French Classics Made Easy (20 page)

5.
To cook the ravioli, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the ravioli and cook until tender, 8 to 10 minutes (1 minute or so longer for frozen). Drain in a colander or remove from the pot and place on paper towels. (The ravioli can be cooked in advance, cooled, covered, and refrigerated until ready to use. For reheating information, see Note.)

6.
Serve with the tomato sauce. The ravioli can be topped with the sauce, tossed with it, or presented on
top
of it.

F
RENCH
R
OLLING
P
INS

A French rolling pin, made from a single piece of wood, is about 19 to 20 inches long and 1½ to 2 inches in diameter. (An American-style pin is usually shorter and has handles with ball bearings, which help in the rolling.) Because a French pin has greater surface area, it is especially helpful when rolling large pieces of dough (as for pasta) or when transferring dough from work surface to baking sheet or tart pan. A French pin is rolled with an open hand. As the fingertips and palm run over the top of the pin, a downward pressure is exerted to flatten the dough.

NOTE

To reheat cooked ravioli, place them in an ovenproof serving dish and cover with the sauce. Place the dish in a 400°F oven until the sauce bubbles, 10 to 15 minutes. You can also combine the ravioli and sauce in the serving dish and refrigerate or freeze. Reheat as above, but allow a few more minutes.

CHAPTER TWO
MAIN COURSES

SEAFOOD

POULTRY

MEAT

The main course, the focal point of a French meal, is the course around which the balance of the menu is planned. It can be as simple as a grilled steak or a roast duck, as hearty as a robust
ragoût,
or as elegant as a rack of lamb or a poached fish served with a rich sauce. Once chosen, it should be complemented by an appropriate first course and dessert.

The repertoire of French main courses is so large that it could easily take up a book on its own. I have therefore chosen a sampling of classic recipes that you will both enjoy and learn from. The recipes that follow are my timeless favorites.

SEAFOOD

In France, fish dishes are the aristocrats of the culinary repertoire. Fish are accorded a respect and admiration that is born of several things. First, fish has always been expensive, making it a rarity and a delicacy. Second, because of the delicate taste of most fish, it has always been served with highly refined sauces. If you go to a restaurant that is known for its fish dishes in France, be assured the sauces will be well prepared.

In this country, it has been for only about 25 years that we have had a reliable source of fresh fish and seafood outside of coastal cities. As soon as we started appreciating sushi and all the different ways fish is prepared in other countries, we started eating more fresh fish—and expecting the market to provide it.

On the downside, with the world demand for seafood climbing every year, our oceans are being depleted of the fish we love. Much of what we now find in the market is not wild-caught, but rather raised in pens.

When shopping for fish, there are some things to know in order to judge its freshness. Whole fish fresh from the sea have a smell of the ocean water. They have shiny, slippery skins, and a flesh that is firm to the touch. Their eyes are clear and their gills are crimson in color. Fish that is past its prime will have an unpleasant odor, dull, dry skin, and flesh that yields to the press of a finger, retaining its imprint. The eyes will be cloudy and the gills will be gray. Fresh fillets of fish will be firm to the touch and glistening in appearance. Fillets not worth purchasing will be soft, dull, and dry looking.

If you have bought fish and won’t be home for several hours, ask the market to surround your package of fish in a bag of crushed ice. This is especially important in the summer.

With the expanding number of fish varieties now appearing in our markets, you shouldn’t be limited by the types of fish in this chapter. If the fish looks fresh, try it. Some of the following recipes are quick and easy, others are a little more complex. If you try them all, you will learn a great deal about cooking seafood.

GRILLED SALMON FILLETS

[FILETS DE SAUMON GRILLÉS]

Most French recipes call for grilling salmon steaks (
darnes de saumon
), but I prefer to use fillets. I like the texture of the fillets better than that of steaks and also find the fillets make a more attractive presentation.

It was actually by accident that I came upon my technique of grilling fish fillets. For years I tried to find a way to grill fillets on both sides without having them either stick to the grill or fall apart in the turning process. One day when in a hurry, I just threw them, skin side down, onto a hot, unoiled grill. Unable to turn them, I covered them with a lid. When cooked, I found that because the skin was firmly stuck to the grill, I was easily able to slide a metal spatula between the skin and the fish and lift the fish to a waiting plate. In doing so, all I had left behind was a piece of (often strong-tasting) skin. The end results were succulent and delicious, and I have grilled fish fillets this way ever since. This recipe works for any fish fillet. If I am using wild salmon, which is drier than farmed salmon, I am particularly careful not to overcook the fish.

SERVES 6

6 salmon fillets (see Note), unskinned (4 to 6 ounces each)

2 to 3 tablespoons soy sauce, or lemon or lime juice (optional)

4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter, melted

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, tarragon, or basil

1.
Rinse the fillets under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. If not extremely fresh, or if desired, sprinkle them with soy sauce or lemon or lime juice. (This can be done several hours in advance of cooking. The fish should be kept refrigerated until shortly before grilling.)

