Puff Pastry by Beth Hensperger

Method :
• Some families focus their culinary energies on Easter dinner, and some on a lovely breakfast or brunch.
• A savory, egg-rich quiche can star at any meal. Early in the day, it partners with fruit and coffee cake.
Later on, it's delicious with salad vinaigrette or marinated vegetables, a hunk of baguette and a cool, fruity
white wine.
• We take quiche for granted today, but it wasn't that long ago that it was considered exotic food. One
day in the bakery at St. Michael's Alley restaurant in Palo Alto, my baking guru and mentor Barbara Hiken
declared she was going to make some quiches to put on the lunch menu. I had never attempted to make one
on my own, so I was all eyes and ears.
• Out came 'Mastering the Art of French Cooking' by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck, and
she proceeded to make not one but three of the recipe variations. As she cooked bacon and chopped
mushrooms, she punctuated the process with exclamations like 'Oh, how luscious,' 'Where are the 8 inch
removable bottom pans?' and 'The Roquefort one will be the best!'
• Ah, that smelly blue cheese on the salad station.
• I decided, without voicing my opinion, that the classical quiche Lorraine and the mushroom with Swiss
cheese would be my choices.
• As Barbara's piping hot rounds came out of the oven, I inspected the deliberately rough and naturallooking
puffed brown tops and uneven crusts. They weren't more than 1 1/2 inches deep. The first bites were
glorious. The Roquefort tart was amazingly delicate and sumptuous, thanks to the combination of blue cheese
and cream cheese. It became an instant favorite for special guests. I promptly marked the recipes in my copy
of 'Mastering,' where they are still prominent reminders of Barbara's quiches.
• When I traveled to France a few years later, quiche was a standard in the zinc bars where I ate late
lunches. And they were served for supper alongside a brothy goose liver soup at one of the homes I stayed
in. By the time I returned to the States, quiche had found its way out of tiny bistros and onto mainstream
restaurant menus geared toward vegetarian diners.
• The original quiche was an egg and cream mixture cooked in a bread dough-lined pan, the dough rolled
as thin as the crispier butter-rich short pastry crust is today. There has been a long-running dispute among
French culinary historians as to just who invented the lovely rustic tart. In Lorraine, it is studded with some
smoked bacon, a regional specialty. In neighboring Alsace, a flan aux oignons shows quiche with German
influences, made with a bread dough crust and slow-cooked onions (it can also be called a kuchen).
• Yes, quiche is rich, but it is not an everyday food. The savory custard can be made with milk instead of
cream, but the results are far less harmonious and the custard a bit more rubbery. It's best to use milk and
cream in combination, or with creme fraiche or sour cream.
• Making my own quiches at home, I experimented with all sorts of fillings. My favorites were a layering
of parcooked zucchini and a bit of basil; crab and chives; and lots of spinach and freshly grated nutmeg.
When I was short on time, I used a frozen pie crust or store-bought puff pastry; both are excellent
alternatives to your own pastry crust. I made my quiches thin, balancing the tender filling and flaky crust,
and I made them thick, with the emphasis on the golden, creamy filling.
• A classic quiche dish is a 9 1/2 inch shallow round. Made of white earthenware with straight sides, it is
designed to work best with bread-dough crusts. I prefer the French loose-bottomed, round tart pans with
fluted sides and shiny tinned finish. They come in both 9- and 11 inch diameters and with 1- and 2 inch high
sides (you can buy rectangular and square ones, too). The crust browns beautifully and to serve, you just slip
your hand underneath and push up; the outside ring falls down your forearm (be careful if it is hot). Then
you can easily slide the quiche onto a serving plate. A 9- or 10 inch pie pan is an acceptable alternative.
There are 4 inch fluted tin tartlet pans, usually used for fruit tarts, that make nice individual-sized quiche.
• Quiche is too good to save for holidays. Hot, it makes an appetizing Sunday night supper. Cool, it's a
welcome carry-along to a potluck or picnic. Cover leftovers and store in the refrigerator.

STUFFED CABBAGE LEAVES

This is a good way of using up the largest outer leaves of large,
dark green cabbages, so resist the temptation to discard them just
because they’re a bit muddy or ragged around the edges.
This is yet another recipe that would be good for a mixture of
leftover Bolognese, chilli, or even chicken curry and rice, but here
it’s a vegetarian meal – although it could very easily be both at the
same time if you’ve got meat to use up as well as the veggie
ingredients.
8 large cabbage leaves
2 onions
Mushrooms
Small tin of sweetcorn
Leftover rice
2 tbsp pesto or curry paste
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato purée
1 tsp basil
1 tsp mixed herbs or Herbes de Provence
Salt & pepper
Oil
Method
1. Wash the cabbage leaves and trim any very tough stalk ends;
put in a pan of boiling water and simmer very gently for about
2 minutes then strain the water away and leave the cabbage
leaves in the pan without a lid on until you need them.
2. Warm some oil in a large pan; fry the finely chopped onions
and mushrooms until just soft then add the rice and cook for
a few more minutes.
3. Drain the tin of sweetcorn and add to the pan with the pesto
or curry paste and a spoonful or two of the chopped tomatoes
if you think the mixture is a bit dry.
4. Wrap the mixture in the cabbage leaves and arrange the parcels
in a large ovenproof dish.
5. Make a quick tomato sauce by boiling up the chopped
tomatoes, tomato purée, salt and pepper and herbs in the same
pan you used to cook the vegetables.
6. Pour the tomato sauce over the cabbage parcels, cover with foil
and bake in the oven on Gas Mark 4 (180ºC) for about half an
hour, or until the filling is piping hot. Serve with lots of garlic
bread.
Tip
A mixture of leftover cooked root vegetables – parsnips,
turnips, swede, carrots – mixed with stock, or a mixture
of stock and milk, can be made into a purée with a hand
blender then layered with the meat and pasta instead of
cheese sauce in a lasagne. (Sprinkle some grated cheese
over the top.)

