Florida Agenda

What should be a celebration of nature composed of a salad of ripe tomatoes, verdant, fragrant basil, garlic, salt and good olive oil with a few grates of black pepper has been over-complicated by websites. Here is the version I like to make at home, usually by the pool with grilled bread.

Real Bruschetta 

2 lbs of ripe tomatoes

6 cloves of garlic, skin removed

24 basil leaves (12 to cut up, 12 to use as garnish)

1 loaf good whole wheat or white bread

1/4 cup good extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt, in a grinder

Black pepper, in a grinder

Chop tomatoes into uniform pieces, about 1/2 an inch by 1/2 an inch wide; place in large attractive bowl. Roll 12 basil leaves into cigar-like shape; using kitchen shears, cut into ribbons. Pour over olive oil. Grind generous amount of salt over mixture, about eight turns of grinder. Very delicately, using clean hands or rubber spatula, toss. I say delicately because you don’t want the tomatoes to break down too much. Place in the refrigerator for no more than 30 minutes.

Next slice up the bread. Now…many recipes online say baguette, that’s not what you see in Italy. There they use a hearty, wide bread, which we might call “peasant” or “country bread.” Slice bread into a dozen, one-inch-wide slices. Place on cutting board, head to grill with big bowl of tomato salad and serving spoon, six cloves of garlic, remaining basil leaves, large serving platter, and pepper grinder.

Make sure grill is good and hot. Place sliced bread on the grill and grill for 1-2 minutes on each side. Like a steak you want to see the “grill lines,” but you don’t want the toasts to overcook or burn. So, pay attention! Next, here comes the fun part, after toasts are finished take a clove of garlic and gently rub it on each slice of bread – the firm, crunchy toast acts like a fine grater.

Lay toast on the platter – garlic side up – then spoon generous amount of tomato salad mixture onto each toast. Place a whole basil leaf on top. Grate black pepper over everything.

The only “trick” about this recipe is to have the garlicky toast warm underneath while the tomatoes are slightly cold. Serve with a good, cold, dry, white wine!.

Buon appetito!

Marchand de Vin (French for “wine merchant”) sauce is a classic red wine reduction. It’s made by reducing red wine and chopped shallots, and then simmering in a basic demi-glace. Marchand de Vin sauce is delicious served with roasts and steaks.

Ingredients

1 quart of demi-glace

1 cup of red wine

¼ cup of chopped shallots

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a large saucepan, combine the wine and the shallots. Heat until the liquid boils, and then lower the heat a little and continue simmering until the liquid has reduced by three-fourths. Add the demi-glace, then lower heat to a simmer and reduce for about five minutes. Most chefs will then strain through a mesh strainer; I love shallots, so I just leave the sauce “as is.” Remember: You are the chef.  Season to taste with salt and black pepper, and serve right away.

The name of this sauce comes from the Italian word marinaro, which means “seafarer” or “sailor.” This easy-to-make red sauce was first made for returning 16th century Neapolitan sailors. Recipes vary, but a basic marinara sauce consists of tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, basil, salt, and pepper. While other pasta sauces contain meat, such as ground beef or sausage, marinara sauce does not: it’s all veggie.

Ingredients

2 cans of stewed tomatoes

1 can of tomato paste or sauce (no additives)

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon of dried oregano (or you can use fresh thyme or herbs de Provence)

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon of salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

6 tablespoons of olive oil

1 big finely diced onion

½ cup of white wine

1 dash of hot sauce

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over a medium-high flame. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, herbs, and bay leaf, and all the other ingredients, and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens, about one hour. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, to taste. The sauce can be made one day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. (I always make a big batch and freeze it in small quantities.) You are the chef!

Chili con carne (usually known simply as chili) is a spicy stew. The name of the dish derives from the Spanish phrase which means “chili pepper with meat.”

