Eggs in Aspic Recipe

This is a very French recipe in which the cook gets a chance to demonstrate his artistic talent. Serves six.

Ingredients:
3 hard cooked eggs, cut in half
3 thin slices baked ham
3 scallion green tops

For the aspic-
2 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup tomato juice
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
1/2 t. sugar
1 egg white
1 egg shell, crushed
Salt and pepper to taste
1 T. cognac

Step 1. Combine in a saucepan all the aspic ingredients except the cognac. Heat slowly, stirring constantly, until mixture boils. Remove pan from heat and add cognac.

Step 2. Line a strainer with a piece of tightly woven cloth, like a tea towel, that has been rinsed in cold water and wrung out. Strain the aspic and chill it slightly, but go on to the next step while the aspic is still liquid.

Step 3. Pour a thin layer of aspic into 6 egg molds, custard dishes or cups of a muffin tin. Chill 10 minutes.

Step 4. Dip the green part of the scallions, cut into appropriate lengths, in the aspic and place two leaves in the bottom of each mold in a “V” shape.

Step 5. Place an egg half in each mold, cut side up, and top with an oval of ham. Fill the mold with aspic and chill until ready to serve.

Step 6. The leftover aspic should be poured into a small flat pan and chilled. It can then be cut into shapes with a small cookie cutter and used to garnish the eggs when they are unfolded. Note: if the aspic begins to set before you’ve finished pouring it into the molds, it can be reheated slightly and chilled briefly before you use it. Serve cold.

Russian Salad Recipe

This French recipe is based on a Russian recipe. Serve it with some lettuce to six or seven people.

Ingredients:
1 lb. new potatoes, cooked and diced
1/2 lb. string beans, cooked and sliced
4 to 6 carrots, cooked and sliced
1/4 cup dried beans, cooked
1 cup peas, cooked
2 T. wine vinegar
2 T. olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 T. capers
1 T. chopped pickles
2 T. chopped fresh parsley
2 or 3 hard-cooked eggs
1/2 to 3/4 cup mayonnaise

V.S.P. Combine vegetables, reserving a few of each for garnish. Moisten with wine vinegar and oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss and chill.

Add capers, chopped pickles and parsley, chopped egg whites and enough mayonnaise to bind mixture loosely. Toss ingredients and mound in salad bowl. Decorate top and sides with remaining mayonnaise and assorted vegetables. Sprinkle sieved egg yolks over top. Serve cold on bed of fresh lettuce.

Raspberries and Honey Cream Recipe

This is a most favored way of enjoying fresh raspberries in France. Serves six.

Ingredients:
1 lb. raspberries, rinsed and thoroughly drained
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup honey
2 t. grated orange rind
1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped

V.S.P. Put raspberries in a glass bowl and chill. In a bowl, mix together the sour cream, honey and orange rind. Fold in the whipped cream. Chill the mixture for two hours and pour it over the raspberries at serving time.

Basic Crepes Recipe

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 T. confectioners sugar
Pinch salt
3 eggs
1-1/2 cups milk
2 T. melted butter or vegetable oil
2 T. cognac or rum

Procedure:
Sift together flour, sugar and salt. Beat eggs and add them to the dry ingredients. Mix in the milk, melted butter and cognac gradually to avoid lumps. Strain through a fine sieve and allow batter to stand at least two hours before cooking the crepes. Add a little water if batter is too thick. For each crepe, spoon about 2 tablespoons batter into heated pan, swirling pan to allow batter to cover entire surface evenly; brush a piece of butter around edge of hot pan with the point of a knife and cook over medium heat until just golden, but not brown, about one minute each side. Repeat until all crepes are cooked, stacking them on a plate as they are ready. If crepes are to be filled, cover with wax paper or aluminum foil to prevent drying out. This will make 20 to 24 golden crepes.

Crepes Suzette Filling

Ingredients:
4 oz. butter
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1 T. grated lemon rind
Grated rind and juice of 1 orange
6 T. Cointreau (you may substitute Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur)
4 T. cognac

Procedure:
Cream butter and confectioners sugar together; add grated lemon and orange rind, orange juice and four tablespoons Cointreau.

