French Classics Made Easy (35 page)

10.
In a small bowl, mix the egg yolks and cream together and gradually whisk in ½ cup of the hot sauce. Whisk the warmed egg yolk mixture into the sauce. Return the sauce to the heat and bring just to a simmer, whisking constantly. Remove the sauce from the heat and pour it over the veal, onions, and morels. (The recipe can be prepared to this point several days in advance. Cover the surface with plastic wrap, let cool, and refrigerate.)

11.
Before serving, reheat the veal and vegetables in a water bath (
bain-marie
), gently stirring occasionally, until the sauce and veal are hot, 15 to 20 minutes.

NOTE

If you don’t have dried or fresh morels when you want to make this recipe, you can always make the more usual version of this dish by using ¾ pound fresh button mushrooms. Wash them and add in step 5.

IN ADDITION

If you can’t find morels in a local store, look for them online, where you’ll find both domestic and imported morels. Morels come in both dark brown and white varieties, but I recommend using only the more robust-flavored brown ones for this recipe.

SERVING SUGGESTION

Start with a salad. Serve the
blanquette
with Boiled White Rice (
page 206
). For dessert, serve a sorbet and Almond Tuiles (
page 252
).

WINE

I like a dry white wine with this dish.

VARIATION

C
REAMY
C
HICKEN
S
TEW WITH
M
ORELS

[BLANQUETTE DE VOLAILLE AUX MORILLES]

Substitute 2½ pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut in large chunks, for the veal. In step 3, add the pearl onions along with the other ingredients and simmer for 35 minutes, or until the pearl onions are tender. Omit step 4 and then proceed with the recipe.

RACK OF LAMB
ON A BED OF WATERCRESS

[CARRÉ D’AGNE AU VERTPRÉ]

The French name of this superb dish comes from its presentation. The lamb is surrounded by watercress as if it were in a green (
vert
) meadow (
pré
).

Rack of lamb is not only one of the most delectable cuts of lamb, it is also an expensive and, to some, intimidating one. Even though they have probably cooked lamb rib chops (which before they are cut apart comprise a rack), most people will rarely make a rack of lamb at home, thinking of it as a restaurant specialty. However, not only is it not hard to make, it is a good deal less expensive at home.

Since the racks cook quickly, have your vegetable dishes ready to reheat, and roast the racks while eating your first course. Note: In the summer I use my covered grill for this wonderful cut of meat.

SERVES 4 TO 6

2 racks of lamb (8 chops each), completely trimmed (see facing page)

1 teaspoon fresh or dried thyme leaves

½ teaspoon chopped fresh or dried rosemary

¼ teaspoon salt

⅛ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 bunch watercress, thick stems trimmed

1.
Preheat the oven to 475°F.

2.
Season both sides of the racks with the herbs, salt, and pepper, and place in a roasting pan bone side down. (If seasoning in advance, do not salt until just before roasting.)

3.
Place in the oven and lower the temperature to 400°F. Depending on their size, the racks will take 20 to 30 minutes to cook to medium-rare. When done, they will be springy to the touch.

4.
To serve: Transfer the lamb to a serving platter or carving board and surround with watercress. Slice into individual chops by cutting between the bones, and serve 2 to 3 chops per person.

C
OMPLETELY
T
RIMMED
R
ACK OF
L
AMB

A rack of lamb contains 6 to 8 chops, and when found in a supermarket, will have bones ranging from 3 to 4 inches in length. It is usually covered by a thick layer of fat. Although the backbone or chine bone of the chops will have been cut through with a band saw to facilitate carving, they will still be attached. When roasted as is, the rack will leave large, unattractive bones and quantities of fat on the diners’ plates.

To make the cooking easy and to improve the presentation, I ask the butcher to cut the rib bones 2 inches from the eye, and to remove the chine and feather bones. I also have all visible fat removed, leaving only the eye of the chop. If there is still fat on the rack when you get it home (butchers are often reluctant to trim all the fat off, because it makes it look like you’re not getting enough for your money), you can remove the rest yourself by peeling away the fat covering the meat. Once you have uncovered the eye of the rack, use a knife to slice the fat away from the bones. You will find that you have removed a small piece of meat that is embedded in the fat, and you can trim this and reserve it for later use in a lamb stew.

SERVING SUGGESTION

This wonderful cut of meat can be the centerpiece of a grand dinner. You can serve a simple green salad or an elegant fish mousseline (see
pages 47
–52) to start. Almost any green vegetable and potato preparation goes well with the lamb; I particularly enjoy buttered or Creamed Spinach (
page 191
) along with Potatoes à la Boulangère (
page 202
). Sorbet and cookies are a good ending.

VARIATION

R
ACK OF
L
AMB WITH
B
EARNAISE OR
C
HORON
S
AUCE

[CARRÉ D’ AGNEAU VERT PRÉ SAUCE BÉARNAISE OU CHORON]

Omit the herbs and serve with Béarnaise Sauce (
page 327
) or Béarnaise with Tomatoes (
page 329
).