BUBBLE & SQUEAK

Bubble & Squeak must be the most obvious leftover meal of all
time but it’s worth including simply because it’s delicious,
nutritious, and so easy to make it’s a joke.
There are no rules really. Traditionally, bubble and squeak was
made with leftover potatoes, cabbage and onions, but you can use
whichever combination of vegetables you happen to have: broccoli,
carrots, peas, swede, sweetcorn; it doesn’t really matter. As long as
you’ve got plenty of potatoes in there (and that includes sweet
potato and butternut squash) anything goes.
Lots of leftover potatoes
Leftover vegetables
Oil or lard
Method
1. Mash all the leftover vegetables together and mix with the
potatoes.
2. Preheat the oil or lard until it’s practically smoking and fry the
bubble and squeak in the biggest pan you’ve got. Alternatively,
put it in a greased ovenproof dish, dotting the top all over with
butter, and bake in a hot oven, Gas Mark 6–7 (200–220ºC)
until it’s a deep golden brown all over the top.
3. If you’re frying the bubble and squeak, keep turning it over in
the pan with a vegetable slice or spatula so it browns nicely
without sticking and burning.
4. Serve with sausages or bacon, baked beans and tinned
tomatoes, or on its own with brown sauce or tomato ketchup.

(FISH WITH) ASPARAGUS SAUCE

I love fish, but unless it’s deep-fried in batter or breadcrumbs it’s a
bit bland and boring without some kind of sauce to go with it.
You don’t need the best-looking bit of the asparagus for this
sauce, which is why it’s perfect for using up the stalks and spring
onions left over from the Asparagus Quiche recipe (Chapter 2,
‘Cool Dinners’) and needless to say, the same principle works
equally well with unwanted broccoli stalks.
(If you have leftover boiled potatoes, cut them up into chunks
and fry them once the sauce is simmering and the fish is cooking
at Step 4.)
1 bundle of asparagus (minus the tips)
1⁄2 bundle of spring onions
11⁄2 pints (850 ml) chicken or vegetable stock
2 tsp garlic purée
Small carton of single cream
Salt & pepper
Butter
Method
1. Roughly chop the asparagus. Finely chop the spring onions
from one end to the other and set aside the dark green tops to
sprinkle over the finished sauce at the end.
2. Warm some butter in a pan and fry the asparagus with the
white part of the onions for a few minutes then add the stock
and salt and pepper to taste.
3. Simmer for about 20 minutes until the asparagus is tender then
purée in a blender or food processor with the garlic purée. (You
can also add 1⁄2 glass of white wine at this stage if you like.)
4. Meanwhile, poach, steam or bake some fresh salmon fillets or
tuna steaks (and fry the potatoes).
5. Reheat the sauce with the single cream, adjust the seasoning,
pour over the fish and top with the remainder of the spring
onions.

Prawn/Yabbie Bisque

Yield > 4 people
Keys : Seafood Expensive Boil Hot Party Stove French Soup
French France European Mediterranean Hot
Ingredients :
1 kg prawns, raw
200 gm onions, medium
1/2 x leeks
200 gm celery
4 x tomatoes
1/2 cup tomato paste
1 lt fish stock
100 ml white wine
50 ml brandy
50 ml pernod
2 x garlic cloves
1 x bouquet garni
2 x cloves
1 tbl lemon juice
dill or fennel sprigs
100 ml cream
Method :
• Wash and mince the onions, carrots, leeks, celery and
garlic in a food processor.
• Wash and clean the prawns, reserving the heads and
peelings for the soup. Refrigerate the tails.
• * Discard the shit tube from the tails.
• Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan (stockpot),
add the prawn heads and peelings and saute until lightly
coloured. Add the minced vegetables and continue to cook for
5 minutes, stirring constantly, then add the brandy, pernod,
wine, tomatoes, tomato paste, cloves, bouquet garni and fish
stock.
• Bring to the boil and simmer on low heat for 1/2 an hour,
skimming regularly to remove the surface scum. Strain
through a fine sieve into a clean pot, extracting as much liquid
as possible by squashing with a ladle. Bring to the boil, add
lemon juice and cream and thicken slightly with cornflour.
Season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of cayenne pepper and
serve hot with the prawn tails sauted in garlic butter.
• Sprinkle with chopped fresh herbs.

Provencal Prawns

Yield > 4
servings
Keys : Seafood French France European Mediterranean
Ingredients :
1 tbl Olive oil
1 x Clove garlic, crushed
1 bn Salad onions, finely chopped
(reserving some for garnish)
1 tbl Freshly chopped thyme
1 tbl Sun dried tomato puree
1 x 400 gram can chopped plum
tomatoes
3 tbl Noilly Prat or dry white wine
1 x 400 gram pac small prawns,
defrosted
Method :
• Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok and stir in the
garlic and onions. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, then add the herbs,
puree, tomatoes and Noilly Prat. Simmer stirring ocassionally
for 5-8 minutes.
• Stir the prawns into the tomato sauce and cook for a
further 2-3 minutes
• Notes Garnish with freshly chopped salad onion.Serve
with baby plum tomatoes that have been halved, drizzled with
oil and roasted in a hot oven for 15-20 minutes and buttered
wild and long grain rice.
• NOTES : An easy version of this classic French dish of
prawns, tomatoes and garlic.

