Tag Archives: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

The JC100: Boeuf Bourguignon

Welcome to the last week of the JC100 Celebration! I’m sure it comes as no surprise to Julia’s fans that we are ending the celebration with the recipe she is probably best remembered for, Boeuf Bourguignon.

Over the last fifteen weeks, the JC100 bloggers have cooked fifteen of Julia’s most celebrated recipes, sharing our stories, successes, failures, and photos along the way. A period of fifteen weeks is like a long-term relationship to me (nearly as long as I managed to stay married to my ex-husband), so I’m very proud to say that I remained committed to the challenge right until the finale.

Here’s a look back at all fifteen JC100 recipes…

Julia was a television personality, chef, cookbook author, entertainer, icon, adventurer, romantic, and an inspiration – but above all, she was a teacher, and a natural at it (regardless of the medium). She reminded me of some of my favourite school teachers, always encouraging, gently reassuring, laugh-out-loud funny, and extremely passionate about her subject. And like all great teachers, she taught her students the “why” as well as the “how” of a culinary technique, empowering us to become better cooks.

I’ve learned so much over the last fifteen weeks, and not all of it was about cookery. I learned I love olives, so much so that I’m now obsessed with them! I learned that I really don’t like eggplant, even in a classic French preparation like Ratatouille. I also learned that Twitter (and Twitter Parties) are not my thing. I’ve always been a more-is-more kinda girl and I found no pleasure in trying to express myself in under 140 characters. During the months leading up to the JC100 event I had started to suspect (correctly) that I might be more enamored with French culinary technique than with French cuisine, and I learned there’s nothing wrong with that. The techniques are timeless and will serve me well whatever type of food I choose to cook in the future.

My favourite of the JC100 recipes was last week’s Coquilles St. Jacques À La Provençale, but this week’s Boeuf Bourguignon, a deep, dark, delicious beef stew made with red wine, bacon, onions and mushrooms, is a close second.

Julia Child’s Recipe for Boeuf Bourguignon

As is the case with most famous dishes, there are more ways than one to arrive at a good boeuf bourguignon. Carefully done, and perfectly flavored, it is certainly one of the most delicious beef dishes concocted by man, and can well be the main course for a buffet dinner. Fortunately you can prepare it completely ahead, even a day in advance, and it only gains in flavor when reheated.

VEGETABLE AND WINE SUGGESTIONS

Boiled potatoes are traditionally served with this dish. Buttered noodles or steamed rice may be substituted. If you also wish a green vegetable, buttered peas would be your best choice. Serve with the beef a fairly full-bodied, young red wine, such as Beaujolais, Côtes du Rhône, Bordeaux-St. Émilion, or Burgundy.

The JC100: Boeuf Bourguignon

Recipe Type: Main

Author: Julia Child

Serves: 6

Ingredients

A 6-ounce chunk of bacon
A 9 to 10-inch fireproof casserole 3 inches deep
1 Tb olive oil or cooking oil
A slotted spoon
3 lbs lean stewing beef cut into 2-inch cubes
1 sliced carrot
1 sliced onion
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 Tb flour
3 cups of a full-bodied, young red wine such as one of those suggested for serving, or a Chianti
2 to 3 cups brown beef stock or canned beef bouillon
1 Tb tomato paste
2 cloves mashed garlic
1/2 tsp thyme
A crumbled bay leaf
The blanched bacon rind
18 to 24 small white onion brown-braised in stock (see Notes)
1 lb quartered fresh mushrooms sautéed in butter (see Notes)
Parsley sprigs

Instructions

Remove rind, and cut bacon into lardons (sticks, 1/4 inch thick and 1 1/2 inches long). Simmer rind and bacon for 10 minutes in 1 1/2 quarters of water. Drain and dry.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Sauté the bacon in the oil over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon. Set casserole aside. Reheat until fat is almost smoking before you sauté the beef.
Dry the beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Sauté it, a few pieces at a time, in the hot oil and bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the bacon.
In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the sautéing fat.
Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with the salt and pepper. Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly with the flour. Set casserole uncovered in middle position of preheated oven for 4 minutes. Toss the meat and return to oven for 4 minutes more. (This browns the flour and covers the meat with a light crust.) Remove casserole, and turn oven down to 325 degrees.
Stir in the wine, and enough stock or bouillon so that the meat is barely covered. Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs, and bacon rind. Bring to simmer on top of the stove. Then cover the casserole and set in lower third of preheated oven. Regulate heat so liquid simmers very slowly for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.
While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms. Set them aside until needed.
When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan. Wash out the casserole and return the beef and bacon to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms over the meat.
Skim fat off the sauce. Simmer sauce for a minute or two, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. If too think, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons of stock or canned bouillon. Taste carefully for seasoning. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables.
*Recipe may be completed in advance to this point.
FOR IMMEDIATE SERVING: Cover the casserole and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times. Serve in its casserole, or arrange the stew on a platter surrounded with potatoes, noodles, or rice, and decorated with parsley.
FOR LATER SERVING: When cold, cover and refrigerate. About 15 to 20 minutes before serving, bring to the simmer, cover, and simmer very slowly for 10 minutes, occasionally basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce.

