Culinary Arts and Typical Frenchmen?

 

Ok so, welcome to France, the land of Cuisine “Minceur”, Nouvelle Cuisine, Georges-Auguste Escoffier and the humble Baraque à Frites! (and the training ground of Gordon Ramsay amongst others!)

Given the recent link through to SommeWhereDifferent.com, I thought it only proper to talk a bit about the culinary specialities of the Somme and wider Picardie Region.  As throughout this beautiful country, the locals are fiercly proud of their local cuisine and as an Englishman visiting, I feel it only right to taste (and enjoy!) what specialities I am offered.

At the risk of being a bore, the most popular and probably the most tasted (by the English at least) speciality is the “Ficelle Picarde”.  The Ficelle Picarde is a rather young dish which was created during the fifties by Marcel Lefèvre who was at the time, the manager of the Hôtel du Commerce in Amiens (The capital of the Somme).  The creation of the dish is something of a story in itself but since it is undoubtedly well known by now in culinary circles I will leave you to look it up if you don’t already know (or care? ;-))

So what is this strange dish? Well, truth be told, it’s very simple.  An englishman would likely characterize it as a ham and cheese pancake but there is a lot more to it than that.  From the creamy Duxelle Mushroom sauce to the crispy, typically French crèpe, this slow-baked dish is simply a culinary marvel.  A dish that can be well-made by a Kitchen Genius or the pot-boy (with the right instruction), the Ficelle Picarde definitely has its place in a country with the widest extremes of gastronomic ability!

From time to time, I will talk about other regional specialities as well as dishes from all over France and even worldwide. ( Next Regional Speciality – Flamiche )  If you have any questions about dishes or you find yourself wondering what something is on a menu, please message me as chances are, if you are confused, someone else is too…

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Cooking for Cold Days

The French approach to food is characteristic; they bring to their consideration of the table, the same appreciation, respect, intelligence and lively interest that they have for the other arts, for painting, for literature and for the theatre. We foreigners living in France respect and appreciate this point of view but deplore their too strict observance of a tradition which will not admit the slightest deviation in a seasoning or the suppression of a single ingredient.

Alice B. Toklas, The Alice B. Toklas Cookbook (1954)

DIFFICULTY: 7/10 Some of the more difficult techniques are represented.
PREPARATION TIME: 45mins
COOKING TIME: 90-110mins

Blanquette de Veau

"Little White" is a slow braised dish of white meat with mushrooms and onions. Accompanied with a creamy, rich sauce, this dish sums up comfort food. Light enough for warm evenings but warming enough to brighten up the poor weather that tends to accompany the end of August and most of September in the more northerly regions of La France!

Ingredients; (Serves 6 Big Eaters!)

1.2Kg Veal (Breast or Shoulder)
3 Carrots
3 Medium White Onions
2 Cloves Garlic
1 Bouquet Garni
100g Large-Diced Pork Belly
3 Poireaux (Leeks)
3 Celery Stalks
50g Butter
50g Flour
300ml Crème Entière (Pouring Cream, Lèger can be used)
5 Egg Yolks
1 Lemon
15 Silver Baby Onions

Method:

Prep:
Peel then chop garlic and medium white onions.
Peel carrots then slice into rounds.
Wash the leek and émince (thinly slice)
Wash and émince the celery stalks

1. Using a high-sided sauté pan or large saucepan, sauté your veal as gently as possible so as not to discolour the meat (remember this is "little white" not "little bronze" :-))

2. Add the vegetables, baby onions and the pork belly along with the bouquet garni and gently sauté for another few minutes together. At this stage, feel free to add a glass of white wine to the pan if you wish (remembering the golden rule that every glass added should be accompanied by two glasses for the chef!). Adding water, cover the contents of the pan (approximately 1,5 times the quantity). You'll want to cook this for roughly an hour on a fairly low heat, remember to check in from time to time to ensure that it isn't catching on the bottom and that it doesn't cook too far. Cooking times really aren't reliable with all the different hobs and ovens out there!

