de la bonne nourriture

I, Bryan,  had the unique privilege of receiving a cooking lesson, or three, from my grandmother, who is without a doubt the best cook I know.  Having received formal lessons in French cuisine, I thought it best for her to teach me some of the most intimidating and delectable French meals known.  I had tried Creme Brulee before, twice, and had butchered it.  The recipe had called for too many eggs the first time, so I reduced the number by half, and still ended up with egg soufflé, covered in sugar and vanilla.  Within three hours, I had learned to master three daring recipes: Coq au Vin, Veal al Limone, and Creme Brulee.  The recipes are listed below, and I have no suggestions to improve the quality of the finished products.  Follow the recipes, and you'll be on your way to Heaven, especially if you use enough butter.

Coq Au Vin

serves 4

• 4 slices bacon, cut in small pieces
• 2 tablespoons chopped onion
• 1 2.5-to-3 lb. ready-to-cook broiler-fryer chicken, cut up
• 8 challots or small whole onions
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped carrot
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons brandy (cognac)
• 1 pint fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 to 4 sprigs parsley
• 1 medium bay leaf
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 celery branch with leaves, cut up
• 2 cups red burgundy

Personal Suggestions: For brandy, use Courvoisier (Le Cognac de Napoleon)-it is the best brandy on the market, and it makes a difference.  I have just purchased some to use for when I cook this recipe in Gainesville.  The parsley and thyme should be fresh from a garden, if possible.  As far as the wine, we used a merlot (the only thing merlot is good for) and it turned out beautifully.  No doubt, burgundy will improve it even more.  

Directions: 

     Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  In a skillet, brown bacon pieces and chopped onion; remove.  Add chicken pieces and brown slowly in bacon drippings; remove chicken.  Add shallots, carrot, garlic, and brandy; cook about 3 minutes.  Cook mushrooms in butter.

     

     Make Bouquet Garni: In a tea ball or cheesecloth bag combine parsley, bay leaf, thyme, celery.  Place in a 2-quart casserole.  Arrange chicken, vegetables, and mushrooms in layers.  Add wine to the skillet; heat to boiling and stir to loosen the crusty brown bits.  Pour mixture over casserole.  Cover; bake at 350 degrees F for 2 hours.  Remove Boquet Garni.  

This dish was as fabulous as it looks, maybe even better, and it held well in the Freezer.  If you want to freeze it, just pull it out and defrost it in the oven on 275 degrees for approximately 30 minutes, and after stirring the juices, voila, you have a fresh meal suitable only for you and your most welcome guests.  

Veal al Limone: 

Serves 2-4.

This dish is infamous for its level of intimidation, but follow the recipe and you'll look like a pro.    

• 1/2 pound veal scallops, cut 1/2 inch thick and pounded until 1/4 inch thick
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• flour
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3/4 cup beef stock, fresh (or canned)
• 6 thin lemon slices
• 1 tablespoon juice
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened

Personal suggestions:  I'm a purist, so I like everything as fresh as possible.  Freshly ground black pepper will make a difference; I use it in my kitchen almost every night.  Don't worry about calories or cholesterol, you're cooking French food!  Use real butter.  The better the quality of olive oil, the better the veal will brown, thus making it even more heavenly.  I love chained-up baby cow-delicious. Try not to think about it...Also, at $15 per pound for veal, don't try to cut costs by using cheap ingredients elsewhere on the list.  Fresh lemons are a necessity for squeezing the lemon juice.  Beef stock would be best fresh as well.  You can make it yourself, and it will probably be superior to canned beef stock.  Also, this dish is on the light side, so you could serve it with a vegetable as well.  We used fresh spinach, which had been cleaned using a spinner that was half-filled with water, and then sauteed in a little bit of butter with the cover placed on the pan.  

Directions: Season the veal scallops with salt and pepper; then dip them in flour and shake off the excess.  In a heavy skillet, melt two tablespoons of butter with the olive oil over moderate heat.  When the foam subsides, add the veal, 4 or 5 scallops at a time, and sauté them until they are golden brown.  (remember, don't burn them, they will be subjected to more heat later on in the cooking process).  Transfer the veal to a plate.  Pour off most of the fat from the skillet.  Add 1/2 cup beef stock and boil it briskly for 1 or 2 minutes, stirring constantly and scraping in any browned bits in the pan.  Return the veal to the skillet and arrange the lemon slices on top.  Cover the skillet and simmer over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, or until veal is tender.  (It only took me three minutes to finish cooking the veal, so monitor closely.  You can tell when the veal is cooked by cutting a piece with a fork and knife, and recognizing that it feels proper.  This dish is very easy to ruin by overcooking the veal, reducing its tenderness drastically.)  To serve, transfer the scallops to a heated platter.  Add the remaining 1/2 cup beef stock to the juices in the skillet and boil briskly until the sauce is like a syrupy glaze.  Add the lemon juice and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.  Remove the pan from the heat; stir in 2 tablespoons of soft butter and pour the sauce over the scallops.  

Creme Brulee

serves 4.  Must prepare ahead of time (will be chilled for 4 hours)

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 4 egg yolks
• 2 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup sifted light brown sugar

Personal Suggestions: Once again, I'm a purist, so if you can make something yourself, why not.  You can make a vanilla-flavored sugar yourself, which will hold for at least six months; you can also make your own vanilla-extract.  For the vanilla-flavored sugar, take a vanilla bean, cut it parallel to the length of the stick, and pull the seeds out.  Bury them in about 1/2 cup of sugar in a small jar, and then wedge the remaining vanilla "stick" into the sugar.  Leave this over night.  The next day, pull out the vanilla "stick," which can be used for other things, and you now have your own vanilla-flavored sugar.  This is especially useful for a dessert like Creme Brulee, because it will provide the extra punch needed for deliciousness.  To make your own vanilla extract, take the vanilla "stick" that was retrieved from the sugar, and place it in another jar.  Fill the jar up to the top of the stick with brandy (preferably Courvoisier) and seal it.  You now have your own vanilla extract, at the price of a small fortune.  These suggestions were given to me by my grandmother, so I must give her credit.  

Directions: Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Heat cream in top of double boiler.  Beat egg yolks constantly, while gradually adding granulated sugar.  Remove cream from heat and pour into egg mixture very slowly (trickle), while stirring constantly (this step of the recipe may necessitate another person to assist).  Add vanilla extract.  Pour into a one-and-one half quart casserole, if you want to present it as one large dessert.  Otherwise, you can pour into 4 separate ramekins, possibly 6.  Place in a pan of hot water and bake uncovered for about 45 to 50 minutes, or until a knife inserted in center returns clean.  When custard is set, chill for four hours.  When ready to serve, sprinkle with sifted brown sugar.  The sifting part is absolutely necessary; the more it is sifted, the better.  Place under broiler for about a minute or until sugar melts.  Another way to do this is to use a Kitchen Torch, constantly moving the flame in fast circles, starting on the outside and working the way inward.  If you do this, be sure not to burn the sugar; you're looking for a beautiful, golden-light brown color.  Let the sugar cool off and solidify before serving (it's fresh from the oven below.)  This is now ready to serve, and your guests will salivate over your creation.