French Cooking for Pesach Demo: Recipe Booklet

This year, turn oy-va-voy into

ooh-la-la!

Menu Quenelles à la juive • Asperges et sauce à l’estragon

Gefilte fish cooked in a court bouillon, served with blanched asparagus and tarragon emulsion Wine Sauvignon Blanc

u Poulet aux quarantes gousses d’ail • Ratatouille • Pommes duchesse • Salade verte Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic • Confit of eggplant, zucchini, red pepper and tomato • Piped enriched potato puree • Salad greens with a refreshing vinaigrette Wine Côtes du Rhône

Tarte Bourdaloue

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Pear and frangipane tart in an almond flour crust Copyright Anna Chosak. E-published free of charge March 2020

Two recipes herein are adapted from books currently in print, and are noted as such.

All other recipes are my versions of traditional dishes.

I am not making any money from this book.

quenelles Poached in Court Bouillon with Tarragon Emulsion For the Court Bouillon

1 quart water 1/2 bottle dry white wine 1 tablespoon white or cider vinegar 1 onion, cut in quarters One carrot, peeled and quartered 1 stalk of celery, washed and quartered 2 bay leaves 1 bunch parsley 1 bunch tarragon Combine all ingredients and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes Remove and discard vegetables retaining the liquid; this will be your poaching liquid for the fish.

For the croquettes

2 lb salmon filet (or you can substitute any white fish filet) 2 eggs plus 2 egg yolk 1/2 cup plus two tablespoons vegetable oil 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg 1/2 tsp ground white pepper 1 tsp salt 1. Defrost fish if frozen. Check for small bones and remove with tweezers or pliers if any are present. Cut fish into chunks and pulse in food processer until coarsely ground. Add remaining ingredients and continue to pulse and scrape down sides of processor bowl. Continue until ingredients are well combined with a consistency of cooked oatmeal. There should be no visible chunks of fish, but avoid overprocessing to a paste. Form quenelles and drop directly into simmering court bouillon. Traditional technique uses two tablespoons to form football shaped quenelle, but you can also form with wet hands or pipe in with a pastry bag.

2. Simmering quenelles should begin to swell a bit and should turn over once or twice as they cook; you can help them along—very gently—with a spoon if they don’t turn on their own after 5 minutes.

Total time simmering should be about 8 minutes. Take one out and cut it open to make sure there is no uncooked fish in the center. Do not overcook.

3. Remove cooked quenelle with a slotted spoon and place on a clean napkin or paper towel. Allow them to drain for a few minutes prior to plating for service.

For the sauce 1 large shallot finely minced 2 sprigs fresh tarragon 1/2 cup dry white wine Juice of 1/2 lemon

2 egg yolks 1 cup light olive oil 1/2 tsp salt

1. Add shallots, wine, lemon juice and tarragon to a saucepan and simmer until liquid is reduced to two tablespoons. Shallot should be soft. Remove tarragon and allow pan to cool off the heat.

2. Add egg yolks to cooled liquid in the pan and beat thoroughly. Return pan to low heat and whisk continuously until egg yolk begins to thicken (this step can be done on top of a double boiler if you prefer).

3. Remove pan from heat and place on a heat-resistant surface. Continue whisking as you add the oil in a slow steady stream. You should see the oil incorporating into the sauce as you go. If you see unincorporated oil pooling, whisk faster and add the oil slower.

After all the oil has been used, add the salt and continue whisking until the sauce is smooth, thick and glossy.

To serve: Place the fish directly on a plate or on a bed of lettuce, endive or radicchio. Decorate the fish and plate with the sauce using a pastry bag. Garnish with chopped chives, or finely chopped tarragon leaves.

Copyright Anna Chosak. E-published free of charge March 2020

Blanched Asparagus Bunches of asparagus, as much as needed Peel asparagus using a peeler or a scrubby. Have ready a large pot of boiling water, with plenty of added salt (it should be as salty as seawater). Drop in the asparagus but do in batches if you have a lot, so the temperature of the water doesn’t drop too much. Return to a boil and let cook till just tender; test to measure resistance. Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the stems. As soon as asparagus is cooked, plunge into an ice bath to stop the cooking and set the color. Let it sit in the ice bath for a few minutes, then drain and pat dry.

Ratatouille Adapted from Kosher Revolution by Geila Hocherman 3 large red bell peppers 3 lbs (about 2 medium) eggplant*, cut into long 1/2” slices 3 tablespoons kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 2 lbs zucchini, cut into ½” dice 2 tablespoons grapeseed or other vegetable oil 2 large onions, sliced thin 2 tablespoons tomato paste 4 garlic cloves, minced fine 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional) One 12-ounce can plum tomatoes with their juice 3 tablespoons chopped basil

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Short on time? Use jarred roasted red peppers instead of roasting your own.

