Buckwheat flour pancakes are popular in a number of countries including Eastern Europe, Korea and Canada. In France, buckwheat crêpes are usually made with a savoury filling. To make the batter, slowly add 1 cup of milk to 1 cup of buckwheat flour making sure there are no lumps. Add 2 eggs and ½ a teaspoon…… Continue reading buckwheat crêpes with mushroom, spinach and goat cheese
Tag: french food
roasted turkey with fennel, orange and lavender
Turkey thigh is a great alternative to cooking the whole bird. It’s big enough to feed 4 and it’s all tasty dark meat (my preference). This one-pot meal combines classic fennel and orange flavours with lavender, a commonly used herb in French cooking. When cooked, lavender loses some of it’s floral notes but be careful…… Continue reading roasted turkey with fennel, orange and lavender
duck with lentils
Adapted from this New York Times Mark Bittman video, here’s a simple way to cook a delicious French style meal in the oven. Braised in a mix of vegetables and stock, the duck is tender and still crisp-skinned and the puy lentils add a wonderful earthy flavour. Trim 2 duck legs of excess fat, score…… Continue reading duck with lentils
chicken liver paté
Homemade chicken liver paté is easy to make, economical and tastes better than anything you can buy. Many French recipes simply poach chicken livers with aromats, but I find that frying them adds a lot of flavour. Peel and chop an onion or a few shallots and trim 300g (10½ oz) of chicken livers. Heat…… Continue reading chicken liver paté
socca
Socca is a thin unleavened bread or pancake made from a batter of chick pea flour, water and oil. A speciality of the area around Nice in southeast France, variations known by other names and cooked by different methods can be found in many countries. This version is most closely related to the bordering Italian…… Continue reading socca
tapenade
Ancient Rome had similar dishes using olives and anchovies but the Provençal tapenade is named for its ubiquitous ingredient of “tapenas” or capers. Traditional tapenade always includes black olives and capers but additional ingredients may vary. This well-researched recipe is by Felicity Cloake for The Guardian. Spread it on bread or crackers as an hors…… Continue reading tapenade
frangipane tart with brandied prunes
Frangipane is a sweet filling made with almonds. Here it’s paired with brandied prunes in a classic French combination. Soak your prunes in brandy for as long as possible or at least overnight. To make the pastry, place 180g (6⅓ oz) of flour in a food processor. Add 100g (3½ oz) of cold butter cut…… Continue reading frangipane tart with brandied prunes
slow-cooked calamari
Cooked long and slow in the Provençal style, calamari becomes amazingly tender with a rich and deep flavour. Enjoy it with a crusty baguette, a fresh green salad and a crisp white wine. This recipe, from PROVENCE Gastronomique by Erica Brown, also works with squid, cuttlefish or octopus. If you intend to clean your own calamari,…… Continue reading slow-cooked calamari
chocolate and brandied prune terrine + walnut tuiles
Rich with dark chocolate and with a good hit of brandy, this was the perfect dessert for a French menu. The addition of a walnut tuile added some buttery crunch. I always keep a jar of brandied prunes – a jar filled with pitted prunes and topped up with brandy. The prunes taste better and…… Continue reading chocolate and brandied prune terrine + walnut tuiles
black truffle
When in France I spent some time in the Dordogne, the home of the Périgord Black Truffle. I felt compelled to bring one home and here’s what I did with it. 60º eggs on potatoes fried in duck fat with shavings of black truffle. Actually, these were really 62.8ºC (145ºF) eggs as I prefer my…… Continue reading black truffle
michelle picker cooks 