Browse Forums Recipes 1 Jun 21, 2010 5:41 pm Ok H1'ers I want your assistance with something! I am having 3 and a bit weeks off work in July and I have decided that it is going to be French month and I am going to try to cook a few french dishes that I've never cooked before - all from scratch! I would love some input on either some good online recipes to follow to make these master pieces and/or suggestions of some other classic French dishes to cook. So far I am considering: Cassoulet Coq au vin Boeuf bourguignon French Onion Soup (although I've made this before) Souffle ( ) Lamb shanks and/or osso bucco Creme caramel Macaroons Something with quail 'A bottle of wine contains more philosophy than all the books in the world.' Louis Pasteur Vegie garden: viewtopic.php?f=19&t=27637&start=0 My Backyard Adventure Re: Help me decide 2Jun 21, 2010 5:49 pm oooh I ate creme brulee's every day in France last winter! YUM!!! Caramelized Vanilla Creme Brulee: Creme Brulée Caramélisée à la Vanille… Melts in your mouth with a little caramel crunch! Here is the traditional, authentic classic… Enjoy! Preparation Time: 5 - 10 minutes Cooking Time: 35 minutes Refrigeration Time: 30 minutes Ingredients (4 people): 1 Vanilla Bean, Seeds Scraped (or few drops of extract) 4 Egg Yolks 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar 7 oz. Milk 9 oz. Crème Fraîche (or heavy cream) 1/4 Additional Granulated Sugar (to caramelize with) How to Make It: Preheat Oven to 300°F 1. Beat eggs yolks with sugar. 2. Stir in vanilla seeds (or extract). 3. Add milk and stir until homogenous. 4. Add cream while stirring. 5. Pour batter into individual ramekins or flan dishes, and bake for 30 minutes. 6. Let cool off completely and then refrigerate for 30 minutes. 7. Powder tops with granulated sugar. Put back in oven (on broil, best if right under the grill) and let caramelize. 8. Serve warm or cold. Voilà! Variations: You can add 1 tbsp. of Orange Liqueur or 1 tbsp. of Orange Flower Water (Fleur d'Orangier) if you want additional flavoring. One or the other, not both. If you want to experiment with other flavors, such as Rose Water or Almond extract, etc., I would say, let your creative juices flow! But, remember that this classic creme brulee recipe is best when the aroma remains subtle and delicate. So, only one extra idea at a time. Tips: Contrary to popular thought, you do not have to bake in a bain-marie (double-boiler). But if you want to, you can. If you don't have time to refrigerate, just powder tops with sugar after 30 minutes of baking, turn oven up to broil, and let caramelize right away. Coconut Creme Brulee Crème Brulée à la Noix de Coco… This exotic French alternative to more traditional creme brulee recipes will be a real hit! Preparation Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 35 minutes Refrigeration Time: 30 minutes Ingredients (6 people): 1/2 cup Coconut Milk 2/3 cup Crème Fraîche (or heavy cream) 6 Egg Yolks 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar 1 Vanilla Bean, Seeds Scraped (or few drops of extract) Pinch of Salt 1/8 cup Coconut Syrup (optional) Shredded Coconut, for tops. Additional Granulated Sugar, for tops How to Make It: Preheat oven to 300°F 1. Heat cream, milk, and syrup. 2. In another bowl, mix (by hand) egg yolks, sugar, vanilla seeds, and salt. 3. Once the milk mixture is warm, pour into bowl with the other ingredients. Stir until homogenous. 4. Pour batter into individual ramekins or flan dishes and bake for 30 minutes. 5. Let cool off completely and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 6. Mix even parts of shredded coconut and granulated sugar and sprinkle over tops. Put back in oven (on broil, best right under the grill) until it browns. 7. Serve warm or cold. Voilà! Tips: Contrary to popular thought, you do not have to bake in a bain-marie (double-boiler). But if you want to, you can. If you don't have time to refrigerate, just powder tops with sugar and coconut after 30 minutes of baking, turn oven up to broil, and let caramelize right away. White Chocolate Creme Brulee Crème Brulée au Chocolat Blanc… An unforgettable creme brulee recipe! Especially for chocolate lovers! Preparation Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 35 minutes Refrigeration Time: 30 minutes Ingredients (4 people): 1 Vanilla Bean, Seeds Scraped (or few drops extract) 2 cups Crème Fraîche (or heavy cream) 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar 5 Egg Yolks 3 oz. Fine White Chocolate Additional Sugar (to caramelize with) How to Make It: Preheat oven to 300°F 1. Whisk yolks with 1/4 cup sugar. 2. Bring cream and remaining 1/4 cup sugar to a light simmer and stir in chocolate until it melts. Don't let it boil! 3. Remove cream from flame and let it cool off. 4. Slowly add cream mixture to egg yolks while stirring. 