Category: French Cuisine

Basic Crêpes Batter

Culinary, French Cuisine

1¾ to 2¼ cups whole milk
4 large eggs
½ tsp kosher salt
1½ cups all-purpose flour
6 tbsp unsalted butter, plus additional butter for the pan

Add 1¾ cups of the milk, the eggs, and salt into a blender.  Blend for a few seconds to blend everything together. Remove the lid and add the flour. Cover and blend until very smooth. Remove the lid, pour in the melted butter, cover, and blend until combined.

Transfer the batter to a large glass measuring cup with a spout.  Allow the batter to rest for at least 5 minutes and up to 24 hours. If resting for more than an hour, store in the fridge.  When you’re ready to make the crêpes it should be as thick as heavy cream but not as thick as pancake batter. If it feels too thick, whisk in up to ½ cup of the remaining milk.

Heat an 8-in crêpe pan or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until it’s hot enough to make a drop of water sizzle upon contact. Using a paper towel, spread about ½ tsp butter around the interior of the pan. The butter should sizzle upon contact but not instantly turn brown. You don’t want the pan to be so hot that the butter burns.

Pour about ¼ cup of the batter into the center of the pan, and at the same time lift the pan from the heat, tilting and turning it in all directions so the batter spreads evenly across the bottom of the pan.

Cook the crêpe until the edges begin to dry and lift from the sides of the pan, and the bottom is nicely browned, usually around 1 minute. When the first side is ready, use a knife, spatula, or your fingers to lift the crêpe and quickly flip it over. Smooth out any folded edges or pleats and then cook until the center is firm and the second side is browned, too, which will occur quickly in as little as 20 seconds more.

Slide the crêpe from the pan onto a large plate. Repeat with the remaining batter, adjusting the heat and wiping the pan with more butter as you cook.

Snails with a Mushroom Duxelle in Puff Pastry (Escargots Pot Pie)

Culinary, French Cuisine, Ingredients

Les escargots Avec UN Duxelle de Champignon Dans la Pâte feuilletée (Tarte de Pot d’Escargots).

1 Can of Escargots

1 Box Puff Pastry

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 pound wild mushrooms, cleaned, stemmed, and finely chopped

1 large shallot

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 cup white wine or chicken broth

Salt and black pepper

1 egg

Heat olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-low heat.  Add mushrooms, shallot and minced garlic and sauté for 5-10 minutes or until mushrooms are cooked.  Drain.  Add cup of wine or chicken broth and bring to a simmer cooking until liquid is absorbed seasoning with salt and pepper.  Cool completely.

Preheat oven to 450 or directions on puff pastry box.  Add two tablespoons of mushroom Duxelle to a ramekin.  Add 3 -6 snails depending upon size and preference.  On top place a 1 teaspoon of butter.  Cut puff pastry to size to cover ramekin.  Crimp puff pastry over the ramekin and brush with a beaten egg.  Cut a small slit in puff pastry to release steam.  Place in oven until puff pastry if golden brown.  Serve immediately.

Red Wine Mustard

Culinary, French Cuisine, Stocks & Sauces

4 ounces Black mustard seeds
¾ cup Full bodied red wine
¾ cup Red wine vinegar
1 Shallot, finely chopped
1 teaspoon Salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Thyme, marjoram, tarragon chopped to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a stainless-steel bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.

Purée the mixture in a blender until it attains the desired thickness and texture. Store in the refrigerator in a jar with a tight-fitting lid.

Herbes de Provence

Culinary, French Cuisine, Ingredients

Herbes de Provence

6 dried bay leaves, crumbled
2 tablespoons dried rosemary leaves
2 tablespoons dried thyme leaves
2 tablespoons dried oregano leaves
2 teaspoons crumbled dried lavender buds

In a small bowl, combine the bay, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and lavender and mix well. Transfer to a tightly capped jar or other airtight container and store in a cool, dark place. Use the blend within 3 to 4 months.

To use, pulverize the herbs in a mortar with a pestle, if you prefer a coarser texture, or in a spice grinder for a finely textured blend.

Garlic Olive Oil

Culinary, French Cuisine, Mental Health, Preservation

Garlic Olive Oil

4 cups pure olive oil
¾ cup garlic cloves, peeled

Pour the oil into a medium saucepan and add the garlic cloves. Place on the stove over medium heat. Bring up to 325°F on a candy or frying thermometer and then decrease the heat to low. Let simmer for 30 to 45 minutes. Remove from the heat, cool, strain through a fine-mesh sieve, and then put the oil into bottles for use.

Garlic Confit

Culinary, French Cuisine, Preservation

1 cup peeled garlic cloves (45 cloves or so)
About 2 cups canola oil

Cut off and discard the root ends of the garlic cloves. Add the cloves to a small saucepan and add enough oil to cover them by about 1 inch.

Place the saucepan over medium-low heat. The cloves should cook gently: small bubbles will come up through the oil, but the bubbles should not break the surface. Adjust the heat as necessary and move the pan to one side if it is cooking too quickly. Cook the garlic for about 40 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so, until the cloves are completely tender. Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the garlic to cool in the oil.

Refrigerate the garlic, submerged in the oil, for up to a month.