French Classics Made Easy (42 page)

There are two aspects to my technique that are important to the ratatouille’s texture and richness. The first is the size of the cut-up vegetables—I cut them all into ½- to ¾-inch dice, which makes the ratatouille easier to use as a spread or a filling. Second is the way I enrich the ratatouille by reducing the excess cooking liquids to a rich, syrupy sauce for the vegetables. This simple procedure makes a world of difference.

SERVES 6

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 onions, halved and diced

2 green bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ¾-inch squares

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 eggplant (about 1 pound), peeled and diced

2 zucchini (about 1 pound), peeled and diced

2 pounds tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced, or 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained

Bouquet Garni (
page 306
) with an extra ¼ teaspoon fresh or dried thyme leaves

¼ teaspoon salt

⅛ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 teaspoons tomato paste (optional)

4 sprigs parsley, chopped, for garnish

1.
In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and green peppers and cook until softened but not browned, about 4 minutes.

2.
Add the garlic and stir several seconds. Add the eggplant and zucchini. Cover and cook gently over medium-low heat for 15 minutes. The vegetables should be partially cooked and there should be some liquid in the bottom of the pan.

3.
Add the tomatoes and bouquet garni and season with the salt and pepper. Simmer gently over low heat, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, 35 to 45 minutes.

4.
By this time, the liquid in the pan should have reduced to a syrupy sauce. If your liquid is not thick enough, drain the vegetables well in a colander set over a large bowl. Discard the bouquet garni and return the liquid to the pot. Over high heat, reduce the liquid until it attains a sauce-like consistency. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if necessary. If the tomatoes used were not red or flavorful enough, add the tomato paste.

5.
Place the vegetables in an ovenproof dish and gently stir in the reduced liquid.

6.
To serve: Reheat in a 350°F to 400°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes until bubbling. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley just before serving.

SERVING SUGGESTION

Ratatouille is an extremely versatile dish. It can be served hot as a vegetable. It can be served chilled or at room temperature as a first course, and I often serve it on crackers as an hors d’oeuvre. It can be used to fill crêpes and omelets. To serve it au gratin, sprinkle grated Swiss or Parmesan cheese on top and reheat under a broiler.

P
EELING AND
S
EEDING
T
OMATOES

It is often necessary to peel and/or seed tomatoes for a recipe. Seeding tomatoes removes excess moisture and thereby also reduces the cooking time of some recipes. For example, if you don’t seed the tomatoes for Tomato Sauce (
page 325
), it will take at least 20 minutes longer than the 5 minutes indicated in the recipe to achieve its desired consistency. In other sauces, tomatoes are added just before serving. If not seeded and well drained, the sauce will be too thin.

Tomatoes are always peeled before going into sauces in France, unless the sauce will be strained at the end. Tomatoes are not usually peeled when being cut for salads, but some varieties have thick or tough skins, and in such cases I would recommend peeling them.

PEELING
: A vine-ripened tomato peels easily, but most store-bought tomatoes do not. To make peeling easy, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Using a paring knife held at an angle, dig around the stem end to remove the hard white core inside each tomato. With a skimmer or slotted spoon, carefully lower 3 or 4 tomatoes at a time into the boiling water. After 8 to 10 seconds, remove the tomatoes to a plate or bowl. Their skin should now be easy to peel; if it is not, return the tomatoes to the water for an additional 4 or 5 seconds. The riper the tomatoes, the less time they need in the hot water.

If you are working on a gas range, and need to peel only 1 or 2 tomatoes, use a fork to turn them over a flame. The heat from the flame will cause the skin to blister and loosen, and it will then peel easily.

SEEDING
:
To seed a tomato, cut it in half crosswise (through its equator and not its poles). Gently squeeze the tomato over a bowl, and shake out the seeds and excess liquid. Do not worry if a few seeds are left. Whatever you can remove by squeezing and shaking is sufficient.

ZUCCHINI STUFFED
WITH MUSHROOMS AND HAM

[COURGETTES FARCIES]

One of my favorite ways of preparing zucchini is to fill scooped-out halves with a combination of ham, mushrooms, and onions and top with a cheese sauce. The stuffing and sauce can be made in advance and refrigerated. The stuffed zucchini should be assembled the day of serving.

As a first course, one half zucchini is sufficient, and for a lunch or light supper I serve two together with bread, wine, and dessert.

SERVES 4 OR 8

4 zucchini, 6 to 8 inches long, peeled if necessary (see Note)

¼ pound ham (boiled, baked, or smoked), finely chopped

¼ teaspoon fresh or dried thyme leaves

5 sprigs parsley, chopped

Duxelles (
page 187
)

Mornay Sauce (
page 314
)

2 tablespoons milk

Butter, for baking dish

2 ounces Swiss-style cheese, such as Gruyère or Emmentaler, grated (about ⅔ cup)

1.
Preheat the oven to 475°F with the rack in the upper third of the oven. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot over high heat.

2.
Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon.

3.
Place the zucchini halves in the boiling water and blanch until tender, 3 to 5 minutes, depending on freshness. Drain on paper towels.