Notes

BROWN-BRAISED ONIONS:
18 to 24 peeled white onions about 1 inch in diameter
1 1/2 Tb butter
1 1/2 Tb oil
A 9 to 10-inch enameled skillet
1/2 cup of brown stock, canned beef bouillon, dry white wine, red wine, or water
Salt and pepper to taste
A medium herb bouquet: 4 parsley sprigs, 1/2 bay leaf, and 1/4 tsp thyme tied in cheesecloth

When the butter and oil are bubbling in the skillet, add the onions and sauté over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, rolling the onions about so they will brown as evenly as possible. Be careful not to break their skins. You cannot expect to brown them uniformly.

Pour in the liquid, season to taste, and add the herb bouquet. Cover and simmer slowly for 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but retain their shape, and the liquid has evaporated. Remove herb bouquet.

SAUTÉED MUSHROOMS:
A 10-inch enameled skillet
2 Tb butter
1 Tb oil
1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, washed, well dried, left whole if small, sliced or quartered if large
Optional: 1 to 2 Tb minced shallots or green onions
Salt and pepper

Place the skillet over high heat with the butter and oil. As soon as you see that the butter foam has begun to subside, indicating it is hot enough, add the mushrooms. Toss and shake the pan for 4 to 5 minutes. During their sauté the mushrooms will at first absorb the fat. In 2 to 3 minutes the fat will reappear on their surface, and the mushrooms will begin to brown. As soon as they have browned lightly, remove from heat.

Toss the shallots or green onions with the mushrooms. Sauté over moderate heat for 2 minutes. Season to taste.

Here’s a little tip for peeling those pesky pearl onions:

Cut off the tip of each onion (the end opposite the root).
Cook in boiling water for two minutes.
Drain and let cool.
Squeeze them from the root tip and the onion will pop right out of its skin.

Julia passed away August 4, 2004, just before her 92nd birthday, but her legacy will continue to live on through her remarkable recipes.

“Sooner or later the public will forget you; the memory of you will fade. What’s important are the individuals you’ve influenced along the way.”

~ Julia Child

I think she may have under-estimated her staying power. Here’s to you Julia…

The JC100: Coquilles St. Jacques À La Provençale

Welcome to Week 14 of the JC100 Celebration! Today also marks the kick off Julia Child Restaurant Week (from August 7 – 15th) where 100 restaurants around the country will pay homage to the culinary icon. Be sure to check out Julia Child on Facebook to see which restaurants are participating.

This week’s special recipe for the JC100 bloggers is Coquilles St. Jacques À La Provençale, or Scallops Gratinéed with Wine, Garlic and Herbs. Lucky for me my fish monger was open on the civic holiday yesterday (BC Day). Even luckier that he had a stash of scallop shells he was willing to part with…gratis!

Julia Child’s Recipe for Coquilles St. Jacques À La Provençale

The JC100: Coquilles St. Jacques À La Provençale

Author: Julia Child

Serves: 6

Ingredients

1/3 cup minced yellow onions
1 Tb butter
1 1/2 Tb minced shallot or green onions
1 clove minced garlic
1 1/2 lbs washed scallops
Salt and pepper
1 cup sifted flour in a dish
2 Tb butter
1 Tb olive oil
A 10-inch enameled skillet
2/3 cup dry white wine, or 1/2 cup dry white vermouth and 3 Tb water
1/2 bay leaf
1/8 tsp thyme
6 buttered scallop shells, or porcelain or pyrex shells, of 1/3 cup capacity
1/4 cup grated Swiss cheese
2 Tb butter cut into 6 pieces

Instructions

Cook the onions slowly in butter in a small saucepan for 5 minutes or so, until tender and translucent but not browned. Stir in the shallots or onions, and garlic, and cook slowly for 1 minute more. Set aside.
Dry the scallops and cut into slices 1/4 inch thick. Just before cooking, sprinkle with salt and pepper, roll in flour, and shake off excess flour.
Sauté the scallops quickly in very hot butter and oil for 2 minutes to brown them lightly.
Pour the wine, or the vermouth and water, into the skillet with the scallops. Add the herbs and the cooked onion mixture. Cover the skillet and simmer for 5 minutes. Then uncover, and if necessary boil down the sauce rapidly for a minute until it is lightly thickened. Correct seasoning, and discard bay leaf.
Spoon the scallops and sauce into the shells. Sprinkle with cheese and dot with butter. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to gratiné.
Just before serving, run under a moderately hot broiler for 3 to 4 minutes to heat through, and to brown the cheese lightly.

