Julia's Potato Pancakes

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...It's been at least thirty years since I made these pancakes. My children loved potato pancakes, and while they were still at home we sampled versions made in various countries around the world. I was taken aback when I found a recipe for them in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. As you might suspect, her version was a bit more complicated than most, but I'll try almost anything once, so they ended up on my table. As it turned out, my family really liked them, and, for a period of time, hers were our pancake of choice. As often happens with foods that we enjoy, but have so often we tire of them, Julia's recipe was retired when our last child went off to school. I've been going through magazines and cookbooks selecting those that will be donated and given a new home at our library's next used book sale. When I came to MAFC I stopped what I was doing and began to page through its well-worn pages. I came to the potato pancake recipe and knew they would be part of our dinner tonight. You must be forewarned, these are not a dieter's delight. If you are watching your weight, run to the nearest exit. If you allow yourself to fall from grace occasionally, do give these pancakes a try. I have a few cautions to share with you. You'll be much happier with the pancakes if you grate the potatoes on a box grater rather than in a food processor. I've altered the recipe to include carrots along with the potatoes. If you prefer not to use them, simply add another cup of potatoes to the mixture and you'll be fine. Prior to cooking, taste the batter carefully for a final addition of salt and pepper, and, as with all pancakes, do not attempt to turn them until they have browned at the edges. As it turned out, the potato pancakes ended up being dinner rather part of it. I poached eggs to put on top of them, and along with a salad, the pancakes made a great light supper. I'm always surprised by how few of Julia's early recipes are actually on the internet. I was not able to find this elsewhere, so I thought you might want to add it as a footnote to your collection of her recipes. Here is how her potato pancakes are made.

Julia's Everyday Soupe à l’Oignon (Onion Soup)

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The Silver Fox has been a truly good sport for the last week or so. Our meals have been soft and lightly seasoned, which, as you might suspect, is the culinary equivalent of purgatory for a man who knows his way around the herb garden. I swear I heard him groan as I was putting together the umpteenth pot of Hawaiian Long Rice this morning, so when he went out for his walk, I hit the pantry shelves and made our favorite version of French onion soup for him. The soup was developed by Julia Child and it was the first of her recipes that I made. It comes from The French Chef Cookbook which recorded and tracked the dishes she made for her first televised cooking program. The instructions, then and now, are easy to follow and make wonderful dishes. This soup is no exception. While the onions must be cooked until they form a slurry, this recipe is as easy as they come and the resulting soup will rival any bistro special. Julia's recipe is featured below, She begins it with this note:

"The onions for an onion soup need a long, slow cooking in butter and oil, then a long, slow simmering in stock for them to develop the deep, rich flavor which characterizes a perfect brew. You should therefore count on 2-1/2 hours at least from start to finish. Though the preliminary cooking in butter requires some watching, the actual simmering can proceed almost unattended."

Soupe à l’Oignon (Onion Soup)...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Julia Child's The French Chef's Cookbook

Ingredients:
1-1/2 pounds (5 cups) thinly sliced yellow onions
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons flour
2 quarts brown stock or canned beef bouillon, or 1 quart of water and 1 quart of stock or bouillon
1 cup dry red or dry white wine or dry white vermouth
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon driedsage
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons cognac
Rounds of hard-toasted French bread
1 to 2 cup Swiss or Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:
1) In a heavy-bottomed, 4-quart saucepan, cook onions slowly with butter and oil for 15 to 20 minutes, or until onions are tender and translucent. Uncover, raise heat to moderate, and stir in salt and sugar (the sugar helps the onions to brown). Cook for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions have turned an even, deep, golden brown. Sprinkle in flour and stir for 3 minutes.
2) While onions are cooking, bring the stock to a boil. Take onions off heat and stir in boiling stock. Add wine, bay leaf and sageand bring to a simmer.  Simmer partially covered for 30 to 40 minutes or more, skimming occasionally. Remove bay leaf and adjust salt and pepper to taste..
3) Just before serving, stir in cognac. Place rounds of bread in a soup tureen or soup cups, pour hot soup over the bread, and pass the cheese separately. Yield:6 to 8 servings.