1. Place the peppers on a foil-lined tray and broil for a few minutes on each sides, turning till uniformly charred. Be sure not to overcook, especially if using thin-skinned peppers. Place peppers in a bag while still hot, and let steam for about 20 minutes.

Then peel off skin and remove seeds. If doing ahead, you can layer in olive oil with slivered garlic for extra flavor. Before proceeding with the recipe, chop the roasted peppers into ½” dice.

2. Preheat the oven to 375◦.

3. Place the eggplant in a colander in the sink and toss with the 2 tablespoons of salt. Let drain for 30 minutes, then rinse and pat dry. Cut into ½” dice, transfer to parchment-lined cookie sheet, and drizzle with 3 tablespoons olive oil.

4. Place the zucchini on another parchment-lined cookie sheet, drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil and 1 tablespoon salt. Bake the zucchini and the eggplant for about 20 minutes, stirring halfway through and rotating trays. Set aside.

5. In a large skillet, heat grapeseed oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, sprinkle with salt, and sauté until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste to the center and cook for about four minutes; mix paste and onions together. Add the garlic and sauté till fragrant, about a minute.

6. Add the chopped roasted peppers, stir and add the vinegar, sugar, red pepper flakes if using, and the canned tomatoes with about half their juice. Simmer till most of the liquid has evaporated, about 4 minutes. Add the eggplant, zucchini and basil, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, stirring often, for about ten minutes, till flavors have blended. If it seems dry, add more of the tomato juice and simmer a few minutes more. Taste for salt and adjust if necessary.

Attention, s’il vous plaît!

This dish tastes even better made ahead of time; it can be served at room temperature with additional chopped fresh basil as a garnish. If reheated, it will still be delicious, but the colors will not be as vibrant.

Look on the bottom of the eggplants and choose the ones with the small round pip. They are male and will have fewer seeds than the female fruits, whch have a deeper elongated pip.

Copyright Anna Chosak. E-published free of charge March 2020

Poulet aux Quarante Gousses d’Ail Adapted from The Kosher Palette 4-5 lbs. dark meat bone-in chicken pieces, such as drumsticks or leg quarters washed, patted dry, and sprinkled with pepper 1 tablespoon oil 3 heads of garlic, cloves separated but unpeeled 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar Several sprigs of fresh thyme ½ cup dry white wine (optional) Salt and pepper to taste 1. Heat oil in a large heavy pan that has a lid, over medium-high heat.

2. When oil is hot, sear the pieces of chicken in batches. Do not crowd the pan.

3. Once all the chicken is seared, place it back in the pan, layering with cloves of garlic and sprigs of thyme. Sprinkle with balsamic vinegar and white wine, if using.

4. Cover, reduce heat to low, and let cook for about an hour, or till chicken is tender, juices run clear, or tests 165◦.

5. Remove chicken to platter (or pan that you will reheat it in). Reserve about half the cloves. Peel and mash the rest of the cloves into the sauce that formed while cooking.

It should be salty enough from the residual salt on the chicken, but taste and adjust if necessary. * This recipe can also be baked uncovered in a 350 oven till the chicken is done.

Pommes Duchesse For every 1 lb/about 3 cups peeled russet potatoes, cut into 1” chunks, you will need: 2 egg yolks 3 tablespoons melted margarine Potato water if necessary About ½ a teaspoon salt Freshly grated pepper Grated nutmeg Paprika 1. Preheat oven to 400◦ and line a baking sheet with parchment or Silpat.

2. Cook potatoes in boiling salted water till easily pierced with knife, about 15 minutes. Drain, pass through ricer (or mash with potato masher until very smooth), then add back to pan over low heat for a few minutes to dry.

3. Mix egg yolks into potatoes one at a time. Add melted margarine, salt, pepper and nutmeg. If consistency is too stiff, add a little of the water potatoes were cooked in, but it should still be fairly stiff so it will hold its shape after piping.

4. Transfer mixture to piping bag (or Ziploc bag with the corner cut off) with a large star tip. Pipe mounds of potatoes about 2½” round and 2” high onto prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle with paprika.

5. Recipe may be prepared a day ahead of time to this point. Refrigerate trays of puffs till ready to bake.

6. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until golden. Makes about a dozen.

