Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 1 Read online

  PREPARATION FOR COOKING

  Choose thin asparagus spears ¼ to ⅜ of an inch in diameter. Hold each by its butt end and, moving your fingers up toward the tip, bend the spear until it snaps in two, usually at about the halfway point. (Set the butt ends aside; they may be peeled and cooked, and are good for soups or purées.) Scrape off all the scales below the tip and wash the asparagus. Cut the tips off so each is 1½ inches long and tie in bundles about 2 inches in diameter. Dice the remaining stalks.

  POINTES D’ASPERGES AU BEURRE

  [Buttered Asparagus Tips]

  For 4 to 6 people as a vegetable garnish

  Blanching

  2 lbs. asparagus tips prepared as directed in preceding paragraph

  6 quarts rapidly boiling water

  3 Tb salt

  Drop the diced asparagus stalks in the boiling salted water and boil 5 minutes. Then add the asparagus bundles and boil slowly for 5 to 8 minutes more, or until just tender. Remove bundles carefully and drain; drain the diced stalks.

  (*) If you are cooking the asparagus in advance or wish to serve it cold, plunge for a minute or two in cold water to stop the cooking and set the color. Drain.

  Braising in butter

  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

  A covered baking dish or fireproof baking and serving dish

  1 Tb softened butter

  Salt and pepper

  4 Tb melted butter

  A round of waxed paper

  Smear the baking dish with softened butter. Arrange the diced asparagus stalks in the bottom; season with salt, pepper, and part of the melted butter. Remove strings and arrange the asparagus tips over the stalks. Season with salt, pepper, and butter, and lay the waxed paper on top. Heat for a moment on top of the stove; cover the casserole and place in middle level of oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until asparagus is hot through. Serve immediately.

  VARIATION: SAUCES

  Sauces for hot and cold asparagus are listed. If you are serving a hot sauce, you may wish only to blanch the asparagus tips and omit the braising-in-butter step in the preceding recipe.

  FROZEN ASPARAGUS

  Frozen asparagus will always be limp however you cook it; the following method is as good as any we have found. Allow the asparagus to thaw partially before cooking so the spears can be separated and will cook more evenly. If you are doing more than two boxes at a time, use two wide saucepans in order that the cooking water will boil away by the time the asparagus is done.

  For each 10-ounce box of frozen asparagus, partially thawed:

  ½ cup water

  ⅛ tsp salt

  1 Tb butter

  A wide enameled saucepan or skillet

  A cover Pinch of pepper

  More salt, if needed

  A hot vegetable dish

  Melted butter or one of the sauces listed

  Bring the water, salt, and butter to the boil in the saucepan or skillet. Add the asparagus, cover, and boil slowly for 5 to 8 minutes or until asparagus is tender. Remove cover, raise heat, and quickly boil off any remaining liquid. Correct seasoning. Arrange in vegetable dish, pour on sauce or pass it separately, and serve as soon as possible.

  TIMBALE D’ASPERGES

  [Asparagus Mold]

  This asparagus custard is served unmolded as a first course or luncheon dish, or may be served with roast or sautéed veal or chicken. The custard mixture may be prepared hours in advance of cooking, and the cooked mold may be kept warm for a considerable time or reheated. You can mold the custard in individual cups if you wish.

  NOTE: Chopped, cooked Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, or puréed green peas may be cooked in the same way; substitute 2½ to 3 cups of any of these vegetables for the asparagus.

  For 6 people

  Flavorless salad oil

  A 6-cup soufflé mold

  ¼ cup stale, white bread crumbs

  Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Oil the mold. Roll bread crumbs in it to cover the entire inner surface. Knock out excess crumbs.

  ½ cup finely minced onions

  1 Tb butter

  Cook the onions slowly in butter for about 10 minutes in a covered saucepan, not allowing them to color.

