CHAPTER EIGHT
VEGETABLES
ANYONE WHO HAS been fortunate enough to eat fresh, home-cooked vegetables in France remembers them with pleasure. Returning voyagers speak of them with trembling nostalgia: “Those delicious little green beans! They even serve them as a separate course. Why I’ll never forget the meal I had …,” and so forth. Some people are even convinced that it is only in France that you can enjoy such experiences because French vegetables are somehow different. Fortunately this is not the case. Any fine, fresh vegetable in season will taste just as good in America or anywhere else if the French vegetable-cooking techniques are used.
The French are interested in vegetables as food rather than as purely nutrient objects valuable for their vitamins and minerals. And it is in the realm of the green vegetable that French methods differ most radically from American. The French objective is to produce a cooked green vegetable so green, fresh-tasting, and full of flavor that it really can be served as a separate course. They do not hesitate to peel, boil, squeeze, drain, or refresh a vegetable, which is often upsetting to those very Americans who weep in delighted remembrance of vegetables in France. For many Americans have been taught that by performing any of these acts one is wickedly “throwing away the best part.”
BLANCHING
You will note that before anything else in the way of cooking or flavoring takes place, all the green vegetables in this chapter are blanched—dropped into a very large kettle of rapidly boiling salted water. This is the great secret of French green-vegetable cookery, and also happens to be the same process used in America to prepare green vegetables for the freezer. Success is entirely dependent on having a great quantity of boiling water: 7 to 8 quarts for 2 to 3 pounds of vegetables. The more water you use in proportion to your vegetables, the quicker the water will return to the boil after the vegetables have gone in, and the greener, fresher, and more full of flavor they will be. Baking soda is never necessary when you cook green vegetables this way.
REFRESHING
A second important French technique is that of refreshing. As soon as green vegetables have been blanched, and if they are not to be served immediately or are to be served cold, they are plunged for several minutes into a large quantity of cold water. This stops the cooking immediately, sets the color, and preserves the texture and flavor. If the vegetables are not refreshed in this manner and sit steaming in a saucepan or colander, their collective warmth softens and discolors them, and they lose their fresh taste. Following the refreshing technique, then, you can cook all your green vegetables well in advance of a party, and have only the final touches left to do at the last minute.
OVERCOOKING
A cardinal point in the French technique is: Do not overcook. An equally important admonition is: Do not attempt to keep a cooked green vegetable warm for more than a very few moments. If you cannot serve it at once, it is better to set it aside and then to reheat it. Overcooking and keeping hot ruin the color, texture, and taste of green vegetables—as well as most of the nutritive qualities.
SCOPE OF VEGETABLE CHAPTER
This chapter does not pretend to offer a complete treatise on vegetables. The French repertoire is so large that we have felt it best to go into more detail on a selection than to give tidbits on all. Most of our emphasis is on green vegetables. There is a modest but out-of-the-ordinary section on potatoes. Other vegetables rate only one or two recipes—but good ones—and some we have not mentioned at all.
French or globe artichokes are in season from October to June. April and May are the peak months when their prices are most attractive. A fresh, desirable artichoke is heavy and compact, with fleshy, closely clinging leaves of a good, green color all the way to the tips. The stem is also fresh and green.
Cooked Artichoke Filled with Hollandaise Sauce
As baby artichokes are not generally available in this country, all the following recipes are based on the large, 10- to 12-ounce artichoke which is about 4½ inches high and 4 to 4½ inches at its largest diameter.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Hot or cold boiled artichokes are served as a separate course, either at the beginning of the meal or in place of a salad. Most wine authorities agree that water should be served with them rather than wine, for wine changes its character when drunk with this vegetable. But, if you insist, serve a strong, dry, chilled white wine such as a Mâcon, or a chilled and characterful rosé such as a Tavel.
PREPARATION FOR COOKING
One at a time, prepare the artichokes as follows:
Remove the stem by bending it at the base of the artichoke until it snaps off, thus detaching with the stem any tough filaments which may have pushed up into the heart.
Sectional View of Artichoke
Break off the small leaves at the base of the artichoke. Trim the base with a knife so the artichoke will stand solidly upright.
Lay the artichoke on its side and slice three quarters of an inch off the top of the center cone of leaves. Trim off the points of the rest of the leaves with scissors. Wash under cold running water.
Trim off ends of leaves with scissors
Rub the cut portions of the artichoke with lemon juice. Drop it into a basin of cold water containing 1 tablespoon of vinegar per quart of water. The acid prevents the artichoke from discoloring.
ARTICHAUTS AU NATURELArtichokes should be boiled in a large kettle so that they have plenty of room. It is not necessary to tie the leaves in place. Because they must cook a comparatively long time, artichokes turn an olive green. Any Frenchman would look with disfavor on a bright green boiled artichoke, knowing that baking soda had been added to the water.
6 artichokes prepared for cooking as in the preceding directions
A large kettle containing 7 to 8 quarts of rapidly boiling water
1½ tsp salt per quart of water
Washed cheesecloth
Drop the prepared artichokes in the boiling salted water. To help prevent discoloration, lay over the artichokes a double thickness of cheesecloth; this will keep their exposed tops moist. Bring the water back to the boil as rapidly as possible and boil slowly, uncovered, for 35 to 45 minutes. The artichokes are done when the leaves pull out easily and the bottoms are tender when pierced with a knife.
A skimmer or slotted spoon
A colander
Immediately remove them from the kettle with skimmer or spoon and drain them upside down in a colander.
Boiled artichokes may be served hot, warm, or cold.
HOW TO EAT AN ARTICHOKE
If you have never eaten an artichoke before, here is how you go about it. Pull off a leaf and hold its tip in your fingers. Dip the bottom of the leaf in melted butter or one of the sauces suggested farther on. Then scrape off its tender flesh between your teeth. When you have gone through all the leaves, you will come to the heart, which you eat with a knife and fork after you have scraped off and discarded the choke or hairy center growth.
TO REMOVE THE CHOKE BEFORE SERVING
It is not necessary to remove the choke, but it makes a nicer presentation if you wish to take the time. To do so, gently spread the leaves apart enough so you can reach into the interior of the artichoke. Pull out the tender center cone of leaves in one piece. Down in the center of the artichoke, at the point where you removed the cone of leaves, is the choke or hairy growth which covers the top of the heart. Scrape off and remove the choke with a spoon to expose the tender flesh of the artichoke heart. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the heart. Turn the cone of leaves upside down and set it in the hollow formed by the top of the artichoke.
Beurre Fondu, melted butter
Beurre au Citron, lemon butter sauce
sauce hollandaise. If you have removed the choke, you may wish to spread the leaves apart enough to expose the heart, then heap 3 or 4 spoonfuls of the hollandaise into it, and top with a sprig of parsley.
Vinaigrette, French dressing
Sauce Ravigote, vinaigrette with herbs, capers, and onions
Sauce Moutarde, mustard sauce with olive oil, lemon juice, and herbs
Sauce Alsacienne, soft-boiled egg mayonnaise with herbs
ARTICHAUTS BRAISÉS À LA PROVENÇALEMost of the many recipes for braised artichokes follow the general lines of this one. You may, if you wish, add to the casserole a cup of diced tomato pulp, or ½ cup of diced ham, and, 10 minutes before the end of the cooking, ½ pound of sautéed mushrooms. Another suggestion with different vegetables follows this recipe. Braised artichokes go well with roast or braised meats, or they can constitute a first course. As they are rather messy to eat with the fingers, guests should be furnished with a spoon as well as a knife and fork, so the flesh may be scraped off the artichoke leaves.
For 6 to 8 people
6 large artichokes
A large kettle containing 7 to 8 quarts of rapidly boiling water
1½ tsp salt per quart of water
Prepare the artichokes for cooking as directed at the beginning of this section, but cut off the leaves so that the artichokes are only about 1½ inches long. Then slice the artichokes into lengthwise quarters and cut out the chokes. Drop the quarters in boiling water and boil for 10 minutes only. Drain.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
6 Tb olive oil
A 10- to 11-inch covered fireproof casserole large enough to hold the artichokes in one layer
2 large cloves minced garlic
Salt and pepper
Cook the onions slowly in olive oil in the casserole for 5 minutes without letting the onions color. Stir in the garlic. Arrange the artichoke quarters in the casserole. Baste with the olive oil and onions. Sprinkle on salt and pepper. Cover casserole and cook slowly over low heat for 10 minutes, not allowing artichokes to brown.
¼ cup wine vinegar
½ cup dry white wine or dry white vermouth
1½ cups stock, canned beef bouillon, or water
An herb bouquet: 4 parsley sprigs, ½ bay leaf, and ¼ tsp thyme tied in cheesecloth
A round of waxed paper
Pour in the vinegar and wine. Raise heat and boil until liquid is reduced by half. Then pour in the stock, bouillon, or water. Add the herb bouquet. Bring to the simmer, then lay the waxed paper over the artichokes. Cover casserole and place it in the middle level of the preheated oven. Casserole should simmer slowly for 1¼ to 1½ hours, or until liquid has almost entirely evaporated.
(*) If not to be served immediately, set casserole aside, its cover askew. Reheat when needed.
2 to 3 Tb minced parsley
Discard herb bouquet. Serve from casserole or on a warm serving dish. (The artichokes may be surrounded with baked tomatoes and sautéed potatoes.) Sprinkle with parsley before bringing to the table.
[Artichokes Braised with Carrots, Onions, Turnips, and Mushrooms]
Except for the addition of other vegetables, this recipe is the same as the master recipe. You may wish to use butter instead of olive oil, cut down on the garlic, and omit all or part of the vinegar, increasing the wine accordingly.
Ingredients for the preceding braised artichokes, including diced onions, oil (or butter), wine, stock, and seasonings
12 small white onions, about 1 inch in diameter, peeled
3 or 4 carrots, peeled, quartered and cut into 1½-inch lengths
3 or 4 white turnips, peeled and quartered
Following the preceding recipe, quarter and blanch the artichokes, and cook the diced onions in the olive oil (or butter). Then add the artichokes and place the whole onions and the other vegetables around the edge of the casserole. Baste with the diced onions and oil (or butter), and season with salt and pepper. Proceed with the recipe.
