Delicious
French Culinary Delights
Indulge in the exquisite flavours of traditional French cuisine with our gourmet recipes. Each dish is a masterpiece of taste and quality, bringing a piece of France to your home.
INGREDIENTS
- 400g puff pastry
- 4 Saint-Marcellins
- 4 slices of bacon (or smoked ham or turkey)
- 1 egg yolk
METHOD
*Step 1 : Preheat the oven to 200°C.
*Step 2 : Form 4 discs with the puff pastry.
*Step 3 : Place a Saint-Marcellin in the center of each disc.
Add 1 slice of bacon, then close the pastries well so that the cheese does not run too much during cooking.
*Step 4 : Brush the pastry with the egg yolk diluted in 1 tbsp. water.
*Step 5 : Bake for minimum 20 minutes (they are cooked when the pastry is golden and puffy)
TOP TIP
Add some walnuts and/or a walnut oil dressing to your salad and it will be deliciously tasty!
WINE PAIRING
A nice red Pinot noir or White Pouilly-Fuisse from Burgundy
Marcellines
A traditional recipe from the Saint-Marcellin region, these cheese puff pastries are traditionally served as a starter (or main) with a green salad.
SERVINGS: 4
Flammekueche
Flammekueche in Alsatian or tarte flambée in French combines a crisp dough base and a topping of melted cheese and bacon. In a way, this very thin, crispy and savoury Alsatian version of pizza . Like pizza, it is best baked in a wood oven, but you can perfectly cook it in your regular oven.
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INGREDIENTS
For the dough:
*250g plain flour (plus extra for dusting)
*½ tsp salt *150 ml tepid water
*2 tbsp sunflower oil
For the topping:
*250g full-fat crème fraiche
*1 large onion, finely sliced
*160g smoked bacon lardons
*250g cheese (preferably Emmental or Gruyère cheese or a mixture), grated
*a few rasps freshly grated nutmeg
*salt and black pepper
METHOD
*Step 1 : Mix the flour and salt in a bowl, then add the water and oil and bring everything together to make rough dough.
*Step 2 : Transfer the dough to a floured board and knead well.
*Step 3 : Roll the dough into 2 rectangles, each measuring about 25 x 28cm.
*Step 4 : Preheat the oven to 230°C/Fan 210°C or as hot as your oven will go.
*Step 5 : Spread the crème fraiche over the dough, leaving a little border around the edges, then dot with the onion, lardons and grated cheese. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
*Step 6 : Bake for 10–12 minutes or until the base is crisp and the cheese is bubbling.
*Step 7 : Slide the tarts on to a wooden board and use a pizza cutter to cut them into portions, and serve immediately with drinks or as a light lunch with a green salad.
WINE PAIRING
Riesling, Pinot blanc, Crémant d'Alsace.
Oeufs en Meurette
Oeufs en meurette is a classic Burgundian dish of poached eggs in a rich and flavourful red wine sauce. This traditional French starter is generally served with toasted bread and a glass of red Burgundy wine.
Serves 4 as a starter, 2 as a main course
INGREDIENTS
*about 350ml fruity red wine (preferably from Burgundy)
*225ml chicken or veal stock
*1 small onion, thinly sliced
*1 small carrot, thinly sliced
*1 stick of celery, thinly sliced
*1 small garlic clove, crushed bouquet garni
*½ tsp peppercorns
*25g butter
*85g unsmoked lardons
*85g button mushrooms quartered
*8-10 small onions peeled
*4 slices white bread
*Oil for frying
*2 tsp plain flour
*3 tbsp white wine vinegar
*4 fresh eggs Bouquet garni
*2-3 thyme sprigs
*1 bay leaf parsley sterns (see below)
METHOD
*Step 1 : For the sauce, put the wine and stock in a large saucepan and bring to a vigorous boil. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, bouquet garni and peppercorns and boil until reduced by half (15-20 minutes). Strain the wine, pressing the vegetables to extract all the liquid, then set aside.
*Step 2 : While the wine is reducing, melt a quarter of the butter in a saucepan, add the bacon and fry until crisp. Remove and drain on kitchen paper. Sauté the mushrooms in with another quarter of the butter until tender (2-3 minutes). Remove and put with the bacon. In the same pan, gently sauté the onions for 10-15 minutes until crisp and tender, shaking the pan often so they colour evenly. Drain off the fat, return the mushrooms and bacon to the pan and set aside.
*Step 3 : Make the croûtes: using a round or oval cutter, cut the bread into 4 shapes just larger than a poached egg. Heat 5 mm/¹₄in of oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the bread croûtes in batches until brown on both sides (1-2 minutes per side). Drain on kitchen paper and set aside.
*Step 4 : To thicken the sauce, crush the remaining 15g/¹₂oz butter on a plate with a fork and work in the flour to form a soft paste – French cooks call this beurre manié. Bring the wine mixture to a boil and whisk in the kneaded butter a piece at a time, until the sauce becomes thick enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon (you may not need all the kneaded butter). Strain the sauce into the pan with the bacon, mushrooms and onions. Bring to a boil, taste and adjust seasoning.
*Step 5 : To finish the dish, reheat the sauce on the stove, and warm the croûtes in the oven. Bring the vinegar and 1.2 litres/2 pints of water to the boil in a large shallow pan. Break the eggs, one at a time, into the places where the liquid is bubbling, so the bubbles spin the eggs. Lower the heat and poach the eggs for 3-4 minutes, until the yolks are fairly firm but still soft to the touch. Using a slotted spoon, remove the eggs and drain on kitchen paper. Trim off the stringy edges with scissors.
Place the croûtes on warm serving plates, set an egg on each croûte and spoon over the sauce.
WINE PAIRING
Burgundy Pinot noir, Beaujolais, Cotes-du Rhone villages.
Gougères au Comté
One of our favourite appetizers! Gougères are often served with kir as part of the apéritif. The two are a truly sublime combination! They are best served warm from the oven.
(Makes a minimum of 16)
INGREDIENTS
*125ml milk
*100g butter
*150g flour
*150g Comté cheese (grated)
*4 eggs
*Nutmeg
*Smoked paprika or cayenne pepper (optional)
METHOD
*Step 1 : Put the milk, butter and 125ml water in a saucepan; bring to the boil. Stir in the flour using a wooden spoon and mix until you have a paste. Continue stirring over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes, until it comes away from the edges of the pan.
*Step 2 : Heat the oven to 190°C/fan oven 170°C/mark 5. Add the grated cheese to the pan, mix well and transfer to a bowl. Leave to cool for 10 minutes, then incorporate the eggs, one by one, using a wooden spoon. Add a pinch of Nutmeg and smoked paprika or cayenne pepper (optional) and beat the mixture until smooth.
*Step 3 : Line a tray with baking paper and place even-sized spoonfuls of the gougère mixture on the tray, leaving at least 3-4cm between each one (If you have a piping bag, use this to make blobs of the same size – it will be neater.) and sprinkle some grated Comté on top.
*Step 4 : Bake for 9 minutes, then lower the heat to 180°C/fan oven 160°C/mark 4 and bake for a further 9 minutes. Do not open the oven door while they are baking.
Pile the gougères into bowls or plates and enjoy!
WINE PAIRING
Vin jaune, Meursault, Bordeaux Blanc, Burgundy Pinot noir, Beaujolais.