Move Complete,
The task of moving home is serious annoying business. I found out now why it is referred to one of the most stressful situations to do in life.
So While away, cooking was inspired by new foods and produce as well as im now literally cooking with gas which always is the best cooking medium. Rest assured, recette to follow and photos to come.
Beintot
Unexpected Entry tonight.
Currently my living situation has been disrupted by moving to a much more palatial apartment, therefore my kitchen currently is in boxes, larder and fridge empty apart from the odd jar of capers and mustard. So trying to scrounge up dinner is more then a hassle. I had the following ingredients in the house and WOW what a surprise.
That being said the next dish, im not going to call it a recette due to the fact that its probably seems second nature to everyone else, was unexpected, simple to make, but most importantly delicious, read on and drool my fellow bloggers.
ing - 2 croissants (a few days old)
4 eggs
2 rashes of bacon
condiments at your preference
seasoning at your preference.
Method -
1. Halve croissants and grill lightly, just to refresh and heat through.
2. Fry eggs as you would any other day. Season
3. Fry bacon as you would normally
4. Spread condiments on 1 half of the croissant and put together.
I know i can hear you say “well darr” but it really does put the old aussie fav ham and cheese croissant to shame. I prefer my egg runny with salt, pepper and cayenne pepper on top. The yolk mixing with the buttery pastry keeps it moist also adding another sauce for the rest of it.
Recommendations -
As usual I recommend frying the eggs in butter, use other fats it you wish but seriously nothing else compares, except lard.
Another recommendation would be - dont eat this everyday unless you have no desire to live past 45 years.
Final summation, try it one and the post your thoughts because i think you will be more the pleasantly surprised.
The Baguette, of course, is a true french culinary achievement as well as a symbol to what french cooking is - simple, elegant in its way and most of all fantastic to eat.
Breaking down the baguette in its form today is simple. the length is usually from 2 feet to 3 (originally up to 6 feet). Weight is around 250g, the norm for today, and of course the slits on top which allow for gas expansion which leads to the soft white crumb and the exquisite crust that is a testament to this bread we all love and know.
The history of the baguette is some what a mystery, like most food. The reason for the actual shape of the baguette has serval theories, some plausible, such as the baguette evolving from the “pain viennois”. The bread from Vienna that is in the same shape however is sweetened with sugars. Furthermore, to the French love of crust, which also has backings behind its theories, considering the french did call the aristocrates “from the upper-crust”. Then there are the less plausible theories. Such as the Napoleon solider theory that they created baguette’s because they fit into the soliders pants so they could carry all there equipment and still carry food.
However the most likely theory, a few factors may have contributed to the “baguette” as we know it today. French labour law’s in the early 1900’s did not allow work between 10pm and 4pm therefore, bakers or boulanger, were not able to make the traditional bread “boule” like they did before and therefore had to make loaves that would be thinner to cook faster. Combine this with new ovens that used steam and WW1 where it was possibly more economical to make long loaves instead of large elliptical loaves.
Never the less, the baguette is here to stay and treasured internationally for eons to come. The following is a great way of appreciating the humble baguette that may place on new spin on an old favourite.
Slice the baguette into 1cm slices, preferably on angle.
Spread butter (or margarine if you must) and jam on 1 side.
The with pre-prepared coffee or hot chocolate, dip the delicious bread in and enjoy.
Bonsoir my beautiful people
Today was a fantastic day of research (of course I watched more then the movie) on the all time queen of french cooking, Julia Child. She bought the masses a democratic approach to high french cuisine through steps that are not only easy enough to read but with rationales behind ever step to give you a sense on the method behind the madness, for example patting down pieces of beef before sautéing them - because it means it browns better.
While researching Julia, I not only found out a lot about her life in Post-war Paris, I also found what her true inspiration was behind her love affair with food and my favourite of all ingredients - Butter. Having been a fan and trying her recettes for years I can definitely say Le Cordon Bleu taught her more then i will ever know in my life.
Now of course the movie, Julie and Julia, told the fantastic story of Julia’s life and journey from housewife to international sensation. But what I did find most interesting was Julie was a TV celebrity before the time tv began synthesising celebrities on their looks, the way they dressed as well as their demeanour. She started at 50, she was set in stone and this is what made me truly appreciate her even more.
Her sincere, sometimes clumsy, but always entertaining and Hysterical approach to food are what I hope to accomplish with this blog and life in general.
As the old bird says, Bon Appetit
4 Lemon Chicken
—Jennifer Paterson - Two Fat Ladies
My first recette, delightful!
4 lemon chicken is a recette (recipe in french) that I thought of basically from my love of lemons and chicken. The reason this is my first recette is because its trustworthy, simply delicious, and takes a matter of moments to assemble and prepare.
Ing -
4 lemons (obviously)
1 whole chicken
1 bulb of garlic
1 large onion
3 large carrots or around 6 - 8 dutch carrots
3 parsnips
3 tablespoons of olive oil
20 - 50 grams of butter (depends on the size of the chicken)
nutmeg
cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
Sauce
1/2 cup of white wine
2 tablespoons of flour
1 cup of stock (chicken or veggie)
Method
1. Clean chicken and pat dry with a towel. Salt and pepper cavity.
2. Cut 1 lemon into 1/4’s and top off garlic bulb. Stuff into chicken.
3. Place into tray on rack, rub olive oil and season bird. I like to put a little cayenne on top.
4. Cut up carrots, parsnips and onion into reasonable pieces, mix in a bowl with around 2 Tablespoons of oil, season, add nutmeg and cayenne pepper, as much or as little as you like. Place around chicken.
5. Put in pre-heated oven for 1 to 1 1/2 hours around 190 degrees.
6. Melt butter, lovingly brush the bird with the melted gold. Cook for a further hour or as desired.
To make the sauce, add pan juices with wine, bring to boil. Add flour and stir then add the juice of 1 lemon. Reduce until desired consistency. Serve.
Thoughts -
I implore you to ALWAYS use free-range, organic if you wish, chickens. Not only for obvious ethical reasons, as well as the judgement one feels from the person at the counter, but also because they have a better flavour and are often bigger. Yes, I understand the cost is some what higher. But not only is an ethically beneficial choice good for our mind and soul, its better for our bodies. Of course this goes with eggs too.
This recette is fantastic from the point of ease. For a sunday roast or preparing it a day before use. Like all chicken it can be eaten cold (in a salad), meaning you can make it a day in advance. All you need is about 20 minutes to put together and you can leave it in the oven and relax, perfect for the weekend.
Feedback from my guinea pigs to come as well as photos.
Guinea Pig Feedback -
1. Possibly substitute parsnips for potato’s
2. Chicken requires sauce to add more lemon flavour
3. Carrots were not too hard, not too soft
4. Chicken skin is crispy and flavoursome
I suppose the main point of all this is to further my sights and wisdom around good, fresh French/European cooking. The reason French is my main focus is simply, I along with my very good housemate, are going on the trip of a lifetime. We’re driving from Nice to the city of lights - Paris. While there one hopes to truly experience the culture but most importantly experience true culinary flavour.
Living in australia, although very proud of my nation, I have always felt our food identity was non-existent and some what lacking in variety, as well as pride. Please dont get me wrong, im not trying to be a Gordon Ramsey or Emeril Lagasse but what I do hope to do, is educate myself and the people around me around about great cooking methods. It’ll not only take the stress out of cooking but make them love cooking as much as i do, even if only a tiny bit.
Lastly, the true reason why I am so in love with food is because it’s possibly one of the only things I can imagine that incorporates all 5 senses, and brings people together like nothing else in the world can.
Bon Appetit