12 to 18 mushroom caps lightly sautéed in olive oil or butter
About 10 minutes before the end of the cooking, add the mushroom caps. Finish the sauce and serve the casserole as in the preceding recipe.
Although there is a tendency to lump artichoke hearts and bottoms together, they are technically different. The heart is the tender central part of baby artichokes; it includes the inner cone of leaves, the choke, and the bottom. The bottom is just the meaty bottom part, usually of larger artichokes, minus leaves and choke. Unless you live near a market catering to the baby artichoke desires of a foreign clientele, you will probably only see artichoke hearts in a can, a jar, or a frozen package. Bottoms, however, you can prepare yourself, and they are even more of a delicacy in this country, owing to the price of artichokes, than they are in France. Sliced, and braised in butter, they make a delicious vegetable garnish; quartered and served in a vinaigrette sauce, they are a delightful first course. Or you may top the whole bottom with poached eggs and a sauce for an elegant hot first course, or fill it with shellfish mayonnaise for a cold luncheon dish. Whatever your plans for them, you must first trim the leaves off your artichokes to expose the bottoms, and then poach them in a blanc to preserve their whiteness.
HOW TO PREPARE ARTICHOKE BOTTOMS
Choose the largest artichokes you can find. Ideally they should be 4½ inches in diameter, which will do for one serving. Otherwise, allow two per person. Prepare them as illustrated on the opposite page.
Break the stem off close to the base of the artichoke. Holding the artichoke bottom up, bend a lower leaf back on itself until it snaps. Then pull it off. Continue all around the artichoke until you have gone beyond the curve of the artichoke bottom, where the cone of leaves folds inward.
Cut off remaining cone of leaves close above top of artichoke bottom. Immediately rub cut parts with lemon juice to prevent discoloration.
Trim bottom part, rotating it slowly with your left hand against the blade of a knife held firmly in your right hand. Remove all bits of green to expose the whitish tender surface. Frequently rub cut portions with lemon juice. Drop each as it is finished into a bowl of acidulated water (2 Tb lemon juice per quart of water).
Trimmed bottom ready to cook; choke is removed after cooking
[Cooked Artichoke Bottoms—Preliminary Cooking]
A blanc is a solution of salted water with lemon juice and flour. It is used for the preliminary cooking of any food which discolors easily, such as artichoke bottoms, salsify, calf’s head. Flour and lemon juice blanch the food and keep its whiteness.
Never cook artichoke bottoms in anything but enamel, pyrex, stainless steel, or earthenware. Aluminum or iron pans will give them a grayish color.
For 6 to 8 large artichoke bottoms
¼ cup flour
An enameled saucepan
A wire whip
1 quart cold water
2 Tb lemon juice
1½ tsp salt
Put the flour in the saucepan and beat in a bit of cold water to make a smooth paste. Then beat in the rest of the water, the lemon juice, and the salt. Bring to the boil and simmer 5 minutes.
Add the artichokes. Bring liquid again to the boil, then simmer 30 to 40 minutes or so until tender when pierced with a knife. Be sure they are completely covered with liquid at all times. Add more water if necessary.
Allow them to cool in their liquid. If they are to be refrigerated for a day or two, film the top of the liquid with oil. Just before using, remove from the liquid and wash under cold water. Delicately scoop out the choke with a spoon, and trim off the remaining leaf ends.
Cooked Artichoke Bottom, Choke Removed
FONDS D’ARTICHAUTS AU BEURREThis is the method for heating cooked artichoke bottoms which are to be filled with hot vegetables, poached eggs, béarnaise sauce, truffles, or whatever is called for.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
6 cooked artichoke bottoms (see preceding recipe)
Salt and white pepper
4 Tb butter
A covered fireproof casserole (enameled, pyrex, or stainless steel) just large enough to hold the artichokes in one layer
A round of buttered waxed paper
Season the artichokes with salt and pepper. Heat the butter in the casserole until it is bubbling. Remove from heat. Baste each artichoke bottom with butter as you place it upside down (to keep center moist) in the casserole. Lay the buttered paper over them. Reheat the casserole, then place it in the middle level of the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until they are well heated through. Do not overcook.
The artichokes are now ready to receive any filling your recipe directs.
[Buttered Artichoke Bottoms, Quartered]
This is basically the same as the preceding recipe, except that the artichoke bottoms are cut into quarters, and shallots or onions are included with the butter. Use quartered artichokes as a vegetable garnish or combine them with other vegetables such as braised carrots and onions, or sautéed mushrooms. They go well with veal, chicken, and egg dishes.
Cut the artichoke bottoms in quarters, and preheat oven to 325 degrees.
A 6-cup, enameled casserole
2 Tb minced shallots or green onions
Salt and pepper
A round of waxed paper, buttered
2 Tb minced parsley
Melt the butter in the casserole. Stir in the shallots or onions, then fold in the artichokes. Season with salt and pepper, and lay over them the round of buttered paper. Cover the casserole and bake in middle level of preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are well steeped in the butter. Do not overcook. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.
(*) May be cooked in advance.
This is particularly good if the artichoke bottoms are to be served as a separate vegetable.
3 Tb each: finely diced carrots, onions, and celery
2 Tb finely diced, lean, boiled ham
Ingredients for the preceding buttered artichoke bottoms
Cook the carrots, onions, celery, and ham for 8 to 10 minutes in the butter called for in the preceding recipe. When the vegetables are tender but not browned, add the rest of the ingredients listed, and proceed with the recipe.
Serve creamed artichoke bottoms with roast veal or chicken, or sautéed brains or sweetbreads. They also go with omelettes.
Ingredients for 6 quartered artichoke bottoms cooked as in either of the two preceding variations
1½ cups whipping cream
Salt and pepper
1 tsp lemon juice, more if needed
A hot vegetable dish
2 Tb minced parsley
While the artichoke bottoms are cooking as directed in either of the two preceding recipes, boil the cream in a small saucepan until it has reduced by half. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. When the artichokes are done, fold the hot cream into them. Simmer for a moment on top of the stove to blend flavors. Turn into a hot vegetable dish and sprinkle with parsley.
Serve gratinéed artichoke bottoms with roast chicken or veal, sautéed chicken, veal scallops, or liver. Or you could use them as a hot first course or luncheon dish; in this case, you might fold into the artichoke bottoms before saucing them 1 cup of sautéed mushrooms, diced boiled ham, or diced cooked chicken.
Ingredients for 6 buttered artichoke bottoms, quartered
1½ cups sauce mornay (béchamel with cheese)
A lightly buttered baking dish about 8 inches in diameter and 2 inches deep
3 Tb grated Swiss cheese
1 Tb butter
While the artichoke bottoms are cooking, make the sauce mornay. When they are done, spread one third of the sauce in the dish and arrange the artichokes over it. Pour on the rest of the sauce, sprinkle on the cheese, and dot with butter.
About 30 minutes before serving, place in upper third of a preheated, 375-degree oven to heat through thoroughly and brown the top of the sauce lightly. Serve as soon as possible.
[Stuffed Artichoke Bottoms au Gratin]
Stuffed artichoke bottoms make an attractive hot first course or luncheon dish.
For 6 people
6 large artichoke bottoms cooked in a blanc
A buttered baking dish
1 to 1½ cups of one of the creamed fillings, such as ham, chicken, mushrooms or shellfish
⅓ cup grated Swiss cheese
1½ Tb butter
Arrange the cooked artichoke bottoms in the baking dish. Place several spoonsful of the filling in each, heaping it into a slight dome. Sprinkle with cheese and dot with butter. About 20 minutes before serving, bake in upper third of a preheated 375-degree oven until thoroughly warmed through and the cheese has browned lightly.
These usually come in 10-ounce packages and are baby, halved hearts with the tender center leaves still attached. We find it to be more satisfactory if you allow the vegetables to thaw enough so they can be detached from each other. They will then cook more evenly.
For 6 servings
1 cup chicken stock, canned chicken broth, half mushroom broth and half water, or water only
2 Tb minced shallots or green onions (or 2 Tb each: finely diced onions, celery, carrots, and ham, previously cooked until tender in the butter)
2 Tb butter
¼ tsp salt
An 8-inch enameled saucepan or skillet
2 packages frozen artichoke hearts, partially thawed (10 ounces each)
Bring the liquid, shallots or onions, butter, and salt to the boil in an enameled saucepan. Add the partially thawed artichoke hearts. Cover saucepan and bring to the boil. Boil slowly for 7 to 10 minutes, or until artichoke hearts are tender. Uncover, raise heat, and boil off any remaining liquid.
Serve them sprinkled with parsley, or in the cream sauce or cheese sauce described in the previous recipes. Or you may combine them with other cooked vegetables such as sautéed mushrooms or glazed carrots and onions.
Cooked green asparagus should be tender yet not limp, and a fresh, beautiful green. Fresh white asparagus, so prevalent in Europe, is rarely seen in this country, but it is prepared and cooked in the same way as green asparagus. The French method of cooking asparagus is to peel it, tie it in bundles, plunge it into a very large kettle of rapidly boiling, salted water, boil it slowly until it is just tender; and to drain it immediately. Peeled asparagus cooks more quickly than unpeeled asparagus, retains its color and texture, and can be eaten usually all the way down to the butt. We have tested every asparagus cooking method we have heard of—peeled, unpeeled, boiled butts, steamed tips—and can say categorically that the freshest, greenest, and most appetizing asparagus is cooked by the French method.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Whole boiled asparagus, hot or cold, is served as a separate vegetable course either at the beginning of the meal, or in place of a salad. With hot asparagus serve a not too dry, chilled white wine such as a Graves, Barsac, Pouilly-Fumé, or Vouvray. No wine should accompany cold asparagus with a vinegar-based sauce, as the vinegar will spoil the taste of the wine.
CHOOSING ASPARAGUS
Select firm, crisp, stalks, moist at the cut end, and with tips which are compact and closed. Fat spears are just as tender as thin spears; as long as the asparagus must be peeled, the fat ones are easier to handle and less wasteful. Loose asparagus is preferable to asparagus in bundles, since you may examine each spear and choose ones all of a size. Plan on 6 to 10 fat spears per person, depending on your menu.
PREPARATION FOR COOKING
You will find that a vegetable peeler is not useful for this operation because it does not go deep enough. Asparagus is peeled not just to remove the skin, but to shave off enough of the tough outer flesh (particularly around the lower part of the spear) to make just about the whole cooked spear edible. Peeling is therefore economical.