When ready to serve: heat butter mixture in a hot chafing dish or electric frying pan for about 5 minutes or until it bubbles and reduces a little. Dip each cooked crepe into the hot mixture, then fold into quarters, using a fork and spoon, and push to one side of the pan. When all crepes are used, sprinkle with a little sugar and add remaining Cointreau and cognac to the pan. Stand well away from the pan and light the liquid with a match. Spoon the flaming liquid over the crepes and serve the sauce as soon as the flames die down.

Apple Crepes Recipe

Simmer three to four apples, peeled and sliced, with 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 4 tablespoons brown sugar and 4 tablespoons butter for 15 minutes, or until apples are soft.

Place 1 or 2 tablespoons of apple filling on each crepe; roll up and brown in butter. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Serve warm.

Strawberries Romanoff Recipe

A very Russian name for a very French dessert. Serves four.

Ingredients:
1 pint strawberries, washed and hulled
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 T. orange liqueur
1/2 pint vanilla ice cream
1 cup heavy cream, whipped

Step 1. Put the strawberries in a bowl with the orange juice and liqueur. Let stand several hours, refrigerated.

Step 2. Divide the ice cream into serving dishes. Allow the ice cream to soften until it settles evenly, then place in the freezer.

Step 3. To assemble dessert, arrange strawberries on top of the ice cream, then top with whipped cream. Serve.

Rice and Seafood Salad Recipe

This is a very French salad which we have been enjoying for years. Serves 6 to 8.

Ingredients:
18 oz. frozen salad shrimp
1 cup uncooked long grain rice
1 t. turmeric
2 cups chicken broth
10 black olives
Salt and pepper to taste
2 red pimentos
12 small fresh mushrooms
1/4 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup French dressing
Crisp lettuce for garnish

V.S.P. Fully defrost the shrimp. Cook the rice in the usual way, substituting the chicken broth for water and adding the turmeric. Cook rice until chicken broth is absorbed and rice is fluffy. Allow to cool.

Pit and slice the olives; cut pimentos in strips. Cook mushrooms and garlic in olive oil for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. Mix all ingredients lightly together, mixing in the oil and garlic the mushrooms were cooked in. Mix the mayonnaise, sour cream and French dressing, then mix into the salad. Chill in a round bowl 1-1/2 hours and then unmold and decorate with crisp lettuce. The turmeric gives the rice a yellow color and is especially attractive with the shrimp.

Spinach Salad Recipe

This makes a beautiful salad for use at any time. Serves six.

Ingredients:
1 lb. fresh spinach
Salt
1 clove garlic, peeled
2 T. lemon juice
6 T. olive oil
Black pepper
2 hard-cooked eggs, cut into wedges
1 large ripe tomato, cut into wedges
1/2 red onion, sliced thin

Step 1. Wash the spinach well in plenty of clear water. Using scissors, cut away the rough stems and discard. Drain the spinach leaves and chill in a damp, clean cloth. Tear into bite-sized pieces.

Step 2. Sprinkle the bottom of a salad bowl with salt and rub with garlic. Add lemon juice and olive oil and chill the bowl. When ready to serve, add the spinach and sprinkle with pepper. Garnish with egg and tomato wedges and onion rings and toss lightly with a fork and spoon. Serve.

Niçoise Salad Recipe

Nicoise means "in the style of Nice (a french city). This salad is just as French as any salad can be. Serves six.

Ingredients:
1 head Boston lettuce
1/2 to 3/4 cup French dressing
2 cups French-cut green beans, cooked
2 cups cooked potatoes, cubed
1 cup canned tuna
2 or 3 tomatoes, peeled and quartered
2 hard-boiled eggs, quartered
6 anchovies, cut in half
1 T. minced fresh parsley

V.S.P. Clean the lettuce and break into pieces, dry and put into a salad bowl. Sprinkle with a few tablespoons of the dressing. Arrange the beans, potatoes and tuna on top of the greens, and place the tomatoes here and there arouns the edge. Decorate with eggs and anchovies. Pour over the remaining dressing and sprinkle with fresh parsley. Serve.

Basic French Dressing

Makes one and a third cups.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup wine or cider vinegar
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 cup olive oil

V.S.P. Mix the vinegar, salt and pepper, and stir well. Add the oil slowly while beating. Serve.

French Dressing II

This is the usual choice of The Kitchen Mouse.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup wine vinegar
3/4 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1/2 t. sugar
1/4 t. paprika
1/2 t. dry mustard
1 cup olive oil

V.S.P. Mix the vinegar with the seasonings. Mix in the olive oil slowly, beating constantly. This may be made with your favorite salad oil.