ROAST LEG OF LAMB

[GIGOT D’AGNEAU RÔTI]

A leg of lamb is a luxury in France, and most families reserve it for special gatherings and Sunday lunches. Simply roasted with garlic and herbs, it is most often served with fresh green beans in spring and summer, and one of a variety of dried beans, such as flageolets (pale green kidney beans), in the winter. Potatoes are often roasted in the pan with the lamb.

If you roast leg of lamb in the usual American manner, you will discover that I do a number of things differently. First, I have the butcher cut out the “H” (also known as the “aitch”) or hip bone (see “French-Style Leg of Lamb,”
page 161
), which makes the leg easier to carve. Second, as with most meat, I remove as much fat as possible. In this recipe, as in many leg of lamb recipes, garlic is imbedded in the meat before roasting. Most cooks will make random slits in the meat and insert the garlic slices. When eating the lamb, a diner often gets a bite that is more garlic than lamb. To avoid this, I place the slices of garlic near the bone along its length and at both ends of the leg. In this way the leg is lightly scented with garlic without being objectionably strong.

SERVES 6

1 leg of lamb, 6 to 7½ pounds untrimmed, or 4 to 5 pounds trimmed

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1 tablespoon light olive oil

2 teaspoons fresh or dried thyme leaves

1 teaspoon chopped fresh or dried rosemary

⅛ teaspoon salt

⅛ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1.
Preheat the oven to 475°F.

2.
Make several small, deep incisions into the leg of lamb along the length of the bone. Insert the garlic slices, placing them as close to the bone as possible. Rub the leg with the oil and sprinkle all over with the herbs. Season with the salt and pepper.

3.
Place the lamb in a roasting pan rounded side up and roast for 15 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 400°F and roast for another 15 minutes.

4.
Turn the leg and roast until springy to the touch, another 20 minutes.

5.
Remove the roast when done and allow the leg to stand, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes before carving. To carve the lamb: Place the lamb, rounded side up, on a large meat cutting board. Holding the leg by the bone to steady it, slice the meat with the knife held horizontally, and parallel to the cutting board. When you reach the bone, turn the leg about 45 degrees, and take off more slices from this side of the leg. Continue turning and slicing until you’ve taken off enough slices for your guests. Transfer the sliced lamb to a platter or serve directly from the cutting board.

G
RILLING
L
AMB
: Tips for Legs and Racks

To prepare a leg for grilling, I have the leg butterflied (boned and cut to lie flat). However, some parts are thicker than others, making even cooking a little difficult, and when carving you find yourself cutting several different muscles, some with and some against the grain. To avoid this, after the leg is butterflied, I trim it of
all
its fat, leaving one with individual muscles, which I then grill like steaks.

At least 1 hour before grilling, I sprinkle or rub the leg with seasonings. Unlike other cuts of lamb whose flavors are relatively delicate, the leg is stronger in flavor and can support fairly robust seasonings, such as mustard or rosemary, garlic, ginger, or even crushed juniper berries.

When grilling a rack of lamb, the cooking time on a hot covered grill is generally 13 to 14 minutes. I often season the lamb several hours in advance of cooking, though I am careful not to salt the meat until just before grilling so as not to extract the natural moisture. In general, I do not season any grilled meat with salt until after it has been browned.

SERVING SUGGESTION

Serve with Glazed Garlic (
page 181
) and Green Beans (
page 182
) or White Beans à la Bretonne (
page 184
). Ratatouille (
page 193
) and Gratin Dauphinois (
page 200
) are also excellent choices. End the meal with a Fallen Chocolate Soufflé (
page 267
).

WINE

I enjoy a wide variety of red wines with lamb: Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Zinfandel, and Syrah/Shiraz.

VARIATIONS

R
OAST
L
EG OF
L
AMB WITH
C
HORON
S
AUCE

[GIGOT D’AGNEAU SAUCE CHORON]

Omit the garlic and rosemary and serve with Béarnaise with Tomatoes (
page 329
).

M
USTARD
-R
OASTED
L
EG OF
L
AMB

[GIGOT D’AGNEAU À LA MOUTARDE]

Substitute 2 to 3 tablespoons of Dijon mustard for the olive oil.

VENISON-STYLE LEG OF LAMB

[GIGOT EN CHEVREUIL]

Marinating lamb in a marinade frequently used for venison is the basis for this classic recipe. If you have never prepared game, making this recipe will give you the experience you need to do so. Some of my readers are hunters, and this recipe can be used for deer, elk, or antelope.

I recommend serving the lamb with three different sauces that go well with game. On
page 322
, you will find the basic recipe for a peppery sauce called
poivrade
. It is followed by two variations, Grand Veneur and Chevreuil. It is really easy to make all three sauces, because they are just minor variations of one another. Follow the instructions in “A Trio of Game Sauces” (
page 324
).

SERVES 8