What's Pressoir Cooking - Soupe au Pistou

The traditional Pistou Soup 

by Victoire Chabert
May 26, 2022

Today, I invite you to cook the real Soupe au Pistou to celebrate the beginning of summer. It is a great classic of traditional Provencale cuisine. It is a dish that we prepare all together and we enjoy it every year. An easy summer soup, with fresh summer vegetables delicious both hot and cold. 

Here is the ancestral and almost secret recipe...

Ingredients for 6 people (we usually make a larger quantity so we can freeze it, it will be just as good)  

600 grams (21 ounce) of white coco (white beans)

300 grams (10.5 ounces) of green beans

3 carrots

2 potatoes

2 zucchini

1 onion

2 tomatoes 

Tomato concentrate

2 cloves of garlic 

2 handfuls of small pasta like ‘coquillettes’

Herbs such as thyme and laurel

Salt and pepper

Grated or whole Parmesan cheese

For the Pistou sauce

6 cloves of garlic

80 mL (5.6 tbsp) olive oil

1 large bunch of basil

Salt and pepper

Instructions: 

1- Hull the beans, peel all the vegetables, rinse and dice them and set aside. (Do it with your family or friends, it will be less time consuming and more convivial!)

2- In a pot, brown the onions in a little olive oil and add the tomato paste.

3- Place your beans, your coco, your carrots, your tomatoes, your herbs and the minced garlic and fill it up with water. Add salt and pepper.  

4- Cover the pot and let it cook on low heat for about 45 minutes.

5- While everything is cooking, prepare the pistou with the garlic and basil in a blender and add the olive oil a little at a time to make it a creamy texture. I like to add a little grated Parmesan cheese to the Pistou sauce.

6- After 45 minutes of cooking the soup, add the potatoes and zucchini and a sprig of basil and simmer for another 20 minutes.

7- Put 1/3 of your Pistou in the pot and set it aside the rest for the finishing dressing. Also keep some of it to serve at the table.

8- 5 minutes before the end of the cooking time, add the pasta and continue to cook. Don't hesitate to taste each vegetable of your soup regularly to check the cooking.

9- Serve the soup, add the Pistou and the Parmesan cheese and enjoy.

In terms of wine, Pistou soup calls for a Côte-de-Provence rosé such as a Bandol or Cassis but you can be tempted by other combinations such as a light dry white or an Italian red!

What's Pressoir Cooking

April 11, 2022

by Justine Puaud

Pâté Lorrain

Pâté Lorrain is a French dish with marinated meat that is wrapped in puff pastry. In traditional French cuisine, the meat needs to be a mixture of pork and veal. The meat is sliced and marinated in a flavorful mixture of white wine, thyme, parsley, bay leaves, and shallots. It has to be completely enclosed in puff pastry before putting it in the oven. The dish is usually associated with Baccarat, a commune located in the Lorraine region, which, as you might have guessed, is the location of the celebrated Baccarat glassworks which can trace its existence back to 1764 when King Louis XV initiated its construction.

Ingredients

300 g of pork shoulder

300 g of veal

1 shallot

1/2 onion

1 bay leaf

3.5 oz or a small cup of white wine

1 tbsp. teaspoon of fine salt

600 g of puff pastry (it is really long and difficult to make puff pastry. I usually order it from the boulanger (the bakery)

1 egg yolk

1 tbsp. of milk for brushing on top

Instructions

1. The day before, chop the meat, cut the shallot and onion into medium pieces and put everything together in a salad bowl. Add the white wine, salt, bay leaf, mix well and reserve the preparation, covered, for 12 hours in the refrigerator.

2. The next day, roll out the puff pastry into a rectangle of 12 x 8” on each side and 2 mm or 1/4” thick. Drain the stuffing, remove the herbs and arrange it in a strip 4 inches wide by 8 inches long in the center of the rectangle of dough.

3. Fold the long sides of the dough over the stuffing, then fold the short sides. With the rest of the dough, make a rectangular pastry and place it on top of the pâté (blend the 2 doughs together by moistening them with water). Brush the pastry with beaten egg yolk and milk.

4. Leave the pâté for 20 to 30 minutes in the refrigerator so that the dough firms up in order to make a nice incision with a knife for decoration.

5. Bake the pate in a preheated oven at 350°F. Count about 55 minutes of cooking.

The best way to serve this French classic is warm or chilled, with a green salad on the side.

