7 minute read
Finding Community with The Lost Kitchen’s ERIN FRENCH
PHOTOS COURTESY OF MAGNOLIA NETWORK
By April Neale
Chef Erin French is having a big moment. Known for her celebrated restaurant The Lost Kitchen, in Freedom, Maine, she’s also got two hit series on Magnolia Network and a bestselling memoir, Finding Freedom: A Cook’s Story; Remaking A Life From Scratch. French’s story of hard-fought success will soon inspire a feature film, thanks to a fierce bidding war that secured the rights. Yet, amidst her success, French discovered a profound sense of community in an unexpected place: Boise, Idaho.
All episodes of “Getting Lost With Erin French” are available on Max and discovery+ now.
During the first season of “Getting Lost with Erin French,” a stop at Boise’s Janjou Patisserie for a croissant led to an unplanned shift in the show’s direction. French connected deeply with James Beard-nominated patisserie chef Moshit Mizrachi-Gabbitas, who shared a moving story about how the Boise community had supported her through the tragic loss of her young son.
As French and her husband Michael Dutton were waiting for their croissants, French described a feeling of energy and emotion. “Moshit came up to the table, and there was this instant feeling of something richer going on here. There’s a story, and I need to get to know this person. I found myself weeping at the table,” she said.
The emotional encounter resonated with French, who also leaned on cooking to navigate her own difficult times. Moved by this shared experience, French halted production, telling her crew, “I’m not leaving; we are staying here.”
When we first started planning this trip, Idaho was not on the list. But this journey and the excitement were about what we would find in unexpected places.
Moshit invited French into the back of the bakery once she’d finished her service and was making croissants for the next day. “And we had one of the most spiritual connections and moments of the trip. The moment you just stopped in your tracks on this journey, meeting this incredible person and making the most amazing croissants you’ve ever had in your life, too,” said French.
As French and Moshit worked together in the kitchen, they bonded over their shared resilience and how food became a lifeline during their darkest moments. French said that finding the reason that food can be powerful and exploring why it brings people together was all part of the experience. “We were both able to use that as a buoy to lift ourselves up,” she said. “Food was that vessel. Meeting her made that entire trip worth every mile we traveled.”
It is French’s grace, grit, and true New Englander tenacity on display at The Lost Kitchen, a physical manifestation of her drive to survive, celebrate, and champion women in the food service and farming industries. The multi-course dining experience offers a unique culinary adventure with dinner service on Fridays and Saturdays. But not even her resolve can outrun the seasons, and when the weather turns her business to a standstill, she and her husband hit the road in an Airstream in search of off-the-grid culinary experiences that inspire their own business. French’s new series sees her traveling to cities across America, searching for inspiration, stories, techniques, and culinary revelations.
Boise, one of nine stops on their trip, was one of the most surprising visits. In addition to Janjou Patisserie, French connected with Boise’s culinary community through a paella feast with the Ansotegui family at Ansots and a dinner at Peaceful Belly Farm with Chef Josie Erskine and others.
Reflecting on the trip, an emotional journey told through great meals, French noted, “When we first started planning this trip, Idaho was not on the list. But this journey and the excitement were about what we would find in unexpected places. It was everything we hoped to have with these discoveries, moments, and people in places. And, no doubt, Boise was one of the greatest stops that we made.”
BROWN SUGAR & MAPLE-GLAZED PORK TENDERLOIN WITH ROASTED FRUIT
From Big Heart Little Stove by Erin French. Copyright (c) 2023 by the author and reprinted with permission of Celadon Books, a division of Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC.
This is my favorite kind of dish: effortless rough for a Monday, but elegant enough for a Saturday. Starting with a spice rub and finishing with a sugary glaze transforms an oterwide straightforward cut of meat into lacquered, tender perfection. I like serving it with a moody side of anise-scented roasted winter fruit such as pears and plums.
- Erin French.
For the Tenderloin
1 Tablespoon ground fennel
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pound) pork tenderloin
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 whole star anise pods
½ cup packed light brown sugar
½ cup maple syrup
2 garlic cloves, minced
For the Roasted Fruit
2 medium pears, halved, cored and cut into ½ inch slices
1 medium shallot, cut into 1/4 -inch slices
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar
3 sprigs fresh thyme
Grated zest and juice of 1 medium lemon
5 whole star anise pods
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 plums, halved, pitted and cut into ½ inch slices
Make the Tenderloin
In a small bowl, combine the fennel, salt, pepper, chili powder, and cinnamon. Pat the spice mix all over the tenderloin.
In a large, heavy bottomed skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
Add the tenderloin and sear on all sides until browned, about 1 ½ minutes per side. Transfer the pork to a baking dish and set aside.
In a small sauce pan, toast the star anise over medium heat to allow the flavor to open up, about 1 minute. Add the brown sugar, maple syrup, and garlic, stir to combine, and cook until the sugar melts and the glaze begins to bubble, 4 to 5 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and let sit for 1 hour to let the glaze thicken and the flavors meld.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Brush the tenderloin evenly all over with about 1/3 of the glaze. Bake the tenderloin, basting every 5 minutes or so with moe of the glaze, for 15-20 minutes
until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center reaches 160 degrees F.
Transfer the tenderloin to a carving board and tent with foil (do not clean the pan or discard any of the glaze). Let the meat rest while you roast the fruits. Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F.
Make the Fruit
In a medium bowl, toss together the pears with the shallot, 2 tablespoons of the sugar, the thyme, lemon zest, star anise, a good pinch of salt and a crack of pepper.
Spread the mixture ove the bottom of a rimmed baking sheet and roast until the pears are just tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the plums and the lemon juice, toss, and roast for 1 minute more.
Cut the pork into 1-inch thick medallions and arrange on a platter with the fruit. Drizzle with a couple spoonfuls of any glaze left in the saucepan and serve.
