Terrance Brennan, Artisanal and Brennan’s Seafood and Chop House
(opening late November)
1 tablespoon juniper berries
6 pieces star anise
1 and 3⁄4 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 and 1⁄2 cinnamon sticks
1 and 3⁄4 tablespoons cardamom pods
1 and 1⁄4 tablespoons whole allspice
1 and 1⁄4 tablespoons whole clove
1 and 1⁄4 cups honey
2 5-to-5 and 1⁄2-pound Long Island ducks
4 oranges, cut into quarters Sauce:
2 cups orange juice
1 cup veal stock (organic-chicken stock can be substituted)
1 bay leaf
1⁄2 teaspoon black peppercorns
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tablespoon butter
Salt Toast all the spices in a dry skillet over medium heat until they start to give off a fragrant aroma, about 2 minutes, shaking the pan often to avoid burning. Crush the cardamom pods, allspice, and star anise.Fill a large stockpot with 1 gallon of water. Add all the spices and honey to the water and bring to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, stuff the cavity of each duck with 8 orange quarters. Truss the ducks and prick the entire surface of the skin with a fork, taking care not to puncture the flesh. Put the ducks into the pot and simmer for 12 minutes, placing a plate on top of the birds to keep them submerged. (If your pot is too small to hold both ducks, cook them one at a time.) Remove the ducks from the liquid, drain their cavities, and set them on a rack in a roasting pan to cool. Place them in the refrigerator, uncovered, to air-dry for 1 to 3 days. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.Remove the ducks from the refrigerator and bring them to room temperature. Place in the oven and roast for 1 and 3⁄4 to 2 hours, until dark golden brown and crispy, with an internal temperature of 170 degrees. Remove from the oven and set aside to rest for 20 to 25 minutes before serving. If you need to crisp up the skin, place the ducks under the broiler for a minute or two. Serve with glazed turnips and braised mustard greens or turnip tops.Sauce for duck: Place the orange juice in a 2-quart saucepan and reduce by two thirds over medium heat, about 8 minutes. Add the veal stock, bay leaf, peppercorns, and thyme to the pan and reduce by half, about 10 minutes.Remove from heat and strain through a fine sieve. Whisk the butter into the sauce, and season to taste with salt.Orange marmalade (optional):
Spice sachet: 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, 1 teaspoon whole cumin, 4 green cardamom pods, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 star anise, 2 whole cloves
4 oranges, cut into a small dice, seeds removed
2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice
1 cup simple syrup (1⁄2 cup water and 1⁄2 cup sugar, brought to a simmer)Toast all the spices in a dry skillet over medium heat, shaking the pan often to avoid burning, until they start to give off a fragrant aroma, about 2 minutes. Put the spices on a square of cheesecloth and tie up the edges with string to make a sachet.Place the oranges, juice, and simple syrup in a large saucepan, add the sachet, and cook over medium heat for 30 minutes, or until the oranges are tender and the liquid has thickened.
Michael Sullivan, Le Zinc
Almond cake:
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 and 3⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
1 and 1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 cup milk
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 pints ice cream, sorbet, or frozen yogurt (strawberry ice cream and raspberry sorbet recommended)Meringue:
1 cup sugar
8 egg whites
1 teaspoon cream of tartar Almond cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-inch cake pan.Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, and cream together until very light. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until incorporated before adding the next egg. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, mix the milk and almond extract. Slowly beat the flour mixture into the butter and eggs, alternating with the milk. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top is golden. Turn out onto a rack to cool.When cake is cold, spread a layer of softened sorbet over it, followed by the ice cream, shaping it into a dome. Place on a plate and freeze for 2 hours, or until the ice cream is hard.Meringue: In a small saucepan, stir together the sugar and 1⁄4 cup water. Bring to a boil. When the syrup reaches 236 degrees on a candy thermometer, remove from the heat and pour into a glass measuring cup. Place the egg whites in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, and whip until foamy. Add the cream of tartar, and beat until stiff. Whip the sugar syrup into the egg whites slowly and carefully, and continue to whip on high for 2 to 3 minutes, until the egg whites have cooled.To assemble: Cover the cake base and ice cream with a thick layer of meringue, swirling it with the back of a spoon to form decorative peaks. Place under a preheated broiler to brown – it will do so almost instantly – or use a blowtorch.
