Patricia Wells at Home in Provence - Recipes

Provence is uniquely blessed with natural beauty as well as some of the world's most appealing foods and liveliest wines. Patricia's culinary skills have transformed the signature ingredients of this quintessential French countryside into recipes so satisfying and exciting they will instantly become part of your daily repertoire.
Here are 175 recipes from Patricia's farmhouse kitchen. Simple but imaginative "palate openers" such as Tuna Tapenade are followed by a profusion of salads, from All-Star Herb Salad, which captures the essence of the herb garden in a single bite, to the vibrant, cream-dressed greens of the Cheesemaker's Salad.
Vegetables have a special place in the hearts and palates of Provence's cooks, so Patricia presents an entire chapter of quick-and-easy vegetable creations.
Soul-satisfying soups have their own chapter, with such delights as Summer Pistou and the deeply flavorful Caramelized Fennel Soup. Pastas, too, are on the menu, with inventive dishes like Provencal Penne and Spaghetti with Green Olive Puttanesca, inspired by the produce of Patricia's village market. A chapter on breads includes everything from Crusty Wheat & Polenta Bread to an olive oil brioche, a local classic.
Poultry and game are represented with everything from Butter-Roasted Herbed Chicken to Monsieur Henny's Rabbit Bouillabaisse. In the fish and shellfish department, you will savor Seared Pancetta-Wrapped Cod and The Vaison Fishmonger's Fresh Tuna Casserole. When it comes to meat, Patricia offers recipes for earthy daubes, the slow-simmered almost-stews so beloved by the French, along with homey favorites like Lemon-Thyme Lamb Chops, and Spit-Roasted Brine-Cured Pork.
To round out the meal, there is a treasure trove of desserts based on seasonal fruits - Cherry-Almond Tart, Winemaker's Grape Cake, and Patricia's Apricot-Honey-Almond Tart, as effortless as child's play but as impressive as the most exacting work of the pastry-maker's art.

Excerpt

Chapter 1

PALATE OPENERS & APPETIZERS

At chanteduc, the aperitif hour signals the end of the work day, the beginning of the play day. Whether it's a lively session with the mason to work out the design on a new bread oven, a social gathering with the winemaker and his wife, or simply a time to catch up on events with neighbors or visiting guests, the end of the day is synonymous with the cocktail hour, the sunset hour. It's then that bottles of anise-flavored pastis and homemade liqueurs, bowls of home-cured olives, thin slices of local black-olive-stuffed sausages, tapenade, and varied cheese spreads are brought out to the sunset terrace, to begin the evening's relaxation in earnest. The following are some of my favorite palate openers, ranging from the simple Smoked Trout Tartare to the elegant Curried Zucchini Blossoms, food designed to assuage hunger as well as stimulate the appetite for what's to come.

ANNE'S GOAT CHEESE GRATIN

Anne Macrae is a Scottish neighbor in Provence who shares my love of simple, big tastes. She served this luscious gratin one spring evening and explained that she devised the recipe when she and her husband, John, lived in an isolated part of northern Provence, in the Drôme. There were no fresh-produce markets nearby, but thanks to neighboring farmers she always had plenty of fresh goat's milk cheese - known as tomme. Her larder was always filled with the meaty black olives from nearby Nyons, and wild herbs were as near as the back door. In summer months Anne prepares the sizzling, fragrant first course with fresh tomatoes, and in the winter months she uses canned tomatoes. That evening she served the gratin in individual gratin dishes, but I suggested it might be easier to make one huge gratin and pass it around. "I used to do that," she countered, "but people got greedy and never left enough for the other guests!" So controlled portions it is! This dish lends itself to endless variations: Think of it simply as a pizza without the crust. Add julienned bits of prosciutto, a bit of cooked sausage, sautéed mushrooms, or marinated artichokes. It's also a convenient dish when you're alone and want something warm and quick. I always add fresh hyssop, for the Provençal herb's pungent, mintlike flavor blends well with the tomato-cheese-olive trinity.

