Sunday’s in France are dedicated to rest as the Boulangeries are often closed and much of the city, or village depending, lie in quietude. If you happen along a market you will see rows and rows of chickens piled high in these chicken roasters, ready to be used in a picnic or the evenings dinner. Resting aside however, the traditional Sunday meal of Roast Chicken is a less sleepy endeavor- certainly if not only by choice as there are dozens of varieties from which to choose.

After a whirlwind set of Provence tours last Fall, I spent the weekend with Laurence Bry, dear friend and proprietor of concierge based Provence Confidential, just outside Aix-en-Provence in her village of Eyguieres, her husband Jacques, his daughter Juliette, and their two hounds Ursula and Martini. Sunday morning, donning our French walking dress- ie Repetto flats and scarves- Laurence and I walked the most beautiful back roads up to the village in search of the perfect chicken for our Sunday lunch. Passing alongside fields of wildflowers, olive groves and backyard wineries we stopped on occasion to observe the wild herbs growing along the fence posts such as delicate thyme and fennel.

After briefly stopping for a cafe au lait- perhaps we had two- we meandered over to the butcher. I noticed, as we stood in the very long line, how each buyer carefully selected their bird- pointing out the exact one and proudly walking out with their treasure. Once we chose, Laurence described how she wanted it prepared and the butcher returned shortly- having removed the backbone and quartering him- with our white package tied up with string. We too left thrilled as we quickly made our way home, anxious to provide the chef with his goods-a fresh pluck of wild fennel in hand.   That afternoon we dined on { vintage } Cognac chicken with a beautiful celery root mash and roasted vegetables, washed down with a 20 year old Bordeaux that was superbe!

Certain other French traditions at play- that is keeping ones culinary secrets to oneself- I was left to imagine how Jacques might have made the base for that lovely black footed bird. I have prepared it in such a way as to come as close as I will ever come to one of the most beautiful days of my life- but more importantly I have come to realize that the experience of dining is a not merely a collection of taste- of eating exceptional ingredients- but of the sounds, conversational rhythms, and the formation and continuation of relationships that mean the most.  And that makes for a reason to celebrate our day of rest even more – giving the phrase “boring old chicken dinner” the heave ho and putting community back in its place.

Sundays’ Vintage Chicken

What you Need:

1 free-range chicken,  backbone removed and quartered ( you can ask your butcher to do this )

1 cup of aged cognac

2 tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

6 cups of Chicken Stock

handful of button mushrooms, sliced thinly

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Take chicken and season liberally with salt and pepper

In a heated large heavy cast enamel pot, add olive oil and saute both sides of chicken, removing to a platter once browned but not cooked through.

Once chicken is browned and set aside, remove pan and add in cognac- the heat allowing the liquid to deglaze the bottom of the pan. Once the bits have all been scraped from the bottom of the pot, add back the chicken and being careful to hold the pot away from anything flammable, take a long lighter and light the cognac quickly. As the congnac flares and flames, shake the pot gently to coat the chicken with the flambeed liquid. Once the flames die down- seconds usually- add in the chicken stock, lower the heat some and cover for twenty minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. A few minutes before serving add in the sliced mushrooms, allowing them to wilt from the heat but not overcook. Serve with potato puree or other such as celery root or cauliflower puree, rice or pasta.

And don’t forget to enjoy the pleasures of those around your table as much as the dish itself!

In the south of France, a “farcis” of this or that appears in menus as often as  “fried” might south of the Mason Dixon line.  Stuffed is the literal meaning, but the edible translation is simple- take anything you wish to stuff and add bread crumbs, a touch of buttery olive oil, some herbs and a quick turn under the broiler and watch as you end with something greater than the sum of its parts.  Mussels, served “a la Farcis” in the tiny villages that dot the Mediterranean such as Cassis, are a beloved local favorite and are often washed down with a crisp glass of rose or in winter, a mineral rich white.
What You Need
3 mussels (pp if used as a first course, tripled if a main)
Basil Pesto
Break Crumbs or Toasted Baguette Croutons, finely crushed
Olive Oil
Salt
2 cups of white wine
1 cup of Parmesan or Gruyere * Optional
Directions
Take Mussels and steam open by tossing them in heated pan with white wine.
Pry off the top shell of the mussel, disgarding them and the mussels un-opened in their steam bath.

