7 Links of Lostpastremembered and Peach Jasmine Crepes

I read that in 12^th century Spain, Nachmanides, Rabbi and interpreter of the Kabbala (The Zohar),  explained the relevance of the number 7 by saying 7 is the number of the natural world  –– 7 days in a week, 7 notes on a scale, 7 directions.  There are 7 attributes of physicality (height, width, depth, top and bottom, front and back, left and right, plus connecting the other 6) – nothing exists in the physical world without these attributes… even a rainbow has 7 colors!  Never occurred to me that 7 was a special number.

Why am I so interested in 7???? The 7 LINKS MEME that’s going around is the reason.  My blog-pals, Trix and Lazaro tagged me for this so I thought I would give it a whirl.  The trick is to choose 7 "mosts" from your own blog: the most beautiful, the most overlooked, the most helpful, the most controversial, the most successful, the most popular, and the one you are most proud of –– 7 defining posts.  While I'm at it, I'd love to get David Solmonson at 12 Bottle Bar to have a go at his 7 mosts because I love his drinks, and Laura Kelly at Silk Road Gourmet because she's written about so many cool things!

This really put me into a spin.  I told Trix it was like picking your favorite child. The first thing I did was put myself on my favorites list so I could more easily look at 114 posts that I have done in the last 21 months (is there a better way to do this?).  114, can there be so many??

First Post

It has become a real personal voyage as I chart where I’ve been.  I see the evolution of the blog and the way it has moved from place to place, century to century.

Pumpion Pie 1st Picture that got on Tastespotting

I see how my photography has developed from pretty bad to a personal style that I am no longer embarrassed about (but still need to work on).

Hippocras

I see that my writing has gotten a little tighter and my research more on point.  There are a few easy quick posts that turned out well and some huge efforts that were, well, a bit long and convoluted.  With each I learn.

All and all, I’m grateful for the exercise and thank Trix and Lazaro for giving me the opportunity.  Why does this sound like some award’s speech???

The most beautiful, well, here comes that “pick your prettiest child moment” –– it’s tough and I will cheat and put in 3 that I love for different reasons.  One would be sea urchin pasta, I just love that picture for the color, the soft focus that feels vaguely marine and using that shell at the last minutes really made the photograph. It is also one of my most popular posts and one of the most delicious things I’ve made –– top 5. When I found a great supplier of uni –– that was when the dish started singing.  I could eat it every day. 

The other just might be the curried chicken from Olana… again the dish I used for it had so much to do with the way it looked.

The last would be the incredible eggs with asparagus, smoked salmon and Dutch Sauce that was a real moment in food porn and also incredibly good.  Dutch sauce with cream and elderflower vinegar instead of butter and lemon was incredibly good and ate as decadently as it looked!

The most overlooked? That would be my first Ambergris post.  Although the 2^nd ambergris post was only 2 weeks later, the title for that 2^nd one had chocolate in it and that was hugely popular.  I thought the ambergris post was so interesting… I for one knew so very little about it until I started researching. When I actually found I could get some from Ambergris Co. NZ, I was over the moon.  It is magical.

Sadly, it didn’t get a lot of visitors, too weird, I guess. And that’s a pity since it also had hot chocolate that was so good! I am also fond of the post because it introduced me to Mandy Aftel of Aftelier and all her spectacular essences which have made everything I make with them so incredibly good ( including the recipe for today).

The most helpful?  I don’t really do “how-to recipes”, that’s not my style or my audience.  Although most of my recipes aren’t killer difficult, some are.  I think I have 2 choices for this.  The first is grouse, because I had always wanted to make it and was afraid since I didn’t have a clue about how to best cook grouse.  I really asked around and researched a lot and found some great techniques that I use all the time now (frozen hazelnut oil under the skin, who knew?).  The result was one of the best things I ever stuck in my mouth.  My friends who shared the run-through bird felt the same way… they sucked every bit of flesh off the tiny bones and nearly licked the plate…and these are very proper guys!  

The other would probably be making real marshmallow from scratch.  I knew they once were made with real marshmallow root and wanted to see how it would be.  It took scads of research and dead ends and the first effort, although tasty, was more like marshmallow fluff.  As it turned out, it wasn’t a lost cause–– it was fabulous in hot chocolate!  I had trouble with gum tragacanth… there were no real instructions about how to use it.  Well, suffice to say all of my trials are listed and you can now make them if you so desire.  They are, as you would imagine, much more complexly flavored and the fluff was fabulous in hot chocolate!

The most controversial?  Dinner on Horseback.  

Why? It had nothing to do with the dish, which was simple trout and quite good.  It was about the event… I write about history too so food isn’t the only topic.  It was one of the only times I actually dumped a few comments (there are always one or 2 nutters once in a while that I ditch).  These were rather unpleasant comments about Billings being a pig,  asking why was I writing about such a disgusting display, etc.  Problem was, I’d contacted a grandson and just felt creepy about him reading that stuff so I took it out. 

