< Previous168 169 Preparation time: 45 minutes Cooking time: 2¼ hours Serves 6 For the cabbage 1 × 3¼-lb (1.5-kg) head of cabbage 4½ oz (125 g) bacon slices (rashers) 1 onion, sliced 1 carrot, sliced scant 1 cup/7 fl oz (200 ml) any broth (stock) 1/3 cup/3½ fl oz (100 ml) white wine salt and pepper For the stuffing ¾ cup/4½ oz (125 g) finely chopped unsmoked bacon ¾ cup/4½ oz (125 g) finely chopped pork 1 handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped 1½ tablespoons Cognac salt and pepper STUFFED CABBAGE CHOU FA RCI Stuffed cabbage is an example of rustic yet substantial sophistication. Making it requires some time and care, and the result is truly a beauty. Stuffed cabbage leaves exist in many culinary traditions, but in France, the whole cabbage is used. Once ready, it is cut into slices and shared among guests. You could serve it as a family meal but also at a dinner party, accompanied with some simple rice and a red wine from the Loire Valley or Beaujolais. Begin the meal with a light vegetable starter and perhaps Pears in Wine (page 270) for dessert. Begin preparing the cabbge: Trim the cabbage, removing any wilted or damaged leaves. Cut a deep cross in the bottom. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil and blanch the cabbage in boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain the cabbage, remove some of the core to expose the ends of the leaves, and drain again with the bottom facing downward. Prepare the stuffing: Mix all the ingredients, seasoning with salt and pepper. Stuff the cabbage: Beginning in the center of the cabbage, slip a little stuffing into the bottom of each leaf without pulling the cabbage completely apart. Wrap the bacon slices (rashers) around the cabbage and tie with kitchen twine (string). Put it in a heavy Dutch oven (casserole) with the onion and carrot, and pour on the broth (stock) and wine. Season with salt and pepper, cover with a lid, and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 2 hours. Serve warm. M A I N DISH ES / PL ATS PR I NCI PAU X168 169 Preparation time: 45 minutes Cooking time: 2¼ hours Serves 6 For the cabbage 1 × 3¼-lb (1.5-kg) head of cabbage 4½ oz (125 g) bacon slices (rashers) 1 onion, sliced 1 carrot, sliced scant 1 cup/7 fl oz (200 ml) any broth (stock) 1/3 cup/3½ fl oz (100 ml) white wine salt and pepper For the stuffing ¾ cup/4½ oz (125 g) finely chopped unsmoked bacon ¾ cup/4½ oz (125 g) finely chopped pork 1 handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped 1½ tablespoons Cognac salt and pepper STUFFED CABBAGE CHOU FA RCI Stuffed cabbage is an example of rustic yet substantial sophistication. Making it requires some time and care, and the result is truly a beauty. Stuffed cabbage leaves exist in many culinary traditions, but in France, the whole cabbage is used. Once ready, it is cut into slices and shared among guests. You could serve it as a family meal but also at a dinner party, accompanied with some simple rice and a red wine from the Loire Valley or Beaujolais. Begin the meal with a light vegetable starter and perhaps Pears in Wine (page 270) for dessert. Begin preparing the cabbge: Trim the cabbage, removing any wilted or damaged leaves. Cut a deep cross in the bottom. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil and blanch the cabbage in boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain the cabbage, remove some of the core to expose the ends of the leaves, and drain again with the bottom facing downward. Prepare the stuffing: Mix all the ingredients, seasoning with salt and pepper. Stuff the cabbage: Beginning in the center of the cabbage, slip a little stuffing into the bottom of each leaf without pulling the cabbage completely apart. Wrap the bacon slices (rashers) around the cabbage and tie with kitchen twine (string). Put it in a heavy Dutch oven (casserole) with the onion and carrot, and pour on the broth (stock) and wine. Season with salt and pepper, cover with a lid, and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 2 hours. Serve warm. M A I N DISH ES / PL ATS PR I NCI PAU X266 267 Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 35 minutes Serves 6 butter, for greasing scant 1 cup/3½ oz (100 g) flour 6 eggs 1 cup/8 fl oz (250 ml) milk 3 cups/1 lb 10 oz (750 g) black cherries, pitted (stoned) 1 tablespoon kirsch 3½ tablespoons/1½ oz (40 g) superfine (caster) sugar salt CLAFOUTIS CL A FOU TIS Clafoutis is a pudding from the region of Limousin, in south-central France, but variants exist in neighboring regions. There is a debate in France on whether to pit (stone) the fruit or not: some say it’s best not to because the stones yield a lot of extra taste and the cherry juices won’t be lost in the pudding; but it’s easier to eat the dish without. Clafoutis batter is a little like a pancake batter, which is poured over fruit and then baked. Cherries are the most classic flavor, but other fruits work well too, such as mirabelle prunes, raspberries, or pan-fried slices apples. Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C/Gas Mark 6 and butter an ovenproof dish. Mix the flour with the eggs and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Add a little of the milk and beat into the batter until light and smooth. Add the remaining milk, a little at a time, beating between additions until the batter falls like a ribbon from the spoon, like crêpe batter. Stir the cherries and kirsch into the batter. Pour into the prepared dish and bake for 35 minutes until set and top is golden brown. Remove from the oven, then sprinkle with the sugar. Serve warm or cold. DESSERTS, PA ST R I ES A N D SW EETS / DESSERTS, PÂT ISSER I ES ET CON F ISER I ES266 267 Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 35 minutes Serves 6 butter, for greasing scant 1 cup/3½ oz (100 g) flour 6 eggs 1 cup/8 fl oz (250 ml) milk 3 cups/1 lb 10 oz (750 g) black cherries, pitted (stoned) 1 tablespoon kirsch 3½ tablespoons/1½ oz (40 g) superfine (caster) sugar salt CLAFOUTIS CL A FOU TIS Clafoutis is a pudding from the region of Limousin, in south-central France, but variants exist in neighboring regions. There is a debate in France on whether to pit (stone) the fruit or not: some say it’s best not to because the stones yield a lot of extra taste and the cherry juices won’t be lost in the pudding; but it’s easier to eat the dish without. Clafoutis batter is a little like a pancake batter, which is poured over fruit and then baked. Cherries are the most classic flavor, but other fruits work well too, such as mirabelle prunes, raspberries, or pan-fried slices apples. Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C/Gas Mark 6 and butter an ovenproof dish. Mix the flour with the eggs and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Add a little of the milk and beat into the batter until light and smooth. Add the remaining milk, a little at a time, beating between additions until the batter falls like a ribbon from the spoon, like crêpe batter. Stir the cherries and kirsch into the batter. Pour into the prepared dish and bake for 35 minutes until set and top is golden brown. Remove from the oven, then sprinkle with the sugar. Serve warm or cold. DESSERTS, PA ST R I ES A N D SW EETS / DESSERTS, PÂT ISSER I ES ET CON F ISER I ES326 327 Preparation time: 1 hour 15 minutes, plus chilling and cooling time Cooking time: 45 minutes Serves 6 For the base butter, for greasing 1 quantity Choux Pastry (page 42) flour, for dusting 1 quantity Basic Pie Dough (page 41), chilled 1 egg, beaten ½ quantity Crème Pâtissière (page xxx) 1 cup/7 oz (200 g) superfine (caster) sugar whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, to serve (optional) For the Saint-Honoré Cream 2 gelatin leaves or 1 teaspoon/¼ oz (6 g) powdered gelatin 2 egg yolks ¼ cup/1¾ oz (50 g) superfine (caster) sugar 1 tablespoon/¼ oz (10 g) flour ½ cup/4 fl oz (125 ml) milk, warmed 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 egg whites SAINT-HONORÉ SA INT-HONOR É Saint-Honoré is the patron saint of pastry chefs. His name was given to this pastry in 1846 by its creator, a pâtissier named Chiboust whose store was on the rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré, in the center of Paris. Making it is a bit of a pastry masterclass, since it’s an architec- tural dish involving five essential elements of French pastry: choux pastry; pie dough (shortcrust pastry)—or sometimes puff; pastry cream; Saint-Honoré cream; and caramel. If you master Saint-Honoré you can probably make almost any other French pastry. It has also recent- ly enjoyed renewed popularity in France. Make the base: Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C/Gas Mark 6 and grease 2 baking sheets with butter. Place the choux pastry into a pastry (piping) bag fitted with a large plain tip (nozzle). Dust a work counter with flour and roll the pie dough (shortcrust pastry) out to a thickness of ¼ inch (5 mm). Cut into a 9-inch (23-cm) round and place on one baking sheet. Prick all over with a fork and brush with the egg. Starting 1 inch (2.5 cm) inside the edge of the round and using half of the choux pastry, pipe it in a spiral onto the pie dough, finishing in the center, leaving space between the lines to allow it to puff up in the oven. Use the remaining choux pastry to make small choux buns, piping them onto the other baking sheet. Place both in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, then