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Bonne Année from the Team of La Table
du Chatelain !!!! Lots of good things and especially lots of good meals !!!!
After the excess of December, it is time now to recover. But you
may have some friends over for a post-holiday dinner, so I propose for this
month a festive appetizer and two "easy to make" meals. It is also a good
time to fill up your wine cellar, and maybe sample a bottle or two while you're
at it.
Bon Appetit !
Jean-Paul Chatelain
Appetizer:
Oysters with Champagne Sabayon
For 4 people: Prep time: 15 minutes; Cooking time: 5 minutes
2 dozen large fresh oysters
3/4 cup champagne
5 egg yolks
1 tablespoon sour cream
Coarse salt
Salt, peppercorns to taste
Extra : Parsley
Dill
1/2 cup salmon roe
Open the oysters over a saucepan to save the water from the
oysters. Boil that water and cook the oysters without the shells for 30 seconds.
Drain and keep the water. In an ovenproof dish, sprinkle the coarse salt to form
a base and arrange the oyster half shells. Add one oyster in every half shell.
Boil the oyster water with the champagne, salt and pepper and let cook for 3
minutes. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks until frothy. Add to the blend of
champagne-oyster water. Keep whisking and let cook for 3 minutes over low heat.
Add the sour cream and stir. Divide the sabayon onto the oysters. Broil in the
oven for 2 minutes until the oysters are a rich, nice gold colour. Serve with
some parsley or dill and a few salmon roe on top.
Chef's Hint: You can serve a Champagne or a Bourgogne Aligote.
Main course:
Cod fish with Provençale purée
For 6 people: Prep time: 15 minutes; Cooking time: 25 minutes
6 pieces of cod
6 large potatoes
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons butter
About 30 little black olives, pitless
1 tablespoon chives
Peel the potatoes. Poach them slowly in salted water. When
cooked through, drain and mash them.
In a saucepan, combine the olive oil and the mashed potatoes. Heat slowly. Stir.
Add the milk, the salt and pepper. Stir until the purée
is well blended. Set aside but keep it warm.
Chop the olives and the chive.
Heat the butter in a pan and sear the pieces of cod 3 minutes on each side. Add
salt and pepper. Serve the cod with the purée. Add
the chopped chive and olives on the top.
Chef's Hint: Serve with a warm xérès vinaigrette.
For the wine, I will suggest a Pinot Noir.
Dessert:
Crème Brûlée
For 6 people: Prep time: 15 minutes; Cooking time: 30 minutes
1 oz vanilla extract
6 tablespoons brown sugar
2/3 cup white sugar
8 eggs yolks
3 cups whipping cream
1 cup milk
8 porcelain ramekins of 3 to 4 inches, preferably the shallow
ones.
Mix the egg yolks with the white sugar. Add
the cream, the milk and the vanilla extract.
Poor the crème in the ramekins and cook in the oven for 30 minutes at 285 F.
When the crèmes are cooked (firm but still gelatinous - authentic crème brulées
are not supposed to be too solid or too custard-like), remove them from the oven
and after 15 minutes, move them to the fridge for 3 hours.
Remove from the fridge, sprinkle the brown sugar on the top and put them in the
oven. Turn on the broiler and caramelise the sugar. Remove from the oven and
serve.
Chef's Hint: You can serve a Sauternes.
For previous picks by Jean-Paul, follow the links.
Picks for the Fall.
September Late
Summer picks
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