Me personally, I had wanted to know more about The Dinner on Horseback since I first saw the picture as a teenager.  Thanks to the brilliance of fellow blogger, David Solmonson at 12 Bottle Bar and his awesome detective work, I finely found out what they ate… it had never been publicised, only hinted at.  David found it in a book on horses, of course!   And the reason that you never saw a copy of the menu was because it was on a silver horseshoe that was given to the guests… the menu David found was a copy of the original order for the dinner that was in the now defunct Sherry’s archives.  This trumped all issues I may have about celebrating conspicuous consumption.  And honestly, I write about food history… believe me when I say, the dinner on horseback is tame compared to monarchy breaking, treasury busting parties!!!

The most successful? Babette’s Feast.  I loved that movie, I really did.  And it took me a very long time to work up the courage to make the quail in puff pastry. I had no idea how to make quail and my last attempt at puff pastry had been a disaster.  For some reason the cooking gods were smiling on me when I made it and it all turned out perfectly and perfectly delicious.

The most popular? Kentucky Derby and Secretariat , hands down.  Of all the visitors to the blog, 1/3 have been there.  It had nothing to do with the food although Jenny Benedict's little cucumber sandwiches are awesome and so was her mayonnaise.  It had everything to do with Secretariat and the film coming out at just the right moment.

I was very proud of what I wrote since it came from the heart.  Watching Secretariat win Belmont was one of the greatest things I ever saw.  I never get tired of watching it.  I got 12,000 hits in one day as the movie came out which, well seems appropriate to Secretariat don’t you think?  No other post touches the record by a mile.  There was another spike when the DVD came out… love that horse.

The one you are most proud of?  There are 3, Hampton Court is the first.  I loved touring the palace with the cool kitchen historian, Marc Meltonville.  He shared incredible insights into the way the kitchen worked and what it took to feed a palace.

Picture of Chewetts at Hampton Court

It was thrilling and making little chewetts like the ones I saw at the palace was great fun.  I lost my fear of suet after I got some from my favorite beef guy.  Suet makes a very, very strong crust that really can stand on its own.  It was flaky and tasty, who knew?

The visit to Olana  was a fortunate one because I took a chance and wrote to the historian of the house and got a treasure of the recipes that were eaten there… even what cookbooks were on the shelves.  It was terribly exciting and I think the post gave you a good feeling of who Church was and how he ate, and the chicken was delicious and beautiful!

I was proud of Twain  because I did so many dishes to celebrate my 1^st year blogversary… it was a lot of work, research and too many pictures.  That said, I was proud of the result and the dishes were delicious.  It also gave me a real sense of the meal that was eaten.  I used old dishes, silver and my 1870 lace tablecloth that is one of my favorite things.

After reading through my walk down memory lane, I can't leave without sharing a recipe, can I? It's a dessert I made the other day from the spectacular peaches I had.  It takes no time at all to do and the result is... sensational. You can make them low calorie or go for the buttery creamy version.  Great peaches need only be warmed for a minute.  You will love them without the jasmine, but with it... well, they are sinful.  It would also be great with pears or berries, although for the berries I would use Aftelier Rose Essence.

Hazelnut Crepes with Jasmine Peaches for 2-3

1/3 c milk

1 egg

1/4 c  flour (3 T white and 1 T whole wheat is best)

1 T ground hazelnuts (or pecans or almonds)

1/8 t salt

1 t hazelnut oil

butter or hazelnut oil for pan

2 peaches, skinned and sliced

1 T butter or hazelnut oil

2-4 T maple syrup

2-3 drops of Aftelier Jasmine essence(it's best to taste

1/2 cup yogurt or lightly whipped cream if you'd like
mint or pennyroyal for garnish

Throw the milk, eggs, flour, hazelnuts and salt into the blender and let ‘er rip for a minute or 2.  Strain the mixture through a fine sieve, rubbing on the solids then dump the residue into the mix–– this really helps to blend it.  Stir it all together again and make sure you get a good mix with each crepe (ie, don't just spoon from the top... you'll miss the nutty goodness!).  This can be made in advance.

Coat your pan with butter or oil…be especially generous.

Use 1/4 to 1/3 cup of batter per crepe, pour in the pan, swirl and let set for a minute then flip and remove,
Keep warm.


Melt the butter in the pan,  toss the peaches in the pan and warm for a moment... if they are really good you shouldn't cook them.  Add the syrup and jasmine.


Fold each crepe into quarters and fling back the topmost flap.  Put your peaches in and pour the sauce over all.


Garnish with pennyroyal (again a reminder, do not eat too much pennyroyal, especially if you are pregnant) or mint.  Serve with cream or yogurt.

