NCT Cooks Challenge 12 Week July 19-July 26 FRENCH!

VeraBlue

VeraBlue

Head Mistress
1. Pasta (unstuffed, filled or otherwise layered)
2. Chicken
3. Duck
4. Fowl (yeah, you can also do one for the previous three)
5. Fish - with scales and fins
6. Shellfish and things that live in shells
7. Something from the ocean/pond/lake/stream/river/puddle
8. Cow
9. Pig
10. Ground Cow
11. Smoked Pig
12 Cream
13. Your favourite spice
14. Your favourite herb
15 Breakfast
16 Stew
17. Italian
18. French
19. Middle Eastern
20. Chinese
21. Mexican
22 BBQ/Grill/Smoker
23. Seasonal vegetable of your choice (must be 'in' season)
24. Family Favourite
25 Dessert


Winner is number 18 - French!! Okay, people, time to open a cookbook or web site!! Salad was a huge hit! Eggs are off to a good start! Bring up the French in all of you!
 
Filet Mignon aux Oignons & Gratin Dauphinois

Pork Tenderloin with onions in a white wine sauce and gratin potatoes

I used these recipes (click them to see).

1. Filet Mignon aux Oignons

2. Filet Mignon aux Oignons

3. Gratin Dauphinois

Tip: For the Gratin Dauphinois, it calls for frequent stirring when you initially cook the potatoes in the sauce pan. For the pan, I used a 10 inch deep fryer pan with a lid. Instead of stirring frequently, I picked the pan up and swirled it to keep the milk moving and avoid scorching. In doing this, I didn’t have to hit the potatoes with a spatula meaning they didn’t break up.

Tip: For the pork tenderloin, I browned the tenderloin on all sides and then removed it to a covered dish to keep warm. I then cooked the onions in the same pan till just turning translucent. I then put the meat on top of the onions, added the wine, then covered and simmered for 20 minutes.

Tip: You can leave the tenderloin whole for cooking if you plan to serve it sliced like I did.
 

Attachments

  • grat1.JPG
    grat1.JPG
    37.5 KB · Views: 282
  • grat2.JPG
    grat2.JPG
    44.2 KB · Views: 285
  • grat3.JPG
    grat3.JPG
    74.5 KB · Views: 285
  • pork1.JPG
    pork1.JPG
    68.6 KB · Views: 291
  • pork2.JPG
    pork2.JPG
    82 KB · Views: 294
  • pork4.JPG
    pork4.JPG
    66.7 KB · Views: 302
Wow, Keltin, I love it! I have had the gratin dauphinois but used Bobby Flay's recipe which calls for gruyere (hope the hobgoblin doesn't come get me :lol:). Hubby loves that dish. I will be trying that pork tenderloin.
 
I've got some things in mind that I have never cooked for later in the week. I need to get to the store first.

Here's my leek and potato soup. I think this is the third time that I've made it. I left out the ham this time around.


LeekandPotatoSoup.jpg
 
Thanks everyone. And BTW - I saw several variations on the Pork and Onions that added sugar in order to candy the onions, and one even added apples. A touch of sweetness appealed to me, so I used a wet (sweet) Riesling wine instead of a dry white wine that the recipe I listed called for.
 
Used to have a recipe for almond cream crepes with shaved chocolate.
I'd like to make them, but don't know the exact recipe, as this was many years ago.
So, I'll pass on the french dip.. ;)
 
Thinking of making crepes with peaches and creole cream cheese on Saturday. It's hard to scale down recipes for just two people.. Anyone want to come to New Orleans for crepes and bourbon?
 
Keltin and Cooksie!! I wanted to give you karma but I have to wait....but I have to say, beautiful beautiful dishes!!!
 
TroutMeuniereandBakedAsparagusCustard.jpg




Trout Meuniere - A very simple pan fried fish with a lemon/butter sauce

Gateau Moelleux d'Asperges (Baked Asparagus Custard) - I got the idea for this from Benson & Hedges 100's presents 100 Recipes from 100 of the Greatest Restaurants. Their recipe called for making the asparagus custards and setting them on top of a puree of white asparagus with a sprinkling of chopped, fresh tomato. I only made the asparagus custards and added some sauteed asparagus tips, mushrooms, and shallots on the side.

Baked Asparagus Custard:

Fresh asparagus, cooked and pureed
Egg
Cream
Salt
White pepper

Put the above mixture into ramekins and bake in a water bath at 400 until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
 
Keltin and Cooksie, you made some delicious-looking food! I love the pork tenderloin, and it plated up so nicely with the potatoes. Asparagus custard - wow! I have not yet felt an inspiration...it is too warm to cook something very involved, and I was going to make a salade nicoise, but could not find any good fresh green beans. Now we've eaten the salmon I was going to use. I guess I could use tuna - IF I find any green beans. May have to pass this week.
 
