Ingredients

for the sauce:

• 1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons cognac

for the dish:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 ounces lobster meat, diced
• 4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, diced
• 1 tablespoon chopped shallots
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon leaves
• White pepper
• 4 prepared vol au vent shells
• Fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Preparation

1. For the Orange Cognac Sauce: In a medium saucepan over high heat combine the orange juice, sugar, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce heat until nearly evaporated. Add the stock, heavy cream, and cognac. Boil for minute, remove from the heat, and set aside.

2. For the Lobster Vol au Vent: Preheat a saucepan over high heat until very hot. Add the olive oil, then the lobster meat, mushrooms, shallots, tarragon, and white pepper, to taste, while stirring to combine ingredients. Add 1/2 cup of the Orange Cognac Sauce and bring to a boil for 1 minute. Reduce to a simmer.

3. Spoon reduced mixture into prepared shells, drizzle with remaining orange cognac sauce, and garnish with parsley leaves.

Food Network

Ingredients

• 1/2 c. honey
• 1/2 c. dark brown sugar, packed
• 3/4 c. water
• 6 tbsp. butter
• 3 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 c. (200 g) all-purpose flour
• 3/4 c. (80 g) rye flour
• 1 tbsp. pain d’épices spice blend
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tbsp. rum
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 tsp. orange zest
• 1 egg yolk
• black currant jam (or orange marmalade)
• 3/4 c. powdered sugar
• 3 tbsp. lemon juice

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, add butter, oil, water, honey, and brown sugar, and stir until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and let cool while preparing dry ingredients.

In a mixing bowl, combine flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and spice blend. Stir. Pour the honey mixture into the flour and stir to combine. Add the rum, vanilla, orange zest, and egg yolk, and stir.

Butter the bottoms of a muffin tin. Fill each with batter 1/2 to 2/3 full. Make an indentation and put a teaspoon of jam inside. (Alternatively, half-fill the molds, add the jam, and then add more batter.)

Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown and the dough springs back when pressed.

While baking, prepare the glaze by combining powdered sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl. While the nonnettes are still warm and in the molds, spoon the glaze over them, letting the glaze drip down into the molds. Remove when cool.

Daring Gourmet

Ingredients

• 1 oz. butter
• ¼ cup shallots finely chopped
• ¾ cup Port
• ¼ cup red wine
• 1 cup demi-glace
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• ¼ cup heavy cream (optional)

Preparation

Melt the butter in a saucepan and sauté the shallots briefly until translucent (3 min). Deglaze with the Port and red wines and reduce until most of the wine has cooked off (5-6 min). Add the demi glace, salt, pepper, bay leaf, and thyme and simmer for approximately 5-6 minutes (or until the sauce has thickened). Strain the sauce, add the heavy cream (if desired), and return to a simmer for a few minutes and serve. The optional heavy cream gives the sauce a richer color and additional flavor.

Reluctant Gourmet

Ingredients

• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3 to 4 fresh parsley stems
• 7 to 8 whole black peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups sauce espagnole
• 2 cups beef stock

Preparation

Wrap the thyme, parsley stems, peppercorns, and bay leaf in a piece of cheesecloth.

Combine the brown sauce and the beef stock in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower heat to a simmer. Add the cheesecloth bundle, and reduce the liquid for about 45 minutes, or until the total volume has reduced by half. Remove pan from heat and retrieve the sachet.

Carefully pour the demi-glace through a wire mesh strainer lined with a piece of cheesecloth.

Spruce Eats

Ingredients

• 5 lb. beef bones, veal bones, or feet, cut into 3-4" pieces
• 1/2 lb. onions, roughly chopped
• 1/4 lb. carrots, roughly chopped
• 1/4 lb. celery, roughly chopped
• 6 oz. tomato paste
• 5 qt. cold water
• 1 tbsp. dried thyme
• a few fresh parsley stems
• a bay leaf
• several whole peppercorns
• several whole cloves

Preparation

Arrange the bones in a heavy roasting pan, and drizzle with a bit of vegetable oil. Roast them in a hot oven (400 F) for around an hour. They should be moderately browned. Add the onions, carrots, and celery, and continue roasting for around 20 minutes. Add the tomato paste, stir, and roast for another 10 minutes.

Remove the bones to a stockpot. Deglaze the roasting pan with a bit of water. Add the cold (important!) water to the stockpot, along with the mirepoix and the deglazing liquid from the roasting pan. Add the spices, tied together in a bundle of cheesecloth.

Bring the pot to a boil, then lower it to a simmer. Simmer for 4 to 6 hours, skimming fat and scum from the surface every so often. The goal is to end with 4 qt. of stock for every 5 qt. of water that you started with, so partially cover the pot and/or add more water to maintain that level.