Hold an asparagus spear with its butt end up. Peel off the outer skin with a sharp, small knife, going as deep as 1/16 of an inch at the butt in order to expose the tender, moist flesh. Gradually make the cut shallower until you come up to the tender green portion near the tip. Shave off any scales which cling to the spear below the tip. Wash the peeled asparagus spears in a large basin of cold water. Drain.
Line up the tips evenly and tie the asparagus in bundles about 3½ inches in diameter, one string near the tip, one near the butt. Leave one spear loose to be used as a cooking test later. Cut a bit off the butts if necessary, to make the spears all the same length.
Peel asparagus with a small, sharp knife
Make two ties to secure each bundle
If not cooked immediately, set bunches upright in ½ inches of cold water. Cover the asparagus with a plastic bag and refrigerate.
ASPERGES AU NATUREL[Boiled Asparagus—Hot or Cold]
A large kettle or oval casserole containing 7 to 8 quarts rapidly boiling water (for 4 to 6 bundles of prepared asparagus spears)
1½ tsp salt per quart of water
Kettle must be wide enough to hold the asparagus bunches horizontally. Lay the asparagus bundles in the rapidly boiling salted water. Bring water to boil again as quickly as possible. When boil is reached, reduce heat and boil slowly, uncovered, for 12 to 15 minutes. The asparagus is done when a knife pierces the butt-end easily. The spears should bend a little, but should not be limp and droopy. Eat the loose spear as a test for doneness.
A serving platter covered with a folded white napkin (to absorb the asparagus liquid)
As soon as the asparagus is tender, lift it out of the water bundle by bundle with 2 forks, one slipped under each round of string. Hold up for a few seconds to drain, then place the bundle carefully on the napkin. Cut and remove the strings. Proceed quickly to the next bundle.
If the asparagus is not to be served immediately, it will keep warm for 20 to 30 minutes covered with a napkin. Set the platter on top of the kettle of hot asparagus cooking water. The asparagus will lose a bit of its texture as it waits because it will continue to exude moisture, but it will retain its taste and color.
Allow 3 to 4 tablespoons of sauce per person.
Sauce hollandaise. You may beat 3 or 4 tablespoons of puréed cooked asparagus spears into the hollandaise if you wish.
Sauce Mousseline, hollandaise with cream
Sauce Maltaise, hollandaise with orange flavoring, delicious with asparagus, and makes a nice change
Sauce Crème, béchamel with cream and lemon juice
Beurre au Citron, lemon butter sauce
To serve cold asparagus, spread the cooked spears in one layer on a double thickness of clean toweling so the asparagus will cool rapidly. When thoroughly cold, arrange on a serving dish.
Allow 2 to 4 tablespoons of sauce per person.
Sauce Vinaigrette, French dressing, with herbs and mustard Sauce Vinaigrette à la Crème, vinaigrette with cream and herbs
Sauce Ravigote, vinaigrette with herbs, shallots, and capers
Sauce Moutarde, mustard sauce with herbs
Sauce Alsacienne, soft-boiled egg mayonnaise with herbs
Mayonnaise. 2 to 3 tablespoons of green herbs, or 4 to 6 tablespoons of puréed cooked asparagus spears may be stirred into the mayonnaise if you wish.
Asparagus tips are the part of the spear from the tip as far down as the asparagus is green and still tender. Asparagus tips are served as a separate vegetable or as part of a vegetable garnish and go well with chicken breasts, veal scallops, brains, sweetbreads, scrambled eggs, and omelettes. They are also used in a sauce to fill tarts, tartlets, or artichoke hearts, or can be served as a cold vegetable or as part of a vegetable salad.
PREPARATION FOR COOKING
Choose thin asparagus spears ¼ to ⅜ of an inch in diameter. Hold each by its butt end and, moving your fingers up toward the tip, bend the spear until it snaps in two, usually at about the halfway point. (Set the butt ends aside; they may be peeled and cooked, and are good for soups or purées.) Scrape off all the scales below the tip and wash the asparagus. Cut the tips off so each is 1½ inches long and tie in bundles about 2 inches in diameter. Dice the remaining stalks.
POINTES D’ASPERGES AU BEURRE[Buttered Asparagus Tips]
For 4 to 6 people as a vegetable garnish
2 lbs. asparagus tips prepared as directed in preceding paragraph
6 quarts rapidly boiling water
3 Tb salt
Drop the diced asparagus stalks in the boiling salted water and boil 5 minutes. Then add the asparagus bundles and boil slowly for 5 to 8 minutes more, or until just tender. Remove bundles carefully and drain; drain the diced stalks.
(*) If you are cooking the asparagus in advance or wish to serve it cold, plunge for a minute or two in cold water to stop the cooking and set the color. Drain.
Braising in butter
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
A covered baking dish or fireproof baking and serving dish
1 Tb softened butter
Salt and pepper
4 Tb melted butter
A round of waxed paper
Smear the baking dish with softened butter. Arrange the diced asparagus stalks in the bottom; season with salt, pepper, and part of the melted butter. Remove strings and arrange the asparagus tips over the stalks. Season with salt, pepper, and butter, and lay the waxed paper on top. Heat for a moment on top of the stove; cover the casserole and place in middle level of oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until asparagus is hot through. Serve immediately.
Sauces for hot and cold asparagus are listed. If you are serving a hot sauce, you may wish only to blanch the asparagus tips and omit the braising-in-butter step in the preceding recipe.
Frozen asparagus will always be limp however you cook it; the following method is as good as any we have found. Allow the asparagus to thaw partially before cooking so the spears can be separated and will cook more evenly. If you are doing more than two boxes at a time, use two wide saucepans in order that the cooking water will boil away by the time the asparagus is done.
For each 10-ounce box of frozen asparagus, partially thawed:
½ cup water
⅛ tsp salt
1 Tb butter
A wide enameled saucepan or skillet
A cover Pinch of pepper
More salt, if needed
A hot vegetable dish
Bring the water, salt, and butter to the boil in the saucepan or skillet. Add the asparagus, cover, and boil slowly for 5 to 8 minutes or until asparagus is tender. Remove cover, raise heat, and quickly boil off any remaining liquid. Correct seasoning. Arrange in vegetable dish, pour on sauce or pass it separately, and serve as soon as possible.
[Asparagus Mold]
This asparagus custard is served unmolded as a first course or luncheon dish, or may be served with roast or sautéed veal or chicken. The custard mixture may be prepared hours in advance of cooking, and the cooked mold may be kept warm for a considerable time or reheated. You can mold the custard in individual cups if you wish.
NOTE: Chopped, cooked Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, or puréed green peas may be cooked in the same way; substitute 2½ to 3 cups of any of these vegetables for the asparagus.
For 6 people
Flavorless salad oil
A 6-cup soufflé mold
¼ cup stale, white bread crumbs
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Oil the mold. Roll bread crumbs in it to cover the entire inner surface. Knock out excess crumbs.
½ cup finely minced onions
1 Tb butter
Cook the onions slowly in butter for about 10 minutes in a covered saucepan, not allowing them to color.
A 3-quart mixing bowl
Big pinch of white pepper
¼ tsp salt
Pinch of nutmeg
½ cup grated Swiss cheese
⅔ cup stale, white bread crumbs
5 eggs
1 cup milk brought to the boil with 4 Tb butter
Scrape the onions into the mixing bowl. Stir in the seasonings, cheese, and bread crumbs. Beat in the eggs. In a thin stream of droplets, beat in the hot milk and butter.
3 lbs. boiled, fresh asparagus, or 3 cups cooked frozen asparagus, or canned asparagus
Salt and pepper
Cut the tender portion of the asparagus spears into ½-inch pieces. Fold the asparagus into the custard mixture. Correct seasoning.
(*) May be prepared ahead to this point.
A pan of boiling water large enough to hold the mold easily
Turn the custard into the prepared mold and set mold in a pan of boiling water. Place in lower third of preheated oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, regulating heat so water remains just below the simmer. Custard is done when a knife, plunged through the center, comes out clean.
A warm serving platter
Remove mold from water and allow to settle for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the custard and reverse on a warm serving platter. Surround with one of the sauces listed, and serve.
(*) If custard is not served immediately, do not unmold it, but leave in its pan of hot water, reheating the water from time to time, if necessary. Unmold when you are ready to serve.
Prepare 2½ to 3 cups of one of the following:
Sauce Chivvy, béchamel with cream and green herbs
Sauce Mornay, béchamel with cheese
Sauce Mousseline, hollandaise with cream
Green beans, snap beans, string beans, or whatever you wish to call them, are of many varieties: some are flat, others are round, still others are a mottled green rather than a uniform color. Most of those on the market today are string-less. Whichever you buy, look for beans which are clean, fresh-looking, firm, and which snap crisply and contain immature seeds. If possible, select beans all of the same circumference so they will cook evenly. The smaller around they are, the more they will approach tiny French beans; a diameter of not more than ¼ inch is most desirable.
Fresh beans take time to prepare for cooking, but have so much more flavor than frozen beans that they are well worth the trouble. The cooking itself is easy; however, beans demand attention if they are to be fresh-tasting, full of flavor, and green. Although their preliminary blanching may be taken care of hours in advance, the final touches should be done only at the last minute. It is fatal to their color, texture, and taste if they are overcooked, or if they are allowed to sit around over heat for more than a few minutes after they are ready to be eaten.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Green beans will go with just about any meat dish, or may constitute a separate vegetable course.
AMOUNT TO BUY
One pound of beans will serve 2 or 3 people depending on your menu.
PREPARATION FOR COOKING
Snap the tip of one end of a bean with your fingers and draw it down the length of one side of the bean to remove any possible string. Do the same thing with the other end, pulling it down the other side of the bean.
Beans of not much more than ¼ inch in diameter are cooked whole, and retain their maximum flavor. If they are large in circumference, you may slice them on the bias to make several 2½-inch lengths per bean; this or machine slicing is usually called Frenched beans though it is rarely done in France as it is seldom necessary. Sliced beans never have the flavor of whole beans.
Wash the beans rapidly in very hot water the moment before cooking.
