Saint-Estèphe is a lovely village perched on a hill just above the banks of the Gironde estuary. It’s a tiny little place with a huge reputation – a reputation for making fine wines. Saint-Estèphe wines are considered to be some of the most robust and earthy of the region.  Saint-Estèphe also happens to be my favorite wine-making village in all of Médoc. It has a very charming little square with a church, a butcher, a wine store and a café that’s open sometimes. In summer, the banks of the estuary are covered with beautiful flowers in every color.  There are moments when Saint-Estèphe feels almost deserted and lost in time, it’s not a lively village by any means, but it’s just how I like it.

One of the rooms at Château Ormes de Pez.

In Pez, a nearby commune of  Saint-Estèphe, there is a small maison d’hôtes (guesthouse) in a château, Ormes de Pez, that I’ve always wanted to discover. It belongs to the Cazes family who own various other vineyards, such as Château Lynch-Bages, as well as restaurants and establishments in Médoc. As they’ve gone to great lengths in their endeavours to promote and improve the region I was curious to see what they had done with Ormes de Pez.

I found the château to be the sort of place I’d love to stay in if I didn’t live in Médoc. In fact I think I might like to stay there anyway, at least once. Beautifully understated rooms, incredible location and view. But then I expected that already. The real surprise of the day was L’Intendant, M. Gilles de Marcellus – the man who runs the place. As he took us through the rooms and garden I could sense that the kitchen was calling him. It turned out he had a rendez-vous with a nice piece of lamb he was cooking for guests that evening. Gilles kindly invited us to the kitchen and even if I just had lunch the inviting smell made me instantly hungry.

M. Gilles de Marcellus, L’Intendant at Château Ormes de Pez

In the car on the way home I had one thought in my head. I had to have that lamb. Now! So we turned the car around, headed back and asked Gilles for the recipe. He was only happy to oblige so we chatted a bit about different techniques and other recipes, including his version of ratatouille.  A crunchier, modern version he likes to serve with the lamb.  Then I headed to the butcher, M. Pigout, in Saint-Estèphe to get exactly the same lamb as Gilles had.  As they were preparing it we had a little moment in the church, me and my boys. It’s not a very big church but incredibly grand and beautiful for it’s size thus capturing perfectly the spirit of Saint-Estèphe. Small in size but full of character.

I made the lamb the following day and once it was in the oven I started reflecting on what to serve for dessert. With the lamb needing seven hours in the oven I had a lot of time to think. We had visited a cow farm with all the kids earlier in the week and I had several bags of fresh farm milk. They had to be used so milk would be the base of my dessert. In the end I decided on a simple chocolate creme pot served with my classic madeleines and a cachou Lajaunie cream on the side.  Those little licorice pastilles are another favorite, something I’ve cherished since my childhood. They’re little treats from Toulouse and I used to have them as a little girl spending summers with my grandmother. I like everything about them, the taste, the box, the memories they bring.

These little boxes are a reminder of everything I love about France and I hope they will never change.

For all information on Château Ormes de Pez, please send an email accueil@ormesdepez.com Tel: +33(0)556593005

Lamb confit with thyme & ratatouille (serves 4-6)

Ingredients:

1.2 kg/ 2.6 pounds(approx) of lamb shoulder, deboned and tied

1 large carrot

1 tomato

1 onion

1 celery stalk

6 garlic cloves

A few sprigs of thyme and rosemary

1 bay leaf

30 g unsalted butter

2 tbsp olive oil

Salt & black pepper

For this recipe, ask your butcher to debone and tie a 1.2 kg shoulder of lamb.

Preheat oven 140°C/ 280F

Chop all the vegetable coarsely. Set the garlic cloves aside, leaving the skin on.

In a large cast-iron pot, heat butter and olive oil. Brown meat on all sides, about 3-4 minutes each side. Season with salt and pepper. Remove meat from pot and set aside. In the same pot, add all the vegetable, garlic (skin left on), sauté for 2 minutes and return meat (with all its juices) to the pot. Add water (or chicken stock) halfway up to the meat. Add bay leaf. Bring to a boil and turn off the heat. Add sprigs of thyme and rosemary on top of meat. Season again with salt & pepper. Cover pot and place in the oven for 6-7 hours. Check on the meat every two hours, drizzle meat with cooking liquid. Slice meat, serve with ratatouille and drizzle with sauce and vegetables from the pot.

note: You can also heat the cooking liquid, add 400 ml/ 1 & 3/4 cups of lamb or veal stock, a small glass of white wine and reduce to half. Check the seasoning then pass it through a sieve into a bowl. Drizzle gravy on lamb before serving.

Ratatouille

5 tomatoes

2 aubergines/eggplant

2 zucchini

2 red peppers

2 green peppers

2 white onions

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

A few sprigs of thyme

1 bay leaf

Olive oil, for frying

Salt & black pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the tomatoes for 2 minutes or until the skin starts to crack. Drain and peel tomatoes. Deseed tomatoes. Dice all the vegetables into small cubes (see photos). Make sure to keep each vegetable in separate bowls.

Next, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan. Sauté each vegetable (they must be all al dente, slightly crunchy) at a time in the following order: onions, peppers, aubergines, zucchini, tomatoes with the crushed garlic, bay leaf and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Finally, mix all the ingredients together in the pan, mix well and turn heat off. Cover with a lid and set aside till serving time.

Petits pots au chocolat/ Chocolate creme pots (serves 6)

400 ml/ 1 & 3/4 cups full cream milk

100 ml/ 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp full cream

180 g/ 6 ounces black chocolate

2 egg yolks

25 g/ 1 tbsp granulated sugar

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

Break chocolate into small pieces and place in a large bowl. Set aside. In another bowl, whisk egg yolks with sugar until smooth.  Set aside.

Heat milk and cream in a saucepan. Split the vanilla bean in half and remove the seeds with the edge of a knife.
Add seeds and bean to the mixture. Bring to a soft boil and take off the heat. Discard bean pod.
Pour mixture over egg yolks/sugar very slowly, whisking constantly until blended. Return to saucepan and stir constantly for 4-5 minutes, until mixture coats the back of a spoon.

Pour mixture slowly over chocolate, stirring constantly until melted. Pour into small ramequins. Leave to cool at room temperature and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to set.

Madeleines

Ingredients:

3 eggs

150 g/ 1 & 1/4 cup  plain flour

125 g/ 1/2 cup butter or margarine (melted)

130 g/ 2/3 cup granulated sugar

20 g/ 2 tbsp honey

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp lemon zest

2 tbsp orange blossom water

Madeleine cake molds (I have silicone ones)

Whisk sugar, honey, salt and eggs together until light and fluffy. Sift flour and baking powder together, then gradually fold in the egg mixture and mix gently. Add the melted butter, orange blossom water and lemon zest, stir lightly, cover and leave to rest for at least 2 hours or overnight in the fridge (that’s better!). It is very important for the batter to be cold before baking – the thermal ‘shock’ is necessary for a good ‘bumpy’ round madeleine.

Preheat your oven 180°C/ 350 F

Butter and sprinkle your molds with flour. Add one good teaspoon of cold batter into the molds. Bake for 10 minutes depending on how big your molds are. When ready, use a round-edged knife to delicately lift each cake.  Makes about 15-20 cakes, depending on mould size.

Licorice custard cream sauce

180 ml/ 3/4 cup full cream milk

60 ml/ 1/4 cup  liquid cream

2 egg yolk

½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise

¼ tsp licorice Lajaunie (or you can use dark strong licorice, grated or sliced finely) – more or less, according to your taste

40 g/ 2 tbsp granulated sugar

Whisk sugar and egg yolks in a large bowl, set aside.

In a saucepan, combine milk, cream, vanilla, licorice and bring to a soft boil, making sure the licorice melts. Pour mixture slowly on egg yolks, whisking constantly. Return mixture to saucepan, and continue to stir on a low heat until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Take off heat and set aside to cool. Serve as a dipping sauce for the Madeleine cakes.