Traditional versions are made at a minimum from chili peppers, garlic, onions, and cumin, along with chopped or ground beef. Beans and tomatoes are frequently included. Variations, both geographic and personal, may involve different types of meat, as well as a variety of other ingredients. It can be found worldwide in local variations and also in certain American-style fast food restaurants.

I got this recipe from a chef and customer in the “West Saloon,” our Tex-Mex restaurant in Vienne, France.

Ingredients

2 cans (15 oz each) of red kidney beans, drained

1 tablespoon of good olive oil

1 large onion, quartered, sliced

2 red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, and chopped

1 lb of ground beef

1 can (14.5 oz) of tomatoes

1 can (8 oz) of tomato sauce

1 tablespoon of cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon of cumin

½ bottle of full bodied red wine (this gives a fantastic “earthy” flavor)

1 small can of corn (optional, but I think it adds nice color)

1 ½ teaspoons of salt

1 bay leaf

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil and brown the onion, then add the ground beef. Cook for a few minutes, and add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, peppers, the wine and seasonings. Simmer for one to two hours, checking and stirring frequently. Add the canned beans and corn and heat through. I usually serve with white rice and garnish with parsley, but you are the chef! (This dish is on special this week at Le Patio.)

Some recipes are just too good to overlook and this one, for All-American Chocolate Fudge, certainly qualifies. It originally ran in Florida Agenda on September 8, 2011.

The smooth consistency of delicious chocolate fudge is what makes it a delectable treat. It’s the cooking temperature that separates hard caramels from fudge and tiny micro crystals of sugar in fudge gives it its firm but smooth texture. The secret to great fudge is getting these crystals to form at just the right time. American-style fudge contains chocolate, while in Europe it’s all or mostly caramel.

• 1 lb pack of miniature marshmallows

• 2 bars (200g) of chopped cooking chocolate (I use Lindt’s Dessert chocolate which is 70% cocoa)

• 2 cups sugar

• ½ cup salted butter

• 1 12-oz can of evaporated milk

• 2 teaspoons of vanilla

• 1½ cup hazelnuts

Roast the hazelnuts for six-to-eight minutes until lightly browned. Don’t skip this step as the roasting really brings out the flavor. Keep your eyes on them so they don’t burn. Using cooking spray, liberally spray a 9×13 inch pan and an 8 inch square pan. Measure out 1¼ cup of marshmallows and set aside for later use. Place the chopped chocolate and remaining marshmallows in a large glass bowl with the roasted hazelnuts.

In a pan, combine sugar, butter, evaporated milk, and 1¼ cup of marshmallows. Bring to a low boil and stir for ten minutes. (This is an important step; skip it and your fudge won’t set and will become gooey.) Remove from the stove and add the vanilla. Pour this mixture over the chocolate, hazelnuts & marshmallows in the glass bowl, stirring quickly as it will begin to set. Pour into sprayed pans with a spatula and cool.

You can replace the hazelnuts with walnuts, pecans or dried fruit…you are the chef!

Although born in Dublin, Ireland, chef Jean Doherty spent most of her life in Lyon, France, the gastronomical capital of the world. Together
with Vero, her partner of 25 years, Jean has owned and run multiple restaurants including Fort Lauderdale’s Le Patio.

By JEAN DOHERTY

This is a “hot” vegetarian dish, or vegetable accompaniment to any poultry, meat, or fish dish you like. It will make any reluctant squash-eater a total fan— believe me I know what I’m talking about. I was one. For 4 servings you’ll need:

Ingredients:
• 2 lbs of zucchini (about 4 or 5 mediumsized
ones), sliced
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• Béchamel sauce
• 1 cup of Gruyere or Swiss cheese, grated

Place the sliced zucchini in a saucepan and pour in enough water to cover the top. Add a pinch of salt. Bring the water quickly to boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, until the zucchini is tender (but still firm). Drain thoroughly. You can mash them, or leave them in slices (depending on your energy or mood, remember: You are the Chef). Heat oven to 400 degrees.