For the wine, I will recommend a Pinot Noir from Alsace - close to the Lorraine region.

Bon appétit!

What's Pressoir Cooking?

by Victoire Chabert
March 24, 2022

Gnocchi

Italian gnocchi is a real family affair. In this case, my father’s side of the family is from the South of France which historically shares many cultural aspects with Italy. (My mother's family is from Meursault, whose recipes I will be happy to share with you soon, stay tuned!). I remember, when I was very young, going to my grandparents' house on dark winter days to help my grandmother make the gnocchi that everyone loved. Indeed, she needed little hands to help her make every single gnocchi and that could get the hang of the technique with the fork. You will see in the recipe exactly what I am talking about. Through that repetition, this age-old Italian recipe has become my specialty. Allow me to share the secrets with you... 

Ingredients for 4 people

• 1kg (2.20 lbs) of potatoes (ideally an earthy type)

• 800g (1.76 lbs) flour 

• 2 eggs 

• Pinch of salt and pepper 

• 100g (0.2 lb) butter

Materials

• Puree press 

• Spatula 

• Saucepan 

• Skimmer 

• Salad bowl 

• Large plank

Preparation for the Gnocchi

1. Put your unpeeled potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with cold water, bring to a boil, add a handful of coarse salt, lower the heat and cook at a gentle simmer for about 30 minutes. Check the cooking with the tip of a knife. 

2. Once cooked, don't wait too long before peeling the potatoes, as the dough must remain hot as long as possible to form the gnocchi. In a bowl, mash them with a potato masher.

3. Gradually add the flour, and eggs, butter, pinch of fine salt and pepper. Start mixing with a spatula, then knead by hand until all the elements are well combined and the dough is smooth. Form a ball and flour your work surface. Be careful, the recipe says 800 g of flour but you may need more or less, depending on the water content of the potatoes. Work your dough for a few minutes but not too long.

4. Once your dough is ready, cut into a first piece and form a long snake (see photo) and cut your gnocchi to about 2.5 cm (1 Inch) each.

5. Place each gnocchi on the tines of a fork. Press lightly in the center with your thumb, to create a hollow. It's not that easy at first, but you'll soon get the hang of it. Place your gnocchi on one or more boards, making sure to leave them all flat. You don't want to end up with a big ball of gnocchi sticking together. You can let them rest for a few hours in the fridge or in the open air covered with a dishcloth. 

6. When ready to serve, boil some water in a saucepan and add a pinch of salt. Drop your gnocchi in it and after a few seconds they will rise to the surface, which means they are cooked. Using the skimmer, pick them up and place them on your serving dish. Add the sauce of your choice. My favorite is the Daube sauce (see recipe below) with grated cheese on top but they are also excellent with a tomato basil sauce, pesto or cheese sauce. 

For the Daube sauce

Cut up pieces of beef (bourguignon) , flour them and fry them in hot oil with minced onion. Add garlic, some sliced carrots and mushrooms if you like. Season and add a bottle of red wine. There is no need to add a good wine... save the good ones for dinner! You can add a vegetable stock cube and some thyme leaves. Cook gently for 3 hours. It's so good. You can actually use this sauce for gnocchi as well as pastas, raviolis… anything you want.

Bon appetit !

What's Pressoir Cooking

February 18, 2022
by Justine Puaud

The famous blanquette de veau
A traditional French veal stew

Edouard and Daniel spent this week in Burgundy visiting winemakers in the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits and tasting the fantastic 2020 vintage. For their last evening in Burgundy, they came to my place and had the privilege to eat my husband’s “madeleine de Proust”* - blanquette de veau.

We were lucky to have two young winemakers with us - Camille Thiriet and Thibaud Clerget. Camille is a passionate and talented winemaker who started to make wine in a garage in 2016. She now produces fantastic red and white wines from the Côte de Nuits. Thibaud of Domaine Yvon Clerget is based in Volnay. Antonio Galloni has said “the reborn Domaine Y. Clerget could very well turn out to be one of the great recent success stories in Burgundy”, so bravo to Thibaud!

*’La madeleine de Proust’ is a French expression used to describe smells, tastes, sounds or any sensations reminding one of childhood or simply bringing back emotional memories from a long time ago.

The origin of the term “blanquette” comes from the color of the white sauce that coats the stew meat.

