Peach melba

INGREDIENTS –

• 4 fresh ripe peaches
• 1/2 lb fresh (or frozen) raspberries (or jam)
• 4 oz caster sugar
• 1 pint creamy vanilla ice cream
• 2 soup spoons of dry cherry brandy
• 1 oz thin slices of roasted almonds

Directions:

• Dip the peaches in boiling water for 30 seconds, rinse and cool down in chilled water, cut in 2 halves, core and peel them carefully and put them face down on a plate.
• Make a light syrup with the 2/3 of the sugar and the quantity of water necessary to cover the peaches; heat the sugared water and let it boil for three minutes.
• Pour the cherry brandy into the syrup, carefully put the peaches into it and poach them gently for five to 10 minutes according to the degree of maturity of the fruit.
• Take the fruit out of the syrup and put them flat side down on drain until they come to room temperature.
• Mash the raspberries together with the remaining 1/3 of the sugar, using a fork (or just use raspberry jam).
• Put the raspberry purée, the half peaches and four empty service cups into the fridge.
• When time for dessert comes, put into each cup. First, a scoop of ice cream, then 2 halves of poached peaches topped with some raspberry purée and a few almond slices on top and serve quickly. You can also top with whipped cream, because remember, you are the chef.
• Bon Appétit!

By JEAN DOHERTY/LE PATIO

KIR French cocktail

Kir is a popular French cocktail made with a measure of crème de cassis (blackcurrant liqueur) topped up with white wine. In France it is usually drunk as an apéritif before a meal or snack. Originally, the wine used was Bourgogne Aligoté, a lesser white wine of Burgundy. Nowadays, various white wines are used throughout France, according to the region and the whim of the barkeeper. Many prefer a white Chardonnay – b a s e d Burgundy, such as Chablis.

Monsieur Félix Kir (born in 1876 in Côte d’Or, in the heart of Burgundy) was a canon, ordained as a Catholic priest in 1901. He used to be a major resistance fighter against the German occupation during WWII and got the French Legion of Honor Cross in 1946.That same year, he became a member of French Parliament as a “député” and mayor of Dijon, the most important city of Burgundy.

It was during this time that he started serving, for all public event parties in Dijon, an apéritif most French people already knew under the “blanc-cassis” name (white wine & blackcurrant).

And now the original proportions of a true “KIR”

• 1/3 blackcurrant cream from Dijon

• 2/3 white Burgundy wine (Aligoté grapes)

However, in most bars and “cafés” Kir is now made with these proportions:

• 1/5 blackcurrant cream from Dijon
• 4/5 white wine (dry is best)

You can make many variations of this recipe, with raspberry, blackberry ( my personal favorite) or peach cream, Champagne (makes a royal Kir) or other sparkling wines. I must pay a tribute to the clairvoyance of Mayor Kir, who died in 1968 at the age of 92, who allowed this small regional drink to become, today, the most preferred apéritif in the world.

By JEAN DOHERTY/LE PATIO

Asparagus has been used from early times as a vegetable and medicine, owing to its delicate flavor and diuretic properties. There is a recipe for cooking asparagus in the oldest surviving book of recipes. It was cultivated by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, who ate it fresh when in season and dried it for use in winter. Asparagus is pictured on an Egyptian frieze dating to 3000 B.C., and France’s Louis XIV had special greenhouses built for growing it. Asparagus is low in calories and is very low in sodium. It is also a good source of vitamin B6, calcium, magnesium and zinc, and a very good source of dietary fiber, protein, vitamin A, C, E, and K, and then thiamin, riboflavin, rutin, niacin, folic acid, iron, phosphorus, potassium, copper, manganese, selenium and chromium (whew!), a trace mineral that enhances the ability of insulin to transport glucose from the bloodstream into cells. In other words, it’s very healthy.

The shoots are prepared and served in a number of ways around the world, typically as an appetizer or vegetable side dish. In Asian-style cooking, asparagus is often stir-fried. Cantonese restaurants in the United States often serve asparagus stirfried with chicken, shrimp, or beef, and also wrapped in bacon. Asparagus may also be quickly grilled over charcoal or hardwood embers. It is also used as an ingredient in stews and soups. In the French-style, it is often boiled or steamed and served with hollandaise sauce, melted butter or olive oil. In recent years, almost as a cycle dating back to early culinary habits, asparagus has regained its popularity eaten raw as a component of a salad.

Ingredients:

• 1 chopped onion
• A dash of extra virgin olive oil
• 2 lbs of peeled and washed asparagus tips
• 1 big potato cut in cubes
• A good splash of fresh cream
• Salt, pepper & paprika

Directions:

1. In a good-sized saucepan lightly brown the onions at medium heat.
2. Add the asparagus and the potato, and 2 to 3 pints of water and boil for
   about 20 minutes.
3. Blend well in a food processor or directly in the pot with an immersion mixer.
4. You are the chef, so you taste and season with salt, pepper and a pinch of paprika and of course
   the fresh cream.
5. Enjoy!