One Year Ago Today: Applesauce Spice Cakes

Two years Ago Today: Killer Nachos

Three Years Ago Today: Lemon Poppyseed Bread

Julia's Garlic Mashed Potatoes Revisited

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Longtime readers of my blog know that I grew up in an ethnically diverse neighborhood and was taught to cook by several of the women who lived on our block. One of the wonders of my childhood was the technique used by Mrs. P, our Swedish neighbor, to make her holiday potatoes. Back in the day, boiled potatoes were an everyday affair but the mashed variety appeared only on Sunday's or special occasions. I can still remember Mrs. P, standing coatless on the porch, shaking the daylights out of a pot of steaming potatoes on one of those frigid winter holidays that are so common in Chicago. It was a technique she had learned from her mother and while she had never questioned why it was done, she knew that drier potatoes were more mealy and made a better mash. She was right. To this day, I find a scoop of good mashed potatoes irresistible and I blame her for my potato addiction and the extra heft they put on my hips during the holidays. I made her potatoes for several years after the Silver Fox and I were married but then Julia Child and her garlic mashed potatoes appeared on the scene. Julia's potatoes, which were drop dead delicious and used a technique similar to the one favored by Mrs. P, became my standard until common sense intervened and I called a halt to the use of such copious amounts of butter and cream in my kitchen. The recipe I'm featuring today is a scaled back version of Julia's potatoes and they are not half bad. If you're watching calories this holiday season, but still want to serve mashed potatoes, you might want to give them a try. Here's the recipe.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Julia Child

Ingredients
Garlic Infused Milk
30 cloves of peeled garlic
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons chicken broth or water
1 cup whole milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch of white pepper
Potatoes
2-1/2 lbs baking potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 tablespoons softened butter
Salt
White pepper
1/4 cup whole milk
4 tablespoons minced parsley

Directions:
1) To make garlic infused milk: Melt butter in small heavy-bottom saucepan and add chicken broth and garlic. Cover pan and cook slowly for 20 to 30 minutes, or until garlic is very soft but not brown. Stir in milk, salt, and pepper. Return to heat and simmer for 20 minutes longer, stirring occasionally. Press through a sieve or puree in a food processor. Set aside.
2) To make potatoes: Boil or microwave potatoes until soft, then drain and put through a potato ricer or food mill. Return potatoes to pan and stir over low heat for a few minutes to evaporate some of the excess moisture. When potatoes begin to film bottom of pan, remove from heat and beat in butter. Add salt and pepper to taste. Beat in infused milk with a wooden spoon. Add remaining milk by spoonfuls until desired consistency is reached. Fold in parsley and serve. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

One Year Ago Today: Roasted Eggplant Soup

Two Years Ago Today: Light and Chunky Clam Dip

Three Years Ago Today: Polpettini - Tuscan Meatballs

Julia Child's Basque Piperade

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Each summer, just about this time,  I start to daydream about the heady and distinctive food of the French Basque region. The Basque people occupy a narrow strip of land nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and the western Pyrenees in a region that spans the border between France and Spain. While Basque food tends to be unique, elements of both cuisines can be found in the food favored by the people of this region. Ingredients you might be familiar with, include Bayonne ham and piment d’Espelette, a chili pepper that is used to flavor one of the region's best known dishes, piperade. A fleeting thought of piperade, visually triggered by bins of peppers appearing in farmer's markets, usually begins my reverie, and before I can help myself, I find myself slicing peppers with a vengeance and speed that rivals that of the guillotine. Come September, my freezer will have neatly labeled packets of  stewed and seasoned peppers that will bring sunshine to my winter kitchen.  Plainly stated, I love piperade and serve it often as a main course or side dish, depending on my fancy. The dish is made with sauteed onions, bell peppers and tomatoes that are flavored with Espelette pepper. It can be served with rice or potatoes, and eggs, meat and poultry can also be added to make the dish more substantial. The dish has wonderful color that, by accident or design, reflects the red, green and white colors of the Basque flag. It also has a robust flavor that I find addicting. The recipe I use to make piperade was developed by Julia Child and can be found in her book, The Way to Cook. While there are many fine recipes for piperade floating around, I continue to use hers. It's like an old friend and my kitchen just wouldn't be the same were it to be swapped with another. If you have never had piperade, I hope you will give this recipe a try. It is wonderful and quite easy to make. Use proscuitto to replace Bayonne ham and hot Hungarian paprika as a substitute for piment d’Espelette. I most often use piperade in a braised chicken dish that is so simple it needs no recipe. A cut-up chicken is first sauteed and then placed in a casserole with piperade. It simmers, stovetop, for about 45 minutes and is served with white rice. If you like well-flavored food, I know you will love casserole. Here's the recipe.

