Food
Bouillabaisse
Ingredients:
12 cherrystone clams, well scrubbed
3/4 pound monkfish, sea bass, red snapper, or halibut fillets, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 pound sea scallops
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 leek, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups peeled tomatoes, crushed with juice
1 cup clam juice
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt, to taste
1/4 teaspoon anise seeds
1 pinch saffron threads
Rouille:
3 white bread slices, without crust
1 teaspoon paprika
2 cloves garlic
1/2 red chile, fresh
4 tablespoons olive oil
Garlic bread croutons, for garnish
Directions:
1. In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and sauté leek and celery until soft, but not browned. Add garlic. Sauté for 2 more minutes. Stir in tomato paste and continue cooking for 1 more minute.
2. Add wine to deglaze pan, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan while the wine reduces. Boil gently for about 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes with juice, clam juice, water, sea salt to taste, anise seed, and saffron. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large soup pot. Add the clams and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Lower heat if oil is smoking. Add simmered broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 3 more minutes.
4. Stir in fish, cover, and continue cooking for 1 more minute. Add scallops and cook just until seafood is done, about 4 more minutes. Throw away any clams that do not open.
5. For the rouille, combine bread, paprika, garlic, red pepper, and oil in a food processor and blend to a smooth paste.
6. Serve stew with garlic croutons, garnished with rouille.
Roasted Chicken à la Provençale
Ingredients:
1 roasting chicken (2–3 pounds)
1 lemon
2 tomatoes
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon fresh oregano
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Rinse chicken and set aside.
3. Zest and juice the lemon, then mince the zest and place everything in a medium-sized bowl. Mince tomatoes, onion, garlic, rosemary, and oregano. Add these ingredients plus olive oil, salt, and pepper to bowl. Mix well.
4. Place chicken in a large bowl. Slightly pull skin from the breast section in order to insert some of the mixture next to the breast meat. Pour remaining mixture over the rest of the chicken.
5. Place the chicken upright in a chicken roaster, then place the roaster in a roasting pan. Cook in oven for 50 minutes.
Ratatouille
Ingredients:
1 medium onion, chopped
3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium or large eggplant, diced
1 can stewed tomatoes
2 medium zucchini, diced into large chunks
Herbs (Provençal herbs, basil, thyme)
Olive oil
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Directions:
1. In olive oil, sauté onion and garlic until tender.
2. Add eggplant and tomatoes. Bring to a simmer.
3. Add zucchini and herbs. Continue simmering until vegetables are soft.
4. Add salt and pepper as desired. Serve hot.
Crêpes
Note: Crêpes are often sold on street corners by vendors and served with a variety of toppings.
Ingredients:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 large eggs
2/3 cup milk
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions:
1. Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl. Break the eggs into another bowl and mix until yolks and whites are blended.
2. Make a hole in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour in the beaten eggs. Stir the flour mixture into the eggs little by little. The dough will be difficult to work and it may be necessary to add a little milk to incorporate all the flour. Add the milk a spoonful at a time and mix it in thoroughly before adding more liquid.
3. When about half of the liquid has been used, the remainder can be added in 2 portions. Mix again, cover, and set aside for at least an hour, but not more than 6 hours, at room temperature. Crêpe batter can be held overnight in the refrigerater.
4. If necessary, the crêpe batter can be cooked immediately, but the resting time allows the flour to absorb more liquids, makes the batter easier to handle, and gives the crêpes more flavor. Since flour varies in its ability to absorb liquid, if the crêpe batter seems too thick when you are ready to cook it, a small amount of extra liquid can be added at this time. The consistency could be at least as thin as heavy cream.
5. Once finished cooking, a variety of extras can be added, such as chocolate, powdered sugar, strawberries, etc. Meats, tomatoes, and cheese can also be used to top the crêpes for a different flavor.