Cooking from "Sunday Suppers at Lucques" by Suzanne Goin

[FrogPrincesse]

Dessert was a simple crème fraîche panna cotta with strawberries. I like this dessert because it is light and appropriate for spring, plus it's a good way to showcase fresh fruit. As an additional bonus, it is prepared in advance. The strawberries were just sliced and mixed with sugar 10 minutes before serving.

A well-made panna cotta can be very satisfying.

[FrogPrincesse]

Spot prawns with tomato confit, garlic, and chile

I am still daydreaming about this one a few weeks later. I was super excited to buy a few pounds of local spot prawns recently because they are really special. It's hard to describe but they have a better texture and flavor than any other prawns I have had.

The recipe starts by slow-cooking yellow tomatoes in the oven in a mix of olive oil and water, together with a sliced red onion, garlic, herbs (oregano + basil) and chiles. This step can be done in advance.

before

after

This cooking step extracts all the wonderful flavors from the tomatoes. Then they are blended (minus the herbs and part of the chiles) with part of the liquid. They emulsify very rapidly to form a thick "sauce" with a beautiful yellow color.

The spot prawns are deveined and cooked shell-on in a pan with a little bit of olive oil. The prawns are set aside for a few minutes while the same pan is used to cook shallots, thyme, chile de arbol, garlic and cherry tomatoes sliced in half (I also added a little bit of fresh corn). Using the same pan ensure that all the juices from the prawns are incorporated into the sauce. Then the prawns are added back to blend all the flavors together. The prawns seasoned with lemon juice are served on top of the yellow tomato confit together with plenty of bread.

[Okanagancook]

Orecchiette carbonara with English peas and pea shoots (page 80)

Suzanne Goin's twist on the classic carbonara is nothing short of delicious. First she uses a mix of bacon and pancetta cooked until slightly crisped. This was great for me as I had just finished curing some fresh bacon and tesa (similar to pancetta but flat) and wanted to find a dish to showcase them. Onions, garlic and thyme are added to the bacon/pancetta and cooked for a short time, and then mixed with fresh shelled peas (which I happened to have from my CSA). The pasta cooked al dente is added to this mixture, together with salt and plenty of black pepper. The pasta is transferred to a large bowl containing a mixture of eggs, egg yolks and parmesan. Pasta water can be used as needed if the sauce is too thick (I had to use about a tablespoon). Lastly, parsley and pea shoots (I used baby spinach) are mixed in and more parmesan is grated on top.

I really liked how the orecchiette acted as a receptacle for the sauce, peas, and bacon/pancetta dice. Also including greens in this dish was a nice change. The peas were particularly great in this recipe and added a little pop of flavor.

Recipe here on google books.

This looks like a dinner for two weeks hence when the first of my peas are ready. Thanks for passing on your thoughts about the recipe. After my question over on the what cookbooks are you using thread I found your thread here.

[Okanagancook]

The Grilled Pork Burger with all the accompaniments including the coleslaw.  Baked frites too.  It was very delicious especially.

[FrogPrincesse]

I've been making the pain d'épices (the French version of gingerbread) from Sunday Suppers at Lucques for years now, but always forget to take a picture!

 

Here is it. With a little bit of good butter, it's my favorite Madeleine de Proust moment. Instant childhood memories with my maternal grandmother. In the book Suzanne Goin serves it with kumquat butter, which is also an excellent choice.

 

 

 

 

Edited February 2, 2016 by FrogPrincesse
clarification (log)

[FrogPrincesse]

Last night Suzanne Goin won the James Beard award for Outstanding Chef, after years of being nominated. The 8th time was a charm. Congratulations!!!

 

Edited May 3, 2016 by FrogPrincesse
add link to 2016 winners (log)

[FrogPrincesse]

Pastel Vasco (Basque cake) made with an apple plum butter instead of blackberry compote. I used Plantation Barbados 5 years for the rum. I've only had it "as is" so far and it's delicious, full of flavor. This is still of my favorite and most used cookbooks!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 24, 2017 by FrogPrincesse (log)

[blue_dolphin]

A variation on the Blood Oranges, Dates, Parmesan and Almonds from Sunday Suppers at Lucques p 343.

@FrogPrincesse has already posted about this a few times.   Simple and delicious - eating it is kind of like nibbling on a fruit and cheese plate.

I used Medjool dates instead of Deglet Noor, curly endive instead of arugula and walnuts and walnut oil instead of almonds and almond oil but I think it's still true to the idea of the recipe. 

[heidih]

Thanks for reminding us of this wonderful book.  I think all of eGullet would relish a round of supper together with these meals. 

[blue_dolphin]

Kabocha Squash and Fennel Soup with Crème Fraîche and Candied Pumpkin Seeds from Sunday Suppers at Lucques p 323.  @FrogPrincesse has already reported on this one, earlier in the thread.

