World Recipes

Creamy Custard Sauce with Fruit (Creme Anglaise aux Fruits)

Creme Anglaise is probably the most important sauce in French cooking. It is the base for ice creams, bombes and Bavarians, and is the basis of many molds and custards. By itself it is delicious spooned over plain cakes, pastries and fruit.

3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
3 to 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
Dash of salt
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 to 3 cups assorted fresh fruit*

Mix egg yolks, sugar and salt in a heavy saucepan. Stir in milk gradually. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture coats a metal spoon, 15 to 20 minutes. Do not boil. The custard sauce will thicken slightly as it cools.

Remove sauce from heat; stir in vanilla extract. Place saucepan in cold water until sauce is cool. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours but no longer than 24 hours.

Serve over fruit.

Yields 4 to 6 servings.

* Blueberries or raspberries and sliced peaches or strawberries and cubed pineapple

Cream of Lettuce Soup (Potage Creme de Laitue)

1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup butter or margarine
2 large heads Boston lettuce or 2 small
    bunches romaine, finely chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups water
1 tablespoon instant chicken bouillon
1 cup half-and-half
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Mint leaves or parsley

Cook and stir onion in butter in 3-quart saucepan over low heat until tender. Reserve 1 cup lettuce; stir remaining lettuce into onion. Cover and cook over low heat until lettuce wilts, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour; cook and stir 1 minute. Add water and bouillon. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Pour mixture into blender container. Cover and blend on high speed until smooth, about 30 seconds; pour into saucepan. Stir in reserved lettuce, half-and-half, salt and pepper. Heat just to boiling. Garnish with mint.

Coq au Vin

1 (4 pound) chicken, cut into pieces
1/2 to 3/4 cup flour
Vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, sliced
3 large potatoes, cut in quarters
3 large carrots, cut in half
3 tablespoons butter, melted
3 cups dry red wine
1 (3 ounce) can sliced mushrooms, liquid reserved
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups rice, cooked

Coat chicken pieces with flour. Brown a few pieces at a time in vegetable oil in a large skillet. Place pieces in a 13 x 9-inch casserole. Arrange garlic, onion, potatoes and carrots around the chicken. Drain oil from skillet. Add butter, wine, mushrooms with liquid and salt. Scrape browned bits from bottom. Pour over chicken. Cover and bake at 325 degrees F for 2 hours.

Cook rice and mound in center of platter. Arrange chicken and vegetables around rice. Pour sauce over rice.

Yields 4 to 6 servings.

Chicken in Red Wine (Coq au Vin Rouge)

Serve over noodles or with parsleyed potatoes.

6 slices bacon
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (3 to 3 1/2 pound) broiler-fryer chicken, cut up
1 pound fresh mushrooms
1/2 pound tiny pearl onions
8 baby carrots
2 1/2 cups dry red wine
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
Bouquet garni
Minced parsley

Fry bacon in Dutch oven until crisp; remove bacon. Mix flour, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. Coat chicken with flour mixture. Cook chicken in hot bacon fat over medium heat until light brown on all sides, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove chicken. Cook mushrooms, onions and carrots until light brown. Drain fat.

Return chicken to Dutch oven; crumble bacon over chicken and vegetables. Stir in wine, chicken broth, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and bouquet garni. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until thickest pieces of chicken are done, 35 to 40 minutes.

Skim fat; remove bouquet garni. Sprinkle with parsley; serve in soup bowls.

Yields 6 to 8 servings

Chicken Fricassee (Fricasse de Poulet)

2 medium carrots, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced
4 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 (2 1/2 to 3 pound) broiler-fryer chicken, cut up
2 cups water
1 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons instant chicken bouillon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 bouquets garni
16 small white onions
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons minced parsley
Hot cooked rice or noodles

Cook and stir carrots, sliced onion and celery in 4 tablespoons butter in Dutch oven until onions are tender; push to side. Add chicken; cook uncovered until light brown, about 10 minutes.

Add water, 1/2 cup of the wine, bouillon, salt and 1 bouquet garni. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until thickest pieces of chicken are done, about 40 minutes.

Heat onions, 2 tablespoons butter, remaining wine and 1 bouquet garni to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until onions are tender, about 25 minutes.

Remove chicken and onions to warm platter with slotted spoon. Strain bouillon and onion liquid together; discard bouquets garni, carrots, onion and celery slices. Skim fat. Add mushrooms and lemon juice and heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered until reduced to 2 1/2 cups.

Mix egg yolks and whipping cream. Beat 1 cup hot broth by tablespoonsful into whipping cream mixture. Beat in remaining broth. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute: pour over chicken and onions. Sprinkle with parsley.

Serve with rice or hot buttered noodles.

Yields 6 to 8 servings.

Prune Filling

1 pound pitted dry prunes, cooked
1 cup liquid from cooked prunes
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Cover prunes with cold water; stir in sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook slowly, stirring constantly until smooth and thick. Remove from heat and add lemon juice, grated rind and cinnamon. Apricots may be used in place of prunes.

Makes enough filling for 3 dozen kolaches.

Custard Kolaches

1 1/2 cups warm water (use 1/4 cup of this with yeast)
1 (3 ounce) box custard mix (not pudding mix)
1 teaspoon salt
2 packages dry yeast
3 cups flour (may use up to 3/4 cup more if dough is
    sticky after rising)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Mix yeast with 1/4 cup of warm water. Add custard mix when yeast is dissolved. Add remaining ingredients in order. Let rise until double in size.

Punch down and make walnut-size balls. Grease tops and let rise again on greased cookie sheet.

Make indentations and fill with favorite filling. Bake at 400 degrees F for about 8 minutes until light brown.

Zupa Ziemniaczana (Polish Potato Soup)

Posted by Olga at recipegoldmine.com 3/28/02 8:34:13 am

This is a hearty creamy soup is simple, but has a surprisingly rich flavor. Instead of the sour cream, milk can be used, but sour cream tastes much better.

7 medium potatoes (2 3/4 pounds), peeled
    and cut into 1- to 1 1/2-inch cubes
3 medium carrots (9 ounces), peeled and thinly sliced
3 celery stalks (3 1/2 ounces), thinly sliced
1 large onion (12 ounces), peeled and chopped
1 1/2 quarts (48 ounces) water
2 cups (16 ounces) broth (chicken, beef or pork)
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) butter
2 tablespoons (1/2 ounce) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup (9 ounces) sour cream or 1 (8 ounce) container

Place the potatoes, carrots, celery and onion into a large pot. Add the water and broth, and cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid. Cook the soup over medium heat for 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Stir in the flour, salt, and pepper. Cook the mixture over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until it bubbles. Add 1/4 cup of the sour cream, stirring till smooth, then add the remaining sour cream and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Stir the sour cream into the soup. Bring it to a simmer over medium heat, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Serve the soup hot, garnished with chopped parsley, chives, or scallions, if desired.

Yield: about 14 cups, 9 to 10 generous servings.