My grandmother always said that it takes time to adjust to a new season, so it’s important to gradually welcome the warmer days. She said ‘En Avril, ne te découvre pas d’un fil, et en Mai, fais ce qu’il te plaît‘. (In April, don’t undress to a thread, but in May, dress as you wish).  I was over-enthusiastic with the warm temperatures and caught a nasty cold last week.  April days can be so unreliable.  That’s why I was inspired to make the Tourin à l’ail, a delicious and nutritious garlic soup from the South of France, to fend away my debilitating state.  I made the Bordelais version which was the soup the vendangeurs (vineyard workers) would come home to.  This traditional soup, made with onions and garlic, is as earthy as it gets.  May I also add that garlic is an aphrodisiac? It was traditionally given to newlyweds on their wedding night, as a pick-me-up soup after all the drinking and dancing till the wee hours…  I’ll leave the rest to your imagination.  Could this be the miracle soup?  Mais oui!

From miracle soup we move to the world’s best cake.  To make our lunch more eclectic, my Icelandic mother-in-law baked her famous Icelandic ‘heimsins besta’, which translates ‘Best cake in the world’.  Johanna has been baking this cake for 30 years now.  It has become a must-make at birthday parties, confirmation parties, dinner parties, or just any occasion.  It’s so good and irresistible.  The kids were ecstatic that their grandmother baked such a treat for them.  I just find this cake so original, filled with surprising textures (caramelized rice crispies in the meringue) and taste.  After the last bite, I couldn’t wait to make it again.

Moving from amazing to peculiar things, I saw a white aubergine at the market.  I thought I had seen it all – but this white aubergine was a first.  As colours influence your mood, I felt very creative and wanted to make something pretty and floral as a dish.  I remembered Alain Passard’s beautiful rose apple tart, and got inspired to make a vegetable flower tart, filled with yellow zucchini, garlic and aubergine.  A whimsical thought can lead to wonderful things at the dinner table.  With the leftovers, I made a bright springy ratatouille, using the classing method without the peppers, rosé instead of red wine.  To jazz it up, a 5 & 1/2 minute boiled egg, which I gently fried in golden buttery breadcrumbs.  Soft inside with a slight crunchy outside, that’s what I call a little moment of culinary delight.

To end the day, Oddur, Louise and I went for a drive  to Saint Christoly de Médoc,  a charming village by the Gironde estuary.  Quaint and quiet, elegant and demure, I love this place.  There’s even a street called rue de Glycines, in other words Wisteria Lane, filled with purple and violet wisteria flowers everywhere.  Am I in a dream?  This is how I feel in Saint-Christoly.  I would love to share one of my best kept secret address, the antique store owned by Mme Anne Bouteiller called Côté Gironde.  It’s a gem in the heart of Médoc, and I think the photos speak for themselves.  Mme Bouteiller and I chatted, mostly about the beautiful old kitchen utensils, but also her love for food, her old cookbooks and what she was cooking for her friends that night.  As we know, in France, all conversations lead to the table.

Tourin à l’ail/ Garlic soup
1 whole head of garlic + 2 garlic cloves to fry/sprinkle, finely sliced
1 onion, finely diced
2 tbsp duck fat (alternatively olive oil)
1 tbsp plain flour
2 eggs (separated)
A few sprigs of thyme
1 tbsp xérès vinegar (or classic wine vinegar)
1.2 liters/ 5 cups chicken stock
Sea-salt & black pepper for seasoning

In a large pot, melt duck fat (or olive oil) and fry the onion for 2 minutes.  Add the peeled/ sliced head of garlic and continue frying for 2 more minutes.  The onion & garlic must not brown.  Add flour, stir and pour the chicken stock in the pot.  Bring to a soft boil, season with salt and pepper, add sprigs of thyme.  Cover and leave to simmer for 20 minutes.
In a small frying pan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil and fry sliced garlic until golden and slightly crispy.  Drain on paper towel and set aside.
Purée soup using a hand blender, or in batches in a regular blender.  Return soup to pot and switch on medium heat.
Separate eggs.  Beat the egg whites in a small bowl and whisk continuously into the soup.  You should see thin strands in the soup.  Take immediately off the heat.  Whisk egg yolks with vinegar and dilute mixture into the soup, stir constantly to avoid any curdling.  Sprinkle with fried garlic and drizzle with a few drops of olive oil (optional).  Serve immediately with thinly toasted bread (I drizzle olive oil on baguette/ toast and grill for a few seconds or until golden.

My ‘spring’ Ratatouille with a breadcrumbed egg
(for a classic ratatouille click here)

Ingredients: (serves 4)

2 medium-sized white onions, sliced
2 yellow courgettes/zucchini, sliced
1 large aubergine/eggplant, cut into cubes
12 small ‘cherry’ yellow tomatoes, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely sliced
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
25 ml rosé wine (or white – optional)
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper

Slice all the vegetables accordingly.

Heat the olive oil in a large pan and cook the onions until they are transparent. Add aubergine, courgettes, garlic, thyme and bay leaf, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 3 minutes. Finally, add the chopped tomatoes and the wine (optional), stir gently, cover and cook for 20 minutes on a low heat.

For the breadcrumbed eggs:
4 eggs
40 g unsalted butter
4 handfuls of fresh breadcrumbs
Salt & pepper, for seasoning

Place eggs in cold water.  Bring to a boil for 5 and 1/2 minutes, drain and place in ice-cold water.  Peel eggs.  In a small pan, melt the butter on a low heat, roll the eggs.  Increase the heat to medium,  gently sprinkle breadcrumbs on eggs using a spoon to roll egg until golden brown.  If you can’t get all the breadcrumbs to stick, no worries, just spoon the remaining breadcrumbs and sprinkle on the eggs when you serve.

Zucchini & aubergine tart

2 zucchini
1 large aubergine
A few sprigs of fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
Olive oil
Sea-salt & black pepper

For the pastry:
250 g/ 2 cups plain flour
125 g/ 1/2 cup unsalted butter (cubed & at room temperature)
1 egg
1-2 tbsp cold water
1/2 tsp salt

Mix all the ingredients together, start kneading until you get a good soft dough. Make into a ball, cover with cling film and store in the refrigerator for 2 hours. On a clean surface covered with parchment paper, add a dash of flour and roll out a disc to line your tart dish.

For the filling:
Slice zucchini, aubergine and garlic finely.  Line slices alternating zucchini/aubergine to create a rose-like patter until you reach the center.  Slide in garlic slices. Drizzle olive oil all over, sprinkle salt, pepper, fresh thyme and 2 bay leaves (see photo).

Bake in a pre-heated oven 180°C/ 350F for approx 30 minutes. Drizzle with little bit of olive oil before serving. (optional)

Meringue cake ‘Heimsins Besta Kaka’
(serves 10)

Meringue base and cover:
3 egg whites
200 g granulated sugar
1 tsp baking powder
350 g/ 2 cups rice crispies

Cream (to be spread on ‘cover’ meringue):
100 g chocolate
2 egg yolk
1 tbsp liquid cream

For the cream filling:
425 ml full cream (for whipping)
50 g dark raisins
50 g dark chocolate
(alternatively you can buy ready-made chocolate raisins!)

Over simmering water, melt the chocolate and dip raisins.  Place on parchment paper and leave to set and cool for 20 minutes.

Method:

Making the meringues:
Preheat oven to 160°C/ 320 F

Prepare 2 equal-sized cake moulds and line base with parchment paper.  Whisk egg whites and sugar and until it reaches stiff peaks.  Sprinkle baking powder on rice crispies and gently fold into stiff egg whites .  Spoon equal amounts of egg white mixture into both moulds, flatten surface with spatula and bake approx 35 minutes.  Gently unmould after 10 minutes and leave to cool completely on a baking rack.  Set aside.

For the filling:
Whisk whipping cream until fluffy/ stiff, fold in chocolate raisins.

For the ‘icing’ cream: (make this just after spreading the filling between the two meringue layers)

Over boiling water, melt the chocolate.  Off the heat, whisk in 2 egg yolks, followed by 1 tbsp full cream and mix well.

To assemble cake:
Using a spatula, gently spread cream on the base meringue.  Add the top meringue.    Spread icing all over on top /cover meringue, creating soft waves. Place cake in refrigerator and leave to cool for 2 hours before serving.

Sometimes on Sundays I get the call of the sea, especially when the sun shines through my bedroom window as I wake up in the morning. The ocean is only a few minutes away and it’s as if the rays of the sun bring la mer closer to my home. On beautiful days like that, I love going to the market in Soulac-sur-Mer, a timeless belle époque sea-side village in Médoc.

