To temper dark chocolate in the microwave Place the dark chocolate, a maximum of 500 grams at a time, into a microwave-safe glass or plastic bowl. Heat in 30-second increments, once or twice, stirring in between. It may take 1.30 seconds depending on your microwave. Once you have 50 % solids and 50 % liquid, [...]
On one of my early visits to France years ago, we stayed in a divine little Chambre d’Hôte, L ’Impasse du Temple, now called a Maison de Maître. It was located down a difficult to find narrow laneway, pre-GPS days, in a pretty, tiny town called Léran, in the Midi Pyrenées, near Mirepoix, a beautiful [...]
Both Pâte Brissé and Pâte Sucrée are short cut pastry; Pâte Brissé is the same as Pâte Sucrée but without the sugar. Ingredients: 200g flour 100g cold, unsalted butter, cut into pieces 1 egg yolk ½ tsp salt, omit if using salted butter 3 tbsp, 45ml, ice cold water - or [...]
My preparation for the French cooking classes morning tea often includes making Madeleines, the plump, little cakes, the French love to eat. Madeleines are moulded in the fluted scallop shape of the pilgrim’s shell, adding a lot to their appeal. Here is my mise en place, with ingredients weighed and measured; next is the baking [...]
At Christmas time, in our French Odyssey – Journey through France and the French Bistro Classics Desserts cooking classes we make this beautiful and delicious Bûche de Noël - French Yule Log 'Christmas cake'. During the last class, I was asked about the French traditions behind this cake and so after a little research and [...]
This is a simple, rich and delicious sauce to accompany a variety of fish dishes as well as scallops, prawns, chicken, pork, and vegetables too. Like the classic wine butter sauces, it is less stable than the classic emulsion sauces because no eggs are used. This lemon butter sauce is simply a reduction of [...]
Years ago, in 2007, I attended La Varenne Cooking School in Burgundy, and one of the many dishes we cooked there with the chefs was the classic Tarte Tatin. The class was held in one of the beautiful kitchens of the Chateau du Fëy, the home of La Varenne Cooking School and its founder, Anne [...]
Pain d’épices is a Burgundian classic; it is a lovely unusual ‘bread’ or ‘cake’ made with rye flour, spices and honey, without yeast, using baking powder and bicarbonate soda instead. It tastes something like gingerbread, although ginger is not one of the spices I use. In France, it is sold in loaves, sometimes, in [...]
For this rich terrine, use a sharp blue cheese like Bleu d’Auvergne, Roquefort or Shadows of Blue. Serve it as a cheese course with my walnut and onion bread,or with a pear, rocket and salad. Ingredients: 250g blue cheese 125g butter 1 tbsp brandy or cognac 65ml cream or ¼ cup [...]
This is a versatile bread served either fresh or toasted and is a wonderful accompaniment to cheese and wine. I always serve it with the ‘Blue cheese and walnut terrine’, which you will find in the website recipe collection as well. Bread is not time-consuming to make, but it does require a little forward [...]
