mastering the art of
FRENCH COOKING
MASTERING THE ART OF
FRENCH COOKING
MASTERING THE ART OF
FRENCH COOKING
SIMONE BECK / LOUISETTE BERTHOLLE / JUILA CHILD RANDOM HOUSE OF CANADA LIMITED 1961
L.C. catalog card number: 61-12313
THIS IS A BORZOI BOOK PULISED BY ALFRED A. KNOPF, INC.
Copyright 1961 by Afred A. Knopf, In. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote breif passages and reproduce not more than three illustrations in a review to be printed in a magazine or newspaper. Manufactured in the United States of America and distrubted by Random House, Inc. Published in Canada by Random House of Canada, Limited.
PUBLISHED OCTOBER 1961 REPRINTED FOUR TIMES SIXTH PRINTING, MAY 196
TO:
La Belle France
Whose pasants, fisherman, housewives, and princes - not to mention her chefs - through generations of inventive concentration have created one of the world’s great arts.
CONTENTS
KITCHEN EQUIPMENT
3
DEFINITIONS
11
INGREDIENTS
15
MEASURES
CHAPTER 4 - ENTREES &
139
LUNCHEON DISHES Pie Dough and Pastry Shells
139
Quiches, Tarts, & Gratins
146
20
Souffles & Timbales
157
TEMPERATURES
24
Pate a Choux, Puffs, Gnocchi, & Quenelles
175
CUTTING
26
Crepes
190
Cocktail Appetizers
196
WINES
31
CHAPTER 1 - SOUPS
37
CHAPTER 5 - FISH
207
CHAPTER 2 - SAUCES
54
Fish filets poached in white wine
208
White Sauces
55
Provence Recipes
218
Brown Sauces
66
Two Famous Lobster Dishes
220
Tomato Sauces
76
Mussles
226
The Hollandaise Family
79
List of Other Fish Dishes
232
The Mayonnaise Family
86
Vinaigrettes
94
CHAPTER 6 - POULTRY
234
Hot Butter Sauce
96
Roast Chicken
240
Cold Flavored Butters
99
Casserole-Roasted Chicken
249
List of Miscellaneous Sauces
105
Sauteed Chicken
254
Stocks and Aspics
106
Fricasseed Chicken
258
Broiled Chicken
265
Chicken Breasts
267
CHAPTER 3 - EGGS
116
Duck
272
Poached Eggs
116
Goose
282
Shirred Eggs
122
Eggs in Ramekins
123
Scrambled Eggs
125
CHAPTER 7 - MEAT
288
CHAPTER 9 - COLD BUFFET
536
Beef
288
Cold Vegetables
536
Lamb and Mutton
328
Aspics
544
Veal
350
Molded Mousses
558
Pork
375
Pates and Terrines
564
Ham
389
List of Other Cold Dishes
576
Cassoulet
399
Liver
405
579
Sweetbreads
CHAPTER 10 - DESSERTS & CAKES
309
Fundamentals
579
Sweet Sauces and Fillings
588
Custards, Mousses, and Molded Desserts
594
Brains
413
Kidneys
416
Sweet Souffles
613
CHAPTER 8 - VEGETABLES
421
623
Green Vegetables
Fruit Deserts
423
Tarts
632
Carrots, Onions, and Turnips
476
Crepes
648
Lettuce, Celery, Endive, and Leeks
489
655
The Cabbage Family
Clafoutis
496
658
Cucumbers
Babas and Savarins
499
Ladyfingers
665
Eggplant
501
Cakes
667
Tomatoes
505
Mushrooms
508
Chestnuts
517
Potatoes
520
Rice
528
MEASURES A pint’s a pound the world around except in England where a pint of water weights a pound and a quarter, and all measurements in this book are level. The following table is for those who wish to translate French measurements into the nearest convenient American equivalent and vice versa:
AMERICAN SPOONS / CUPS
FRENCH EQUIVALENTS
LIQUID OUNCES
LIDQUID GRAMS
1 tsp (teaspoon)
1 cuillere a cafe
1 Tb (tablespoon)
1 cuillere a soupe
1/6 1/2
5 15
8 16 ( 1 lb )
227 454
32 3 1/2
907 100
8 1/2 2.2 lb
100 1000 ( 1 kilo )
cuilere a bouche or verre a liqueur 1 cup (16 Tb)
1/4 litre less 2 TB
2 cups (1 pint)
1/2 litre less 1/2 decilitre
4 cups (1 quart)
9/10 litre
6 2/3 Tb
1 decilitre 1 demi verre
1 cup plus 1 Tb
1/4 litre
4 1/3 cups
1 litre
X
BRITISH MEASURES British dry measures for ounces and pounds, and linear measures for inches and feet, are the same as American measures. However, the British liquid ounce is 1.04 times the American ounce; the British point contains 20 British ounces; and the quart, 40 ounces. A gill is 5 ounces, or about 2.3 of an American cup.