[Blanched Green Beans—Preliminary Cooking]
Whatever recipe you choose for your beans, always give them a preliminary blanching in a very large kettle of rapidly boiling salted water. Depending on what you plan to do to them later, boil them either until tender or until almost tender, and drain immediately. This essential step in the French art of bean cookery always produces a fine, fresh, green bean of perfect texture and flavor.
For 6 to 8 people
3 lbs. green beans, trimmed and washed
A large kettle containing at least 7 to 8 quarts of rapidly boiling water
1½ tsp salt per quart of water
A handful at a time, drop the beans into the rapidly boiling salted water. Bring the water back to the boil as quickly as possible, and boil the beans slowly, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes; test the beans frequently after 8 minutes by eating one. A well cooked bean should be tender, but still retain the slightest suggestion of crunchiness. Drain the beans as soon as they are done.
Turn the beans into a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan and toss them gently over moderately high heat by flipping the pan, not by stirring them. This will evaporate their moisture in 2 to 3 minutes. Then proceed with one of the following recipes.
Run cold water over the beans for 3 to 4 minutes. This will stop the cooking immediately and the beans will retain color, taste, and texture. Drain, spread them out on a clean towel, and pat dry. The beans may then be set aside in a colander, or put in a covered bowl in the refrigerator where they will keep perfectly for 24 hours.
To Reheat: Depending on your recipe, either drop the beans in a large kettle of rapidly boiling, salted water, bring quickly again to the boil, then drain immediately. Or toss the beans in a tablespoon or two of hot butter or oil, season them, cover the pan, and let them warm thoroughly for 3 to 4 minutes over moderate heat. Then proceed with your recipe.
Buttered green beans go with almost anything, and particularly roast or broiled lamb, beef, chicken, veal, and liver. They may also be served as a separate course.
[Buttered Green Beans I]
For 6 to 8 people
3 lbs. hot, blanched green beans
A wide, heavy-bottomed, enameled saucepan or skillet
Salt and pepper
A hot serving dish
4 to 8 Tb butter, cut into pieces or formed into shells
Toss the hot beans in the saucepan or skillet over moderately high heat to evaporate their moisture. Toss briefly again with salt and pepper to taste. Turn them into the serving dish, distribute the butter over them, and serve at once.
[Buttered Green Beans II — with Lemon Juice and Parsley]
For 6 to 8 people
3 lbs. hot, blanched green beans (preceding master recipe)
A wide, heavy-bottomed, enameled saucepan or skillet
Salt and pepper
6 to 8 Tb softened butter cut into 4 pieces
2 to 3 tsp lemon juice
A hot vegetable dish
3 Tb minced parsley
Toss the hot beans in the saucepan or skillet over moderately high heat to evaporate their moisture. Toss briefly again with salt, pepper and a piece of butter. Add the rest of the butter gradually while tossing the beans; alternate with drops of lemon juice. Taste for seasoning. Turn into the vegetable dish, sprinkle with parsley, and serve immediately.
Serve creamed green beans with plain roast lamb, veal, or chicken, broiled or sautéed chicken, lamb chops, sautéed liver, or veal chops or scallops.
[Creamed Green Beans I]
For 6 to 8 people
3 lbs. green beans, trimmed and washed
A wide, heavy-bottomed, enameled saucepan or skillet
Salt and pepper to taste
3 Tb softened butter
2 cups whipping cream
A lid for the pan
Blanch the beans in 7 to 8 quarts of rapidly boiling salted water as described on this page, but drain them 3 to 4 minutes before they are tender. Toss the beans in the pan over moderately high heat to evaporate their moisture. Then toss with the salt, pepper, and butter. Pour in the cream, cover the pan, and boil slowly for 5 minutes or so, until beans are tender and cream has reduced by half. Correct seasoning.
A hot vegetable dish
3 Tb fresh minced savory, tarragon, or parsley
Turn into hot vegetable dish, sprinkle with herbs, and serve at once.
[Creamed Green Beans II]
This is less rich than the pure cream treatment in the preceding recipe.
For 6 to 8 people
3 lbs. green beans, trimmed and washed
A wide, heavy-bottomed, enameled saucepan or skillet
Blanch the beans in 7 to 8 quarts of boiling salted water as described on this page, but drain them 3 to 4 minutes before they are tender. Toss the beans in the pan over moderately high heat to evaporate their moisture.
Salt and pepper to taste
3 Tb softened butter
3 Tb minced shallots or green onions
A lid for the pan
Then toss them with the seasonings, butter, and minced shallots or onions. Cover the pan and let them cook slowly for 3 to 4 minutes.
3 cups boiling sauce crème (béchamel with cream)
Salt and pepper
A hot vegetable dish
3 Tb fresh minced savory, tarragon, or parsley
Delicately fold the hot sauce into the beans. Cover pan and simmer slowly again for 3 to 4 minutes, or until beans are tender. Correct seasoning. Turn into a hot vegetable dish, sprinkle with herbs, and serve at once.
A GOOD ADDITION
½ to 1 lb. sliced mushrooms sautéed in butter
Fold the sautéed mushrooms into the beans with the sauce.
[Green Beans Gratinéed with Cheese Sauce]
This is a good method for ahead-of-time preparation. Serve with the same meats suggested in the preceding recipes for green beans in cream.
For 6 to 8 people
3 lbs. green beans, trimmed and washed
Blanch the beans as described until they are just tender. Drain, refresh in cold water, and dry in a towel.
3 cups sauce mornay (béchamel with cheese)
A lightly buttered baking dish
Salt and pepper to taste
⅓ cup grated Swiss cheese
1 Tb butter cut into pea-sized dots
Spread a third of the sauce in the baking dish. Season the beans and arrange them over the sauce. Pour on the rest of the sauce. Sprinkle with cheese, dot with butter, and set aside uncovered.
Half an hour before serving time, bake in upper third of a preheated 375-degree oven until beans are well heated through and the sauce has browned lightly on top.
[Green Beans with Tomatoes, Garlic, and Herbs]
These full-flavored beans go wonderfully with roast lamb or beef, steaks, chops, or broiled chicken. Tossed with diced, sautéed ham, they can serve as a main-course luncheon or supper dish. Frozen beans react nicely to this treatment.
For 6 to 8 servings
2 cups thinly sliced onions
½ cup olive oil An enameled saucepan or skillet large enough to hold the beans
Cook the onions slowly in the olive oil until they are tender and translucent but not browned, about 10 minutes.
4 to 6 large, firm, ripe, red tomatoes peeled, seeded, juiced, and chopped
2 to 4 cloves mashed garlic
A medium herb bouquet with cloves: 4 parsley sprigs, ½ bay leaf, ½ tsp thyme, and 2 cloves tied in cheesecloth
¾ cup liquid: juice from the tomatoes plus water or water only
Salt and pepper to taste
Add the ingredients at the left, and simmer for 30 minutes. Then remove the herb bouquet.
3 lbs. green beans OR 3 boxes partially defrosted cut green beans added directly to the cooked tomato mixture
Salt and pepper
¼ cup chopped parsley, or a mixture of green herbs such as basil, savory, and tarragon plus parsley
While the tomatoes are cooking, blanch the beans in 7 to 8 quarts of boiling salted water as described on this page, but drain them 3 to 4 minutes before they are tender. Toss them in the pan with the onions and tomatoes. Cover and simmer slowly for 8 to 10 minutes, tossing occasionally, until they are tender. Most of the liquid should have evaporated by this time; if not, uncover, raise heat, and boil it off rapidly, tossing the beans. Correct seasoning, toss in the herbs, and serve.
Wax beans are trimmed and blanched in the same manner as green beans, and may be substituted for green beans in any of the preceding recipes. Here is a special recipe for large wax beans.
[Wax Beans Braised with Onions, Lettuce, and Cream]
For 6 to 8 people
3 lbs. large but tender wax beans
Trim and wash the beans according to directions being sure all strings have been removed. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2 Tb softened butter
A covered fireproof casserole or baking dish
1½ cups diced onions
1 tsp salt Big pinch of pepper
1 medium herb bouquet: 4 parsley sprigs, ½ bay leaf, and ¼ tsp thyme tied in cheesecloth
2 heads of Boston lettuce, shredded
8 Tb (¼ lb.) butter
1½ cups chicken stock or canned chicken broth
A round of waxed paper
Butter the casserole or baking dish heavily. Spread the onions in the bottom, arrange the beans over them, and season with salt and pepper. Bury the herb bouquet in their midst. Distribute the lettuce over the beans. Sliver the rest of the butter over the lettuce. Pour in the stock or broth. Set casserole over heat and bring liquid to the simmer. Place the round of paper over the vegetables, cover the casserole and set in lower third of oven. Regulate heat so liquid simmers regularly and has almost evaporated in 45 minutes. Remove herb bouquet.
2 cups light cream Salt and pepper
Bring the cream to the boil and pour it into the casserole. Bake 30 minutes more. Correct seasoning.
(*) May be set aside, partially covered, and reheated at serving time.
3 Tb minced fresh savory, basil, tarragon, or parsley
Sprinkle with herbs just before bringing casserole to table.
Frozen beans cook more evenly if they are partially thawed and not stuck all together in a solid block. When you are doing more than two packages, use two saucepans; if too many beans are cooked in one pan, the liquid will not evaporate by the time the beans are tender. Cut beans have more flavor than Frenched beans.
For each 10-ounce package of beans:
½ cup chicken stock, canned chicken broth, canned mushroom broth, or water
1 Tb minced shallots or green onions
¼ tsp salt
1 Tb butter
A heavy bottomed, enameled saucepan or skillet with cover
Bring the liquid, shallots or onions, salt, and butter to the boil in the saucepan. Add the partially thawed beans. Cover and boil slowly for 5 to 6 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the beans are just tender. Remove cover and rapidly boil off any remaining liquid. Correct seasoning.
The beans may now be used in any of the preceding green bean recipes. If they are to be simmered in cream or in a sauce, use half the amount of liquid for their preliminary cooking, and cook only until partially tender. They will finish cooking in the sauce.
If you wish to do the preliminary cooking in advance, spread the cooked beans out in one layer in a big cold saucepan or dish so they will cool rapidly.
If the beans are to be served cold, use olive oil rather than butter in the preceding recipe, and spread the beans out afterward in one layer to cool rapidly.