Strain through cheesecloth and chill.

Spruce Eats

Ingredients

• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3 to 4 fresh parsley stems
• 7 to 8 whole black peppercorns
• 1 ounce clarified butter
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1/4 cup diced carrot
• 1/4 cup diced celery
• 1 ounce all-purpose flour
• 3 cups brown stock (i.e. beef stock)
• 2 tablespoons tomato puree

Preparation

Fold the bay leaf, thyme, parsley stems, and peppercorns in a square of cheesecloth and tie the corners with a piece of kitchen twine. Leave one string long enough so that you can tie it to the handle of your pot to make it easier to retrieve.

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter over a medium heat until it becomes frothy. Add the mirepoix—onions, carrots, and celery—and sauté for a few minutes until lightly browned. Don’t let it burn. With a wooden spoon, stir the flour into the mirepoix a little bit at a time until it is fully incorporated and forms a thick paste (this is your roux). Lower the heat and cook the roux for another 5 minutes or so, until it just starts to take on a very light brown color. Again, don’t let it burn. Using a wire whisk, slowly add the stock and tomato purée to the roux, whisking vigorously to make sure it’s free of lumps.

Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and add the sachet. Simmer for about 50 minutes, or until the total volume has reduced by about 1/3, stirring frequently to make sure the sauce doesn’t scorch at the bottom of the pan. Use a ladle to skim off any impurities that rise to the surface. Remove the sauce from the heat and retrieve the sachet. For an extra smooth consistency, carefully pour the sauce through a wire mesh strainer lined with a piece of cheesecloth.

Spruce Eats

Ingredients

• 1 Reblochon [1 wheel Reblochon de Savoie]
• 1 kg de pommes de terre à chair ferme [2 lb firm-flesh potatoes]
• 200 g de lardons fumés [200g bacon, chopped]
• 2 gros oignons (200 g environ) [2 large onions, around 200g]
• 10 cl de vin blanc [1/2 c white wine]
• Poivre du moulin [fresh-ground pepper]
• En option : noix de muscade râpée [ground nutmeg (optional)]

Preparation

Préchauffez votre four à 200°C. [Preheat your oven to 400F.]

Épluchez et découpez les pommes de terre en morceaux (environ 5mm). Découpez les oignons en rondelles. [Peel and chop the potatoes into around 1/4" pieces. Slice the onions into rounds.]

Dans une poêle, faites revenir les lardons avec les oignons afin qu’ils commencent à dorer (5-10 min). Ajoutez les pommes de terre et laisser cuire à feu moyen durant 30-45 minutes. Déglacez au vin blanc et laisser cuire 5 minutes. Poivrez (pas besoin de saler avec les lardons), et ajoutez la noix de muscade selon vos goûts. [In a large skillet, cook the bacon and onions until they start to brown (5-10 min). Add the potatoes and let them cook over medium heat for 30-45 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the wine and cook for five minutes. Season with pepper (no need for salt with the bacon), and add nutmeg to taste.]

Découpez votre Reblochon en deux dans le sens de l’épaisseur en conservant la croûte. Conservez une face pour mettre sur le dessus du plat afin de faire gratiner (que vous découperez en 2 ou 4 selon la forme de votre plat), et découpez l’autre face en petits morceaux à intégrer dans la préparation pommes de terre-lardons-oignons. [Cut your Reblochon in half lengthwise, keeping the rind. Keep one of the halves to melt on top of the dish (which you can cut into 2 or 4 depending on the shape of your dish), and cut the other half into small pieces to mix into the potato-onion-bacon mixture.]

Dans un plat allant au four, disposez le mélange pommes de terre-lardons-oignons et les morceaux de reblochon puis déposez sur le dessus le ½ reblochon pour gratiner, croûte vers le haut. [In an oven-safe baking dish, add the potato-bacon-onion mixture and the pieces of Reblochon, then set the half-reblochon on top to melt, rind toward the top.]

Placez au four durant 15 à 20 minutes afin que le Reblochon dore. Servez chaud avec une salade verte. [Put in the oven for 15-20 minutes so that the Reblochon melts. Serve hot with a green salad.]