Daube of Oxtail Recipe

A daube is a French culinary term which describes a method of cooking meat very slowly. Serves 4.

Ingredients:
4 lbs. oxtails
3 onions, quartered
3 carrots, sliced
2 cups dry red wine
1/4 cup brandy (optional but nice)
4 oz. lean salt pork
2 T. cooking oil
1 bay leaf
5 whole cloves
5 whole allspice
1 cup beef broth or stock
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. thyme
Grated rind of 1/2 orange
Salt to taste
Ground black pepper

Step 1. Put oxtails into a deep stainless steel, pottery or glass bowl. Add the onions, carrots and garlic, and cover with the stock or broth, wine and brandy. Cover and let marinate for 4 or 5 hours in the refrigerator.

Step 2. Cut the salt pork into small dice and put into a deep, heavy pan with oil. Sauté until the pork bits are browned, stirring occasionally.

Step 3. Drain the oxtail from the marinade, reserving marinade. Put meat in hot fat and cook, browning on all sides, a few pieces at a time. Don’t crowd the pan. Set brown pieces aside. Add drained vegetables to pan and brown those until wilted. Return the meat to the pan and pour in the marinade. If the marinade doesn’t cover the oxtail, add enough water to barely cover. Add the bay leaf, cloves, allspice, thyme, orange rind, salt and pepper and stir.

Step 4. Stretch a double thickness of paper toweling over the pan, cover tightly with the lid, and simmer over very low heat until the meat is very tender. This will take 3 to 4 hours.

Step 5. This dish must be cooked very slowly. Be sure to taste and adjust the salt and pepper before serving. And no, the sauce is not thickened. Serve on noodles.

Caraway Pork Sausage Recipe

This is a French recipe which The Kitchen Mouse knows you will enjoy. Makes about 3 pounds.

Ingredients:
3 lbs. pork shoulder or butt
1 T. caraway seeds
3/4 cup dry red wine, such as Chianti
1 T. chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
2 large cloves garlic, minced

Step 1. Put pork through the medium blade of your grinder.

Step 2. Add remaining ingredients to meat and mix well. Using sausage stuffer, stuff into casings, twisting and tying at 3- or 4-inch lengths. Prick with fork.

Step 3. Place in boiling water; reduce heat and blanch for 5 minutes after water returns to a boil.

Step 4. To cook, broil or grill. Serve with a coarse-grained mustard. We have served these as patties and enjoyed them very much.

Baked Eggs Lorraine

This French dish is ideal for brunch. Serves four.

Ingredients:
4 eggs
4 slices bacon
Butter or margarine
2 slices Swiss cheese, diced
Salt and pepper to taste
8 T. heavy cream

V.S.P. Poach bacon in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain and dry. Dice and sauté in butter until golden. Place diced bacon in the bottom of 4 individual baking dishes. Cover bacon with a layer of diced cheese. Break one egg into each dish; season to taste with salt and pepper and cover with 2 tablespoons of cream per dish. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 20 minutes or until eggs are set. Serve immediately.

Hors-d’oeuvre Varies - A History

Originally published May 7, 1984

Most of the glamorous restaurants of the world serve a galaxy of tidbits, both hot and cold, which fly under the banner of hors-d’oeuvre varies. These appetite stimulants are usually wheeled up to your table on a small trolley, each tier of which can hold up to twenty small dishes containing a colorful assortment of vegetables, marinated in olive oil and lemon juice and served a’la vinaigrette, or prepared a’la grecque with wine, olive oil, finely chopped onion, carrot and herbs. These trolleys come to us via France from Russia where the hors-d’oeuvre idea originated in the Russian Zukowski table, set up in a room adjoining the reception room and wheeled in to satisfy far-traveling guests before dinner. Thus it is not surprising to find Russian salad, hard-boiled eggs with a mayonnaise or sour cream dressing and pickled and preserved fish of all kinds included in the usual hors-d’oeuvre assortment.

The real purpose of the hors-d’oeuvre course is to stimulate the appetite, not to drown it. A correctly chosen complement of dishes should not contain too much mayonnaise or other dressings, but it should contain both cooked and raw foods so that the tastes and textures will vary as much as possible. Serve hors-d’oeuvre to best advantage in individual dishes or bowls.

