French with Nicole

  This is one of the simplest recipes in French cuisine.  No cream, butter or sugar required! It is perfect for whenever you feel like a treat. Smooth, light and delicious, who needs a special occasion? In French - the word for mousse is a synonym for the word for foam, probably because of its light and airy texture.       Preparation time: 15 minutes      No cooking      Refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours      Serves 6  Ingredients: 6 large eggs at room temperature 200gr dark chocolate (60% cocoa)   Method Gently melt the chocolate in a bain-marie (A bowl above a pan of gently boiling water - make sure that the bowl does not touch the boiling water) Using two bowls, separate the egg yolks from the whites (use a larger bowl for the egg whites)  Off the heat, combine the egg yolk with the melted chocolate Beat the egg whites to a soft peak – make sure that you do not over whip them, as it will be difficult to fold them in if they are too thick. Gently and gradually, fo

There are numerous versions of this classic dish, including adding cheese. This is the recipe I leant from Gille at the Tournebroche in Saint Romain la Motte. Gille bought the business premises from my grand-parents. I spent many happy hours helping them in the " café et épicerie"  until they retired.  I carried on working at the Tournebroche until I left for university. I have included for you the French version of the recipe. Gille always used to prepare the first half of the recipe the day before and left the potatoes to soak overnight in the milk. I ngrédients: 1.5 kg de pommes de terre à chair ferme                                1.5 kg waxy potatoes 500 ml de crème fraiche                                                                 500 ml single cream I litre de lait entier                                                                             1 litre of milk                                                      Poivre en poudre                          

  White wine or sparkling wine? The choice is yours!

Classic French 75 cocktail is named after the 75 mm artillery gun 1897 used by the French military in WW1 - it was not only known for its accuracy and speed but also for its kick!

Cremant is certainly getting popular. Depending on the region (Limoux, Loire, Bourgogne, Jura etx...), the taste will defer but the producing method remains the same. Keep your eyes opened as they are available in most supermarkets.  

Have you had the chance to try Chaource yet? Delicious!!!

  Pears poached in Beaujolais wine... Beautiful desert to enjoy any seasons. 

What's not to like? cold meat, new potatoes and melting cheese!

Coq au vin embodies the true spirit of French cuisine – a delicious rustic dish for the family to enjoy together. This used to be one of my grandmother's speciality! It appears that its origin dates as far back as Roman times. The classic version of the dish calls for red wine, specifically Burgundy. However different areas of France have their own versions; coq au vin jaune (Jura), coq au Riesling (Alsace) and coq au Champagne . The dish does require extra efforts but it is certainly worth it! Cooking time: about 1h30 + marinating overnight Ingredients :  F or the marinade Large chicken cut into pieces 3 carrots roughly chopped 2 celery sticks roughly chopped 500 ml of Burgundy or a decent quality wine   For the dish 2 tbsp of flour 50 g butter 1 tbsp vegetable oil 1 large chopped onion 225 g chopped streaky bacon or lardon 50 ml brandy 2 crushed garlic cloves 3 bay leaves 4 sprigs of thyme 125 g butter 100 g silver skin onions 200 g baby mushrooms   Method : Remove the chicken

A speciality from the South of France. Pissaladiere brings some sunshine into your home! Ingredients 1 kg thinly sliced onions 30 g butter 2 tbsp olive oil + 1 tbsp for brushing the pastry 1 pack ready made puff pastry  2 x  80 g   cans of anchovies Hand full black pitted olives Thyme leaves for decoration Method Preheat the oven to 200C In a frying pan, cook the onions in the butter and olive oil on a very low heat, stirring occasionally. This can take up to 20 minutes. The onions must not go brown! Roll out the pastry into a rectangle. Place on a greased baking tray and brush with olive oil . Cover with the onion mixture. Arrange the anchovies, making a crisscross pattern . Scatter the black olives on the top the mixture. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes until the dough is cooked and lightly brown. Garnish with thyme leaves and serve warm. My tips Pissaladiere is also a great addition to a picnic: cut into squares and enjoy! Also works well using a French baguette as a base.

Lardon, potatoes and cheese! What's not to like?  A wonderful and satisfying dish to enjoy on a cold winter night.  Cooking time: about 30 minutes Ingredients : 1kg of charlotte potatoes peeled 250 g lardon (or chopped bacon) 3 thinly sliced shallots 25 g butter 1 chopped garlic clove 100ml white wine A whole Roblochon Method: Preheat the oven to 200 C. Cook the potatoes in salted water until tender (about 8 minutes), Drain and set aside, Fry the lardon in the butter with the shallots and chopped garlic for 5/8 minutes, Add the white wine and let the liquid reduce. Thinly slice the potatoes. In an ovenproof dish, layer the potatoes with the shallot mixture. Season well. Slice the Roblochon cheese horizontally. Place the 2 halves skin down on top of the layers. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes. My tips: If you feel very indulgent, pour 100 ml of cream on the potatoes before placing the cheese. Gruyere, Muster, Raclette cheese or a ripe camembert can be