Notes

This good recipe may be prepared in advance and grantinéed just before serving. The proportions given are sufficient for a first course. Double them for a main course. Serve a chilled rosé, or a dry white such as côtes de Provence.

To prolong the shelf life of a scallop producers often immerse their catch in a preserving agent. While the agent (tripolphosphate) does help to keep up freshness, it also causes the scallop to absorb water which, in turn, affects its overall weight. To avoid paying for all that extra liquid, steer clear of any scallops that look like they’ve already been blanched. Instead, select ones that are beige to blush in colour and have a delicate, sweet aroma.

I used Catarina Bay scallops, a sustainable option from Mexico. I could tell by their rosy colour that they were untreated and, because they’re so tiny, I wouldn’t need to spend time cutting them into ¼ inch thick slices. Bonus!

With a fancy French name like Coquilles St. Jacques À La Provençale, you might expect this recipe to be complicated and fussy but it really wasn’t. It took me less than 20 minutes start to finish. (Okay – 25 if you count scrubbing the scallop shells.)

I was a little reluctant to let the scallops simmer for 5 minutes and then boil rapidly for another one, afraid that I might end up eating a scallop shell full of rubber erasers, but they were surprisingly tender, sweet, and creamy. I should know by now to trust Julia.

I used Parmigiano Reggiano instead of Swiss since that’s what I had on hand.

To serve, I filled shallow bowls with coarse salt then set the scallop shells on top.

Coquilles St Jacques

Even the Sea-King Poseidon and his queen Amphitrite would approve!

I’ve poured over the list of Julia’s 100 most beloved recipes (compiled by a panel of culinary luminaries) this morning trying to guess what the last of the JC100 recipes will be. I think Julia’s perfect Génoise or Gâteau Paris would make a very fitting finale. Every birthday party needs a cake!

The JC100: Bouillabaisse

Welcome to Week 10 of the JC100 Celebration!

I confess. I almost didn’t take part in this week’s assignment. With current temperatures in the Okanagan Valley soaring above 35° C, the last place I wanted to spend time was in the kitchen and the last thing I felt like eating was a steaming hot bowl of anything, including bouillabaisse. I actually caught myself wondering if anyone would notice if I just wrote up the recipe and inserted an old image from a post I did back in March where I described Chef Matthew Batey’s bouillabaisse along with his heartfelt Tribute to Julia Child.

The fact that I just did a post less than a week ago for a Brazilian Fish Soup wasn’t doing anything to improve matters.

But two things in particular kept me from taking the easy way out. The first is that Bastille Day in France is July 14th – a day that symbolizes the overthrow of the monarchy and the beginning of a new French Republic. If ever there were a week to attempt to Master the Art of French Cooking, this would be it.

Bouillabaisse may be the most hotly debated dish in all of France. Every village along the Mediterranean coast seems to have its own version with no two recipes alike. There is even an organization, Le Charte de la Bouillabaisse Marseillaise, whose sole purpose is to preserve the classic method of preparing this simple fisherman’s stew. Not only does the Charter particularize the required ingredients for a traditional Marseille Bouillabaisse, it also specifies the way the soup must be served (the fish must be cut up in front of the guests), and even what must be served with it (croûtes and rouille). According to the Charter, Marseille Bouillabaisse must consist of at least 4 types of the following fish:

Scorpion fish
White scorpion fish
Red mullet
Skate
Conger eel
John Dory

Always pragmatic, Julia Child recognized that “if you do not happen to live on the Mediterranean, you cannot obtain the particular rockfish, gurnards, mullets, weavers, sea eels, wrasses, and breams which they consider absolutely essential”. Here are Julia’s recommendations for selecting the fish:

Ideally you should pick six or more varieties of fresh fish, which is why a bouillabaisse is at its best when made for at least six people. Some of the fish should be firm-fleshed and gelatinous like halibut, eel, and winter flounder and some tender and flaky like hake, baby cod, small pollock, and lemon sole. Shellfish are neither necessary nor particularly typical, but they always add glamor and colour if you wish to include them. Here are some suggestions:

