Around My French Table (29 page)

Put the mustard, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, and red pepper flakes in a small jar and shake to blend; or whisk together in a small bowl.

Put the wheat berries in a large bowl, pour the vinaigrette over them, and mix well with a large spoon or rubber spatula. If you've got the time, cover the berries and let them stand at room temperature for about 1 hour, so that they fully absorb the vinaigrette.

Add the celery, onion, bell pepper, apple, and tuna to the salad and stir everything together gently. Taste and add more salt and pepper as needed.

Put the mixed greens in a large serving bowl or on a platter. Season with salt and pepper and toss with about 1 teaspoon olive oil. Spoon the wheat berry salad over the greens, top with the tomatoes, avocado, and hard-boiled eggs, and season these newcomers with a little salt and pepper.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

SERVING
The salad is complete just as it is. You really don't need bread with it—you've already got wheat on the table—but in true French fashion, I always include a basket with bread, and in true French fashion, it's always emptied.

STORING
You can cook the wheat berries up to 1 day ahead and keep them in the fridge (bring them to room temperature before dressing), but the composed salad is really best eaten soon after it's made.

I
'M CRAZY ABOUT THIS SALAD,
which is piquant, pungent, surprising, and a serendipitous creation: I'd tasted a lentil cornichon salad at a bistro, and when I wanted to attempt a re-creation, there wasn't a single little pickle lurking anywhere in my fridge. While foraging for a stand-in, I came up with the idea to use tapenade and
citrons confits,
also doing business as Moroccan or preserved lemons. As for the tuna? I can't really explain it. I tasted the salad with the lemon, olive paste, and lentils and the word
tuna
just popped into my brain, and I'm glad it did: it turned out to be what linked all the ingredients together. Although the salad can be served in small portions as a starter, I usually make it for lunch, putting a scoop of it over mixed greens and topping it with halved cherry or grape tomatoes tossed with a little olive oil. Spread on crackers, it also makes a good little nibble with drinks.

The salad starts with cooked lentils du Puy. I use the basic recipe on
[>]
, but you can cook the lentils any way you wish. If you're lucky enough to have leftover lentils, you'll be that much ahead of the game.

BE PREPARED:
While the salad is fine right after it's made, it's better if you refrigerate it for a couple of hours before serving.

Stir together the mustard and tapenade in a small jar; or whisk together in a small bowl. Add the vinegar and olive oil and shake or whisk until the vinaigrette is well blended. Pour the dressing over the lentils and stir to blend.

You've got a choice about how you want to use the preserved lemon. Most commonly, only the rind is used, but the soft inner pulp can also be stirred into this salad. (I include the pulp.) If you want to use the whole lemon, finely chop it; if you're using just the rind, cut it away from the pulp, discard the pulp, and chop the rind into small bits. Stir the lemon and scallions into the salad.

Drain the tuna and use a fork to flake it over the salad. Season very lightly with salt and generously with pepper, and toss. Taste, and if you think it needs it, stir in a little more olive oil.

You can serve the salad now, but it's better if you cover it and chill for a couple of hours: the rest gives the flavors time to blend. Right before serving, taste again for seasonings and oil.

MAKES 6 STARTER SERVINGS OR 4 LUNCH MAIN-COURSE SERVINGS

SERVING
The salad can be served chilled or at room temperature, on a bed of greens or plain. As much for color as for flavor, I like to garnish it with a tomato and pepper salad (see Bonne Idée,
[>]
).

STORING
Covered and refrigerated, the salad will keep for a day. It will soften a little, but its flavors will hold.

T
HIS IS A FAST, FUN, AND FUNNY
version of the traditional Basque tortilla made with cubed potatoes (
[>]
). The French would call this a
clin d'oeil,
or a wink, at the original, and they'd be surprised not only at the potato chips that stand in for the usual sautéed spuds, but at the creator, Jean-François Piège, formerly the chef of Les Ambassadeurs, the Michelin-starred restaurant in Le Crillon. I found the recipe in a French food magazine, played around with it a little, and served it as an hors d'oeuvre at a dinner party in Paris. Not a soul had even an inkling that what they were savoring had been a snack food of a type they'd never eat (or at least never admit to eating).

BE PREPARED:
The tortilla is best made ahead and served at room temperature as finger food—convenient for parties.

Put the potato chips in a bowl, reach in, and crush the chips—a noisy, greasy job that leaves you with potato-chip fingers you'll want to lick.

Put the eggs, onion or scallions (if using), herbs, garlic, and piment d'Espelette or cayenne into another bowl. Season with salt and pepper and whisk to combine. Pour the eggs over the chips and stir to blend well.

You'll need a small skillet that can go under the broiler: 9 inches is about as big as it should be. I use an old-fashioned cast-iron skillet, but a nonstick skillet is also good. (If you're not sure that the handle can go under the broiler, wrap it in foil.) Position a rack under the broiler so that when you slide the skillet onto it, it will be about 6 inches from the heat source. Turn on the broiler.

Place the skillet over medium heat and pour in the olive oil. When the oil is hot, give the eggs and chips a last stir and pour them into the pan. Use a fork to push the mixture out to the edges of the pan if necessary, then turn the heat down to low. Cook the tortilla for 2 to 3 minutes, or until it is set around the edges and the top is almost done (being set is more important than the timing, so just keep watching the eggs). Remove the pan from the heat and run a spatula around the edges and under the tortilla in case it has stuck to the pan.