Mix the Pesto, cheese and the bread crumbs with the salt and top each mussel with enough of the bread mixture to cover. Drizzle with Olive oil and broil.

Serve With

Linguine as a main course, or arugula salad with shaved Comte or Parmesan as a first.

This weeknight staple is luxurious for the family or for company and shows how even the hungriest of spirits and stomachs can be fed with food that is light and sweet. Pounding the chicken into thin cutlets makes it delicate, so mind the cooking time so as not to over cook.

Chicken Scallopini with Mushrooms & Marsala

serves 4

What you Need

4 chicken breasts pounded thinly (ask butcher or do yourself between plastic
wrap)
1 pound of white button mushrooms, stems removed and sliced thinly
1 stick (1/2 cup ) unsalted butter
1 cup of sweet Marsala Wine
Salt to taste
Olive Oil

Directions

Season Chicken well with salt on each side.
Add 2-3 tbsp of Olive Oil and 2 tbsp of Butter to hot sauté pan (either stainless
steel or cast iron) and add chicken. Cook gently only turning once for 2-3 minutes
per side removing to a platter to rest when completed (*keep in warmed oven if
doing multiple batches *)
Once you have sautéed all the chicken, add marsala wine to pan and deglaze,
scraping up the bits stuck at the bottom and creating a pan sauce- Saute for
one minute before adding remaining butter and once melted add mushrooms,
cooking just until tender.

Place Chicken back in pan to lightly reheat for a moment before serving-

Serve Alongside-

Sauteed Spinach

Potato Puree

The eccentricity and depth of Indian Cuisine is not difficult to incorporate into any of your family favorites. Here is a list of necessary spices to have on hand when inspiration strikes but if you want an all in one, Garam Masala or Curry Powder works well too.  If grinding your own spices in a spice grinder, clean the pungent residues by grinding raw rice until it becomes scent-free again.

Spices

Cardamom – ginger family  -  pungent and spicy with sweet undertones -  grind the white or green pods yourself of buy already ground

Chile – chile family  – heat,  fire  -  use indian or new mexican chiles for authenticity but any small chile will work- the smaller the hotter!

Cinnamom -  bark of cassia tree  -  warmth and sweet undertones -  use ground or grind your own with the stick

Clove -  dried flower buds of a tropical tree  -  pungent and strong flavor – use sparingly

Coriander -  fresh leaf known also as cilantro or dried seeds-  floral and mild -  use ground coriander seeds in curry’s and fresh leaves as garnish

Cumin -  from ground small lightly curved seeds -  strong citrus notes – highly used in Indian Cuisine ( and Mexican)

Curry Powder -  Blend of different spices for all in one mix -  Masala is blend favored in South India- Garam Masala in the North – Spice Blend is sweet, smoky, floral, bright, pungent

Fennel -  licorice family -  small seeds that work for their unmistakable taste

Garam Masala -  Garam means Warm or Hot and Masala is “blend of spices” -  usually include bay leaf, cinnamon stick, brown mustard seeds, green cardamom seeds, whole cloves and cumin seeds- theses spices are dry roasted before being ground into the spice mixture preferred to the cook.

Ginger -  pungent and classic heat -  peeled and grated, chopped and sliced.

Mustard Seeds -  many types but brown used in Indian cuisine  -  sweet heat

Nigella Seeds -  aka black onion seeds, although not related to onion-  pungent

Turmeric -  rhizome similar to ginger – strong, earthy taste- gives the cuisine the famed hue of yellow and is highly prized for its heart healthy properties

Yesterday, I decided to clean out the spice cabinet which is always a good thing once a year. (If I need new spices, I run out and buy them so its easy to keep mindful of their age)  I was already braising Pork, Pearl Onions and Whole Button Mushrooms so when the cardamom was opened, the delightful smell of India filled my nose and begged to be used. When using ground spices, make a paste of them with equal part spice, water and oil, so they settle into a dish luxuriously and lose their grittiness. I added Coriander and Cumin to the Cardamom and a bit of Paprika before combining it in with the pork which had already been braising for an hour. The results were divine as was the effort to do something new!