Alongside the soup are Crostini with Blue Cheese and Walnuts from a Deborah Madison recipe. I suspect that I browned the squash and fennel more than the recipe intended when I was roasting them so the color is dark but I rather like the toasty flavor. The recipe offers a choice of chicken or vegetable stock or water. I used the Instant Pot to make a quick stock with the skin, seeds and trimmings from the squash, fennel and onions. I used an amontillado sherry and liked the flavor it added. I substituted Greek yogurt thinned with a bit of buttermilk instead of crème fraîche.

I was going to skip the candied pumpkin seeds but I'm very glad I didn't as they only took a few minutes and add the perfect finish to the soup. The header notes say they're adult Halloween candy - they're almost like a spicy pumpkin seed brittle.

 

 

Edited January 9, 2019 by blue_dolphin (log)

[FrogPrincesse]

@blue_dolphin's post inspired me to revisit the squash and fennel soup, and give another try to the candied squash seeds because they looked so delicious in her post.

In my previous attempt, maybe the seeds were a bit old and maybe I hadn't toasted them long enough - in any case they were very dry and unpleasant to eat. This time they were fresher and turned out ok. I actually ate a good number of them while finishing up the preparation of the soup!

 @blue_dolphin - did you use the whole seed or did you remove the shells? It does not look like you have the shells in your picture.

 

I used a butternut squash instead of kabocha, only used 6 cups of liquid, and cooked the soup for 10 min in the instant pot on high rather than using a Dutch pot.

 

It's a delicious soup!

 

 

 

[blue_dolphin]

1 hour ago, FrogPrincesse said:

@blue_dolphin - did you use the whole seed or did you remove the shells? It does not look like you have the shells in your picture.

 

I had a package of already shelled pumpkin seeds and used them so no shells.  It is a delicious soup.  And thank you for all your excellent reviews from this book!

[heidih]

Interesting on seeds. Pepitas which are now the "hot ticket" on menus are not hulled (de-shelled pumpkin seeds) - they are naturally without the hard exterior. Most recipes do not define the difference.  One reference  .https://www.nutstop.com/what-are-pepitas-seeds/

Edited January 11, 2019 by heidih (log)

[blue_dolphin]

This is based on the Grilled Squab with Farro, Kabocha Squash, Cavolo Nero and Pomegranate Salsa p 346 in Sunday Suppers at Lucques

With neither a grill nor a squab at hand, I used chicken thighs and cooked them in the CSO.  Aside from the honey causing very dark, but still flabby skin, not sure the marinade (toasted bay leaves and coriander seeds, white peppercorns, thyme, honey, sherry and olive oil) did much for them. 

The squash/kale/farro dish had good flavor but it was kind of dry, although the pomegranate salsa (shallots, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, pomegranate seeds, olive oil, parsley) helped out.  

The small cubes of squash are roasted, the kale is first blanched then cooked, "slowly over low heat for ~ 30 min, until it turns a dark, almost black color and gets slightly crispy)  and the farro is spread out on a baking sheet to cool and dry before being sautéed until it's slightly crispy so there's just not a lot of moisture in there. 

 

[blue_dolphin]

Warm Kabocha Squash Salad with Dandelion, Bacon, Roncal (I subbed pecorino Romano) and Pecans from Sunday Suppers at Lucques p 237

The salad is dressed with a warm sherry/bacon vinaigrette. I used a mix of dandelion and curly endive. 

Like the last salad I made from this book, this is fun to eat as you use your fork to spear various combinations of sweet, roasted squash wedges, crisp, salty bacon pieces, fresh, slightly bitter greens, tangy cheese, tender shallot and crunchy pecans. 

 

[blue_dolphin]

Roasted Apples with Calvados and Cinnamon Ice Cream from Sunday Suppers at Lucques p 361

I made a half batch of the ice cream using the Ninja Creami but otherwise followed the recipe. 

Small apples get cut in half, cored, then tossed with white and brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, Calvados and a vanilla bean-infused brown butter and roasted.  They were to have been basted often during the roast time but I neglected to read that part.  I don't believe any harm was done as they were delicious. 

 

[blue_dolphin]

Today's lunch was a modification of the Mussels and Clams with Vermouth, Cannellini Beans and Cavolo Nero on p 268.  @FrogPrincesse has already posted this dish upthread and her positive review was one of the reasons I chose to make it when I got live Hope Ranch mussels in this week's fish share.  Today's unusually cool, cloudy weather also made a big, brothy bowl very appealing. 

My modifications were to skip the clams and use just mussels and to use Rancho Gordo large white limas instead of cannellini beans. Kind of funny because the beans are almost the same size and color as the mussels!  Between the beans themselves and the rest of the dish, there are tons of herbs, aromatics and olive oil so this is super flavorful.  This would be great to make if there's a vegetarian or a diner who needs to avoid shellfish as it would be easy to ladle out bowls of beans and greens before the seafood goes in and top them with more of that delicious bean broth so those folks will still have delicious bowls to enjoy with crusty bread. 

