Bisque de langoustine (Classic shellfish soup)
Ingredients
- Live Langoustines with shells on
- Coarsely chopped carrot
- Finely chopped garlic
- Coarsely chopped fennel
- Coarsely chopped onion
- Diced celery
- Chopped tomatoes
- Fish stock
- Red fish like Snapper/Gurnard/Red Mullet etc
- Salt/Pepper
- Turmeric
- White wine
- Parsley
- Double cream
- Bay leaf
- Thyme
Method
- Add a good quantity of olive oil to a large pot and warm
- Throw in the chopped carrot, celery, onion and fennel and sweat gently until soft and slightly brown
- Add peeled cloves of garlic (these can be added whole)
- Clean the fish and cut into chunks – bones and all
- Cut up the langoustine into chunks (keep claws and shell on etc)
- Add the fish and langoustine to the vegetables and olive oil, stir well then add fish stock to cover
- Add a little turmeric for colour and again stir well
- Add chopped tomatoes, parsley, bay leaf and thyme and stir well
- Add white wine, put lid on and bring to the boil
- Reduce the heat and simmer for about 20-30 minutes or until the fish and shellfish are cooked
- Pour the fish and stock into a magimix or blender and blend until smooth
- Pass the blended mixture through a sieve to remove any bones
- Pour into a pan to gently reheat
- Season if necessary and add a swirl of cream to serve
Lapin aux pruneaux (Sauté of wild rabbit with prunes and Armagnac)
Ingredients
- Rabbit – jointed
- Stoned prunes
- Finely diced shallots
- Finely crushed garlic
- Diced bacon
- Peeled small onions or shallots
- Chicken stock
- Armagnac or Brandy
- Thyme
- Oil for frying
- Flour for dusting
- Salt/Pepper
- Butter for frying
- Parsley
- Butter
- Double cream
Method
- Lightly flour the rabbit pieces with seasoned flour
- Heat some butter and oil in a pan and gently fry the rabbit
- until browned on all sides
- In another pan, fry the bacon, stirring all the time to brown
- and release its fat
- Add the onions and fry
- Add the shallots and chopped garlic, stir and fry gently until softened
- Flame the rabbit pieces in the brandy – when the flames have subsided add the prunes and white wine
- and then allow to simmer
- Add the tomato purée to the bacon, onions, shallots and garlic
- Add the chicken stock and bring to the simmer
- Add all the rabbit pieces to the vegetables, add thyme and simmer gently for about 40 minutes or until it is tender
- If the sauce becomes too thick add a little water to the gravy to stop it from sticking or becoming claggy
- Just before serving add some cream
- Season as necessary and serve sprinkled with parsley
Jambon a la moutarde (Ham with chanterelles and mustard and cream sauce)
Ingredients
- Cooked ham
- Chanterelles
- Button mushrooms
- Butter
- Shallots
- Dijon mustard
- Parsley
- Chicken stock
- Salt/Pepper
- Double cream
- Olive oil
- White wine
Method
- In a pan, heat some butter and olive oil
- Add some finely chopped shallots
- Add some sliced button mushrooms and sweat down until soft
- Add the chanterelle and continue to sweat down
- Add a little flour to make a roux
- Add stock and cook until slightly thickened
- Stir well
- In a frying pan, heat some olive oil, add the thickly sliced ham and sear on each side to lightly colour and heat through
- Add a splash of white wine to the ham and allow to reduce
- Meanwhile, stir the cream sauce and season as necessary
- Add Dijon mustard to the sauce, a little at a time to taste (more or less, as you prefer)
- Serve the ham hot, pour over the sauce
- Sprinkle over parsley to serve
Rognons de veau sauce Madere (Veal kidneys in Maderia sauce)
Ingredients
- Brandy
- Madeira
- Demi glace
- Veal kidneys
- Tomato purée
- Finley chopped shallots
- Finely chopped garlic
- Butter
- Parsley
- Olive oil
- Salt/Pepper
Method
- Heat some butter and olive oil in a sauté pan
- Dredge the kidneys in seasoned flour – shake off the excess and quickly fry off the kidneys in the oil and butter
- Add garlic and shallots
- Season with salt and pepper
- Turn the kidneys to brown on both sides – do not overcook!
- Add brandy and flame
- Immediately remove the kidneys from the pan and set aside in a warm place
- Deglaze the pan with Madeira
- Add demi glaze (beef stock)
- Add a little tomato pureé
- Bubble well – siring all the time
- Allow the sauce to reduce until it is thickened and rich
- Season as necessary and serve
Petit pois au lettue (Peas braised with lettuce, mint, lardons of smoked bacon and baby onions)
Ingredients
- Peas
- Fresh mint leaves
- Baby onions
- Lardons of bacon
- Butter
- Little gem lettuce or cos
- Salt/Pepper
Method
- Heat some butter in a big pan and throw in the lardons to cook out, soften and colour
- Roughly chop the lettuce
- Add the onions to the lardons and fry gently
- Add the lettuce and mint leaves and a little salt
- Stir well and tip in the peas
- Stir round well to mix
- Cover and simmer until tender, stirring from time to time
- Keep all the steam in the braise
- Add a little butter from time to time
- Season as necessary
- This dish can be made ahead of time and heated up in a microwave!
Gratin dauphinoise (Sliced potatoes baked with cream and garlic)
Ingredients
- Slightly waxy potatoes
- Crushed garlic
- Double cream
- Salt/Pepper
- Butter
Method
- Finley slice the potatoes on a mandolin or food processor
- Rinse well about 3 times to remove much of the starch
- Pat dry thoroughly and place a layer in a shallow, well buttered dish
- On top of that layer, sprinkle finely chopped garlic and dot with butter
- Season with salt and pepper
- Add another layer of potato, garlic, salt and pepper and dot with butter
- Repeat the process until the dish is full; the final layer is just potato
- Pour over some double cream – be generous
- Leave to stand for about 15 minutes
- Cover with tin foil, place in the oven at about 160 degrees for about an hour
- Remove the foil from the dish and allow to brown