5. Add vanilla seeds and stir until homogenous. 6. Pour into individual ramekins or flan dishes and bake for 30 minutes. 7. Let cool off completely and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 8. Powder tops with sugar, and put back in oven (on broil, best if right under grill) and let caramelize. 9. Serve warm or cold. Voilà! Tips: Contrary to popular thought, you do not have to bake creme brulee recipes in a bain-marie (double-boiler). But if you want to, you can. If you don't have time to refrigerate, just powder tops with sugar after 30 minutes of baking, turn oven up to broil, and let caramelize right away. Have fun! And… Bon Appétit! Re: Help me decide 3Jun 21, 2010 5:57 pm ooooh yummy!! do you reckon you could make the creme brulee the day before and just do the last caremlisation step before serving?? I'm thinking that for some of the dishes I will do it as a dinner party or something - but people would need to be prepared for the food to be experimental (read: crap!) LOL!! I'm thinking this one from taste.com.au for the cassoulet Quote: Ingredients (serves 4) * 1 cup (215g) dried cannelini beans * 2 tsp olive oil * 500g pork belly, cut into 2cm pieces * 200g speck, cut into batons * 2 (about 150g) garlic sausages * 2 duck marylands or breast fillets * 2 brown onions, coarsely chopped * 2 garlic cloves, crushed * 1 sprig thyme * 1 sprig rosemary * 400g can chopped tomatoes * 4 cups (1L) chicken stock * 1 1/2 cups (105g) fresh breadcrumbs (made from day-old bread) * 30g butter, melted Method 1. Place beans in a medium bowl and cover with plenty of cold water. Set aside overnight to soak. 2. Preheat oven to 140°C. Heat oil in a large casserole pan over high heat. Add one-third of the pork and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until browned. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat in 2 more batches. 3. Add speck to the pan and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until brown. Transfer to bowl. Add sausages and cook, turning occasionally, for 5 minutes or until brown all over. Slice thickly diagonally. 4. Add duck and cook for 4-5 minutes each side or until browned. Transfer to the bowl. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until soft. Add pork, speck, sausage and duck, thyme and rosemary. Drain beans. Add beans, tomato and stock. Remove from heat. 5. Bake in preheated oven, covered, for 1 1/2 hours or until tender. Remove the duck marylands. Use forks to coarsely flake and return to the cassoulet. Combine breadcrumbs and butter in a bowl. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture over cassoulet. Bake, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes or until top is crisp and golden. Remove from oven and serve. 'A bottle of wine contains more philosophy than all the books in the world.' Louis Pasteur Vegie garden: viewtopic.php?f=19&t=27637&start=0 My Backyard Adventure Re: Help me decide 4Jun 21, 2010 5:59 pm Crispy Roast Chicken With Riesling, Grapes and Tarragon SERVES 4 Ingredients 1 small chicken (1 1/3 kg) 225 g seedless white grapes 1 (25 g) package fresh tarragon leaves 1 medium shallot 425 ml riesling wine or dry white wine 200 ml half-fat creme fraiche salt pepper Directions 1Pre-heat the oven to 230°C. 2First of all, the chicken and the grapes need to be at room temperature, so remove them from the fridge about an hour (half an hour on a hot day) before cooking. Snip off the strings and open out the chicken. 3Reserve four sprigs of tarragon for later, then strip off the leaves and chop them, reserving a tablespoonful. Now cut the grapes in half and finely chop the shallot. Next, in a bowl, combine the shallots, chopped tarragon and about two-thirds of the grapes, then place the whole lot inside the body cavity of the chicken. 4Then season the chicken with salt and pepper and place it in a roasting tin into the lower third of the oven and roast for 1 hour - without opening the door. (Because ovens vary, test the thickest part of the chicken with a skewer and if the juices run clear, it's cooked. If not, give it another 5-10 minutes.). 5What you now need to do is spoon out the grape stuffing and keep on one side. Then put a wooden spoon into the cavity and, using a spatula to hold the breast end, tip the chicken and let all the juices run out into the roasting tin. Transfer the chicken to a carving board and leave in a warm place to rest for 20 minutes. 6Meanwhile, place the tin over direct heat, add the wine and let the whole lot bubble and reduce by half - this will take about 5-6 minutes. Then whisk in the creme fraiche, add the stuffing and the rest of the grapes, and let it gently bubble for another 8 minutes. Finally add the reserved chopped tarragon, carve the chicken, spoon the sauce over and garnish with sprigs of tarragon. 