Reblochon AOP

Ingredients

• 150 gr lardons fumés [150 g. bacon, chopped]
• 800 gr carbonnades de boeuf [800 g. beef stew meat]
• 3 gousses d’ail [3 cloves garlic]
• 1 oignon ciselé [1 onion, chopped]
• 2 échalotes ciselées [2 shallots, chopped]
• 2 carottes en rondelles [2 carrots, sliced in rounds]
• 500 ml vin rouge [500 mL red wine]
• Un bouquet de thym [a bouquet of thyme]
• 250 gr champignons de Paris [250 g. white mushrooms]
• 2 cuil. à soupe persil haché [2 tbsp. chopped parsley]
• 2 cuil. à soupe concentré de tomates [2 tbsp. tomato paste]
• 1 cuil. à soupe farine [1 tbsp. flour]
• Pastis
• Beurre
• Sel
• Poivre

Preparation

Faites dorer les lardons dans le beurre, puis retirez-les de la poêle. Faites dorer les carbonnades de tous côtés dans la graisse des lardons. Saupoudrez de farine et remuez. Ajoutez l’ail pressé, l’oignon, les échalotes, les carottes et le concentré de tomates. Faites cuire 2 minutes en remuant.

[Brown the bacon in some butter, then take it out of the pan. Brown the stew meat on all sides in the bacon fat. Sprinkle with flour, and mix. Add the garlic (pressed), the onion, the shallots, the carrots, and the tomato paste. Cook for two minutes, stirring.]

Déglacez la poêle avec le vin. Ajoutez les lardons, le bouquet de thym et une goutte de Pastis, puis remuez. Laissez mijoter à couvert (CP: partiellement vers la fin) et à feu doux pendant environ 3 heures. Versez éventuellement un peu de vin s’il n’y a pas assez de jus. Ajoutez les champignons pendant les 10 dernières minutes de cuisson. Salez et poivrez. Garnissez le bœuf bourguignon de persil avant de servir. Servez avec une purée de pommes de terre crémeuse et une salade verte.

[Deglaze the pan with the wine. Add the bacon, the thyme, and a splash of pastis, then mix. Let simmer, covered (CP: partially covered near the end to let it thicken), over low heat for around 3 hours. Add a bit more wine if there isn’t enough juice. Add the mushrooms during the last 10 minutes of cooking. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley, and serve with mashed potatoes and a green salad.]

Source

Ingredients

Pour le tartare:

• 3 asperges blanches [white asparagus]
• 2 asperges vertes [green asparagus]
• 1 échalote hachée [shallot, minced]
• ciboulette ciselée [chives, finely chopped]
• 1 càc de vinaigre balsamique blanc [1 tsp. white balsamic vinegar]
• sel et poivre [salt and pepper]
• quelques rosaces de Tête de Moine [several rosettes of Tête de Moine cheese; or shaved Parmesan]

Pour la crème de Meaux:

• 150 mL crème à 40% [150 mL of heavy whipping cream]
• 1 càc de moutarde de Meaux ou à l’ancienne [1 tsp. of Meaux mustard]
• sel et poivre [salt and pepper]

Preparation

Le tartare :

Cuire les asperges blanches dans de l’eau bouillante pendant 10 à 12 minutes. Vérifier la cuisson avec la pointe du couteau. Ensuite plongez-les dans de l’eau froide pour stopper la cuisson. Faites de même pour les asperges vertes mais pour une cuisson de 5 à 8 minutes. [Cook the white asparagus in boiling water for 10 to 12 minutes. Check the cooking with a knife point, then transfer to a cold water bath to stop cooking. Do the same for the green asparagus for 5 to 8 minutes.]

Couper les asperges en petits dés en gardant les têtes entières pour la décoration. Ajouter l’échalote, la ciboulette, le vinaigre balsamique blanc ; saler et poivrer. [Cut the asparagus into a small dice, keeping the heads whole for decoration. Add the shallot, chive, vinegar, and season with salt and pepper.]

La crème à la moutarde de Meaux :

Monter les ingrédients de la crème au batteur comme une chantilly. [Add all ingredients and beat to a Chantilly consistency, like soft whipped cream.]

Pour la décoration, utiliser les têtes d’asperge et quelques rosaces de Tête de Moine. [Decorate with the aspargagus heads and cheese.]

Martin’s Hotels

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 lb. bone-in pork loin, excess fat removed (preferably marinated overnight)
• 2 lb. or 5 c. dry white beans (in the US, Great Northern beans)
• 1/2 lb. fresh pork rind or salt pork rind
• 6-8 sprigs parsley
• 4 unpeeled cloves garlic
• 2 cloves
• 1/2 tsp. thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 lb. fresh, unsalted, unsmoked lean bacon (or very good, lean salt pork simmered for 10 minutes in 2 qt. water, drained)
• 1 c. sliced onions
• 2–2 1/2 lb. boned shoulder or breast of mutton
• 4–6 tbsp. fresh pork fat, pork-roast drippings, goose fat, or oil
• 1 lb. cracked mutton or lamb or pork bones
• 2 c. minced onions
• 4 cloves mashed garlic
• 6 tbsp. fresh tomato purée, or tomato paste, or 4 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and juiced
• 1/2 tsp. thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 cups dry white wine or 2 cups dry white vermouth
• 1 qt. brown stock or 3 cups canned beef stock with 1 cup water
• salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 lb. saucisse de Toulouse or other garlic-forward sausag
• 2 c. dry white bread crumbs mixed with 1/2 c. chopped parsley
• 3–4 tbsp. pork roasting fat or goose fat

Preparation

Bake the pork loin to an internal temperature of 175–180 degrees, and set it aside to cool. Reserve its cooking juices.

