French Classics Made Easy (33 page)

2 inches for roasting (ask the butcher to do this)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil or melted butter

1 carrot, cut into ¼-inch slices

1 onion, halved and cut into ¼-inch slices

2 cups beef stock, homemade or canned (see chart,
page 305
)

⅛ teaspoon salt

⅛ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Sauce of choice (see above; optional)

1.
Preheat the oven to 475°F.

2.
Lightly coat the meat and a roasting pan with the oil. Place the sliced vegetables in the pan and heat in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until the vegetables start to sizzle.

3.
Place the fillet over the vegetables and roast for a total of 25 to 30 minutes for medium-rare. Turn the roast every 6 to 7 minutes to brown it evenly. The roast should be springy to the touch when done.

4.
Transfer the roast to a carving board and deglaze the pan and vegetables by adding the stock and stirring to loosen the caramelized bits on the bottom and sides of the pan. Boil to reduce by half and strain; discard the vegetables. Season the roast with the salt and pepper.

5.
To serve: Cut the fillet into slices about ¼ inch thick and serve on plates with a little of the pan juices or your favorite sauce.

SERVING SUGGESTION

Start with a seafood salad. With the fillet, serve Waterless Cooked Carrots (
page 178
), Cauliflower Purée (
page 179
), and buttered peas. For dessert, serve Chocolate Génoise with Grand Marnier Ganache (
page 240
) or a Gâteau Moka (
page 241
). Roasted beef fillet is also delicious served cold with a Cold Horseradish Sauce (
page 335
).

WINE

Serve this with a red Bordeaux.

BRAISED BRISKET
WITH GINGER AND CORIANDER

[POITRINE DE BOEUF BRAISÉE AU GINGEMBRE ET CORIANDRE]

This recipe is a wonderful example of how ingredients not normally associated with classic French cooking can be used to bring new life to a traditional dish.

I really should call this recipe Boeuf Braisé Deborah, for it was created on the evening my wife gave birth to our second daughter, Deborah. One of the nurses who attended to my wife was from the British West Indies and a food enthusiast. When she found out my profession, she asked me for my chocolate mousse recipe. In return she gave me her favorite recipe, chicken cooked with fresh ginger, garlic, tomatoes, cilantro, and hot pepper.

When I returned home, I took out the brisket of beef I had in the refrigerator and started to prepare a classic braised beef. Finding a piece of ginger in the vegetable drawer, I thought of the nurse’s chicken recipe. Although I did not have cilantro (fresh coriander), I did have ground coriander (the seeds of the coriander plant) and dried hot peppers. My older daughter, Jennifer, and my gourmet mother-in-law were both so pleased with the results that I have been cooking this recipe ever since. As it turned out Deborah was born a “super taster” like her mother, so both find this dish too spicy. Jennifer and I still love it.

SERVES 6 TO 8

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 to 4 pounds breast of beef (first-cut brisket)

2 onions, halved and thickly sliced

4 large carrots, thickly sliced on the diagonal

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 shallots, chopped

1 inch fresh ginger, sliced, or more to taste

2 cups dry red wine

1½ cups beef stock, homemade or canned (see chart,
page 305
)

2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons tomato paste

1 to 2 dried red chili peppers (optional), to taste Bouquet Garni (
page 306
)

⅛ teaspoon salt

⅛ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

12 to 16 small Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled

1.
In a flameproof casserole or large Dutch oven, heat the oil over high heat. Add the meat when the oil is hot and brown it, about 3 minutes on each side. Remove the meat.

2.
Add the onions and carrots and cook over high heat until they are lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

3.
Sprinkle on the flour and cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until browned, 3 to 5 minutes.

4.
Add the garlic, shallots, and ginger, and stir for 10 seconds before adding all of the remaining ingredients except the potatoes.

5.
Return the meat to the casserole, cover, and simmer over medium-low heat until tender, 2½ to 3 hours. This can be done on top of the stove or in a 300°F to 350°F oven.

6.
Add the potatoes during the last hour of cooking. If your casserole is too small to hold them, boil or steam them separately.

7.
When the meat is tender, discard the bouquet garni. Reserving all of the cooked vegetables, strain the cooking liquid, which will have thickened to form a sauce, through a fine-mesh sieve. Skim to remove all fat. (This recipe can be prepared to this point in advance. Reheat the meat and vegetables before serving.)

8.
Slice the brisket and serve it with the potatoes and vegetables. Spoon some of the sauce over all and serve the remaining sauce separately.

F
IRST
-C
UT
B
RISKET

A brisket of beef is cut from the chest or breast of the cow, and although a tough piece of meat, it is excellent and tender after braising or slow cooking.

At one end of the brisket is a thin, flat, lean piece called the first cut. This is the cut that I have called for in this book. At the other end of the brisket is the thicker and fattier end called the second cut. This fattier cut of brisket is best when slow-roasted or smoked on the grill.

Both first and second cuts of brisket are used to make corned beef and pastrami.