For me, there is no better way to start a day than with the energy of a bustling morning market. The fishmongers, discussing the ocean’s sightings, the farmers pride on their local produce, the oyster man who sells his catch and a charming, rather short man, who grows the tallest tulips I’ve ever seen, the variety I always associate with France.
I just enjoy walking through the crowds getting lost in my thoughts. I go with the flow, interested in each stall, hoping to find something extra-special, like freshly baked cakes, beautiful flowers or in my case, fried acras de morue (salted cod fritters), which I nibbled with delight while shopping for food. It’s impossible to resist a mid-morning snack at the market because everything is just so appetizing.

As I was discussing which flowers were in season with Marie-Annick (who to my delight had lovely peonies so early in the season), I caught a glimpse of the catch of the day at my favorite fish stall. Beautiful daurades (sea bream), perfectly laid and ready to be adorned with handfuls of herbs, onion, garlic and lemon. I love the pleasure of cooking an entire fish. I made sure to ask my fishmonger to empty, scale and clean the fish. So really, what I had to do was a mere job of decorating. So fresh, so interesting and most of all such a delight to prepare. Just like my garden cake, I did the same with the fish. Out in the garden, I picked what I needed to create a lovely herb garden fish!

For starters, I served lovely amandes de mer sautéed with garlic, olive oil and parsley with a dash of piment d’espelette. The poetic amandes de mer, in other words ‘sea almonds’, are called dog cockles in English. They have an almond-like flavor, and are cooked just like clams. While I was preparing lunch I couldn’t resist a few bulots, French marine snails that are so delightful dipped in a freshly whipped mayonnaise with a glass of crisp white wine.

Médoc has such variety, beautiful vineyards on one side, the majesty of the Atlantic ocean on the other. I feel so blessed to have the ocean near, I guess having grown up by a fragrant harbour means I need to be close to the sea.
Last monday when Sunday’s fish was but a memory and when the beautiful sunshine had made way for more dramatic skies we had a long walk on the beach. It was just the two of us and a few dogs. Watching them run on the beach reminded me of a passage from Hemingway’s ‘The old man and the sea‘.

‘He no longer dreamed of storms, nor of women, nor of great occurrences, nor of great fish, nor fights, nor contests of strength, nor of his wife. He only dreamed of places now and of the lions on the beach. They played like young cats in the dusk and he loved them as he loved the boy’.

I guess in Médoc even dogs can be lions.

Poêlée d’amandes de mer/ Dog cockles with garlic, parsley and piment d’espelette (serves 4)

1 kg/ 2-2.5 pounds amandes de mer/ dog cockles (or medium-sized clams variety)
A bunch of fresh parsley, chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic, sliced finely
3 tbsp olive oil
1 glass of dry white wine
Sea-salt and black pepper
A dash of piment d’espelette

Rinse cockles in water several times and drain.
Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a medium-sized pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic, stir for 1-2 minutes. Add cockles, stir 30 seconds. Add white wine, season with salt and pepper. Cover, stirring occasionally, for 5-8 minutes, or until cockles open. Add a handful of chopped parsley and sprinkle with piment d’espelette. Serve immediately.

Daurade with herbs (serves 2)

1 daurade/ sea bream fish, approx 800-900 g, scaled and gutted
1 small onion, finely diced
1 tbsp mustard of Dijon
2 spring onions, sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
4 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Grated lemon zest from 1 lemon
8 sprigs of thyme
6 bay leaves
A handful of parsley
1 tbsp mustard
Sea-salt & black pepper

Preheat the oven to 210°C/ 410 F.

Place a large piece of aluminium foil onto a clean surface. Add an equal-sized layer of foil on top. Fold over the edges so they are secured together.
Place the fish onto the foil. Spoon one tablespoon of mustard and rub inside the fish cavity. Stuff the diced onion inside (keep 1 tbsp to scatter later on fish). Sprinkle fish with lemon zest, chopped parsley, thyme, diced onion, garlic, sliced spring onions and lemon juice. Drizzle olive oil all over fish, and add the bay leaves, inserting one in the fish cavity. Season with sea-salt and black pepper. Add another sheet of aluminium foil and carefully seal all edges of the foil to form an enclosed parcel. It should be tightly sealed so that the fish steams as it cooks without any steam escaping.
Place the fish in a roasting tray and transfer to the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, depending on oven strength. When cooked, remove from the oven and place onto a large serving plate. Carefully undo the foil.
Sprinkle chopped fresh parsley and squeeze fresh lemon juice. Serve immediately with steamed vegetables.

Two nights ago we were driving through the vineyards and saw the most spectacular view in Blaignan-Médoc. Millions of golden yellow flowers drizzled all over the growing vineyards, and to add to the show, a beautiful old windmill in the middle of it all . It was a picture perfect moment, but as my husband had forgotten his camera, we decided to return the next morning.

M. Fabien Courrian

We came back to the beautiful spot, and walked through the vineyards with our beloved fox-terrier Sky. She’s our most joyful dog, so it suited her to run through the yellow field of dreams without a care in the world. We were just in time, as the flowers were being removed by the workers, patch by patch. A necessary procedure to prevent the flowers and roots to interfere with the vines. Oh well, at least we enjoyed the last of it!

To make our picturesque moment even more special, we bumped into the owner of Château Tour Haut-Caussan, Mr. Fabien Courrian. The Courrian family have lived in Blaignan-Médoc since 1634. Fabien greeted us so warmly, told wonderful stories, and gave us a tour of the fully functional family windmill (it was restored in 1981), followed by a visit to the château. What I loved most about the château/ family home is the warmth it exudes. You can feel the laughter, the close-knit family and above all the generosity of its owners. Fabien was very proud to show us his open table, where he greets friends and clients who drop by. If you are lucky, there will be good food waiting for you, an entrecôte grilling in the fireplace or a rustic stew. What an idyllic life! Wine, food, friends, a château and a windmill – a dream come true and an inspiration for all.  We left his home with a case of wine, a generous gift from Fabien. The windmill is on every label, just like a family crest. I told my husband that life was just like in the movies, and we’re right in it!

When we arrived home, the kids were anxiously waiting with my mother-in-law to jump in the pool. We set a table in the garden, and I rushed in the kitchen to make a perfect starter dish after our little vineyard visit. A vignarola, in other words a spring vegetable stew. Fresh fava beans, peas, artichokes, spring onion, parsley, mint and a dash of pancetta (or guanciale) are the ingredients for this delightful Roman dish. As a matter of fact, this dish is called vignarola (vigna, vine in Italian) because all the vegetables were known to be grown in between rows of Roman grapevines. As they had to be picked to give the vines space to grow, the vignarola recipe was born. At least that is what I heard from my Roman friends. When we were walking through Fabien Courrian’s vineyards, he plucked a few tender spring onions from the vines. We tasted a few, raw and fresh from the earth. ‘Best to be eaten steamed, accompanied by a vinaigrette, just like asparagus!’ he said.

For the main course, I made my family’s favorite chicken dish. Roast chicken with crème fraîche, garlic, shallots and herbs. I love the simplicity of the recipe. The result is the softest, juiciest chicken, filled with all the aromas of a rustic French kitchen. Who would have known that crème fraîche could work such magic in the oven.

After a beautiful lunch al fresco, we enjoyed a family gardening day – Wednesday afternoons are leisure days, because the kids don’t have school. I love this break-free day, making us feel that the school week is slightly shorter. We planted more roses, lavender, tomatoes, strawberries, herbs and camelias. I am especially excited about the tomato crops, as they were such a success last year. We all refilled our energy with a nutritious gâteau au miel, a golden brown honey cake, so old-fashioned, perfumed with orange blossom water.

