Escoffier At Home

Tag: escoffier

0234. Beurre d’Ecrevisse, Crayfish Butter

Escoffier recipe for making beurre d’écrevisse, crayfish butter, at home (Escoffier 238).

Crayfish, crawfish, crawdads, crawdaddies, freshwater lobsters, mudbugs or écrevisse – whatever you call the crustaceans — most people love ’em.

Beurre d’écrevisse can be used for a multitude of dishes, on breads, in sauces, on eggs — you name it.

Let me know how you use it!

Beurre d’Ecrevisse

This recipe for a compound butter is adapted from those of Escoffier and Julia Child. I just had to — Escoffier’s had no extra seasoning added, so I spiced it up a bit with fresh thyme, Old Bay, paprika and cayenne. If you don’t like spice, leave them out…

Mise en place:

Sauté the carrots, onions and leek in butter for about 10 minutes.

Add the tomato paste, crayfish, thyme, bay leaves, Old Bay seasoning, paprika, cayenne…

… and cook covered for 30 minutes on low heat, to infuse the flavors.

Turn out onto a cookie sheet to cool.

Place in a food processor with butter and blend until smooth.

The shells will give the butter a reddish color.

Take your time and press the mixture through a tamis or sieve, and refrigerate. (The longer you process, the easier this part will be.)

Can be frozen for future use.

Ingredients
64g (1/2 cup) finely chopped carrots
58g (1/3 cup) finely chopped onion
50g (2/3 cup) finely chopped leek
35g (7 1/2 teaspoons) unsalted butter
50g (3 tablespoons) tomato paste
1000g (about 2 pounds) whole cooked crayfish bodies
2g (2 teaspoons) fresh thyme sprigs
4 bay leaves
6g (1 tablespoon) Old Bay seasoning
4g (2 teaspoons) sweet paprika
1g (1/2 teaspoon) ground cayenne pepper
908g (2 pounds) unsalted butter

15 December 2015
2921. Côtes de Porc à la Flamande, Baked Porkchops with Apples

Escoffier recipe for making côtes de porc à la flamande, baked porkchops with apples, at home (Escoffier, 2921).

Have you ever made pork chops with apple sauce for dinner before? Well then, if you have, you’ve already cooked côtes de porc à la flamande. This Escoffier recipe is a very simple, but delicious dish of pork chops with baked apples. It’s a quick dinner to make, too!

Côtes de Porc à la Flamande, Baked Porkchops with Apples

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Quarter, core, and peel the apples (allow one apple per chop). Cut them up in thick slices and coat with the lemon juice to prevent their browning. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper.

Melt the butter in a hot pan, and quickly brown the pork chops on both sides. Remove them to an earthenware or ceramic baking pan in a single layer. Save those pan juices!

Cover the chops with apple slices and drizzle them with the leftover butter and pan juices.

Bake in a 375ºF oven for 20-30 minutes, or until the apples are tender. Remove and let rest, then dish ’em up!

We served our côtes de porc à la flamande with some leftover mashed potatoes and stuffing from Thanksgiving.

Ingredients
4 boneless pork loin chops
4 Granny Smith apples
Juice of one-half lemon
35g Challenge unsalted butter
salt and pepper to taste

Equipment
Cutting board and kitchen knife
Salter digital scale
Measuring bowls
Small bowl
Frying pan
Set of tongs or spatula
Baking dish

25 November 2012
0202. Sauce Mayonnaise

Easy, 30-second recipe for making your own mayo, sauce mayonnaise, at home (Escoffier 202).

Escoffier’s traditional recipe for Sauce Mayonnaise takes a little time and elbow grease to complete. He tells us to whisk, whisk, whisk. That’s fine and dandy… but with an immersion blender you can do it in 30 seconds.

I use a Cuisinart SmartStick brand immersion blender to emulsify the mayo.

You can use a light oil like canola, or a heavy oil like olive. You can use vinegar or lemon juice, or a combination of both. Just as long as you have enough acid for the emulsion to work. Some people add pepper, dijon mustard or sugar to taste (personally, I don’t like sweet mayos like Miracle Whip). But it doesn’t matter. Whatever suits your own taste. It’s up to you!

Mise en place for mayonnaise:

Sauce Mayonnaise, Mayo

Add the egg yolks, lemon juice or distilled white vinegar, and salt into a tall, narrow container. Pour in the oil and allow to settle.

