French Cuisine


Poached Halibut with Saffron Cream, Leeks & Basil

Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010

I’m a big fan of the fish recipes in Chanterelle, Chef David Waltuck’s restaurant cookbook. They feature a wide range of flavor combinations and cooking techniques. This halibut with leeks and a saffron-cream sauce is an example of the many possibilities of fish cookery. The fish is shallow poached in fish stock with shallots, then [...]

Halibut à la Barigoule – with Baby Artichokes, Pearl Onions, Cranberry Beans, and Basil Puree

Friday, May 28th, 2010

Here’s a delicious, springtime fish dish – a halibut fillet served over a broth of braised baby artichokes, pearl onions, beans, and basil puree. The beans are optional in the recipes, but go so well with all the other ingredients. I found some fresh cranberry beans at the market the day I made this, and [...]

Cod with Cockles, Potatoes, Leeks, and Parsley Puree

Sunday, May 23rd, 2010

Here is a dish to lift any seafood lover’s spirits – a classic pairing, cod and cockles, garnished with delicious diced Yukon potatoes and leeks. The fish and clams are served in a broth of the clam juice, wine, and pureed parsley. The potatoes soak up this sauce, turn green, and become very nice and [...]

Seared Skate with Fingerling Potatoes, Roasted Mushrooms, and Balsamic-Mushroom Vinaigrette

Monday, May 17th, 2010

This recipe caught my eye as I was flipping through the Lever House Cookbook. I had a batch of mushroom jus in the freezer, which I originally made for a mushroom pasta sauce, and had it in mind to find other uses for the deliciously earthy liquid. This seared skate recipe uses the mushroom jus [...]

Mussel & Chorizo Soup

Sunday, May 16th, 2010

This soup is a really cool mix of flavors, spicy chorizo and briny mussels, of land and sea, built on a deep base of the mussel cooking liquid and fish stock. The chorizo imparts its flavor to the whole soup as its browned in the beginning, and releases its delicious oils for the vegetables to [...]

Seared Pork Chops with Ginger, Sauternes, Grainy Mustard Sauce

Friday, May 14th, 2010

Classic French cuisine places a great emphasis on sauces, and often more time and attention is spent on perfecting the sauce than on any other element of the dish. In French cuisine, a great chef must also be a great saucier. One of the great things about contemporary French and New American cuisines is the [...]