Thanks to Gollum for hosting Foodie Friday

Last, I want to send you over to my friend Deborah Chud from A Doctor's Kitchen.  She has a bang up new app for your Iphone or Ipad called Trufflehead.  Here you can get wonderful, healthful recipes and even shopping lists to send out when you've assigned a shopper for a meal (is that a great idea or what?).


The app is HERE on ITUNES or you can visit the Trufflehead Website HERE.  You can get a preview of how it all works on YouTube HERE.  You will be ever so happy you did.  There are even some Lostpastremembered recipes on it.  Since I do a lot of rich food for the blog... I love Deborah's recipes for the rest of my week.  They are smart and delicious!  


To promote it, she will giveaway 20 apps here... first come first serve... you need an Iphone or Ipad to make it work!  Just say you would like one in the comments, email me with your email address and I'll send you the info.  Good Luck!



Thanks for featuring my crepes on the kitchn

Lyndhurst Mansion and New York Times Fish Stew from 1904

Lyndhurst 

 

A few weeks ago I visited Lyndhurst mansion, less than an hour from NYC overlooking the majestic Hudson River.   That sounds corny –– “majestic Hudson” –– but it’s really true.  It’s enormously wide, at once serene and powerful, and Lyndhurst stands above it like an jagged stone sentinel overlooking the Tappan Zee Bridge. It is a great day trip for those who live around NYC.  I went with my friend Spence and his A Friend in NY tour Company.

Entrance hall

Lyndhurst is a Gothic Revival  masterpiece and a tour de force of the art of faux painting  (making things look like what they are not)  ––the height of fashion when it was remodeled in the 1860s. Virtually everything was fauxed in the house… made to look like leather, stone –– everything save the real white marble floor with blue Minton tile and the gorgeous marble fireplaces (although often the surrounds are faux). Yes, the walls and ceiling in the hall above are painted to look like marble… insanely perfect and in remarkable condition.  If there ever was a time I wished I could take a thousand pictures of great faux painting, this was it –– but they don’t allow photography in the house.  Drat.

The house was designed and built in 1838 by Alexander Jackson Davis  (1803 -1892) who also did the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford and the US Custom’s House in NYC in 1842.  It was originally commissioned by former NYC mayor, William Paulding, and known as Knoll when it was first built as a Gothic villa. The charming booklet I purchased at the house quoted famous architectural critic, Andrew Jackson Downing, who said in his classic book, The Architecture of Country Houses:

“The villa… should, above all things, manifest individuality.  It should say something of the character of the family within –– as much as possible of their life and history, their tastes and associations, should mould and fashion themselves upon its walls.”  The house was built for “men of imagination, men whose aspirations never leave them at rest –– men whose ambition and energy will give them no peace within the mere bounds of rationality.  These are the men for picturesque villas –– country houses with high roofs, steep gables, unsymmetrical and capricious forms.  It is for such that the architect may safely introduce the tower and the campanile, any and every feature that indicates originality, boldness, energy and variety of character.” 

Individual it certainly is.  For all of that, the house was considered very odd for its unusual profile, even called “Paulding’s Folly” by his neighbors used to quiet Georgians or staid Greek Revivals.

Jay Gould (1836-92)

The second owner, George Merritt (who made his fortune in springs) bought the house in 1864, doubled its size with the help of the original architect, renamed it Lyndehurst and sold it to Jay Gould­­––the much reviled robber baron, in 1880 for $255,000 –– still full of Paulding and Merritt possessions.  It was to be a country refuge from the New York City society that rejected Gould.  He was not welcome in Newport after his market rigging shenanigans (among other things, he tried to corner the gold market and was a brutal if not vicious competitor).  Renamed Lyndhurst, it stayed in the Gould family till it was given to the National Trust in 1961.

The ceilings in the house are remarkable

I really love the style.  There is something about it that screams American arriviste, true, but also has this amazing optimism and self-possession.  It feels so American somehow–– in laying claim to the Gothic ideal, you break out of the demure clapboard houses of the earlier part of the century –– dream big, live big.
.

The gallery (believe it or not, this window was shuttered at the beginning!) 

Let’s be clear.  I have never been a white box girl.  I love odd corners and 2 story parlor windows and stained glass.  When my grandparents gave up their big Victorian pile for a normal house I cried for days (I was 8… but I would do the same today).