Today's recipes:
Basic French Dressing
Bean Salad Vinaigrette
Haricots Blancs en Salade - Navy Bean Salad
Cheddar Beer Spread
Eggplant Caviar
Carrot Salad
Tomato-Egg Hors-d’oeuvre
Salmon Rice Salad

Haricots Blancs en Salade - Navy Bean Salad Recipe

Our Michigan grown navy beans are at their best when served in this salad. Serves four to six.

Ingredients:
2 cups dried navy beans
1 large Spanish onion, finely chopped
2 T. olive oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 t. salt
1 small green pepper
4 to 6 T. olive oil
Wine vinegar
1/2 Spanish onion, finely chopped
4 T. fresh parsley, chopped
1 t. prepared mustard
1 clove garlic, finely minced
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Black olives for garnish

V.S.P. Soak beans overnight in water to cover. Drain. Sauté 1 finely chopped Spanish onion in 2 T. olive oil until golden. Add 1 clove garlic, chopped, bay leaf, 1 t. salt, 1 quart water and beans and simmer  in this stock for about 2 hours or until beans are tender. Drain. Seed and dice green pepper and add to beans along with 4 T. olive oil and vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Chill.

To make dressing: Combine finely chopped 1/2 Spanish onion, parsley, mustard, 1 clove mined garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix well and then pour olive oil, drop by drop as if you were making mayonnaise, beating the mixture all the time until the sauce thickens. Mix in lemon juice.

Arrange salad in a salad bowl; add salad dressing and toss until well mixed. Garnish with finely chopped parsley and sliced black olives. Serve.

Chicken Citron Recipe

You would find a thousand restaurants in Europe serving a version of this wine and chicken dish. Serves four.
Ingredients:
2 broiler-fryers, halved
Salt and pepper
2 T. lemon juice
3 T. melted butter
1/2 cup Madeira
1 cup strained orange juice

V.S.P. sprinkle cavities of chicken with salt and pepper. Arrange cut-side down on broiling pan. Sprinkle lemon juice over chicken, drizzle on butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil about 5 inches from heat until chicken begins to take on color. Pour on Madeira and orange juice. Cover tightly with foil. Lower heat to 375 degrees and bake until tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Drain off pan liquid and skim off excess fat. Boil rapidly and reduce sauce by half. Sauce should thicken slightly. Spoon over chicken and serve.

Steak au Poivre Recipe

This is a French recipe and is usually served in the best restaurants. Poivre is the French word for pepper. This recipe serves four to six.
Ingredients:
4 lbs. boned sirloin steak, cut about 1-1/2” thick
2 T. freshly cracked whole peppercorns
3/4 t. salt

Very simple procedure: Press cracked black pepper into both sides of meat with palm of hand. Let steak stand at room temperature for about half an hour. Lightly grease a 10- or 12-inch cast iron skillet. Sprinkle with salt and place over high heat until salt begins to brown. Add steak and cook 8-10 minutes on each side. Serve.

With this recipe The Kitchen Mouse enjoys impressing his guests by flaming the dish with brandy just before serving.

Chicken with Mustard Sauce Recipe

Everyone will enjoy this French recipe. Serve it with noodles and a side order of mixed green salad.
Ingredients:
2 T. butter or margarine
2 T. vegetable oil
Serving pieces of chicken for six persons
Salt and pepper
2 onions, chopped
4 T. flour
1-1/2 cups milk
1-1/2 cups chicken broth
3 generous tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 cup chopped fresh  parsley

Step 1. In an electric frying pan, heat the margarine and oil and brown the chicken parts; season, remove and set aside.

Step 2. In remaining fat, cook onion until translucent. To onion, add flour and cook gently, stirring, for five minutes.

Step 3. Combine liquids and heat, bringing nearly to a boil. Add to onion mixture and cook, stirring, until sauce thickens. At this point you may stop and continue later.

Step 4. Bake chicken in 350 degree oven for about one hour or until chicken is tender. Remove chicken to a warm serving platter. To sauce, add mustard and parsley, stirring to blend mixture. Pour over chicken and serve.

Note: The French lady that gave the Kitchen Mouse this recipe also recommends using one large tablespoon of curry powder and two teaspoons of sugar in place of the Dijon mustard. Really can’t say which I prefer!