Press Release

Printer-friendly page

BISTROS AND BRASSERIES Recipes and Reflections on Classis Café Cooking by John W. Fischer and Lou Jones from the Culinary Institute of America Lebhar-Friedman Books July 2008 Illus $29.95/hardcover ISBN: 987-0-86730-924-0 Back to book information

4 to 6 whole leeks
1/2 cup White Wine Vinaigrette*
*For recipes and information about substitutions, see Fonds de Cuisine, page 175

Trim the leeks by cutting off the dark green leaves and root ends. Split the leeks in half length­wise. Wash the halves thoroughly (remember, the leek pushes up through the soil as it grows, so dirt and sand collect between the leaves).

Tie the leeks back together with butcher twine to help maintain their shape. Boil or steam the leeks for 10 to 12 minutes, until a paring knife can be easily inserted into the thickest part of the bulb.

Place the cooked leeks in a nonreactive dish and pour the vinaigrette over them; allow them to cool. As they do, the leeks will absorb some of the vinaigrette.

Serve the leeks either at room temperature or slightly chilled.

Beverage: Menetou-salon
This wine might not be the easiest to find, but this neighbor of Sancerre produces a lovely sauvignon blanc that will match the acidity of the vinaigrette as well as bridge with the onion flavor of the leeks. Also, Menetou-salon usually offers a better value than its more famous neighbor does.

Although "real" men supposedly don't eat quiche, they certainly make it. This dish comes from the Lorraine region near Alsace, an area famous for its dairy production. Some say that the onion in this dish turns it into a quiche Alsacienne. So be it. I just think it tastes good. While the Lorraine version is the most famous of this genre, many others exist, like the rapturous Tarte Flamiche on the preceding page.

3/4 pound Pâte Brisée,* blind-baked
5 slices smoked bacon
1/2 cup fine-dice yellow onion
1 cup heavy cream
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 cup shredded Swiss-type cheese (preferably Gruyère)
*For recipes and information about substitutions, see Fonds de Cuisine, page 175.

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Cook the bacon in a medium sauté pan on medium heat until crisp, and then drain it on paper towels, crumble, and reserve. Keep 1 teaspoon of the bacon fat in the pan. Sauté the onions in the bacon fat until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove and allow them to cool to lukewarm.

Heat the cream over low heat until very hot (it isn't necessary to bring it to a full boil, but you should see plenty of steam rising from the surface, and probably some bubbles around the edges). Whisk the eggs in a medium bowl until they're blended; pour on the cream and whisk until the cream and eggs are blended. (Mix gently; the custard mixture should not be frothy.) Stir in salt and pepper.

Scatter the bacon, onions, and cheese evenly over the cooked pie shell. Pour the custard mixture over the contents of the pie shell.

Carefully place the quiche onto a baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven and cook it for 30 minutes, or until the center is barely set. A 2-inch circle in the center of the quiche (think of it as the bull's-eye) should wiggle when you jiggle the tart.

Remove the quiche from the oven and allow it to cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature with a green salad.

Beverage: Alsace Gewurztraminer
Gewurztraminer can be too much for some food, but just stay away from the reserve and more expensive versions from Alsace, and they will have less intensity. So, Trimbach or Willm basic Gewurztraminer, or even one from New York, like the one from Lenz Vineyards on Long Island. Fresh and a little funky.

We've taken a few liberties with the classic tarte tatin to create an individual dessert. The apple you choose should be good for baking, which means it will become very tender but still keep its shape.

Caramel
1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon corn syrup

Juice of one lemon
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 sheet Puff Pastry*
4 mint sprigs
2 large Stayman, Honeycrisp, or Braeburn apples, peeled and cored (8 ounces each)
*For recipes and information about substitutions, see Fonds de Cuisine, page 175

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Combine the sugar and water in a medium saucepan on medium heat and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve all the sugar, and then add the corn syrup. Turn the heat up to high. Use a pastry brush dipped in clean water to wash away the sugar deposits on the inside of the pan until the sugar stops splashing the sides. When the mix starts to caramelize and becomes a golden brown, take the caramel off the heat and immediately pour into four 8-ounce ramekin molds, to a depth of 3/16 inch each.

Slice the apples in half vertically. Lay the dome side down into the molds. Pour 1 teaspoon of lemon juice over each apple in the molds. Add 1 tablespoon of butter in the dip of each apple where the core used to be.

Roll out the puff pastry to 1/8 inch thick; allow it to rest for 30 minutes. Cut four 4-1/2-inch circles with a fluted pastry wheel and place them on top of the apples.

Bake the apples in the oven for approximately 45 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown. To check if the apples are done, use a paring knife to lift the puff pastry slightly. The apples are done when they look translucent; there should be no resistance in the apple.

Cool the tarts slightly for about 5 minutes; turn the ramekins over onto a tray. Let the pastries sit for about 5 more minutes and take the molds off. Place a mint plûche (a bit of the sprig) at the top of the apple and serve with ice cream.

Note
Be careful of steam burns when lifting up the pastry to check the apple underneath. Do not use your fingers to do this-you'll never be quicker than the steam escaping from the ramekins, and the resulting burn would undoubtedly mar your enjoyment of the dessert.