Cooked Brussels sprouts should be bright green, fresh-tasting, and have the slightest suggestion of crunch at the core. Overcooked sprouts become yellowish, mushy, and develop the flavor of stale cabbage.
Choose firm, healthy, fresh, rounded heads all of the same size with bright green leaves. Soft-headed sprouts are overmature, tasteless, or unhealthy, and will cook into a pulp.
AMOUNT TO BUY
A 1-quart basket weighting about 1¼ pounds will serve 4 or 5 people as a vegetable garnish.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Buttered Brussels sprouts go well with roast duck, goose, turkey, beef, pork, liver, ham, and sausages. Creamed Brussels sprouts may be served with any of these, and also with roast chicken or veal.
PREPARATION FOR COOKING
Trim the base of each Brussels sprout with a small knife and pierce a cross in it for quick cooking. Remove any wilted or yellowish leaves. Discard any sprouts which are soft-headed, yellowish, or worm-eaten. Wash the trimmed vegetables quickly in a large basin of cold water and drain. Modern growing methods seem to have eliminated burrowing insects, so it is nowadays rarely necessary, as it used to be, to soak the vegetables for 10 to 15 minutes in salted water.
[Blanched Brussels Sprouts—Preliminary Cooking]
Brussels sprouts, whether they are to be served with melted butter and seasonings or are to be simmered or braised, always receive a blanching in a large kettle of boiling salted water. This preliminary may be accomplished hours before the final cooking is to take place.
1 to 2 quarts Brussels sprouts, trimmed and washed
A large kettle containing 7 to 8 quarts of rapidly boiling water
1½ tsp salt per quart of water
Drop the Brussels sprouts into the rapidly boiling salted water. Bring to the boil again as rapidly as possible.
A skimmer
A colander
If the vegetables are to be partially cooked and finished off later as directed in most of the following recipes, boil them slowly, uncovered, for 6 to 8 minutes, or until almost tender. Immediately remove with a skimmer and drain in a colander.
Fully cooked
If they are to be fully cooked, and served at once with melted butter à l’anglaise, boil them slowly, uncovered, for a total of 10 to 12 minutes. They are done when a knife pierces the stem of a sprout easily; cut one in half and eat it, to be sure. Drain immediately.
AHEAD-OF-TIME BLANCHING
If the Brussels sprouts are not to be used at once, as soon as they have been drained spread them out in one layer, not touching one another, on a double thickness of clean toweling. This lets the air circulate around them and cool them quickly, so that they retain their color and texture. (You may plunge them into cold water instead, if you wish, but we think the one-layer cooling gives a better texture.) When the Brussels sprouts are thoroughly cold, they may be refrigerated and will keep perfectly for 24 hours. Complete the cooking as directed in any of the following recipes.
CHOUX DE BRUXELLES ÉTUVÉS AU BEURREServe braised Brussels sprouts with roast turkey, pork, duck, or goose, steaks, chops, hamburgers, or sautéed liver. You may dress up braised Brussels sprouts with cream, cheese, or chestnuts, as suggested in the variations at the end of the recipe.
For 6 people
1½ Tb softened butter
A 2½-quart, fireproof, covered casserole or baking dish large enough to hold the Brussels sprouts in 1 or 2 layers
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and smear the butter inside the casserole or baking dish.
Arrange the blanched Brussels sprouts heads up in the casserole or baking dish. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper, and with the melted butter.
A round of lightly buttered waxed paper
Lay the paper over the Brussels sprouts. Cover and heat on top of the stove until vegetables begin to sizzle, then place in middle level of preheated oven. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the sprouts are tender and well impregnated with butter. Serve as soon as possible.
Serve these with veal, chicken, or turkey.
For 6 people
1½ quarts Brussels sprouts
½ to ¾ cup boiling whipping cream
Salt and pepper
1 to 2 Tb butter cut into pea-sized dots
Braise the Brussels sprouts as in the preceding recipe, but use only 2 tablespoons of butter. After the casserole has been in the oven for 10 minutes, pour on the boiling cream and continue baking for 10 more minutes or until the vegetables are tender. They will have absorbed most of the cream. Correct seasoning, dot with butter, and serve as soon as possible.
This recipe is particularly good with roast turkey, duck, or goose.
For 6 people
Follow the preceding master recipe for braising the Brussels sprouts, but add the braised chestnuts to the casserole to cook with them.
Serve these with roast chicken or veal, or as a luncheon or supper dish.
For 6 people
1½ quarts Brussels sprouts braised in butter
2 cups hot sauce mornay (béchamel with cheese)
A lightly buttered baking dish about 9 inches in diameter and 2 inches deep
¼ cup grated Swiss cheese
1 Tb butter cut into pea-sized dots
Follow the preceding master recipe for braising the Brussel sprouts; you may use only 2 tablespoons of butter if you wish. Prepare the sauce, and spread one third of it in the baking dish when the sprouts are done. Arrange the Brussels sprouts over the sauce, spoon the rest of the sauce over them, and sprinkle with cheese and dots of butter. Set under a moderately hot broiler for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly, and serve at once.
These cheese-coated Brussels sprouts are good with steaks and chops.
For 6 people
1½ quarts Brussels sprouts braised in butter
½ cup grated Swiss cheese mixed with ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tb melted butter
Follow the preceding master recipe for braising the Brussels sprouts, but when they have been in the oven 10 minutes, turn them into a bowl. Reset oven to 425 degrees. Sprinkle 2 to 3 tablespoons of cheese in the casserole or baking dish to coat the bottom and sides. Return the Brussels sprouts, spreading the rest of the cheese over each layer. Pour on the melted butter. Place uncovered in upper third of oven for 10 to 15 minutes, to brown the cheese nicely.
[Brussels Sprouts Chopped and Simmered in Cream]
Serve this dish with steaks or chops, roast beef or lamb, pork, duck, or goose.
For 6 people
Follow the recipe for blanched Brussels sprouts, but boil them for 5 minutes only. Drain. If you are not proceeding at once with the rest of this recipe, let them cool in one layer. Chop them roughly.
3 Tb butter
A 10-inch enameled skillet
¼ tsp salt
Big pinch of pepper
Heat the butter to bubbling in the skillet. Add the chopped Brussels sprouts and season with salt and pepper. Shake them over moderately high heat for several minutes to evaporate their moisture but not to brown them.
¾ cup whipping cream
Salt and pepper
Pour in the cream. Bring to the simmer. Cover the skillet and cook at a slow simmer for 8 to 10 minutes or until the vegetables have almost entirely absorbed the cream and are tender. Correct seasoning.
1 to 2 Tb softened butter
A hot vegetable dish
2 Tb minced parsley
Reheat to the simmer just before serving. Off heat, fold in the butter. Turn into a hot vegetable dish, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.
[Brussels Sprouts Mold]
This is a purée of Brussels sprouts mixed with eggs, milk, cheese, and bread crumbs, cooked in a mold, then unmolded and served with a cream sauce. It makes an unusual luncheon dish, or a fine accompaniment to roast veal or chicken. Use the same method and ingredients as for the asparagus mold, this page, substituting blanched, chopped Brussels sprouts for asparagus.
This recipe is for fully-cooked Brussels sprouts. If you wish to substitute partially cooked frozen sprouts for fresh ones in any of the preceding recipes, use half the amount of water indicated here, and cook the sprouts until they are almost but not quite tender, 3 to 4 minutes. (When you are cooking more than two packages, use two saucepans; if too many vegetables are cooked in one pan, the liquid will not evaporate by the time they are tender.)
For each 10-ounce package frozen Brussels sprouts:
½ cup water
¼ tsp salt
1 Tb butter
Salt and pepper
Allow the frozen Brussels sprouts to thaw just enough so that you can separate them. Boil the water with the salt and butter in a saucepan. Add the vegetables, cover, and boil slowly for 6 to 8 minutes or until the sprouts are tender. Uncover saucepan and rapidly boil off any remaining liquid. Correct seasoning.
(*) If not to be used immediately, spread them out in one layer in a large, cold saucepan or dish.
Broccoli, for some reason, is rarely seen in France though it abounds next door in Italy. We shall therefore not give it full-dress treatment, though we think it a delicious and useful vegetable.
PREPARATION FOR COOKING
Fresh broccoli will cook much more rapidly and stay greener if you divide it into flowerets about 3 inches long and then peel the thin, green skin off the stalks. Peel the cut-off butt ends deeply enough to expose the whitish, tender flesh, and cut into bias lengths.
BLANCHING
Blanch the prepared broccoli in a large kettle of boiling, salted water; first put in the pieces of stem and boil 5 minutes, then add the flowerets. Because it is a fragile vegetable, broccoli is easier to handle if you place it in a vegetable rack which you may set into the boiling water, and lift out with the broccoli when it is done. If the broccoli is to be partially cooked then braised, or simmered in a sauce, boil the flowerets for about 5 minutes or until almost tender. Fully cooked broccoli that is to be served with melted butter or a sauce such as hollandaise requires 8 to 10 minutes of cooking, or until a knife pierces the stems easily. Drain immediately.
FROZEN BROCCOLI
Cook frozen broccoli in the same manner as frozen Brussels sprouts
SAUCES FOR PLAIN, BOILED BROCCOLI
Sauces for hot or cold broccoli are the same as those suggested for asparagus
Broccoli may be substituted for Brussels sprouts in any of the following recipes in the Brussels sprouts section:
Browned with Swiss and Parmesan Cheese
Baked in a mold with eggs, milk, and cheese, then unmolded. See the master recipe for asparagus molds on this page.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Hot or cold broccoli with a sauce such as hollandaise or vinaigrette may be served, like asparagus, as a separate vegetable course. Creamed broccoli goes with roast or broiled chicken, roast veal, or sautéed veal scallops. Broccoli with melted butter or browned with cheese goes with sautéed liver, steaks, chops, and broiled chicken.
Choose cauliflowers with hard, clean, white heads containing firm, compact, flower clusters. The leaves surrounding the head should be fresh, healthy, and green.
AMOUNT TO BUY
A trimmed cauliflower head about 8 inches across will serve 4 to 6 people as a vegetable garnish.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Cauliflower gratinéed or served with a sauce may constitute a separate vegetable course. All types of cauliflower dishes go with roast turkey, chicken, lamb, beef, pork, and with steaks or chops.