CONVERSTION FORMULAS AMERICAN / BRITISH / METRIC To Convert
Multiply
By
Ounces to grams Grams to ounces Liters to US quarts Liters to British quarts US quarts to liters British quarts to liters Inches to centimeters Centimeters to inches
The ounces The grams The liters The liters The quarts The quarts The inches The centimeters
2.835 0.035 0.950 0.880 1.057 1.140 2.540 0.390
CUP-DECILITER EQUIVALENTS 1 DECILITER EQUALS 62/3 TABLESPOONS Cups
Deciliters
Cups
Deciliters
1/4 1/3 1/2 2/3 3/4 1
0.56 0.75 1.13 1.50 1.68 2.27
1 1/4 1 1/3 1 1/2 1 2/3 1 3/4 2
2.83 3.00 3.40 3.75 4.00 4.50
GRAM - OUNCE EQUIVALENTS Grams
Ounces
Grams
Ounces
Grams
Ounces
25 30 50
0.87 1.00 1.75
75 80 85
2.63 2.80 3.00
100 125 150
3.50 4.40 5.25
XI
TEMPERATURES FAHRENHEIT & CENTIGRADE
TO CONVERT FAHRENHEIT INTO CENTIGRADE, Subtract 32, multiply by 5, divide by 9 Example: 212 (Fahrenheit) minus 32 equals 180 180 multiplied by 5 equals 900 900 divided by 9 equals 100, or the temperature of boiling water in centigrade
TO CONVERT CENTIGRADE INTO FAHRENHEIT Multiply by 9, divide by 5, add 32 Example: 100 (centigrade) multiplied by 9 equals 900 900 divided by 5 equals 180 180 plus 32 equals 212, or the temperature of boiling water in Fahrenheit
XII
TEMPER ATURE CONVERSION TABLE AMERICAN / FRENCH / BRITISH
FAHRENHEIT DEGREES AMERICAN & BRITISH
CENTRIGRADE DEGREES
AMERUSICAN OVEN TEMP. TERMS
FRENCH OVEN TEMP. TERMS & STD. THERMOSTAT SETTINGS
BRITISH THERMOSTAT SETTINGS
#1
160 170
71 77
200 212 221
93 100 105
225 230 250 275
107 110 121 135
Very Slow
284 300 302 320 325
140 149 150 160 163
Slow
350 356 375 390 400
177 180 190 200 205
Moderate
410 425 428 437 450
210 218 220 225 232
Hot
475 500
246 260
Very Hot
525
274
#8
550
288
#9
Tres Doux; Etuve #2 Doux #3
#1/4 (241 F) #1/2 (266 F)
Moyem; Modere
#1 (291 F)
#4 #2 (313 F) #3 (336 F) Asses Chaud; Bon Four #4 (358 F) #5 #5 (379 F) #6 (403 F) Chaud #6
#7 (424 F)
#8 (446 F) Tres Chaud; Vif
#9 (469 F)
#7
XIII
MEATS VIANDES
Faced with the awesome problem of what to choose from among the wonderful store of French recipes for beef, lamb, pork, ham, sweetbreads, kidneys, liver, and brains, we have picked those which seemed to us especially French, or of particular interest to American cooks. We have not gone into roast beef or broiled chops as they are pratically the same everywhere. Besides numerous traditional dishes, we have inclued a number of French regional recipes for ragouts, stews, and daubes; their comparative economy and ease of execution, in addition to their robust flavors, make them most appealing.