  A 3-quart mixing bowl

  Big pinch of white pepper

  ¼ tsp salt

  Pinch of nutmeg

  ½ cup grated Swiss cheese

  ⅔ cup stale, white bread crumbs

  5 eggs

  1 cup milk brought to the boil with 4 Tb butter

  Scrape the onions into the mixing bowl. Stir in the seasonings, cheese, and bread crumbs. Beat in the eggs. In a thin stream of droplets, beat in the hot milk and butter.

  3 lbs. boiled, fresh asparagus, or 3 cups cooked frozen asparagus, or canned asparagus

  Salt and pepper

  Cut the tender portion of the asparagus spears into ½-inch pieces. Fold the asparagus into the custard mixture. Correct seasoning.

  (*) May be prepared ahead to this point.

  A pan of boiling water large enough to hold the mold easily

  Turn the custard into the prepared mold and set mold in a pan of boiling water. Place in lower third of preheated oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, regulating heat so water remains just below the simmer. Custard is done when a knife, plunged through the center, comes out clean.

  A warm serving platter

  Remove mold from water and allow to settle for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the custard and reverse on a warm serving platter. Surround with one of the sauces listed, and serve.

  (*) If custard is not served immediately, do not unmold it, but leave in its pan of hot water, reheating the water from time to time, if necessary. Unmold when you are ready to serve.

  Sauces for Asparagus Mold

  Prepare 2½ to 3 cups of one of the following:

  Sauce Chivvy, béchamel with cream and green herbs

  Sauce Mornay, béchamel with cheese

  Sauce Mousseline, hollandaise with cream

  GREEN BEANS

  Haricots Verts

  Green beans, snap beans, string beans, or whatever you wish to call them, are of many varieties: some are flat, others are round, still others are a mottled green rather than a uniform color. Most of those on the market today are string-less. Whichever you buy, look for beans which are clean, fresh-looking, firm, and which snap crisply and contain immature seeds. If possible, select beans all of the same circumference so they will cook evenly. The smaller around they are, the more they will approach tiny French beans; a diameter of not more than ¼ inch is most desirable.

  Fresh beans take time to prepare for cooking, but have so much more flavor than frozen beans that they are well worth the trouble. The cooking itself is easy; however, beans demand attention if they are to be fresh-tasting, full of flavor, and green. Although their preliminary blanching may be taken care of hours in advance, the final touches should be done only at the last minute. It is fatal to their color, texture, and taste if they are overcooked, or if they are allowed to sit around over heat for more than a few minutes after they are ready to be eaten.

  SERVING SUGGESTIONS

  Green beans will go with just about any meat dish, or may constitute a separate vegetable course.

  AMOUNT TO BUY

  One pound of beans will serve 2 or 3 people depending on your menu.

  PREPARATION FOR COOKING

  Snap the tip of one end of a bean with your fingers and draw it down the length of one side of the bean to remove any possible string. Do the same thing with the other end, pulling it down the other side of the bean.

  Beans of not much more than ¼ inch in diameter are cooked whole, and retain their maximum flavor. If they are large in circumference, you may slice them on the bias to make several 2½-inch lengths per bean; this or machine slicing is usually called Frenched beans though it is rarely done in France as it is seldom necessary. Sliced beans never have the flavor of whole beans.

  Wash the beans rapidly in very hot water
the moment before cooking.

  HARICOTS VERTS BLANCHIS

  [Blanched Green Beans—Preliminary Cooking]

  Whatever recipe you choose for your beans, always give them a preliminary blanching in a very large kettle of rapidly boiling salted water. Depending on what you plan to do to them later, boil them either until tender or until almost tender, and drain immediately. This essential step in the French art of bean cookery always produces a fine, fresh, green bean of perfect texture and flavor.