It was a magical day, as if summer visited spring for one brief moment. All I can think of now are windmills and the warm, bright fun filled days that await us. This week was a sneak preview and I must say it’s looking good.

ps: By the way, I need your vote! I was recently nominated on Saveur magazine’s annual food blog awards 2013 for ‘Best Regional Cuisine Blog’! Voting closes on April 19th – that’s tomorrow! Click here to vote (you’ll just need to register – takes a minute). Merci! Mimixx

La Vignarola (spring vegetable stew)

2 large artichokes or 4-5 small artichokes (usually sold in a bunch), trimmed and quartered
250-300g/ 2 cups fresh fava beans (or frozen), shelled
250-300g 2 cups fresh peas (or frozen)
1/2 small head of romaine lettuce, chopped finely
2-3 spring onions, finely sliced
50 g/ 2 ounces pancetta or guanciale, finely sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp fresh lemon juice + a few squeezes of lemon for the artichokes
A small handful of parsley, chopped
A small handful of fresh mint, chopped

If you are using large artichokes: Using a sharp knife, trim the artichoke bottom and stem until the pale leaves appear. Cut in half. With a spoon, remove the prickly spines and fuzzy choke. Cut into 4 wedges.
If you are using small artichokes: Same as above, but you don’t have to remove any fuzzy choke. Set aside.

For the fava beans and peas: Pod the fava beans and peas. Remove the skin on the fava beans (unless you buy ready-peeled fava beans). Set aside

In a medium-sized pot or shallow saucepan, sauté the sliced pancetta along with the spring onions in 2 tbsp olive oil for 2-3 minutes.
Add the artichokes, season with salt and pepper, add 2-3 tbsp water, cover and cook on a low heat for 10 minutes.
Add the fava beans, peas and romaine lettuce. Add a tbsp or two of water if necessary. Cover again and cook for a further 20 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Drizzle with 1 tsp lemon juice and sprinkle with parsley/mint just before serving.

Roast chicken with crème fraîche and herbs

1 whole chicken, approx 1.2 kg/ approx. 3 pounds
300 ml/ 1 & 1/4 cup crème fraîche (you can also use fromage blanc – alternatively, you can mix 2 tbsp buttermilk or sour cream with 1 cup heavy cream)
4 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
1 shallot, finely sliced
A large bunch of parsley, chopped
A few sprigs of fresh thyme
Sea-salt and black pepper

Preheat oven to 180°C/ 350F

Take out the chicken approx 30 minutes before cooking so it is at room temperature. Mix crème fraîche with finely chopped garlic, parsley, thyme, sea-salt and black pepper. Spoon half of the mixture inside the cavity of the chicken. Truss the chicken securely with kitchen twine.  Rub the remaining cream all over the chicken (make sure to rub under the thighs and wings).   The cream must be thickly spread on chicken (see photo).  Sprinkle 1/2 tsp sea-salt on top of chicken.
Transfer to preheated oven and cook for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. Check pan halfway and add 2-3 tbsp of water if the sauce in the pan starts to dry out.

Serve with mashed potatoes. After boiling peeled potatoes (I count 2 medium potatoes per person) add one egg yolk and 30 g/ 2 tbsp butter + 1 tbsp crème fraîche, salt to season)

Gâteau au miel (Honey cake)

150 g/ 1 & 1/4 cup plain flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
3 eggs
4 tbsp milk
2 tbsp orange blossom water
100 g/ 7 tbsp unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
50 g/ 1/4 muscovado sugar (you can also use brown cassonade sugar, the cake will be slightly lighter colored)
100 ml/ 7 tbsp honey + 3-4 tbsp to drizzle on cake

Preheat oven to 180°C/ 350F

In a bowl, mix sifted flour and baking powder. Set aside.
In another bowl, whisk eggs and sugar until frothy. Add honey, milk, orange blossom water, butter and mix well. Add sifted flour and baking powder.

Butter and base-line a cake mould with parchment paper (my cake mould is approx 8 inches wide).

Pour batter into cake mould and bake in preheated oven for approx 25 minutes. Unmould after 5 minutes and leave to cool on a wire rack.  Just before serving, drizzle honey all over cake. (if honey is too thick, heat it gently for a few seconds on a very low heat)

April is the month for asparagus. They stick out their pretty little heads, as if to see that spring is really here and then they come out in force, taking over market stalls, supermarket shelves, restaurant tables and domestic kitchens. For a precious few weeks they even dominate the conversation in big parts of Europe. I just love the delicate flavor of a superb white asparagus, slightly nutty and bitter with a sweet aftertaste. Forged in darkness, protected from the sun, they have an iridescent pale ivory color with hints of pink and violet. I can’t think of a prettier hue, to me they are like porcelain magic wands found under a rainbow, somewhere out there.

Which brings me to the delightful Monsieur & Madame Benard who grow some of the best white asparagus (asperges des Sables des Landes) I’ve ever had. Yesterday morning I was lucky enough to spend some time on their asparagus farm, learning all about asparagus growing and even more importantly, bringing home a basketful. The Benard’s are very lively people, fun to be around and full of pride for their earthy produce and the possibilities they bring to the kitchen. The asparagus looked so inviting laid out on the table, some of them so fine, so delicate, others more robust but more flavorful. We talked about cooking and countless recipes. Other customers pitched in with their ideas, a local doctor with very thick hair said that his favorite was green asparagus with morilles mushrooms, a lady and her husband preferred big white ones with Hollandaise sauce. In the end Astrid (Mme Benard) and I decided on three recipes. My favorite with poached egg and vinaigrette, her favorite wrapped in local smoked trout from Aquitaine and a classic gratin that I thought might please my mother-in-law who has just come to stay with us. Don’t we all want to please our mothers-in-law.

Asparagus really is a regal vegetable (the privilege of kings and their court in days gone by), growing it requires a lot of work and it is always picked by hand. Watching Astrid and her team carefully going over the fields, excavating the asparagus one by one from the sand was very informative and the strenuous efforts behind each and every asparagus make me appreciate it even more. Which is why no part of it should be wasted. As I was leaving Astrid reminded me to use the end bits for a soup. Making that soup is a lovely way to feel thrifty and luxurious at the same time.

I addition to their asparagus endeavours the Benard’s have just started growing apple trees, eight varieties no less. In a fortnight they will be in bloom and in the fall they’ve invited me for the harvest so well be seeing more of them this year.

Merci Astrid! Quel plaisir gourmand!

Asparagus with vinaigrette & poached egg (serves 4)

For the vinaigrette:

5 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp mustard
1-2 garlic cloves, ground
1 & 1/2 tsp walnut vinegar (alternatively, you can use wine vinegar)
Salt & pepper – for seasoning
Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl.  Stir until the vinaigrette is smooth.

For the poached eggs:


4-6 eggs
1 tbsp white vinegar
1/2 tsp salt

In a shallow pan of boiling water, add 2 tsp of vinegar. Prepare your eggs by breaking them into little cups/pots so it’s easier to pour into the boiling water. When the water is boiling, pour in the eggs in different areas (maximum four at a time – or the water temperature will get cooler). Leave them alone, cover with a lid for 3 minutes, then check if they need a bit of ‘pushing and shoving’ to make their form rounder. You can use a large slotted spoon for this. Depending on how well you like your eggs cooked, 3 minutes should complete the task. When ready spoon each egg at a time onto a plate. Set aside.

For the asparagus:

A bunch of asparagus, depending on size count 4-6 asparagus per person.
A handful of chives (chopped finely)

Wash the asparagus under cool running water and trim away the bottom 1/3 of the stalk. With a vegetable peeler, peel off the rough part (leave the tip intact).

Fill a medium to large saucepan with water, about half way to the top. Add salt and bring to a boil. Add the asparagus and reduce heat slightly – cook for 10 minutes, or until crisp and tender, depending on thickness of asparagus. Drain and place on a serving plate. Place poached egg on top, drizzle with vinaigrette and sprinkle with chives.

Gratin of asparagus with cheese béchamel

1 large bunch of fresh asparagus, approx 500-600 g/ 1 -1&1/2 pounds

For the béchamel sauce.

40 g/ 3 tbsp butter
40 g/ 1/3 cup plain flour
350 ml/ 1 & 1/2 cup milk
½ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
80 g/ 3/4 cup grated Comté cheese (or any of your favourite hard cheese)
80 g/ 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
A small handful of fresh breadcrumbs (one slice of bread will do)

Preheat oven 210°C/ 410F

For the béchamel sauce:

In a saucepan, on a medium heat, melt butter and add flour. Whisk until smooth and gradually add milk whisking away. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir until sauce thickens. Off the heat, add grated Comté, parmesan cheese and black pepper, mix well until melted. Set aside.

Wash the asparagus under cool running water and trim away the bottom 1/3 of the stalk. With a vegetable peeler, peel off the rough part (leave the tip intact).

