Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 1
Page 54
When the butter is foaming in the casserole, stir in the onions. As soon as they are well coated with butter, stir in the rice and seasonings. Cover and cook very slowly in the 300-degree oven for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. The rice and onions should become very tender and will usually turn a light golden yellow. Correct seasoning.
(*) May be cooked several hours in advance and reheated later.
¼ cup whipping cream
¼ cup grated Swiss cheese
2 Tb softened butter
A hot vegetable dish
1 Tb minced parsley
Just before serving, stir in the cream and cheese, and then the butter. Taste again for seasoning. Turn into a hot vegetable dish and sprinkle with parsley.
TURNIPS
Navets
The turnip is a wonderful vegetable when given the treatment required to bring out its delicious qualities. It wants and needs to absorb butter or meat fats, which is why turnips are particularly succulent when finished off in a stew or a braised dish, or in the juices of roasting meat. In France rutabagas, or yellow turnips, are practically unheard of as food for humans, but they may be used interchangeably with white turnips.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
The full flavor of turnips goes well with pork, sausages, ham, goose, and duck.
AMOUNT TO BUY
One pound of turnips without tops will serve 3 or 4 people. A pound of raw sliced or quartered turnips measures about 3½ cups.
PREPARATION FOR COOKING
Small, tender, early-crop turnips, usually sold in bunches with their tops attached, are trimmed, peeled, and set to cook with no preliminary blanching. The older and stronger winter turnips and rutabagas, always sold without tops, are peeled fairly deeply with a knife, and are cut into slices or quarters. Quarters may be trimmed into neat ovals the shape of large garlic cloves, called in French tourner en gousses or en olives. Any turnips which are woody or fibrous should be discarded.
PRELIMINARY BLANCHING
After peeling and cutting winter turnips or rutabagas, place them in a saucepan with salted water to cover them by 2 inches, bring to the boil and boil for 3 to 5 minutes or until they are partially tender. Drain them. This removes some of their overly strong taste. The following recipes are based on winter turnips; omit the blanching step if your turnips are young and tender.
NAVETS À L’ÉTUVÉE
[Turnips Braised in Butter]
Braised turnips may be served by themselves or combined with other vegetables. Their final cooking may be done around a roast or in a braised dish or a fricassee.
For 6 people
2 lbs. turnips, peeled and quartered (7 to 8 cups)
A heavy-bottomed, 3-quart, enameled saucepan
2 Tb butter
1 to 1½ cups stock, canned beef or chicken bouillon, or water
Salt and pepper to taste
Blanch the turnips for 3 to 5 minutes in boiling salted water to cover. Drain, and place them in the saucepan with the butter and enough liquid barely to cover them. Season lightly. Cover and boil slowly for 20 to 30 minutes or until they are tender but retain their shape. If the liquid has not evaporated, uncover and boil it off. Correct seasoning.
(*) May be cooked several hours in advance of serving.
TO SERVE
Navets Persillés
[Parslied Turnips]
2 Tb softened butter
Optional: Drops of lemon juice to taste
2 Tb minced parsley
A hot vegetable dish
Just before serving, toss the hot turnips gently with the butter, optional lemon juice, and parsley. Turn into the vegetable dish.
VARIATION
Purée de Navets Parmentier
[Turnip and Potato Purée]
Serve this purée with roast turkey, duck, goose, ham, pork, or pork chops or sausages.
For 6 people
7 to 8 cups turnips braised in butter (the preceding master recipe)
2 cups warm mashed potatoes
4 Tb softened butter
Salt and pepper
A hot vegetable dish
2 Tb minced parsley
Purée the turnips and beat them into the mashed potatoes. Beat the purée in a saucepan over moderate heat to evaporate moisture and to heat thoroughly. Off heat and just before serving, beat in the butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Turn into a hot vegetable dish and sprinkle with parsley.
NAVETS GLACÉS À BRUN
[Glazed Turnips]
Glazed turnips are used to garnish a roast, or may be served as a separate vegetable. It is essentially the same procedure as that for braised turnips, except they are browned before being simmered, and are cooked with sugar and more butter to reduce the liquid to a glaze.
For 6 people
2 lbs. turnips, peeled and quartered (7 to 8 cups)
Blanch the turnips for 3 to 5 minutes in boiling salted water to cover. Drain, and dry them in a towel.
A 10- to 12-inch enameled skillet
2 Tb butter and 2 Tb oil, or 4 Tb rendered fresh pork or goose fat
1 to 1½ cups stock or canned beef bouillon
Sauté the turnips in hot butter and oil, or in fat, for 3 to 4 minutes to brown them lightly. Pour in enough stock or bouillon barely to cover them. Add the butter and sugar. Cover and boil slowly for 20 to 30 minutes or until the turnips are tender but retain their shape. Correct seasoning.
2 Tb butter
3 Tb granulated sugar
(*) When cooked in advance, set aside uncovered. Before serving, add a tablespoon of water, if necessary, and reheat in covered saucepan.
