Parisian Shirred Egg

Shirred eggs, or oeufs en cocotte as they are known in France, accompanied by toast soldiers (thinly-sliced sections of toast) are one of the most glamorous, velvety breakfast dishes around. Once you go shirred, you’ll never fry an egg again!

Ingredeints

• 1 egg
• 2 portobello mushrooms
• 1 small clove garlic, peeled
• 1 tbs chopped fresh chervil, rinsed
• 2 tsp crème fraîche
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 slice of bread
• Butter
• Salt and pepper, to taste.

Method:

• Preheat oven to 260 C degrees.
• Peel and slice mushroom. Never wash portobello mushrooms or they will lose taste once they get soaked with water.
• Chop chervil and garlic clove.
• Heat frying over medium heat, add olive oil; once hot, add the garlic. Move garlic around the pan for about a minute to give oil a garlic flavor.
• Lower heat and add mushrooms into the pan. Add chervil and a pinch of salt. Leave for 5 minutes, stirring from time to time.
• Grease ramekin with butter. Add the mushrooms then a teaspoon of crème fraîche. Repeat the layers then add salt.
• Break an egg in the ramekin and top with a pinch of pepper.
• Fill half of an ovenproof baking dish with boiling or very hot water and put ramekin on it. Bake for 6-8 minutes.
• It’s ready when white is done but yolk remains liquid. Serve with toasted bread.

Salmon in Parchment

            Ingredeints

• 1 teaspoon olive oil, or more if needed
• 6 small potatoes
• 10 spears asparagus
• 2 (8 ounce) skinless, boneless, center-cut salmon fillets
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• parchment paper

Method

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Take two pieces of parchment paper, fold in half, and cut a half-circle starting at each crease. They should look similar to a heart-shape when unfolded. Coat each piece of parchment with olive oil on both sides.
• Place potatoes in a saucepan and cover with salted water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain.
• Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add asparagus, and cook uncovered until slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Drain in a colander, then immediately immerse in ice water for several minutes until cold to stop the cooking process. Once the asparagus is cold, drain well, and set aside.
• Place 1 salmon fillet, half the asparagus, and half the potatoes in the middle of one side of a prepared parchment paper. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil. Fold other half of circle over and seal parchment edge by making overlapping folds around the edge. At the end, fold the last crease in the opposite direction of the rest to ensure it seals. Repeat with the second piece of prepared parchment and remaining ingredients. Place pouches on a baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes before cutting open parchment. The salmon is done when it flakes easily with a fork.

Marseille-Style Shrimp Stew

                Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Salt
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium fennel bulb, cored and finely chopped
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• Three 1-inch strips of orange zest
• Pinch of ground cloves
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup bottled clam juice
• 1 cup canned whole tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled
• Freshly ground pepper
• Toasted baguettes, for serving

Method:

• In a bowl, mash the garlic with a pinch of salt. Whisk in the mayonnaise, lemon juice, paprika and cayenne. Whisk in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Set the rouille aside.
• In a large, deep skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil until shimmering. Add the fennel and onion and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until softened, 7 minutes. Add the garlic, orange zest and ground cloves and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add the wine and cook until nearly evaporated, 5 minutes. Add the clam juice, tomatoes, saffron and 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper and simmer until the sauce is reduced by half, 10 minutes.
• Add the shrimp to the skillet, cover and cook over moderate heat, turning once, until cooked, 5 minutes. Discard the zest. Spread the rouille on toasts and serve with the stew.

Lamb Chops with Cognac Dijon Cream Sauce

    Ingredients:

    For The Meat

• 2 Frenched Racks of Lamb
• Olive Oil
• Kosher Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper

      For the Sauce

• 1/4 Cup Shallots
• 1/2 Cup Plus 1 1/2 Tablespoons Cognac
• 3 Cups Heavy Cream
• 4 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
• 1 Teaspoon Finely Chopped Rosemary
• 1/4 Cup Grated Parmigiano Reggiano
• Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper To Taste

Method:

• Preheat oven to 350ºF and set the oven rack to the middle position. Also, on the stovetop, preheat a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat.
• Drizzle olive oil over the meat and rub to coat evenly. Generously cover with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Using tongs, sear the meat on all sides until you have a nice brown crust. (2-3 minutes on each side). When browned, stand racks of lamb up and lean them against each other while interlocking the bones.
• Place the skillet in the oven and roast for 15 minutes. Next tent the lamb with aluminum foil, covering just the bones. Cook for another 10-25 minutes, until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 135ºF.
• Remove the meat from the skillet to a plate and cover with foil. Put the skillet on the stove over medium heat and add the chopped shallots to the pan. Sauté until beginning to brown (about 5 minutes).
• Add 1/2 cup of cognac to the pan and scrape up the brown bits. Simmer for 2 minutes. Add the heavy cream and dijon mustard and gently simmer until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (about 5 minutes). Add the parmesan and stir until well combined. Lastly, add the rosemary, remaining cognac, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Cut the meat into individual chops and serve in a pool of the sauce and with more sauce on the side.

Recipe Notes: A good sourdough bread is a perfect accompaniment to soak up the sauce.

Chicken in Red Wine Vinegar

                    

                Ingredients:

• 14 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 8 large chicken breasts, trimmed
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 3 large shallots, thinly sliced
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons crème fraîche
• 3 tablespoons chopped tarragon

   Method:

• In a medium saucepan, bring the vinegar, broth, honey and tomato paste to a boil, stirring well. Simmer the vinegar sauce until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 8 minutes.
• Heat the butter in a large, heavy skillet. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and add half of them to the skillet, skin side down. Cook over moderate heat, turning once, until browned. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts.
• Add the garlic and shallots to the skillet and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Add the wine; boil until reduced to 1/4 cup. Add the vinegar sauce and bring to a simmer.
• Return the chicken to the skillet, skin side up. Cover and simmer over low heat until cooked through, about 20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to plates.
• Add the crème fraîche to the skillet and boil for 3 minutes. Add the tarragon and season with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve.