Wolfert
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My favorite method for crisping confit of MOULARD duck is from the Bordeaux-born chef of the Montreal bistro Le P'tit Plateau in Montreal. It is a brilliant and easy method.
Here is how he does it: You simply place a moulard confit of duck leg, skin side down, on a non- stick or ceramic baking dish or skin skin up on a rack over a pan, then bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes or until crisp.
Oooh I love the confit of Chef Alain Loirvel at Le P’tit Plateau, a restaurant which may just be the ideal accompaniment to your book
Thanks to Carswell for nailing that method.
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I don't have the book so I don't know if he uses this method for all pasta or just for very thin pasta.
I do know that the secret to preparing a great Ligurian Handkerchief pasta is to freeze it before cooking.
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You should crisp the confit of duck cooked in the style of sous vide if you plan to eat it solo.
I provide a variety of detailed instructions for crisping duck confit ( traditional,
crock pot , or sous vide) on page 197.
My favorite method for crisping confit of MOULARD duck is from the Bordeaux-born chef of the Montreal bistro Le P'tit Plateau in Montreal. It is a brilliant and easy method.
Here is how he does it: You simply place a moulard confit of duck leg, skin side down, on a non- stick or ceramic baking dish or skin skin up on a rack over a pan, then bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes or until crisp.
MUSCOVY and PEKIN duck confit should be crisped in a fry pan.
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I have run into a few challenges in making the duck confit and would appreciate comments on two things. First, when I opened the packages of duck legs a few minutes ago and washed them, they had a mild sulphorous odor which concerns me. Is this normal, or should I return them? I went ahead and started the marinade for about five pounds of them due to time constraints, but I am sure Central Market here will take them back if they are bad.
Second, is there any reason not to combine duck fat and goose fat for the confit?
Kryovac packed poultry often has an off-putting smell when you first open the package.
If the odor doesn't disappear after a few minutes of airing followed by washing, I think you might consider returning them.
A little pork or goose fat added to the duck fat makes the confit even better,
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Thanks for posting the photo because it helps me to see the problem.
The sides of your skillet are too high. Next time try a shallow cast iron or non stick skillet as indicated in the recipe.
Ideally, the moisture expressed from red potatoes quickly reach the cover and is wiped away at the intervals called for in the recipe. This allows the bottom potato layer to develop an even and thin crisp crust.
A skillet with shallow sides will make it easier for you to turn it over.
Do try it again and let me know.
Happy New Year
I found two photos on line :
http://jardihaie.free.fr/potager/pdt/diete2.jpg
http://www.iseria.com/iseria/cuisine/brandade-thon.html#plat
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I have made several recipes from the book and most have turned out quite well, like the confit cooked sous vide and the squash soup.
Unfortunately, the potatoes Sarladaise really didn't work that well, but that's probably because I used Yukon Golds and I suspect I sliced them too thin, more of 1/16th of an inch instead of the suggested 1/8th. Basically the potatoes did not brown so I jacked up the heat at the end to produce a crust. I also would prefer the potatoes be seasoned during the cooking process instead of just then end. I found by salting and
My big problem was with the Basquaise chicken I served for dinner tonight. When I finished cooking it, it was still quite raw. So I put in on for another 12 minutes and stuck in my instead read thermometer. Once it hit 170, I turned off the heat and let it sit for another 10 minutes (basically, I repeated the cooking sequence twice, making the complete cooking time 42 minutes instead of the suggested 20). To my dismay, some of the chicken meat was still pink at the bone.
Paula if you're reading this please help (I want to get this recipe right because the sauce is delicious). When you say chicken legs, do you just mean drumsticks or the leg including the thigh? I used just over 4 lbs of thighs and drumsticks, which equaled six thighs and four drumsticks. Also, a red flag went up in my mind when I saw that 20 minute cooking time when originally reading through the recipe. Is that correct? Also, I'm assuming all the cooking is still done on low heat. Is that correct also?
Sarlat potatoes are tricky even to cooks in SWF. After much testing, I think I have it right. They are best made with smooth and moist textured red potatoes as directed in the recipe. Salting throughout the cooking would have released too much moisture which would have produced too much steam. I am sure you weren't successful because you chose to use Yukons which have a denser, creamier texture.
(I know this to be true because I tried them once with Yukons!)
Chicken Basquaise: I use both legs and thighs. After heating the skillet over moderately high heat and then adding the duck fat and letting it almost smoke before
adding the chicken you do get a nice crusty and deep golden brown skin as well as partially cooked flesh. The chicken is then allowed to rest for 15 minutes while you prepare the sauce over low heat. This allows the flesh to continue to cook a bit. Then when you lay the chicken pieces on top of the sauce, cover, and cook for 10 minutes over low heat the chicken should be almost done. Another 10 minutes, covered, in residual heat should do the trick.
