julia-child-split-pea-soup

Julia Child’s Split Pea Soup

Julia Child’s Split Pea Soup is like most other split pea soups in regards to it’s stick-to-your-ribs goodness. The mere thought of split pea soup conjures

julia-child-coq-au-vin

Julia Child’s Coq au Vin

This recipe is drawn from many sources, but has heavy influence from Julia Child. Coq au Vin is a classic French dish, and a wonderfully easy

 

Julia Child’s Poulet au Porto

September 30, 2011   admin   No comments

Poulet au Porto – Roast Chicken Steeped with Port Wine, Cream, and Mushrooms

This popular favorite of Julia Child is great to serve for guests, but can’t be prepared ahead of time. Preparation and cook times aren’t extremely long, but plan your schedule accordingly.

Ingredients:

  • 3 lb Roast Chicken (buy a unseasoned cooked one, or make your own)
  • Fresh Mushrooms 1 lb
  • Water 1/4 cup
  • Butter 1 1/2 Tbps
  • Lemon Juice 1/2 tsp
  • Salt 1/4 tsp
  • Whipping Cream 1 cup
  • 1/2 Tbsp Cornstarch blended with 1 Tbsp Cream
  • Salt & Pepper
  • Minced Shallots or Green Onions 1/2 Tbsp
  • Medium-Dry Port 1/3 cup
  • Cognac 1/4 cup

Cooking Instructions:

Roast the chicken, or use a pre-cooked roast chicken.

Quarter the mushrooms. Bring 1/4 cup water to a boil and mix in butter, lemon, and salt. Add mushrooms to boiling water and cook over slow boil for 8 minutes. Strain mushrooms saving the liquid for later use. Return mushrooms to pan.

Add cream/cornstarch mixture to mushrooms and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Use a couple tablespoons of the chicken fat to cook shallots for 1 minute in a small sauce pan. Add the port and the mushroom liquid from earlier. Boil down, scraping bottom while stirring. Reduce down to about 1/4 cup. Add mushrooms and cream and simmer 2-3 minutes. Add lemon juice.

Coat a casserole dish with butter and carve the chicken into serving sized pieces into the dish. Lightly salt chicken.

Set casserole dish over medium heat until it begins to sizzle. Pour cognac over chicken and CAREFULLY light cognac with a match, taking care not to burn your face off. Shake the dish lightly to extinguish flames. Pour the mushroom mixture over the casserole and cover. Steep for 5 minutes without letting the sauce boil. Remove from heat and serve.

This dish goes best with potatoes and white wine.

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Posted in: Chicken Recipes, Dinner, French Recipes   Tags: , ,

Julia Child’s French Onion Soup

September 20, 2011   admin   2 Comments

Julia Child’s French Onion Soup

French Onion Soup has to be on the top of my list for favorite soups. This recipe by Julia Child takes a little longer than many simpler recipes, but it’s well worth the time spent. So get out your apron, and prepare to indulge in a classic French favorite.

Ingredients:

  • 5-6 Cups Yellow Onions, sliced thin
  • 1/2 Yellow Onion, raw
  • Olive Oil, 4 Tbsp
  • French Bread, about 8 slices
  • Cogniac, 2-3 Tbsp (optional)
  • Parmesan Cheese, 4 ounces
  • Swiss Cheese, Grated, about 12 ounces
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Sage, Ground, 1/2 tsp
  • Bay Leaf, 1 leaf
  • White Wine, 1 cup
  • Beef Stock, 6 cups
  • Flour, 3 Tbsp
  • Sugar, 1/2 tsp
  • Butter, 2 Tbsp
  • Cooking Oil, 1 Tbsp

Cooking Instructions:

Heat a heavy, oven-safe, stock pot over medium-low heat and add the cooking oil once the pot is hot. Melt the butter into the hot oil.  Stir the sliced onions into the oil/butter mix, ensuring they are evenly coated. Cover the stock pot and cook for around 20 minutes checking to make sure they aren’t burning. Onions should be clear and very tender once finished. Turn up the heat to medium-high, and add the sugar and 1tsp salt. Continue cooking while stirring until onions are thoroughly browned (caramelized).

Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in 3 Tbsp flour. Cook 2-3 minutes until flour forms a thick paste (add more butter if needed).  Stir in 1 cup of beef stock, and stir heavily for a couple seconds.

Add the rest of the stock, wine, sage, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees F. Drizzle both sides of french bread slices with olive oil, and place on a baking sheet. Cook the bread in the oven for 15 minutes on each side.

Taste soup, and add salt and pepper as needed, then remove the bay leaf.

Add cognac, and grate the 1/2 raw onion into the soup. Add a little bit of the swiss cheese to the soup, preserving most of it for the top. Cover the soup mixture with the bread, forming a single layer bread top. Sprinkle the rest of the Swiss cheese over the top of the bread, forming a thick layer. Drizzle melted butter or oil over the cheese, and place the pot into the oven uncovered. Bake for around 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Turn the broiler on and brown the cheese.

Remove pot from oven and let stand to cool. Serve up to some lucky guests and enjoy all the kudos you receive.

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Posted in: French Recipes, Soup   Tags: ,

Julia Child’s Beef Brisket

September 20, 2011   admin   No comments

Julia Child’s Slow Roasted, Smothered Beef Brisket Recipe

This is a slow roasted recipe, so plan well in advance (no last minute cooks on this one). Prep and cook time take a total of three hours and fifteen minutes, but you can prepare this up to a day in advance, and leave it unattended while cooking.

Those of you from the West Coast of the United States probably aren’t familiar with Brisket. Brisket is what the rest of the country eats instead of tri-tip. Regardless of where you’re from, give this delicious recipe a try, and don’t forget to share it with friends.

Ingredients:

  • 1-2 cloves of garlic (pureed)
  • 4 pounds lean, flat 2-inch thick center-cut single brisket
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 1-1/2 cup sliced onions
  • 1 cup sliced carrots
  • 2 cups fresh Italian plum tomatoes, cored and chopped

Prep Instructions:

Trim the fat from your beef brisket, leaving a small layer on the fatty side (about 1/8 inch)

Thoroughly mix the thyme, salt, pepper, oil, and garlic together in a small bowl until it’s a pasty texture. Coat both sides of your brisket with the paste.

Mix onions, carrots, and tomatoes together with salt and thyme. Place half the veggies in the bottom of your roasting pan, and add the brisket, fat side up. Cover the brisket with the other half of your seasoned veggies, and cover the roasting pan tightly with aluminum foil. You can do all of this prep work in advance, so you have a ready to cook meal. Just make sure to refrigerate everything after prepping.

Cooking Instructions:

Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees fahrenheit. Place your prepared baking dish in the oven. Cook this dish for 3-4 hours, making sure to baste the meat with the juices every half hour or so if you want an extra tender brisket. You can probably skip this step if time is at a premium, but the brisket will not be quite as tender. Let meat rest for a bit after cooking, and serve hot.

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Posted in: Beef, French Recipes   Tags: , , , ,

Julia Child’s Beef Bourguignon

September 17, 2011   admin   No comments

Julia Child’s Beef Bourguignon (Beef Burgundy)

Beef BourguignonThis recipe is adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child. It’s somewhat of a long recipe, but no one ever said French cooking was easy. Have a glass of wine while preparing this wonderful dish, and the results will be rewarding.

Ingredients:

  • 3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 pounds lean stewing beef, cut into 2-inch cubes
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 1 carrot, sliced
  • One 6-ounce piece of chunk bacon
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 3 cups red wine (burgundy)
  • 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups brown beef stock
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2 cloves mashed garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon thyme
  • A crumbled bay leaf
  • 18 to 24 small peeled white onions (about 1″ in diameter)
  • 3 1/2 tablespoons butter
  • Herb bouquet (4 parsley sprigs, one-half bay leaf, one-quarter teaspoon thyme, tied in cheesecloth)
  • 1 pound mushrooms, fresh and quartered

Cooking Instructions:

Remove bacon rind and cut into lardons (sticks 1/4-inch thick and 1 1/2 inches long). Simmer rind and lardons for 10 minutes in 1 1/2 quarts water. Drain and dry.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Sauté lardons in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a flameproof casserole over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon.