Position the immersion blender head in the oil at the bottom of the container. Pulse gently several times to get the emulsion going, then longer until all the oil is blended. It will be very thick.

If you let ’er rip too fast at the beginning, the emulsion will break, and you’ll get nothing usable.

Here’s a video of how easy it is:

Store in a sealed container or squeeze bottle in the fridge, just as you would for store-bought mayo.

Ingredients
2 egg yolks
200g (1 cup) canola or olive oil
16g (1 tablespoon) distilled white vinegar or fresh lemon juice
2g (1/8 teaspoon) salt

Equipment
Cutting board and kitchen knife
Salter digital scale
Measuring cup
Cuisinart SmartStick immersion blender
Rubber spatula
Plastic container

From the Book:

202 Sauce Mayonnaise
Many composed cold sauces are derived from Mayonnaise and it is therefore classified as a basic sauce in the same way as Espagnole and Velouté.
Its preparation is very simple provide note is taken of the principles outlined in the following recipe:

Ingredients:
6 egg yolks (these must be unblemished)
1 litre oil
10g fine salt
pinch ground white pepper
1 1/2 tbs vinegar (or its equivalent in lemon juice if the sauce is required to be very white)

Method:
1) Whisk the yolks of egg in a basin with the salt, pepper and a little of the vinegar or a few drops of lemon juice.
2) Add and whisk in the oil, drop by drop to begin with, then faster in a thread as the sauce begins to thicken.
3) Adjust the consistency occasionally by adding the vinegar or lemon juice.
4) Lastly add boiling water which is added to ensure that the emulsification holds if the sauce is to be reserved for later use.

25 November 2012
Bouillon de Moules, Mussel Stock

Recipe for making bouillon de moules, or mussel stock, at home.

Mussel Stock
Escoffier mentions using the ‘cooking liquor,’ or broth, from mussels, in Le Guide Culinaire. But as with mushroom stock, there is no specific Escoffier recipe for mussel stock included. You can use the leftover broth from steaming mussels in white wine and lemon. But what ingredients specifically should you use?

This seafood stock is used in making Sauce Normande, and is based on one from the Alinea Restaurant cookbook. You can use either fresh fennel bulbs or fennel seed, depending on what you can get. I used a package of frozen greenshell mussels from New Zealand for this stock, but you could use any type you can find. I like a little extra kick in mine, so I use dry vermouth and a hint of absinthe to flavor the broth.

In a medium stockpot, sauté the mirepoix of onion, celery and fennel (bulb or seed) in butter until translucent. Add the vermouth, absinthe (or any licorice-y spirit), bay leaf, peppercorns and bring to a gentle simmer.

Add the mussels and cover. Steam until the mussels open, about 5-10 minutes. If you are not eating them and want to get the maximum flavor from the mussels, steam for up to 30 minutes.

Remove from the heat, let cool, and strain the broth into plastic containers. Reserve the mussels for another use or for eating!

Ingredients
35g (7 1/2 teaspoons) unsalted butter
100g (2/3 cup) diced onion
100g (2/3 cup) diced celery
100g (2/3 cup) diced fennel bulb, or 4g (2 teaspoons) dried fennel seed
375g (1 small bottle) Dolin dry vermouth
25g (1 ounce, or 1 jigger) La Fée Absinthe Parisienne absinthe
1 fresh bay leaf
12 whole, black peppercorns
1000g (2.2 pounds) fresh or frozen mussels

Equipment
Salter digital scale
Kitchen knife and cutting board
Measuring bowls
Medium stockpot with lid
Wooden spoon
Rubber spatula
Strainer or chinois
Medium Saucepan
Plastic containers

Sources:
A. Escoffier. H.L. Cracknell & R.J. Kaufmann, transl. Le guide culinaire: the complete guide to modern cookery.
G. Achatz, D. Beran & N. Kokonas. Next Restaurant Paris 1906. eBook: Achatz, LLC, 2011.

25 November 2012
0049. Sauce Genevoise, Geneva Sauce

Escoffier recipe for making Geneva Sauce, Sauce Genevoise, at home (Escoffier, 49).

This is a very rich and complex fish sauce. When you cook it, the house smells of salmon and red wine. Pretty yummy!