2
TRANCHES DE JAMBON EN PIPERADE HAM SLICES BAKED WITH TOMATOES, ONIONS, AND PEPPERS
INGREDIENTS: 2 1/2 to 3 lbs. of cooked ham, sliced 1/2 inch thick, and cut into serving pieces 3 tb rendered ham fat or olive oil. A large skillet A shallow baking dish large enough to hold ham in one layer 1 cup sliced yellow onions 1 cup sliced green bell peppers. 2 lbs. firm, ripe, red tomatoes, peeled, seeded, juiced, and sliced, page 505 (makes 3 cups of pulp) 2 cloves mashed garlic 1/2 tsp pepper Pinch of cayenne pepper 1/4 tsp sage or thyme
DIRECTIONS: This savory recipe for thick slices of smoked ham may be prepared for baking several hours before it is set in the oven. Sauteed potatoes, green beans, and a light red wine or a rose go well with it. For 6 people.
Trim off excess fat, and dry the ham slice or slices on paper towels. Heat the fat or olive oil in the skillet until it is almost smoking, then brown the ham lightly for a minute or two on each side. Remove skillet from heat and place the ham in the baking dish. Lower heat, and stir the onions into the fat in the skillet. Cover and cook slowly for 5 minutes. Stir in the peppers and cook 5 minutes more or until the vegetables are tender but not browned. Spread the tomato pulp over teh onions and pepers, add the garlic and seasonings. Cover and cook slowly for 5 minutes so the tomatoes will render their remaining juice. Then uncover and boil for several minutes, shaking the skillet, until the tomato juice has almost entirely evaporated. Cover the browned ham with the vegetables, (*) May be done in advance to this point Preheat oven to 350 degrees. About 20 to 30 minutes before serving time, cover the baking dish and place it in the middle level of the oven and bake until the ham is heated through the tender when pierced with a fork. Baste with the juices in the dish and correct seasoningm adding salt if necessary. Decorate with parsley and serve. 3
DESSERTS ENTREMETS
One or several of the following processes will be a part of almost any dessert or cake recipe you encounter. Some can be accomplished by machine, others are better performed by hand. None is difficult, but all contribute to the success of your dish and must be done precisely.
6
INGREDIENTS:
DIRECTIONS:
1/2 Tb softened butter 6 - cup mold, preferably 31/2 deep 11/3 Granulated sugar Wire whip 3 Tb sifted all-purpose flour 21/2 - quart enameled suace pan 3/4 cup milk 4 eggs Bowl for beating egg whites 2 Tb softened butter Rubber scraper Pinch of salt 2 Tb vanilla extract Powdered sugar in a shaker
All of the sweet souffles with the exception of chocolate may be made according to the following vanilla souffle formula. A fairly quick operator can make any of them ready for the oven in 20 minutes. For 4 people
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Measure out your ingredients. Butter the entire inner surface of the mold. Roll granulated sugar around in it to coat the sides and bottom evenly. Knock out excess sugar. Beat the flour in the saucepan with a bit of the milk until well blended. Beat in the rest of the milk, and the sugar. Stir over moderately high heat until mixture thickens and comes to the boil. Boil, stirring, for 30 seconds. Sauce will be very thick. Remove from heat and beat for 2 minutes to cool slightly. Seperate one egg, dropping the white into the bowl, and the yolk into the center of the sauce. At once beat the yolk into the sauce and the wire whip. Continue witht he rest of the eggs, one by one. Beat in half the butter. Clean suace off sides of pan with rubber scraper. Dot top of sauce with the rest of the butter to prevent a skin from forming on the surface. (*) If made in advance, beat over gentle heat only until sauce is barely warm to your finger, not hot. Then proceed with recipe. Beat the egg whites and salt together until soft peaks are formed. Sprinkle on the sugar and beat until stiff peaks are formed. ( Directions for beating egg whites are on page 159. )
SOUFFE A LA VANILLE VANILLA SOUFFLE
Turn the souffle mixture into the prepared mold, leaving a space at least 1 1/4 inches between teh top of the souffle and the rim of the mold. If the mold is too full, the souffle will spill over as it rises. (*) If souffle is not to be cooked immediately, set an empty kettle upside down over the mold. Filled mold can now wait for about an hour before baking. Place the mold in the middle level of the preheated oven, and immediately turn down to 375 degrees. In 20 minutes, when the souffle has begun to puff and brown, quickly sprinkle the top with powerdered sugar. After a total of 30 to 35 minutes of baking, the top of the souffle should be nicely browned, and a trussing needle, straw, or long, then knife, plunged into the souffle through the side of the puff, should come out clean. 7