Rock, Calico or Sea Bass

Cod or Lingcod

Flounder

Grouper

Grunt

Haddock

Hake or Whiting

Halibut

Lemon Sole

Perch

Pollock or Boston Bluefish

Porgy or Scup

Redfish or Red Drum

Scrod

Red or Gray Snapper

Spot

Fresh-water Trout; Sea Trout or Weakfish

Shellfish – Clams, Scallops, Mussels, Crab, Lobster

In the spirit of Bastille Day, I decided to defy tradition by using tilapia fillets, Manilla clams, halibut cheeks, and tiny Catarina Bay scallops. I also halved the recipe to serve 3 to 4 people, instead of 6 to 8. You may want to check with your local fish monger to see what’s fresh and on sale. This recipe calls for a lot of fresh fish and (depending on where you live) 6 – 8 pounds of halibut, for example, could cost you more than $150.

And then there’s the little matter of the price of saffron…

Julia Child’s Recipe for Bouillabaisse

The JC100: Bouillabaisse

Recipe Type: Soup

Author: Julia Child

Serves: 6 to 8

Ingredients

1 cup minced onions
3/4 cup of minced leek, or 1/2 cup more onions
1/2 cup olive oil
4 cloves mashed garlic
1 lb of ripe, red tomatoes roughly chopped, or 1 1/2 cups drained canted tomatoes, or 1/2 cup tomato paste
2 1/2 quarts water
6 parsley springs
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp thyme or basil
1/2 tsp fennel
2 big pinches of saffron
A 2-inch piece or 1/2 tsp dried orange peel
1/2 tsp pepper
1 Tb salt (none if clam juice is used)
3 to 4 pounds fish heads, bones and trimmings, or 1 quart clam juice, 1 1/2 quarts of water, and no salt
6 to 8 pounds assorted lean fish, and shellfish if you wish

Instructions

Cook the onions and leeks slowly in olive oil for 5 minutes or until almost tender but not browned.
Stir in the garlic and tomatoes. Raise heat to moderate and cook 5 minutes more.
Add the water, herbs, seasonings, and fish heads, bones and trimmings to the kettle (or clam juice) and cook uncovered at a moderate boil for 30 to 40 minutes.
Strain the soup into the saucepan, pressing juices out of ingredients. Correct seasoning, adding a bit more saffron if you feel it necessary.
You should have 2 1/2 quarts of in a higher, rather narrow kettle.
Bring the soup to a rapid boil 20 minutes before serving. Add lobsters, crabs, and firm-fleshed fish. Bring quickly back to the boil and boil rapidly for 5 minutes. Add the tender-fleshed fish, the clams, mussels, and scallops. Bring rapidly to the boil again and boil 5 minutes more or until the fish are just tender when pierced with a fork. Do not overcook.
Immediately lift out the fish and arrange on the platter. Correct seasoning, and pour the soup into the tureen over rounds of French bread. Spoon a ladleful of soup over the fish, and sprinkle parsley over both fish and soup. Serve immediately accompanied by the optional rouille.

Notes

To prepare the fish for cooking, have them cleaned and scaled. Discard the gills. Save heads and trimmings for fish stock. Cut large fish into crosswise slices 2 inches wide. Scrub clams. Scrub and soak the mussels. Wash scallops. If using live crab or lobster, split them just before cooking. remove the sand sack and intestinal tube from lobsters.

The second thing that kept me from taking the easy way out was the always alluring promise of a new taste experience. I’ve had plenty of fish stew but I’ve never had rouille.

Rouille [click on the word, close your eyes, and image you are hearing it pronounced by your handsome French waiter]

Rouille is the most fantastic sauce, flavoured with red pepper, garlic, herbs, olive oil and potato. Julia’s recipe says to pound all the ingredients in a bowl or mortar for several minutes to form a very smooth, sticky paste.

After about 30 seconds of this nonsense, you may find yourself feeling a little rebellious. If so, just toss it in the food processor like I did. You’ll end up with a gorgeous, garlicky, rust-coloured sauce (rouille means rust-brown or russet in French) that delivers a huge burst of brilliant flavour. Swirl it into the soup broth or smear spoonfuls of it on top of croûtes. Julia says that serving rouille is optional but before you decide whether to make it or not, there is a saying you should know about, and it goes like this…

Bouillabaisse without rouille is like Marseille without sunshine. – [click to Tweet]

Happy Bastille Day!

The JC100: Chantilly Aux Framboises

Welcome to Week 9 of the JC100 Celebration! This week we’re making Chantilly Aux Framboises - a light, luscious, cloud of whipped cream flavoured with sweet summer berries. The recipe originally appeared in Mastering the Art of French Cooking as Charlotte Chantilly, Aux Fraises or Charlotte Chantilly, Aux Framboises {Strawberry or Raspberry Cream – a cold dessert} but I felt a strong sense of déjà vu when I read Julia’s description of ”another handsome moulded dessert”. (If you’ve followed along, you may remember that I already used my charlotte pan to make a moulded version of Mousseline au Chocolat back in week two.)