If your chicken legs and thighs are extra thick, then by all means extend the cooking time in step 3.
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Merci beaucoup for the explanation. We invented similiar theories, but also got a little silly about it as the evening went on.
I used a trusted old cast iron skillet that I have for many, many years and I got the charred, smoky cabbage flavor. Honestly, I thought the flavors interesting, but my easy-to-please-will-eat-just-about-anything husband was truly repulsed by the flavors. What an odd reaction. To each his own. Maybe some garlic soup tonight.
(speaking of soup, we used the left over bones of the poussin and made an outstanding lentil soup that was 'bumped' up with a little of the left over garlic cream. A bonne femme soup if ever there was one!)
Did you see the Nora Ephron piece in the NY TImes the other day? She was waxing over a strudel of cabbage and apples
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For Christmas we went with a small plates concept and included 3 recipes from CSWF. I had done each before and they required very little prep (very helpful when making 9 dishes). They were the Potatoes in the Style of Quercy, Bacalao a-Pil-Pil, and Asparagus with Asparagus Sauce.
All were well-received, but the asparagus was the biggest hit. I have made the dish about 1/2 dozen times now and it always gets a good response (especially from my taste buds). It is more than worth the price of an asparagus peeler. It's such a simple concept and people get a kick out of the fact that the peels of the asparagus make the base of the sauce. This has become on of my favorite vegetable sides to make.
The book has a number of vegetable dishes that have become automatic sides, because they are both simple to make and delicious. Off the top of my head, other than the Potatoes in the Style of Quercy and the asparagus, I make the Straw Potato Cake with Braised Leeks, the Eggplant studded with Garlic, and the Celery Root Puree on a semi-regular basis as sides.
Here is a gentle reminder to add ONE pound to the "1/2 pounds" potatoes in the ingredients list in the Quercy recipe. It is 1 1/2 pounds in the 1983 edition but somehow got lost in 'translation.' What a bummer to happen to such a great and easy recipe!
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For Christmas we went with a small plates concept and included 3 recipes from CSWF. I had done each before and they required very little prep (very helpful when making 9 dishes). They were the Potatoes in the Style of Quercy, Bacalao a-Pil-Pil, and Asparagus with Asparagus Sauce.
All were well-received, but the asparagus was the biggest hit. I have made the dish about 1/2 dozen times now and it always gets a good response (especially from my taste buds). It is more than worth the price of an asparagus peeler. It's such a simple concept and people get a kick out of the fact that the peels of the asparagus make the base of the sauce. This has become on of my favorite vegetable sides to make.
The book has a number of vegetable dishes that have become automatic sides, because they are both simple to make and delicious. Off the top of my head, other than the Potatoes in the Style of Quercy and the asparagus, I make the Straw Potato Cake with Braised Leeks, the Eggplant studded with Garlic, and the Celery Root Puree on a semi-regular basis as sides.
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Greetings fellow fans! I've been meaning to add this post for a few weeks now..but holiday madness prevented me.
To celebrate the arrival of my new cookbook, we invited over some friends for a Slow Cooking fest.
The menu was: roasted poussin with garlic-lemon cream, potato/leek casserole and the cabbage crust apple pie. There was a salad thrown in, but it fast and un-cooked.
The poussin with the garlic lemon cream has become a new favorite dish. The first time we made it for the Slow Cook fest, the flavors nearly bowled me over...sinful, sensual, complex, aromatic. Its just incredible. It was the feature course of a long Vigilla dinner and has a new list of converts.
The roasted potato-leek dish is also amazing. But I did slightly tweek the recipe the second time I made it. I let the cooked potatoes sit overnight in the refrigerator. That's usually what I do when making rostii potatoes and the overnight seems to help the potatoes hold their shape and texture better.
Now, lets talk about the cabbage crust apple pie. What is the history on that dish? We were all game to give it a try, but it was universally disliked. We talked about changing the filling proportions etc. etc, but it all came down to the cabbage aroma with the apples. Has anyone else tried this one?
What a lovely, wonderful book. I'm so happy with it that it became a Christmas presents for some near and dear. Thank you, Ms. Wolfert.
I am pleased you like the book.
The farmhouse dessert called grimolles is unique to the Poitou-Vendee region of France. After bread is baked in a brick oven and if there is still plenty of residual heat, a thick crepe batter blended with some sliced apples or pears is spread on a thin layer of wilted cabbage leaves and slid onto the oven floor to cook until golden brown on the outside and creamy within. The cabbage leaves aren't eaten. It is often served with homemade apple cider.
There is a second version using an iron griddle. This is the version I chose for the book because it would be easier for the home cook.
Grimolles is truly " a dish of the poor " and the taste and aroma of slightly burnt cabbage is the secret to success. I am curious what type of pan or griddle you used to create the necessary smoky aroma?