Fill a medium to large saucepan with water, about half way to the top. Add salt and bring to a boil. Add the asparagus and reduce heat slightly – cook for 10 minutes, or until crisp and tender, depending on thickness of asparagus. Drain and place on a buttered oven-proof dish. Pour béchamel sauce over asparagus, drizzle with breadcrumbs. Cook in a preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until golden. You can place dish under the broiler for a couple of minutes towards the end if you prefer (it will brown faster).

Trout & asparagus rolls (Mme Benard’s favorite recipe – for 4 small rolls)

4 slices of smoked trout, about the size of a palm (alternatively, you can use smoked salmon)
8-10 fine asparagus
Black pepper, for seasoning
Fresh chives, chopped finely

Preheat oven 210°C/ 410F

Wash the asparagus under cool running water and trim away the bottom 1/3 of the stalk. As the asparagus should be quite fine, you don’t need to peel off any hard skin.

Fill a medium to large saucepan with water, about half way to the top. Bring to a boil (do not add salt as the smoked trout is very salty). Add the asparagus and reduce heat slightly – cook for 4 minutes, or until crisp and tender.

Divide/cut asparagus into 3 equally sized pieces. Place three to four pieces diagonally on each slice of smoked trout and roll tightly. Sprinkle with Comté cheese and cook in a preheated oven, on a high rack, for 10 minutes until cheese has melted and slightly golden. Sprinkle with black pepper and finely chopped chives.

Asparagus soup (serves 4)

400 g/ approx 1 pound asparagus (You can also use Mme Benard’s tip and use leftover peeled coarse ends – if the end result is a bit stringy, just pass the soup through a sieve).
2 small potatoes, peeled
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1 litre/ 1 quart vegetable or chicken stock
120 ml/ ½ cup crème fraîche (or sour cream or heavy cream)
Salt & pepper

Chop the asparagus coarsely, keep the tips and set aside. In a pot, add 2 tbsp of olive oil, fry the potatoes and onion for two minutes, add the chopped asparagus (not the tips), stock, salt and pepper, bring to a soft boil and simmer, covered, for 15-20 minutes, until all the vegetables are tender. Towards the end, add the asparagus tips for 4 minutes and remove them – set aside. Transfer soup to a blender and blitz briefly until soup is smooth. Add crème fraîche, reserved asparagus tips, stir and serve immediately. Sprinkle with finely chopped chives.

A well-spent Sunday is one of my favorite things. No matter what we do on a Sunday, it always involves a long family walk in the forest or by the sea, with all our children and most of the dogs. It’s a heart-warming ritual, good for the soul and revitalizing for the mind. There’s an absence of structure and restrictions, where I want to forget about time and go with the flow.

Yesterday, we woke up rather late because the kids had their annual school ‘spectacle’ the night before. We started the day feeling light and happy, recalling all the highlights of their wonderful show. It’s so sweet to see how emotional children get when the show is over. They enjoyed the rehearsals, the costumes and the music – it’s been a big musical build-up. During our long walk in the woods towards the end of our lazy day, the dogs enjoyed harassing cows at a nearby farm, the kids tried to collect as many insects and flowers as they could find, and I, armed with my best pair of garden cutters even got myself a big bunch of fresh bay leaves.

Preparing a Peshwari naan bread.

On our way back home, we suddenly realized it was much later than we thought. We seem to have lost one hour of the day recently and I don’t think we will find it again until the fall. I started hearing small drum beats in my head, thinking that Monday was coming, the kids had to get organized for school, no one had done their homework. Oh well, sometimes it’s just fine to let go and take it easy. So we hurried home and each took care of our business, the kids did their math and grammar, my husband fed his ever-hungry dogs and I got down to cooking. Thankfully all I had to do was my quick and easy butter chicken, steam some rice and roll out my naan bread dough (previously prepared in the morning). I often make this on Sunday or Monday nights. This recipe is like a little weapon in my life, something I can take out and turn an unplanned meal into a smashing meal in less than 30 minutes. I always have all sorts of spices, cans of tomatoes, tomato paste and a few chicken filets in the fridge. I recently started using crème fraîche instead of greek yogurt, resulting in a richer and creamier sauce. If you want to make this dish extra-special, you should try the Peshwari naan bread recipe. Filled with pistachios, almonds, coconut, raisins and fennel seeds, these naans are a perfect match to the butter chicken dish. It’s best to prepare them in advance, but it’s well-worth it and very easy to make. I prepared the naan dough in the morning, so all I had to do was add the filling, roll them and put the oval-shaped wonders under the grill. All so smooth and easy like Sunday … evening.

Butter chicken & peshawari naan.

Butter chicken

4-5 chicken filets, sliced into small pieces
60 g/ 1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped finely
4-5 garlic cloves, chopped finely
1 can chopped tomatoes (400 ml – drained)
4 tbsp tomato concentrate
2 tsp fenugreek
2 tsp paprika
3 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 cinnamon stick
½ tsp chilli powder (or more if you like it hot)
3 tsp garam masala
200 ml/ 3/4 cups + 2 tbsp  crème fraîche (you can also use sour cream or greek yogurt)
1 bay leaf
½ tsp salt
½ tbsp black pepper
A handful of fresh coriander leaves, to sprinkle on each serving
A small handful of flaked almonds, to sprinkle on each serving.

In a large pot, heat olive oil and brown chicken pieces for 3 minutes on a medium heat. Remove from pan and set aside. Add butter to the pot, once melted add the onion, garlic and ginger. Let the ingredients sweat for a 2 minutes, then add all the spices, salt and pepper, cook for 2 more minutes. Add the tomato paste, chopped tomatoes, cook for another minute. Return chicken to the pot, mix all the ingredients together. Add the crème fraîche, stir again and lower heat. Simmer (uncovered) for 15 minutes, stirring once in a while. Add additional salt if necessary.

Sprinkle with fresh coriander leaves, flaked almonds and serve with freshly steamed basmati rice.

Peshwari naan bread (makes about 5 medium-sized naans)

240g/ 2 cups plain flour, sifted , plus extra for dusting
½ tsp salt
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp active yeast (grains)
1 tsp sugar
120 ml/ ½ cup milk, lukewarm
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp butter, melted, for serving
A handful of flaked almonds
A small handful of chopped coriander

Filling:
150 g/ 2/3 cups mixture of dried coconut, ground pistachios, chopped raisins and ground almonds.
½ tsp ground fennel seeds (optional)

In a small bowl, mix milk, active yeast and oil together. Leave for 3 minutes.

In a large bowl, sift flour. Add salt, sugar, baking powder and mix well. Make a well in the center, add the liquid ingredients and start mixing the dough. Knead for about 10 minutes, or until you get a soft dough. Shape into a ball, leave in the bowl (oiled), cover with a clean cloth and leave to rise in a warm place for an hour.

Divide the dough into 5-6 balls, cover, leave to rise in a warm place for a further 15 minutes.

On a floured surface, roll the balls to a small palm-sized circle, add a tbsp of nut mixture in the center (making sure to leave 2 cm/ 1 inch to the edge). Wet the edges with a bit of water, fold the circles in half. Roll again to an oval shape, so all the nut mixture get spread out in the naan.

Place the naans on a hot pre-heated baking tray, and place in the oven on the grill setting for about 2 minutes, until they puff and have a few brown patches.
When ready, brush naans with melted butter, sprinkle with flaked almonds and chopped coriander. Serve immediately.

The sails go round with a heavy swing

As the wild wind plays on the hill;

And the corn is crushed, and the flour is ground

Right merrily at the mill.

March 30^th, Birthday Book for Children , Kate Greenaway

I couldn’t resist sharing this extract from Kate Greenaway’s ‘Birthday book for children’.  It’s impossible not to flick through the wonderfully illustrated pages filled with delightful writing for each birthday of the year.  Her work is a gentle reminder to keep our inner child awake forever.

This week-end has been all about Easter, eggs and my birthday.  I consider myself lucky to have an ‘all-in-one’ theme during this long Easter week-end.  Pretty pastel-colored eggs, chocolate, bunnies and cherry blossoms are such inspiration and joy.  I have the most delightful tradition on my birthday every year, to sit under my favorite tree and make a wish.  Nothing beats the intense feeling of looking up through the dreamy branches of pink petals under the early spring sun.  A magical moment.