Dry beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Heat fat in casserole until almost smoking. Add beef, a few pieces at a time, and sauté until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the lardons.

In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the excess fat.

Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly. Set casserole uncovered in middle position of preheated oven for 4 minutes.

Toss the meat again and return to oven for 4 minutes (this browns the flour and coves the meat with a light crust).

Remove casserole and turn oven down to 325 degrees.

Stir in wine and 2 to 3 cups stock, just enough so that the meat is barely covered.

Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs and bacon rind. Bring to a simmer on top of the stove.

Cover casserole and set in lower third of oven. Regulate heat so that liquid simmers very slowly for 3 to 4 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.

While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms.

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons butter with one and one-half tablespoons of the oil until bubbling in a skillet.

Add onions and sauté over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, rolling them so they will brown as evenly as possible. Be careful not to break their skins. You cannot expect them to brown uniformly.

Add 1/2 cup of the stock, salt and pepper to taste and the herb bouquet.

Cover and simmer slowly for 40 to 50 minutes until the onions are perfectly tender but hold their shape, and the liquid has evaporated. Remove herb bouquet and set onions aside.

Wipe out skillet and heat remaining oil and butter over high heat. As soon as you see butter has begun to subside, indicating it is hot enough, add mushrooms.

Toss and shake pan for 4 to 5 minutes. As soon as they have begun to brown lightly, remove from heat.

When the meat is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan.

Wash out the casserole and return the beef and lardons to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms on top.

Skim fat off sauce in saucepan. Simmer sauce for a minute or 2, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly.

If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons stock. Taste carefully for seasoning.

Pour sauce over meat and vegetables. Cover and simmer 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times.

Serve in casserole, or arrange stew on a platter surrounded with potatoes, noodles or rice, and decorated with parsley.

Please leave your experiences with this recipe in the comments section below.

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Posted in: Beef, Dinner, French Recipes   Tags: , , , , ,

Julia Child’s Brussels Sprouts With Cheese

September 16, 2011   admin   No comments

Julia Child’s Brussels Sprouts with Cheese (Choux de Bruxelles a la Milanaise)

Brussels SproutsThis recipe is said to be a favorite for Hollywood Actor Amy Adams. Whether there’s any truth to the claim is beyond me, but it’s sure to be delicious either way. Try this wonderful Brussels Sprouts recipe from Chef Julia Child.

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 quarts brussels sprouts
  • 1/2 cup grated Swiss Cheese mixed with 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 4 Tablespoons melted butter

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Arrange the blanched brussels sprouts heads up in the casserole or baking dish. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper, and then drizzle with half the melted butter. Place a piece of wax paper over the brussels sprouts and then cover. Cook on medium, to medium-high heat on the stove-top for a couple minutes until the veggies start to sizzle. Remove from stove-top and place in the pre-heated oven for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and place the sprouts aside in a bowl, or on a plate. Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees. Sprinkle a little bit of the cheese mixture into the casserole dish (just enough to lightly coat the bottom and sides). Return the sprouts to the casserole dish and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, coating all of the brussels sprouts evenly. Drizzle with the remaining melted butter, and return to the oven for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is nicely browned.

Feel free to leave comments on your experiences with this Julia Child recipe, and let me know what you think.

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Posted in: Vegetables
julia-child-split-pea-soup

Julia Child’s Split Pea Soup

March 11, 2011   admin   No comments

Julia Child’s Split Pea Soup is like most other split pea soups in regards to it’s stick-to-your-ribs goodness. The mere thought of split pea soup conjures images of log cabins and roaring fires for me. You can eat this in a log cabin, or in your 25th floor urban flat, and it will still be delicious.