  For 6 to 8 people

  3 lbs. green beans, trimmed and washed

  A large kettle containing at least 7 to 8 quarts of rapidly boiling water

  1½ tsp salt per quart of water

  A handful at a time, drop the beans into the rapidly boiling salted water. Bring the water back to the boil as quickly as possible, and boil the beans slowly, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes; test the beans frequently after 8 minutes by eating one. A well cooked bean should be tender, but still retain the slightest suggestion of crunchiness. Drain the beans as soon as they are done.

  For Immediate Serving

  Turn the beans into a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan and toss them gently over moderately high heat by flipping the pan, not by stirring them. This will evaporate their moisture in 2 to 3 minutes. Then proceed with one of the following recipes.

  For hater Serving or to Serve Cold

  Run cold water over the beans for 3 to 4 minutes. This will stop the cooking immediately and the beans will retain color, taste, and texture. Drain, spread them out on a clean towel, and pat dry. The beans may then be set aside in a colander, or put in a covered bowl in the refrigerator where they will keep perfectly for 24 hours.

  To Reheat: Depending on your recipe, either drop the beans in a large kettle of rapidly boiling, salted water, bring quickly again to the boil, then drain immediately. Or toss the beans in a tablespoon or two of hot butter or oil, season them, cover the pan, and let them warm thoroughly for 3 to 4 minutes over moderate heat. Then proceed with your recipe.

  TWO RECIPES FOR BUTTERED GREEN BEANS

  Buttered green beans go with almost anything, and particularly roast or broiled lamb, beef, chicken, veal, and liver. They may also be served as a separate course.

  Haricots Verts à l’Anglaise

  [Buttered Green Beans I]

  For 6 to 8 people

  3 lbs. hot, blanched green beans

  A wide, heavy-bottomed, enameled saucepan or skillet

  Salt and pepper

  A hot serving dish

  4 to 8 Tb butter, cut into pieces or formed into shells

  Toss the hot beans in the saucepan or skillet over moderately high heat to evaporate their moisture. Toss briefly again with salt and pepper to taste. Turn them into the serving dish, distribute the butter over them, and serve at once.

  Haricots Verts à la Maître d’Hôtel

  [Buttered Green Beans II — with Lemon Juice and Parsley]

  For 6 to 8 people

  3 lbs. hot, blanched green beans (preceding master recipe)

  A wide, heavy-bottomed, enameled saucepan or skillet

  Salt and pepper

  6 to 8 Tb softened butter cut into 4 pieces

  2 to 3 tsp lemon juice

  A hot vegetable dish

  3 Tb minced parsley

  Toss the hot beans in the saucepan or skillet over moderately high heat to evaporate their moisture. Toss briefly again with salt, pepper and a piece of butter. Add the rest of the butter gradually while tossing the beans; alternate with drops of lemon juice. Taste for seasoning. Turn into the vegetable dish, sprinkle with parsley, and serve immediately.

  TWO RECIPES FOR GREEN BEANS IN CREAM

  Serve creamed green beans with plain roast lamb, veal, or chicken, broiled or sautéed chicken, lamb chops, sautéed liver, or veal chops or scallops.

  Haricots Verts à la Crème

  [Creamed Green Beans I]

  For 6 to 8 people

  3 lbs. green beans, trimmed and washed

  A wide, heavy-bottomed, enameled saucepan or skillet

  Salt and pepper to taste

  3 Tb softened butter

  2 cups whipping cream

  A lid for the pan

  Blanch the beans in 7 to 8 quarts of rapidly boiling salted water as described on this page, but drain them 3 to 4 minutes before they are tender. Toss the beans in the pan over moderately high heat to evaporate their moisture. Then toss with the salt, pepper, and butter. Pour in the cream, cover the pan, and boil slowly for 5 minutes or so, until beans are tender and cream has reduced by half. Correct seasoning.

  A hot vegetable dish

  3 Tb fresh minced savory, tarragon, or parsley

  Turn into hot vegetable dish, sprinkle with herbs, and serve at once.

  Haricots Verts, Sauce Crème

  [Creamed Green Beans II]

  This is less rich than the pure cream treatment in the preceding recipe.