Place the beans into an 8 quart pot containing 5 quarts of water at a rolling boil. Boil for two minutes. Remove from heat and let the beans soak for 1 hour. The rest of the cooking should proceed as soon as possible after the soaking is completed.

While the beans are soaking, place the pork rind in a saucepan and cover with 1 qt. cold water. Bring to a boil and boil for one minute. Drain, rinse, and repeat the process. Then, with kitchen shears, cut the rind into 1/4" strips, and cut the strips into small triangles. Cover the rind again with 1 qt. water, bring to a simmer, and simmer slowly for 30 minutes. Set the saucepan aside.

Tie the parsley, garlic, cloves, thyme, and bay leaves in cheesecloth. Place the unsmoked bacon (or blanched salt pork), onions, the pork rind and its cooking liquid, and the herb bouquet into the kettle with the soaked beans. If you did not use salt pork so far, add 1 tbsp. salt. Bring to a simmer. Skim off any fat which might rise. Simmer, uncovered, for about 1 1/2 hours or until the beans are just tender. Add more boiling water during cooking, if necessary, to keep the beans covered. Season to taste near the end of the cooking process. Leave the beans in their cooking liquid until you are ready to use them, then drain, reserving the cooking liquid. Remove the bacon or salt pork and set aside. Discard the herbs.

Cut the lamb or mutton into chunks roughly 2" square. Dry each piece in paper towel. Pour a thin layer of fat into a heavy, 8-quart, fireproof casserole and heat until almost smoking. Brown the meat, a few pieces at a time, on all sides. Set the meat aside. Brown the bones and add them to the meat. If fat has burned, discard it and add 3 tbsp. more. Lower the heat and brown the onions lightly, about 5 minutes.

Return the bones and the lamb to the casserole and stir in the garlic, tomato, thyme, bay leaves, wine/vermouth, and stock. Bring to a simmer and season to taste with salt. Cover and simmer slowly, or in a 325-degree oven, for 1 1/2 hours. Then remove the meat to a dish; discard the bones and bay leaves. Remove all but 2 tbsp. fat and carefully correct the seasoning of the cooking liquid.

Pour the cooked and drained beans into the lamb cooking liquid. Stir in any juices you may have from roasting the pork. Add bean cooking liquid, if needed, until the beans are covered. Bring to a simmer and simmer 5 minutes, then let the beans stand in the liquid for 10 minutes. Drain the beans when you are ready for final assembly, again reserving the liquid.

Brown the saucisse de Toulouse, cut into lengths between 1/2" and 3" long (depending on size/preference) and drain on paper towels.

Cut the roast pork into 1 1/2–2" serving chunks. Slice the bacon or salt pork into serving pieces 1/4" thick. Arrange a layer of beans in the bottom of your cassoulet dish, then continue with layers of lamb, roast pork, bacon slices, sausage, and beans, ending with a layer of beans and sausage. Pour on the meat cooking juices, and enough bean cooking juice so that liquid comes just to the top layer of beans. Spread on the bread crumbs and dribble the fat over the top. You can set this aside until you’re ready for final cooking (about 1h).

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Bring the casserole to a simmer on top of the stove. Set it in the upper level of the oven. When the top has crusted lightly, after about 20 minutes, turn the oven down to 350 degrees. Break the crust into the beans with the back of a spoon, and baste with the liquid in the casserole. Repeat this process several times, as the crust re-forms, but leave a final crust for serving. If the liquid in the cassoulet becomes too thick, add a spoonful or two of bean cooking liquid. It should bake for about one hour.

Variations

You could use goose confit instead of the roast pork. Scrape the fat off, and cut it into serving portions, then brown it lightly in some of the fat from the package. Then arrange it directly in the final step.

If you have fresh goose, duck, turkey, or partridge, you can roast or braise it, carve it into serving pieces, and use it with or instead of the roast pork.

Ham hock or veal shank can be added to the simmer with the beans, then cut into serving pieces and added at final assembly.

Julia Child