PREPARATION FOR COOKING
Cauliflower cooks more evenly if you divide it into flowerets; we therefore always advise that you do so. Pull the outside leaves off the cauliflower and cut the stem off close under the head. The smaller leaves and the peeled stem may be used for soup. Cut the flowerets off the central stalk, and peel the thin skin off their stems with a knife. Cut a slit in any stems larger than ¼ inch in diameter, so they will cook quickly. Peel the central stalk deeply enough to expose its tender flesh, and cut it in bias pieces. Wash the cauliflower rapidly in a large basin of cold water. Drain.
CHOU-FLEUR BLANCHI[Blanched Cauliflower—Preliminary Cooking]
1 or 2 heads of cauliflower, cut into flowerets
A large kettle containing 7 to 8 quarts of boiling water
1½ tsp salt per quart of water
A vegetable rack set in the kettle is useful
Optional: add 1 cup of milk to kettle for each 3 quarts of boiling water, to keep cauliflower white
Drop the washed cauliflower into the rapidly boiling water; use a vegetable rack if you have one. Bring back to the boil as quickly as possible. Boil slowly, uncovered, for 9 to 12 minutes. The cauliflower is done when a knife pierces the stems easily. Eat a piece to be sure. It should be tender but retain the merest suggestion of crunchiness at the core.
As soon as it is done, carefully remove the cauliflower with a skimmer or spoon and drain in a colander, or remove the rack with cauliflower in it.
When cooked cauliflower is not to be served immediately or is to be served cold, it should be refreshed in cold water as soon as it is blanched. This stops the cooking so that the cauliflower retains its fresh taste and texture. Plunge the colander or vegetable rack holding the hot cauliflower into a large basin of cold water for 2 to 3 minutes. Drain.
If the refreshed cauliflower is to be served hot with melted butter or sauce, steam it in a covered colander over boiling water for 4 to 5 minutes until hot through. Then season with salt and pepper, and it is ready for saucing and serving.
It is not necessary, of course, to mold the cooked flowerets back into the shape of a whole head, but it makes an attractive presentation.
Select a bowl slightly smaller than the width and depth of the cauliflower head before it was cut into flowerets. Set the bowl over simmering water to warm it. When the cauliflower heads have been blanched and drained, one by one place the longest flowerets in the bottom of the bowl, heads down and stems converging at the center of the bowl. Continue with the rest of the flowerets, arranging their heads around the sides of the bowl until it is filled. Place the cooked pieces of stem on top. Then turn a warm, round, serving dish upside down over the bowl. Reverse the bowl onto the dish and remove the bowl; the cauliflower will stand molded in approximately its original shape.
Here is a list of sauces to serve with hot cauliflower; about 1 to 1½ cups are sufficient for an 8-inch head. If the cauliflower has been molded, spoon ⅓ of the sauce over the stems before reversing the bowl.
Beurre au Citron, lemon butter sauce
Beurre Noir, brown butter sauce. You may brown ¾ cup of fresh, white bread crumbs with the butter. Sieved hard-boiled egg yolks and chopped parsley mixed into the butter and breadcrumbs turn the cauliflower into chou-fleur à la polonaise.
Sauce Crème, béchamel with cream
Sauce Bâtarde, mock hollandaise
Sauce Mousseline, hollandaise with cream
[Fresh Cream Sauce]
For an 8-inch cauliflower
2 cups whipping cream
A small saucepan
Salt and white pepper
Lemon juice
2 Tb softened butter
A wire whip
Parsley sprigs
Simmer the cream in the saucepan until reduced by half. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and drops of lemon juice. Set aside until ready to use, then reheat. Remove from heat and beat in the butter half a tablespoon at a time and pour the sauce over the hot cauliflower. Decorate with parsley and serve.
[Cauliflower au gratin with Cheese]
Cauliflower au gratin may be prepared for the oven well in advance of serving, and goes with all kinds of roasts, chops, and steaks. You may, if you wish, mold the cauliflower in a bowl before saucing it, this page, so it will preserve its round shape.
For 4 to 6 people
An 8-inch cauliflower cut into flowerets
Following directions on this page, blanch the cauliflower in 7 to 8 quarts of boiling, salted water for 9 to 12 minutes, refresh in cold water, and drain.
2½ cups sauce mornay (béchamel with cheese)
A lightly buttered baking dish about 8 inches in diameter and 2 inches deep
Salt and pepper
2 Tb fine, dry, white bread crumbs mixed with 2 Tb grated Swiss cheese
2 Tb melted butter
Spread ⅓ of the sauce in the baking dish. Arrange the cauliflower over it and season with salt and pepper. Pour on the rest of the sauce and sprinkle the top with bread crumbs and cheese. Dribble on the melted butter.
(*) Set aside, covered loosely with waxed paper, until ready to bake.
About 30 minutes before serving time, place in upper third of a preheated 375-degree oven to warm through thoroughly and to brown lightly. Serve as soon as possible.
[Cauliflower Gratinéed with Cheese and Tomatoes]
This dish is particularly good with steaks, chops, and hamburgers.
For 4 to 6 people
Following directions blanch the cauliflower in boiling salted water for 9 to 12 minutes, refresh in cold water, and drain.
1 lb. firm, ripe, red tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and juiced (makes 1½ cups of pulp)
Cut the tomato pulp into strips ½ inch wide.
A shallow 10-inch buttered baking dish
¼ tsp salt
Big pinch of pepper
½ cup melted butter
¼ cup fine, dry, white bread crumbs mixed with ½ cup grated Swiss and Parmesan cheese
Arrange the cauliflower in the center of the dish. Place the tomatoes around the edge of the dish. Season the vegetables with salt, pepper, and half the melted butter. Spread the cheese and bread crumbs over the vegetables, and pour on the rest of the melted butter.
(*) Set aside until ready to bake.
About 30 minutes before serving time, place in upper third of a preheated 375-degree oven to warm through thoroughly and brown the cheese nicely. Serve as soon as possible.
[Purée of Cauliflower and Water Cress with Cream]
Serve this delectable purée with roast veal, chicken, or turkey, broiled or sautéed chicken, chicken breasts, or veal scallops.
For 4 to 6 people
An 8-inch head of cauliflower
A bunch of fresh water cress about 3 inches in diameter across the stems
A kettle containing 7 to 8 quarts of rapidly boiling water
1½ tsp salt per quart of water
Separate the cauliflower head into flowerets; peel off and discard the tough skin of the central stalk and chop the stalk. Cut off the bunch of water cress just above the point where the stems join the leaves (stems may be used for soup). Wash and drain the vegetables. Drop the cauliflower into the boiling, salted water and boil slowly for 6 minutes. Then add the watercress leaves and boil 4 to 5 minutes more, or until cauliflower is just tender. Drain.
A 3-quart mixing bowl
A rubber scraper
2 cups thick béchamel sauce (3½ Tb butter, 5 Tb flour, 2 cups boiling milk, salt, and pepper)
½ cup whipping cream
½ cup grated Swiss cheese
Salt and pepper
Purée the cauliflower and water cress through the food mill and place purée in mixing bowl. Fold in the béchamel sauce. By spoonfuls, fold in the cream but do not thin out the purée too much; it should just hold its shape when a bit is lifted on the scraper. Fold in the cheese, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
A lightly buttered baking dish 8 to 9 inches in diameter and 2 inches deep
2 Tb fine, dry, white bread crumbs mixed with 2 Tb grated Swiss cheese
2 Tb melted butter
Heap the purée in the baking dish. Sprinkle on the cheese and bread crumbs, then the melted butter.
(*) Set aside until ready to bake.
About 30 minutes before serving, place in upper third of a preheated 375-degree oven to heat through thoroughly and brown the cheese and bread crumbs. Serve as soon as possible.
[Cauliflower Mold]
This is a purée of cooked cauliflower mixed with eggs, bread crumbs, cheese, and milk. It is baked in a soufflé mold, unmolded, and surrounded with a sauce. Use the recipe for asparagus mold on this page, substituting cauliflower for the asparagus. Other sauces to serve besides those suggested in the recipe are:
Coulis de Tomates, fresh tomato sauce with herbs
Sauce au Cari, béchamel with curry and onions
The tenderest, freshest, and sweetest peas have bright green pods that are rather velvety to the touch. The pods should be fairly well filled. A perfect raw pea will taste tender and sweet. As peas mature they become larger, harder, and less sweet; but even a quite tough pea will make good eating if it is cooked in the right way. Choose, if possible, pods of equal size with peas all at the same stage of development so they will cook evenly.
As we have not the space in this book to cover every aspect of pea cookery, we have felt it would be most useful to present one fundamental recipe each for the small tender pea, the large tender pea, the tough pea, peas à la française, and frozen and canned peas.
AMOUNT TO BUY
One pound of small, tender peas will usually furnish about 1 cup of shelled peas.
One pound of large peas will usually furnish about 1½ cups of shelled peas.
One cup of shelled peas will serve from 1 to 3 people depending on your menu. We have based our recipes on 2 people per cup.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Beautifully cooked peas make a delicious separate vegetable course, and they may accompany almost anything from eggs and roasts to stews.
Each of the three recipes here is designed for peas of a particular quality, from sweet and tender to rather tough. Pick the recipe which corresponds to the type of peas you are to cook.
[Battered Peas I—for very tender, sweet, fresh, green peas]
Anyone who has eaten a plateful of small, tender, fresh, green peas in Italy or France in the springtime is not likely to forget the experience. These best-of-all peas are always cooked by blanching in a very large kettle of boiling salted water. They are served at once à l’anglaise, meaning they are merely seasoned, turned into a vegetable dish, and topped with pieces of butter. This simple and fundamental treatment preserves, unadulterated, their color, texture, and taste.
For 6 people
3 lbs. of very tender, sweet, young, fresh green peas (3 cups, shelled)
A large kettle containing 7 to 8 quarts of rapidly boiling water
1½ tsp salt per quart of water
Drop the shelled peas into the rapidly boiling salted water. Bring the water to the boil again as quickly as possible. Boil slowly, uncovered, for 4 to 8 minutes, testing the peas frequently by eating one. They will have more taste and be greener if they are drained at the point where they are tender but still retain a suggestion of texture. But this is a matter of personal taste, and they may be boiled a few more minutes if you wish.