remove the choux buns and continue cooking the dough round for another 5–10 minutes until golden and cooked through. Once cooled, fill the small choux buns with the crème pâtissière. With 1 cup/7 oz (200 g) superfine (caster) sugar, make a light caramel (see page 49). Carefully dip the buns in the caramel, then immediately stick them around the outer edge of the dough round. Make the Saint-Honoré cream: Soak the gelatin leaves in a cold water for 5 minutes, or if using powdered gelatin, sprinkle it into ¼ cup/2 fl oz (60ml) cold water, and leave to bloom for 5 minutes. Place the egg yolks and sugar in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Whisk for 2–3 minutes until pale and thick, then add the flour, milk, vanilla, and the well-drained gelatin leaves or the softened powdered gelatin. Cook the custard until it has thickened, without allowing it to boil. Remove from the heat and let cool. Whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks and fold them gently but thoroughly into the lukewarm custard. Fill the center of the cake with the Saint-Honoré cream. Serve immediately. DESSERTS, PA ST R I ES A N D SW EETS / DESSERTS, PÂT ISSER I ES ET CON F ISER I ES326 327 Preparation time: 1 hour 15 minutes, plus chilling and cooling time Cooking time: 45 minutes Serves 6 For the base butter, for greasing 1 quantity Choux Pastry (page 42) flour, for dusting 1 quantity Basic Pie Dough (page 41), chilled 1 egg, beaten ½ quantity Crème Pâtissière (page xxx) 1 cup/7 oz (200 g) superfine (caster) sugar whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, to serve (optional) For the Saint-Honoré Cream 2 gelatin leaves or 1 teaspoon/¼ oz (6 g) powdered gelatin 2 egg yolks ¼ cup/1¾ oz (50 g) superfine (caster) sugar 1 tablespoon/¼ oz (10 g) flour ½ cup/4 fl oz (125 ml) milk, warmed 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 egg whites SAINT-HONORÉ SA INT-HONOR É Saint-Honoré is the patron saint of pastry chefs. His name was given to this pastry in 1846 by its creator, a pâtissier named Chiboust whose store was on the rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré, in the center of Paris. Making it is a bit of a pastry masterclass, since it’s an architec- tural dish involving five essential elements of French pastry: choux pastry; pie dough (shortcrust pastry)—or sometimes puff; pastry cream; Saint-Honoré cream; and caramel. If you master Saint-Honoré you can probably make almost any other French pastry. It has also recent- ly enjoyed renewed popularity in France. Make the base: Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C/Gas Mark 6 and grease 2 baking sheets with butter. Place the choux pastry into a pastry (piping) bag fitted with a large plain tip (nozzle). Dust a work counter with flour and roll the pie dough (shortcrust pastry) out to a thickness of ¼ inch (5 mm). Cut into a 9-inch (23-cm) round and place on one baking sheet. Prick all over with a fork and brush with the egg. Starting 1 inch (2.5 cm) inside the edge of the round and using half of the choux pastry, pipe it in a spiral onto the pie dough, finishing in the center, leaving space between the lines to allow it to puff up in the oven. Use the remaining choux pastry to make small choux buns, piping them onto the other baking sheet. Place both in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, then remove the choux buns and continue cooking the dough round for another 5–10 minutes until golden and cooked through. Once cooled, fill the small choux buns with the crème pâtissière. With 1 cup/7 oz (200 g) superfine (caster) sugar, make a light caramel (see page 49). Carefully dip the buns in the caramel, then immediately stick them around the outer edge of the dough round. Make the Saint-Honoré cream: Soak the gelatin leaves in a cold water for 5 minutes, or if using powdered gelatin, sprinkle it into ¼ cup/2 fl oz (60ml) cold water, and leave to bloom for 5 minutes. Place the egg yolks and sugar in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Whisk for 2–3 minutes until pale and thick, then add the flour, milk, vanilla, and the well-drained gelatin leaves or the softened powdered gelatin. Cook the custard until it has thickened, without allowing it to boil. Remove from the heat and let cool. Whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks and fold them gently but thoroughly into the lukewarm custard. Fill the center of the cake with the Saint-Honoré cream. Serve immediately. DESSERTS, PA ST R I ES A N D SW EETS / DESSERTS, PÂT ISSER I ES ET CON F ISER I ESCLASSIC RECIPES C L A SS IC R E C IPE S FRENCH F R EN CH M A THI O T GINETTE MATHIOT Classic-French-Recipes-EN-6679-Cover-23-10-20.indd 124/10/2023 13:14Next >