Slide the pan under the broiler and cook until the top of the tortilla is set, about 1 minute. Slide the tortilla onto a serving platter or board, and serve warm or at room temperature.

MAKES 4 LUNCH MAIN-COURSE SERVINGS OR 8 HORS D'OEUVRE SERVINGS

SERVING
Like most Spanish tortillas, this one is good cut into small pieces and served with drinks or quartered and served with a salad for lunch. If you'd like, pair the tortilla with strips of smoked salmon or paper-thin slices of Spanish ham.

STORING
You can make the tortilla several hours ahead of time and, when it's cool, cover it lightly and keep it at room temperature until serving time. Leftovers can be kept covered in the refrigerator—chilled, the tortilla will be quite firm but nice for nibbling.

W
HILE THE IDEA OF A ROOM-TEMPERATURE
omelet served with a salad for lunch or in bite-sized pieces as an hors d'oeuvre might rightly put you in mind of the Italian frittata, the first time I had this dish, it had the odd effect of making me think of eggs and hash browns, the classic American diner breakfast. Of course it's the well-browned potatoes and chopped onion that did it.

This particular omelet, so popular in the Basque region of France, goes by its Spanish name,
tortilla,
and everything about it is casual, from the way it is often served (on toothpicks) to the way it is made. Unlike traditional omelets that require close attention and a practiced flick of the wrist for the crucial flip-over, the tortilla needs nothing more than the patience to wait until the eggs cook enough to be run under the broiler.

You do need to be finicky about one thing with this dish: a clean skillet. Make sure that after you cook the potatoes and onion, you wipe the pan clean of any little bits that have stuck to the bottom.

You'll need a heavy skillet with a diameter of 9 to 10 inches—I use an old-fashioned cast-iron skillet. (Smaller is better than larger here.) Choose one with a handle that can go under the broiler. (If you're not sure about the handle, wrap it in aluminum foil.) Pour about 2 tablespoons of the oil into the skillet and warm it over medium heat. Add the potatoes and onion, as well as the garlic and rosemary, if you're using them, and turn the ingredients around until they glisten with oil. Season with salt and pepper, lower the heat, and cook slowly until the potatoes are golden and cooked through, about 20 minutes; you should be able to pierce the potatoes easily with the tip of a knife. Discard the garlic and rosemary, if you used them, and transfer the potatoes and onion to a bowl. Carefully wipe out the skillet with a paper towel. (If anything has stuck to the bottom of the pan, you should wash and dry it—you need a nice clean surface so the tortilla will be easy to unmold.)

Depending on how long your broiler takes to heat, you should turn it on now or when the tortilla has cooked for a few minutes. Before turning it on, position a rack under the broiler so that when you slide the skillet onto it, the pan will be about 6 inches from the heat source.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs with salt and pepper to taste and the piment d'Espelette or cayenne, then stir in the potatoes and onion.

Put the skillet over medium-high heat and pour in about 1½ tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the eggs and potatoes to the pan. Immediately lower the heat and let the eggs cook, undisturbed, for about 2 minutes. Run a silicone spatula or a table knife around the edges of the pan to release the tortilla, then cover the pan and cook slowly for another 8 to 10 minutes, or until the top is almost set—there'll be a circle of liquid or jiggly egg at the center. Every couple of minutes, run your spatula around the sides of the pan and just under the tortilla to keep it from sticking.

Slide the pan under the broiler and cook until the top of the tortilla is set: check it after 1 minute, and then keep checking—it can go fast. Transfer the tortilla to a serving platter and allow it to cool to room temperature before cutting and serving it. (Of course there's nothing to stop you from eating it now, like an omelet.)

MAKES 4 LUNCH MAIN-COURSE SERVINGS OR 8 HORS D'OEUVRE SERVINGS

SERVING
To serve the tortilla as an hors d'oeuvre or as tapas with wine or, in Basque fashion, sangria, cut it into thin wedges, or square the sides and cut it into cubes. If the tortilla is destined for lunch, divide it into quarters and serve it with a tossed green salad. If you'd like, drizzle a little olive oil over each wedge.

STORING
You can make the tortilla several hours ahead and keep it lightly covered at room temperature. Leftovers can be kept covered in the refrigerator—chilling will firm the tortilla, but it will still make a good snack.

BONNE IDÉE
Since this tortilla comes from the land of ham, you might want to add some to the dish. You can stir a small handful of finely diced ham into the eggs and potatoes before cooking the tortilla, or serve the tortilla with a few slices of lightly sautéed Spanish ham or prosciutto. For a more American but equally good touch, serve the tortilla with strips of crisp bacon to nibble alongside. Do that, and you're sure to see why the dish could be a diner special.

MORE BONNE IDÉES
Onion-Herb Tortilla
. Cook 1½ cups chopped onions in 2 tablespoons olive oil until very soft and lightly golden, about 20 minutes. Mix the onions with about cup minced fresh herbs, such as parsley, chives, thyme, and rosemary, let cool slightly, then stir this mix into the eggs; omit the potatoes. Proceed as directed.