Piperade...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Julia Child

Ingredients:
6 medium tomatoes or 1 (14.5-oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons olive oil
4 ounces thinly sliced Bayonne ham or proscuitto, cut into 1/2-inch squares
2 medium yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, coarsely chopped
1 medium dried bay leaf
2 medium red, yellow, or orange bell peppers, cleaned and sliced lengthwise into 1/4-inch strips
2 medium green bell peppers, cleaned and sliced lengthwise into 1/4-inch strips
Kosher salt
2 teaspoons piment d’Espelette or hot Hungarian paprika

Directions:
1) If using fresh tomatoes, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Prepare an ice water bath by filling a medium bowl halfway with ice and water. Using tip of a knife, remove stem and cut a shallow X-shape into bottom of each tomato. Place tomatoes in the boiling water and blanch until the skin just starts to pucker and loosen, about 10 seconds. Drain and immediately immerse tomatoes in ice water bath. Using a small knife, peel loosened skin and cut each tomato in half. With a small spoon, scrape out any seeds, then core and coarsely chop remaining flesh. Set aside.
2) Place a large Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot with a tight-fitting lid over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil. When oil shimmers, add ham or proscuitto and cook, stirring occasionally, until it’s golden brown, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate and set aside.
3) Return pan to heat, add remaining 2 teaspoons oil, and, once heated, add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring rarely, until soft and beginning to color, about 8 minutes. Stir in herbs and pepper slices and season well with salt. Cover and cook, stirring rarely, until peppers are slightly softened, about 10 minutes.
4) Stir in diced tomatoes, browned ham, and piment d’Espelette or paprika and season well with salt. Cook uncovered until mixture melds and juices have slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove bay leaf and serve. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

One Year Ago Today: Key Lime Cheesecake

Two Years Ago Today: Watermelon Limeade

Three Years Ago Today: Baked French Toast with Cardamom and Apricot Preserves

Brioche à Tête

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is Julia Child's famous brioche. There are folks in the food world who believe it to be best of kind. I'm not qualified to make that kind of judgment, but I can tell you it is awfully good. I can also tell you that it is not easy to make and each time I pull it from my oven I vow never again. Then I have a bite and, in the immortal words of Yogi Bera, "it's déjà vu all over again". What sets this apart from most of its counterparts is the length of time the dough is beaten. It is batted about with a dough hook for a full fifteen minutes, and while there are brioche made with greater quantities of eggs and butter, few ever attain the ethereal quality of this one. This brioche is about texture, and, for better or worse, time, cause that's what you need to make it. Fortunately, there is still a short video of Julia and Nancy making the dough for this brioche. I say fortunately because they walk you through the more difficult steps of this recipe. You'll find the video, which is enormously helpful, HERE. If you like to bake and you are up to a challenge, give this recipe a try. You won't be sorry. Here's how Julia's briche is made.

Brioche à Tête...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Julia Child and Nancy Silverton

Ingredients:
Sponge
1/3 cup warm whole milk (100- 110 degrees F)
2-1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 large egg
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Dough
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 large eggs , lightly beaten, room temp
1-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (approx)
6 ounces unsalted butter , room temperature
Glaze
1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water, for egg wash

Directions:
1) To make the sponge: Put milk, yeast, egg and 1 cup of flour in the bowl of a heavy duty mixer. Mix ingredients together with a rubber spatula, mixing just until everything is blended. Sprinkle remaining cup of flour over sponge, completely covering it. Set sponge aside to rest uncovered for 30-40 minutes. After this resting time, flour coating will crack. That's as it should be.