Culinary Books
Many classics have been reissued, among them:
The French Chef Cookbook
by Julia Child (Alfred A. Knopf; $15).
The French Menu Cookbook
by Richard Olney (Ten Speed Press; $29.95).
When French Women Cook: A Gastronomic Memoir
by Madeleine Kamman (Ten Speed Press; $24.95).
The Breads of France:
And How to Bake Them in Your Own Kitchen
by Bernard Clayton Jr. (Ten Speed Press; $27.95).
Lulu’s Provençal Table
by Richard Olney (Ten Speed Press; $24.95).
The Modern Library
has reissued six titles from its food series, edited by Gourmet editor Ruth Reichl. The latest:
The Passionate Epicure:
La Vie et la Passion de Dodin-Bouffant, Gourmet
by Marcel Rouff (Random House, $11.95).
The Supper of the Lamb
A Culinary Reflection
by Robert Farrar Capon (Random House, $11.95).
Erik Blauberg, ‘21’ Club and the Upstairs At ‘21’
Crêpes:
2 cups whole milk
1 and 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
5 small eggs
3⁄4 tablespoon canola oil
2 and 1⁄4 teaspoons granulated sugar
3⁄8 teaspoon salt
Vegetable-oil spray Sauce:
3⁄4 cup granulated sugar
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, strained
2 cups fresh tangerine juice, strained (orange can be substituted)
Zest of 2 tangerines, and 1⁄4 cup segments, roughly chopped
2 cinnamon sticks, halved
6 cloves
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1⁄2 cup Grand Marnier
5 tablespoons skinned and coarsely chopped hazelnuts
1⁄2 cup cognac
6 sprigs mint Crêpes: Place all ingredients except vegetable-oil spray in a bowl and whisk together until smooth. Set aside to rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Heat a small crêpe pan over medium heat, lightly coat the pan with vegetable-oil spray, and heat for 15 seconds. Pour a scant 1⁄4 cup batter into the pan, lifting and tilting the pan as you do so to allow the batter to form an even, thin layer. Cook until the crêpe is lightly brown on the bottom and the top is set; flip over with a spatula or tongs and cook until the second side is golden. Remove the crêpe from the pan and place on parchment paper. Repeat the procedure with the remaining batter, stacking the crêpes between parchment paper. There should be 18 in all. When the crêpes are cool, cover with a damp towel to prevent them from drying out. (The crêpes can be made a day ahead; just set the stack on a plate, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and keep in the refrigerator.)Sauce: Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat, add the sugar and lemon juice, and stir until the sugar starts to caramelize. Add the tangerine juice, zest, cinnamon, and cloves, and cook for 1 minute, stirring until the sauce is smooth and the caramel has been incorporated. Add the butter in chunks and stir until melted, followed by the Grand Marnier, and continue stirring for 1 to 2 minutes, until the sauce has slightly thickened. Reduce heat to low and add 1 crêpe to the pan, coat it with the sauce, and sprinkle it with 1⁄2 teaspoon hazelnuts. Using tongs, fold into quarters. Move the crêpe to one side of the pan and repeat the procedure with the remaining crêpes, stacking them. (If the pan becomes too crowded, transfer some of the crêpes to a warm platter.) Heat the liquid in the open side of the pan for 15 to 20 seconds, then remove from the burner, add the cognac, and – standing as far back as possible – tilt the pan toward the flame to ignite the alcohol. (Use a match if the cognac does not ignite.) Let it burn itself out. Arrange all the crêpes around the pan. Add the tangerine segments, increase the heat to high, and reduce the sauce for 20 seconds, until it reaches a light, syrupy consistency. (If the sauce thickens too much, add 1 tablespoon water.)To serve, remove the cinnamon and cloves. Arrange 3 crêpes on each plate, spoon the sauce over them, and sprinkle with remaining hazelnuts. Garnish with mint leaves.