Julia went on to write “if you do not wish to serve it unmoulded, turn the cream into a serving bowl or into dessert cups”, and that’s exactly what I did. Knowing that I had her blessing, I didn’t hesitate to drop the Charlotte.

Julia Child’s Recipe for Chantilly Aux Framboises

The JC100: Chantilly aux Framboises {Raspberry Cream – a cold dessert}

Recipe Type: Dessert

Author: Julia Child

Serves: 8 to 10

Ingredients

1 1/2 pints fresh raspberries
2/3 cup berry sugar (very finely granulated, also known as castor sugar)
8 egg yolks
2 1/2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream

Instructions

Wash and drain the berries. Force them through a sieve and into a bowl. Measure out 1 1/4 cups of purée. Chill.
Beat the sugar into the egg yolks and continue beating until mixture is pale yellow and falls back on itself forming a slowly dissolving ribbon. Then place the mixing bowl over the not-quite-simmering water and beat until mixture has thickened into a cream and becomes uncomfortably hot for your finger. Set bowl in ice water and beat until mixture is cold and falls back upon itself forming a slowly dissolving ribbon on the surface; fold with a spatula until chilled.
When the egg yolk mixture has chilled, beat the cream until it has doubled in volume and forms stiff (rather than soft) peaks.
Folder the chilled raspberry purée into the chilled egg yolk mixture, then fold in the whipped cream. Turn the cream into a serving bowl or into dessert cups. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
Decorate the top of the dessert with fresh berries.

Notes

Crush 12 ladyfingers and spoon the crumbs into the bottom of dessert glasses before filling them with the raspberry cream.

It took just under four small clam shells of raspberries (6 oz each) to make enough purée to measure out 1 ¼ cups.

Eight egg yolks. Any suggestions what to do with eight unused egg whites?

To add texture, I crushed some ladyfingers then spooned the crumbs into the bottoms of the dessert glasses before adding the raspberry cream.

And garnished each glass with a little dollop of whipped cream and a single raspberry.

Chantilly aux Framboises

†DISCLOSURE: This post includes an Amazon affiliate link to Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I will receive a tiny commission in the event that it generates any sales.

The JC100: Leek and Potato Soup, Two Ways

Welcome to Week 5 of our celebration of the extraordinary life of Julia Child, her legacy of timeless recipes and her unrivalled culinary wisdom. This week, the JC 100 Luminaries have given us two versions of Julia’s Leek and Potato Soup to choose from. The first, vichyssoise, is served cold, while the second, potage Parmentier* is served hot. Both recipes use the same basic ingredients and follow the same method, only differing in the quantity of cream and the type of simmering liquid.

*In French cuisine, Parmentier indicates a dish that includes potatoes, while potage refers to a type of thick soup.

Julia Child’s recipe for Leek and Potato Soup, Two Ways

The JC100: Potage Parmentier

Recipe Type: Soup

Author: Julia Child

Serves: 6 – 8

Ingredients

3 to 4 cups, or 1 lb, peeled, potatoes, sliced or diced
3 cups or 1 lb thinly sliced leeks including the tender green; or yellow onions
2 quarts of water
1 Tb salt
4 to 6 Tb whipping cream or 2 to 3 Tb softened butter
2 to 3 Tb minced parsley or chives

Instructions

Either simmer the vegetables, water, and salt together, partially covered, for 40 to 50 minutes until the vegetables are tender; or cook under 15 pounds pressure for 5 minutes, release pressure, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
Mash the vegetables in the soup with a fork, or pass the soup through a food mill. Correct seasoning. Set aside uncovered until just before serving, then reheat to the simmer.
Off heat and just before serving, stir in the cream or butter by spoonfuls. Pour into a tureen or soup cups and decorate with the herbs.

Notes

VICHYSSOISE
Ingredients
- 3 cups peeled, sliced potatoes
- 3 cups sliced white of leek
- 1 1/2 quarts of white stock, chicken stock, or canned chicken broth
- Salt to taste
- 1/2 to 1 cup whipping cream
- Salt and white pepper
- 2 to 3 Tb minced chives

Method
1. Simmer the vegetables in stock or broth instead of water as described in the master recipe [Potage Parmentier]. Puree the soup either in the electric blender, or through a food mill and then through a fine sieve.
2. Stir in the cream. Season to taste, over-salting very slightly as salt loses savour in a cold dish. Chill.
3. Serve in chilled soup cups and decorate with minced chives.

