World Recipes

Vegetable Ragout (Ratatouille)

1 small eggplant
1 medium onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
4 medium tomatoes, quartered
1 medium zucchini, sliced
1 medium green bell pepper, cut into strips
1/4 cup minced parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Cut eggplant into 1/2-inch cubes. Cook and stir onion and garlic in oil in skillet until onion is tender. Add eggplant and remaining ingredients. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 10 minutes.

Yields 8 servings.

Scallops and Mushrooms in Wine Sauce (Coquilles Saint-Jacques, la Parisienne)

Coquille is the French word for "shell." Coquilles Saint-Jacques is the French name for "scallops."

2 (12 ounce) packages frozen scallops,
    thawed, or 1 1/2 pound fresh scallops
1 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup minced parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
4 ounces mushrooms, sliced (2 cups)
2 scallions or shallots, chopped
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1 cup soft bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

If scallops are large, cut into 1-inch pieces. Place scallops, wine, parsley and salt in 3-quart saucepan. Add just enough water to cover scallops. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered until scallops are tender, about 8 minutes. Remove scallops with slotted spoon; reserve liquid. Heat reserved liquid to boiling. Boil until reduced to 1 cup. Strain and reserve.

Heat 2 tablespoons butter in 3-quart saucepan until melted. Cook and stir mushrooms and shallots in margarine until tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from pan. Add 3 tablespoons butter; heat until melted. Remove from heat; stir in flour. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat; stir in reserved liquid. Cook and stir 1 minute. Stir in half-and-half, scallops, mushrooms, shallots and 1/4 cup of the cheese; heat until hot.

Toss bread crumbs in melted butter. Lightly brush 5 or 6 baking shells or ramekins with margarine. Divide scallop mixture among baking shells. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and the crumbs.

Set oven to broil or 550 degrees F. Broil 5 inches from heat until crumbs are toasted, 3 to 5 minutes.

Yields 6 servings.

Sauce Bernaise

1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon minced scallion
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
3 peppercorns
3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon warm water
1/2 cup butter
1/4 teaspoon salt

Boil vinegar, wine, onion, tarragon and peppercorns in small saucepan until liquid has reduced to 2 tablespoons. Pour liquid through fine sieve. In top of double boiler, over just simmering water, blend egg yolks and warm water until creamy. Bottom of double boiler should not touch water.

Melt butter over low heat; add 1/2 teaspoons to yolk mixture, beating well with a wire whisk after each addition. Set bottom of pan in a cold water bath if eggs start to look like scrambled eggs. After some butter has been added, up to 1 teaspoon of butter can be added at one time. Leave the white residue in bottom of butter pan. After butter is added, stir in vinegar mixture and salt.

Yields 3/4 cup.

Radish and Watercress Salad (Radis Repes)

8 ounces watercress
3 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly-ground pepper
12 radishes, sliced 

Remove tough stems from watercress; break sprigs into bite-size pieces. Arrange watercress on plates. Mix oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Pour over radishes; toss. Spoon radish mixture over watercress.

Yields 6 servings.

Onion Tart (Pissaladiere)

This is a rustic French bread featuring the Provensal touch of olive oil and anchovies and cured olives of the Mediterranean.

1 (16 ounce) loaf frozen bread dough
3 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
3 large onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon snipped fresh basil or thyme
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
2 (2 ounce) cans anchovy fillets, drained
10 oil-cured Greek olives, cut into halves and pitted

Thaw bread dough as directed on package. Heat oil in 10-inch skillet until hot. Stir in onions; reduce heat. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are very tender, about 25 minutes. Stir in basil and white pepper. Shape dough into flattened rectangle on lightly floured surface. Roll dough with floured rolling pin into a 14 x 11-inch rectangle. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet; let rest 15 minutes.

Spoon onion mixture evenly over dough to within 1 inch of edge. Arrange anchovies in lattice pattern on onions. Top with olives. Let tart rest 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Bake until crust is brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Herbed Liver Pate (Pate Provensal)

This recipe needs the special brandy made in the Cognac region of France. Serve with cornichons (tiny pickled gherkins).

1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 pound chicken livers
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground sage
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons Cognac or Madeira
1/4 cup whipping cream
French bread, thinly sliced and toasted

Cook and stir onion in butter in 10-inch skillet over medium heat until tender. Add livers. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until livers are no longer pink inside, about 12 minutes. Reduce heat to low; stir in salt, thyme, rosemary, marjoram, sage and pepper. Cook and stir 1 minute.

Place liver mixture in food processor work bowl fitted with steel blade. Add Cognac to skillet; stir Cognac, and scrape drippings from skillet. Add to liver mixture. Cover and process with about 15 pulses until mixture is very finely chopped. Add whipping cream. Cover and process, adding 2 or 3 teaspoons whipping cream if necessary, until smooth and fluffy, about 15 seconds.

Pack liver mixture into small bowl or crock. Cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours. Let stand at room temperature about 30 minutes before serving. Serve with French bread. Garnish with cornichons and parsley if desired.

Makes 1 1/2 cups.

Gruyere Ring (Gougre)

1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

 Heat milk and butter to rolling boil in 2-quart saucepan. Stir in flour. Stir vigorously over low heat until mixture forms a ball, about 1 minute; remove from heat. Beat in 4 eggs all at once; continue beating until smooth. Fold in 2/3 cup of the cheese. Drop dough by tablespoonsful onto greased cookie sheet to form 8-inch ring; smooth with spatula. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake until puffed and golden, 50 to 60 minutes.

Gingered Pear Sorbet

Decorate each serving with a dash of ground ginger, fresh mint sprig or a sprinkling of finely chopped crystallized ginger.

1 (29 ounce) can pear halves,
    drained and syrup reserved
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped crystallized
    ginger or 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

Heat 1 cup of the reserved syrup and the sugar to boiling, stirring constantly; remove from heat. Cool. Place pears, half at a time, in blender container; cover and puree until smooth. Mix syrup, puree, lemon juice and ginger; pour into metal ice cube tray with the dividers removed or a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Freeze until partially frozen, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Pour into blender; blend on medium speed until smooth and fluffy. Return to ice cube tray. Freeze until firm, about 3 hours.

Let stand at room temperature about 10 minutes before serving. Yields 6 servings.