EQUIPMENT: Six shallow 6-inch (15-cm) round gratin dishes or one 10 1/2-inch (27-cm) round baking dish

About 10 ounces (300 g) soft goat cheese or a mix of rindless soft goat and cow or sheep's milk cheese, cubed
2 teaspoons minced fresh hyssop leaves (optional)
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary leaves
2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano leaves or a pinch of dried leaf oregano, crushed
1 1/2 to 2 cups (33 to 50 cl) homemade Tomato Sauce (page 325), at room temperature
About 24 best-quality black olives (such as French Nyons), pitted

1. Preheat the broiler.

2. Scatter the cheese on the bottom of the baking dish or dishes. Sprinkle with half of the herbs. Spoon on just enough tomato sauce to evenly coat the cheese. Sprinkle with olives and the remaining herbs.

3. Place the baking dish or dishes under the broiler about 3 inches (8 cm) from the heat. Broil until the cheese is melted and fragrant, and the tomato sauce is sizzling, 2 to 3 minutes.

SIX SERVINGS

WINE SUGGESTION: Think of what you'd normally serve with pizza; a pleasant, vigorous red such as a young French Corbières from the Roussillon, a dry Italian red such as a Barbera d'Alba, an Australian Shiraz, or a California Zinfandel.

SMOKED TROUT TARTARE

Not far from our village in Provence there's a trout farm begun centuries ago in the town of Suze-la-Rousse. The farm smokes its own salmon trout, curing it lightly with the local olive oil. I always have the delicacy on hand and love to serve it plain on rounds of homemade toast topped with nothing but snippets of dill from my garden. I also prepare it "tartare style," that is, hand-chopped bits tossed with crème fraîche and dill. The dish is easy to prepare and requires nothing more than a sharp knife and a clean cutting board. (Do not attempt it in the food processor; even if you are careful, the mixture turns mushy. Hand chopping brings out the quality and flavor of the fish that tends to be masked in the food processor.) Usually, no salt is necessary since the smoking process imparts a pungency of its own.

This makes a great appetizer served either with drinks in the living room or individually plated and served before the first course. Accompany with slices of toasted bread or with Pompe à l'Huile: Provençal Olive Oil Brioche (page 167) prepared with added fennel seeds.

About 4 ounces (125 g) thinly sliced smoked trout or smoked salmon
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons fresh dill or fennel fronds, snipped with a scissors

1. Trim any unwanted bits and ends from the fish. Lay each slice flat on a cutting board and cut into thin, matchstick-size strips, keeping the strips evenly aligned. Cut crosswise into tiny cubes of fish about the size of the fat end of a pencil. (You want a kind of elegantly chunky, not a mashed, tartare.) Toss with the cream and dill.

2. Serve on chilled salad plates with tiny mounds of dressed herbs or lettuce alongside. If desired, garnish with additional fennel or dill. Or serve atop slices of freshly toasted bread, such as the variation of Pompe à l'Huile prepared with added fennel seeds.

ABOUT ONE CUP (25 CL) OR FOUR SERVINGS

WINE SUGGESTIONS: A dry white wine goes nicely with this smoked tartare. Try a fresh and fragrant French Sancerre, an oak-aged California or New Zealand Fumé Blanc, or a California or French Riesling.

HERB-CURED FILET OF BEEF: CARPACCIO

This is a fabulous preparation, ideal for those who love the qualities of a classic carpaccio but look for more herbal flavors in their food. Quite simply, a filet of beef is marinated for forty-eight hours in a mixture of sea salt, tarragon, parsley, basil, and thyme, then sliced very thin, carpaccio-style. The herbs permeate the beef, making for a lively, delicious warm-weather appetizer. Note that the herbs need not be stemmed here since they are used simply to flavor the beef and will not be consumed.