2) To make dough: Add sugar, salt, eggs, and 1 cup of flour to sponge. Set bowl in mixer, attach dough hook, and mix on low speed for a minute or two, just until ingredients look as if they are about to come together. With mixer still running, sprinkle in 1/2 cup more flour. When flour is incorporated, increase mixer speed to medium and beat for about 15 minutes, stopping to scrape down hook and bowl as needed. During this mixing period, dough should come together, wrap itself around hook and slap sides of bowl. In order to incorporate butter into dough, it must be worked with a scraper or rolling pin until its consistency is like that of dough (You can bash butter into submission with a rolling pin or give it kinder and gentler handling by using a dough scraper to smear it bit by bit across a smooth work surface). When it is ready, butter will be smooth, soft, and still cool - not warm, oily or greasy. With mixer on medium-low speed, add the butter a few tablespoons at a time. Do not be alarmed at appearance of dough. It will start to fall apart and that is normal. Continue adding butter. When all of it has been added, raise mixer speed to medium-high for a minute, then reduce speed to medium and beat dough for about 5 minutes, or until you once again hear the dough slapping against the sides of the bowl. Clean sides of bowl frequently as you work; if it looks as though dough is not coming together after 2-3 minutes, add up to 1 tablespoon more flour. When you're finished, dough should feel somewhat cool. It will be soft and still sticky and may cling slightly to sides and bottom of bowl.

3) To finish dough: For first rise, transfer dough to a very large buttered bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let it rise at room temperature until doubled in bulk, 2- 2 1/2 hours. For second rise and chill, deflate dough by placing your fingers under it, lifting a section of dough, and then letting it fall back into bowl. Work your way around circumference of dough, lifting and releasing. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate dough overnight, or for at least 4-6 hours, during which time it will continue to rise and may double in size again. AFTER THIS LONG CHILL,DOUGH IS READY TO USE IN ANY BRIOCHE RECIPE.

4) To shape: Butter 3 large fluted brioche pans, using a pastry brush to make certain
you get into flutes; set aside. Divide dough into thirds. Keep remaining dough covered and refrigerated while you work with one piece at a time. Put one piece of
dough on a lightly floured work surface and, using your dough scraper, cut off a hunk of dough that is scant one third of piece. Work larger piece of dough gently and quickly into a smooth ball. between your hands and against the work surface to form a smooth ball. Place ball into buttered mold. Roll smaller piece of dough into a pear shape. Use fingers to make a depression in center of dough and fit narrow top of pear-shaped piece into depression. Pinch and press dough together as needed to make certain that seam between large and small pieces of dough is sealed. Repeat with the remaining dough.

5) Final Rise: Cover pans with a piece of buttered plastic wrap and allow dough
to rise at room temperature for about 2 hours, or until doubled in size.

6) Baking Têtes: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly brush brioche with egg wash, taking care not to let the glaze dribble into the mold (it will impair
the dough’s rise in oven). Working quickly, use ends of a pair of sharp scissors to snip 2 or 3 slits in each larger ball of dough. Bake the brioche for about 30 minutes, or until they are deeply golden. Cool to room temperature on a rack. Yield: 3 Tetes.

Cook's Notes: If you are not going to use or bake the dough after it's second rise, deflate it, wrap it airtight, and store it in freezer. The dough can remain frozen for up to a month. Thaw the dough, still wrapped, in the refrigerator overnight and use it directly from the refrigerator.


This post is being linked to:
Foodie Friday








One Year Ago Today: 2010-Year End Round-Up
















Two Years Ago Today: Guinness Bloody Mary

Of Cabbages and Kings - Turkey, Leftovers and Julia Child's Senegalaise Soup

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite..."The time has come," the Walrus said, "To talk of many things: Of shoes and ships and sealing wax, of cabbage and kings....." Even the Jabberwocky would be impressed by the amount of ground we are about to cover. So, relax, grab your favorite beverage and once you're comfortable, we'll start talking turkey, or lack thereof.