7Notes on ingredients: For a 1.76kg chicken it will take an extra 10 minutes and may smoke a little because of the extra fat content but it's nothing to worry about. Re: Help me decide 5Jun 21, 2010 6:02 pm lisanne ooooh yummy!! do you reckon you could make the creme brulee the day before and just do the last caremlisation step before serving?? I'm thinking that for some of the dishes I will do it as a dinner party or something - but people would need to be prepared for the food to be experimental (read: crap!) LOL!! I'm thinking this one from taste.com.au for the cassoulet Quote: Ingredients (serves 4) * 1 cup (215g) dried cannelini beans * 2 tsp olive oil * 500g pork belly, cut into 2cm pieces * 200g speck, cut into batons * 2 (about 150g) garlic sausages * 2 duck marylands or breast fillets * 2 brown onions, coarsely chopped * 2 garlic cloves, crushed * 1 sprig thyme * 1 sprig rosemary * 400g can chopped tomatoes * 4 cups (1L) chicken stock * 1 1/2 cups (105g) fresh breadcrumbs (made from day-old bread) * 30g butter, melted Method 1. Place beans in a medium bowl and cover with plenty of cold water. Set aside overnight to soak. 2. Preheat oven to 140°C. Heat oil in a large casserole pan over high heat. Add one-third of the pork and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until browned. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat in 2 more batches. 3. Add speck to the pan and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until brown. Transfer to bowl. Add sausages and cook, turning occasionally, for 5 minutes or until brown all over. Slice thickly diagonally. 4. Add duck and cook for 4-5 minutes each side or until browned. Transfer to the bowl. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until soft. Add pork, speck, sausage and duck, thyme and rosemary. Drain beans. Add beans, tomato and stock. Remove from heat. 5. Bake in preheated oven, covered, for 1 1/2 hours or until tender. Remove the duck marylands. Use forks to coarsely flake and return to the cassoulet. Combine breadcrumbs and butter in a bowl. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture over cassoulet. Bake, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes or until top is crisp and golden. Remove from oven and serve. Oh my god! I would be too scared to go near this recipe! Creme brulees... not sure about doing them the day before... maybe will have to Google it Re: Help me decide 7Jun 21, 2010 6:52 pm fairy blue My sister made me one for my 30th cake! YUM!!! Now that's a challenge Lisa!!! Re: Help me decide 8Jun 21, 2010 6:58 pm lisanne So far I am considering: Cassoulet Coq au vin Boeuf bourguignon French Onion Soup (although I've made this before) Souffle ( ) Lamb shanks and/or osso bucco Creme caramel Macaroons Something with quail I still reckon you should open a restaurant! Very glad you left Escargot and Cuisses de Grenouilles off the list... All washed down with French wine too? Geoff - Decophile. Re: Help me decide 10Jun 21, 2010 7:06 pm fairy blue OMG ummm eerrrrr now that would be a challenge!! Let me think about it 'A bottle of wine contains more philosophy than all the books in the world.' Louis Pasteur Vegie garden: viewtopic.php?f=19&t=27637&start=0 My Backyard Adventure Re: Help me decide 11Jun 21, 2010 7:07 pm Aaron & Erin Escargot... yum!!! If they're done right they're awesome! I'll take your word for it. Geoff - Decophile. Re: Help me decide 12Jun 21, 2010 7:10 pm Eager [I still reckon you should open a restaurant! Very glad you left Escargot and Cuisses de Grenouilles off the list... All washed down with French wine too? Nah I have no imagination for a proper menu, and yes to the wine! I always buy a case of white wine for July but this year I'm escalating to food as well now I have my kitchen! Although suprisingly I tend to drink less in July - gotta stay awake! As for Escargot - no thanks and I don't even know what the other thing is! 