Archive for the ‘: FRENCH’ Category
Quatre Épices (Four Spices)
November 13, 2018 Lee
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Quatre Épices (Four Spices)

Adapted from an internet recipe.
This is a common French blend of 4 basic spices and used in soups, grilled chicken, salt pork. Since I am not teaching French here, I will stick with the name, Four Spices.
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Prep Time 2 minutes
Cook Time 2 minutes
Total Time 4 minutes
Cuisine French
Servings 5 tablespoons Four Spice

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoons ground white pepper
  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger
  • 1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 tablespoon ground cloves

Instructions
 

  • In a small bowl, stir together all the ingredients. Pour into an airtight container and store in a cool dark place.

Notes

Used in Recipes Listed on this Site:
5 Ingredients or Less,: FRENCH,Ingredients - Spice Mixes
Coq au Vin (Pressure Cooker)
May 2, 2018 Lee
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Coq au Vin (Pressure Cooker)

Adapted from an internet recipe.
This is a classic French recipe changed to use a pressure cooker. However, I am going to prepare the mushrooms and potatoes separately (mushrooms will be sauteed, potatoes will be steamed). On my to cook list. I will be using my 9½ quart stove top pressure cooker. Follow all the safety precautions for your model of pressure cooker.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 32 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine French
Servings 4 servings

Equipment

  • Pressure Cooker

Ingredients
  

  • 1 kilo chicken pieces, bone in, skin on, thighs or quarters perfect, (2 lb)
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 250 grams smoked bacon, diced, (8 oz)
  • 2 brown onions, sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
  • 2¼ cups red wine
  • 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 1-2 bay leaves
  • 200 grams white button mushrooms, or Shiitake with stems removed, (7 oz)
  • 3 small potaoes, per serving or large and diced large
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Instructions
 

  • With the lid off your pressure cooker, heat the oil, when hot, brown the chicken, working in batches, set browned chicken aside.
  • Add the bacon and onion to the cooker, browning the bacon, stir often to get a nice brown, then add the garlic and cook until just fragrant.
  • Add the chicken back to the cooker and sprinkle on the flour and mix everything together.
  • Add the wine then season as desired with salt and pepper and add the bay leaves.
  • Place the lid on and lock, add the weight (jiggler), bring up the heat to high, when the jiggler starts to move and vent pressure, reduce the heat to low or medium low to maintain pressure release. Start timing for 12 minutes.
  • While the chicken is cooking, add water to a saucepan and fit it with a steamer basket (or as I will do, use a rice cooker with a steamer basket). When you have good steam, add the potatoes and steam until fork tender. Skin on or off potatoes is up to you. Keep an eye on the time for the chicken.
  • While the chicken is cooking, and potatoes steaming, heat a non stick skillet with a splash of olive oil and a tablespoon of butter if you like, when hot, add the mushrooms and saute until they have released their moisture and starting to brown. Keep an eye on the time for the chicken.
  • When 12 minutes are up for the chicken, turn off the heat and move to an unused burner and allow a natural pressure release, about 10 to 15 minutes.
  • When the potatoes are fork tender, remove from the steamer. When the mushrooms are starting to brown, remove the skillet from heat.
  • When it is safe to open the pressure cooker, meaning it has vented to atmosphere and no pressure remains inside, open and remove chicken to a large serving tray, arrange potatoes and mushrooms around the chicken, sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.

Notes

Chicken will cost about 52 Baht/kilo for quarters. For 4 servings, this is about 41 cents per serving. Great value.
* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,: FRENCH,Chicken - Pressure Cooker
Whitefish Poached in Court Bouillon
November 22, 2017 Lee
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Whitefish Poached in Court Bouillon

This recipe for Cod Poached in Court Bouillon is from Simply Recipes.
Now the name, Court Bouillon sounds very upscale, as a good friend explains it, "court bouillon is 'an aromatic liquid in which meat, fish, and various vegetables are cooked,' in other words, fancy salted water!" This is excellent fish and is actually a 2 for 1 dish, the fish, and the potatoes for a side. I made this on 6 Feb 2018, excellent.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine French
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

For the Poached Fish

  • 1 kilo whitefish fillets, boneless, skinless, (2 lbs)
  • 8 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 4 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • lemon or lime slices, for garnish if desired

For the Potato Side Dish

  • 500 grams potatoes, cut into 1 to 1½ inch pieces, (1 lb)
  • pinch saffron threads, if desired, 5-6 threads

Instructions
 

  • Cut your fish fillets in half to make more manageable sizes, this makes them so much easier to lift out of the water after they are poached. Good fillets would be Pangasius and Barramundi.
  • In a large pot, add the water, salt, garlic, bay leaves, and olive oil. Bring to a boil and hold for about 3-4 minutes to blend the flavors.
  • Place the fillets in the boiling water and return to a boil for about 2-3 minutes or until just cooked through. Use a slotted spatula to remove the fish to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Let the fish rest for about 5 minutes before serving, or go ahead and make the optional potatoes.

For the Potatoes

  • Bring the water to a boil that was used to cook the fish, add just a pinch, and I mean a small pinch, most expensive spice in the world no less, of saffron in the pot. Saffron is for the color and just a hint of flavor. If no saffron, add an even smaller pinch of turmeric, this is for color mainly and just a smidgen of taste.
  • When boiling, add the cubed potatoes, these can be skin on or skin off, up to your preference, into the water. Cook for about 15 minutes or until fork tender.
  • Drain potatoes, plate with the fish, serve and enjoy.

Notes

For the fish, go with about 130 Baht/1 kilo of Pangasius fillets. For 4 servings, this is about 96 cents per serving.
Variants: 1. After fish is added to the water, add shrimp, mussel meat, or lump crab.
#1 Go-To Recipes,* Best Value $1 or Less per Serving,: FRENCH,FISH - ALL,Fish - White Fish