BTW. Even though I like the combination of smoky cabbage and sweet apple alot, my editor truly disliked it!
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Paula, will you be so kind as to give us your favorite sources of clay pots? I got Slow Mediterranean for Christmas, as well as cooking my way through SW France, and I only have some glazed Polish bakers, and a glazed cazuela, which I don't think are what you would be using.
Although I own a huge number of clay cooking and serving pots, I plan to make it clear to the reader that only five basic ones are required to execute the recipes in the book...an investment of less than a hundred dollars.
Abra, you are halfway there with a cazuela and/or the Polish baker or a tagine.
Plan on purchasing a clay sandpot from your local Asian market for bean dishes and waterless vegetable cookery. One should cost about $10.00 and is worth every penny. You can cook lots of different vegetables or legumes on top of the stove or in the oven. Clean up takes place in the washing machine.
You will want one or two unglazed covered pots as well since they work differently with meat and poultry than LC or its lookalikes. I love the chamba black pottery casserole from nutierra.com. to prepare daubes and braises.
And, finally a covered romertop baker for simulating the roasting of a large chunk of meat or a whole chicken in a clayoven. It also is great for bread.
Oh, another item I use is a stoneware colander for steaming couscous. Www. claycoyote.com is my source. They also have lovely oven to table pottery.
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Elie: The onions do look great. Keep in mind that all the Bras recipes in the book are fabulous and worth making. Never mind that they take time if they are that good!
I was so lucky to have worked with him back in the 80's when he had a smaller restaurant, fewer michelin stars, and time to spend with a young food writer.
Chrisamirault:
The potatoes are best baked in a stoneware, earthenware or enamled cast-iron baking pan. Did you know that when one cooks a gratin in Pyrex or glass you need to bake
food for a longer period of time or change the temperature by 50 degrees?
A daube is best cooked slowly in a pot that retains its heat through thick walls.
All the recipes for long cooked meats in the book can be prepared in any good, heavy porcelainized metal vessel or claypot so long as they're the right shape and size and can hold and distribute slow even heat.
One reason I now cook daubes and other braises exclusively in clay is though they are prepared with less liquid, the final product emerges especially moist with an unctuous tender texture, and a special distinctive flavor.
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I have a few questions about the duck ham recipe.
-You ask for a single duck breast weighing 1 1/4lb. My duck breasts are maybe 1/2 a lb at best. Is it critical to use such large breasts or can I scale down? Will it affect the cure time? I started it hanging yesterday and I'm checking on it every day but I assume it will cure pretty quickly. I don't even know where to get a duck that size, it must be a 7lb duck or something.
- You say to remove the skin but not the fat from the breast. I had no idea how to do that so I just left the skin on. Will this be a problem?
- How am I meant to roll up the breasts for curing? I rolled them longways so I have a short, fat cylinder. Was I meant to get a long thin cylinder? does it matter?
Now that the moulard duck is available and the book is an update, I posted the new recipe first. It isn't critical to use the breast from the moulard duck, but it is a lot better and more traditional. At the bottom of the recipe on page 83 in the new edition, you have the old recipe for Pekin duck breasts which weigh about 5 ounces with the skin on. If you reduce the seasoning as I suggest and the curing time you should be pleased with the results. Let me know how it turns out.
It is not necessary to shave the duck skin just more traditional with moulard ducks. When the duck is cured, simply wipe the breast skin with some mild wine vinegar to remove any bacteria.
It is correct to roll the large moulard breasts lenghtwise to avoid any air pockets.
Your short fat cylinder should be fine.
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bob.
i'm working on my review, which i hope to post soon on my blog. in the meantime, i'm trying to get ready to make ms. wolfert's besteeya recipe posted on another forum... but i'm trying to find her fish recipe.
u.e.
/which fish recipe are you looking for?
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The two salt pigs by my stove have Sel de Guerende and Maldon sea salt; there are jars of smoked sea salt and black salt lurking on the spice rack; and there's a bag of iodised table salt which gets used for soaking achy-feet (:
Don't have any kosher salt, though - it's something that I haven't ever seen for sale over here, in New Zealand.
What do you use for pickling or salting?
Note the differences in weight between common salts in the US marketplace.
* 1 tablespoon fine table salt equals 21 grams
*1 tablespoon Morton kosher salt equals 17 grams
* 1 tablespoon imported Maldon sea salt equals 14 grams
* 1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal coarse kosher salt and imported Grey Sea Salt from the Ile de Re equals 12 grams
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The new Central Market cookbook has a recipe for a Mediterranean salsa that contains tomatoes, capers, kalamata olives among other things. I added a diced preserved lemon and it was even better!
That is a beautiful combination. What did you serve it with?
You might be interested to know there is similar Tunisian salsa called sauce Kerkennaise. It is served with grilled octopus or shrimp.