Dining Room

Dining Room

I love dark, rich, super-saturated jewel box colors.   When I walked into the Lyndhurst dining room, I felt embraced by the dark-blood walls that looked like fine leather.  The textures, the arches and twirls of the plasterwork play at Gothic strings but also evoke natural patterns, reminiscent of the arched avenues of great old forests  –– always striving upward to the light of possibility that was so much the American spirit at that time.  I know most people feel exactly the opposite about the Gothic architectural form –– they think it is suffocating and oppressive. In fact, the very word Gothic only began being used in the Renaissance and was highly pejorative –– the style was thought to be barbaric and vaguely pagan (perhaps those gargoyles!) –– hence associating it with plunderers (a word that has often been associated with Robber Barons). I guess it depends on one’s point of view… I think it soars.  This new Gothic celebrated the new faith in commerce and its titans of business as much as the Catholic church had inspired the original Gothic style.  The earliest skyscrapers had Gothic details (think Woolworth Building)!

The East Bedroom

We seem to live in a hope-sucking world of ‘we can’t’ and ‘not any more’ these days –– this house comes from a world where everything seemed possible and architecture seemed to strive upward with it’s builders and clients (did you know that no more sky scrapers are being planned for the United States even as they go up like mad in the Mideast and Far East –– that says it all).

Helen Gould (1868-1938)

I do not justify the dealings of ruthless men like Gould.  I don’t think his daughter Helen did either.  She bought the house from the estate soon after her father’s death in 1892 and spent the rest of her life paying back with her incredible fortune.  She was involved in many charities, using her $10 million inheritance that she grew to $30 million even as she gave much away. She was very good at running her charities personally from a small office in the house (with a law degree from NYU) with a helper and a very organized set of file cabinets.  Beginning locally with support for women and children in poverty and then extending outward to her alma mater, NYU (endowing a library and an engineering school), The Red Cross, Salvation Army and YMCA as well as the war efforts (she gave money TO the government for the Spanish American War!).   She even gave a dinner for 1000 at the Bowery mission to celebrate her wedding to Finley Shepard.

She was especially involved with Naval charities, and on her wedding night, ships in the Hudson saluted the newlyweds as they came out on their nuptial balcony.   This house is very much about its prospect –– a commanding view of the Hudson River.

So how did they eat? 

When I visit a place, I often wonder what they ate there ––Lyndhurst is no exception.

Anna Gould (1875-1961)

I began by reading about the nuptials of Jay Gould’s daughter Anna to Marquis Boni de Castellane in 1895… there were menus for the wedding breakfast and bachelor dinner in old NYT articles.   Something about the house didn’t scream fancy French food though… like les ouefs brouillies aux truffes (scrambled eggs with truffles), coquille de ris-de-veau, volaille et truffes (shells of sweetbreads, chicken and truffles) and glacé d’Abricots en Orchids (apricot ice cream in orchids or in the shape of them –– appropriate since they grew orchids in their fabulous greenhouse).  The marriage was a disaster and ended in 1906 after he ran through prodigious amounts of her money with lavish parties and building the extravagant Palais Rose on the Avenue Foch (later occupied by famous aesthete, Robert de Montesquiou).  She remarried a prince and when he died she moved back to the US just before WWII and was the last occupant of the house.  She gave it to the National Trust in 1961.

I read that Delmonicos had catered Helen’s wedding breakfast in 1913, but found no mention of what was eaten.  Her marriage was by all accounts successful and happy and blessed with the adoption of 4 children since she was in her mid-40s when she married. Her husband was a man she had known for sometime but fell in love with when they were in a train wreck together!!

As for Jay, well there was not much mentioned about his entertaining at all –– perhaps his vile reputation led to less public, and therefore unreported, parties and dinners.

Stuck at a dead end for a dish that was tied to the house, I suddenly remembered a wonderful 1904 article I had found in the NYT archive a few years back with real New York recipes for fish soups and chowders.  For some reason, that just felt right to me.  Reading what I have about Helen (and her astonishing best friend Mrs. Russell Sage), I felt she was, for all of her wealth, a solid citizen.  I could imagine Helen in that wonderfully eccentric yet surprisingly comfortable dining room, eating a stew like this–– cooked in that kitchen …after a long day righting what wrongs she could and making things better.  This soup would fortify and give pleasure as well.

Gould era kitchen (sadly, this has been made into a gift shop!)

Pantry (it’s now full of period china and glassware –– love the ribbed marble sink and cork floor to help with breakage)

When I first saw the recipe, I was filled with trepidation, yet intrigued.  Who would put red wine in a New York fish stew???  This was not a combination I was used to. True, I’d had red wine with lentils and salmon but….  The recipe also called for ketchup, ketchup???   Whenever I thought of cod and potatoes I thought creamy white chowders (I know, you’re going to say what about Manhattan clam chowder, but that is a fairly recent invention ––1930s).   And ketchup has been used in America for a very, very long time, at least from the beginning of the 19^th century –– Heinz had been bottling it since the 1870s. 

Well, I decided to try it.  It was great.  Although I thought this combination was a bizarre anomaly, I discovered, thanks to the research of Jasper White and his book 50 Chowders, that something like it was published nearly 150 years before in the Boston Evening Post  on September 23^rd, 1751 (sans ketchup).