In a frying pan over medium heat, heat the oil, and add the onion, frying it until golden brown. Add the fried onion to the zucchini and a little grated cheese, and generously season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. In a lightlygreased gratin dish, pour in the mixture combined with the béchamel sauce. Sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly over the surface. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown, and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Although born in Dublin, Ireland, chef Jean
Doherty spent most of her life in Lyon, France,
the gastronomical capital of the world. Together
with Vero, her partner of 25 years, Jean has
owned and run multiple restaurants including
Fort Lauderdale’s Le Patio.

Aioli is a kind of garlic mayonnaise sauce from the south of France. It is a great accompaniment for grilled fish, crab, shrimp, poached fish, and all sorts of vegetables. In small towns in the south of France you can find yearly festivals known as “la fête de la grande aioli.” Here the aioli is much more than a garlic mayonnaise: It is a party for the whole village, and huge platters of boiled vegetables, fish, and hard-boiled eggs are served, along with gallons of aioli. All the people get together to dance, drink wine, and enjoy.

You can make this recipe the traditional way with just olive oil, or substitute your favorite vegetable oil for part of the olive oil. (I like it 50 percent olive oil and 50 percent vegetable oil myself.) The garlic in this is potent. Start with one clove and be sure to remove the germ in the center of the garlic, which can be difficult to digest. (In other words, it’s what gives you bad breath!) You can also play around with this recipe by adding some hot sauce, mustard, chopped herbs, or anything else that strikes your fancy. Remember—you are the chef!

 Ingredients:

• 2 egg yolks

• 2 cloves of garlic

• Salt and pepper

• Cup of olive oil (or half veggie oil, half olive oil)

• A few drops of lemon juice

(The most important thing about this recipe is to have all your ingredients at the same temperature before making this sauce. The best way is to take everything out of your fridge about an hour beforehand.) Take a mortar and crush the garlic into a fine paste. Season with salt and pepper, and then add the egg yolks. Whisk in the olive oil, slowly and gradually, like you would for mayonnaise. Finally, add few drops of lemon juice. Add a teaspoon of warm water to your aioli at the end, to keep it from splitting.

Although born in Dublin, Ireland, chef Jean Doherty spent most of her life in Lyon, France, the gastronomical capital of the world. Together with Vero, her partner of 25 years, Jean has owned and run multiple restaurants including Fort Lauderdale’s Le Patio.

JEAN DOHERTY

This recipe is pretty easy to do, and it’s cheap to prepare, as well. It can be served warm or cold, and it looks spectacular, especially when you announce that you are the chef! For 6 slices, you will need:

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ lbs of salmon filet, skin off

• (You can substitute crab meat or scallops, if you prefer)

• 3 egg whites

• A handful of pitted black olives, coarsely chopped

• 3 hearts of palms

• 1 lb tub of sour cream

• 2 slices of smoked salmon

• 1 pinch cayenne pepper

For the cream of parsley:

• 1 finely chopped shallot

• Leaves from 1 small bundle of parsley

• 3 ½ oz of sour cream

• Salt and pepper

Put the diced-up salmon, egg whites, salt, and cayenne pepper in a food processor, and reduce into a fine puree. Put the pureed mixture into a bowl, and fold in the sour cream, saving some sour cream for the sauce. Add the black olives, and refrigerate for one hour. Wrap the salmon mixture in the hearts of palm (like you were rolling a cigarette), and then set them aside in the fridge. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Pour half the salmon mixture into a greased terrine mold (or a cake tin will do, if it’s Teflon). Place the hearts of palm rolls lengthways in the center of the mold, and pour the rest of the mixture on top of them. Level down the mixture with a pallet knife. Place your terrine (covered with some tin foil) in a ‘bain-marie’ and into the hot oven for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, “blanch” the parsley, chop it into small pieces, and blend it with the sour cream and the shallot. Set aside in the fridge.