By tradition Clafoutis are usually made with cherries. I remember my mother baking away during the cherry season! Delicious warm after lunch or dinner but also made a great afternoon snack!   Cooking time: 40/45 minutes Ingredients : 500 g of plums 4 large eggs 70 g sugar Pinch of salt 60 g flour 500 ml of milk A pink of sugar Method: Pre-heat the oven to 175 C Cut the plums in 2 and de-stone Lay the plums face down in a greased oven dish. In a bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar, add the pinch of salt, the flour and then the milk. Pour the batter over the plums. Bake in the oven for 40 to 50 minutes. Sprinkle with a pinch of sugar as soon as the clafoutis comes out of the oven. Serve warm but can be eaten cold. My tips   Add a large spoon of thick cream for a more decadent dessert.   Add more sugar if you have a sweet tooth.   Add 10 cl of kirsch or brandy as an option. Although not included in the traditional recipe but you may also add a tsp of vanilla

 A beautiful casserole to share on a cold winter night! Preparation and cooking time: about 3 hours Ingredients : 200 g smoked lardon cut into strips (or smoked bacon rashers) 10 peeled baby onions 2 tsp rapeseed oil 100 g of butter 1.6 kg of braising steak cut into large cubes 60 g of flour 50 cl of red wine 40 cl warm beef stock Bouquet garni 200 g button mushrooms French chopped parsley Method: Preheat the oven to 150 c. Heat up 80 g of the butter and 1 tsp of oil in a large ovenproof casserole. Fry the smoked lardon and baby onion over a medium heat until golden. Reserve to one side. Add 20 g of butter and 1 tsp of oil and brown the meat in batches. Sprinkle the meat with the flour and stir continuously for a few minutes. Add the red wine, the beef stock, lardon and onions, bouquet garni, salt and pepper. Cover and transfer to the oven and bake for 2h. Add 200 g of button mushrooms (cut in half if large) and cook for a further 30 minutes Check the casser

  The secret lies with cooking the onions very slowly until almost translucent! Soupe à l'oignon is traditionally served in the early hours of the morning to round up a French party, It actually works wonders to settle your stomach! Preparation and cooking time: about an hour Ingredients : 2 large sliced onions 40 g butter 2 tsp sugar 150 ml red wine 750 ml beef stock 100 g grated Gruy è re one French baguette Method: ·          On a low heat shallow fry the onion in the butter until they are almost translucent. (they must not go brown). ·          Sprinkle with the sugar and cook for a further 8/10 minutes until the onions are caramelized. Make sure that the onions don’t burn! ·          Add the red wine and gently scrape the bottom of the pan. ·          Bring to the boil and add the beef stock. ·          Add seasoning and simmer gently for about 30 minutes. ·          You can cool the soup down and reheat it when needed. ·          Ladle into ovenproof bowls. ·

  Jurançon  is an Appellation Controlée producing both sweet white wine – Jurançon Moelleux (about 70% of the production) but also dry white wines - Jurançon Sec . The small wine region lies in a beautiful hidden corner of South West France in the department of the Pyrénées Atlantiques. The scenery is quite stunning with steep rolling hills, verdant green trees with the beautiful Pyrenean Mountain as a backdrop. The area includes about 25 “ commnunes ” ( districts ) where vineyards are tiny parcels interspersed between agricultural or livestock farms.  The two principal grapes grown in the area are  Petit Manseng  and  Gros Manseng. As it is so hilly, a good percentage of the vines are terraced and arranged to face south or southeast for maximum sun exposure. By law harvest has to be done by hand, making harvesting incredibly physical and requiring a high fitness level.  Beats going to the gym! The area produces two types of wine:  Jurançon sec is mainly made with Gros Manseng

Although  quiche  is now a classic dish of French cuisine, it actually originated from Germany, in the medieval kingdom of Lothringen . The area became part of the French territory after the end of WW1 and was renamed  Lorraine . The original ' quiche Lorraine ' was an open pie with a filling consisting of an egg and cream custard with smoked bacon. The cheese was added at a later date. French people will prefer to eat the quiche hot but it can also be served cold. You may also opt to use ready-made pastry to make it even easier. Ingredients :  Pastry:  175 g of flour 85 g of butter Quiche filling:  175 g smoked streaky bacon cut into strips (or lardon) 1 onion, peeled and chopped 125 g grated Gruyere 2 large eggs 250 ml single cream pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper For the pastry :  Tip the flour in a large bowl and add the butter. Gently rub with your finger tips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add 3 tbsp of cold water until the pastry comes together in a