Copyright Anna Chosak. E-published free of charge March 2020

Tarte Bourdaloue Passover nut crust:

4 tablespoons margarine, melted 2 cup ground almonds, or almond flour 3 tablespoons sugar

Pear topping:

3 ripe pears Juice of one lemon ½ cup sugar One 2” piece of fresh ginger

Frangipane filling:

1 cup almond flour 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar 1 egg white 1 teaspoon almond extract, plus a little extra if desired 2 teaspoons sugar 2 teaspoons potato starch 6 tablespoons margarine, unsalted, cubed, at room temperature 1 large egg, plus one egg white, at room temperature 1 1/2 teaspoons rum, Calvados, or kirsch (optional)

The pâtissier Constant Coquelin bought La Pâtisserie Bourdaloue (which is still a working bakery on the rue Bourdaloue in Paris) in 1909, and created this famous pear tart with frangipane/almond cream.

Preheat oven to 350ºF. You will need an 8 or 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom or a pie plate.

Prepare the crust:

Add the ground almonds and sugar to the melted margarine and mix until combined. Scoop into a well-greased pie pan or tart pan and use your hands to press to cover the bottom and go up the sides, evening out the rim at the top. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Remove and set aside.

Poach the pears:

Fill a large skillet ¾ full of water. Add ½ cup of sugar and the lemon juice; stir to dissolve. Add the ginger, and bring to a simmer. Peel, halve and core the pears and add them to the simmering water. Poach for about 20 minutes, turning occasionally, until easily pierced with a knife. Do not overcook. Remove and let cool; then slice as desired. Return poaching liquid to a low simmer and let it begin to reduce.

Make the frangipane filling:

In a food processor, process the almond flour with the confectioner’s sugar, egg white and almond extract until a smooth paste is formed. Add a small amount more of almond extract if you like a stronger almond flavor, but don’t overdo it or it will overwhelm the flavor of the pears. Add the potato starch and sugar and pulse until smooth. Add the margarine and pulse until smooth, then beat in the egg and the egg white, and the liquor if using. Reserve.

To assemble: Spread the frangipane evenly over the tart shell. Fan the pears out evenly over the almond filling, then press them in slightly. Bake the tart for about 40 to 45 minutes, or until the almond filling between the pears has browned.

To finish: Let poaching liquid reduce to a syrupy glaze. When tart is baked, brush the glaze onto the top. When cool, remove from the tart pan and serve, or serve a pie as is.

For a year-round version, use any pie or tart crust recipe, or use a store-bought crust. Use regular flour in the frangipane filling instead of potato starch. If desired, add cracked cardamom pods to the poaching liquid; strain out the ginger and cardamom seeds and pods before reducing for the glaze.

Copyright Anna Chosak. E-published free of charge March 2020

Tips on enjoying the Wine 1. Older is NOT always better! About 90% of wines are meant to be drunk within 3 years. Only a very small percentage of wines improve with age. So a bottle of older wine may mean your merchant is trying to unload outdated stock on unsuspecting customers. Don’t fall for it! Unless you have reliable information about an older vintage, purchase wines bottled in the last three years.

2. Never cook with a wine that you wouldn’t drink. Definitely do NOT buy the hot mess labeled as “cooking wine.” If you have any in your pantry, open it and immediately pour it down the sink.

3. Try to choose wine that will complement the food you’re serving. Everyone knows the old rule about white wine with fish, and red wine with meat, but in some cases, you can bend the rules.

For instance, Pinot Noir (a red) can be great with salmon, and a Chardonnay (white) goes beautifully with a roast chicken. Read www.winemag.com/2014/11/12/mastering-the-art-of-wine-andfood-pairings/ for an excellent introduction to the basics behind food and wine pairing.

4. Four cups is a lot to drink outside the meal itself, so choose something light like a light white or a rosé for the four cups––especially if you plan to serve other wines to go with dinner. If people prefer to drink reds for the four cups, Pinot Noir, Beaujolais, and Syrah (Shiraz) are good quaffers.

5. If you are serving a tannic wine such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Barolo, Chianti, or Syrah, open it in advance and decant it. This gives the tannins in the wine (the component that creates the “grippy” feeling on your tongue) time to open and soften. It will taste much better decanted for a while than if you open and drink right away.

6. Take the time to appreciate your wine. Before sipping, hold it an angle (make sure your glass isn’t too full!) and look at the color. Observe how opaque or translucent a red is, which tells you whether the grape used to make it had thick or thin skins. Carefully swirl it and then sniff it; see if you can detect aromas such as berries, citrus fruits, or hints of florals. When you sip, see how long the taste stays on your tongue after you swallow.

Copyright Anna Chosak. E-published free of charge March 2020