Mise en place:

Sauce Genevoise

In a large saucepan, sauté the carrots, onion and parsley in butter until tender. Add the thyme sprigs, bay leaf, peppercorns and salmon heads.

I had my local fishmongers split and clean the salmon heads for me. (I suggest you do the same!)

Cover and let steam for 20 minutes. Uncover, drain off the butter, and add 750ml (1 bottle) of red wine.

Simmer and reduce by half. Stir in 500g of Sauce Espagnole Maigre and gently simmer for an hour. Strain into a clean saucepan…

Add 500g fumét de poisson, an additional 500g red wine, and reduce some more! And while you’re at it, why not enjoy that remaining 250ml of leftover wine?

Finish the sauce by whisking in 150g of cubed butter and some fish essence, anchovy paste or fish sauce to taste.

Ingredients
100g (3/4 cup) diced carrot
80g (1/2 cup) diced onion
20g (1/3 cup) chopped parsley
35g (7 1/2 teaspoons) unsalted butter
4 fresh thyme sprigs
1 fresh bay leaf
16 whole, black peppercorns
1000g (2 pounds, or about 3) salmon heads, split in half and cleaned
750ml (3 cups, or 1 bottle) red wine
500g (2 cups) fish Espagnole sauce
500g (2 cups, or 2/3 bottle) red wine
500g (2 cups) fish fumét
150g (2/3 cup) unsalted butter
3g (1/2 teaspoon) fish essence, anchovy paste or fish sauce, to taste

Equipment
Salter digital scale
Kitchen knife and cutting board
Measuring bowls
Large stockpot
Wooden spoon
Wire whisk
Rubber spatula
Strainer or chinois
Medium Saucepan
Plastic containers

24 November 2012
0139. Sauce Normande, Normandy Sauce

Escoffier recipe for making sauce normande, Normandy Sauce, at home (Escoffier 139).

This sauce is special for serving with Sole Normande but also has a wide range of applications as a basis for other fish sauces. It is a very smooth, white, cream-based sauce with a light, but complex, taste. Perfect in recipes using whitefish, such as sole or tilapia.

Not the easiest of recipes unless you already just happen to have some velouté de poisson, mushroom stock, mussel stock and fumét de poisson laying around…

Mise en place for sauce normande:

Sauce Normande

In a large stockpot, whisk together fish velouté, mushroom stock, mussel stock and fish fumét. Bring to a simmer.

In a bowl, whisk together lemon juice, egg yolks and 180g of heavy cream. Whisk this “sour” milk into the just-simmering sauce, and reduce it by one-third on low heat. This will take some time, as you’ll want to keep the heat low to avoid scorching the sauce.

Once it has reduced, remove the sauce from the heat and strain into a clean saucepan. Finish the sauce by whisking in 114g of cubed, room temp butter and 120g of heavy cream.

Let cool and store in a sealed plastic container.

Ingredients
660g (2 3/4 cups) fish velouté
111g (1/2 cup) mussel stock
130g (1/2 cup) mushroom stock
167g (2/3 cup) fish fumét
3g (1/2 teaspoon) lemon juice
5 egg yolks
180g (3/4 cup) heavy cream
114g (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
120g (1/2 cup) heavy cream

Equipment
Salter digital scale
Kitchen knife and cutting board
Measuring bowls
Large stockpot
Wooden spoon
Wire whisk
Rubber spatula
Strainer or chinois
Medium Saucepan
Plastic containers

24 November 2012
0017. Sauce Espagnole Maigre, Fish Espagnole Sauce

Escoffier recipe for making sauce espagnole maigre, fish espagnole, or lenten espagnole sauce, at home (Escoffier, 17).

Also called Lenten Espagnole, this sauce is made with fish fumét and mushrooms instead of brown stock and meat (usually salt pork or bacon) as in regular Espagnole. Guess you can get away with having this rich sauce during Lent, eh?

I made a quick version of this sauce instead of the two-day Escoffier method. (Ha! Only 6 hours.)

Classic Sauce Espagnole Maigre

fish stock + brown roux + mirepoix + bouquet garni + mushrooms + butter + wine + tomato

Classic Sauce Espagnole

brown stock + brown roux + mirepoix + bouquet garni + salt pork + butter + wine + tomato

Modern Sauce Espagnole

brown stock + brown roux

Mise en place:

Sauce Espagnole Maigre

In a large stockpot, sauté a mirepoix of diced carrots, onion, mushrooms, thyme and bay leaf in the butter until translucent.