Poulet Au Vinaigre a L'estragon

Yield > 1
Keys : Poultry Chicken French France European Mediterranean
Ingredients :
a 10-ounce container fresh
pearl onions (about 2 1/2
cups), blanchedin boiling
water for 1 minute,
drained, and peeled
2 tbl vegetable oil
1 tbl unsalted butter
3 1/2 lb chicken pieces
1 cup tarragon white-wine
vinegar
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup chopped and drained
canned whole tomatoes
2 tbl finely chopped fresh
tarragon or 1 crumbled,
plus, if teaspoon dried -
desired, fresh tarragon
sprigs for garnish
4 tsp arrowroot or 1 1/2
tablespoons cornstarch
eitherdissolved in 2
tablespoons cold water
Method :
• In a saucepan of boiling salted water boil the onions for
10 minutes, or until they are just tender, and drain them well.
In a heavy kettle heat the oil and the butter over moderately
high heat until the mixture is hot but not smoking and in the
fat brown well the chicken, patted dry and seasoned with salt
and pepper, in batches, transferring it as it is browned with
tongs to a platter. Pour the fat from the kettle, add the onions,
and saute them, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the vinegar and the
wine and boil the liquid, scraping up the brown bits, until it is
reduced by half. Add the broth, the tomatoes, the dried
tarragon, if using, and the chicken, bring the mixture to a boil,
and simmer it, covered, for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the
chicken is cooked through. The chicken may be
• prepared up to this point 1 day in advance: Let the
mixture cool, uncovered, and chill it, covered. Reheat the
mixture before proceeding.
• Transfer the chicken and the onions with a slotted spoon
to a heated platter and keep them warm, covered with foil. Stir
the arrowroot or cornstarch mixture, add it to the simmering
cooking liquid with half the chopped fresh tarragon, if using,
and simmer the sauce, stirring, for 1 minute. Spoon the sauce
over the chicken, sprinkle the chicken with the remaining
chopped fresh tarragon, if using, and garnish it with the
tarragon sprigs.
• Serves 6.

Poulet Au Vin Rouge (Chicken with Onions and Red Wine)

Yield > 4
Servings
Keys : Poultry Chicken Alcoholic French France European
Mediterranean
Ingredients :
2 1/2 lb Chicken,cut into serving pc.
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup Flour
1/4 cup Corn oil
1/4 lb White onions peeled
1 1/2 cup Dry red wine
1/2 tsp Dried thyme
1 x Bay leaf
2 tbl Butter
2 tbl Finely chooped parsley
Method :
• 1. Set the chickens backbone aside for later use or
discard it. Sprinkle the remaining pieces of chicken with salt
and pepper. Dredge lightly in flour. Shake off any excess flour.
• 2. Heat the oil in a heavy skillet large enough to hold the
chicken pieces in one layer. Add the chicken pieces, skin side
down, and the onions. Cook until nicely browned on one side,
4-5 min. Turn the pieces and continue cooking about 4 min.
• 3. Pour off the fat from the skillet. Add the wine, thyme
and bay leaf. Cover closely and cook about 15 min.
• 4. Uncover and transfer the chicken pieces and the
onions to a warm serving dish.. Remove and discard the bay
leaf.
• 5. To the wine sauce add the butter and swirl it around
until melted. Pour the sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with
the chopped parsley.

Poulet a La Dauphinoise (Chicken in the Dauphine Style)

Yield > 6
Servings
Keys : Main Dish Poultry Ethnic Nuts Vegetables Chicken French
France European Mediterranean French
Ingredients :
220 gm Shelled walnuts *
2 kg Roasting chicken,jointed
85 gm Butter
3 tbl Walnut oil
110 gm Smoked bacon, cut in strips
1 med Onion, chopped
5 x Shallots, chopped
1 x Garlic clove, finely chopped
500 gm Small ceps
1 x Bouquet garni
Salt & pepper
4 tbl Brandy or marc
120 ml Port
1 x Egg yolk
2 tbl Cream
Method :
• NB
* or 36 nuts in their shells, shelled carefully
• "Walnut orchards are one of the beauties of the Dordogne
and Correze, and of many other parts of southern France such
as the Dauphine. The rough grey-walled enclosures of green
grass, the smooth silver-grey of the trunks, and the yellowing
green of the leaves in autumn have a soothing quietness as
one drives along the country lanes. Mostly the walnuts will be
sold to French and foreign commercial bakers, like Fullers (the
Dauphine includes Grenoble, Montelimar and Gap, which are all
famous for their confectionery), and to housewives, but some
will be turned into a black liqueur, creme de noix, or crushed
for walnut oil. Once this was much used by painters, but I
imagine that the price caused them to turn to cheaper
substitutes long ago.
• Nowadays walnut oil is a luxury for the knowledgeable
cook. Put it at the top of your list of things to bring back from
France; it's expensive there, but in England the price seems to
jump beyond contemplation. I found this recipe in a French
periodical; its combination of walnuts, walnut oil and ceps is
unusual and good." When preparing this dish, it is wise to cope
with the walnuts well in advance. Choose a peaceful moment,
when you can listen to the radio or talk to a friend. Pour boiling
water over the shelled nuts, leave them for a few moments,
then drain them and remove the fine skins. The fresher the
walnuts, the easier this job is - this is really an autumn dish
when ceps are in the woods, and the first walnuts arrive from
France. I won't deny that this is a fiddly job, but it's worth the
trouble because the skins can spoil dishes of this kind with
their bitter flavour. Set aside half a dozen of the nicest pieces
for final decoration, and put the rest in a bowl beside the other
ingredients.
• Brown the chicken in half the butter and all the walnut
oil, in a large frying pan. Remove to a dish and keep warm. Put
the bacon into the pan, and when it colours, remove to the
dish of chicken. Finally cook the onion, shallots and garlic in
the butter and oil. when they are ready, return the chicken and
bacon to the pan. Be careful never to burn the fat, or the
flavour of the juices will be spoilt.
• Meanwhile cook the ceps in the rest of the butter, and
put them into the frying pan with the chicken. Add the walnuts
and the bouquet. Flame with half the brandy or marc, then
pour in the port.
• Cover and simmer about half an hour, or less if the
chicken is cooked sooner.
• Meanwhile beat up the egg yolk with the cream and
remaining brandy.
• When the chicken is cooked, arrange it on a serving dish
with the ceps, bacon and walnuts. Strain the cooking juices
into a pan and thicken with the egg mixture. Cook a moment
or two without boiling and pour over the chicken. Decorate
with the reserved nuts.