When your terrine is cooked, take it out of the oven and let it stand for 10 minutes before taking it out of its mold. Then you will have two options: Serve the terrine warm, in which case you carve six nice slices, and serve them with a drizzle of parsley cream around them. Or you serve the terrine cold, in which case put it in the fridge for about three hours. As always, “You are the chef!”

By Jean Doherty

Traditional steak au poivre has been served as a pan sauce since at least the mid-19th century. Regardless of the concoction, the same pan should be used to create the sauce as was used to cook the steak. But we are in South Florida, and a grill is as likely to be used as a pan, so I’m giving you a simple way to make a delicious sauce, without the smoky pan smells left over in your kitchen.

Ingredients:
• 1 tin or jar of green peppercorns, in brine
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 2 oz. of cognac, brandy, whiskey, or bourbon
• 2 small shallots
• 1 small onion
• 1 tablespoon of flour
• 1 cup of beef or veal stock, or demi-glace
(demi-glaze)
• 1 cup of heavy cream

Melt the butter in a sauce pan and, after chopping the onion into small pieces, sauté it until it is nice and browned, then add the shallots (cooking quickly over high heat) until transparent, approximately two to three minutes. Sprinkle with a tablespoon of flour, and using a whisk, incorporate the liquor and the stock. Add the whole green peppercorns (to taste; the amount you use is up to you). Add the heavy cream. Bring the liquid back to the boil, and cook for three to five minutes (to thicken the sauce), stirring constantly. Taste and adjust seasoning. (Some chefs believe heavy cream doesn’t belong in the traditional steak au poivre recipe, although many restaurants and at-home chefs include the cream. It does make the sauce so much better.) Voila! Use this sauce for steaks, chicken, duck— anything you can grill will be perfect with this sauce. You are the chef!

Although born in Dublin, Ireland, chef Jean Doherty spent most of her life in Lyon, France, the gastronomical capital of the world. Together with Vero, her partner of 25 years, Jean has owned and run multiple restaurants including Fort Lauderdale’s Le Patio.

By Jean Doherty

Crème brûlée, French for “burnt cream,” (in Spanish, “crema catalane,” and in English “Trinity cream”) is a dessert consisting of a rich custard base, topped with a layer of hard caramel. Most people assume that crème brûlée is a French dish, since the name is French. Chances are, crème brûlée is another version of a custard recipe that was passed around during the Middle Ages. It’s almost impossible to trace its exact roots to a specific origin, so the “Battle of the Brûlée” still goes on between French, English, and Spanish adherents.

The only hard part about making this recipe is that it requires you to caramelize the sugar topping just before serving. (I do this directly at your table at Le Patio.) The aim is to get a “hard” finish without warming the cream underneath, and this can be difficult without the right tool.

I suggest you splurge on a blow torch. (I love using the blow torch: I actually think I was a plumber in another life!)

It’s well worth it, because crème brûlée is so easy and delicious, you’re going to want to make it again and again

Ingredients:

• 10 egg yolks

• 8 oz. of sugar

• 1 liter of heavy cream

• 1 vanilla pod

• Brown sugar (for “finish”)

Preheat the oven at 205°. Open the vanilla pod, remove the grains out, and put them in the cream. Place on the stovetop, and start heating slowly. “Whiten” the eggs: Mix the egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl, beating them like mad until the mixture becomes a “whitish,” light yellow color. Add the boiling vanilla cream, mixing SLOWLY, making sure that the mixture does not become too bubbly. Delicately pour this new mixture into small individual porcelain or terracotta molds. (You should make from six to eight, depending on the size of your dishes) Cook for 1 hour and 15 min; the crème should come out wobbly. Cool well.

Before serving, cover with brown sugar, get the blow torch out, and start caramelizing it. C’mon baby light my fire: You are the chef!

Although born in Dublin, Ireland, chef Jean Doherty spent most of her life in Lyon, France, the gastronomical capital of the world. Together
with Vero, her partner of 25 years, Jean has owned and run multiple restaurants including Fort Lauderdale’s Le Patio.