I’m on a mission to educate my palate, so I always try to go with the least familiar option. I chose to make the vichyssoise. (I confess that my decision was also influenced by how much I enjoy saying this word aloud, vee-shee-swahz.)

I followed Julia’s vichyssoise recipe quite closely, but the mountain of leek tops left on my board were shouting at me to go a little crazy and add a bouquet garni.

To make a classic bouquet garni, gather a handful of parsley stems, celery, thyme and bay leaf, and then wrap them in the green part of the leek and tie securely with string. Toss it in the pot with the veggies where it will add a fresh, herbaceous flavour to the soup without affecting its colour or texture.

Cook the bouquet garni with the potatoes and leeks, but remove it before you purée the soup.

I used an immersion blender to purée the vichyssoise, then put it through a fine sieve. Don’t even think of skipping this last step. It really, really, is worth the effort. The simple process of pouring the puréed vegetables through the sieve has a huge effect on the texture, and is the difference between a 4-star and 5-star bowl of soup. The result was so spectacular that I didn’t have the patience to wait for it to chill. Vichyssoise was getting bumped to tomorrow’s lunch menu. I wanted a piping hot mug of potage Parmentier for dinner!

The following day the cold left-over soup was much thicker than it was the night before. Eating it for lunch wasn’t unpleasant, but it was strange. With an ingredient list that included an obscene amount of whipping cream, paired with an ice-cold bowl and a velvety texture, the vichyssoise was more like a dish of soft-serve ice cream (albeit a savoury one) than a bowl of soup. Still the flavour was actually better the second day, although I suspect that had more to do with the time-lapse than the serving temperature.

Leek and Potato Soup

After trying Julia’s Leek and Potato Soup both ways, I can confidently say that I like it better hot, but that could all change when the summer weather finally arrives. A little heat and a lot of sun could make a refreshingly chilled bowl of vichyssoise much more appealing. I’ll be sure and try it again in August just to confirm my theory.

The JC100: Mousseline au Chocolat

I have a lot to celebrate this week including Mother’s Day, my Mom’s birthday, my parents’ anniversary – and Week 2 of the JC100 celebration! With so many events taking place within a few days of each other, I was feeling a little nervous on Monday morning waiting to see which recipe the esteemed JC100 panel had chosen for us to prepare. What if it were Julia’s formidable Pâte de Cunard en Croûte? How would I ever fit that into my schedule?

Much to my relief, this week’s special assignment is Julia’s recipe for Mousseline au Chocolat.

“It has such a lovely flavour and texture that it brings tears to your eyes when you taste it. It’s that good.”

~ Julia Child in “The French Chef, Mousse au Chocolate”

Mousseline au Chocolat {Chocolate Mousse – a cold dessert}

Makes about 5 cups, serving 6 to 8 people

A 3-quart porcelain or stainless steel mixing bowl
A wire whip or electric beater
4 egg yolks
¾ cup instant sugar (very finely granulated)
¼ cup orange liqueur
A pan of not-quite-simmering water
A basin of cold water

Beat the egg yolks and sugar together until mixture is thick, pale yellow, and falls back upon itself forming a slowly dissolving ribbon. Beat in the orange liqueur. Then set mixing bowl over the not-quite-simmering water and continue beating for 3 to 4 minutes the mixture is foamy and too hot for your finger. Then beat over cold water for 3 to 4 minutes until the mixture is cool and again forms the ribbon. It will have the consistency of mayonnaise.

6 ounces or squares semi-sweet baking chocolate
4 Tb strong coffee
6 ounces or 1 ½ sticks softened unsalted butter
A small saucepan
Optional: ¼cup finely diced, glazed orange peel

Melt chocolate with coffee over hot water. Remove from heat and beat in the butter a bit at a time to make a smooth cream. Beat the chocolate into the egg yolks and sugar, then beat in the optional orange peel.

4 egg whites
Pinch of salt
1 Tb granulated sugar

Beat the egg whites and salt until soft peaks are formed; sprinkle on the sugar and beat until stiff peaks are formed. Stir one-fourth of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Fold in the rest.

Turn into serving dish, dessert cups, or petits pots. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

2 cups vanilla-flavored crème anglaise (custard sauce), or lightly whipped cream sweetened with powdered sugar

Pass the sauce or whipped cream separately.

VARIATION – MOLDED MOUSSE

Turn the preceding mousse into a lightly oiled, 6-cup ring hold. Cover with oiled, waxed paper. Chill for 3 to 4 hours until well set. Remove paper, dip mold for 1 second in very hot water, and unmold on a chilled serving dish. Fill centre of mousse with crème anglaise or lightly whipped creamed.