This recipe is pretty easy to do and is inexpensive as well. It can be served warm or cold. It looks spectacular, especially when you announce you are the chef! This recipe will accommodate six people.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs of salmon filet, skin off
• 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
• The leaves of a small bundle of parsley
• 3.5 oz of sour cream
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Place your diced up salmon, the egg whites, salt and cayenne pepper in a food processor and reduce these ingredients into a fine puree. Put the minced salmon into a bowl and fold in the sour cream (save some for the sauce). Then, add the black olives. Refrigerate for one hour. Wrap up the hearts of palm with the smoked salmon ( just like you were rolling a cigarette). Set them aside in the refrigerator. Heat your oven to 400 degrees.
2. Pour half the salmon mixture into a greased terrine mold (a cake tin will do if it’s Teflon). Then place the heart of palm rolls lengthways, in the center of the mold and pour the rest of the mixture on the top of them. Level down the mixture with a pallet knife. Remember, you are the chef, so you can replace the hearts of palms with crab meat or scallops, for example.
3. 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 small and blend it with the sour cream and the shallot. Set aside in the refrigerator.
4. 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:

You serve your terrine warm, so carve six nice slices and simply serve them with a drizzle of parsley cream around them.

Or you serve the terrine cold. Put it the refrigerator for three hours. Carve six slices and serve with a small drizzle of parsley cream around them.

By JEAN DOHERTY/LE PATIO

Garlic Butter

By JEAN DOHERTY/LE PATIO

In Burgundy they eat their snails swimming in delicious, garlicky parsley butter, spearing them from their shells with cute two-pronged forks made just for that purpose. But beurre d’escargots is not just for snails. It can be spread on warm crusty bread, a knob can be set to melt on a freshly seared steak, and we will then have “beurre Matire D’Hotel.” It can be spread on cod to be baked in papillote, melted over potatoes and lots more. It keeps for weeks, if you don’t find uses for it all at once, and it also freezes very well.

Ingredients:

• 1 kilo of butter
• 20 grams coarse sea salt
• 1 gram of ground black pepper
• 50 grams crushed garlic (don’t forget to take out the germ in the center, that’s what gives bad breath)
• 40 grams finely chopped shallots
• 100 grams finely chopped parsley

Directions:

Leave your butter at room temperature until soft (that’s an easy thing to do here in South Florida). You can use an electric chopper to get the garlic, shallots and parsley chopped finely. Then, in a salad bowl, mix all your ingredients well until you obtain a homogeneous paste. I’d advise you to transfer it to a zip lock bag and flatten it out and keep it in the freezer, this way you can break off pieces as needed. It should keep for a few months. Then you will be able to use it little by little, not only to cook “escargots,” but for a lot of other preparations such as sautéed potatoes, garlic mushrooms, tomatoes, etc. You are the chef!

By JEAN DOHERTY/LE PATIO

Sauce Dijon

Easy recipes are always our favorites – few ingredients, quick preparation and a delicious flavor always make our day. I am giving you this amazing sauce for chicken, veal, red meats and pork. If you’re a vegetarian, you can put it on your tofu. Grab a napkin for this one – you just might find yourself salivating as you read the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons of Dijon Mustard or the
• old-fashioned one with the grains
• 1 cup of heavy cream
• 1 shallot chopped small
• Salt & pepper
• 1 glass of dry white wine
• A big knob of butter
• A heaped teaspoon of flour

Directions:

• In a pot, melt the butter and throw in the shallots and cook 2-3 minutes.
• Add the flour and whisk.
• Throw in the glass of white wine, whisking all the time.
• Then mix in the mustard and the cream on medium heat.
• Whisk constantly until the mix is completely smooth.
• Add salt and pepper, and reduce heat for 3-4 minutes.
• Rectify the seasoning to your taste and that’s it.

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, so the BBQ will probably take the place of the pan, so I’m giving you a simple way to make a delicious sauce without the smokey pan smells in the kitchen.

Ingredients:

• 1 tin or jar of green peppercorns in brine

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 2 oz. cognac, brandy, whiskey or bourbon

• 2 small shallots

• 1 small onion

• 1 tablespoon flour

• 1 cup beef or veal stock or”Demi-glace”

• cup heavy cream

Directions:

• Melt the butter in a sauce pan and sauté the onion which you have chopped small.
• Get them nice and browned, then add the shallots (cooking quickly over high heat) until transparent for approximately 2-3 minutes.
• Sprinkle with a tablespoon of flour, and using a whisk incorporate the booze and the stock.
• Add the whole green peppercorn – the amount you use is up to you since you are the chef.
• Now is the time to add the heavy cream. Bring the liquid back to the boil, and cook about 3 to 5 minutes to thicken the sauce, stirring all the time.
• Taste and adjust seasoning. Some chefs believe heavy cream doesn’t belong in the traditional steak au poivre recipe, though many restaurants and at-home chefs include the cream. It does make the sauce so much better.
• Voila!

Originally native to the Eastern Mediterranean area and Asia, leeks have been cultivated for more than 3,000 years and have long been popular in Europe.