Potage St. Germain

Yield > 8
Servings
Keys : Vegetables Soups French France European Mediterranean
Ingredients :
1 1/2 lb Dried peas, soaked
overnight
4 tbl Butter
4 x Carrots, peeled and grated
2 x Onions, grated
1 lrg Leek, chopped fine
5 x Lettuce leaves, chopped
fine
2 tsp Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
2 cup Fresh green peas, cooked
3/4 cup Cream
3/4 cup Milk
1 tbl Butter
3 qt Chicken broth
Method :
• Place drained, dried peas in soup kettle. Add chicken
broth; bring to a boil; simmer on low for 10 minutes. Skim
froth from top of soup. Melt butter in skillet; saute carrots and
onions until onions are golden; add leeks and lettuce; simmer
on low for 10 minutes. Stir vegetable mixture into soup; add
sugar and salt. Simmer until split peas are tender, about 2
hours. Put fresh peas through a sieve. Force soup mixture
through a sieve, also. Return this combined mixture to the
kettle. Stir in cream and milk.
• Heat just to boiling; stirring occassionally to prevent
scorching. Just before serving, add butter. Garnish with a
dollop of sour cream, a dash of sherry, or both. Elegant!
Serves 8

Prune and Apple Galettes

Yield > 6
Keys : French France European Mediterranean Warm
Ingredients :
flaky pastry made with 175g
plain flour and 110g butter (qv
flaky pastry)
15 x mi icuit prunes halved
lengthways
11 x Coxs apples (unpeeled)
1 x little ground cinnamon
2 tbl runny honey
cream or creme fraiche to serve
2 x 30 x 25.5cm solid baking
sheets lightly greased
10 x cm pastry cutter
Method :
• Make the pastry as described and chill for 30 minutes in
the fridge.
• Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to 3mm
cut out six 10cm discs and arrange them on the baking sheers.
Meanwhile preheat the oven to gas mark 7/425F/220C. Cut
each apple into quarters core and then cut each quarter into
two.
• Arrange five prune halves and four slices of apple in a
circle on top of each pastry round then sprinkle over a little
ground cinnamon. Place the baking sheets in the oven for 10
to 12 minutes one tray on the highest shelf the other on the
next one down until the galettes are golden brown swapping
them over halfway through.
• Remove from the oven and while they are still warm
glaze each one by brushing a little of the runny honey over the
prunes and apples. Serve warm with cream or creme fraiche.
• These are exceptionally pretty to look at and I like to
serve them as a sweet ending to a special meal Theyre a bit
more trouble but still very easy to make and assemble.
• Make the pastry as described on page 119 and chill for
30 minutes in the fridge. Meanwhile find a lidded saucepan
that will fit the pears comfortably laying them in the pan on
their sides. Now mix the wine with the sugar and pour this
over the pears then add the cinnamon stick and tfz vanilla.
pod. Put the lid on the pan and gently simmer the pears for 45
minutes until tender when tested with a skewer. Turn them
over halfway through the cooking time so the other half sits in
the wine and they colour evenly. Towards the end of the
cooking time preheat the oven to gas mark 7 425F (220C).
Then roll the pastry out to /e inch (3 mm) thick and cut it into
six 4 inch (10 cm) circles then arrange them on the baking
sheets.
• Now lift the pears from the liquid and halve them by first
making a slit in the stalk as you press it on to a flat surface.
Then stand each pear upright and cut through the split stalk
halve the pears and remove the cores. Now you need to slice
each half into a fan so take a sharp knife and scatting from the
top of the stalk end about Sh inch (1 cm) in slice the pear
downwards and at a slight angle so you end up with the slices
of pear fanning out but still attached to the stalk. Now place
each half pear on to a pastry base and fan it out then place the
baking sheets in the oven for 10-12 minutes one on the top
shelf the other on the next one down swapping them over
halfway through the cooking time.
• Meanwhile you need to reduce the poaching liquid so first
remove the cinnamon stick and vanilla pod then place the
saucepan over a high heat and let it bubble for about 5
minutes. Then in a cup mix the arrowroot with a little cold
water until you have a smooth paste then add this to the
saucepan whisking with a balloon whisk all the time. This will
thicken the sauce slightly then remove it from the heat and
leave it to cool.
• When the tarts are ready remove them from the oven.
Serve hot or cold but just before serving pour a little of the
sauce over each tart to give them a pretty glaze.
• If you can get micuit plums the lovely squashy half dried
Agen prunes from France so much the better. If not then pitted
dried Agen prunes will be fine.
• Serves 6

Potage Aux Herbes

Yield > 6
Servings
Keys : Vegetable French France European Mediterranean
Ingredients :
2 qt Rich chicken stock, see
recipe
6 x -(up to)
8 x Sorrel leaves
8 x -(up to)
10 sprg parsley, no stems
6 x -(up to)
8 sprg chervil, no stems
1 cup Fresh basil leaves
8 x -(up to)
10 x Romaine lettuce leaves
1 1/2 cup Fresh spinach, no stems
2 x Eggs, hard-cooked & finely
chopped
Method :
• Heat stock in large saucepan. Finely chop all greens,
combining everything except spinach. Add mixture to heating
stock. When stock reaches boil, reduce heat & simmer for 45
minutes. When almost ready to serve, stir in the spinach &
simmer 3-5 minutes longer. Ladle into soup bowls & garnish
with chopped egg.
• HECK'S
• DETROIT AVE. CLEVELAND.
• WINE:MACON LES CHARMES, 1979

Pork Roast 'N' French-Fry Po-Boy

Yield > 1
Ingredients :
Oil for deep-frying
1 x Idaho potato cut 1/4" by 2"
stick
1 x crusty loaf French bread
2 tbl Mayonnaise
1/2 cup Shredded lettuce
1 x Tomato sliced
1 lb Slow, slow-roasted pork roast
pulled into tender shreds
Method :
• Heat oil in a deep-fryer to 360 degrees. Fry potatoes until
brown and crunchy, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Slice open bread. Spread with mayonnaise and fill with
lettuce and tomato. Fill with pulled pork and top with French
fries.
• Open a beer. Eat, drink, dance to the Funky Meters and
enjoy the Fest ... This recipe yields 1 serving.

