Gourmet? OK!
Don’t stew in your fear of making fancy foods
“Gourmandise is an impassioned, rational and habitual preference for all objects that flatter the sense of taste,” said 18th century French epicure Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin. If you ask me, ● every human being experiences gourmandise regularly. I mean, who doesn’t want their taste buds tickled on a regular basis? ● I’m here to make that happen for you. ● The problem with classic French and Italian dishes — the ones collectively lauded as culinary gems — is that many of us are nervous about attempting gourmet, complex dishes.
We’re either afraid of the ingredients or the process (or both), so we just skip these incredible meals and stick to dishes we’re familiar with. But our palates deserve better. We should be able to enjoy sophisticated, deeply flavored dishes.
I selected four iconic, show-stopping meals and made them accessible for home cooks.
Trust me, you can do this.
Quick primer on 4 classic dishes
Beef Bourguignon (Beef Burgundy): This iconic French dish is a palatial experience... as in magnificent on the palate. But it has humble origins. It originated as a peasant dish that was a great way to cook tough, unwanted cuts of meat. The classic version of beef bourguignon features beef that’s seared and stewed with wine, aromatic vegetables, herbs and spices, which are then strained. The remaining beef and fragrant broth are then reduced and finished with a butter-flour mixture, creating a rich, silky sauce. Burgundy is the wine of choice, but you can use a goodquality Pinot Noir, the dominant wine used in Burgundy, France. If money isn’t an issue, use a real French Burgundy.
Coq au Vin: This French dish is translated as “rooster in wine.” Originally, coq au vin was a way to cook older roosters. The tough old birds needed to cook long and slow, in moist heat, to create an appetizing meal. If you’re low on rooster, it’s OK to use spring chickens. The basic components are chicken on the bone and wine (again, Burgundy wine, but a California Pinot Noir or even a Riesling would work fine). Once the chicken is seared and the vegetables sauteed, it’s a simple matter of letting the chicken braise, low and slow, in the oven.
Bouillabaisse: The most famous and complex fish stew of the Mediterranean, its roots are considered to be in Marseilles, though you can find it in every port town in coastal Provence. Besides fish and shellfish, you’ll find onions, tomatoes, garlic, parsley, saffron, fennel, thyme, bay leaf and orange peel. The best part about this dish is that all the ingredients are quickly boiled together, making it a classic one-pot meal. Just before serving, bouillabaisse is often topped with rouille, a condiment that heightens the flavors in the soup. For this recipe, I made rouille optional, but I also provided an easy mayonnaisebased recipe in case you want the full experience.
Tiramisu: Also known as the Tuscan Trifle, tiramisu means “carry me up” or “pick me up” in Italian and refers to the strong coffee syrup used to saturate ladyfinger cookies. In my recipe, we make that coffee syrup in a flash. Traditional tiramisu consists of sponge cake or ladyfingers dipped in a liqueur-laced coffee syrup layered with grated chocolate and rich custard. In fact, tiramisu was originally made as a loose custard, but once chefs in Italy started adding mascarpone cheese, the pudding became more stiff, and Tiramisu was served as a free-standing cake. Hallelujah to that.
Beef Bourguignon
Servings: 6.
Note: To ensure the mushrooms stay puffed up and juicy, saute them separately and add them to the beef near the end of cooking.
1 tablespoon olive oil 4 ounces bacon, diced 2 1⁄2 pounds beef chuck or brisket, cut into 2-inch cubes Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally into 2-inch chunks 1⁄2 cup chopped yellow onion 2 cloves garlic, minced 1⁄2 cup Cognac (or brandy)
1⁄2 bottle (375 ml) good-quality dry red wine, such as Pinot Noir or Cote du Rhone
1-2 cups beef broth or beef stock 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1 teaspoon dried thyme 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and divided 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
12 ounces frozen whole onions (pearl onions), keep frozen until ready to use
8 ounces small crimini or button mushrooms, stems trimmed
Baguette, sliced on a diagonal into 1⁄2-inch thick slices Olive oil, for brushing bread Cut garlic clove, for rubbing on bread Fresh parsley, optional garnish
Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
Heat the oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon from the pot and transfer to a large plate (leave the bacon fat on the bottom of the pan). Return the pot to medium heat.
Pat the beef cubes dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Add a single layer of beef cubes to the pot. Work in batches so you don’t crowd the pan. Sear the beef until browned on all sides. Transfer to the plate with the bacon and continue searing until all the beef is browned. Set aside.
Add the carrots and yellow onion to the same pot over medium heat (there should be some fat left in the pan; if not add a little olive oil so the vegetables don’t burn). Cook until the onions are lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the Cognac and simmer until the liquid is almost completely gone (this just takes a minute so stay close). Return the beef and bacon to the pan with any accumulated juices on the plate. Add the wine and enough beef broth to almost cover the meat (don’t fully submerge the beef in liquid). Add the tomato paste and thyme. Bring to a simmer, cover with a tight-fitting lid and place the pot in the oven for 75 to 90 minutes, until the meat and vegetables are very tender when pierced with a fork.
Combine 2 tablespoons of butter and flour and mash with a fork until blended. Add the mixture to the pot. Add the frozen onions and bring to a simmer.
In a medium skillet, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until soft. Add the mushrooms to the pot. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
To toast the bread, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Brush both sides of the bread slices with olive oil and transfer the slices to a baking sheet. Bake for 5 to 6 minutes, turning once, until golden and crisp. Rub one side of each slice with the cut garlic clove.
Remove the stew from the heat and garnish with parsley, if desired. Serve the stew with the bread slices on the side.
From Robin Miller