'A bottle of wine contains more philosophy than all the books in the world.' Louis Pasteur Vegie garden: viewtopic.php?f=19&t=27637&start=0 My Backyard Adventure Re: Help me decide 13Jun 21, 2010 7:11 pm Eager Aaron & Erin Escargot... yum!!! If they're done right they're awesome! I'll take your word for it. Re: Help me decide 14Jun 21, 2010 7:14 pm Actually, they taste a bit like muscles, that's a better description Re: Help me decide 15Jun 21, 2010 7:14 pm lisanne As for Escargot - no thanks and I don't even know what the other thing is! Frogs legs (but I had to Google the proper name for it ). Geoff - Decophile. Re: Help me decide 16Jun 21, 2010 7:16 pm Aaron & Erin Actually, they taste a bit like muscles, that's a better description I hope you're not going to tell us which muscles you taste! Maybe you meant mussels.... Geoff - Decophile. Re: Help me decide 17Jun 21, 2010 7:29 pm Aaron & Erin lisanne ooooh yummy!! do you reckon you could make the creme brulee the day before and just do the last caremlisation step before serving?? I'm thinking that for some of the dishes I will do it as a dinner party or something - but people would need to be prepared for the food to be experimental (read: crap!) LOL!! I'm thinking this one from taste.com.au for the cassoulet Quote: Ingredients (serves 4) * 1 cup (215g) dried cannelini beans * 2 tsp olive oil * 500g pork belly, cut into 2cm pieces * 200g speck, cut into batons * 2 (about 150g) garlic sausages * 2 duck marylands or breast fillets * 2 brown onions, coarsely chopped * 2 garlic cloves, crushed * 1 sprig thyme * 1 sprig rosemary * 400g can chopped tomatoes * 4 cups (1L) chicken stock * 1 1/2 cups (105g) fresh breadcrumbs (made from day-old bread) * 30g butter, melted Method 1. Place beans in a medium bowl and cover with plenty of cold water. Set aside overnight to soak. 2. Preheat oven to 140°C. Heat oil in a large casserole pan over high heat. Add one-third of the pork and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until browned. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat in 2 more batches. 3. Add speck to the pan and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until brown. Transfer to bowl. Add sausages and cook, turning occasionally, for 5 minutes or until brown all over. Slice thickly diagonally. 4. Add duck and cook for 4-5 minutes each side or until browned. Transfer to the bowl. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until soft. Add pork, speck, sausage and duck, thyme and rosemary. Drain beans. Add beans, tomato and stock. Remove from heat. 5. Bake in preheated oven, covered, for 1 1/2 hours or until tender. Remove the duck marylands. Use forks to coarsely flake and return to the cassoulet. Combine breadcrumbs and butter in a bowl. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture over cassoulet. Bake, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes or until top is crisp and golden. Remove from oven and serve. Oh my god! I would be too scared to go near this recipe! Creme brulees... not sure about doing them the day before... maybe will have to Google it Just made them the day before for my friends new restaraunt that opened last week....just chucked them in oven to heat slightly....then would you believe the gas torch ran out of gas..so it was under the grill for caramelisation.....if you don't have grill effect in ur oven just a hot oven will work.....anyway we got rave reviews... What about making your own Pate... fry liver with some onion and bacon, deglaze your pan with some yummy brandy, chuck in wizz banger with some cream ( add any flavour you like eg pepper, orange zest) and put in nice serving dish to set.. If you have a bread machine make your own brioche...this is making me hungry, back to the six week challenge pages for me!!!! Re: Help me decide 19Jun 21, 2010 7:58 pm handmick Just made them the day before for my friends new restaraunt that opened last week....just chucked them in oven to heat slightly....then would you believe the gas torch ran out of gas..so it was under the grill for caramelisation.....if you don't have grill effect in ur oven just a hot oven will work.....anyway we got rave reviews... What about making your own Pate... fry liver with some onion and bacon, deglaze your pan with some yummy brandy, chuck in wizz banger with some cream ( add any flavour you like eg pepper, orange zest) and put in nice serving dish to set.. If you have a bread machine make your own brioche...this is making me hungry, back to the six week challenge pages for me!!!! Excellent news on the brulee!! mmm pate - I like the idea of that! It's weird I don't like liver but like pate - I reckon that's something I'd have to try first though in case it went very experimental hehe 'A bottle of wine contains more philosophy than all the books in the world.' Louis Pasteur Vegie garden: viewtopic.php?f=19&t=27637&start=0 My Backyard Adventure Re: Help me decide 20Jun 21, 2010 8:16 pm Lisanne - don't be scare of souffle. If you can make a sponge cake you can do a souffle!! Light hands!! Escargot - yummy! Once had ravioli stuffed with snails..... seriously too die for. Some things are worth waiting for. I thought this would be a popular question but I haven't been able to find any similar posts. Perhaps I'm wording my searches wrong? When you have car insurance and the… 0 6605 Hi there, long-time lurker but first time posting. 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