We decided to combine Easter and my birthday lunch on Saturday.  Symbolic food adorned the table, from the potage aux primeurs, a simple yet beautiful soup dedicated to spring.  Eggs in cocotte with foie gras, bread-crumbed milk-fed lamb with roast potatoes for the main course.  For my birthday cake, I got to choose.  It’s all about getting what you want, right?  So I decided to make a Tropézienne tart.  Brioche, gently perfumed with orange blossom water with a beautiful vanilla custard and Chantilly cream in the middle.  In 1955, Alexandre Micka, a boulanger and pâtissier in St Tropez,  was hired to cater all the meals for Roger Vadim and his crew when they shot the movie ‘Et dieu créa la femme’ (When God created woman’) with Brigitte Bardot.  He once made a tart, inspired from his native Polish roots.  Everyone loved it so much, especially Brigitte Bardot, so they decided to call it ‘La tarte Tropézienne’.  There are quite a few versions, and this is the one I like most, so I hope you will enjoy it.

We organized an Easter hunt in the garden, hiding eggs and chocolate bunnies everywhere, especially on the blossoming trees to make it extra difficult for the kids.  It was so much fun to see our littlest Gaïa Johanna egg-hunting.  This is her first ‘real’ hunt for eggs, you should have seen the look on her face when she found a chocolate bunny hidden in the tree!  Chocolate is her favorite thing, she calls it ‘colo’.  Now she thinks there is ‘colo’ in the garden everyday, everywhere.

To complete the chocolate theme, my husband surprised me with a gorgeous Smooth Fox Terrier puppy he brought back from England. She’s from our favorite Smooth breeders, Jenny and Roger of Glendraterra, our second one from them. Her name is Glendraterra Jean Genie after the Bowie song, she even likes his new album and so do I.  She’s a striking brunette, refined and elegant as only a Smooth Fox Terrier can be.  I am overwhelmed by her beauty and grace.

Recipes:

Potage aux primeurs (spring soup)

Ingredients:

2 leeks, white part only, cut in julienne strips
150 g/ 1 cup green peas (preferably fresh peas, but frozen are fine too)
150 g/ 1 cup fava beans (shelled)
1 large carrot, cut in julienne strips
2 turnips, diced finely
2 litres/ 2 quarts chicken or vegetable stock
A handful of celery leaves, chopped
A handful of parsley, chopped (to be sprinkled on soup when served)
Salt and black pepper, for seasoning
4 egg yolks
Croûtons

For the croutons:
Half a stale baguette/ small country bread
Olive oil
Salt
1 garlic clove

Slice stale bread into small cubes.  Place in a bowl, add the ground garlic, salt and drizzle with olive oil.  Mix well.  Place on a baking tray (lined with parchment paper) and place in pre-heated oven (350° on grill mode for minutes.

For the soup:
Wash all vegetables, slice and chop according to ingredients list.  In a large pot, bring the stock to a boil and add all the vegetables.  Turn the heat down and leave to simmer for 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

Whisk egg yolks in a small bowl, add a few tablespoons of  the soup to blend.  Take soup off the heat and add the egg yolks, making sure to whisk continuously to avoid any egg curdling.

Spoon soup into bowls, season with salt and pepper to your taste, sprinkle a few parsley leaves and croutons.  Serve immediately.

Eggs in cocotte with foie gras

3/4 cups full cream (200 ml)
4
eggs
A few sprigs of fresh thyme
2
clove garlic
1/2
teaspoon grated or ground nutmeg
1
tablespoon salted butter
A dash of piment d’Espellete (optional)
6 small chunks of foie gras (optional)
Coarse salt and black pepper
A few slices of toasted baguette bread (or any bread you like)

Preheat oven to 180°C/ 350°F.

Prepare 4 individual ramekins.

In a saucepan, bring the cream to a soft boil, simmer for 5 minutes. Add salt, pepper, nutmeg and mix well. Set aside.

Rub garlic in the base of each cocotte (keep remaining garlic for the bread). Pour the hot cream evenly into each cocotte, and break the eggs in one by one into the cream. Place a sprig of thyme, add black pepper, a dot of butter and cook uncovered in a preheated oven for approximately 5 minutes.  Put in a slice of foie gras on top of each egg and bake for 2-3 more minutes.  The eggs should not be overcooked and slightly runny.  (note: If you do not use foie gras, bake the eggs in cocotte for 7-8 minutes)

Rub toasted baguette bread with the remaining garlic clove. Sprinkle each cocotte with piment d’Espelette (optional).  Serve with eggs immediately.

Roast bread-crumbed lamb with potatoes, garlic and parsley

1 milk-fed lamb shoulder – approx. 1 kg/ 2-2.5 pounds (épaule d’agneau de lait)
½ cup olive oil
5 slices of stale bread (for breadcrumbs)
850 g/ 1 & ½ pounds potatoes (peeled and sliced in rondelles)
9 cloves garlic (keep 4 for the lamb, and 5 sliced for seasoning)
80 ml/ 1/3 cup good-quality beef or vegetable stock
A large bunch of parsley
60 g/ 1/4 cup unsalted butter
Salt and black pepper, for seasoning

Preheat oven to 210°C/410°F

Rub meat with olive oil, salt and pepper. Coat lamb with the breadcrumbs and place in a large roasting pan. Dot lamb with butter and place in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.

Remove lamb from roasting pan and set aside on a large plate.  Cover loosely with aluminium foil.  Add potatoes and garlic cloves to the roasting pan, drizzle with olive oil and cook in the oven for 15 minutes.  Return lamb to the roasting pan (place on top of potatoes), pour in the stock,  and cook for a further 25-30 minutes (or until lamb is cooked to your taste).  You can cover lamb with a piece of foil to avoid the breadcrumbs to burn.

Chop garlic and parsley finely and sauté in a little olive oil for 3 minutes on a medium heat.

Place potatoes and lamb on a large serving plate.  Sprinkle garlic and parsley on top of lamb.  Serve immediately with flageolets beans.

Tropézienne tart

300 g/ 2 & ½ cups plain flour, sifted
25/ 2 tbsp granulated sugar
3 eggs
120 g/ ½ cup unsalted butter, cubed and at room temperature
50 ml/ 3 & ½ tbsp lukewarm full-cream milk
12 g fresh yeast (levure boulangère)
½ tsp salt
2 tbsp orange blossom water
A good handful of small sugar grains (to sprinkle on brioche)
A dash of icing/confectioner’s sugar (to sprinkle on tart just before serving)

For the eggwash:
1 egg yolk
1 tsp water

Mix both ingredients together in a small bowl.

For the brioche:
Dissolve the yeast in a small bowl the lukewarm milk. Set aside for 5-10 minutes or until it turns frothy. In a large bowl, mix sifted flour, salt, sugar, yeast and butter. Add eggs, orange blossom water and mix well with a big wooden spoon. Start kneading until you get a smooth ball-shaped dough, about 8-10 minutes. Cover bowl with a cloth and leave to rise in a warm room/environment for 2 hours.

Start kneading the dough on a non floured surface, just to get rid of a few trapped air bubbles, about 1-2 minutes. Line the brioche mould generously with butter and place the dough inside. Cover with a cloth and leave to rise again for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 350°F. With the help of a brush, glaze the surface of the brioche with the egg yolk. Sprinkle with sugar grains all over and bake brioche for 30 minutes. If the top starts to brown too much, place a sheet of parchment paper to protect.  Set aside, unmould after 10 minutes and leave to cool on a pastry rack.

For the crème patissière (vanilla custard cream)
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
400 ml/ 1 & ¾ cup full-cream milk
200 g/ 1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs + 1 egg yolk
60 g/ ½ cup corn starch (maïzena)
160 g/ 2/3 cup unsalted butter
1 tbsp orange blossom water
180 ml/ ¾ cup  whipping cream

In a saucepan, bring the milk to soft boil with the vanilla seeds and sugar.  In another bowl, whisk the eggs with the corn starch.  Pour the milk into the egg/corn starch bowl, whisk continuously.  Return mixture to saucepan and stir on a low heat until the cream thickens (it should have a thick cream consistency).  Set aside.  Add half of the butter and stir until blended.  Pour cream in a bowl, cover and set aside until completely cooled.  When cooled, whisk until it becomes smooth, add the rest of the butter and continue to whisk until the cream becomes fluffy and light. Prepare the whipped cream and combine to the vanilla custard cream.