SERVING SUGGESTION

Start with an Endive and Pink Grapefruit Salad (
page 28
) or a green vegetable as a first course. For dessert, serve a Crème Caramel (
page 268
).

WINE

Serve with a dry red.

VARIATIONS

B
RAISED
B
EEF

[BOEUF BRAISÉ]

Omit the ginger, coriander, and chili peppers and you have my basic braised beef recipe.

B
RAISED
B
EEF A L’
H
ONGROISE

[BOEUF BRAISÉ À L’HONGROISE]

Use the basic Braised Beef (above) and omit the carrot, add another onion and 1 tablespoon of paprika.

A
LSATIAN
-S
TYLE
B
RAISED
B
EEF

[BOEUF BRAISÉ À L’ALSACIENNE]

Omit the coriander and chili pepper. In place of the ginger, use 15 juniper berries. Add a whole head of cabbage cut into wedges at the same time as the potatoes in step 6.

BEEF BURGUNDY

[BOEUF BOURGUIGNON]

On a winter night, or after a full day of skiing, nothing is quite as satisfying as a hearty
boeuf bourguignon.
In France this
ragoût
is made with fresh unsmoked bacon, which is not stocked in most American markets. I use smoked bacon and remove the excess salt and smoky flavor by blanching it twice. The delicate smoky taste that is left creates additional character not found in the original recipe, giving this version a sauce that is fuller and more robust.

Traditionally,
boeuf bourguignon
is made with a local, full-bodied Burgundy made from the Pinot Noir grape. Use any similar imported or domestic wine.

SERVES 6

¼ cup vegetable oil

3 pounds beef chuck (see Note), trimmed, cut into 1½- to 2-inch cubes, and patted dry with paper towels

1 onion, diced

1 small carrot, diced

⅓ cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup Cognac (optional)

3 cups dry red wine

1½ cups beef stock, homemade or canned (see chart,
page 305
)

2 shallots, sliced

4 cloves garlic, sliced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon Meat Glaze (optional;
page 309
)

Bouquet Garni (
page 306
)

¼ teaspoon salt

⅛ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

24 pearl onions, peeled, root ends trimmed but left intact to hold the onions together

12 to 18 small Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled

1 pound smoked slab bacon, cut into ½-inch rectangles

¾ pound mushrooms, washed, dried, and halved or quartered to match the size of the pearl onions

6 sprigs parsley, chopped, for garnish

1.
In a large flameproof casserole, heat the oil over high heat. When the oil begins to smoke, add the beef cubes and brown well on all sides, turning the pieces only after they have browned, about 7 minutes. This can be done in two batches if your casserole cannot hold the meat in one layer. Add the onion and carrot to the casserole, reduce the heat to medium-high, and brown the vegetables lightly, about 3 minutes.

2.
Sprinkle the flour over the meat and vegetables and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until evenly browned, about 5 minutes.

3.
Remove the casserole from the heat, add the Cognac (if using), and flame (see “How to Flambé,”
page 282
). When the flames die down, add the wine, stock, shallots, garlic, tomato paste, meat glaze (if using), bouquet garni, salt, and pepper. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer, occasionally skimming off the
fat or foam that rises to the top, until the beef is tender, about 1½ hours. The cooking time will vary depending on the cut and aging of the meat. It might take as long as 2½ to 3 hours. To test for doneness, stick one prong of a roasting fork into a piece of the meat and lift it from the casserole. If the meat clings to the fork, it needs more cooking. If it drops from the fork, it is tender and ready to serve. (The recipe can be prepared to this point in advance. Let cool to room temperature, cover, and refrigerate or freeze.)

4.
Meanwhile, fill two large saucepans with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the pearl onions to one and cook until tender, about 10 minutes; drain well. Add the potatoes to the other and cook until tender, about 20 minutes; drain well.

5.
Place the bacon in a small saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, drain, and rinse under cold running water. Repeat this process one more time and drain well.

6.
In a 12-inch skillet, sauté the bacon over medium heat until it is crisp on the outside, yet soft on the inside, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

7.
Remove all but about 2 tablespoons of fat from the skillet, add the mushrooms, and sauté over high heat until browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and remove the mushrooms and place in a bowl.

8.
Add the boiled pearl onions to the pan and sauté until browned, about 5 minutes.

9.
When the beef is tender, remove it with a skimmer or slotted spoon and place it in an attractive oven-to-table casserole. Add the pearl onions, potatoes, mushrooms, and bacon.

10.
Remove any fat from the surface of the cooking liquid. If the sauce is too thick, add a little water; if too thin, boil it to reduce and thicken. The sauce should be the consistency of heavy cream. Adjust the seasoning of the sauce and strain it over the meat and vegetables. (The stew can be prepared up to 2 days in advance. As with all stews, the flavor actually improves if made at least 1 day in advance. Let cool, cover, and refrigerate. Before serving, reheat the stew and simmer for 5 minutes.) Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.