Several weeks ago, a neighbour lent me her school cookery book from the 1950s. It is a wonderful guide to the basics of French cooking, and contains dozens of recipes that should be preserved for posterity. The book builds on previous recipes, assuming that students will work their way through from start to finish. Flipping through, the recipe for friands caught my eye - it requires a portion of puff pastry (covered earlier in the book), some ham, and a half portion of mornay sauce (also covered in a previous chapter). Later in the book, basic preparations for preserves, tarts, pâtés, and stews all build on the skills learned earlier. To cook your way through the book, from start to finish, is to get an education in traditional French home cooking. Unfortunately, I won't have access to the book for long enough to copy it out - and translate it - in full. I do, however, have time to present some of the greatest hits in the form of forgotten classics.
3 shallots
1 medium white onion
1 tbsp goose fat
1 small glass white wine
1 tbsp plain flour
2 black truffles
1. Finely chop the shallots and the onion, but keep them separated.
2. In a frying pan over a medium heat, soften the shallots in half the goose fat until translucent. Once softened, add the white wine to the pan and continue to cook over a low heat.
3. In a separate pan, soften the onion in the other half of the goose fat. Stir in the flour and add enough water to keep the mixture moist, forming a roux.
4. Add the roux to the white wine sauce, whisking until the roux has been fully incorporated with no lumps. Once mixed, cook over a gentle heat for one hour.
5. Just before serving, finely slice the truffles and add to the sauce. Cook for a further 3-5 minutes, then serve.
Serve with red meat.
3 shallots
1 medium white onion
1 tbsp goose fat
1 small glass white wine
1 tbsp plain flour
2 black truffles
1. Finely chop the shallots and the onion, but keep them separated.
2. In a frying pan over a medium heat, soften the shallots in half the goose fat until translucent. Once softened, add the white wine to the pan and continue to cook over a low heat.
3. In a separate pan, soften the onion in the other half of the goose fat. Stir in the flour and add enough water to keep the mixture moist, forming a roux.
4. Add the roux to the white wine sauce, whisking until the roux has been fully incorporated with no lumps. Once mixed, cook over a gentle heat for one hour.
5. Just before serving, finely slice the truffles and add to the sauce. Cook for a further 3-5 minutes, then serve.
Serve with red meat.
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