Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 1 Read online

  2 Tb tomato paste

  1 cup fish stock, or ⅓ cup bottled clam juice

  1½ cups dry white wine or 1 cup dry white vermouth

  Optional: ½ Tb meat glaze

  2 Tb chopped parsley

  1 Tb fresh tarragon or 1 tsp dried tarragon

  Season the lobster, return if to the skillet, and add the shallots or green onions, and the garlic. With the skillet over moderate heat, pour in the cognac. Avert your face and ignite the cognac with a lighted match and shake the skillet slowly until the flames have subsided. Stir in all the ingredients to the left. Bring to the simmer on top of the stove. Cover and place in middle level of preheated oven. Regulate heat so lobster simmers quietly for 20 minutes.

  6 Tb softened butter

  The lobster coral and green matter

  A 3-quart mixing bowl

  While the lobster is simmering, force the lobster coral and green matter with the butter through a fine sieve into the mixing bowl and set aside.

  When the lobster is done, remove it to a side dish. Take the meat out of the shells if you wish. Set skillet with its cooking liquids over high heat and boil down rapidly until sauce has reduced and thickened slightly. It will acquire more body later when the butter and coral mixture is added. Taste very carefully for seasoning.

  (*) Recipe may be completed to this point, and finished later.

  Return the lobster to the sauce and bring to the simmer to reheat the lobster. Beat a cupful of hot sauce by driblets into the coral and butter mixture, then pour the mixture into the skillet with the lobster. Shake and swirl the skillet over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes to poach the coral and green matter, but do not bring the sauce near the simmer again.

  A ring of risotto or steamed rice

  2 to 3 Tb minced parsley, or parsley and fresh tarragon

  Arrange the lobster and sauce in the rice ring, decorate with herbs, and serve immediately.

  MUSSELS

  Moules

  Mussels, with their long, oval, blue-black shells and delicious pink-orange flesh are often called the poor man’s oyster. Clinging to rocks and piers along the seacoasts everywhere, they can be had for the picking at low tide. If you are gathering mussels yourself, take them only from places washed by clear, clean, sea water.

  SCRUBBING AND SOAKING MUSSELS

  Before they can be cooked, mussels must have a rather long and careful cleaning process to remove all possible sand from their interiors, and to rid the shells of any slime and dirt which might spoil the excellent juices they render as they steam open. Discard any mussels that are not firmly closed, or which feel lighter in weight than the rest. Discard also any too-heavy mussels, as they may be nothing but sand enclosed between two mussel shells. Scrub each mussel very clean with a rough brush under running water. Then with a small knife, scrape off the tuft of hairs, or beard, which protrudes from between one side of the closed shell halves. Set the mussels in a basin or bucket of fresh water for an hour or two so they will disgorge their sand and also lose a bit of their saltiness. Lift the mussels out of the water into a colander, wash and drain them again, and they are ready to cook.

  Note: Some cooks add flour to the soaking water on the theory that while the mussels eat the flour and become fatter and more succulent, they are at the same time disgorging their sand more thoroughly. Use ⅓ cup of flour for each 2 quarts of water, beating the flour and a bit of water with a whip first, to mix it thoroughly. Then, after soaking the mussels, lift them into a colander, and rinse them in cold water.

  CANNED MUSSELS

  Beware of sand if you are using canned mussels. If there is any sand at all in the juices at the bottom of the can, soak the mussels in several changes of cold water. Eat one, and if it is sandy, continue washing the mussels. Good quality canned mussels may be substituted for fresh mussels in all but the first two of the following recipes; the canned juices may be used as stock for your sauce. Simmer the juices with a bit of white wine or vermouth, and fill out the quantity of stock called for in your recipe with boiling milk.