Ingredients for 6 people

1 liter of cooking white wine

2 lbs veal , shoulder, chest or flank, cut into large cubes

1 onion , poked with whole cloves

1 bouquet garni (parsley, thyme, bay leaf, sage)

4 carrots , cut into large sections

1 cup dry white wine

10 oz. mushrooms , quartered

4 tablespoons butter

½ cup flour

¾ cup creme fraiche

½ lemon , juiced

3 egg yolks

Instructions

1. Put the meat cubes in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and add salt.

2. Skim regularly at the surface so that the broth becomes clear. After 20 minutes, add the onion stuck with cloves and the bouquet garni.

3. Simmer for another 20 minutes, then add carrots and wine.

4. Continue to simmer uncovered over low heat for another 45 minutes or until meat is tender. Add a little water during cooking if necessary. Remove the onion and the bouquet garni.

5. Meanwhile, sauté the mushrooms in a frying pan for 2 minutes with a knob of butter. Add salt, pepper, a ladle of broth and continue cooking for 5 minutes.

6. Sauce (prepare a few minutes before serving).

7. In a saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour while whisking over low heat for 5 minutes.

8. Gradually add cooking broth while whisking until a reaching a thick sauce consistency.

9. Add creme fraiche as well as lemon juice, and continue cooking for 2 minutes.

10. Take saucepan off the heat and add egg yolks. Whisk well to incorporate. Add this sauce back to the pan with the meat and vegetables. Add the mushrooms and gently stir to incorporate everything.

11. Immediately serve the blanquette with rice.

Wine pairing

We opened a few Pinot Noirs and finished with a Nebbiollo. 2019 is a really promising vintage. It is fresh and juicy. I really enjoyed the Chassagne Premier Cru “Clos de la Boudriotte” rouge from Domaine Ramonet. It smells of black fruit, boosted with an almost spiced note. Its fruit is pure and intense with a powerful tannic structure that firms up the finish.

What's Pressoir Cooking?

January 5, 2022
by Justine Puaud

Wild boar tournedos with pears in spicy wine sauce

I haven’t spent Christmas in France with my family for the last 7 years. This year was kind of special as we were celebrating the first Christmas with my daughter Fleur and it also announced our official return to our home in France!

My in-laws are definitely the biggest food lovers and food connoisseurs I know. My mother-in-law spends her whole day in the kitchen, making fantastic slow cooked dishes, traditional French pastries and incredible sauces. She loves to cook wild boar around the holidays. This is a tradition in her family. I am often a bit nervous because in my opinion, wild boar tends to be too strong and rich in flavor. This time I was wrong. The wild boar tournedos were tender and delicious. The pear brings freshness to this heavy, creamy sauce.

For this occasion, we opened Château Giscours, Margaux 2001 and Roc D’Anglade 2011. Giscours was delicious and was representative of the great Bordeaux, with soft tannins. It took a while for the Roc d’Anglade to open. There was a delicate truffle nose and a fine and fresh palate.

Ingredients for 6

6 wild boar tournedos
12 slices bacon
6 pears
1 btl red wine (the sauce is really important in this dish so you MUST select a good wine)
2 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
black pepper seeds
1 cup of cream
5 ounces of butter
3 ounces of sugar
4 teaspoons of crème de cassis (blackcurrant liquor)
1 piece of dark chocolate
salt & pepper

Pears

Peel pears and core them. Gently heat the wine with spices and sugar. Plunge pears - to poach them - in this liquid for about 15 minutes over low heat. Leave pears in the poaching wine and macerate for two hours. Then drain pears. Surround each pear with a slice of bacon, place them in a gratin dish with butter and bake them for about 15 minutes (410F).

Sauce

Keep the maceration wine from the pear preparation and reduce to three quarters over medium heat for about 45 minutes. Once the wine is reduced, add whipped cream, black currant liquer and the piece of chocolate. Season with salt and pepper, then filter the preparation. Return the pan to low heat. Boil the whole mixture into a thick sauce, adding butter in small pieces while whisking.

Meat

Wrap each tournedo with a slice of bacon and tie up. Heat a knob of butter in a pan and quickly sear the tournedos on all sides including the sides. Turn off heat, put a lid on the pan and let stand for 1 minute. On each plate, put one pear, a tournedo and cover with the sauce.

It is delicious! Bon appétit.

What's Pressoir Cooking?

Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb AND Traditional Provencal Ratatouille

Recipes largely inspired by Serious Eats

Edouard Bourgeois
August 17, 2021

Love it or hate it, lamb meat certainly polarizes meat eaters with its particular flavor that some consider too gamey, or “lamby”. I love lamb and this preparation is a recipe I learned while in culinary school back in the early 2000’s.

