I haven’t blogged in ages but I am back with 10 more recipes. I decided to count all the recipes to check if there is actually 120 recipes, and there are but the sauces count as well like the béchamel and stocks I have made already so I have done more than I thought. Sorry about some of the shocking photography.
Rillettes au porc (coarse pork pâté) – 10/03/14
I have had duck rillettes before and it was divine , meaty and buttery with a lovely nutty flavour. My rillets were a little dryer I think this was because I didn’t blend up all the fat I only added the fat that had rendered down into a fragrant juice. I enjoyed it this way as you could really taste the pork with the savoury flavour of rosemary that just reminds me of a lamb roast. I slow roasted the pork for 3 hours so it was succulent and moist, the family and I enjoyed it on some crust white bread.
Moules marinières (Mussels with white wine) – 21/03/14
I have been waiting to make this entree for ages as the last couple time I went to the market they were out of mussels. The mussels were juicy and extremely fresh like little burst of the sea in a creamy white wine sauce with hints of aniseed from the fennel, a sensational and exceptionally easy entree.
Mont blanc (Meringue and chestnut-cream mountain) – 22/03/14
This dessert was a bit of a disappointment sadly. The meringue had far too much sugar causing the meringue to be chewy which was unfortunate as it was the most perfect looking meringue I had ever made. The whipped cream on top of the meringue was unnecessary as I had made the chestnut cream as well. Although the cream was redundant and the meringue a let down the chestnut-cream made this dish worth while. It was subtly sweet and the vanilla enhanced the flavour dramatically, the french canned chestnuts I bought were heavenly! The chestnut-cream was a success but overall the dessert was a bit of a flop.
Crème brûlée aux oignons (Onion crème brûlée) – 23/03/14
YAY, I had been waiting to whip out my blow torch and the time had finally come! Although classified a savoury entree it was sweet but in a savoury kind of way. The cream and milk I infused with onions that had been sautéed in butter then squeezed all the the liquid leaving me with a thick sweet sauce. I added gruyere cheese and egg yolks making for the most rich custard that just tasted incredible. The crust on top was thin and when I cracked it open just made me feel so proud, an outstanding interpretation of a crème brûlée.
Salade de figues et foies de volailles (Fig and chicken liver salad) – 24/03/14
Very odd chicken liver and figs in a salad… yum? Mum couldn’t do it she tried a tinny bit of liver and took a sip of water my brother was much the same, my father and I quite enjoyed the dish. The livers to me tasted like eating pâte, the figs were not the best as they were just off dads work fig tree but the sautéed red onion in vinegar really tied together the dish. Not an amazing dish but palatable.
Café Gourmand (orange mousse, Blackcurrant trifle, strawberry tartlets) – 28/03/14
All three of these little desserts were gorgeous. My favorite was probably the buttery shortbread biscuit topped with thick, sweet silky creme patisserie and slightly tangy strawberries to cut through it all. The trifle was sweet and fruity with the threes layers complementing and contrasting one another. Lastly the orange mouse was smooth and intense in orange with the contreou marmalade at the bottom for some punch. These looked endearing and were delightful to eat infront of a good movie.
Gougères (Cheese puffs) – 29/03/14
Mum and dad had some friends over for dinner so I pitched in with these little mouthfuls of cheesy goodness. I began pipping them and according to my mother they were too small but in the end I pipped them too large, not to worry they had moreish flavour but were missing a more fierce crunch. Would be great for finger food at a party.
Tarte Tatin (Upside-down apple tart) – 29/03/14
I also produced dessert for mums little gathering and this was the perfect occasions to do the apple Tarte Tatin. I have never had a Tarte Tatin before and this was Rachel Khoo’s twist so it wasn’t classic but still had decent flavour. Not a phenomenal dish but it was ok, the salted caramel was sophisticated and soaked into the tender apples. Mum lashed out and bough good quality puff pastry and I had to cook it separately to the apples and caramel and it puffed up to about 15cm above the baking try it was quite impressive. The reason this dish was nothing special as it was kind of like baked apples on top of deflated puff pastry, nice flavour but a bit boring.
Salade tiède de pommes de terre et pommes avec des miettes de boudin noir (Warm potato and apple salad with black-pudding crumbs) – 30/03/14
These past few weeks have been full of new things to try livers, Tarte Tatin, blow torching and now black pudding which is essentially pigs blood in a sausage. I was a little apprehensive about the whole concept of black pudding but I loved it! The sausage alone was delish but the dish with all the components together was stunning. The saltiness and crunch of the black pudding, sweetness and moisture from the apple puree, crunch factor from the golden potato, sweet/ tanginess from the granny smith and the fresh mint all together was angelic. I very much enjoyed this and since I have some black pudding left, I am considering making it again!
Modern tomato sauce (vegan) – 30/03.14
Last night the boys had boring old spaghetti Bolognese and mum and I had left over ricotta gnocchi we had frozen. We hadn’t any sauce for the gnocchi and mum and I enjoy a tomato base sauce so I flicked through my book and at the back there amongst the french basics was a tomato sauce so I thought it would be best to whip that up. Simple, delicious and to please my mother I put shredded basil leaves in for the added flavour.
70 recipes down 50 to go!
Louises Little French Kitchen 