Even in the supercharged dining world, where we crave what’s new and hot, and inspired chefs take pains to deliver it, there’s a palpable hunger for the French classics – the dishes that wowed us back when haute cuisine was truly exotic and Julia Child first brandished a whisk on public television. This season, in fact, such memorable fare is undergoing a well-deserved revival. And no wonder – the chefs who shared these recipes with us swear that despite jaw-dropping presentation, most of the work can be done in advance. Coq au vin, for instance, is a cinch when you cook the bird a day ahead. Rick Laakkonen does the reverse with his chateaubriand, tackling the heady portobello-bacon sauce first and searing the roast at the last minute. Terrance Brennan achieves an extra-crisp-skinned duck à l’orange by letting it dry out for three days, and Didier Virot’s tarragon-sauced lobster à l’américaine makes such a splash, it’s worth the extra effort and expense. As for blow-torching baked Alaska or igniting a pan full of crêpes Suzette – those are old flames we’ll never get over.
All recipes serve six.
Rick Laakkonen, Ilo
8 and 1⁄4 cups beef broth (low-salt if using canned)
1 bottle Merlot (or other red wine with mellow tannins)
1⁄2 cup canola oil
4 ounces sliced double-smoked bacon, cut in half lengthwise and julienned
5 shallots, finely diced
8 to 10 portobello-mushroom caps, peeled and cut into 1⁄4-inch dice
1 teaspoon finely chopped thyme
3 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 to 4 and 1⁄2 pounds beef tenderloin, trimmed (with the thin tail end folded to equalize the thickness) and tied at 1 and 1⁄2-inch intervalsPortobello-bacon sauce: Place 8 cups of the broth in a saucepan over medium heat and reduce to about 2 cups. Reduce the red wine to about 1 cup in a separate saucepan.Heat 1⁄4 cup oil in a large pan, then add the bacon and cook until it’s crisp but not burned; remove and set aside. Add the shallots to the pan, cook till translucent, and stir in the diced mushrooms. When the mushrooms have released all their liquid, return the bacon to the pan, add the reduced wine, and bring to a simmer. Add the reduced beef broth and thyme and simmer for 30 minutes. Mix the cornstarch or arrowroot with the remaining 1⁄4 cup beef broth and add to the sauce after the first 15 minutes of cooking. When ready to serve, whisk in the butter and season with salt and pepper. If the sauce becomes too thick, thin it out with a little water. Chateaubriand: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Season the meat generously with salt and pepper. Heat the remaining oil in a large ovenproof sauté pan, and when the oil begins to smoke, add the tenderloin and sear on all sides. Place the pan in the oven and roast for 20 to 30 minutes, to desired doneness (115 to 118 degrees for rare, 120 degrees for medium rare). Remove from oven, cover loosely with foil, and allow to rest for 20 minutes. Cut into 2-inch-thick slices and serve 2 per person with the portobello-bacon sauce. Hearts of celery, organic carrots, leeks, and Bintje potatoes – all braised – make great accompaniments.