What You Need

materials  / small dutch oven or braising pan with tight fitting lid

2 pounds of Pork Shoulder cut into 2 inch cubes

8 pearl onions, ends and outer layer removed but left whole

8-10 small white button mushrooms, stems removed to cap, left whole

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp of cardamom, 1 tsp of cumin, 1 tsp of coriander, 1/2 tsp of paprika

4 tsp of water

4 tsp of vegetable oil

2 cups of chicken stock

1/4 cup of tomato sauce or cubed peeled tomatoes

1/2 c of whipping cream or half-half * optional

To Make

Preheat a dutch oven or braising pot over medium high.

Season the pork with salt and pepper and sear quickly on each side until brown. Once the pork is nestled back in the pot, add the chicken stock making sure it only comes halfway up the side of the pork and using a wooden spoon, scrape around the pork to get all the bits off the bottom & incorporated into the stock.  Add the tomatoes or the tomato sauce, the onions and the mushrooms, cover with a tight fitted lid and reduce heat to low, braising for 1 1/2 – 2 hours checking liquid from time to time. 30 mintues before complete, make a paste with your spices, the water and the oil and incorporate into the simmering pork sauce.  Taste for salt preference, adding 1 -2 tsp if necessary. 10 minutes before serving add the cream and stir, keeping the temperature low until serving.

Serve with

Simple Basmatti Rice or Couscous (or with toasted cashews or pistachios)

Toasted French Bread

Since the world, or at least day 1 of 2011, is my oyster again, here are the reso’s… Happy Happy New Year!

Do something new each day. write more letters to those you love and less to those you don’t. determine who fits into both categories. appreciate the sheep in your flock and don’t waste time on the ones who aren’t.  finish reading the books you started 10 years ago and have on your bedside- One hundred Years…, The art of war, Picasso-the creator and destroyer. write your own book. laugh more often. be more patient. give more to those less fortunate. see the end as finite and the in between as infinite. learn to paint well. live decadently however the budget fluctuates.make less lists and more time to do what you need to do. prioritize your needs. be as accepting of your own shortcomings as you are of others. be happy. know that someday, somehow, you will have an apt in Paris with herringbone floors, soaring ceilings, triple- left bank- exposure through loads of double vitrage windows, a 6 burner vintage viking range in the kitchen and still not have all the answers to life. Enjoy the view- these are the days of your life.

I found myself in a swirl of thoughts over the two months spent in Paris this summer and just now having the time to sort them.Not usually one to question life’s many surprises, this summer I did. I found myself at an impasse. I loved Paris, but arriving found she was not the same. I searched desperately for the love I remembered from a decade ago, only to find myself getting further away. And yet, I got closer to the truth. It was I who had changed. I was searching for something more. She is a magnificent example of  beauty no doubt- an easily elegant and timeless city that so many throughout history have occupied, have left their mark on. But there was something I never noticed until then- without her inhabitants, she would be empty. What made her compelling, beyond the beautiful facades, the intoxicating smells and cutting edge fashion, were the people who lived here-in between my decade long fantasy and their immediate reality. It wasn’t until I came home, when I stepped back inside my life and could stand against my walls to record the growth, that it became clear.  Nothing truly compelling, including my own life, could be lived in a vacuum. True beauty develops in spite of chaos, with forced acceptance and subsequent restraint and at times resistance- It doesn’t exist in isolation or ever in perfection. Paris and I had both evolved and would continue to. Was I to resemble her? Take the beatings and the triumphs of life with dignity and grace? Or would my life resemble a ruin? A time or place only to remember as once being great when all the elements were in its favor. Beauty, Health, Finance, Friends, Loves?  Hopefully not.  And for that I am most mindful of her greatest of gifts- the inconveniences that served to de-clutter my mind, to the feelings of being an outsider while being a part all the same, the multi fabric of the people who sit at her banquets and dilute homogeneity. Here is to the artists and chefs, the musicians lining the Ile St Louis and the street sweepers who continue to make her my favorite city of all cities. And to the timeless children big and small who occupy her parks and playgrounds and belly.