SAUSAGE & POTATO OMELETTE

This works best with cold new potatoes, or any potatoes with a
waxy texture.
Eggs x 4 (or 1 per person)
Leftover cooked sausages
Leftover cooked potatoes
2 tomatoes
Parsley
Oil
Method
1. Warm some oil in a large frying pan while you cut the potatoes
and sausages into small pieces.
2. Fry potatoes and sausages together for about 10 minutes until
golden and crisping up on the outside then sprinkle with plenty
of parsley.
3. Preheat the grill and thinly slice the tomatoes.
4. Beat the eggs together in a bowl with a splash of cold water
then pour the eggs into the pan and whisk everything with a
fork for a few seconds before turning the heat down under the
pan. Put the sliced tomatoes in the omelette and leave it to set
for a bit.
5. Finish cooking under the grill for a couple more minutes until
the omelette is risen and golden.
Tips
Use uncooked spare sausages to make miniature meatballs
by pushing the meat out of the skin and rolling into tiny
balls with a little flour (or mix with leftover mince – ditto).
Just add herbs and a couple of pinches of spice – curry
powder, cumin, allspice and cayenne pepper are all good.
Make uncooked chipolatas into cocktail sausages by
squeezing gently in the middle until you’re down to the
skin then twisting the two halves in opposite directions
(so they look the way sausages normally do in a string)
and separating with kitchen scissors.

Pork and Veal Terrine

Yield > 4 people
Keys : Pate Meats Cold Party Bbq French Entree French France
European Mediterranean
Ingredients :
250 gm bacon
250 gm veal, diced
125 gm pork, diced
125 gm chicken breasts
1 x eggs
1 x onions, medium
2 tsp garlic, crushed
125 gm pistachio nuts
2 tsp green peppercorns
2 tbl brandy
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
1 tbl parsley, chopped
4 slc ham
salt, pepper
Method :
• Note:
Meats should be very cold for a good finished product.
• Remove rind from bacon and line base and sides of a
22cm X 10cm terrine mould or loaf tin with slices in
overlapping fasion. Allow slices to hang over edges so they can
be folded over the top.
• Mince veal, pork and chicken in a processor until smooth,
add egg and process a furthur 30 seconds. Remove from
processor and place in a large bowl. Process mixture in batches
if necessary.
• Process onion and garlic and add to minced meats.
Refrigerate for 1/2 hour until cold.
• Stir in remaining ingredients, spread mixture into
prepared tin and fold over bacon to cover the top. Cover tin
with foil and place in a baking dish with enough water to come
1/2 way up the sides of terrine (ie. in a bain marie).
• Cook in a moderate oven for 1 1/2 hours, allow to cool
and refrigerate overnight.
• Serve sliced with Cumberland sauce.
• Serves 8-10.

Pommes Gratinee Forezienne

Yield > 6 Servings
Ingredients :
3 med Baking potatoes
2 tbl Melted butter
Salt and white pepper
1 x Clove garlic, finely minced
1 pt Heavy (whipping) cream
Method :
• Peel the potatoes and cut into 1/8-inch thick slices. Coat
the bottom and the sides of a shallow oven-proof serving dish
with melted butter. Layer the potatoes in the baking dish.
Sprinkle the potatoes with the salt, pepper, and garlic. Pour
the cream over the potatoes. Cover the baking dish with
aluminum foil pierced with 2 or 3 small holes to release steam.
Bake in a 400 oven until the potatoes are tender, about 60
minutes.

Pissaladiere - (French Onion-Anchovy Tart)

Yield > 1
Ingredients :
1 lb Prepared puff pastry dough
thawed if needed
2 lb Onions sliced
3 tbl Olive oil
1 tbl Minced garlic
2 tbl Chopped basil
1/3 cup Grated Parmesan cheese
2 med Firm ripe tomatoes sliced
1/8" thick,
and seeded
1 can Anchovies - (2 oz) or to
taste
20 x Pitted Nicoise olives
Chopped fresh mixed herbs
(such as basil, thyme and
Method :
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Roll out pastry to a 12- by 16-inch rectangle, 1/8-inch
thick and transfer to a baking sheet. Brush edges of pastry
with water and fold over to form a border 1-inch wide. Score
border with tines of a fork and thoroughly prick center.
• Meanwhile, in a skillet cook onions over low heat in 2
tablespoons olive oil until golden and softened. Stir in garlic
and basil. Transfer to a bowl to cool.
• Sprinkle bottom of tart with 2 tablespoons Parmesan
cheese and spread onion mixture over. Sprinkle onions with 2
more tablespoons cheese. Top with tomato slices and brush
them with olive oil. Decorate tart with anchovies and olives.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until pastry is golden and crisp.
Sprinkle warm tart with 2 more tablespoons cheese and
chopped herbs. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

QUORN SAUSAGE CHILLI

The obvious vegetarian alternative to any standard dish can be a bit
boring and predictable sometimes, so instead of making chilli with
vegetarian mince, try it with leftover Quorn sausages instead. If
you’ve only got one veggie in your house you’re likely to have these
in the fridge quite often; if not, make the chilli with more sausages
to begin with – and needless to say, this could also work well with
real meaty sausages. (If you’re using uncooked Quorn sausages,
cook them in the pan a couple of minutes ahead of the vegetables.)
Leftover (cooked) Quorn sausages
Celery
Tomatoes
Mushrooms
Red pesto
Tomato Purée
Garlic Purée
2 tsp chilli powder
2 tsp cumin seeds
Oil
Water
Method
1. Slice the cold sausages, wash and chop the celery and
mushrooms into chunks and roughly dice the tomatoes.
2. Warm a little oil in a large pan and fry the cumin seeds for a
minute then add the sausages, celery and mushrooms and fry
for a few minutes, turning the food over frequently to stop it
sticking and burning.
3. Add the chilli powder to the pan followed by the tomatoes and
a big spoonful of pesto and stir well before adding a generous
amount of the tomato and garlic purées with a little water.
4. Stir well, adjust the consistency of the sauce with more water
or tomato purée then cook for a few more minutes over a low
heat until the food is hot. Serve with couscous or rice.