  For 6 to 8 people

  3 lbs. green beans, trimmed and washed

  A wide, heavy-bottomed, enameled saucepan or skillet

  Blanch the beans in 7 to 8 quarts of boiling salted water as described on this page, but drain them 3 to 4 minutes before they are tender. Toss the beans in the pan over moderately high heat to evaporate their moisture.

  Salt and pepper to taste

  3 Tb softened butter

  3 Tb minced shallots or green onions

  A lid for the pan

  Then toss them with the seasonings, butter, and minced shallots or onions. Cover the pan and let them cook slowly for 3 to 4 minutes.

  3 cups boiling sauce crème (béchamel with cream)

  Salt and pepper

  A hot vegetable dish

  3 Tb fresh minced savory, tarragon, or parsley

  Delicately fold the hot sauce into the beans. Cover pan and simmer slowly again for 3 to 4 minutes, or until beans are tender. Correct seasoning. Turn into a hot vegetable dish, sprinkle with herbs, and serve at once.

  A GOOD ADDITION

  ½ to 1 lb. sliced mushrooms sautéed in butter

  Fold the sautéed mushrooms into the beans with the sauce.

  HARICOTS VERTS GRATINÉS, À LA MORNAY

  [Green Beans Gratinéed with Cheese Sauce]

  This is a good method for ahead-of-time preparation. Serve with the same meats suggested in the preceding recipes for green beans in cream.

  For 6 to 8 people

  3 lbs. green beans, trimmed and washed

  Blanch the beans as described until they are just tender. Drain, refresh in cold water, and dry in a towel.

  3 cups sauce mornay (béchamel with cheese)

  A lightly buttered baking dish

  Salt and pepper to taste

  ⅓ cup grated Swiss cheese

  1 Tb butter cut into pea-sized dots

  Spread a third of the sauce in the baking dish. Season the beans and arrange them over the sauce. Pour on the rest of the sauce. Sprinkle with cheese, dot with butter, and set aside uncovered.

  Half an hour before serving time, bake in upper third of a preheated 375-degree oven until beans are well heated through and the sauce has browned lightly on top.

  HARICOTS VERTS À LA PROVENÇALE

  [Green Beans with Tomatoes, Garlic, and Herbs]

  These full-flavored beans go wonderfully with roast lamb or beef, steaks, chops, or broiled chicken. Tossed with diced, sautéed ham, they can serve as a main-course luncheon or supper dish. Frozen beans react nicely to this treatment.

  For 6 to 8 servings

  2 cups thinly sliced onions

  ½ cup olive oil An enameled saucepan or skillet large enough to hold the beans

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

  4 to 6 large, firm, ripe, red tomatoes peeled, seeded, juiced, and chopped

  2 to 4 cloves mashed garlic

  A medium herb bouquet with cloves: 4 parsley sprigs, ½ bay leaf, ½ tsp thyme
, and 2 cloves tied in cheesecloth

  ¾ cup liquid: juice from the tomatoes plus water or water only

  Salt and pepper to taste

  Add the ingredients at the left, and simmer for 30 minutes. Then remove the herb bouquet.

  3 lbs. green beans OR 3 boxes partially defrosted cut green beans added directly to the cooked tomato mixture

  Salt and pepper

  ¼ cup chopped parsley, or a mixture of green herbs such as basil, savory, and tarragon plus parsley

  While the tomatoes are cooking, blanch the beans in 7 to 8 quarts of boiling salted water as described on this page, but drain them 3 to 4 minutes before they are tender. Toss them in the pan with the onions and tomatoes. Cover and simmer slowly for 8 to 10 minutes, tossing occasionally, until they are tender. Most of the liquid should have evaporated by this time; if not, uncover, raise heat, and boil it off rapidly, tossing the beans. Correct seasoning, toss in the herbs, and serve.

  WAX OR YELLOW POD BEANS