Then add the tomato paste and let brown. Deglaze the pot with the dry white wine and reduce until almost dry.

What kind of dry white wine is best for fish-based sauces?

Ever notice they never say what kind to use? It’s always the very vague ‘dry white wine’ you’ll see in recipes. I’ve found sauvignon blanc, chablis, and Noilly Prat vermouth work well. Each has its own flavor, and will affect your end result. But go for the lighter whites, stay away from the sweet whites like sauternes and reislings, or oaky whites like chardonnay.

Add the fish fumét.

Gently simmer to reduce the stock, skimming off any foam from the surface, for about 5 hours.

Strain and add the brown roux to the reduced stock. Simmer gently for another hour, stirring so it does not stick.

Brown roux can sometimes have a pronounced flavor. Try the sauce, and if it has a floury flavor, simmer some more.

Remove from heat, strain, and stir occasionally until the sauce is completely cold.

Ingredients
65g (1/2 cup) diced carrots
40g (1/4 cup) diced onions
65g (3/4 cup) diced button or brown mushrooms
35g (7 1/2 teaspoons) unsalted butter
33g (2 tablespoons) tomato paste
100g (1/2 cup) dry white wine
1000g (4 cups) fish fumét
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 fresh bay leaf
125g (1 cup) brown roux

Total time: Prep: 15 minutes, Cook: 6-8 hours

Yields: 2-4 quarts of stock, depending on how long you simmer it.

Equipment
Salter digital scale
Kitchen knife and cutting board
Measuring bowls
Large stockpot
Wooden spoon
Wire whisk
Rubber spatula
Strainer or chinois
Medium Saucepan
Plastic containers

20 November 2012
0014. Roux Blond, Blond Roux

Escoffier recipe for making roux blond, blond roux, at home (Escoffier, 14).

What is a roux? It’s a simple thickener, made with only two ingredients – butter and flour! Roux blond (“roo BLON”), is made the same way as roux blanc. The only difference is it’s cooked few minutes more, until the flour starts turning a golden blonde color. Keep cooking it and you get roux brun.

Mise en place for blond roux:

Blond Roux

Make some clarified butter, by melting the unsalted butter, skimming off its foam and saving the yellow butterfat.

Mix the clarified butter and flour together in a heavy pan and cook on low heat, whisking for about 15-20 minutes — or until the flour smells nutty and begins to turn a golden color. It may take more or less time depending on the level of heat used.

This roux is used to thicken up lighter-colored sauces, like fish velouté.

White roux and brown roux are made the exact same way, only cooked for different lengths of time. Here’s a shot of them side-by-side for comparison. From left to right: white, blond and brown roux.

Ingredients
225g clarified unsalted butter
275g sifted, all-purpose flour

Equipment
Salter digital scale
Cutting board and kitchen knife
Heavy-bottomed pan or medium saucepan
Wire whisk
Plastic container

20 November 2012
0015. Roux Blanc, White Roux

Escoffier recipe for making roux blanc, white roux, at home (Escoffier, 15).

What is roux? It’s a simple thickener, made with only two ingredients – butter and flour! Roux blanc (“roo BLONK”), is cooked much shorter than roux blond and roux brun. This can be made in just a few minutes.

Mise en place for white roux:

Roux Blanc, White Roux

Make some clarified butter, by melting the unsalted butter, skimming off its foam and saving the yellow butterfat.

Mix the clarified butter and flour together in a heavy pan and cook on low heat, whisking for 5-10 minutes — or until the flour smells a little nutty and takes on a sheen. It may take more or less time depending on the level of heat used.

Remember, you want to cook it just long enough to cook out the real floury taste.

This roux may used to thicken up white sauces.

Blond roux and brown roux are made the exact same way, only cooked longer until the flour browns more. Here’s a shot of them side-by-side for comparison. From left to right: white, blond and brown roux.

Ingredients
225g clarified unsalted butter
275g sifted, all-purpose flour

Equipment
Salter digital scale
Cutting board and kitchen knife
Heavy-bottomed pan or medium saucepan
Wire whisk
Plastic container

20 November 2012