Food Lorists

• 1/2 litre of finished sauce poivrade.
• 2 tablespoons of finely chopped gherkins.
• 1 tablespoon of chopped egg whites.
• 2 tablespoons of finely chopped button mushrooms.
• 10g of julienne of black truffle (tuber melanosporum).

In a thick bottom sauce pan, sauté the gherkins and mushrooms. Add the sauce poivrade and the julienne of black truffle.

Check the seasoning and set aside in a bain-marie until serving time.

Just before serving add the chopped egg whites and a nob of butter.

"They can, on certain occasions, make women more tender and men more lovable."

Referring to truffles: Alexandre Dumas (1802-1870)

• 150g buton mushrooms, washed thoroughly and minced.
• 1 small onion, finely chopped.
• 3 shallots, finely chopped.
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed.
• 1 tea spoon of tomato paste.
• 1 dl (1/2 scant cup) white wine.
• 21/2dl (1 cup full) chicken, veal or vegetable bouillon.
• 15g finely chopped flat parsley.
• 10g+15g+25g butter.
• 15g flour.
• 1 pinch nutmeg.
• salt and pepper.

In a thick bottom saute-pan, bring 10g of butter to a gentle sizzle. Sweat off the shallots and onions for 5-8 minutes. Add the minced mushrooms and allow to cook very gently for another 15 minutes. When the mushrooms have given out all their moisture, raise the heat and reduce down that cooking liquid, stiring constanly. Stir in 15g of butter, the tomato paste and the flour. Make sure that are no lumps. Allow to cookslowly, for 5 minutes.

Pour in the wine and the bouillon, bring to the boil and allow to reduce by one third.

Turn down the heat, season with the nutmeg, salt and pepper. Add in the garlic, and let the sauce cook for another 8-10 minutes.

Finaly, wisk in the butter left over. Now, at this point of the recipe it may happen that the sauce is not thin enough or looks chunky, it might be that the mushrooms are not minced finely enough. So, I would then let the sauce cool down a little bit and pass it through the food processor.

Check the seasoning and set aside in a bain-marie until serving time.

Just before serving add in the chopped parsley.

"I confess, that nothing frightens me more than the appearance of mushrooms on the table, especially in a small provincial town."

Alexandre Dumas, early 19th century

• 50g onion.
• 50g carrot.
• 50g cured ham (optional).
• 30g+30g butter.
• 30g plain flour.
• 3/4 litre milk.
• a bouquet garni.
• pinch of nutmeg.
• salt and pepper.

In a heavy, thick bottom saucepan, sweat off the vegetables (and cured ham) cut into a mirepoix with 30g of butter. When this is done, add the rest of the butter and the flour, allow to cook whihout any coloring, for 10 to 15 minutes.

Dilute this roux with the milk that has been boiled (not boiled over!) and gently bring to the boil while stiring constantly. Add the bouquet garni and the seasoning and allow to cook very gently for 45 minutes. Stir from time to time.

When cooked, strain the sauce through a chinois and rectify the seasoning.

If the sauce is not to be used straight away, dot a few bits of butter around the surface to avoid the building of a skin.

• 250g stronghold flour.
• 45g buckwheat flour.
• 1 egg.
• 120g sugar.
• 120g melted butter.
• 1/2 litre of milk.
• a dash of calvados, brandy, dark rum or cointreau.

In a large bowl mix well all the dry ingredients. Add the egg and the melted butter. Stir this ingredients very well.

Then, start gradualy to stir in the milk and the alcohol.

Allow to rest at least for one hour at room temperature.

Using a non-stick pan, pour a small amount of batter and spread it all over the pan by tilting the pan a little bit. Cook them for abot 6 minutes on each side.

A great variety of fillings can accompany these crepes. From, sugar, honey to marple sirup, chocolate sauce, stewed apples, caramel au beurre sale, jam, marmalade, fruits and ice-cream or flambé. My all time favourite, has to be banana and bitter chocolate sauce with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream, uhmmm!!

• 250g (87/8 oz) onion.
• 60g (41/2 tablespoons) butter.
• 12g plain flour.
• 21/2dl (1 cup) clear veal or chicken bouillon, or 21/2dl milk.
• 2 tablespoons creme fraiche.
• pinch nutmeg.
• pinch caster sugar.
• salt and pepper.

Procedure:

Peel and wash the onions. Slice them as finely as possible. If the onions are old, blanch them. Otherwise, put them in a thick bottom saucepan with 40g of butter and stew them gently (sweat off), covered, for 20-25 minutes (without coloring them).

When this is done, stir in the flour, allow to cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the bouillon or milk and add the seasoning. Bring gently to the boil while stiring constantly. Cover and let the sauce cook, at a very gentle simmer for at least 45 minutes. Stir from time to time.

Force the sauce through a chinois and put back on the heat. Then add the rest of the butter and the creme fraiche. Let the sauce cook for another 5 minutes. Check the seasoning.

Set aside in a bain-marie until serving time.

"Make [food] simple and let things taste of what they are."

Curnonsky (Maurice Edmond Sailland 1872-1956)

Suitable for pregnant women, lactose intolerant (if using the bouillon), Coeliacs replace the flour with rice four, nut free.