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb (2 1/4 cups) green split peas
  • 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 1 large leek, chopped
  • 1 large carrot, chopped
  • 1 large clove of garlic, halved
  • 1 herb bouquet*
  • 2 well-rinsed ham hocks
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Optional garnish – small toasted croutons, chopped parsley or chives

Directions:

*Herb Bouquet: Tie 3 cloves garlic, 4 allspice berries, 2 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon thyme, 8 sprigs parsley in rinsed cheesecloth or place in bouquet garni muslin bag.

Rinse and strain the peas, making sure to remove any pebbles or other non-pea materials from them. Get a 4 quart sauce pan and add the vegetables, herb bouquet, ham hocks, and 2 1/2 quarts water. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. You’ll notice that some scum starts to form at the top of the water. Skim this stuff off for a few minutes until it stops appearing. Cover loosely and simmer for around 1 1/2 hours, stirring every once in awhile.

Remove the herb bouquet and ham hocks from the soup. You now need to blend the soup. You can use an immersion blender
, or a regular blender for this step. Make sure to take care, as the soup will still be hot. If you’re using a regular blender, be sure to only fill it half full, and cover the lid with a towel. Hold the lid down while blending.

Return the soup to the pot and heat to desired serving temperature, and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve in hot bowls, garnished with your garnish of choice.

Some people enjoy the meat from the ham hocks. If you are such a person, then remove the skin and add the ham hock meat to the soup before serving. I personally don’t like the ham hock meat because it’s rather fatty. I will usually add some sauteed ham cubes to my split pea soup. Feel free to do what ever fits your tastes the best.

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Posted in: Ham, Soup   Tags: , ,
julia-child-coq-au-vin

Julia Child’s Coq au Vin

March 11, 2011   admin   No comments

This recipe is drawn from many sources, but has heavy influence from Julia Child. Coq au Vin is a classic French dish, and a wonderfully easy way to cook a delicious chicken. Make sure you blanch the bacon or the dish will come out too salty. Directions on blanching the bacon are included in the recipes. So, without further adieu, on to the recipe!

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 lb bacon slices
  • 20 pearl onions, peeled, or 1 large yellow onion, sliced
  • 3 lbs chicken thighs and legs, excess fat trimmed, skin ON
  • 6 garlic cloves, peeled
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 2 cups red wine (pinot noir, burgundy, or zinfandel)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Several fresh thyme sprigs
  • Several fresh parsley sprigs
  • 1/2 lb button mushrooms, trimmed and roughly chopped
  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Directions:

Blanch the bacon by adding it to a saucepan or deep skillet filled with enough water to cover the bacon, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for five minutes. Strain and pat dry with paper towels. Cut the bacon into small pieces (1 inch or so).

Brown the bacon for about ten minutes over medium heat in a dutch oven large enough to hold the chicken (or a large stock pot if you don’t have a dutch oven). Remove the bacon and set aside, but leave the bacon grease in the pan (yum, so healthy).

Add the chicken skin side down to the dutch oven (or stock pot if that’s what you’re using). Add the onions. Brown the chicken on all sides, this should take about ten minutes. Add the garlic and salt about half way through the browning process.

Spoon off any excess fat. Add the chicken stock, wine, and herbs. Replace the bacon you removed earlier. Lower the heat down to a simmer and cook covered for about twenty minutes until the chicken is tasty and tender. Remove the chicken and onions and place them aside. remove all of the herbs and garlic and throw them away.

Add mushrooms to the remaining liquid and return to a boil. You’re going to make a reduction sauce with this remaining liquid, so continue boiling until about 1/4 of the liquid remains. Lower to a simmer and stir in the butter. Replace the chicken and onions and mix well, thoroughly coating with the sauce. Garnish with parsley and serve with potatoes, or over egg noodles.

Serves six.

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Posted in: Chicken Recipes, French Recipes   Tags: , ,

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