Many of you were surprised to learn that my holiday dinner plans did not include a turkey. Rest assured, there is nothing subversive or elitist in that decision. As it happens, there will be no children at the table this year, so I felt no compunction to prepare a ritual meal. I've made a lot of turkeys in my day. When my children were small, we had turkey at least once a month. Back then, turkeys weren't brined or salted, so roasting a bird was a simple undertaking. It was also a marvelously inexpensive way to feed a family. Some of you may be old enough to remember when supermarkets actually gave turkeys away during the holiday. Even in off-season, it was not unusual to find birds that cost 19 to 29 cents a pound. A lot of us ate a lot of turkey back in the day, and I suspect it lost its "special" status because of that. Those of you who worry about such things will be happy to know we had turkey for our dinner last night. While a just roasted bird may not be our favorite meal, the dishes made from its leavings number among those at the top of the list. This soup is one of them.

The soup, called Veloute De Volaille a La Senegalaise, is Julia Child's version of curried turkey soup. It is made from carcass stock, good curry powder and leftover vegetables. The finished soup is worthy of company and I guarantee it will impress your guests. As a matter of fact, I'll be serving it as a first course on Saturday night as a prelude to the star of the evening, a gorgeous beef filet . The soup is a two step process that I hope you'll try. I use a mild curry powder to make this. If you prefer to use one with more heat, proceed with caution. The soup can be made well ahead of time, though you'll want to film it with a light coat of cream to prevent a skin from forming. You can also freeze it.



Before moving onto the recipe, I wanted to let you know about a cookbook that has been written by a fellow blogger, Stephen Crout. Stephen's blog is called The Obsessive Chef and his new book, A Cook's Book for Cooks, can be purchased here. Stephen is a talented writer and while his book is more a dialogue on food than a standard recipe book, I think you'll find it both interesting and provocative.






Julia Child's Curried Turkey Soup - Veloute De Volaille a la Senegalaise...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Julia Child

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup finely minced onions
1-3 tablespoons curry powder
4-8 tablespoons flour (dependent on amount of mashed potatoes, if used)
5-6 cups poultry stock (see below)
Optional: leftover vegetables
1/2 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
1 cup diced cooked turkey meat
4 tablespoons minced parsley or chives

Directions:
Melt butter in a large saucepan. Stir in curry powder and cook slowly for 1 minute. Add onions and cook for about 10 minutes without browning. Stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Vigorously beat in poultry stock with a wire whisk. If you are using leftover mashed potatoes, they should be added at this time. Return soup to heat and whisk in cream, one tablespoon at a time, until soup is of desired thickness. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in turkey, herbs and up to 1 cup diced leftover vegetables, if using. Bring to a simmer just before serving. If soup is not to be served immediately or will be served cold, film surface with stock or cream to prevent a skin from forming. Chill if to be served cold. Yield: 6 servings.


Julia Child's Poultry Stock

Ingredients:
1 turkey carcass
2 to 3 pounds turkey necks, hearts and gizzards
2 tablespoons salt
2 large carrots, roughly chopped
2 celery stalk, roughly chopped
2 leeks, roughly chopped
2 peeled onions stuck with 2 cloves
1 large herb bouquet: 8 parsley sprigs, 1 bay leaf, 1 teaspoon thyme or sage

Directions:
Chop up carcass and place in a large kettle with necks and other poultry parts. Cover by 2 inches of water. Add salt and bring to a simmer. Skim surface to remove scum for about 5 minutes, or until it almost ceases to rise. Add vegetables and herb bouquet and simmer, uncovered, for about 4 hours, skimming fat and scum as required. Add water if required to keep ingredients covered. Strain liquid into a large bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let cool uncovered, then chill. When chilled, scrape off surface fat. Keep refrigerated until ready to use. Stock can be frozen.

Poulet Saute aux Herbes de Provence - Julia Child - 50 Most Influential Women in Food