Carefully slice brioche in half horizontally. Smooth cream mixture over bottom layer, and place second layer on top. Make sure to refrigerate for 1 hour.  Just before serving, sprinkle the cake with icing sugar.

Chicken Basquaise is a typical Basque dish, cooked in ‘piperade‘ sauce.  It comes from the Basque word ‘biperra’ meaning chili.  The piperade sauce is composed of onions, garlic, chilis, Bayonne ham, tomatoes and olive oil.  Since fresh chilis (piments doux) aren’t always in season, they can be replaced by peppers and piment d’Espelette instead.

I have an admiration for Basque cuisine, so full of flavors, rich in colors, highly influenced by the taste of Gascony, Bearn and Spain. The vibrant dishes have such body and character, no wonder so many of my favourite chefs are of Basque origins.  The cuisine is all about generosity and happiness, respecting the natural flavors of the ingredients, themes that match my culinary mind.

Chicken Basquaise is one of those meals I often cook for my family.  We all love it and the kids appreciate the spicy touch, that’s why I always add that extra dose of piment d’Espelette.  Accompanied with red Camargue rice (you can also use Thai red rice), the explosion of colors make this dish exciting and delicious.  Just like ‘blanquette de veau’, poulet Basquaise is a basic staple dish in my household.  Simple, easy and so healthy.  Embellished with the piment d’Espellete, this is a dish that will awaken your senses!

To keep the Basque theme going, I decided to make the emblematic  ‘Basque cake’ (gâteau Basque).  This is a dessert I always look forward to order in a good bistrot.  There are so many versions, but I like the traditional one best, with a discreet rum and vanilla cream filling.  I have to say, it is so good you will want to make it again.  My daughter Louise said it reminded her of a canelé, but creamier.  I couldn’t think of a better way to describe it.  It’s a great way to end any meal, so perfect with the last sip of wine or the first sip of coffee.

Poulet Basquaise recipe: (serves 4-6)

1 good-quality chicken (cut in pieces), or 3-4 chicken legs and 4 small drumsticks (perfect for kids)
2 medium-sized red pepper
1 medium-sized green pepper
2 onions (sliced)
4 garlic cloves (finely sliced)
230 g/ 1/2 pound Bayonne ham (you can use pancetta), diced
6 tomatoes, (in France, I recommend ‘coeur de boeuf’ tomatoes, peeled and chopped
120 ml/1/2 cup white wine (optional)
1 tbsp tomato paste concentrate
Olive oil
Salt & black pepper
1-2 tsp piment d’Espelette (if you can’t find this, try hot paprika instead)

Bring a pot of salted water to boil, add the tomatoes for 15-20 seconds.  Drain and rinse with cold water.  Peel tomatoes and chop coarsely.  Set aside.

Deseed peppers, cut into halves.  Place skin-side up on a baking sheet and grill in oven on high, until it blisters.  Place the hot peppers in a ziplock bag and leave to cool.  Peel the skin and set aside.

In a large pot, heat olive oil and fry garlic for 2 minutes, followed by the Bayonne ham for 2 minutes, then the onions for 5 minutes.  Add the peeled peppers, fry for 5 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, piment d’espellette and 1 tbsp of tomato paste.  Add 2 bay leaves and a few sprigs of fresh thyme, season with salt and pepper.  Cover and leave to simmer for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, rinse and pat chicken dry with kitchen towel.  Heat olive oil in a large frying pan.  Season chicken with salt and pepper and fry until golden brown on each side.  Set aside.

Add the chicken and wine to the sauce, cover and cook for a further 30 minutes on a very low heat.

Cook for a further 10 minutes on a medium to high heat uncovered so the sauce reduces and thickens.  You can adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper and piment d’Espelette.

Serve with red rice, (other suggestions are rice pilaf, couscous/ semoule or steamed potatoes).

Gâteau Basque recipe

For the cake batter

400 g/ 3 & 3/4 cups plain flour, sifted
200 g/ 3/4 cup + 1 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 egg yolks and 2 eggs
200 g/ 1 cup granulated sugar
½ tsp fine salt
1 tsp baking powder (levure chimique)

For the cream filling

500 ml/ 1 pint full cream milk
1 egg and two egg yolk
2 tbsp dark rum
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
100 g/ 1/2 cup granulated sugar
50 g/ 8 tbsp plain flour, sifted

Eggwash
1 egg yolk
1 pinch of salt

Mix ingredients together in a small bowl.

For the cake batter

In a large bowl, mix the sugar and butter (cut into small chunks).  Gradually add the egg yolks and eggs until the batter becomes smooth.  Add the sifted flour, salt and baking powder, mix well until dough is soft.  Divide dough in two balls, wrap in cling film and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour. 

Prepare the cream filling. In a saucepan, bring the milk to soft boil with the vanilla seeds. Add the sugar, whisk for 30 seconds. Add the sifted flour gently, whisking away to avoid any lumps for 2 minutes. You can take the saucepan on and off the heat a few times. Add the egg and yolks, one at a time, whisking away until the cream has thickened, about 2-3 minutes (low heat). Take off the heat. Finally, add the rum and mix well. Set aside to cool completely.

When ready, roll two discs (1.5 cm/ 0.5 inch thick approx) to fit your cake pan – one base, slightly larger and one cover, slightly smaller on a floured surface (I always roll pastry on floured parchment paper).

Butter and dust the cake pan with flour, line the base with the larger disc leaving a 2 cm/ 0.7 inch overhang.  Pour the cream filling in the cake, cover with the second smaller disc.  Brush edges with eggwash, press and seal both discs.  Brush cover with egg wash, then use a fork to draw lines on the cake (see photos). Make 3-4 tiny incisions with the tip of a sharp knife on the cover (so the cake won’t puff up). Bake in a preheated oven 180°C/ 350°F for 30 minutes.

This week I’ve been under the spell of two very different but equally delightful things. A favorite movie and a grand old restaurant. All the magnolias surrounding me, in the house and as I drive through Médoc keep taking me back to my walks in Palais Royal. This special place in the middle of Paris, so full of history and beauty is at its most poetic in March when the magnolias blossom. The crown jewel of Palais Royal is Le Grand Véfour, which someone described as the “Most beautiful restaurant in the world”. I wouldn’t argue with that. The plush red velvet seats, the gilded decorations, the ghosts of Victor Hugo and Napoleon himself. And a sophisticated and soft-spoken maître d’ who always reminds me of Christopher Walken.

It’s where I had my wedding lunch, a very small and intimate affair filled with happiness and opulence. It was one wonderful plate after another of the most delicate and luxurious food you can imagine. It was a good day. I think all of us had the pigeon prince Rainier III, at least I did, a big classic at this restaurant that’s been on the menu for decades. Deboned pigeons, filled with truffles, foie gras & veal. These pigeons have been on my mind all week, it started with a flower but as so often is the case with me, ends with a craving for a certain taste or dish.

This week the kids have been on holiday and as a little treat we’ve tried to end each day by watching a classic movie together (it was my husband’s idea as he says he can’t take any more Barbie movies – lot of girls in this family). The two winners so far have been “Some like it Hot”, and one of my all time favorite food movies, “Big Night”. Two scenes from that film take my breath away: when the chef describes how he feels about ragù Bolognese and the timbale. Just the sheer idea of that dish, a whole dome filled with the most desirable ingredients, made with such reverence, served with expectation and caution. I’ve never made a timbale, one day I will, but this week I needed to satisfy my cravings, for foie gras & pigeon and for something so special that it would put me at ease after having watched Big Night. So I went in the classic French direction and made an old-fashioned pie filled with everything I wanted. Fresh pigeons from my butcher, a small piece of foie gras, sausages from Queyrac, savoy cabbage, a single carrot, pieces of veal and bacon drenched in Cognac along with the usual suspects of shallots, onions, garlic, thyme and bay leaves.

It’s such a great feeling when you really know what you want and then you get it. It fills me with satisfaction and serenity so what better way to end the week than after a beautiful drive through the vineyards of Pauillac, past blossoming mimosa trees and pink cherry blossoms, to find myself in the town’s church. It wasn’t a planned visit but we had some errands to run in Pauillac and went our separate ways. When I was done with my duties I wound up in the main square and saw that the door of the church, usually closed, was open. It was so inviting that I had to go in and take a peek. The church was beautiful and completely abandoned except for one person, my husband who’d had the same idea and was already photographing the surprising sailboat hanging from the rafters.