8 sprigs of fresh tarragon, rinsed and dried
8 sprigs of fresh parsley, rinsed and dried
8 sprigs of fresh basil, rinsed and dried
10 sprigs of fresh thyme, rinsed and dried
1 1/2 tablespoons coarse sea salt
1-pound (500-g) filet of beef, rinsed and patted dry

1. On a piece of aluminum foil large enough to wrap the beef, place half the herbs in a single bed. Sprinkle with half the salt. Place the beef on top of the herbs. Add the rest of the herbs and the salt on top of the beef. Wrap securely in the foil and place on a large plate to catch any juices that might run from the beef. Refrigerate for 48 hours.

2. Two hours before serving the beef, transfer to the freezer to firm it up and to make slicing easier. Unwrap the beef. With the tip of a knife, brush aside the herbs and salt. With a very sharp knife or an electric slicer, cut the beef as thinly as possible.

3. Serve as you would any carpaccio, with thin slices overlapping on a chilled salad plate, drizzled with olive oil and plenty of coarsely ground black pepper. For a wholesome salad, drape slices of cured beef over dressed arugula, then drizzle with oil and garnish with Parmesan shavings. (I find that the beef stays perky and fresh for three days more. If any is left over, chop it finely, form into patties, and fry it up as a luxury hamburger.)

TWENTY SERVINGS

WINE SUGGESTIONS: A good choice would be a red Sancerre, a Tavel rosé, or - if you can find a bottle - a Ladoix-Serrigny from northern Burgundy, a wine that marries remarkably well with the flavors of rare or raw meat.

LOU CANESTÉOU'S CHEESE CHIPS

These cheese chips make an ideal appetizer - the richness and the saltiness stimulate the palate, as all good appetizers must. I prepare these with the firm Provençal sheep's milk cheese I buy at our village cheese shop, Lou Canestéou. The earthy, buttery cheese (which resembles sheep's milk cheese from the Basque region of France) melts beautifully and rewards the palate with a tangy richness. You will have greater success if the cheese is grated while cold so that the cheese does not clump up or stick to the bowl.

4 ounces (125 g) imported French sheep's milk cheese or Dutch Gouda or Monterey Jack cheese, rind removed

1. Preheat the broiler.

2. With a hand grater, grate the cheese into a small bowl.

3. With your fingers, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of grated cheese into a 2-inch (5-cm) round (metal cookie cutter) onto a cold nonstick baking sheet. Take care to spread the cheese out as thin as possible so that it cooks evenly. Leave enough space between rounds to allow the cheese to spread out as it cooks.

4. Place the baking sheet under the broiler about 3 inches (8 cm) from the heat. Keeping the oven door slightly ajar, watch the cheese very carefully as it bubbles, turns lacy, and browns slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. When the bubbling subsides, the baking sheet can be removed from the oven. If some of the chips are not fully cooked on the edges, rotate the pan and keep them under the heat until they are done. (If making chips in batches, take care that the baking sheet is cooled before preparing the next batch.)

5. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow the chips to cool and firm up, 1 to 2 minutes. Using a spatula, carefully transfer the chips to a cooling rack. Serve as appetizers. (The chips can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week.)

TWENTY-FIVE TO THIRTY CHIPS

WINE SUGGESTIONS: The ideal wine here is, of course, a few sips of bubbly pink champagne or try a Clairette de Die from the Drôme.

JR'S SHRIMP WITH BASIL

When I first offered cooking classes at Chanteduc, French chef Joël Robuchon volunteered to inaugurate the school. I would have been a fool to turn him down! He came with an entourage and prepared a feast to remember. I was up at 5 A.M. to fire up the bread oven for his homemade sourdough rolls as well as a guinea hen stuffed with foie gras and set on a bed of potatoes, a recipe worked on together for our book Simply French.

The lunch began with sips of cool, bubbly champagne and these delicacies: golden, deep-fried Mediterranean pastry twisted around sea-fresh langoustines and dipped in a vibrant green basil sauce. At home, fresh giant shrimp are a worthy substitute. For a festive and elegant winter touch, the basil leaves wrapped around the shrimp can be replaced by thin slices of fresh black truffles. The truffles do a remarkable job of bringing out the iodine-rich essence of the sea.