Or use the charlotte Malakoff system, lining a cylindrical mold with ladyfingers dipped in orange liqueur.

When I was in Paris last October I fell madly in love with a very charming charlotte pan. I first spotted it, with its shiny heart-shaped handles, when I was shopping for souvenirs at E. Dehillerin and I was completely smitten. But there was no way I could have squeezed it into my suitcases. Still, I never forgot it and the moment I read the last paragraph of Julia’s Mousseline au Chocolat recipe I knew I was making a molded mousse. And I knew I was making it in a charlotte pan. Lucky for me, I found one here in Kelowna at The Chef’s Edge. They only had one charlotte pan in stock and it had a 7-cup capacity (the recipe specifies a 6-cup mold) but I bought it anyway. That’s how infatuated I was with the idea of making a charlotte.

Julia’s recipe calls for ¾ cup instant sugar (very finely granulated). I wasn’t sure what instant sugar is so I used extra fine granulated berry sugar.
It also calls for ¼ cup orange liqueur with an extra ¼ cup finely diced, glazed orange peel. I substituted ¼ cup of orange marmalade instead.
I used 1 tbsp instant coffee dissolved in ¼ cup hot water to make 4 tbsp strong coffee.

To assemble the dessert:

Place the prepared mousse in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes so that it can set up a bit before it goes into the mold.
While the mousse is chilling, lightly oil the pan.
Tear off a piece of waxed paper 16 inches long. Fold it in half and then in half again. Fit this strip down inside the contour of the pan, leaving a few inches of overhang on both sides.
Trace the bottom of the charlotte pan on a piece of stiff cardboard. Cut out the circle and fit it into the bottom of the pan.
Cut another circle of waxed paper, and place it inside the pan, on top of the circle of cardboard.
Add just enough chilled mousse to cover the bottom of the pan.
Arrange the ladyfingers so that they overlap each other just slightly.
Add the rest of the mousse. Tap the pan lightly on the counter so that the mousse will settle. Try to resist licking your “impeccably clean fingers”.
Cover with plastic wrap and put in the freezer for 3 to 4 hours.
If you used a 7-cup pan like I did, you will need to use a sharp knife to trim off the top of the ladyfingers (above the mousse). If you used a 6-cup pan like the recipe suggests, you’ll need to cut off the top of the ladyfingers that will be jutting above the edge of the pan.
Dip the pan into a basin of hot water for 10 seconds. Lift gently on the strips of waxed paper on both sides to ensure the dessert is completely free from the pan.
As Julia says, “it’s always a rather tense moment” so take a deep breath, then invert the pan on a plate.

Decorate however you like. I used candied orange zest and chocolate shards.

To make candied orange zest, cut the rind from 2 oranges using a peeler, remove any attached pith, cut into thin strips, and blanch in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain, rinse, and repeat for a total of 3 times. Mix ¼ cup sugar and 1 tbsp water in a small sauce pan and bring to a simmer. Add the blanched orange peel and simmer until sugar caramelizes and the peel looks translucent. Remove strands of orange peel with a fork and drain them on a wire rack set over waxed paper.

To make white and dark chocolate shards, à la Jackson Pollock, melt 2 ounces Baker’s chocolate over hot water. Spoon it into a pastry bag or small Ziploc bag with one corner cut open. Drizzle swirls on a sheet of acetate, then let it set. Melt 6 ounces white chocolate over hot water. Pour over the dark chocolate swirls and spread with an off-set spatula. Place in the freezer. Once set, break off shards.

Et voilà!

Julia’s Mousseline au Chocolat is worthy of a special occasion…and I just happen to have one in mind. Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!

Links to more JC100 Mousseline au Chocolat Posts:

Nomsense: Julia Child's Chocolate Mousse

The Epi-Log on Epicurious.com: Julia Child's Chocolate Mousse

Knit & Nosh: JC100 - mousseline au chocolat

bran appetit! Julia Child's Chocolate Mousse

Chocolate Mousse | Baked by Rachel

Only From Scratch: Celebrating Julia Child & Chocolate Mousse

Julia Child's Mousseline Au Chocolat | Noshing With The Nolands

International Incident Party: Eggs | eat.live.travel.write

†DISCLOSURE: This post includes an Amazon affiliate link for Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I receive a tiny commission on any sales it may generate.