“First lay some Onions to keep the Pork from burning


Because in Chouder there can be not turning;


Then lay some Pork in slices very thing,


Thus you in Chouder always must begin.


Next lay some Fish cut crossways very nice 


Then season well with Pepper, Salt, and Spice;


Parsley, Sweet-Marjoram, Savory, and Thyme,


Then Biscuit next which must be soak'd some Time.


Thus your Foundation laid, you will be able


To raise a Chouder, high as Tower of Babel;


For by repeating o'er the Same again,


You may make a Chouder for a thousand men.


Last a Bottle of Claret, with Water eno; to smother 'em, 


You'll have a Mess which some call Omnium gather 'em.”

Here is the original NYT recipe from 1904.

Both soups use the layering technique and red wine.  I found that fascinating.  Now I wonder where the custom to never have fish with red wine came into being???

I ended up changing the NYT’s recipe very little.  The result was rich and dark and satisfying and so easy to make.  I made lovely crackers to have with the soup, basing them on a Thomas Keller recipe from Bouchon Bakery… they are ridiculously easy.  It was a nod to the biscuits that thickened the 18^th century version of the soup… biscuits then being more like our crackers today. Back then, they needed to be soaked to make them easier to eat since they were often hard as a rock!  My crackers are buttery good and perfect for the stew.  I did add the shrimp to the stew and liked the contrast in texture since they were lightly cooked (and no matter how good it was, I just couldn’t take a picture of a bowl of brown… I needed to brighten it up a little).

Fish Stew based on a 1904 New York Time’s Recipe

6 slices bacon

1 onion, diced

2 T butter

3 c mashed potatoes (made with milk and butter)

4 pounds white-fleshed fish, chopped into big chunks -sea bass, halibut or fluke (I used cod)

¼ t nutmeg

¼ t mace

1/8 t ground cloves or 5 or 6 cloves

1 or 2 T mixed fresh herbs (parsley, marjoram, thyme, savory etc)

salt and pepper to taste

1or 2 small hot peppers or ½ to 1 t pepper flakes

1 ½ c claret (I used cabernet sauvignon)

¼ to ½ c ketchup

a few shakes of Worcestershire sauce

18 Shrimp, lightly cooked

Sauté the bacon until crisp and then remove.  Add the butter and the onion and sauté till softened and slightly browned.  Remove ½ the onion mixture and add ½ the bacon.  Add ½ the cod, then ½ the mashed potatoes then the rest of the bacon and onions, the rest of the cod and the rest of the potatoes.  Pour the wine and an equal amount of water.  Gently mix in the ketchup and Worcestershire.  Cover and cook over low heat for about ½ an hour.  Place the shrimp on top and serve with crackers.

Butter Crackers from a Thomas Keller Recipe

¼ c warm water

¾ t active dry yeast

¾ c plus 1 T all purpose flour, plus more for dusting

2 t cornstarch

1 t kosher salt

2 T plus 2 t butter, softened

Warm oven to 350º, line 2 baking sheets with parchment or silpat.

Sift the flour and cornstarch.Combine the ingredients… breaking up the butter in the flour into small chunks and knead for 10 minutes...it will seem too wet but be patient. Let rest for 10 minutes.  Divide into 2 pieces and role the 1st 1/8 thick.  I also used a technique of folding the dough like an old fashiones envelope twice to give it layers, but that is up to you… I liked the effect.

Cut out circles or squares or whatever you fancy (like fish) and place on parchment.  Pierce with sharp fork to keep them from puffing or don’t and let them puff.  Do the same for the second part of the dough.

Bake for about 10 minutes, turning halfway.   Remove and let cool on the sheets.  Store in an airtight container after they cool

Thanks to Gollum for Hosting Foodie Friday

Arm Chair Dining, Le Bristol and Artichoke Foie Gras Stuffed Pasta with Parmesan and Truffle Sauce.

Hotel Le Bristol, 1925  

I don’t know about you, but I am not a jetsetter.  I don’t fly off to foreign lands to eat at 5 star restaurants every week, few of us do.  But through the wonders of the blogosphere, you can tag along with others when they splurge on great meals and share what they have eaten… often with photos.

For years, I have read descriptions of dishes and tried to capture them without the benefit of a recipe.  My results, as you can imagine, have been inconsistent.  Some are real dogs but, surprisingly, some are gems. 

I have often tried to remake dishes I have eaten, haven’t you?  It’s easier to do when you taste it yourself and can guess at the hidden secret bits or charm the waiter into telling you (“What is that divine flavor???”).  Doing it blind is more difficult but the result is so satisfying when it works. Makes you feel like an alchemist and psychic all at once.