  MOULES À LA MARINIÈRE · I

  [Fresh Mussels Steamed Open in Wine and Flavorings]

  Here is the simplest version of this most typical of French methods for cooking mussels. They are steamed open in a big pot with wine and flavorings, and it takes only about 5 minutes. Then the mussels, shells and all, are dipped out into soup plates, and the cooking liquor is poured over them. Each guest removes the mussels one by one from their shells with fingers or a fork and discards the shells into a side dish. In addition to shell dish and fork, provide your guests with a soupspoon for drinking up the mussel juices, a big napkin, and a finger bowl. Along with the mussels serve French bread, butter, and a chilled, light, dry white wine such as Muscadet, dry Graves, or one of the Pouillys.

  For 6 to 8 people

  2 cups of light, dry white wine or 1 cup dry white vermouth

  An 8- to 10-quart enameled kettle with cover

  ½ cup minced shallots, or green onions, or very finely minced onions

  8 parsley sprigs

  ½ bay leaf

  ¼ tsp thyme

  ⅛ tsp pepper

  6 Tb butter

  Bring the wine to the boil in the kettle with the rest of the ingredients listed. Boil for 2 to 3 minutes to evaporate its alcohol and to reduce its volume slightly.

  6 quarts scrubbed, soaked mussels

  Add the mussels to the kettle. Cover tightly and boil quickly over high heat. Frequently grasp the kettle with both hands, your thumbs clamped to the cover, and toss the mussels in the kettle with an up and down slightly jerky motion so the mussels will change levels and cook evenly. In about 5 minutes the shells will swing open and the mussels are done.

  ½ cup roughly chopped parsley

  With a big skimmer, dip the mussels into wide soup plates. Allow the cooking liquid to settle for a moment so any sand will sink to the bottom. Then ladle the liquid over the mussels, sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.

  MOULES À LA MARINIÈRE · II

  [Mussels Steamed with Wine, Flavorings, and Bread Crumbs]

  In this quite different method, bread crumbs cook with the mussels and give a liaison to the sauce. Here you must be sure that the mussels are most carefully washed and soaked so there will be no sand to mix itself with the crumbs.

  For 6 to 8 people

  3 cups finely minced onions

  ¼ lb. (8 Tb) butter

  An 8- to 10-quart enameled kettle with cover

  Cook the onions slowly in the butter for about 10 minutes, until they are tender and translucent but not browned.

  2 cups light, dry white wine or 1 cup dry white vermouth

  1½ cups fine, dry, white bread crumbs from homemade type of bread

  ½ cup chopped parsley

  ⅛ tsp pepper

  1 bay leaf

  ¼ tsp thyme

  Stir in all the ingredients at the left, cover the kettle, and simmer very slowly for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, and making sure the mixture does not scorch. Remove bay leaf.

  6 quarts scrubbed, soaked mussels

  ⅓ cup chopped parsley

  Add the mussels. Cover and toss them in the kettle. Set over high heat, tossing frequently until the mussel shells swing open. Ladle the mussels and sauce into soup plates, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.

  MOULES AU BEURRE D’ESCARGOT

  MOULES À LA PROVENÇALE

  [Mussels on the Half Shell, Gratinéed]

  These are delicious as a first course. Serve them with French bread and a rather strong, dry, white wine such as Mâcon, côtes de Provence, white Chianti, or a domestic equivalent.

  For 4 to 6 people

  48 extra large, scrubbed and soaked mussels

  For this recipe you may steam the mussels open as for moules à la marinière I, preceding, or you may open the raw mussels with a knife. We prefer the latter method. When the mussels are open, discard the empty shell halves. Arrange the remaining half shells hold
ing the mussels in a shallow baking and serving dish, or individual fireproof dishes.

  6 ounces or 1½ sticks of softened butter

  A 2-quart mixing bowl

  A wooden spoon

  3 Tb finely minced shallots or green onions

  1 to 3 cloves mashed garlic, depending on your love of garlic

  ¼ cup minced parsley

  ½ cup fine, white, dry bread crumbs

  Salt and pepper to taste

  Beat the butter in the mixing bowl until it is light and creamy. Beat in the rest of the ingredients and taste for seasoning. Spread a bit of the mixture over each mussel.

  (*) May be prepared ahead of time to this point. Cover the mussels with waxed paper and refrigerate.

  About 2 or 3 minutes before serving, run the mussels under a very hot broiler until the butter is bubbling in the shells and the crumbs have browned lightly. Serve immediately.