A colander
A heavy-bottomed saucepan
Salt and pepper
½ to 1 Tb granulated sugar (depending on sweetness of peas)
A hot vegetable dish
6 Tb butter, formed into little shells or cut into pieces
Drain the peas immediately. Place in the saucepan with the seasonings and roll them gently over moderate heat for a moment or two to evaporate all their humidity. Correct seasoning. Turn the peas into a hot vegetable dish, arrange the butter over them, and serve at once.
[Buttered Peas II—for large but tender fresh green peas]
This is for the larger pea, the kind you usually find at your market.
For 6 people
2 lbs. large but tender fresh green peas (3 cups, shelled)
A kettle containing 7 to 8 quarts of rapidly boiling water
1½ tsp salt per quart of water
A colander
Drop the peas in the boiling salted water and boil uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes or until the peas are almost but not quite tender. They will finish cooking later. Drain.
(*) If the peas are not to be served immediately, refresh them in cold water for 3 to 4 minutes to stop the cooking and to retain their color and texture. Drain.
A heavy-bottomed, 6- to 8-cup enameled saucepan
1 to 2 Tb granulated sugar (depending on the sweetness of the peas)
¼ tsp salt
Big pinch of pepper
6 Tb softened butter
Optional English touch: 1 to 2 Tb minced fresh mint leaves
Salt and pepper
A hot vegetable dish
Roll the peas in the saucepan over moderate heat for a moment or two to evaporate their moisture. Then roll them with the sugar, salt, pepper, butter, and optional mint. When the peas are well coated with butter, cover and cook over very low heat for about 10 minutes, tossing occasionally, until they are tender. Correct seasoning, turn into a hot vegetable dish, and serve as soon as possible.
12 to 18 small, white, peeled onions boiled in salted water until almost tender, OR 3 to 5 Tb minced shallots or green onions
Prepare the peas as in the preceding recipe, but add boiled onions or diced shallots or green onions to the saucepan with the peas and seasonings for the final, 10-minute cooking period.
[Buttered Peas III—for large, rather tough, fresh green peas]
This is for large, mature, end-of-season peas. They remain green after cooking, become tender, and have a fine flavor though they will look a bit wrinkled.
For 6 people
A heavy-bottomed, 2½-quart enameled saucepan
2 lbs. of large, mature, fresh peas (3 cups, shelled)
1 large head of Boston lettuce, shredded
½ tsp salt
2 Tb granulated sugar
4 Tb minced green onions
6 Tb softened butter
Place in the saucepan the peas and all the rest of the ingredients. Squeeze the peas with your hands rather roughly to bruise them slightly, and to mix them thoroughly with the butter, lettuce, onions, and seasonings. Add enough cold water to cover the peas by ¼ inch.
A hot vegetable dish
Cover the saucepan and set over moderately high heat. Boil rapidly for 20 to 30 minutes; test the peas frequently by eating one after 20 minutes, to see if they are tender. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons more water if it evaporates before the peas are done. When they are tender, uncover and quickly boil off any remaining liquid. Taste for seasoning. Turn into a hot vegetable dish, and serve.
(*) If not served immediately, set aside uncovered. Shortly before serving, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water, cover, and boil slowly until the peas are well warmed through and the water has evaporated.
[Peas Braised with Lettuce and Onions—for medium sized, tender, fresh peas]
This dish is considered the glory of pea cookery; it should really be served as a separate course and eaten with a spoon. If you wish to have a wine with the peas, serve a chilled white that is not too dry, such as Traminer or Graves, or a chilled rosé.
For 4 to 6 people
1½ firm, fresh heads of Boston lettuce 7 to 8 inches in diameter
White string
Remove wilted leaves, trim the stems, and wash the lettuce heads carefully so they will not break apart. Cut into quarters. Wind several loops of string about each quarter to keep it in shape as much as possible during the cooking.
6 Tb butter
½ cup water
1½ Tb granulated sugar
½ tsp salt
⅛ tsp pepper
A heavy-bottomed, 3-quart, enameled saucepan
3 lbs. medium sized, tender, fresh green peas (3 cups, shelled)
8 parsley stems tied together with white string
12 green onion bulbs about 1 inch in diameter OR small white onions boiled for 5 minutes in salted water
Bring the butter, water, and seasonings to the boil in the saucepan. Then add the peas and toss to cover them with the liquid. Bury the parsley in their midst. Arrange the lettuce quarters over them and baste with the liquid. Pierce a cross in the root ends of the onions (for even cooking) and disperse them among the lettuce quarters.
So that the cooking steam will condense and fall back onto the peas, invert a lid over the saucepan and fill it with cold water or ice cubes; or use a soup plate. Bring the peas to the boil and boil slowly for 20 to 30 minutes or until tender. Several times during this period, remove the cover and toss the peas and vegetables to insure even cooking. As the water warms up and evaporates in the cover or soup plate, refill with ice cubes or cold water.
Salt and pepper
When the peas are tender their cooking liquid should have almost entirely evaporated. Correct seasoning.
2 Tb softened butter
A hot vegetable dish
Discard the parsley and the lettuce strings. Just before serving, toss the peas and onions with the butter. Turn them into the vegetable dish, place the lettuce around the edge of the dish, and serve at once.
This method of cooking frozen peas gives them the character they often lack. Use two saucepans when you are cooking more than two 10-ounce boxes; if too many peas are cooked in one pan, the cooking liquid will not evaporate by the time the peas are done.
For each 10-ounce package of frozen peas:
1 Tb butter
1 Tb minced shallots or green onions
¼ tsp salt
Pinch of pepper
½ cup chicken stock or canned chicken or mushroom broth, or water
Allow the peas to thaw enough so they can be separated. Bring the butter, shallots or green onions, seasonings, and liquid to the boil in a saucepan. Add the peas, cover, and boil slowly for 5 to 6 minutes or until the peas are tender. Uncover and rapidly boil off any remaining liquid. Correct seasoning.
Here is a way to improve the flavor of canned peas.
For each No. 2 can of peas (1¼ lbs. or 2½ cups):
Turn the peas into a sieve and run cold water over them. Drain.
1½ Tb minced shallots or green onions
2 Tb butter
Salt and pepper to taste
3 Tb stock or mushroom broth
Cook the shallots or onions in the butter for a moment. Add the peas and seasonings and toss them in the butter. Then add the stock or broth, cover the peas, and boil slowly for a few moments until the peas are warmed through. Uncover, raise heat, and rapidly boil off any remaining liquid.
Spinach is an excellent vegetable when it is cooked properly. Except for the tenderest and freshest garden variety which may be simmered slowly in seasonings, butter, and its own juices, spinach is first blanched in a large kettle of boiling salted water; then all the water is pressed out of it, and it is simmered in butter and meat stock or cream. In addition to its role as a vegetable, it can serve as a bed for poached eggs, fish, or breasts of chicken. It is also used in various stuffings, and makes an excellent soufflé, tart, or mold.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Spinach goes with just about everything, eggs, fish, chicken, sweetbreads, ham, roasts’, steaks, chops, sautés. Or it may constitute a separate vegetable course. The gratins may also serve as entrées, luncheon, or supper dishes. If it is a separate course, a dry white wine such as a Riesling goes with spinach braised in butter or in stock. Serve a less dry white wine, such as a Graves, with spinach braised in cream.
AMOUNT TO BUY
One pound of fresh spinach yields about 1 cup of cooked spinach, and we shall consider that enough for 2 people.
If the spinach is young and tender, the stems are usually removed at the base of the leaf. For more mature spinach, fold the leaf vertically, its underside up, in the fingers of one hand; grasp the stem in the other hand and rip it off toward the tip of the leaf, thus removing with the stem the tough tendrils which are attached to the underside of the leaf. Discard any wilted or yellow leaves. Whether or not it is claimed that the spinach is washed, plunge it into a large basin of cold water and pump it up and down for several minutes with your hands. Lift it out into a colander, leaving any sand in the bottom of the basin. Wash the spinach several times more, if necessary, until there is no sand to be seen in the bottom of the basin. Drain, and the spinach is ready for cooking.
[Blanched, Chopped Spinach—Preliminary Cooking]
For 3 cups of blanched, chopped spinach
3 lbs. fresh spinach
Prepare and wash the spinach as described in the preceding paragraph.
A large kettle containing at least 7 to 8 quarts of rapidly boiling water
1½ tsp salt per quart of water
A handful at a time, drop the spinach into the boiling salted water. Bring back to the boil as rapidly as possible and boil slowly, uncovered, for about 2 minutes, or until the spinach is almost tender. Test it by eating a piece.
A large colander
At once, set the colander, curved side down, into the kettle. Protecting your hands with a towel, hold the colander firmly clamped to the sides of the kettle as you tilt the kettle and pour out the water. Still with the colander in place, run cold water into the kettle for several minutes to refresh the spinach. This will preserve its color and texture. Remove colander and lift the spinach out of the water into the colander, thus leaving any possible bits of sand in the bottom of the kettle.
A small amount at a time, squeeze the spinach in your hands to extract as much water as possible—last drops of water from each squeeze may be saved for soup.
A stainless steel chopping knife or a food mill
Chop the spinach with a big knife on a chopping board, or, if you want a fine purée, put it through a food mill. The spinach is now ready for further cooking and flavoring.
(*) May be done several hours or a day in advance. Cover and refrigerate.
Spinach quickly picks up an astringent and metallic taste if its final cooking is in iron or aluminum. For the following recipes, use only enamel, pyrex, earthenware, or stainless steel saucepans or baking dishes, and serve the spinach in enamel or porcelain, not silver.
PURÉE D’ÉPINARDS SIMPLE[Cooked Chopped Spinach—Purée of Spinach]
This is the last step in preparing spinach for use in soufflés, quiches, custards, crêpes, stuffings, or for final cooking in any of the following recipes. The directions on this page also bring frozen spinach to this point.
For 3 cups, or for 6 people
2 Tb butter
A 2½-quart heavy-bottomed, enameled saucepan
3 cups blanched spinach, chopped or puréed (directions in preceding recipe)
Salt and pepper
Pinch of nutmeg
When the butter is bubbling in the saucepan over moderately high heat, stir in the spinach. Continue stirring for 2 to 3 minutes until all the moisture from the spinach has boiled off—the spinach will begin to adhere to the bottom of the pan. Season to taste, and the spinach is ready to use.