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Every Friday for the next 50 weeks, a small group of kindred spirit will be exploring recipes developed by the fifty most influential women in the food world. The women were selected by the online arm of Gourmet and, to no one's surprise, Julia Child appears at the top of the list. She is legend. Her books and cooking shows brought French cooking to the American kitchen and changed the way we prepare and think about the food we eat. I count myself among those whose cooking was forever changed by her influence. I found her program, The French Chef, in 1969 while flipping through television channels.We were living in Chicago at the time and I was caring for my baby girl who was born prematurely and had a host of medical problems that needed the kind of attention only a mother can provide. Needless to say, I didn't get out a lot. I was not a young mother and had worked for years. Julia helped me deal with a classic case of cabin fever and convinced me that, if I tried, I could cook as well as she did. I love a challenge, so rather than start with something simple like a soup, my first effort was her multi-step recipe for Beef Wellington. Using her instructions, I was able to duplicate the dish and my cooking took a quantum leap. My challenge became finding recipes that were economically feasible for family meals. Chicken was a logical place to start and I slowly worked my way through all of her recipes for it. In 1969 chicken was 33 cents a pound. If you were willing to joint the bird, it could be had for the outrageous sum of 29 cents a pound. I dissembled lots of chicken back then and one of my favorite recipes was Julia's, Poulet Saute aux Herbs de Provence. It sounds fancy, but, in reality, it was nothing more than chicken sauteed in a mix of butter and herbs. The TKO came at the end of cooking, when pan juices were used to make a Béarnaise-type sauce of such merit that some would salute la belle France with a rousing chorus of La Marseillaise on tasting it. This is one of my favorite "Julia" recipes. I know those of you who can see beyond the stick of butter will love it, too. Here's the recipe and the names of the other blogs that are saluting Julia Child this Friday. Bon Appetit!

More than Burnt Toast
Eats Well with Others
A Seasonal Cook in Turkey


Poulet Saute aux Herbes de Provence - Chicken Sauteed with Herbs and Garlic in an Egg Yolk and Butter Sauce...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Julia Child

Ingredients:
1/4 pound butter
2-1/2 to 3 pounds cut-up frying chicken
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ground fennel
Salt and pepper
3 cloves unpeeled garlic
2/3 cup dry white wine or 1/2 cup dry white vermouth
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon dry white wine or vermouth
2 tablespoons fresh minced basil, fennel fronds or parsley

Directions:
1 ) Heat butter in a large skillet until it is foaming. Add chicken pieces and saute for 7 to 8 minutes, turning often. Do not let chicken color more than a deep golden yellow. Season with herbs and salt and pepper. Add garlic and cook, uncovered, for another 20 to 25 minutes, turning 2 to 3 times, or until chicken is tender and juices run clear. Remove chicken to a warm platter and tent with foil to keep warm.
2) Mash garlic cloves with the back of a spoon. Remove peel. Add wine and boil down until reduced by half.
3) Beat egg yolks in a separate small saucepan until thick and sticky. Beat in lemon juice and wine with a whisk. Add liquid remaining in saute pan, a half teaspoon at a time, until a creamy mayonnaise sauce begins to form. Beat over very low heat until warm and thickened.. Remove from heat. Add finishing herbs and adjust to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over chicken and serve immediately. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.








One Year Ago Today: Gobi Manchurian













Two Years Ago Today: Asparagus and Goat Cheese Tart

♬ Bouillabaisse a la Marseillaise - New Year's Eve 2010 ♬

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I can think of no better way to usher in the New Year than in the company of family and good friends. The New Year here is heralded with a show of fireworks to mark the passage of one year to the next. At midnight Bob and I, and those with us, will stand, glass in hand, to propose a toast to absent friends, those separated from us by time and place, as well as those who have made the final journey home. All are remembered with great joy as we recall the lessons they have taught us and the richness they have brought our lives. I treasure the time they spent at my table and their places there will always be reserved. I include you in their number and wish each of you a healthy and prosperous New Year. Here's to absent friends. Here's to all of you. Happy New Year.

Please don't miss the short film clip at the end of this post. It is the farewell waltz scene from the movie, Waterloo Bridge. It is lovely and quite appropriate for New Year's Eve.

