Fresh Fruit with French Cream
French creme franche is somewhat like sour cream but less acid tasting.
2/3 cup whipping cream
1/3 cup dairy sour cream
2 to 3 cups assorted fresh fruit*
Ground nutmeg or sugar
Gradually stir whipping cream into dairy sour cream. Cover and refrigerate no longer than 48 hours. Serve over fruit. Sprinkle with nutmeg.
Yields 4 to 6 servings.
* Blueberries, raspberries, sliced peaches, cubed pineapple, strawberries, kiwi fruit
French Ring Cake (Savarin)
This is traditionally served with fresh fruit in France.
1 package active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees F)
3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
4 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
Savarin Syrup
1/2 cup apricot preserves
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Dissolve yeast in warm water in 3-quart bowl. Stir in butter, eggs, 2 tablespoons sugar, the salt and 1 cup of the flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in remaining flour until smooth. Beat 25 strokes. Spread batter evenly in well-greased 8-cup metal ring mold or 10-inch tube pan. Cover; let rise in warm place until almost double, 50 to 60 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. If top is browning too quickly, cover loosely with aluminum foil. Cool in mold 10 minutes. Remove from mold; cool slightly on wire rack.
Prepare Savarin Syrup. Place cake on serving plate. Poke holes in cake with a fine skewer. Slowly drizzle syrup on cake until all syrup is absorbed. Press apricot preserves through strainer. Heat preserves and 2 tablespoons sugar to boiling, stirring constantly; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered until slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Spread apricot glaze over cake. Cake can be served with fresh berries or peaches and sweetened whipped cream if desired.
Savarin Syrup
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
1/4 cup brandy, rum or orange-flavored liqueur
Heat sugar and water to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 2 minutes; cool to lukewarm. Stir in brandy.
Baba au Rhum
Stir 1/2 cup raisins into Savarin batter. Spread in well-greased 8- or 9-cup metal mold or 9-cup Bundt cake pan. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Use rum in the syrup and omit apricot glaze if desired.
French Garden Peas
1 1/2 cups shelled fresh green peas*
1 cup shredded lettuce
3 scallions, sliced
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
Dash of pepper
Heat all ingredients to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until peas are tender, about 8 minutes.
Yields 4 servings.
* 1 (10 ounce) package frozen green peas can be substituted.
French Bread
1 package active dry yeast
1 1/4 cups warm water (105 to 115 degrees F)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 3/4 to 3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1 egg white
2 tablespoons cold water
Dissolve yeast in warm water in large bowl. Stir in sugar, salt and 2 cups of the flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place in greased bowl; turn greased side up. Cover with damp cloth; let rise in warm place until double, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.
Punch dough down; cover and let rest 15 minutes. Grease cookie sheet; sprinkle with cornmeal. Roll dough into a 15 x 10-inch rectangle. Roll up tightly, beginning at 15-inch side; seal edge. Roll gently back and forth to taper ends. Place on cookie sheet. Make 1/4-inch slashes in loaf at 2-inch intervals or make 1 lengthwise slash. Brush top of loaf with cold water. Let rise uncovered until double, 1 1/2 hours.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Brush loaf with cold water. Bake 20 minutes. Mix egg white and 2 tablespoons water; brush over loaf. Bake until loaf is deep golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped, about 25 minutes.
French Boiled Dinner (Pot au Feu)
Pot au Feu means "pot in the fire."
1 1/2 pounds beef boneless chuck roast
1 marrow bone (optional)
8 black peppercorns
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
4 cups water
1 1/2 pounds chicken drumsticks
10 to 12 small carrots
10 to 12 small onions or 3 large
onions, cut into fourths
3 medium turnips, cut into fourths
4 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Place beef, marrow bone, peppercorns, 1 teaspoon salt, thyme and bay leaf in Dutch oven. Add water. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 1 hour. Add chicken; cover and simmer 1 hour longer.
Add carrots, onions, turnips and celery; sprinkle with 3/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Cover and simmer until beef and vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes.
Remove chicken and vegetables to warm platter; slice beef. Strain broth; serve in soup bowls as a first course.
Yields 10 to 12 servings.
French Bean Casserole with Pork (Cassoulet)
4 cups water
1 pound (2 1/2 cups) dried Great Northern or navy beans
1 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder
1 pound link sausage, 1-inch pieces
6 slices bacon, 2-inch pieces
4 medium carrots, sliced
2 medium onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Minced parsley
Heat water and beans to boiling in Dutch oven; boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 1 hour. Add enough water to cover beans if necessary. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until almost tender, about 1 1/2 hours (do not boil or beans will burst). Drain, reserving liquid.
Trim fat from pork; cut pork into 3/4-inch cubes. Cook and stir pork, sausage and bacon over medium heat until brown; drain. Place beans, meat mixture, carrots, onions, garlic and bay leaves in ungreased 4-quart bean pot, casserole or Dutch oven. Add enough water to reserved bean liquid to measure 2 cups.
Mix reserved liquid, tomato paste, salt, thyme, mustard and pepper; pour over beans. Add water to almost cover mixture. Cover and bake at 325 degrees F, stirring occasionally, 1 hour.
Uncover and bake until beans are of desired consistency, about 30 minutes.
Remove bay leaves. Garnish with parsley.
Yields 8 servings.
Fish with Green Grapes (Poisson Veronique)
2 pounds fish fillets
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup water
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots or scallion
1 tablespoon lemon juice
8 ounces (about 1 1/3 cups) seedless green grapes
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper; fold in half. Place fish in 10-inch skillet; add wine, water, shallots and lemon juice. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until fish flakes easily with fork, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove with slotted spatula to heatproof platter; keep warm. Add grapes to liquid in skillet. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 3 minutes. Remove grapes with slotted spoon.
Heat liquid in skillet to boiling; boil until reduced to 1 cup. Pour liquid into measuring cup; reserve. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in skillet until melted; stir in flour. Cook and stir 1 minute; remove from heat. Stir in reserved liquid and whipping cream. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Add 2 tablespoons butter; stir until melted. Drain excess liquid from fish; spoon sauce over fish.
Preheat oven to broil or 550 degrees F. Broil fish 4 inches from heat just until sauce is glazed, about 3 minutes. Garnish with grapes.
Yields 6 to 8 servings.
Fish Soup Provencale (Bouride)
Restaurants along the French Riviera serve this with garlic-buttered French bread slices.
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise or salad dressing
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup butter or margarine
12 slices French bread
1 clove garlic, cut into halves
1 pound fish fillets, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
6 slices onion
3 slices lemon
5 sprigs parsley
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
Paprika
Mix mayonnaise and crushed garlic; cover and refrigerate
Heat 1/4 cup of the butter in 12-inch skillet until melted. Toast 6 of the bread slices in skillet over medium heat until brown on both sides; rub one side of bread with half clove garlic. Remove from skillet; keep warm. Repeat with remaining butter, bread and garlic.
Place fish in single layer in skillet. Add wine, onion and lemon slices, parsley, bay leaf, salt and just enough water to cover. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered until fish flakes easily with fork, about 6 minutes. Remove fish with slotted spoon; keep warm.
Strain fish broth. Pour 1 1/2 cups of the broth into 2-quart saucepan; gradually beat in mayonnaise mixture. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened.
Place 2 slices of the French bread upright in each soup bowl; spoon fish between slices. Pour soup over fish; sprinkle with paprika.
Yields 6 servings.