The idea simply consists of making a crust that will gently infuse through the meat while roasting in the oven or grilled in a covered barbecue. That crust is easy to make and is a mix of bread crumbs, butter, herbs, mustard, salt and pepper. It takes a few tries to master the perfect ratio between the butter and the breadcrumbs so the crust is neither too dry nor too fatty but the result is delicious.

I like to make a simple garnish that is vegetable based, with bright flavors of summer to contrast the rich meat preparation. For that, nothing is more appropriate than the classic ratatouille.

FOR THE LAMB:

• 1 cup fresh bread crumbs

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh mint

• 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary

• 1 teaspoon salt, divided

• 1 teaspoon black pepper, divided

• 1 stick butter, room temperature

• 2 frenched 7-10 rib racks of lamb, trimmed of all but a thin layer of fat, about 1.5 - 2 pounds each

• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

DIRECTIONS:

• Mix the bread crumbs, parsley, mint, rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and soft butter (not melted) together in a small bowl until homogeneous.

• Spread that paste between 2 sheets of baking paper to form a crust 1/4 inch thick.

• Store it in the freezer, still with the baking paper overnight. The next day, take out the crust, now solidified and cut out a piece that match the shape of the lamb rack

• Let the lamb come to room temperature while preparing the grill. Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and arrange the coals on one side of the charcoal grate. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil the grilling grate. Season the racks liberally with salt and pepper. Place the lamb fat side down close to but not directly over the coals. Cover and grill until well browned, about 8 minutes, rotating 180 degrees half way through. Remove racks from the grill and place fat side up on a platter or cutting board.

• Spread the mustard over the fat side of the lamb. Carefully press the breadcrumb mixture into the mustard on each rack.

• Place the racks back on the grill, fat side up, close to, but not directly over the coals. Continue to cook until an instant read thermometer registers 130 degrees when inserted into the side of the rack, another 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the grill and let rest uncovered for 10 minutes. Cut between each rib into chops and serve.

FOR THE RATATOUILLE:

• 3 cups 1/4-inch diced summer squash, such as zucchini and yellow squash (about 4 small or 2 medium squash)

• 3 cups 1/4-inch diced Italian eggplant (about 1 medium eggplant)

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 3/4 cup (12 tablespoons) extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more as needed

• 3 cups 1/4-inch diced yellow onion (about 3 medium onions)

• 6 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tablespoons)

• 3 cups 1/4-inch diced red and yellow bell pepper (about 4 large peppers)

• 2 cups pureed canned whole tomatoes, with their juices, from 1 (28-ounce) can (see note)

• 1 bouquet garni (herb bundle), made from fresh herbs such as thyme, parsley, and basil, tied together with butcher's twine (see note)

• Chopped fresh parsley leaves and tender stems, for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

• Place summer squash in a wire mesh strainer set over a bowl; place eggplant in a second wire mesh strainer and set over a second bowl. Toss both with a liberal amount of kosher salt and let stand to drain at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour. Discard any liquid that collects in the bowls.

• In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion and garlic, season with salt, and cook, stirring, until softened, about 6 minutes. Scrape onion and garlic onto a rimmed baking sheet and spread in an even layer to cool for 3 minutes. Transfer onion and garlic to a large pot.

• Meanwhile, add 3 more tablespoons olive oil to skillet and heat over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add bell pepper, season with salt, and cook, stirring, until softened, about 7 minutes. Scrape bell pepper onto the rimmed baking sheet in an even layer to cool for 3 minutes. Transfer bell pepper to pot with onion.

• Add 3 more tablespoons olive oil to skillet and heat over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add summer squash and cook, stirring, until softened, about 4 minutes. Scrape onto rimmed baking sheet in an even layer to cool for 3 minutes. Transfer to pot with onion and bell pepper.

• Add remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil to skillet and heat over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add eggplant and cook, stirring, until softened, about 4 minutes; add more olive oil as needed if skillet dries out while cooking eggplant. Scrape eggplant into pot with other vegetables and stir to combine.

• Set pot of vegetables over medium-high heat and stir in tomato puree and herb bundle; heat until ratatouille is gently bubbling, then lower heat to medium and cook, stirring, until tomato puree coats vegetables in a thick sauce, about 15 minutes. Discard herb bundle. Season with salt, stir in chopped parsley (if using), and drizzle with a small amount of fresh extra-virgin olive oil. Serve right away, or chill and serve either reheated, slightly chilled, or at room temperature.