Our holiday season doesn't end until the 2nd of January and that means special dinners are served on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. The meals are rarely difficult to prepare, but they always have a festive air about them. I decided to make bouillabaisse this year because I had a new supply of saffron and knew everyone would enjoy the novelty and casual elegance of this dish. The folks at my local fish market were co-conspirators in its creation, and helped to find fish that would provide the flavor I needed without breaking the bank. My version of this dish is based on Julia Child's Bouillabaisse a la Marseillaise. Bouillabaisse is really a fish chowder which contains a variety of fish that is simmered in an aromatic fish broth. The chowder is eaten from shallow soup bowls and often served with toasted bread and a garnish of rouille. Rouille is a rust colored sauce that can be stirred into the bouillabaisse or spread on croutons that usually accompany the soup. For best flavor six or more varieties of fish should be used to make the chowder. That is why it makes no sense to make this dish for fewer than six people. Some of the fish should be firm fleshed and gelatinous, like halibut; some should be tender and flaky like sole. The firm fish hold their shape, and the tender fish partially disperse in the soup. Shellfish are optional, but I truly can't imagine a bouillabaisse without them. The fish can be prepared several hours before cooking and refrigerated until needed. The soup base can be made a day ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator. Once the soup stock is brought to a boil, it will take about 20 minutes to cook the fish. The bouillabaisse should be served immediately with a crusty bread and rouille. It is an altogether lovely meal. The recipe for bouillabaisse and rouille appear below.

Bouillabaisse a la Marseillaise...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Julia Child

Chowder Ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped leek
4 cloves mashed garlic
1/4 cup tomato paste
2-1/2 quarts water
Sprigs of fresh herbs: thyme, parsley, fennel fronds and basil (in any combination)
1/2 teaspoon saffron
1 tablespoon kosher salt
4 pounds fish heads, bones, trimmings, shrimp shells
1-1/2 pounds each peeled shrimp; wild cod, halibut and sole cut into chunks
1-1/2 pounds scrubbed and debearded or clams
Toasted rustic bread
Rouille

Chowder Directions:
Heat oil in a tall 6 to 8 quart pot over medium heat; add onion and leek and cook gently until softened. Stir in garlic and cook for a minute until fragrant, then add tomato paste, water, herbs, saffron, salt and fish bones. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat so broth bubbles slowly without boiling. Cook 30 minutes, then strain broth into a large bowl or another pot, discarding solids. Pour broth back into stockpot and bring to a boil. Add shrimp and cook until they turn pink, a minute or two. Add rest of the fish and shellfish, cover and simmer until the mussels or clams open. Taste soup and add more salt and freshly ground pepper if needed. Serve bouillabaisse with toasted bread and rouille on the side. Yield: 6 servings.

Rouille Ingredients:
1 roasted and peeled red bell pepper
1 roasted hot red chile pepper or ground cayenne pepper to taste
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 small peeled garlic clove
1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs or finely chopped almonds
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Rouille Directions:
Puree everything except olive oil in a food processor until smooth. Slowly add olive oil while processing to form a paste.


Auld Lang Syne



The Farewell Waltz

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Italian Fish Soup with Fresh Herbs, Fennel, Shallots and Garlic - Karista's Kitchen
Oyster Stew - Seriously Soupy
Icelandic Fish Soup - For the Love of Food
Provencal Seafood Bisque - Simply Recipes
Simple Fish Soup - Tobias Cooks
Swedish Fish Soup - Klutzy Chef
Zuppa di Pesce Alla Napoletana - Memorie di Angelina
Seafood Bourride - Blue Kitchen

Soupe Au Pistou

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is, of course, Julia Child's classic version of the simple, but fragrant Provencal vegetable soup. The soup is a summer favorite in the Mediterranean. It's then that herbs and sundry beans come to market and hawkers push their bounty shouting, "Mesdames, faites le bon piste, faites le pistou!" I'm not much for summer soup, so it's fortunate that the vegetables used to make this span the seasons. What sets this soup apart from others of its ilk, is the freshness of its vegetables and the use of pistou, a sauce made with garlic, basil, tomato and cheese. This is one the first recipes I made as I worked my way through the first volume of Julia's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. It is foolproof, and the only thing that can be done to spoil it, is to overcook the vegetables thrown into the pot. If you love peasant food, this soup is one you'll find hard to resist. You'll never forget its unique aroma, and its color, taste and texture will allow your imagination to run wild. With any luck, you'll find yourself sitting at a scrubbed, worn table in a farmhouse kitchen enjoying the bounty of your French host's garden. The fantasy would be perfect if Julia were also there to entertain. Here's her recipe, in case you missed it first time around.

