Lucy Lean

Luxurious and Healthy Meals - Memories in the Making

in Dessert· Entertaining· Entertaining· Must read· RECIPES· salad/vinaigrette· Snacks/Appetizers· Vegetables

Straight to Paris…

The inspiration…

This Saturday we had a little dinner Chez Nous with a Paris theme with Matt, Adam, Brooke and Gaby, because Matt and Adam had just returned from France and Minty wanted chocolate mousse and the Mother Forkers couldn’t make it and I wanted to drink more rosé and kir royales and well just because… does one really need a reason?

As I explained my summer trip and how we had flown straight to Paris Matt stopped me mid sentence and said it was a wonderful title for my book – Straight to Paris… it does have a certain je ne sais quois ring to it but since I don’t have time for another book quite yet here’s a little post to keep the franglé at bay.

I cooked and baked and chopped and stirred with and without the kids for most of the day – it was heavenly.

Tzatziki recipe from a new book by Dorie Greenspan  Around My French Table

The garlic was fierce – love this book – it’s the type of book that you don’t just want to read and look at but want to make every recipe – I’m slowly working through them… was going to make her gougeres but just as I’d got my ingredients out I got a message from Gaby to say she was making some to bring – and they were delicious – light and puffy and cheesy and since pate a choux is an easy go to in our kitchen I will be making more in the not too distant future.

Olive oil poached Yellowtail (caught by hubby) with Saffron Orzo and Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette from the Chanterelle cookbook

Chanterelle – my favorite book to drool over and get inspired.  And now I have a new technique – poaching in olive oil – although I fear this is really deep fat frying – but hey what do I know?! My kitchen smelt a little like a chip shop the next day but it was so worth it for the flaky buttery white fillets smoothered in red pepper sauce perched on top of a mound of yellow saffron orzo.

The greatest compliment you can give a Parisienne – and probably a French person in general – is to ask for their recipe. So I was thrilled to get an email from Gaby thanking me for a fabulous dinner and asking for the red pepper vinaigrette – so here it is:

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Red Pepper Vinaigrette

Adapted from Chanterelle – [oh how I miss that restaurant]

3 medium red bell peppers
3 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup extra vigin olive oil
3 small garlic clove peeled
1/4 cup tomato juice – canned or bottled
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1/4 cup water
kosher salt

preheat oven 425 F
Remove the stems and seeds from each pepper. Place on a baking sheet, cut side down and drizzle each one with 1 tablespoon of the extra virgin olive oil. Add the garlic gloves. Transfere to the oven and roast until they are slightly charred and just starting to collapse, 20 – 25 mins.
Transfer the peppers to a large nonreactive bowl cover tightly with plastic wrap and let steam in their own heat until cook enought to handle, about 30 minutes.
Peel the peppers and place them along with any juices that have accumulated in the bowl into a blender. Add the remaining 1/2 cup exra virgin olive oil, tomato juice, vinegar, roasted garlic and water and purée until smooth. Season to taste with salt set aside or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2 days. If it separates reincorporate with blender.

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Mummy’s Chocolate Mousse – which Minty once told Papounette (my real deal top French chef of a father-in-law) that his wasn’t as good as mine – still makes me smile!
Basically it’s raw eggs, melted choc and a little dash of cognac – okay not the greatest thing for the kids to be eating but when in Rome – substitute Paris for Rome – and there you have it. I promise to share the recipe in full one of these days – promise. Rémy ate his for breakfast the next morning – with a little raspberry on top – he’s been asking for more so it won’t be long before they’ll be whipping up a batch and we’ll post it.
White peach and Verviene tart – Ludo Lefevbre’s Crave recipe– the best crust and so so easy – see an early post about Gravenstein apples for the recipe.

And just because we were all having far too good a time of it on Saturday to even think about stopping to snap a pic there are no pics!

So here once again is the inspiration: my new friend Françoise – who lives near Ménerbes in Provence, has a petite potager, gorgeous children, superb farmhouse, dashing hubby, well stocked pantry of homemade preserves – oh it’s enough to make one vert with envy  – just look at her wonderful table – for a casual aperitif – PERFECTION:

Françoises’ heavenly Provencal table – the inspiration

A bientot! A tout alors! A la prochaine…


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