A hot vegetable dish
2 Tb very finely minced parsley
If the liquid has not reduced to a syrupy glaze, uncover and boil it down rapidly. Gently toss the turnips to coat them with the glaze. Turn them into a hot vegetable dish or heap them around your roast, and sprinkle with parsley.
NAVETS À LA CHAMPENOISE
[Turnip Casserole]
People who disdain the turnip almost invariably revise their opinion after tasting this dish. It goes admirably with roast pork, beef, duck, goose, turkey, ham, or grilled sausages. (Yellow turnips or rutabagas do well here.)
For 6 to 8 people
2½ lbs. turnips, peeled and cut into quarters (8 to 9 cups)
Blanch the turnips for 3 to 5 minutes in boiling salted water to cover. Drain.
A ¼-lb. chunk of bacon
Remove the rind and cut the bacon into ¼-inch dice, making about ⅔ cup. Simmer for 10 minutes in a quart of water. Drain.
A 3-quart, fireproof casserole about 2 inches deep
1 Tb butter
⅔ cup finely diced onions
Sauté the bacon in the butter for several minutes until very lightly browned. Stir in the onions, cover, and cook slowly for 5 minutes without browning the onions.
1 Tb flour
Blend in the flour and cook slowly for 2 minutes.
¾ cup stock or canned beef bouillon
¼ tsp sugar
Salt and pepper
¼ tsp sage
Off heat, blend in the stock or bouillon, seasonings to taste, and the sage. Simmer for a moment, then fold in the turnips. Cover and simmer slowly for 20 to 30 minutes or until the turnips are tender. If sauce is too liquid, uncover and boil slowly for several minutes until it has reduced and thickened. Correct seasoning.
(*) May be cooked several hours in advance and reheated later.
2 Tb minced parsley
Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
BRAISED VEGETABLES
Légumes Braisées
LETTUCE, CELERY, ENDIVE, AND LEEKS
Laitues, Céleris, Endives, et Poireaux
The braising of lettuce, celery, endive, or leeks requires a relatively long, slow cooking, usually of an hour and a half or more, before the desired interchange of flavors between the vegetable and its braising medium can take place. It is this culinary osmosis which gives them the delicious
flavor they should always have. Any one of these vegetables may be braised, set aside uncovered to cool, then covered and reheated several hours or even a day later.
LAITUES BRAISÉES
[Braised Lettuce]
Plain boiled lettuce is dreadfully uninteresting, but lettuce braised slowly in stock and herbs is a marvelous dish. It goes well with roast veal, roast beef, and roast chicken. It can also be combined with other vegetables such as grilled tomatoes and sautéed potatoes to garnish a meat platter.
Boston lettuce, chicory, and escarole are all equally good for braising. Count on one 6- to 8-inch head per person.
For 6 people
6 heads of lettuce, 6 to 8 inches in diameter
Trim the stems of the lettuce and remove wilted leaves. Two at a time, hold each head by its stem and plunge up and down gently in cold water to remove all traces of sand.
A large kettle containing 7 to 8 quarts of boiling water
1½ tsp salt per quart of water
Salt and pepper
Plunge three of the heads in the boiling salted water. Bring rapidly back to the boil and boil slowly, uncovered, for 3 to 5 minutes until the heads have wilted. Remove and plunge for 2 to 3 minutes in a large basin of cold water. Repeat with the remaining lettuce. A head at a time, squeeze gently but firmly in both hands to eliminate as much water as you can. Slice each head in half lengthwise. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Fold in half crosswise and shape with your hands to make fat triangles.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
6 thick slices of bacon
A 4-inch square of bacon rind
Simmer the bacon and rind in a quart of water for 10 minutes. Drain, rinse in cold water, and dry.
A 12-inch, fireproof, covered casserole
½ cup sliced onions
½ cup sliced carrots
3 Tb butter
In the casserole cook the onions and carrots slowly with the butter until tender but not browned. Push them to the sides of the casserole and arrange the lettuce triangles in the bottom, closely pressed against each other. Spread part of the vegetables over the lettuce, then the bacon and bacon rind.
About 2 cups good beef stock or canned beef bouillon, plus, if you wish, ½ cup dry white wine or dry white vermouth
A medium herb bouquet: 4 parsley sprigs, ¼ tsp thyme, and ½ bay leaf tied in cheesecloth
A round of buttered paper
Pour in enough liquid barely to cover the lettuce. Add the herb bouquet. Bring to the simmer on top of the stove. Place the buttered paper over the lettuce, cover the casserole, and set in lower third of preheated oven. Regulate heat so lettuce simmers slowly for 1½ hours.
A lightly buttered serving dish
Remove the lettuce to the serving dish and keep it warm. Quickly boil down the braising liquid until it has reduced to a syrup (about ½ cup).
2 Tb butter
2 to 3 Tb minced parsley
Off heat, swirl the butter into the sauce, then strain it over the lettuce, sprinkle with parsley and serve.
(*) If done in advance, do not sauce the lettuce until the last moment. Boil down the braising liquid and strain it into a saucepan. Reheat the lettuce by covering with buttered foil and setting it for about 15 minutes in a 350-degree oven. Just before serving, butter the sauce and pour it over the lettuce.