Soupe Au Pistou...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Julia Child

Ingredients:
Soup
3 quarts water
2 cups diced waxy potatoes
2 cups diced carrots
2 cups diced onion or white of leek
1 tablespoon salt
2 cups canned white navy or kidney beans, drained
1/3 cup broken spaghetti
1 slice stale white bread, crumbled
2 cups fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Optional : pinch of saffron
Pistou
4 cloves crushed garlic
4 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 to 1/2 cup fruity olive oil

Directions:
1) To make soup: Bring water, potatoes, carrots and onions or leeks, and salt to a boil in a 6-quart soup pot. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. About 20 minutes before serving add white beans, broken spaghetti, bread, pepper and saffron to the soup and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the green beans and simmer 5 to 10 minutes more, until they are cooked through but still crunchy. Again adjust salt and pepper to taste.
2 ) To make pistou: While the soup is simmering, place the garlic, tomato puree or paste, basil and cheese in a soup tureen or another pot. Pound to a paste with a wooden spoon, then beat in olive oil, drop by drop.
3) To finish and serve: Whisk a cup of hot soup into tureen containing pistou. When smooth add rest of soup and stir well to combine. Serve hot with French bread or croutons. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

You might also like these recipes:
Root Vegetable Soup with Honey and Sage - The English Kitchen
Quick Tortilla Chicken and Vegetable Soup - 101 Cooking for Two
Vegetable Bean Soup - The Bake-Off Flunkie
Vegetable Beef Soup - Never Enough Thyme
Healthy Tomato and Vegetable Soup - Taste
Late Summer Vegetable Soup with Basil Pesto - Food Blogga
Roasted Vegetable Soup - In Danny's Kitchen
Minestrone for All Seasons - Italian Food Forever
Vegetable Soup - Niya's Kitchen

Homemade English Muffins - Julia Child

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite..."Let's not be muffin snobs; store bought are excellent." Those words were written by my beloved Julia, who then confused the issue by proferring a recipe for homemade English muffins. I, not unlike a climber who accepts the challenge of another summit simply because it's there, had to make them just to prove I could. Under normal circumstances, the recipe would have then been retired, but around that time sandwich size muffins were introduced into, and quickly disappeared from, supermarket shelves. We loved them, especially for certain types of burgers, so the recipe for English muffins was moved from inactive to active status, and I began to make them again. While these are made with yeast, no kneading is required and the batter is easy to work with. The muffins freeze well and are a great introduction to bread baking because of their kneadless nature. These days I use 5 inch rings to make large muffins, but I continue to use Julia's recipe. It's one of the best I've come across and I thought you might like to try it. Here's Julia's recipe.

Homemade English Muffins ...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Julia Child

Ingredients:
2-1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water
2 tablespoons instant mashed potatoes softened in 1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup cold milk
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons salt dissolved in 3 tablespoons warm water
2 to 3 tablespoons softened butter or nonstick cooking spray

Directions:
1) Place softened potatoes and milk in a large mixing bowl. Beat to combine. Stir in dissolved yeast. Add to flour and beat until a thick smooth batter forms, about 1 minute. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until batter has risen and large bubbles appear on the surface, about 1-1/2 hours. Batter must be bubbly before proceeding.
2) Stir batter down. Add salted water and beat vigorously for about a minute. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise again until bubbles appear on surface of batter, about 1 hour.
3) Brush insides of 3-inch rings with butter or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Butter or spray surface of griddle or frying pan and set over moderate heat. When drops of water dance on surface, scoop batter into rings. Batter should be about 3/8-inch thick to produce a muffin twice that size.
4) Cook muffins slowly on one side until bubbles which form near bottom pierce through top surface and top changes to a dryish gray color, about 6 to 8 minutes depending on the heat. Turn muffins, remove rings and let cook until they are a spotty token brown, about 1 minute. Remove to a rack to completely cool. Yield 10 to 12 3-inch muffins.

You might also enjoy these recipes:

Brussels and Liege Waffles - One Perfect Bite
Crumpets - One Perfect Bite
Gluten Free Pancakes - One Perfect Bite

This post is being linked to:

Wild Yeast - Yeast Spotting