CHILLI & TORTILLA CHIPS

Leftover chilli
2 large bags of tortilla chips
Grated mozzarella cheese
Avocado
Tomatoes (at least one per person)
Method
1. Reheat the chilli on Gas Mark 4 (180ºC) in a large ovenproof
dish covered with foil (or a lid) for about 20 minutes until the
food is piping hot. (Or reheat in the microwave before
transferring to a large ovenproof dish.)
2. Empty both packets of tortilla chips over the chilli, mix them
up a bit with the meaty sauce, then sprinkle liberally with
grated cheese and return to the oven, or flash under the grill
for a couple of minutes, so the cheese melts and the edges of the
tortilla chips on the top brown ever so slightly. (Don’t let them
burn.)
3. Serve with chunks of avocado and tomato wedges.
Tips
Also use leftover chilli to stuff peppers and large beef
tomatoes, or as a pizza topping or a filling for jacket
potatoes or potato croquettes (see this chapter, ‘Potatoes’:
Stuffed Potato Croquettes).
Use up half-full jars of pesto in chilli (or Bolognese) as an
alternative to sun-dried tomatoes.

SWEET & SOUR CHICKEN

Leftover cooked chicken
1 red pepper
1 orange or yellow pepper
1 onion
1 standard tin of pineapple rings
2 tbsp (any) vinegar
2 tbsp tomato purée
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 rounded tbsp sugar (soft brown or white)
Oil
Plain flour
Method
1. Warm some oil in a large saucepan.
2. Cut the cooked chicken into rough pieces and coat in a little
flour.
3. Fry the chicken on all sides for a couple of minutes; turn the
heat right down and cover with a lid while you finely chop the
onion and peppers then add them to the pan.
4. Cut 3 or 4 pineapple rings into small pieces and put them in
with the vinegar, tomato purée, soy sauce, sugar and all the juice
from the tin of pineapple.
5. Stir well, cover with a lid and simmer very gently for about 10
minutes.
6. Serve with rice.
Tip
Never throw a chicken carcass in the bin when all you
have to do is immerse it in a saucepan of cold water and
put it on the stove for a few hours to make great stock.
Add a bay leaf or two, an onion cut into quarters and a
couple of carrots (ditto) but if you don’t have any of these
to hand, just the chicken will do.

STUFFED MARROW

Marrow fell out of fashion years ago, not surprisingly, because on
its own and overcooked it’s about as appetizing as a mouthful of
wet tissue.
But baked this way, when it’s in season during the summer, the
softness and subtle flavour of the marrow contrasts nicely with the
taste and texture of the meat. (You could also stuff the marrow
with a mixture of chilli and cooked rice.)
1 medium–large marrow
Leftover chilli
(or a mixture of leftover chilli and rice)
Butter
Salt & pepper
Method
1. Trim both ends of the marrow; cut the whole thing into rings
approximately 2 in (5 cm) thick and scoop out the seeds from
the middle of each ring to leave a fairly large, clean hole. (Leave
the skin on even if you don’t want to eat it; it helps the marrow
keep its shape.)
2. Place the marrow rings in a large, lightly buttered Pyrex oven
dish or casserole, sprinkle the marrow with salt and pepper
then fill the holes and cover the top of each ring with the meat
mixture.
3. Bake in a moderate oven, Gas Mark 4 (180ºC) for about half
an hour, or until the meat is piping hot and the marrow is soft
but not collapsing.
Tip
Make Chilli Con Carne or Bolognese sauce stretch
further by adding a couple of tins of chopped tomatoes
and more seasoning.

LEFTOVER CHICKEN PIE

The remains of about half a large chicken is perfect for this with
cooked leftover sausages, potatoes, carrots and whatever else you
can find; ham, bacon, mushrooms, spinach, peas or sweetcorn. The
only thing that really matters is that there’s lots of chunky stuff in
the pie, as opposed to a few little bits and pieces floating around in
a sea of gravy – which is what the so-called ‘family pies’ you find in
the supermarket consist of.
Unless you’re a keen and very experienced pastry maker (which
is highly unlikely if you’re reading this book) it’s better – and
much, much quicker – to use ready-made puff pastry, either fresh
or frozen, than do it yourself.
1 lb (500 g) pack of ready-made puff pastry
Leftover cooked chicken
Leftover cooked sausages
Leftover cooked vegetables: potatoes, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower;
also tinned peas, broad beans or sweetcorn
1 onion
Spinach
1 tin condensed soup (asparagus, mushroom or chicken)
Chicken stock
Milk
Oil
Salt & pepper
Method
1. Lightly grease the sides of a very large ovenproof dish (roughly
16 in x 101⁄2 in/40 cm x 26 cm) with butter or margarine.
Warm a little oil in a very large saucepan and fry the onion for
a couple of minutes before adding the chopped up chicken,
sausages and leftover vegetables to the pan.
2. After a few minutes add the tin of condensed soup to the pan
then fill the empty tin twice with milk or chicken stock, or a
combination of the two, adding the extra liquid to the pan and
giving it a good stir.
3. Add some fresh torn up spinach and/or a drained tin of
sweetcorn to the pan, season with salt and pepper and keep
over a very low heat while you roll out the pastry.
4. Roll out the whole packet of pastry until it looks about the right
size to fit the dish, but try not to roll it out too large and too
thin or you’ll have a lot of waste and the layer of pastry on the
pie won’t be thick enough to puff up properly.
5. Put the filling into the dish then cover with the pastry, tucking
the ends in around the edges inside the dish.
6. Brush the pastry with milk and bake the pie in the oven, Gas
mark 6–7 (200–220ºC) for 15–20 minutes until the pastry is
risen and golden.
7. Serve with any kind of potatoes, more vegetables or baked
beans.
Tip
Leftover cooked chicken goes even further if you mince it.
Minced chicken mixed with tarragon, salt, black pepper, a
very little lemon juice and mayonnaise makes a great
sandwich filling.

