Category Archives: The French Touch

Féra du Léman (Cold Lake Fish)

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ingredients:
1½ pounds féra, land-locked salmon, or several small fish
2 onions
2 shallots
2 cloves garlic
1 Tablespoon butter
1 cup broth
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon mustard
1 egg yolk
¾ cup vegetable oil
½ teaspoon vinegar

Instructions

  1. Clean and wash the fish.
  2. Finely chop the onions, shallots and garlic and sauté them slowly in butter until they begin to brown. Place the fish over them; add the broth, salt and pepper. Cook the fish over a high heat, 6 minutes on each side.
  3. Remove the fish to a serving platter and allow it to cool. reduce the cooking liquid over low heat.
  4. Meanwhile, prepare a mayonnaise: Mix the mustard and egg yolk in a bowl. Add the oil dry by drop, beating with a wooden spoon. Salt, pepper and add the vinegar. (You may make the mayonnaise in a mixer; place the egg and mustard in the small bowl of your mixer, set the speed to high and let it run 1 minute. Reduce the speed to medium and add the oil teaspoonful by teaspoonful, making sure that each teaspoonful is thoroughly blended. End with the vinegar and 1 tablespoon of boiling water.)
  5. When the cooking liquid has become very thick, cool and carefully fold in the mayonnaise.
  6. To serve, cover the cold fish with the sauce.

This little-known recipe from Savoie is an excellent dish that is easily adapted to any sort of fish. All the ingredients must be at room temperature and the utensils must be spotlessly clean if the mayonnaise is to succeed.

© Shufunotomo Co., Ltd., Japan, 1971 Published in the United States and Canada by BOBLEY PUBLISHING, a division of Illustrated World Encyclopedia, Inc. Printed in Japan.

Snails in Garlic Butter

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1 can snails, with shells (7 ½-oz can; 1 ½ dozen shells)
½ cup soft butter or margarine
2 or 3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 shallot finely chopped
1 ½ tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1 tablespoon lemon juice
¾ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon dried chervil leaves
⅛ teaspoon nutmeg

  1. Several hours before serving: Wash snail shells, and drain well on paper towels. Drain snails thoroughly; set aside.
  2. In medium bowl, combine butter with remaining ingredients; mix well.
  3. Place a generous 1/4 teaspoon of butter mixture in each shell. Push a drained snail into each shell; cover with more butter mixture.
  4. Arrange shells carefully, open ends up, in flat baking dish or special escargot (snail) dishes. Cover and refrigerate.
  5. To serve: Preheat oven to 400F. Bake snails in shells, uncovered 8 to 10 minutes, or until butter mixture is very bubbly. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 first course or 6 to 8 hors d’oeuvre servings.

© Copyright 1973 by The McCall Publishing Co. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.

Sole Veronique (French sole with grapes)

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sole_veronique

Cooking time: 25-30 mins.
Preparation time: 20 mins.
Main cooking utensils: ovenproof dish, saucepan
Oven temperature: 350-375°F
Oven position: center

For 4 people you need:
4 large or 8 small fillets sole
6 oz. white grapes
seasoning
1 1/2 cups white wine
little milk
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour
2 egg yolks, optional
2-4 tablespoons cream

Garnish:
few extra grapes
parsley sprigs

1. Skin fillets; peel and deseed grapes.

2. Place some of the grapes on fillets, fold over; season lightly.

3. Put into the buttered dish, add white wine, and cook for approximately 15 minutes.

4. Life fillets of fish carefully from liquid, save this to add to sauce.

5. Heat butter, stir in the flour, cook for 2-3 minutes then blend in strained wine and add a little milk if necessary to give good 1 1/4 cups. Bring to boil, cook until thickened.

6. When smooth and thickened, add cream beaten with egg yolks and cook gently, without boiling, for 2-3 minutes.

7. Season well, and pour over the fish.

8. Garnish with a few extra grapes and parsley springs.

TO SERVE: With green salad and/or broccoli.

TO VARY: Often the grates are not put into the oven with the fish but added to the sauce to heat. Purple grames may be used – keep the skin on for garnish if wished to give color.