 In 640 A.D., the Welsh wore leeks in their hats to distinguish themselves from the enemy during the battle between King Cadwallader of Wales and the Saxons. The leek became an emblem of pride in Wales, and Welshmen wear the leek to commemorate King Cadwallader’s victory on St. David’s Day, March 1. The leek in Hebrew is called karti, which is a pun on the Hebrew word “yikartu,” meaning “to be cut off.” Thus, the Jews eat leeks at Rosh Hashanah to symbolize a wish for enemies to be cut off.

Nero ate leeks with oil regularly, thinking they were good for his singing voice. Perhaps Nero got the notion from Aristotle who claimed the clear cry of the partridge was due to its diet of leeks. Go figure.

• 1 large or 2 small leeks, about 1 pound
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 5 cups chicken stock
• 1 to 1 1/4 pounds russet potatoes, diced
• Salt & pepper
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup crème fraiche or heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons snipped chives or parsley to garnish

Directions:

Using a sharp knife, halve the whole leek lengthwise and rinse well under cold running water to rid the leek of any sand. Slice thinly crosswise into one inch pieces and set aside.

 In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and add the chopped leeks and cook until wilted, about five minutes. Add the reserved bouquet garni, chicken stock, potatoes, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are falling apart and the soup is very flavorful.

Remove the bouquet garni and, working in batches, puree the soup in a food processor or blender. (Alternately, if you own an immersion blender, puree the soup directly in the pot.) Stir in the crème fraiche and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. You don’t have to use cream, I never do. You are the chef. Serve immediately, with some of the snipped chives or parsley sprinkled over the top of each bowl of soup.

Pumpkin Crepes

By JEAN DOHERTY/LE PATIO

We are now in November (where did the year go?) and our thoughts turn to Thanksgiving. This is a perfect addition to your traditional Thanksgiving feast:

Ingredients: (for approximately 40 crepes)

• 1 lb wheat flour
• 3 whole eggs beaten
• 1/2 pint of milk
• 1/2 pint of water
• 2 oz. butter ‘meunière’ (melted and cooked
• until slightly browned)
• 2 oz. caster sugar
• 1 pinch of table salt
• 14 oz. peeled pumpkin, cut into small cubes
• 1 pint milk
• 3 egg yolks
• 3 1/2oz. caster sugar
• 4 oz. sifted flour
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla sugar
• A few tablespoons of icing sugar

Directions:

• Heat up the butter.
• Prepare the pancake mixture: mix flour with eggs, then add sugar, salt, milk and water and stir well to get rid of any lumps (if you still have some, use a blender) and then add the butter ‘meunière’.
• Put the mixture aside and cover for at least 2 hours before using it.
• Bring the milk to the boil then add the pumpkin cubes to it and cook for about 4 minutes.
• Put the yolks into a salad bowl then add the sugar (the standard caster and the vanilla), stir well and then add the flour and continue stirring.
• Drain the pumpkin cubes (keep them aside) and add the milk in which the pumpkin has cooked into the salad bowl; stir well and transfer the lot to the saucepan on the stove.
• Stir well with a whisk for about a minute starting at the boiling point.
• Take the saucepan off the stove, add the pumpkin cubes and blend in an electric blender.
• Pour the mixture into a dish and sprinkle some icing sugar on it in order to avoid having a crust when it cools down.
• Cook the pancakes as usual; 10 minutes before serving them, pour, on half of each pancake 1 tablespoon of pumpkin cream, fold the pancakes in 2, put them on a buttered oven tin, spread some icing sugar on them and put them into the oven (heated at 320°F) for 3 to 4 minutes.
• Serve the pancakes on a plate, with, for instance, a custard blended with a little apricot jam and some crushed hazelnuts.
• Don’t tell your guests about the ingredients you have used: they will imagine mango, papaya, apricot — only tell the truth after they told you it was to die for! A guaranteed success

Courgettes Au Gratin (Zucchini)

This is a “hot” vegetarian dish, or a sexy vegetable accompaniment to any poultry, meat or fish dish you like. It’ll make any reluctant “squash” eater a complete fan — I know what I’m talkin’ about, I was one! So for 4 servings you’ll need:

Ingredients:

• 2 lb Courgettes sliced (that’s about 3 or 4
• medium ones, you boys are “size wise”!)
• salt and pepper
• extra virgin olive oil (about a tablespoon)
• 1 onion, chopped small
• Bechamel sauce
• Gruyere or Swiss cheese, grated (a cup)

Directions:

• Place the sliced courgettes in a saucepan and pour in enough water to cover. Add a pinch of salt. Bring the water quickly to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes until the zucchini is tender but still firm. Drain thoroughly. You can mash ‘em or leave ‘em in slices depending on your energy or humor. You are the chef.
• Heat the oven to 400F.
• Heat extra virgin olive oil in a frying-pan over medium heat, add the onion and fry until golden brown. Add the fried onion to the courgettes and a little of the grated cheese. Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Lightly grease a shallow, flameproof dish. Pour in the courgette mixture combined with the béchamel sauce. Sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly over the surface.
• Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve immediately.
• Enjoy.