  SALADE DE MOULES

  [Mussels Marinated in Oil and Herbs]

  2 cups of cooked, fresh mussels (or canned or frozen mussels)

  Steam fresh mussels open as directed in moules à la marinière I. Discard shells.

  4 Tb light olive oil or salad oil

  1 Tb dry white vermouth and 1 Tb lemon juice

  2 Tb finely minced shallots or green onions

  3 Tb minced parsley or a mixture of fresh green herbs

  Pinch of pepper

  Toss the mussels in a bowl with the ingredients at the left and allow them to marinate half an hour before serving. They may be served just as they are, or you may drain them and fold into them half a cup of mayonnaise. Place them in a bowl or individual shells.

  MOULES EN SAUCE

  MOUCLADES

  MOULES À LA POULETTE

  MOULES À LA BÉARNAISE

  [Sauced Mussels Served in Scallop Shells]

  This is a more formal recipe for mussels. They are steamed open with wine and flavorings, then a rich, creamy, buttery sauce is made with their cooking liquid. This is the same heavily buttered sauce parisienne found, but with a quite different flavor. If the mussels are served on the half shell, as they often are in Brittany, they are called mouclades. We have suggested in the following recipe that they be shelled, sauced, and served in scallop shells; done this way they may be prepared ahead of time. There are naturally many versions and flavorings for mussels served in a sauce. For instance, if you omitted the curry, garlic, and fennel in the recipe, and substituted ½ cup of mushroom stems, your mussel dish would be à la poulette. Also, if you omitted the special flavorings, and the cream, egg yolks, and butter enrichment, then stirred a cup of béarnaise sauce into your velouté just before serving, you would have moules à la béarnaise.

  For 6 people

  5 to 6 quarts scrubbed, soaked mussels. (A 2-hour soaking is advisable here to rid the mussels of as much salt as possible)

  The wine and flavoring for moules à la marinière I plus:

  ¼ tsp curry powder

  A pinch of fennel

  1 clove mashed garlic

  Steam the mussels open in wine and flavorings, following the method for moules à la marinière I. Shell the mussels and place them in a bowl. Strain the mussel cooking liquor into an enameled saucepan and rapidly boil it down over high heat to concentrate its flavor. Taste it frequently as it boils; you may find that if you reduce it too much, the salt content will be overpowering. Measure out 1½ cups of the concentrated liquor to be used in the following sauce:

  3 Tb butter

  4 Tb flour

  A 2-quart, heavy-bottomed enameled saucepan

  A wooden spoon

  Stir the butter and flour over low heat in the saucepan until they foam and froth together for 2 minutes without coloring. Remove roux from heat.

  A wire whip

  Strain the hot mussel cooking liquor into the flour and butter roux, being sure not to add any sand that may have collected at the bottom of the mussel kettle. Beat roux and liquid with a wire whip to blend thoroughly. Bring to the boil, stirring, for 1 minute. Sauce will be very thick.

  2 egg yolks

  ½ cup whipping cream

  A mixing bowl

  A wire whip

  A wooden spoon Salt and pepper

  Drops of lemon juice

  Blend the egg yolks and cream in the mixing bowl. Gradually beat in the hot sauce, in a thin stream of droplets. Pour the sauce back into the pan. Set over moderately high heat and stir with a wooden spoon, reaching all over the bottom of the pan, until the sauce comes to the boil. Boil 1 minute, stirring. Remove from heat and taste carefully for seasoning, stirring in salt, pepper, and drops of lemon juice if necessary. Fold the mussels into the sauce.

  (*) If not to be served immediately, clean sauce off sides of pan and film top of sauce with milk. Set aside uncovered, and reheat to simmer when ready to use.

  4 to 8 Tb softened butter

  6 buttered scallop shells or porcelain or pyrex shells of ½ cup capacity

  Parsley sprigs

  Just before serving, and off heat, fold the butter into the hot sauce and mussels 1 tablespoon at a time. Fold until each bit is absorbed before adding the next. Heap the mixture into the shells, decorate with parsley, and serve immediately.

