2 red onions roughly chopped
1 tablespoon caster sugar
2 bottles of Bandol wine or similar
deeply coloured full bodied red wine such as Syrah or cabernet
1 leek
2 sticks of celery
3 sticks of salsify
juice of 1 lemon
3 sprigs of flat leaf parsley
240g smoked bacon
6 thin slices of smoked bacon
120 ml double cream
300g butter
salt & pepper
red wine vinegar
6 pieces of turbot (180g each)
Put the onions in a stainless steel or plastic container with the caster sugar and 1 1/4 bottles of wine, cover and marinate for 24 hours.
Trim the leek and wash under cold water, cut into 12cm x 1cm strips, blanch in salted boiling water until cooked but still a little crunchy, then refresh in ice cold water. Do the same with the celery. Scrub and peel the salsify, cook in boiling salted water with the juice of a lemon to keep them white; refresh in ice cold water, drain and then cut into the same size strips as the other vegetables. Blanch the parsley leaves, then mix with the other vegetables.
Cut the bacon into small lardons, place in a pain of cold water and bring to the boil; drain rinse and dry on kitchen towels. Fry in a non stick pan with a drop of olive oil until brown but not dry. Grill the sliced bacon until crisp.
Put the marinade and onions in a saucepan and reduce until the liquid remaining just covers the onions. Add the cream, bring to the boil and then whisk in 250g of the butter, cut into small cubes, a little at a time. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm, but do not boil. Finally, add a few drops of white wine vinegar to bring out the taste of the wine.
Put the remaining red wine in a wide pan with the turbot, season with salt and bring to the boil; cover with a piece of greaseproof paper and simmer for 30 seconds, then remove from the heat and leave to stand for 5 minutes.
Reheat the vegetables with the remaining butter. Drain the turbot and serve on a bed of buttered vegetables. Spoon the sauce over the fish and top with lardons and a slice of crisp grilled bacon.
Coq à la Bière
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 free range corn-fed chicken
(about 1.5kg)
Olive oil and butter
50g shallots, finely chopped
200g button mushrooms, sliced
1 bottle of 33cl beer
preferably bitter
1 teaspoon of brown sugar
200ml double cream
salt & pepper
The original version of this dish is made with a cockerel (coq) but these are not readily available commercially, so this recipe has been adapted to use a free range (preferably organic) chicken.
Heat the oven to 220ºC/425ºF/gas 7. Put the chicken on it's side in an enamelled cast-iron pan with a little olive il and butter and roast for about 40 minutes; baste the bird several times during cooking, turning it on to it's other side and finally on to it's back, breast upwards. When cooked, transfer the chicken on to a plate, breast down so that the juices permeate the meat while it rests.
Discard the fat from the roasting pan and add a know of fresh butter, place over a low heat and sweat the shallots until translucent, stirring with a wooden spoon. Add the mushrooms and cook for a further 3 minutes. Pour in the beer and sugar and reduce by half. Add the cream and reduce again to a light sauce consistency. Whisk in 50g of butter cut into small pieces to give the sauce sheen. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Carve the chicken and add to the hot sauce.
Lobster Soufflé with Quail's Egg and Brandy
Serves 8
Ingredients
30g butter
30g plain flour
250ml lobster stock
2 egg yolks
salt and cayenne pepper
8 egg whites
8 quails eggs boiled for one minute
1 boiled lobster cut into small pieces
1-2 tablespoons of brandy
2 tablespoons each of grated Gruyère, Emmental and mature Cheddar Cheese
Melt the butter in a thick based saucepan, whisk in the flour and cook, stirring continuously, for about 1 minute, whisking all the time to prevent any lumps from forming. Beat in the egg yolks and remove from the heat; season with salt and cayenne. Cover with a piece of buttered greaseproof paper and leave to cool.
Heat the oven to 220ºC/425º/7. Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they form soft peaks. Add a third of the egg whites to the lobster béchamel and beat with a whisk until evenly mixed, then gently fold in the remaining egg whites. Spoon the mixtures into well-buttered 8cm diameter tartlet moulds until half full, then add the soft-boiled quails egg and a few pieces of lobster meat into each mould. Cover with the remaining soufflé mixture and cook in the hot oven for 5 minutes.
Bring the bisque to the boil & add a dash of brandy; pour into 8 warmed heatproof soup plates. Turn the soufflés out onto the bisque, sprinkle the grated cheese over the soufflés, then place under a hot grill to glaze. Serve immediately.
Lobster stock - makes about 3 litres
3kg lobster heads
1 large onion chopped
1 carrot chopped
2 sticks of celery
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 sprigs of parsley stalks
1 sprig of thyme
1 bay leaf
2 large tomatoes
2 tablespoons of tomato purée
1/2 a teaspoon of cayenne pepper plus extra to serve
1 tablespoon brandy
300ml dry white wine
2 litres fish stock
1 litre of veal stock
sea salt
I have specified lobster heads, because the claw and body bones have little flavour (although by all means add them if you have room in the pan). Langoustine and prawn heads can be added.
Crush the lobster heads with a mallet or a rolling pin until they are well broken up. Sweat the onion, carrot & celery with the olive oil in a large saucepan. When the vegetables are lightly browned, add the herbs and the lobster heads, stirring to prevent sticking. After about 5 minutes, when the bones are hot, stir in the tomatoes, tomato purée and cayenne pepper. Pour in the brandy and stir well for a minute or two, then add the wine and boil for about 3 minutes.
Add the stocks and bring to the boil; season lightly with sea salt. Simmer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally and skimming off the scum that appears on the surface.
Drain through a colander set over a large bowl, pressing the lobster heads well to extract all the juices and flavour. Then pass this liquid through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan. Bring to the boil and skim. This can be kept in the fridge for 2-3 days, or frozen.