Having just returned from Tuscany, where we held our last culinary tour of the year, I find myself still aglow from our hunt for the rare white truffle in Barbialla. Our tireless and eager hound,”Bobbi”, led us through what seemed to me to be a perfectly normal, albeit gorgeous, stretch of pasture. Normal it was not as I have yet to find truffles anywhere I have trod and so lightly underfoot. With the guidance of his human friend and truffle master, Francesco, he lept accross streams and buried his head deep in the soft dirt to uncover the prize. Time after time, and with the same enthusiasm, Francesco eagerly awarded him with a biscuit, which sadly I suppose is the culinary equivalent in the world of our four legged friends.  The naturalness of the hunt in which he knew what to find and its great culinary importance were cause for the most cerebral of moments. I was laughing back tears as I praised him and rubbed his damp fur- his eyes quickly and cleverly darting around to see where his next move would be. We followed his nose through woods and up hills, around pastures filled with rare medieval era Chianina Cattle and heirloom Cinta Senese Pigs before ending the day with over a kilo of the luscious fungus, worth roughly 2000 euro. His nose, wet with the earthy smell of one of the worlds rarest culinary gems and his belly full of biscuits most importantly suggested his greatest treat was of the human variety-his masters praise. That evening, back at the villa, I restrained myself from panting and wagging my tail as I laid before my lovely guests the richest white truffled risotto to date…their praise the only thing I truly tasted.

The Pianist and I have decided that either 1) we cannot be embarrassed by the other any more than we already have been after being with one another for 11 years or 2) we might actually make a lovely evening of music and dinner, but nonetheless have decided to collaborate with a new series of Classic Style Salons. Beginning next Saturday, November 20th, we are hosting our first salon- with a nod to the years that Indochina was a French Territory… The following is the menu-

Bahn Mi Salade with Pork Rillette, Cucumber and Carrot

in

Minted KaffirVinegarette

with

Fresh Baguette Croutons

Coriander & Anise Spiced Quail

with

Fresh Bib Leaves and Basil

and

Plum Sauce

Papillon of Prawn

with

Coconut Lemongrass Glaze

and

Sticky Cilantro Risotto Pancake

Chocolate Pots de Creme with Salted Peanut Crust

]]> http://petitepecheandco.com/culinary-tours/ppco-and-church-house-studios-introduces-classic-style-salon-sessions/feed/ 0 http://petitepecheandco.com/culinary-tours/chile-and-chocolate-pulled-pork-tostadas/ http://petitepecheandco.com/culinary-tours/chile-and-chocolate-pulled-pork-tostadas/#comments Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:46:39 +0000 Petite Peche and Co. http://danikaboyle.com/blog/?p=514

A family favorite for sure, I love making this dish- Its versatile and simple so feel free to add in any spices you enjoy and watch the delighted look on the faces of those you serve!

What you need:

One large pork shoulder (called a butt)

1 small onion,

1 small carrot

2-4 tbsp of kosher salt

2- 4 tbsp of Chile powder

1 tbsp of cayenne pepper

1 oz of unsweetened baking chocolate

4 cups of chicken stock

2-3 tbsp of veg oil

Pre-Heat Oven to 250

In a large dutchoven or oven proof, coverable pot, add oil-

Combine salt, chile powder and cayenne in a small bowl and rub mixture over entire pork shoulder.

Add pork to heated oil and sear on all sides, 1 minute per side.

Remove once all sides browned and add vegetables to soften.

-then add chicken broth

Once combined add in shoulder and the chocolate

Cover and place in oven for 4-5 hours.

Remove and allow to cool~

On top of tostado add pulled pork, avocado and sour cream- Enjoy!