It’s at moments like this that you think, I want nothing more … except perhaps another pigeon pie.

Ingredients:

For the pastry:

500 g/ 4 cups plain flour
250 g/ 1 cup unsalted butter (cubed & at room temperature)
2 eggs
3-4 tbsp water
1 tsp salt

Mix all the ingredients together, start kneading until you get a good soft dough. Make into a ball, cover with cling film and store in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

For pie filling:

2 large pigeons
120 g/ ¼ pound foie gras (sliced into 8-10 small slices)
3 cloves garlic (finely sliced)
1 onion (sliced finely)
2 shallots (sliced finely)
3 good-quality pork sausages
150 g/ ¼  pound veal (chopped as finely as possible)
100 g/ ¼ pound bacon (chopped very finely)
1 egg
30 ml/ 1/8 cup cognac (or dry white wine, dry sherry, Armagnac)
1 sprig of thyme
1 bay leaf (crumbled)
½ savoy cabbage (chopped finely)
1 carrot (diced very finely)
Salt and black pepper for seasoning

Eggwash (for pastry)

1 egg
1 tbsp full cream

Method:

1) Chop, dice, slice all the vegetables in the ingredients list.  Set aside.

2) In a large bowl, mix the uncooked sausage meat (slice the sausages and squeeze the meat out), veal, bacon, cognac, thyme and crumbled bay leaf.  Add 1 egg and mix well.  Season with salt and pepper very lightly as the sausages and bacon are quite salty.  Set aside.

3) Rinse the pigeons in cool water and pat them dry.  Slice the filets off the pigeons, keep the livers and set aside.

4) In a large pan, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil and fry the onion, shallots and garlic until slightly golden and soft.  Set aside.  In the same pan, add 1 tbsp olive oil and brown the pigeon filets and livers until golden for about 45 seconds on each side.  Season lightly with salt and pepper.  Set aside.  Brown the carcass in the same oil and remove any pieces of meat fit for use and set aside.  Discard the pigeon carcass. (It’s easier to remove meat when the pigeon is slightly cooked).  Chop the liver finely.

5) Again, in the same pan, add 1 more tbsp of olive oil, fry the cabbage and carrots for a few minutes, cooking them al dente.  Season with salt and pepper.

6) Add the cooked garlic/onion/shallots to the bowl of uncooked sausage/veal/bacon/egg mixture and mix gently.

7) Roll out 2 pastry discs to fit your pie dish.  Line the pie dish with the first disc, leaving 2 cm overhang.

8) Add a layer of meat mixture (sausage/veal/bacon/onion etc), followed by a layer of cabbage/carrots, then place the pigeon filets all over.  Add a layer of the foie gras slices over each pigeon filet, then finish with the remaining meat mixture, shredded meat and liver from the pigeons and cabbage/carrots.

9) Prepare the eggwash – Whisk egg with one tbsp of full cream and brush the edge of the pastry lining.  Cover with your second pastry disc and seal together by pressing firmly on the side of the dish with your thumbs. Cut off excess pastry dough and re-roll to create 5-7 leaves to decorate the pie. With the back of your knife, press lightly all around the edge.

10) Prick a hole in the center of the pie (I use a chopstick).

11) Brush the pie with the remaining eggwash.

12) Bake in a preheated oven (210°C/410°F) for 10 minutes then lower heat to 180°C/350°F and bake for a further 45-50 minutes.  If the pastry starts to brown too fast, cover with aluminium foil.  Leave pie to rest for 15 minutes before serving.

My heart fills with joy when I see March appear in my precious diary. This month marks the arrival of spring in Médoc, with pretty flowers blossoming on trees everywhere. If I had to match a painting to this month, it would be Gustav Klimt’s ‘Mäda Primavesi‘. The girl, the dress, the flowers – that’s March for me. When I lived in Paris, I would go to the Jardin du Palais Royal almost everyday in March to see if the magnolia trees had blossomed.  I consider it to be my birthday flower, and when I see the first flowers bloom it’s just like a blessing for a new year in my life.  It’s just one of those euphoric things, when you appreciate everything associated with spring and the possibilites are endless. Where flowers bloom so does hope.

One of the new-found joys of country life must be the flowers. Back in Paris, we were so lucky to live just by the market of rue Cler in the 7th arrondissement, where we would buy our dose of flowers at the local florist, and extra special bouquets at the extraordinary Eric Chauvin. My kind of heaven consists of fluffy bouquets of peonies, sweetpeas and ranunculus. Now that we have become country folks, nothing can compare to the excitement of picking the most beautifully scented roses from our own garden and the surroundings. Wild cyclamens, daffodils, violets. I could go on and on. But the most exciting bouquets this month are branches from plum and magnolia trees. The combination of taupe brown wood with warm beigy pinks are exactly the kind of colors I would pick for my dream room.

The flowers just started to bloom this week, so you can imagine my level of happiness. Bright confetti petals exploding everywhere. My heart goes boum whenever I see un arbre heureux (happy tree). That’s how my kids call them – every blooming tree is a happy tree!  Let’s celebrate!

We are all admiring our latest flowers. I want to paint them so they will last forever. To accompany such a beautiful moment, I baked canelés. These little custardy cakes with a caramelized crust are a local delicacy, flavoured with vanilla beans and rum. Croustillants (crusty) outside and moelleux (soft) inside, each bite is pure pleasure. Canelés have a mysterious past, originating from Bordeaux. Traditionally , Bordeaux wines were clarified with egg whites, a vinification step called collage, leaving the yolk for cooking. Chateaux owners would give the egg yolks to local convents where the nuns conjured up their confections. This could have been the start of the canelés. They were apparently influenced by a cake called ‘canole’ made by bakers in Limoges and very popular in Bordeaux. I personally think that all of the above, as well as the influence of vanilla beans and exotic rum arriving at the port of Bordeaux all contributed to the legendary canelés.

When you buy them, you are always asked if you prefer a canelé bien cuit (well-cooked, more caramelized) or moelleux (more chewy). It’s really a matter of personal taste. I like them moelleux, to be exact, 55 minutes in the oven. The batter is as simple as it gets, then left 24 hours in the refrigerator. Let the batter have a good rest and develop all the right texture and taste, then it’s 55 minutes in the oven, not more not less. The only thing you have to do is lower the temperature after 5 minutes, and voila. Here are my tips: I use silicone moulds, I don’t line the moulds with butter because, in my opinion, it encourages the canelés to get crusty too fast. For those who prefer a more caramelized crust, you can bake them for 10 minutes longer.

Canelés are enjoyable any time of the day, as a tea time snack, as dessert, preferably with a sweet white wine, like a Bordeaux Sauternes or a Loupiac or at the end of the meal with coffee.  I am always in the mood for a canelé, if I have some left I’ll even have them for breakfast with my morning cup of Yorkshire tea.  A canelé is always appropriate, especially here in Bordeaux.

Ingredients: (makes about 16 canelés)
You will need a canelés mould (I use silicone moulds).

500 ml/ 2 cups and 1&1/2 tbsp  full cream milk
120 g/ 1 cup plain flour (sifted)
200 g/ 1 cup granulated sugar
3 egg yolks
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
60 ml/ 1/4 cup rum
30 g/ 2 tbsp butter (melted)

In a medium saucepan, combine seeds from vanilla bean and milk, mix well – bring to a boil and set aside for 5 minutes. Whisk in sugar and sifted flour, mix well to avoid any lumps (if there are too many lumps, simply strain batter through a sieve). Add egg yolks, one by one, gently mix. Add melted butter, stir.  Finally, add the rum and whisk batter until smooth. The batter should be similar to a crèpes/ pancake batter – not too thick, not too thin.
When batter has cooled down, cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours.

I use silicone moulds and I don’t line the moulds with butter. Fill canelés molds 2/3 of the way. Bake in a preheated oven 230°C/ 450°F for exactly 5 minutes, then lower temperature to 180°C/ 350°F and bake for an additional 50 minutes. Take out of the oven, leave canelés in molds for 5 minutes, then unmould then. Place on a wire rack and leave to cool.