Printed in Canada. © Copyright Paul Hamlyn Ltd. 1967

Terrine aux Aromates (Herb Pâté)

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terrine

Preparation time: 20-30 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
To serve: 4

You will need
1 lb. spinach or 10 oz. carton frozen spinach
1 lb. lean belly pork, minced
4 oz. cooked ham, diced
1 heaped tablespoon mixed chopped fresh herbs (parsley, chevril, basil, marjoram, etc.)
2 oz. onion, finely grated
1/2 clove garlic, crushed
1 level teaspoon salt
ground black pepper
1/4 level teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 egg
4 rashers mild streaky bacon

A rough textured green flecked and herb flavored pâté. Cook prepared fresh of the frozen spinach in boiling salted water, drain and press as dry as possible. Chop finely or mince with the pork. Into a basin put the spinach, pork, ham, herbs, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, nutmeg and egg. Mix very thoroughly. Press into 1 1/2 pint capacity oven-proof dish. Remove the rind from the rashers of bacon and lay them on top of the mixture in the dish. Cover and stand in a baking tin with hot water to reach halfway up the dish. Cook in centre of a pre-heated moderate oven (350° F. or Gas Mark 4), for about 1 hour. When cold, cover and mature in refrigerator for 24 hours.

Serve from the terrine, garnished with olives and herbs when available.

©Shufunotomo Co., Ltd., Japan 1968 English text © The Hamlyn Publishing Group Ltd. 1968

Gateau Au Chocolat

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4 eggs
4 bars (4-oz size) German’s sweet cooking chocolate
1/2 cup soft sweet butter
4 teaspoons sugar
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour

1. Lightly grease 9-by-5-by-3 inch loaf pan; line with waxed paper. Separate eggs, placing whites and yolks in large bowls. Let whites warm to room temperature – about 1 hour.

2. Preheat oven to 425F.

3. In top of double boiler, melt chocolate over hot, not boiling, water, stirring occasionally. Remove from water. Beat in butter with spoon.

4. Meanwhile, with portable electric mixer, beat egg whites until stiff; set aside.

5. With same beater, beat yolks until thick and lemon colored. Slowly add sugar, beating constantly. Add flour, beating just until blended.

6. Stir into chocolate mixture. With rubber scraper or wire whisk, gently fold chocolate mixture into beaten egg whites.

7. Turn into prepared pan. Reduce oven temperature to 350F. Bake 25 minutes.

8. Let cool completely in pan on wire rack; cake will settle like a cheesecake. Refrigerate until well chilled – about 4 hours.

9. To serve: Loosen cake; remove from pan by inverting on serving plate. If desired, decorate with Chocolate Curls (Card 18h). Cut cake into 3/4 inch slices.

Makes 16 servings.

Note: This is a heavy, rich, moist cake, almost like a pudding that keeps well under refrigeration.

©Copyright 1973 by The McCall Publishing Co. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.

Eggs En Gelee

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Ingredients

6 eggs
2 envelopes unflavored gelatine
2 cans (12 1/2 oz size) chicken consommé
1/2 cup white wine
1 tablespoon tarragon
vinegar
3/4 teaspoon salt
Boiling water, ice water
12 fresh tarragon leaves, or parsley sprigs
4 tablespoons liver pate
1 teaspoon heavy cream

Directions

1. Gently lower eggs into boiling water in medium saucepan. Remove pan from heat. Cover; let stand 3 to 5 minutes. Cool eggs under cold water to prevent further cooking.

2. In small saucepan, sprinkle gelatine over 1 cup consommé to soften. Stir over low heat, to dissolve gelatine. Stir in rest of consommé, white wine, vinegar, and salt; set aside.

3. Pour boiling water over tarragon leaves. Drain, then plunge leaves into ice water. Beat pate with heavy cream until smooth. Place in pastry bag with small star tip.

4. Place 6 (6-oz) oval molds or custard cups in pan of ice and water. Spook 1 tablespoon gelatine mixture into each mold. Let stand about 5 minutes, or just until gelatine is set. Arrange 2 drained tarragon leaves on gelatine in each mold. Pipe liver pate in little stars or in ring around leaves. Cover with another tablespoon of gelatine mixture, being careful to keep decoration intact. Let stand until gelatine is firm.

5. Meanwhile, carefully peel eggs. Place an egg in center of each mold on firm gelatine layer. Pour enough gelatine mixture around eggs just to cover. Refrigerate until firm.

6. To unmold: Dip molds in hot water; invert onto individual serving plates; shake gently to release. Garnish with parsley, if desired, and remaining gelatine, chopped, as show in photography. Makes 6 servings.

©Copyright 1973 by The McCalls Publishing Co. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.