  VARIATIONS

  Pilaf de Moules

  [Sauced Mussels in a Rice Ring]

  Prepare and sauce the mussels exactly as in the preceding recipe, but serve them in a ring of risotto.

  Soupe aux Moules

  [Mussel Soup]

  The very same recipe may also be turned into a mussel soup. After enriching the sauce with cream and egg yolks, thin it out to a cream soup consistency with several cups of boiling milk. Then add the mussels, and bring just to the simmer. Off heat, and just before serving, fold in 2 tablespoons of butter, one by one. Decorate with minced parsley or chervil.

  OTHER RECIPES–OTHER SAUCES

  Fish Recipes Appearing in Other Chapters

  FISH SOUFFLÉS

  Salmon Soufflé

  Flounder Soufflé with sauce mousseline sabayon

  Shellfish Soufflé

  Fish Soufflé Baked on a Platter

  Unmolded Soufflés

  Fish Timbales

  Fish Quenelles

  Creamed Shellfish

  Shellfish Quiche, open-faced tart

  Gratin of Canned Salmon or Tuna, or of Fish Leftovers

  Bouillabaisse

  Crab or Lobster in Aspic

  Salmon Mousse

  Fish and Shellfish Mousse

  Sauces for Boiled or Baked Fish

  Hollandaise and Variations

  Mock Hollandaise and Variations

  White Butter Sauce and Lemon Butter Sauce

  Brown Butter Sauce

  Sauce Chivry, white-wine herb sauce

  Aïoli, garlic mayonnaise

  Sauce Alsacienne, herbal mayonnaise with soft-boiled eggs

  Sauce Ravigote, vinaigrette with herbs, capers and onions

  Sour Cream Dressing

  Sauces for Sautéed or Broiled Fish

  Mustard Sauce

  Brown Butter Sauce

  Many of the Flavored Butters

  Sauces for Cold Fish

  Mayonnaise and Variations

  Sauce Ravigote, vinaigrette with herbs, capers, and onions

  Sour Cream Dressing

  CHAPTER SIX

  POULTRY

  Volaille

  CHICKEN

  Poulet—Poularde

  SOME OF THE most glorious dishes of the French cuisine have been created for chicken, and almost all the fundamentals of French cookery and sauce making are to be found somewhere in the chicken realm. The most important aspect of chicken cooking is that you procure a good and flavorsome bird. Modern poultry raising has done wonders in making it possible to grow a fine-looking chicken in record time and to sell it at a most reasonable price, but rarely does anyone in the country discuss flavor. If you are interested in price alone, you will often end up with something that tastes like t
he stuffing inside a teddy bear and needs strong dousings of herbs, wines, and spices to make it at all palatable. A chicken should taste like chicken and be so good in itself that it is an absolute delight to eat as a perfectly plain, buttery roast, sauté, or grill. So when you buy chicken, make every attempt to find a market which takes special pride in the quality and flavor of its poultry.

  CHICKEN TYPES

  Chickens fall into several categories, all of which relate to age. Age dictates the cooking method. A broiler, for instance, may be broiled, or roasted, but its very tender flesh becomes dry and stringy if it is fricasseed. The fullflavored stewing hen, on the other hand, must be fricasseed or stewed, as its flesh is too firm to be cooked in any other way.

  DEFROSTING FROZEN CHICKEN

  The best method for defrosting frozen chicken, according to those in the business, is the slowest: leave it in its transparent wrapper and let it thaw in the refrigerator. It will lose much less of its juice and flavor. The best alternative is to unwrap it and thaw it in a basin of cold, running water, removing the package of giblets from the cavity as soon as it can be pried loose, and pulling the legs and wings away from the body as soon as they will move.

  Sometimes frozen roasters, fryers, and broilers can be quite tough and stringy. According to the Poultry and Egg National Board, this is usually the result of their having been frozen while they were too fresh. If the frozen chicken is flavorless, it may have thawed and been refrozen several times, so the juices escaped; or it may be too young a bird to have a developed flavor.