VeraBlue said:
Thinking of making crepes with peaches and creole cream cheese on Saturday. It's hard to scale down recipes for just two people.. Anyone want to come to New Orleans for crepes and bourbon?
Click to expand...

I'd love to come - except you're getting the end of Bonnie Saturday night or Sunday morning! We're getting a bit of the edge right now. Are you ready for your first NOLA tropical storm?
 
Last edited:
We had Coquilles St. Jacques with asparagus.

Scallops & mushrooms in a white wine cream sauce, topped with shredded swiss and run under the broiler.

I peel my asparagus, the classic French way. (I know, some of you have made it clear in the past you think it's silly, but this IS the French challenge!)

Sorry, I forgot to take pics in between the sliced mushrooms and the ramekins ready for the broiler.
 

Attachments

  • coquilles st jacques 002.jpg
    coquilles st jacques 002.jpg
    85.5 KB · Views: 252
  • coquilles st jacques 005.jpg
    coquilles st jacques 005.jpg
    53.3 KB · Views: 256
  • coquilles st jacques 008.jpg
    coquilles st jacques 008.jpg
    62.9 KB · Views: 257
  • coquilles st jacques 010.jpg
    coquilles st jacques 010.jpg
    47.3 KB · Views: 270
SilverSage I haven't made this in years and yours looks fantastic!
Dose your recipe look like mine?

COQUILLES ST. JACQUES PARISINNE

1 cup dry white wine
½ teaspoon salt
Grind of fresh pepper
½ bay leaf
2 tablespoons minced shallots or green onions
1-pound sea scallops
½ pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
Water
Butter
4 tablespoons flour
¾ cup milk 2 egg yolks, beaten
½ cup heavy cream
¼ cup grated Swiss cheese​

  • Combine wine, salt, pepper, bay leaf and shallots in a stainless steel or enameled saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer 5 minutes.

  • Add scallops and mushrooms and enough water to just cover scallops. Bring to boil. Cover, lower heat and simmer 5 minutes. Remove scallops and mushrooms and set aside.

  • Boil liquid down rapidly until it is reduced to 1 cup. Remove bay leaf.

  • Melt 3 tablespoons butter in saucepan. Stir in flour. Remove from heat and slowly stir in the scallop liquid and the milk. Return to heat and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture boils and is smooth and thickened.

  • Beat together egg yolks and cream. Beat some of the hot sauce into egg yolks. Return to mixture in saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

  • Cut scallops into small pieces. Fold into sauce with mushrooms. Butter scallop shells or small individual casseroles. Fill shells with scallop mixture. Sprinkle cheese over top of shells. Dot tops with 1 tablespoon of butter.

  • Preheat broiler.

  • Place on broiler rack and broil about 7 inches from source of heat until sauce is bubbly and the top is lightly browned.
 
Guts,

That's exactly the recipe I started with 30 years ago - straight from Julia in Mastering the Art of French Cooking, volume 1. Exactly!

But I do 4 things differently now:


  • I saute the mushrooms in butter instead of simmering them with the scallops. I think the saute and light browning adds to their flavor. We've learned a lot about browning and fonds and layering flavors over the 40+ years since she first published the book. Then I fold them into the sauce later.


  • I also slice the scallops in thirds before poaching them. I never actually boil or simmer them. I just lightly poach them in the hot liquid for no more than 1 minute. Remember, in the 1960's when she wrote the book, common thought was that seafood had to be well done for safety reasons. Now we have learned to lean toward lightly done instead of over done.


  • Cook the flour and the butter for a minute or 2 before adding the liquids to eliminate the raw taste of the flour. I'm sure she mentioned this in the original.


  • Add a good squeeze of lemon juice to the sauce before folding in the scallops and the 'shrooms. This helps brighten the sauce and cut just a little of the inherent richness. I am always surprised at what a big difference a good squeeze of lemon can make in a dish. Even though you never really taste it, it takes a good sauce to the next level.

Oh, and I skip the butter on top. I think that qualifies this as a "reduced calorie" dish! :yum:


Thanks for posting the recipe, Guts. Now I don't feel obligated to do all that typing! I'm sending you karma for that!
 
Cooksie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:applause::clap::applause::clap::applause::clap: You GO!!

Beautiful plates everyone.

I'm having problems with the camera and computer this morning. One of them apparently needs a kick in the ass.:twak:
 
Thanks MexicoKaren, Sass, and Vera :D . Beautiful SS, just perfect!


Vera - Every once in a while, for whatever reason, my computer doesn't automatically recognize my camera when I connect the camera and turn it on. I just manually launch the camera program, and it works.
 
When I was up north, I had access to gnocchi all the time. Down here, it's beginning to look like I'd have to make it myself. I would have served it with gnocchi if I had it. Thought of potatoes, but the sauce was simply screaming for the polenta. What would you have used, Cooksie?
 
OMG Vera, that looks amazing! What a great idea to serve it over polenta! I haven't made Coq au Vin in so long....I do believe I will have to make that in the pretty near future :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top