PIZZA ROLLS

I thought of rolling up squares of uncooked pizza with the filling
inside as a way of crisping the dough a bit more and making the
end result less messy to eat with your hands.
When I’ve got the dough in the oven trays I normally mark it
into the same number of pieces there’d be if I was going to cut the
pizza up at the end but you can make bigger rolls than this if you
feel like it, or even roll the pizza into pin-wheels and sprinkle the
surfaces with grated mozzarella or Parmesan cheese for a bit of
variation.
The quantities given below are enough to fill two large oven
trays, which should give you at least six pieces of pizza each, and
because the dough keeps so well in the fridge I sometimes make
the pizzas up one at a time, saving half the amount of dough for
another day.
For the pizza base
1 lb (550 g) plain flour
2 tsp (or 1 sachet) of dried yeast
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1⁄2 pint (275 ml) warm water mixed with 2 tsp oil
Tomato purée
Garlic purée
Suggested toppings
Cheese and tomato
Sausage and tomato
Gammon and pineapple
Tuna and sweetcorn
Prawns and tinned crab meat
Bolognese or Chilli sauce
Meatballs, peppers and onion
Spinach and ricotta
Mushroom and caramelized red onion
Mixed olives and green pesto
Method
1. Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl and make a
well in the centre.
2. Pour the warm water and oil into the well and quickly mix
everything together with your hand to make a soft dough. Turn the
dough onto a floured surface and knead well for 5–10 minutes,
sprinkling a little more flour whenever you feel you need to.
3. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with a damp tea towel
and leave at the bottom of the oven on the lowest setting for
about half an hour until the dough has almost doubled in size.
(If you’ve got an airing cupboard you can prove the dough in
there instead.)
4. Place the dough on a floured surface and knead again for
another 5 minutes (known as ‘knocking back’) before covering
with the damp cloth and proving for about half an hour – same
as before – until the dough has doubled in size again.
5. Knock the dough back again and divide into two halves. (Keep
one half in a food bag in the fridge if you don’t want to use it
straight away.)
6. Roll the dough out to fit the lightly oiled oven tray(s) – but
not too thin unless you want the cooked dough to be really
crisp – and press down well, folding any rough edges over and
brushing the surface with a little more oil. Cover with cling film
and keep in the fridge until you’ve got the topping ready.
7. Mark out the dough into six pieces then spread each piece with
tomato purée, a little garlic purée and a couple of spoonfuls of
topping, leaving about 1⁄4 inch (5 mm) of edge all the way
round.
8. Roll each piece of pizza up carefully with the sealed edge
underneath.
9. Brush with a little olive oil and bake in the oven on Gas Mark
6 (200ºC) for approximately 10 minutes until the dough is firm
and just golden on the outside.

SUPER-QUICK-NO-WAIT PIZZA

Like the potato base pizza and pan pizza in Chapter 3, ‘Loose
Ends’, there’s no yeast involved here so it’s ideal for making on busy
school nights – or any day you simply don’t have the time or the
energy to make regular dough and wait for it to rise.
This makes one average 9–10 inch (23–25 cm) pizza but you
could just as easily make two in the same amount of time, and
although I’ve made this one cheese and tomato for the sake of
simplicity, it goes without saying that, as with all pizza, you can
use whatever you like for the topping.
4 rounded tbsp of self-raising flour (4 oz/100 g)
1 tsp baking powder
1⁄2 tsp salt
1 oz (25 g) grated cheese
1 egg
1 oz (25 g) melted butter
2 tbsp milk
Tomato purée
Garlic purée
Grated cheese
Tomatoes
Method
1. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl
with the grated cheese, stir well, then add the melted butter,
milk and beaten egg.
2. Mix everything together with your hand and pinch the dough
together into a soft ball.
3. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead very
gently for a minute or just long enough to make it smooth and
ready to roll.
4. Roll the dough out to a rough circle and either press it into a
well greased 9 inch (23 cm) cake tin or put it on an oiled baking
tray. Fold the edge inwards, pressing gently into shape to make
it neater.
5. Spread the dough with tomato and garlic purée, cover with the
thinly sliced tomatoes and grated cheese and bake in the oven
on Gas Mark 4–5 (180–190ºC) for 25–30 minutes, or until
the pizza crust is crisp and golden and the cheese is bubbling.

Pets De Soeurs (Sister's [i.E., Nun's] Farts)