For me, the description of ingredients is what gets me going, even more than photos do.  I imagine the flavors and then set about to recreate them.

I found the blog Luxeat  last winter when I was researching a famous restaurant in Kyoto.  The woman that runs this blog eats all over the world all the time and shares her discoveries ... she must live in an airplane!  Recently, she wrote about Le Bristol in Paris and described a dish that I just had to try.  The result was one of the best things I’ve ever made.

Hotel Bristol today

Hotel le Bristol  is a great Parisian hotel with a long history. Wikipedia tells me that it all began in 1758 with the opening of the Place de Concorde in Paris.  A hotel was built at #12 Rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré  in the 18^th century that became the Vogüé Hotel in 1829.

Frederick Augustus Hervey

In 1925, the hotel became the Hotel le Bristol, named after Frederick Augustus Hervey, the 4th Earl of Bristol   (1730-1803) –– a Brit known as “Earl Bishop” who George III called “that wicked prelate”.  He was a great art collector, filthy rich and possessed of strong opinions that nearly got him arrested.  He actually believed religious factions should try to get along, imagine that?  When he died, members of many faiths kicked in to buy a monument, an extraordinary gesture.  To avoid trouble, he left his houses in Derry, Northern Ireland and the family estate of Ickworth in Suffolk and went to Europe to travel and collect art.  He was a collector with a fine nuanced eye and a boldly individual dresser as well as a great traveler.

Today it is a beautiful grand dame of a hotel.

 Hotel le Bristol Restaurant

Within Hotel le Bristol’s walls is a restaurant, a really spectacular restaurant.

Eric Frechon 

These days, Le Bristol Restaurant is helmed by Eric Frechon . The restaurant was awarded 3 stars in 2008 and is one of Nicolas Sarkozy’s favorite spots (Freshon also got a Legion d’Honneur in 2008).  One look at the menu  and you can see why.  There are a million things that I want to try when I read it.  Frechon is a superlative chef. His new book Eric Freshon looks wonderful. Here’s hoping they release it in English soon.

Poularde de Bresse Cuite en Vessie, although a whole chicken is cooked within, they only serve the boneless,

 skinless breast cut from the bird at tableside with the truffled juices.

What I made was one of Frechon’s signature dishes (another one is his 240 € for 2 Poularde de Bresse Cuite en Vessie –– chicken in pig’s bladder with truffles – loved by Marco Pierre White and invented by the papa of modern French food, La Pyramide’s Ferdinand Point). 

I chose to re-interprete his 85€ appetizer –– Macaronis farcis truffe noire, artichaut et foie gras de canard, gratinés au vieux parmesan –– a pasta stuffed with foie gras, artichoke and truffles with 2 sauces.  WOW~

 Macaronis farcis truffe noire, artichaut et foie gras de canard, gratinés au vieux parmesan  Le Bristol photo

After I made it, I found the French blog  La Table des Chefs that had the recipe for the dish from Frechon’s cookbook. As you can imagine, there were some differences. The topping for the pasta was a Mornay sauce instead of the cream/butter glaze with the cheese that I used. Also, I made the pasta and made larger rolls since I wanted a thinner, more luxurious egg dough for this dish.  I didn’t have truffles on hand (it being August and all) so used truffle butter and creamy truffle scented foie gras from D’Artagnan that I had in the freezer to give me the truffle flavor I craved.

I would be remiss if I didn’t pause to relate a little back-story about foie gras for you –– it’s a compelling one.

Carving on temple wall 

Quick overview: It is believed the whole process began in Egypt over 4000 years ago when the observant Egyptians noticed that geese captured just before they left on their migration had big fat delicious livers from gorging themselves. The ruling class (surprise!) decided they wanted to enjoy them all year round so their farmers began to overfeed their domestic geese.  Some feel Jews were responsible for the gavage force-feeding technique and then spread it throughout Europe as they migrated.  Dan Barber posited this occurred since they wanted an alternative to schmaltz as they couldn’t eat pork fat.  I read elsewhere that big fat geese were the Jewish alternative to pork.  It was thought the Greeks brought the idea to Rome.  The Romans loved foie gras, and fattened their geese with figs, hence the name Jecur{liver}Ficatum{from fig} that slowly evolved to only ficatum then proceeded to fegato in Italian (fegato d’oca) becoming foye (I had trouble finding foie in la Varenne because it was spelled foye) and finally foie in French.

The 1^st AD Roman, Apicius  had a recipe for foie gras, Le Viandier de Taillevent and Le Menagier de Paris from the 14^th century in France had recipes for the lovely liver.  The Renaissance was all about rediscovering

the glory of the classics in so many ways so 16^th century Italian chef Bartolomeo Scappi  mentions it in his 1570 cookbook,  L’Opera (floured, sliced and sautéed with a sugar and orange sauce…mmmm).