4.
Stir the ham, thyme, and parsley into the duxelles. If the Mornay sauce was made ahead of time, reheat it. Thin the sauce with the milk and bring to a boil. Whisk well. Stir 5 to 6 tablespoons of the hot sauce into the stuffing.

5.
Butter a baking dish or ovenproof platter that will hold all the zucchini. Fill each zucchini half with stuffing and place in the baking dish. Spoon the sauce over the stuffed zucchini and sprinkle with the grated cheese. (The dish can be prepared to this point up to 1 day in advance and refrigerated.)

6.
Bake until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese begins to brown, 6 to 8 minutes.

NOTE

Zucchini skin is sweet when it is very fresh, but can turn bitter when it’s older. While trimming the stem, I cut off and taste a piece of the skin. If it’s bitter, I peel the zucchini. If it’s sweet, I just wash it. Peeled zucchini is fragile when cooked, and care should be taken in handling it.

IN ADDITION

There are many possible fillings for a stuffed zucchini. Cooked chicken, lamb, or ground beef can replace the ham in this recipe. Cooked rice or bread crumbs can be added when unexpected guests appear. Or use a fresh Tomato Sauce (
page 325
) with or in place of the cheese sauce.

SAUTEED POTATOES

[POMMES DE TERRE SAUTÉES]

Classically, sautéed potatoes are parboiled before being cooked in butter and browned. The initial cooking softens the starch, allowing the potatoes to brown easily when sautéed. Most European potatoes are of the firm, waxy variety, and remain firm after boiling, making this procedure easy to handle. I simplify this technique and save cleaning an extra pot, by sautéing potatoes as follows.

SERVES 6

6 large Yukon Gold potatoes

4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter, or more as needed

¼ teaspoon salt

Pinch of freshly ground pepper

3 sprigs parsley, chopped, for garnish

1.
Peel the potatoes and cut them into ½-inch dice. Soak in cold water until ready to use.

2.
In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, melt the butter. Drain the potatoes and place in the skillet over medium-low heat. Cover the pan and steam the potatoes for 2 to 5 minutes. They should be tender, but not brown.

3.
Uncover, turn the heat to medium-high or high, and sauté, shaking the pan frequently, until the potatoes brown, about 10 minutes. If not shaken, the potatoes may stick and not brown evenly. If the pan seems dry, add more butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. (The potatoes can be prepared up to 1 hour in advance and reheated by sautéing over medium-high heat just before serving.) Season with the salt and pepper and sprinkle with the chopped parsley to serve.

STEAMED POTATOES

[POMMES DE TERRE À LA VAPEUR]

Perhaps the easiest way to prepare potatoes is to steam them. In classical French cooking, steamed potatoes are served with all poached fish, as well as being added to many
ragoûts
(stews). I also serve steamed potatoes with grilled, sautéed, and roasted meats, although their traditional partners are sautéed or fried potatoes.

SERVES 6

18 small Yukon Gold or red-skinned potatoes

3 tablespoons butter, melted (optional; see Notes)

Salt to taste

Chopped parsley

1.
Peel the potatoes, if desired (see Notes); otherwise just wash them. Place them in a steamer basket set over boiling water and cover with a lid.

2.
Steam until tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Insert a small knife into a potato; if the potato does not cling to the knife, it is done. (If the potatoes are cooked in advance, reheat for several minutes in the steamer before serving.)

3.
Transfer the potatoes to a warm bowl. Coat with the melted butter (if using) and sprinkle lightly with the salt and chopped parsley.

NOTES:

If steamed potatoes are going to be served as an accompaniment to a dish with a sauce, I generally omit the butter.

In formal settings, potatoes are traditionally served peeled; leaving them unpeeled is more informal and adds some texture.

FRENCH-FRIED POTATOES

[LES POMMES FRITES]

The French are famous for their fried potatoes. Most Americans probably know only plain
pommes frites,
which are like skinny American French fries. But the French have a whole range of fried potatoes, each with a different shape, size, and name:
chips, julienne, pailles
(straws),
allumettes
(matchsticks),
Pont-Neuf
(thick-cut),
gaufrettes
(waffled), and
soufflées
(puffed).

The general method for deep-frying potatoes below is followed by specific instructions for preparing and cooking the individual varieties of
pommes frites.

SERVES 4 TO 6

Y
ELLOW
P
OTATOES

One reason for the superior results the French achieve with fried potatoes is the yellow potato. Yellow potatoes are used extensively in Europe, where they are prized for their flavor, creamy texture, and superb cooking qualities. In this country, the most common yellow potato available is the Yukon Gold, but keep your eye out for other varieties, such as Yellow Finn, Saginaw Gold, Donna, Delta Gold, Banana, and Golden Delite.

8 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled

2 to 3 quarts light vegetable or peanut oil, for deep-frying

Salt

1.
Trim one side of the potato so it rests flat on your cutting board. Keep trimming the sides and turning the potato until four sides are square. Trim the ends. You will now have a classically trimmed potato, ready for slicing. (Don’t let those potato scraps go to waste; see Note.)