoxical Duck Confit" continues »

October 15, 2003

Fondue Savoyarde chez nos Voisins

[Cheese Fondue at our Neighbors' place] We are lucky enough to be very good friends with our next-door neighbors. Stéphan and Patricia live on our floor, in the apartment to the right of ours. We met on the night of our housewarming party : we had posted a note to apologize in advance for the noise and music, and to invite everybody over for a d...

"Fondue Savoyarde chez nos Voisins" continues »