CÉLERIS BRAISÉS
[Braised Celery]
Except for slight differences at the beginning and at the end, celery is braised in the same way as lettuce, so we shall not give it a full recipe. Serve braised celery with chops, steaks, roast beef, turkey, goose, duck, pork, or lamb.
For 6 people
6 bunches of tender, practically stringless celery about 2 inches in diameter
A kettle containing 7 to 8 quarts boiling water
1½ tsp salt per quart of
water White string
Trim the roots, and cut off the tops to make each celery bunch 6 to 7 inches long. Wash thoroughly, using warm water if necessary: spread the stalks apart gently while running water all the way down to the root to remove all grit. Drop into the boiling, salted water and boil slowly for 15 minutes. Drain. Plunge for 2 to 3 minutes in a basin of cold water. Drain, and gently extract as much water as possible by pressing each bunch in a towel. Tie each with 2 or 3 loops of white string to keep the stalks in place while braising.
The same ingredients as for braised lettuce (preceding recipe)
A lightly buttered baking or serving dish
Following the method for the preceding braised lettuce, arrange the celery in a casserole or baking dish large enough to hold it in one layer. Cover with blanched bacon strips and cooked vegetables. Add the wine and enough stock just to cover the celery. Season lightly and add the herb bouquet. Cover, bring to the simmer, and bake for 1½ hours in a 350-degree oven. Then uncover the casserole, raise oven heat to 400 degrees, and bake 30 minutes more, basting 2 or 3 times, until the celery has browned lightly. Drain the celery, remove strings, cut bunches in half lengthwise, and arrange in dish. Cover and keep warm if to be served immediately.
1 Tb arrowroot (or potato starch or cornstarch) blended with 2 Tb Madeira, port, stock, or bouillon
Strain the braising liquid into a saucepan and boil it down rapidly until it has reduced to 1 cup. Off heat, beat in the starch mixture. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Correct seasoning.
2 Tb softened butter
2 Tb minced parsley
Off heat and just before serving, beat the butter into the sauce. Pour it over the hot celery and sprinkle with parsley.
(*) May be cooked ahead; see preceding recipe for braised lettuce.
VARIATION
Cold Braised Celery
Degrease the braising liquid thoroughly before you reduce it. Omit the starch and the enrichment butter.
CÉLERI-RAVE BRAISÉ
[Braised Celeriac—Celery Root]
Celeriac, a delicious winter vegetable, is not nearly as common in American markets as it should be. Besides braising it in stock as in the following recipe, you may treat it exactly like the turnips on this page, cooking it slowly in a small amount of liquid, butter, and seasonings, and serving it with butter and parsley, or puréed with mashed potatoes. Celeriac may accompany roast goose, duck, pork, ham, or turkey.
For 6 people
2 lbs. celeriac
Peel the celeriac and cut it into slices ½ inch thick; you will have 7 to 8 cups. Drop it into a saucepan with boiling salted water to cover, and boil slowly for 5 minutes. Drain.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
A ¼-lb chunk of bacon, rind removed
Cut the bacon into ¼-inch dice; you will have about ⅔ cup. Simmer 10 minutes in a quart of water. Drain.
⅔ cup minced onions
1 Tb butter
A 3-quart, fireproof casserole
1 to 1½ cups brown stock or canned beef bouillon
Optional: ½ cup dry white wine or dry white vermouth in place of ½ cup stock
Salt and pepper
Cook the onions, and bacon in butter slowly in the casserole for 10 minutes without browning. Arrange the celeriac in the casserole and spread the onions and bacon over it. Pour in enough liquid barely to cover the celeriac. Season lightly.
A round of buttered aluminum foil
A bulb baster
2 Tb minced parsley
Bring to the simmer on top of the stove. Cover loosely with the foil. Set in upper third of preheated oven and bake for about 1 hour, basting 2 or 3 times with a bulb baster. The celeriac is done when it is very tender, has browned lightly, and the liquid has almost evaporated. Serve sprinkled with parsley.
ENDIVES À LA FLAMANDE
[Braised Belgian Endive]
It is too bad Belgian endive is so expensive in this country, as it is one of the better winter vegetables. The plain butter-braise is, in our opinion, the most delicious way of cooking endive. It emerges a beautiful light golden color and its characteristic flavor is enhanced by its slow absor
ption of the butter. Endive goes particularly well with veal.
For 6 people
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
12 firm, medium-sized endives with tightly closed leaves
Trim the base of the endives. Discard any withered leaves. Wash one by one rapidly under running cold water. Drain.
5 Tb butter
A 2½- to 3-quart enameled casserole
¼ tsp salt
1 Tb lemon juice
¼ cup water
Smear 1½ tablespoons butter in the casserole. Lay the endives in it in two layers. Sprinkle each layer with salt and lemon juice, and dot with butter. Pour in the water. Cover and boil slowly for 10 minutes. Uncover and boil rapidly for about 10 minutes or until liquid is reduced to 2 or 3 tablespoons.
A round of buttered paper
EITHER:
2 Tb minced parsley