3. Once cooked, take the meat and the vegetables leaving the liquor in the pan. This will form the stock for the sauce, you can add a few spoonfulls to the meat for flavour if you want to. Knock up a quick roux from the butter and flour and then separately, mix the cream and egg yolks. Add the roux to the stock and cook gently through whisking thoroughly to achieve a nice smooth consistency. Take OFF the heat then add the cream and egg yolks whilst whisking briskly. Juice half of your lemon and combine into the sauce, salt and pepper to taste and your sauce is ready to go.

4. When plating this dish, I personally find that garlic or crusty country bread goes well on the plate. A slight oval or large round plate leaves enough room for you to serve slightly to one side with your accompaniment gently arranged to the other side. Vegetables can be served with the blanqette or in a rameking on the plate to seperate the flavour from the sauce if desired.

5: Serve to friends and family with a nice crisp dry white wine. Remember this is comfort food, it's not meant to be posh so leave behind your 30€ a bottle Pouilly Fumés and pick up something local at a nearby Fête du Gout or Marché du Terroir/Marché des Specialités Locales.

A final note; I very rarely look in books and I very rarely measure ingredients or guauge times. Cooking is an art and a passion. If you enjoy cooking, you'll enjoy figuring out my recipes, if you just want a blow by blow, buy a cookbook!

Cuisine Franglais is now providing articles directly to SommewhereDifferent.com

Summer Chicken Capellini

If you cooked this everyday, I would never eat anything else! - Christelle RONCO - Sommewhere.com

DIFFICULTY: 4/10 An easy dish with a fair few steps.
PREPARATION TIME: 30mins
COOKING TIME: <20mins

Ingredients; (Serves 6 Big Eaters!)

300g Dry Cappellini
1 Red Bell Pepper
1 Greed Bell Pepper
6 Medium Carrots
4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Cloves Garlic Finely Chopped
1 Finely Chopped Jalapeño Pepper (Optional for those that like a little spice)
1/2 Cucumber
6 Chicken Breasts

Seasonings to taste:
Fresh Basil Leaves (I used App. 8-10)
Soy Sauce
Salt & Pepper

Glaze:
Balsamic Reduction with Fig (Any balsamic reduction would be acceptable)

Method:

For the Pasta:

Slice your bell peppers, carrots and cucumber (Allumettes are generally the best for this recipe as Batonnets tend to stay a little too crunchy in the centers). Reserve your cucumber and blanche the peppers and carrots. This is easily accomplished by ten minutes in a steamer or 3-4 minutes in a fast boiling water (salted of course)

Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil (the faster the boil the better the pasta as the boiling motion stops the pasta from sticking together), remember to salt the water to taste and add a couple of teaspoons of olive oil to the water. Add the Cappellini and allow to boil vigorously for three minutes. After three minutes, add a half pint of cold water to the saucepan and reserve off the heat.

At this point, heat your wok to a high temperature with 5 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the chopped garlic and jalapeño (optional) and allow to sizzle for a minute or so, so as to allow the flavours time to mix in with the oil. Add the sliced peppers and carrots and cook for 3-5 minutes on high heat (to taste). Add the cucumbers and Soy Sauce only when the rest is cooked.

Drain your Cappellini and place in a large mixing bowl or, if large enough, add directly to your wok. Combine the ingredients thoroughly and add the fresh basil (personally I prefer to chiffonade the basil)

For the Chicken:

At least one hour before cooking commences, slice the chicken breast into thumb sized pieces and place in a large mixing bowl. Add according to your personal preference, salt, pepper, soy sauce, a tablespoon of dried tarragon, a teaspoon of lemon juice and two teaspoons of granulated sugar (Sucre Cristal)

Sprinkle liberally with olive oil, mix thoroughly, cover and place in 'fridge to absorb the flavours.

Approximately ten minutes before the pasta and vegetables are ready, fire up a second wok or sauté pan to medium high and add the chicken. You need not add any further grease or seasoning at this stage. Ensure that the chicken is thoroughly cooked through before continuing. Cut open several of the LARGEST pieces to be sure that there is no hint of pink.