As seen above, La Varenne has quite a few recipes for it in the 17^th century (*I translated them at the end of the post) and Brillat-Savarin , Careme  and his pupil Gouffé  among others, used it with abandon in the 18^th and 19^th centuries.

Foie gras with artichoke hearts and truffle is a classic combination in French cuisine (often used with filet mignon as in Escoffier’s  Tournedos Lili) as are the sauces used… Frechon just turned a classic garnish on its ear and made it into a brilliant filling… both honoring and elevating the original inspiration… what we all hope to do when we play with recipes!

The result was insane.  I was crazy about it.  Honestly, I had just made it for myself because I had the ingredients and then had to share with you.  The flavor, the texture…  well, it should be illegal, it’s that good.

PS:  For some reason I never had thought about before, most of the time when one speaks of foie gras it is no longer foie gras d’oie, but is now–– foie gras de canard –– duck.  When I thought of foie gras up through the 80’s it was always goose, then wham, duck!  I read the change began in the 50’s when it was discovered it was easier and therefore cheaper to use ducks. An article in the NYT  said that geese are harder to feed and their necks are more delicate. To be honest, I can’t remember the last time I had goose liver, but Schlitz Goose Farm in South Dakota has fat goose liver that isn’t force-fed (a very expensive, labor intensive process) for a great price that I am looking forward to trying.

That said –– I use duck liver here.

Macaronis farcis truffe noire, artichaut et foie gras de canard, gratinés au vieux parmesan inspired by Bristol Restaurant (Artichoke, Foie Gras and Truffle Stuffed Pasta) serves 2-4

1/2 to 3/4 roll of D'Artagnan medallion of foie gras with truffle

2 artichokes or frozen artichoke hearts (about 1/2 c chopped)
2 pinches of salt

1 recipe pasta* or 4 lasagna noodles, or 8 cannelloni or manicotti--cooked

3/4 c cream

3/4 c chicken stock

¼ t onion powder

¼ t celery salt

pinch of pepper

1 1/2 c D'Artagnan demi-glace 

2 T madeira ( I used Rare Wine Co. Boston Bual)

4 T D'Artagnan black truffle butter 

¼ c good imported parmesan

herbs for garnish

Make a recipe for pasta.  You will only need 1/3 of it, but have a bit extra for tearing (freeze the rest) or use bought lasagna noodles. Ideally, the noodles are 4-5" wide and 8-9" long. Cook 8 pieces and reserve.

Steam the artichokes until tender.  Scrape the tender flesh from the leaves and remove the hearts.  If this is too big a pain for you, get another artichoke or 2 and just use the heart or use frozen artichoke hearts. If you used frozen, use just the bottoms and saute them in a bit of butter to release some of the water or gently squeeze them.  Do not use canned hearts for this.  Chop all the artichoke pieces fairly small and reserve.

Sauces:

Warm the demi-glace, reducing till slightly thickened, add the Madeira.  Remove from the heat and add 2T truffle butter and reserve.

Cook the cream and chicken stock with the onion powder, celery salt and pepper till thickened slightly and reserve.

To complete dish:

Warm 2 T truffle butter in an ovenproof skillet.

Lay out  the pasta sheets on a counter. If they are cold, warm them for a moment in boiling water. Combine the artichoke and foie gras and 2 pinches of salt (decide the proportions for yourself you may like more foie gras to artichoke or evenly mixed). Roll up about 2 T of artichoke, foie gras mixture like a cigar.   Lay in the buttered skillet, rolling the rolls gently in the truffle butter. If they are cold, warm them through as the broiler will not heat them completely.  Brush with cream and sprinkle with the cheese and broil for a few minutes until browned on top.

Warm the sauces if necessary, pour on each plate and top with the pasta and garnish with herbs.

Pasta Dough 

1 cup all-purpose flour  plus 2 T semolina 

2 large egg yolks

1 large egg

1 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 tablespoon milk

Mix together and knead for 5 minutes till elastic… you may need more flour to do this.   Let rest for 1 hour then put through the pasta machine in 3 parts.  You will only need one for this recipe.  Put that through on the lowest level so it is thin and lovely.