Yield > 40
Fritters
Ingredients :
6 tbl Butter
2 tsp Sugar
1 pch Salt
1 tsp Grated lemon rind
4 x Eggs
1 cup Flour
1 tsp Vanilla
1 tsp Rum, dark, opt
Oil, for deep-frying
Sugar, confectioners
Method :
• Combine the butter, sugar, salt, and lemon rind with 1
cup water in a saucepan and bring the mixture slowly to a boil.
When the butter has completely melted, remove the pan from
the heat. While the pan is heating, break each of the eggs into
a separate custard cup or similar small dish and have these
ready. When the pan is removed from the heat, add all the
flour at once, stirring, first carefully, then, when the flour is
absorbed, vigorously with a wooden spoon.
• When you have a compact, thick paste, turn the heat to
medium high and return the pan to it. Cook this mixture for 3
to 4 minutes, stirring constantly and scraping the sides and
bottom, until the batter clings together in a solid mass, leaving
the bottom and sides of the pan clean, and takes on a glossy
look. Turn off the heat and remove the pan from the stove.
• Beat in the vanilla, and the rum if used, giving the batter
a chance to cool a little. When it has, make a well in its center,
pour in 1 egg, and beat this into the mass. When it is
incorporated, beat in another egg and proceed until all the
eggs are used. The resulting pastry should be flexible and soft,
firm enough to hold its shape and not at all runny. Set it aside
and let it rest for about 45 minutes, or for the duration of
supper.
• When ready to make the fritters, fill a deep skillet or
deep-fat fryer two-thirds full of oil and heat to 360 deg.F (not
too hot, or the exteriors will brown before the center is
cooked). If you are using a deep-fat fryer, do not use the
basket, but a slotted spoon or wire mesh skimmer instead.
• Drop the batter into the hot oil a teaspoonful at a time,
dipping the spoon into the oil after each scoop. Don't
overcrowd the pan, since they puff up to about four times their
original size. Nudge them to roll over, so that they color evenly
on all sides. When golden brown, drain on paper towels and
sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Serve hot. Pet de Breton.
This recipe makes 1 large fart. Make the batter with the same
ingredients the same way as explained above, including the
45- minute rest. Preheat oven to 375 deg.F. Pour the batter
into a large greased pan (a 10-inch or so heavy cast-iron
frying pan works well for this) and set in the oven. Bake for an
hour. Remove, sprinkle with confectioners' sugar, tear apart,
and eat as soon as it's cool enough to handle.

TUNA, PASTA & SWEETCORN

For an even quicker option, just grate cheese (Cheddar or fresh
Parmesan) over the food at the end, instead of making a cheese sauce.
Pasta shapes
1 large tin of tuna
Sweetcorn
1 oz (25 g) butter or margarine
1 tbsp of flour
1 mug or 1⁄2 pint (300 ml) milk (approx)
1 oz (25 g) hard (Cheddar) cheese
Method
1. Cook the pasta in a pan of slightly salted boiling water
according to the instructions on the packet, and add the
drained tin of sweetcorn – or some frozen sweetcorn – for the
last 2 minutes of the cooking time.
2. Meanwhile, make the cheese sauce by melting the butter or
margarine in a saucepan and stirring in the flour to make a
smooth paste. Cook over a low heat for a minute until the paste
looks shiny and slips away from the bottom of the pan then
add the milk and grated cheese, stirring or whisking all the time
until the sauce thickens and is completely lump-free. (This only
takes a few minutes.)
3. Drain the tinned tuna; strain the cooked pasta and sweetcorn
and mix the two together.
4. Serve the tuna, pasta and sweetcorn in soup bowls or on dinner
plates and pour the cheese sauce over the top.
Tip
Dried pasta is much more economical than fresh pasta
(unless you’ve made it yourself ) and, arguably, tastes
better too.

SAUSAGES IN SPICY BBQ SAUCE

HP sauce is thinner and much tangier than tomato ketchup so the
quantities are different, otherwise the general idea is exactly the
same. And again, I can’t claim that this tastes 100% authentic, but
it’s still good and takes only a few seconds to make, which makes
it worth a try in my book.
1 heaped tbsp HP sauce
1 tbsp vinegar
2 tbsp maple syrup
Method
Coat sausages with the spicy BBQ sauce and cook in the usual way

BEAN BURGERS

The quantities given here make about 8 burgers. You don’t need to
be too precise with any of the ingredients and, if you don’t have 5
Spice, season the burgers with curry powder, or just add mixed
herbs, thyme, or Herbes de Provence.
For crisper burgers, deep fry in very hot oil instead of shallow
frying.
1 tin of mixed beans
2 carrots
1 onion
1 tbsp flour (plain or gram)
2 tbsp breadcrumbs
1 tbsp red pesto
1 tsp 5 Spice
Oil
Method
1. Drain the tin of beans; rinse in a sieve under the cold tap then
put them in a large bowl and break them up a bit with a potato
masher.
2. Peel the onion, scrape the carrots and grate everything into the
bowl with the beans.
3. Add the pesto to the bowl followed by the flour, breadcrumbs
and seasoning and mix the whole lot together with a spoon.
4. Heat some oil in a frying pan while you make the mixture into
patties with your hands.
5. Fry the burgers 4 or 5 at a time and cook for a couple of
minutes on each side, keeping them warm in the oven as you go.
6. Serve inside mini pitta breads with any type of tomato sauce or
yoghurt dressing, or with rice or couscous and salad.

SAUSAGES IN BBQ SAUCE

I’ve got no idea how the real thing is made, but this rough
approximation of BBQ sauce tastes good to me …
This amount of sauce is enough to coat 8 large sausages or 12
chipolatas so double it up if you want more sauce to serve with
the cooked sausages.
2 heaped tbsp tomato ketchup
1 tbsp vinegar
1 tbsp maple syrup
Method
1. Place sausages on an ovenproof tray, prick each one with a knife
a few times and coat with the BBQ sauce.
2. Cook in the oven in the usual way; Gas Mark 6 (220ºC), for
about half an hour.

Petite French Peas with Pineapple Mint

Yield > 6
Servings
Ingredients :
2 tbl Unsalted butter
4 cup Fresh petit pois or other
sweet baby peas
3 sm Onions, thinly sliced
2 sm Carrots, peeled/thin sliced
1 tbl Lemon juice
1/4 cup Chicken stock
1 tsp Sugar
Salt & white pepper to taste
Bouquet garni consisting of 1
sprig each pineapple mint
french thyme, and parsley
1 sm Head butter lettuce shredded
2 tbl Pineapple mint, chopped
Method :
• Heat butter in a medium saucepan with a tight-fitting lid,
then add peas, onions, carrots, lemon juice, chicken stock,
sugar, salt, pepper and bouquet garni. Stir well, then cover
with shredded lettuce. Cover pan and simmer for 30 to 45
minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove bouquet garni,
taste for seasoning and cook 5 minutes longer. Sprinkle mint
leaves over peas and serve immediately.