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The dough for simit as prepared in the city of Salonika is made in the same manner as a short crust by combining flour, confectioner's sugar, butter, and a bit of baking soda. The moistening liquid is a small amount of water flavored with aniseed.
After tearing off a piece of the dough and shaping it into a circle, the surface is sprinkled with sesame seeds. When all are ready they are baked until golden and sold while still warm.
I used to see the sellers balancing enormous trays of stacked and still warm simit on their heads as they weaved through crowds.
Nowadays, they use little carts and sell sweet drinks slong with the simit.
BTW I am pretty sure bagels are boiled before baking.
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With preserved lemons, the prize is the skin, right? Wouldn't thin-skinned Meyers lemons be less than ideal? Does their sweetness seem odd to someone used to traditional preserved lemons?
Actually, the fragrant, thin-skinned Meyer lemon can substitute for the lim doqq lemon, the creme de la creme of Moroccan lemons destined for the salt pot. The taste isn't a perfect match but it's close enough. When using them, add at the end of a dish to avoid falling into shreds
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The thick-skinned lemon called limun buserra is similar to the Californian Eureka and after curing you can use it in a tagine without it falling apart..
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Anyway, I was wondering why the 30 day lemons are good for a year and the 7 day are only good for a week. The biggest difference in the recipes (other than the ratio of salt to lemon) is that the 7 day lemons are cut into 8 pieces while the 30 day lemons are kept in one piece - albeit they are quartered by cutting do
I think I am responsible for promoting the '5 day preserved lemon." See page 33 in my book, Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco, 1973. Please allow me to explain: The quickie method requires cooking of the lemons rather than slow curing. These lemons would rot if left around any longer than 1 to 2 days.
Making a big jar of preserved lemons with a 30 day cure allows you to have lemons for a long time. And, the lemons just get better with time.
The lemons are more attractive and more useful in Moroccan recipes if partially quartered rather than cut into eighths. Either way, you need to salt for 30 days
I will offer this advice tho...if for any reason you decide to dump them out of the jar and repackage them in smaller jars, wear rubber gloves. The salt/lemon juice combo burned theIt is a good idea to wear gloves or use wooden utensils when handling the lemons. You risk introducing foreign bacteria which can screw up the aroma and taste of the lemons. If your lemons smell like furniture polish you did something wrong, and that is usually the reason.
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Try mixing some baking soda and plain white vinegar to a loose paste and use a scrub brush to clean all parts. I use this mix for burnt skillets, saucepans and other metals.
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I agree with Abra and Fifi.
You might reheat it to a simmer then let cool before using, especially if you want to use it for making confit.
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Bagels are boiled before baked. Is that the case with Turkish Simit?
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You can purchase liquid smoke at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detai...1630373-4883351
Cooking with 'The Cooking of Southwest France'
in France: Cooking & Baking
Posted · Edited by Wolfert (log)
Good question. I decided to remove the pages on deveining foie gras when I tested the recipes with the Artisan Brand foie gras from Sonoma Saveurs. Due to special feeding and sophisticated production techniqus, the liver only needs trimming and surface blood removed.
www.frenchselections.com and www.preparedmeats.com sell Artisan foie gras.
If you prefer to use another product, here is the text that I removed from the manuscript: I'll post the drawings later on when I figure out how to transfer them to egullet..
To Devein a Whole Foie Gras:
Before deveining, let the liver come to room temperature; a chilled foie gras cracks easily. Cut away any surface fat and greenish parts. Place the liver smooth side down on a work-surface covered with a clean kitchen towel, with the smaller lobe to your right. Separate the two lobes by pulling gently at points A and B with your hands. If the surface membrane begins to peel, remove it.
Start on the smaller lobe. Pare off any bloody parts with a seesaw motion so that as little as possible of the liver is lost. With the inner part facing you, gently bend the smaller lobe lengthwise so you can see veins C to D to E. With your fingers, a pair of tweezers, or a small knife, loosen the exposed veins and pull them out firmly but gently, without breaking up the flesh. Set the small lobe aside.
The larger lobe has a more complicated network of veins. Begin by slitting the liver from F to G and pulling out veins F, and F2. From G to h to I to J, bend the lobe gently or slit it with a knife, if necessary, so that you can reach the veins. Pull them out. At J, where the vein separates into three major parts, cut carefully and pull out veins J and J2. If the vein toward K is not excessively thick, leave it in place. Trim off any greenish parts or visible blood spots Rinse the lobe in clear, tepid water; drain and pat dry on a kitchen towel.
After removing the veins from the foie gras , you can season the whole on the outside with a light seasoning of salt, pepper, sugar and a grating of nutmeg. Wrap in paper towels and refrigerate for up to 48 hours.
To obtain even slices, cut this smaller lobe lengthwise as shown in the drawing above.
You might have to click to get this drawing to show up on your computer