The JC100: L’Omelette Roulée

I’m very proud to be taking part in the JC100: A 100-Day Celebration of Julia Child leading up to what would have been her 100th birthday on August 15th of this year. To say that I’m excited to be part of such a huge event would be a gross understatement. I’m ecstatic, and I’m honoured! The JC100 celebration includes 100 of Julia’s most cherished recipes, 100 bloggers cooking those recipes and posting about them on their blogs, 100 bookstores displaying her classic cookbooks, 100 restaurants taking part in Julia Child Restaurant Week (August 7 – 15), 100 amazing tributes, and 100 book readings - all coming together to create 1,000,000 voices raised in tribute to 1 extraordinary culinary icon!

As one of the food bloggers chosen to take part, I’ll receive a special JC100 recipe every week to recreate and share. Each of these recipes has been handpicked by a panel of culinary luminaries including Judith Jones, Dorie Greenspan, Amanda Hesser, Thomas Keller, Danny Meyer, and Jacques Pepin.

I hope you’ll enjoy following along as I help to keep her legacy alive by passing on some of her most treasured recipes. We’re kicking off with Julia’s Omelette Roulée, a classic rolled omelette with an emphasis on technique.

“The egg can be your best friend if you just give it the right break. ”

~Julia Child in “The French Chef, Elegance with Eggs”

There is an old proverb that says “there is more than one way to skin a cat”. I’ve never liked this saying (poor kitty) but I find it somewhat comforting to know that the cat didn’t always face such a gruesome fate. Earlier versions like “there are more ways of killing a cat than choking it with cream”, or “there are more ways of killing a cat than choking it with butter” suggest a much more pleasant way to go. Perhaps in 1855, the proverbial cat made its home in a lovely French château…

Regardless of the version, the meaning is the same. There is more than one way to get something done – and there is more than one way to make an omelette.

This is Julia’s…

L’Omelette Roulée {Rolled Omelette}

For one omelette, 1 to 2 servings. Time: Less than 30 seconds of cooking

2 or 3 eggs
big pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
a mixing bowl
a table fork

Beat the eggs and seasonings in the mixing bowl for 20 to 30 seconds until the whites and yolks are just blended.

1 tbsp butter
an omelette pan 7 inches in diameter at the bottom
a table fork

Place the butter in the pan and set over very high heat. As the butter melts, tilt the pan in all directions to film the sides. When you see that the foam has almost subsided in the pan and the butter is on the point of colouring (indicating it is hot enough), pour in the eggs. It is of utmost importance in this method that the butter be of the correct temperature.

Let the eggs settle in the pan for 2 or 3 seconds to form a film of coagulated egg in the bottom of the pan.

Grasp the handle of the pan with both hands, thumbs on top, and immediately begin jerking the pan vigorously and roughly toward you at an even, 20-degree angle over the heat, one jerk per second. It is the sharp pull of the pan toward you which throws the eggs against the far lip of the pan, then back over its bottom surface. You must have the courage to be rough or the eggs will not loosen themselves from the bottom of the pan. After several jerks, the eggs will begin to thicken. (A filling would go in at this point.)

Then increase the angle of the pan slightly, which will force the egg mass to roll over on itself with each jerk at the far lip of the pan. As soon as the omelette has shaped up, hold it in the angle of the pan to brown the bottom a pale golden colour, but only a second or two, for the eggs must not overcook. The centre of the omelette should remain soft and creamy. If the omelette has not formed neatly, push it with the back of your fork.

Turn the omelette onto the plate, rub the top with a bit of butter, and serve as soon as possible.

I was a little nervous getting started and could easily imagine myself jerking the pan and ending up with egg all over my face, but I followed Julia’s advice. I found the courage to be rough with it and it worked! First try!

I’m sure the omelette was tasty right out of the pan but I wanted mine stuffed so I prepared a filling of sautéed mushrooms, shallots and garlic ( before I started cooking the eggs).

Next I smothered it with cheesy, yummy Mornay sauce (also prepared beforehand), and then I finished it with mushroom slices and a sprinkle of parsley.

Omelette Fermière Farcie Aux Champignons {Mushroom Stuffed Omelet}

Yes, there is more than one way to make an omelette but Julia’s method yielded the most tender eggs I’ve ever tasted. This simple recipe combined with a practiced, professional technique will help you create a dish that is both elegant and delicious.

Links to more JC100 Rolled Omelette Posts:

The Epi-log on Epicurious.com: Julia Child's Rolled Omelette

Baked by Rachel: Rolled Omelette - Julia Child

La Cuisine d' Hélène: Omelette Roulée - Julia Child (JC100)

Noshing with the Nolands: Julia Child's L'Omelette Roulee

†DISCLOSURE: This post includes an Amazon affiliate link for Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I receive a tiny commission on any sales it may generate.

An Uneducated Palate

adventures of an aspiring culinarian

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