This dish is as beautiful as it is delicious.

What's Pressoir Cooking?

Saumon a l’Oseille

I arrived in France last week and we are staying at my mom’s country home in Northern Burgundy. I love that bucolic atmosphere, far from the concrete jungle of Manhattan. It’s a refreshing feeling to reconnect with nature and I rediscovered the joy of picking my own fruits and vegetables in the orchard. One morning I was sampling some radishes with my son while checking on the growth of the snap peas and lettuces when I stumbled upon a massive bush of sorrel. That tangy herb is a great ingredient for soup or even an omelette but it was made famous by Chefs Pierre & Jean Troisgros in the classic recipe “saumon à l’oseille”. 

So the next morning I picked a handful of those beautiful green leaves and started cooking. The association of the tangy flavor of sorrel and the fattiness of the salmon is excellent. Cream and butter are obviously key ingredients - the recipe calls for 4.5 oz of butter for 2 lbs of salmon...

You can cook the fish “en papillote” in parchment paper but I prefer grilling it over wood charcoal and preparing the sauce on the side. The smoky flavor is fantastic and you get a nice crisp skin while the center of the fish remains juicy and barely cooked. 

As far as wine pairing, it may come as a surprise (since my mom lives close to the Chablis vineyards) but I opened a white Bordeaux that paired beautifully with the dish. The Sauvignon blanc grassy profile matched the sorrel and the wine, being so dry, offered a great contrast to the rich and creamy sauce. 

A nice patch of sorrel (oseille in French)

RECIPE FOR 4-6 PEOPLE

• 2 lbs of salmon filet

• 4.5 oz of butter

• 2.5 oz of shallots

• 7 fl oz of cream

• 7 fl oz of dry white wine

• 4 fl oz of fish stock

• 1 fl oz of dry vermouth

• 1/4 cup packed sorrel

• 1/2 a lemon

• Salt

• Fresh cracked pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

• Mince the shallots and put them in a sauce pan with white wine, fish stock and vermouth. Reduce slowly.

• Add the cream and reduce more.

• Add the sorrel leaves and wait 20 seconds. Remove the pan from the fire and add the butter in small pieces while gently stirring. Don’t use a whisk so the leaves don’t break

• Add a dash of lemon juice, season to taste 

• Grill the salmon on a very hot grill so the skin gets crispy. 

• Pour the sauce in a deep plate. Place the pieces of salmon on top

Bon appétit!

What's Pressoir Cooking? Lobster and Corn Salad

When by the shore, nothing better than a clean, summery salad. With lobster, of course…

Lobster and Corn salad

By Edouard Bourgeois

August 18, 2020

Lobster and Corn Salad via Instagram @foodsiblingskitchen

During a great weekend close to Portsmouth NH, our friend brought home a full cooler of live Maine lobsters. The crustaceans were amazing served with nothing but a touch of lemon juice, no salt needed, no butter needed! And if you ever have leftover lobster meat, you’ll want to try this awesome salad.

So, first, make sure you have the following ingredients - for 4 people:

• 2 two lb lobsters- steamed, shelled and chilled

• 3 ears of corn

• 6 strips of bacon

• 2 limes

• 1/4 cup of cilantro

• 1 cup of cherry tomatoes

• 1/4 cup of scallions

• 1 jalapeno

• salt/pepper

DIRECTIONS:

• chop the lobster meat in 1/2 inch pieces

• grill the corn with their husk. Once cooked, remove the husk and the fine hair, place the corn ears in a bowl and carefully remove the kernels from the cob with a large kitchen knife

• cook the bacon strips in a sheet pan in the oven at 450 Fahrenheit for 15 minutes or until crispy

• juice the limes

• thinly slice the scallions

• cut the cherry tomatoes in quarters

• finely chop the cilantro

• de-seed and finely chop the jalapeno (seeds contain heat! beware!)

• combine everything in a large bowl, season with salt and pepper to taste

• serve as is or in a bun or taco shell

• optional: add sliced avocado on the side

TIP: Not sure how to select your ear of corns without removing the husk? Simply pick the corn with the darkest hair coming out at the top. If the hair is too blond, the corn is not ripe enough.

When the sky is telling you to eat more jalapenos…