Photo from La Table de Chef

Recipe from  Eric Frechon’s cookbook via La Table de Chefs

Macaroni 
- 2 large pieces of macaroni 'Candele' 
- 2 liters chicken stock

Stuffing macaroni 
- 4 artichokes 
- 1 lemon 
- 100 g flour 
- 50 grams of black truffles (or mushrooms) 
- 100 g of foie gras 
- Salt and pepper

The Mornay 
- 20 g unsalted butter 
- 20 g flour 
- 200 g milk 
- 10 cl truffle juice (or provide 180 g of frozen mushrooms) 
- 150 g of emmental grated 
- 50 g aged parmesan (to brown) 
- Salt and pepper

Sauce Supreme 
- 25 cl of chicken stock 
- 20 cl whipping cream

Truffled chicken jus 
- 20 cl of jus chicken (demiglas, stock?) 
- 2.5 cl truffle juice 
- 40 g chips truffles (or mushrooms)

Decor 
- 4 arugula leaves 
- 4 leaves of lettuce

Artichokes, foie gras, truffles / mushrooms

Trim the artichokes to the bottom, leaving the choke, and plunge them into a container of water + juice of half a lemon. 
Prepare a large pot with 2 liters of water and mix in the flour, salt. 
Add the juice of the remaining half of the lemon. 
Cook the artichokes for 40 minutes at low heat, then cool in pan juices.

While you cook the artichoke hearts, cut foie gras into small cubes. Keep it cool foie gras to this point it will be easier with a good foie gras rigide. Réserve and cool. 
Finely chop the truffle / porcini. Keep refrigerated. 
When the artichokes have cooled, remove the chokes and cut into small cubes (5mm). 
Blend hearts, truffles / mushrooms, foie gras. 
Season. 
Put in a pastry bag with an open socket closest to the inside diameter of macaroni.

Cooking the macaroni

The Candele are 50 cm long, therefore no question of cooking without cutting. 
In the end we should have sections of 8 cm, one half of Candele is 25 cm, then 3 macaroni, so I cut in two for cooking. 
It should be cooked horizontally in 
2 liters of chicken stock for 5 minutes.

Sauce Mornay

By following the recipe I got a fairly thick sauce, too much for my taste, which inflates in the oven and gives a bumpy appearance which does not match the aesthetics of the recipe prepared by the chef. I suggest you follow this recipe and thin with milk for a smoother sauce.

Melt the butter in a saucepan. 
Add flour and cook gently for 2 minutes. 
Add cold milk, mix well. 
Cook 5 minutes over low heat, stirring. 
Add the truffle juice / ceps. 
Add the grated parmesan cheese. 
Keep in a water bath.

Sauce Supreme

Reduce the chicken stock with cream until thick.

Keep in a water bath.

Truffled chicken jus

Prepare the jus in a saucepan. 
Add chips and truffle / porcini mushrooms and juice. 
Reduce until thickened then 
put in a water bath.

Manufacture of macaroni

Remove Candele sections of 8cm long from liquid, then stuff with the preparation of artichoke. It's long, difficult but doable. 
Place macaroni in groups of three on a lightly oiled pan. 
Pour a thin layer of Mornay over them. 
Sprinkle with grated aged Parmesan. 
Put in a 180º oven to warm the center of the macaroni. 
When the cheese begins to melt, put under the broiler (or turn oven up to 220º).

Dressage

Transfer 3 macaroni to a warm plate. 
Divide into three point triangle  the truffle juice and sauce supreme (see photos below). 
Add three leaves of lettuce and arugula.

*Translation:

foye gras in ragout

choisissez-les plus gras & les plus blonds, nettoyez-les &; jettez dans l'eau chaude pour ôter l'amertume, mais les tirez aussi-tost, étans essuyez passez les par la poële avec beurre ou sain-doux &; faites mitonner avec peur de bouillon, persil, & siboule entiere, étans cuits, ostez la siboule, &; servez la sauce bien liée, vous y pouvez mettre truffes, champignons &; asperges


 Foie Gras Ragout

choose the fattest and the most fair, clean & throw in warm water to remove the bitterness, then sauté with butter or lard, to seal.  go wipe the pan & simmer broth, parsley, & green onion, when cooked remove the green onion, and serve the sauce well connected, you can put truffles, mushrooms &; asparagus

foye gras sur le gril

Mettez sur le gril, &; le poudrez de mie de pain & and de sel, etant rosti, jettez un jus de citron par dessus &; servez

foie gras on the grill

Put on the grill, and sprinkle the bread crumbs and salt &, being browned, take  lemon juice on top &; serve

foie gras cuit dans les cendres

il faut le barder de lard, & le bien assaisonner de sel, poivre, clou batu &; un bouquet fort petit, puis l'enveloppez avec quatre ou cinq feuilles de papier, & le mettre cuire dans les cendres comme un coing.  Etant cuit, prenez garde de perdre la sauce en le remuant, ostez les  feuilles de dessus, & le servez avec celles de dessous si vous voulez, ou sur une assiete.

foie gras cooked in the ashes

Take slices of bacon, and season well with salt, pepper, & a bunch cloves beaten very small, then wrap with four or five sheets of paper, and put cooked in the ashes like a quince. Being cooked, beware of losing the sauce by stirring, remove leaves above, and serve it with those below if you wish, or on a plate.

If any of you can improve the translation, be my guest!!!

Thanks to Gollum for hosting Foodie Friday!