Didier Virot, AIX
3 2-to-2 and 1⁄2-pound lobsters
3⁄4 cup olive oil
2 large carrots, finely diced
4 shallots, sliced
1 stalk celery, finely diced
1⁄4 cup tomato paste
1⁄2 cup cognac
12 plum tomatoes, quartered, skin on
10 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
1 cup Chardonnay (or other white wine)
2 large sprigs rosemary
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley, stems reserved
1⁄4 cup roughly chopped tarragon, stems reserved
Salt
Cayenne pepper
Freshly ground black pepper
1⁄2 lemon, juiced Blanch the lobsters in a large pot of boiling water for 2 minutes. Remove them, break off the legs and claws, and shock the lobster bodies in ice-cold water. Return the legs and claws to the boiling water for a further 2 minutes, then shock in ice-cold water. Clean the meat from the shells, holding the lobsters over a large platter to catch their juices. Separate the dark green or black coral from the meat and reserve. Cut the tail meat in half lengthwise, and chop the shells into big chunks.Heat 1⁄2 cup oil in a large thick-bottomed pot, then add the lobster shells and sauté until they turn red. Stir in the carrots, shallots, celery, and tomato paste, cover, and allow them to sweat over low heat for about 10 minutes. Add the cognac, cover again, and continue cooking for 1 to 2 minutes. Blend the tomatoes with the wine in a food processor and add to the lobster shells, along with the reserved lobster juice, garlic, rosemary, parsley stems, and 2 tablespoons chopped tarragon and stems. Season with salt and a pinch of cayenne, and cover again. Simmer very slowly for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Strain the sauce through a colander, pressing down on the shells and vegetables to extract all the liquid, and discard the solids. Add this sauce to a food processor along with the coral, and blend together. Return to a saucepan and heat gently, but do not boil or it will separate. (If the lobster does not have coral, the sauce can be boiled.) When the consistency of the sauce is medium-thick, add lemon juice, 11⁄2 tablespoons parsley, and remaining tarragon, and taste for seasoning. Season the lobster meat with salt and pepper. Heat the remaining oil in a sauté pan over high heat, add the lobster meat, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until it turns a slightly deeper red. Reduce the heat and cook for 1 minute further. Serve the lobster with the sauce, sprinkled with remaining parsley, and with basmati rice on the side.
Chef Philippe Roussel, Montparnasse
18 chicken legs and thighs (9 of each)
2 carrots, cut into 1⁄2-inch dice
1 rib of celery, cut into 1⁄2-inch dice
1 large onion, cut into 1⁄2-inch dice
1 leek, white part only, thinly sliced
2 large sprigs rosemary
4 large sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns, tied in cheesecloth
8 cups red wine (preferably Zinfandel)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 cups veal demi-glace (concentrate available from Whole Foods Market and Williams-Sonoma; organic chicken stock can be substituted)
1 tablespoon butter, softened
Salt and freshly ground black pepperGarnishes:
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
24 to 30 pearl onions, peeled (about 8 ounces)
1⁄2 cup chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 ounces slab bacon, cut into 1⁄2-inch cubes
4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, cut into 1⁄2-inch-wide slices
4 ounces button mushrooms, quartered
6 sprigs thyme or rosemary Put the chicken, carrots, celery, onion, leek, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, and peppercorns in a large pot and cover completely with 5 cups of wine. Marinate in the refrigerator for 48 hours, turning the chicken occasionally. Strain the vegetables and chicken from the wine, and separate them into two bowls. Reserve the marinade. Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Allow the vegetables to drain and dry off. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large sauté pan over high heat until lightly smoking. Add the chicken, skin side down, in batches to avoid overcrowding, and brown on all sides. Transfer the chicken to a large saucepan or casserole. Heat the remaining oil in the sauté pan, add the vegetables, and sauté over medium heat until they start to brown, about 15 minutes. Add the vegetables to the chicken pieces.Meanwhile, put the reserved marinade in a saucepan and reduce by half. Add the remaining wine and the demi-glace to the saucepan and bring to a low simmer. Pour over the chicken, set the casserole over medium heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain the chicken and vegetables from the liquid, discarding the vegetables, and keep the chicken warm. Return the sauce to the casserole and cook over medium heat until it is reduced by about two thirds and has thickened (it should coat the back of a wooden spoon). Whisk in the softened butter and season to taste with salt and pepper. When ready to serve, return the chicken to the sauce and bring to a low simmer.Transfer the coq au vin to a large serving platter and garnish with the pearl onions, bacon, mushrooms, and sprigs of thyme or rosemary. Serve with mashed potatoes. Garnishes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium ovenproof sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil until lightly smoking, add the onions, and sauté until lightly brown. Add the chicken stock, cover the pan with foil, and cook in the oven for 20 minutes or until the onions are tender when tested with the point of a knife. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in another sauté pan and cook the bacon until it’s just golden brown; do not let it become crisp. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm. Heat the remaining oil in the same pan until lightly smoking, then add the mushrooms and sauté until soft. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.