Serve this deliciously buttery spinach with steaks, chops, roasts, ham, or sautéed liver. Use it also in any recipe calling for a bed of buttered spinach.
For 6 people
3 cups cooked chopped spinach (the preceding recipe), in a heavy-bottomed enameled saucepan
4 Tb butter
Salt and pepper to taste
After you have followed the directions in the preceding recipe (stirring the spinach over moderately high heat with butter and seasonings until its moisture has evaporated), stir in the 4 additional tablespoons of butter listed here. Cover the saucepan and cook very slowly for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until the spinach has absorbed the butter and is very tender. Correct seasoning.
(*) If not served immediately, set aside uncovered. Reheat when needed.
2 Tb softened butter
A hot porcelain serving dish
Remove from heat, fold in the additional butter, and turn the spinach into the hot serving dish.
½ cup finely diced ham, sautéed briefly in butter
The preceding spinach braised in butter
12 croûtons (triangles of white bread sautéed in clarified butter)
Stir the ham into the spinach 2 to 3 minutes before the end of the cooking. After arranging the spinach on its serving dish, place the croûtons around the edge of the dish.
Épinards au Jus[Spinach Braised in Stock]
Épinards à la CrèmeThis is an alternative to the preceding recipe for buttered spinach. Whether to use cream or stock for the braising depends on your judgment of which goes best with the rest of your menu. Creamed spinach would contrast well with sautéed ham, liver, brains, sweetbreads, chicken, or veal; spinach braised in stock would be preferable if you served any of these meats in a cream sauce. Spinach braised in stock or cream may also be gratinéed with cheese or be used as a filling for crêpes as suggested in the variations following the recipe.
For 6 people
3 cups cooked chopped spinach, in a heavy-bottomed enameled saucepan
1½ Tb flour, sifted to remove any lumps
After you have stirred the spinach over moderately high heat with butter and seasonings to evaporate its humidity, as directed in the recipe for cooked chopped spinach, lower heat to moderate. Sprinkle on the flour and stir for 2 minutes more to cook the flour.
1 cup brown stock, canned beef bouillon, or whipping cream
Salt and pepper
Remove from heat and stir in two thirds of the stock, bouillon, or cream by spoonfuls. Bring to the simmer, cover, and cook very slowly for about 15 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent spinach from sticking to bottom of pan, and add more liquid by spoonfuls if spinach becomes too dry. Correct seasoning.
(*) If not to be served immediately, set aside uncovered, and film top with a tablespoon of stock or cream. Reheat when needed.
1 to 2 Tb softened butter
A hot porcelain serving dish
Optional: 1 or 2 sieved or sliced hard-boiled eggs
Remove spinach from heat, fold in the butter, and turn into the serving dish. Decorate with optional egg.
[Spinach Gratinéed with Cheese]
Serve this gratinéed spinach with steaks or chops, roast veal or chicken, or sautéed liver. It also goes well with broiled fish.
For 6 people
3 cups spinach braised in stock (the preceding recipe)
A lightly buttered baking dish 8 inches in diameter and 1½ inches deep
2 Tb fine, dry, white bread crumbs
1½ Tb melted butter
Stir two thirds of the cheese into the spinach and turn it into the baking dish, heaping it into a slight dome. Mix the rest of the cheese with the bread crumbs and spread over the spinach. Sprinkle on the melted butter.
About 30 minutes before serving, place in upper third of a preheated, 375-degree oven to heat through thoroughly and brown the top lightly.
Serve these canapés as a hot first course or luncheon dish, or make them smaller than directed here and serve as cocktail appetizers.
For 6 people
12 slices of white bread, 3½ by 2½ inches and ⅜ inch thick
¾ cup grated Swiss cheese
3 cups spinach braised in stock (the preceding master recipe)
2 Tb fine, dry, white bread crumbs
2 to 3 Tb melted butter
Cut off the crusts and sauté the bread in hot butter and oil in a skillet until lightly browned on each side. Stir two thirds of the cheese into the braised spinach and heap 2 or 3 tablespoons on each piece of sautéed bread. Sprinkle with the remaining grated cheese, the bread crumbs, and the melted butter.
Just before serving, run under a moderately hot broiler to heat through and brown lightly.
[Spinach Gratinéed with Cheese Sauce]
Serve this gratinéed spinach with roasts, steaks, or chops, or as a hot first course or luncheon dish.
For 6 people
1½ cups sauce mornay (béchamel with cheese)
A lightly buttered baking dish 8 inches in diameter and 1½ inches deep
3 cups spinach braised in stock or in cream–1
Optional: ½ lb. sliced mushrooms sautéed in butter
3 Tb grated Swiss cheese
1½ Tb melted butter
Spread a third of the sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. If you are using the optional mushrooms, fold them into the spinach. Heap the spinach in the dish over the sauce, and spoon the rest of the sauce over it. Sprinkle with the grated cheese and melted butter.
About 30 minutes before serving, place in upper third of a preheated, 375-degree oven to heat through thoroughly and brown lightly on top.
[Spinach Hidden under a Giant Crêpe]
This is an amusing presentation; the spinach is heaped in a serving dish and a large French pancake is spread over it, hiding it completely. Serve it as a main course luncheon or supper dish and, if you wish, mix a cup of sautéed, diced ham or mushrooms into the spinach.
For 6 people
½ cup grated Swiss cheese
3 cups spinach braised in stock or in cream–1
A hot, lightly buttered porcelain serving dish about 8 inches in diameter
A French pancake, crêpe, large enough to cover the spinach completely
Just before serving, stir the cheese into the hot, braised spinach and heap it in the serving dish. Then cover with the crêpe.
[Spinach Pancakes]
Spinach pancakes may be folded in quarters to garnish a roast, steaks, or chops. Filled as suggested in the Crêpe section, they may be served as a hot first course, or luncheon or supper dish.
For about 12 crêpes 6 inches in diameter
If you are making the crêpe batter in an electric blender, you may purée the blanched spinach at the same time. Otherwise, purée the spinach in a food mill and combine with the crêpe batter. Let batter rest for 2 hours before using. Cook spinach crêpes like ordinary crêpes, according to directions following those for the batter.
[Spinach Mold]
This is a purée of spinach mixed with eggs, milk, cheese, and breadcrumbs, baked in a soufflé dish, unmolded, and surrounded with a sauce. Use the recipe for asparagus mold substituting spinach purée, for asparagus. Other sauces besides those with the asparagus mold recipe are:
Sauce Tomate or Coulis de Tomates, tomato sauce
Sauce Aurore, velouté or béchamel sauce with tomato flavoring
Serve this with steaks, roast beef, roast lamb, or with broiled fish such as mackerel, fresh tuna, herring, or sardines.
For 6 people
Stir the cheese into the braised spinach.
Peel the potatoes and cut them into slices ⅛ inch thick. Boil them in salted water for 5 to 6 minutes, or until tender. Drain.
A lightly buttered baking dish 2 inches deep and 9 inches in diameter
2 Tb mashed anchovies (or 1 Tb anchovy paste) blended with 4 Tb softened butter and ⅛ tsp pepper
Spread half of the potatoes in the bottom of the baking dish. Cover with half of the anchovy mixture. Spread half of the spinach over the potatoes. Repeat with the remaining potatoes, anchovy mixture, and spinach.
⅓ cup grated Swiss cheese mixed with 3 Tb dry white bread crumbs
2 Tb melted butter
Spread the cheese and bread crumbs over the top of the spinach and pour on the melted butter.
About 30 minutes before serving, place in upper third of a preheated, 375-degree oven to heat through thoroughly and brown the top nicely.
Although it cannot have the lovely taste of fresh spinach, and there is almost more stem than leaf to it, frozen spinach does have its place. When it’s given this preliminary treatment, you may use it in any of the preceding recipes. If you are cooking more than two packages at once, use two saucepans; when too much is in one saucepan, the liquid will not evaporate quickly enough and the spinach will overcook.
For each 10-ounce package of frozen spinach:
A heavy, stainless steel chopping knife
Whether the frozen spinach is whole, chopped, or puréed, it will cook most successfully if you unwrap and defrost it just enough so you can slice it by bearing down on the block with a heavy knife. If the spinach is already chopped or puréed, cut the slices roughly into half-inch pieces. If the spinach is whole, chop the slices into small bits.
1½ Tb butter
A heavy-bottomed, enameled saucepan or skillet
¼ tsp salt
Pinch of pepper
Small pinch of nutmeg
Melt the butter in the saucepan or skillet, then stir in the chopped spinach and seasonings. Cover and cook very slowly for a minute or two, until the spinach has thawed and released its juices. Uncover, raise heat, and stir for 2 to 3 minutes until all moisture has evaporated.
This may now be substituted for the cooked chopped spinach and used in any of the recipes calling for it or blanched spinach.
Carrots, onions, and turnips à la française are all cooked in substantially the same manner, so we have grouped them together.
CARROTS
Carottes
Carrots develop their maximum flavor if they are cooked in a covered saucepan with a small amount of liquid, butter, and seasonings until the liquid has evaporated and the carrots are beginning to sauté in the butter.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Buttered or glazed carrots go well with all kinds of roasts, and combine with other vegetables to make many of the classic garnitures which may surround a meat platter. One of the more elaborate of these is à la bouquetière which includes glazed carrots and turnips, diced green beans, peas, cauliflower bouquets, and potato balls sautéed in butter. Creamed carrots are particularly good with veal and chicken.
AMOUNT TO BUY
One pound of carrots minus their tops will serve 3 or 4 people. A pound of raw carrots, sliced, diced, or quartered, makes about 3½ cups.
PREPARATION FOR COOKING
Trim off the stems and peel the carrots with a vegetable peeler. Depending on their size and the effect you wish, slice them horizontally, or halve or quarter them lengthwise, then cut the lengths into 2-inch pieces. These pieces may, if you wish, be trimmed into the form of long garlic cloves; in French this is termed tourner en gousses or en olives.
(For tough old carrots only: If you happen to have end-of-season carrots, quarter them lengthwise, then cut out and remove the woody central section, and use only the reddish outer portion which French recipes call rouge de carotte. Then before proceeding with any of the following recipes, blanch the carrots by boiling for 5 to 8 minutes in salted water.)