Finishing the dish;

Easy peasy. Divide the pasta/vegetable mix between your six plates, carefully keeping it as close to the centre as possible. Divide and add your chicken to the top of each dish and decorate with your balsamic reduction (the fig one works very well with the flavours in this dish) and a Basil Leaf or two! Olive Oil can serve as a welcome decoration where a Balsamic is considered too strong or unwelcome for any reason.

French Cuisine, an Intro!

It is with great interest that we English have always studied the French “Cuisine” and it is an invariable point of interest and discussion for us that the local French Cuisine rarely matches up to our considerable expectations.

It is at this point that we have to say to ourselves that ok, there are in fact two principal types of cuisine in France. The more well known, “Haute Cuisine / Cordon Bleu” and the general, day to day, French Cookery. Of course the significant matter of French Cookery is that it primarily consists of easily put together meals designed to maximise the time spent with Family/Friends with as little time as possible “wasted” in the kitchen. To that end, tins of mixed veg plated with a home made fresh Mayonnaise are not unusual and supermarket bought preparations very popular. The inclusion of thinly sliced Saucisson and Charcuterie in general tend to curb the appetite and allow meals to progress at a much slower pace than would normally be acceptable in the UK. Other meal customs have the potential to shock and depending on one’s sensibilities, even appal. I personally find it difficult not to say something when a French guest sits down to my table at the head or the foot, a mistake an English visitor would be highly unlikely to make. These concerns are, of course, more relevant to issues of etiquette than cuisine but given the familial way of eating in France, all combine to form the French dining experience.

So what about the food itself? What do I serve my visitors? The answer is not simple. More often than not, your French guests will be looking for their English friends to give them a taste of England but be warned, a TASTE of England is really all they want. Your main meal of steak and kidney pudding or for some, Chicken Tikka Masala is unlikely to go down well, particularly in the provinces. Rather try for something principally French/Italian and accent with a taste of home. English Style Custard, an English Cheese or two mixed into the cheeseboard/plate often provide a welcome taste of England and a great conversation starter. English wine, in my own experience, generally proves a flop. Derision before the bottle is even opened is to be expected and should you feel it necessary to pursue the matter, decanting the bottle in order to present the label AFTER tasting might be the wisest course of action. Even the most provincial Frenchmen will feel honour bound to turn their noses at a Rosbif’s “incursion” into the French territory of viticulture. Cheeses are generally along the same lines but with less intense feeling. As stated previously, a cheese or two mixed in to a French cheese selection will generally be well accepted. I suggest avoiding Cheddar simply because it is a cheese that the French are already very familiar with and generally don’t consider “truly” English.

The primary difference between the average Frenchman and the average Englishmen in my experience is that you can hand a Frenchman some eggs, mustard, oil and a whisk and within a few minutes you’ll have a passable Dijon Mayonnaise. Many of the basic skills practiced by French school children are still considered the domain of qualified chefs in the UK (or well practiced housewives!)

Back to the point now though, what do you serve a French visitor to your home? The question is, in the final accounting, very easy to answer if you are anything approaching a good host. Establish your guests’ likes and dislikes but remember to take into account the dinner conversation. Cross-lingual dinners can sometimes test the patience with long silences and awkward stares; remember that the meal itself can provide the conversation. A locally sourced trout can lead to a congenial discourse about the lakes from which it was fished or a particularly English ingredient such as Bisto gravy (Shameful – Join the campaign for real gravy!) could prove a point of interest with the French who are generally not accustomed to prepared “just add water” sauces. Birds’ Custard has always gone down a treat in a pinch and tends to set a lot quicker than homemade custards due to the ability to thicken simply by adding more powder. I know the purists will scream but when you find out you’ve got guests coming at six and you look at the clock to realise it’s four pm already, sacrifices have to be made!

A few English quick fixes that have gone down very well with my French guests have included Rowntree’s Fruit Jelly Cubes, Bisto Gravy, Angel Delight, Extra Concentrate Cordials (Particularly for cocktail mixing) and Regal Roll Out Icing.

Of course, the prideful part of me is screaming, "I don’t use these things often" but needs must when times are hard and the kids are screaming for their supper!