 

[FrogPrincesse]

Thank you @blue_dolphin for keeping this thread alive. This book is really a gem, there are so many delicious and creative recipes!

 

It doesn't look that I have posted about the wild salmon à la Lutèce with sweet corn, green cabbage, and brown butter vinaigrette, although I have made it a few times previously. On paper, I wasn't sure about the salmon-bacon combination (the bacon appears in the batter, and also as lardons with the veggies). But it's actually a clever way to accentuate the rich flavor of the fish, and an interesting twist on surf and turf! The recipe originates from one of Suzanne Goin's culinary "heroes", chef André Soltner who grew up in Alsace, France. His original recipe was published in the Lutèce cookbook under the simple name "salmon with bacon" (darne de saumon au lard) (I don't have access to the recipe and would be curious to compare the inspiration to chef Goin's version!).

 

The batter consists of sautéed diced bacon blitzed in food processor with milk and an egg; I coated the salmon with (panko) breadcrumbs post-dip in the batter instead of adding them to the batter as I find that easier (otherwise you end up with a very wet batter that doesn't adhere well to the fish). Corn isn't in season so I used the cabbage on its own (I used red Napa). The salmon is placed on its cabbage bed and the whole thing is topped with a little bit of brown butter vinaigrette with diced onion, and fresh parsley. It was really glorious, especially with the sushi-grade salmon I used, and everything was rapidly devoured!

 

 

 

[blue_dolphin]

That looks and sounds excellent, @FrogPrincesse!  
Coincidentally, I have that book sitting next to me as I read your post. I'm getting black cod in my fish share today and was looking at the recipe for it with endive & hazelnuts as a way out of my miso-marinated black cod rut!  

[FrogPrincesse]

1 minute ago, blue_dolphin said:

Coincidentally, I have that book sitting next to me as I read your post. I'm getting black cod in my fish share today and was looking at the recipe for it with endive & hazelnuts as a way out of my miso-marinated black cod rut!  

Black cod, you are lucky!  It's not something I see very often in the stores.

[blue_dolphin]

As mentioned above, I made the Sautéed Alaskan Black Cod with Endive and Hazenuts on p 78 of Sunday Suppers at Lucques.  The fish gets seasoned with lemon zest, thyme and parsley for at least 4 hrs, up to overnight. I wasn't sure this was necessary but the lemon zest did brighten the rich fish. The bitter veg get carmelized with the help of a sprinkle of sugar and are a good contrast to the fish and the browned butter hazelnut sauce. 

A few substitutes.  The header notes say black cod is overfished in California so Alaskan fish is specified.  The fish I got is from California, caught with deepwater longline gear and Seafood Watch green-lights longlined Black Cod as a ‘Best Choice,’ because it is abundant and the fishing method is low impact to the environment so I get permission there 🙃

I also used radicchio instead of Belgian endive as it's what was available at the farmers market and I think it worked well. 

I thought this needed something starchy on the plate so I riffed on the potato poppy seed cakes from a Diana Henry cookbook.

[AAQuesada]

On 3/7/2024 at 11:18 AM, FrogPrincesse said:

The recipe originates from one of Suzanne Goin's culinary "heroes", chef André Soltner who grew up in Alsace, France. His original recipe was published in the Lutèce cookbook under the simple name "salmon with bacon" (darne de saumon au lard) (I don't have access to the recipe and would be curious to compare the inspiration to chef Goin's version!).

I happen to have that book! 

[FrogPrincesse]

9 hours ago, AAQuesada said:

I happen to have that book! 

Awesome! Thank you so much for sharing. The "batter" (and sauce, from what I can see) are essentially identical to Suzanne Goin's recipe.

[FrogPrincesse]

I keep going back to this great book and am never disappointed. For Mother's Day, I made this simple appetizer of prosciutto and grilled asparagus with whole grain mustard. She says to use pencil-thin asparagus; mine were slightly larger, so I peeled them to make sure they would be tender. They are dressed with olive oil, salt, pepper and grilled for a few minutes, served on top of prosciutto (I used a locally-made wild boar prosciutto from Angel's Salumi which was ultra delicious), with a mixture of crème fraiche and whole grain mustard drizzled on top. By far the easiest recipe I have seen in the book! 

 

 

Edited May 13 by FrogPrincesse (log)

[Smithy]

Okay, you've convinced me that this book belongs in my library! I went back to the original posts, and those links indicated that there was no Kindle version. There is now: Sunday Suppers at Lucques, by Suzanne Goin (eG-friendly Amazon.com link). However, I think I'll want the hard-copy version. If my library doesn't carry it, I'll be picking up a used copy!