1 bunch of fresh basil, leaves only, washed and dried
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
1/2 cup (12.5 cl) extra-virgin olive oil
2 spring onions, peeled and finely chopped
Several tablespoons chicken stock (if necessary)
12 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Fine sea salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
About 4 sheets of phyllo dough (cut into twelve 6-inch [15-cm] squares)
12 small toothpicks
2 quarts (2 l) vegetable oil (peanut or safflower) for deep frying

1. Set aside about 12 leaves of basil for decoration. In a large saucepan, bring 1 quart (1 l) of water to a rolling boil over high heat. Add the coarse sea salt and remaining leaves of basil. Blanch for 2 minutes. Transfer to a fine-mesh sieve and refresh under cold running water to stop further cooking and maintain the rich green color. Drain again. Transfer the leaves to the bowl of a food processor and puree. Set aside.

2. In a medium-size skillet, combine the olive oil and onions, and cook gently over low heat just until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onions to the basil puree and stir to blend. Set aside. (This can be done several hours in advance.)

3. At serving time, warm the basil puree in the top of a double boiler set over lightly simmering water. If the basil puree is too thick, add a bit of warmed chicken stock to thin it.

4. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Place a shrimp at the corner of each square of phyllo. Place a basil leaf on top of the shrimp and roll tightly in the phyllo. Twist the ends in opposite directions to form a bow. Secure by piercing the shrimp in the center of the roll with a toothpick. Repeat for the remaining shrimp. The shrimp should not be rolled in advance.

5. Place the oil in a heavy 3-quart (3-1) saucepan or use a deep-fat fryer. The oil should be at least 2 inches (5 cm) deep. Place a deep-fry thermometer and a wire skimmer in the oil and heat the oil to 320°F (160°C). Add the reserved basil leaves and fry until crisp, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove and transfer to paper towels to drain. Season each side of each leaf with fine sea salt. Set aside.

6. Bring the oil to 375°F (190°C). Fry the shrimp in batches, 3 to 4 at a time, until the pastry is crisp and lightly browned, about 1 minute. Remove and transfer to paper towels to drain.

7. To serve as appetizers, place the shrimp and basil leaves on a large warmed platter. Place the warmed basil puree in a small bowl for dipping. To serve as a first course, place a shrimp on a small, warm plate with a bit of warmed basil puree around it and add a few fried basil leaves for decoration. Serve additional sauce on the side.

TWELVE SERVINGS

WINE SUGGESTION: Champagne is the ideal accompaniment. For a very festive occasion, try a vintage pink champagne from the house of Billecart-Salmon.

TIP: Ever have a problem with food sticking to the skimmer when you attempt to retrieve fried food? It won't happen if you warm the skimmer as you heat the oil.

CURRIED ZUCCHINI BLOSSOMS

Everyone who has a garden in Provence grows zucchini, and with that versatile green vegetable (which grows from the female portion of the plant) you have the advantage of the showy golden flowers (which sprout from the male portion). The flowers which grow in Provence from June to early September - are always picked in the early morning while they are still firm and open. At our local farmer's market, farmers sell the home-grown flowers in neat little bundles. One Saturday a farmer offered me a baker's dozen, thirteen. Then he asked if I was superstitious. When I said no, he responded that he was, so he upped the number to fourteen blossoms for the evening's appetizer! The blossoms are extremely delicate and fragile, and should be cooked the day they are picked. Place the stems in a vase of water as soon as possible to keep them fresh and unwilted. If zucchini blossoms are not readily at hand, the same deep-fried delicacies can be prepared with fresh zucchini slices.

This batter - prepared with superfine flour to make sure it is smooth - is lighter than a classic fritter or beignet batter prepared with eggs.

Continues...

Excerpted from PATRICIA WELLS AT HOME IN PROVENCEby Freson, Robert Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.Copyright © 2002 A. S. Byatt
All right reserved.