2.
Preheat your grill to high. If you do not have a lid, make one by loosely covering the grill with heavy-duty aluminum foil or use a large domed pot lid to cover the fish while it is cooking.

3.
Combine the melted butter and the herbs in a small dish.

4.
Place the fillets on the grill and cover. Grill until the fish is fairly firm yet springy to the touch, 4 to 8 minutes. Moisture or juices from the fish will pool on the surface of the fish and look opaque.

5.
Slide a metal spatula between the skin and the fish. Lift the fish onto a plate, leaving the skin on the grill to be scraped off later. Pour a little of the herb butter over the fish and serve immediately.

NOTE:
When ordering fillets, I try to get them cut so that each fillet is of even thickness. The top part of the fish is generally thicker than is the bottom, or belly. A 4-ounce piece from the belly may be larger yet thinner than a 6-ounce piece cut from the back. If your fish market is obliging, they will cut the fish to meet your needs. If not, you will need to cut them when you get home.

G
RILLING
F
ISH

If you find yourself fortunate enough to be near a source of fresh fish, you will want to grill it often, for it is healthy, quick, and delicious.

Cooking a whole fish, fillets, or steaks on a grill can be difficult. The flesh of most fish is delicate and tends to stick. Coat the metal grates with a vegetable oil spray to help prevent major sticking.

For large whole fish that are hard to turn, use aluminum foil strips to form a sling. This makes it easier to support the fish when lifting it. Should you have one of the special hinged fish grills that encloses the fish and allows you to turn it easily, so much the better.

Boneless steaks, such as swordfish and tuna, which have firm flesh, are ideal for grilling. Have the fish cut into 1¼- to 1½-inch steaks, and remove all the skin and fat. Steaks like salmon and halibut that do have a bone are grilled and served with the skin on. Grill fish steaks as you would grill a rib steak (see
page 145
). Some people like their fish well done while others like theirs rare or medium. I like most fish cooked medium to medium-well, but when it comes to tuna I like it very rare. Serve with melted butter and chopped fresh herbs, or with a Beurre Blanc (
page 329
).

Fillets and whole sides of fish should be prepared as for Grilled Salmon Fillets.

BAKED RED SNAPPER NAPPER
IN A MEDITERRANEAN
T
OMATO
S
AUCE

[ROUGET À LA SUZANNE]

This low-calorie baked fish dish (named for my wife, Susan) is actually a combination of two classic Mediterranean presentations:
rouget à l’algéroise,
made with a tomato sauce containing fennel and saffron, and
rouget à la portugaise,
which uses a fresh tomato sauce made with shallots, garlic, and parsley. Both use considerably more olive oil than I have used here.

Since
rouget
is hard to come by—and expensive—my version uses red snapper. When snapper is not available, try another similar-size fish, such as bluefish or black sea bass.

SERVES 6

½ tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

4 pounds tomatoes, peeled (see
page 194
), seeded, and diced, or 2 cans (28 ounces each) diced tomatoes, drained

3 shallots, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 small bulb fennel, finely diced (see Note)

1 pinch of saffron

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

10 sprigs parsley, chopped, plus 8 whole sprigs, for garnish

1 whole red snapper (4 to 5 pounds)

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2.
In a large skillet, heat the oil over high heat. Add the tomatoes, shallots, garlic, and fennel and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes soften but still have some shape, about 5 minutes. The tomatoes’ excess moisture should have evaporated, but if not, strain and reserve the tomatoes and return the excess liquid to the pan. Cook the liquid over high heat until it is reduced to a syrup. Return the tomatoes to the pan and season with the saffron, salt, and pepper. Stir in the chopped parsley. (The sauce can be made ahead of time. Let cool to room temperature, cover, and refrigerate.)

3.
Place a layer of the sauce on a large, deep ovenproof serving platter. Place the fish on the platter and cover all but the head and tail with the remaining sauce. Bake 50 to 60 minutes, until a knife penetrates easily to the bone.

4.
Decorate the platter with parsley sprigs and serve.

NOTE

If fennel is not available, either leave it out or use ¼ teaspoon anise seed or fennel seed for a similar flavor.

IN ADDITION

In French cooking, a
point
is the amount of powdered spice that can be lifted on the tip (
point
) of
a paring knife and is basically equal to a pinch. The technique is used with strong spices, such as cayenne, which you might not want to get on your fingers.

SERVING SUGGESTION

Start with Zucchini Stuffed with Mushrooms and Ham (
page 195
). Rice Pilaf (
page 207
), made with a touch of saffron and 1 teaspoon of chopped fresh tarragon, makes an excellent accompaniment for the fish. Follow with a mixed green salad made with an olive oil and lemon juice vinaigrette. For dessert, serve fruit sorbet and cookies.

WINE

I like a chilled rosé or Beaujolais with this dish.

POACHED SALMON
WITH BEURRE BLANC