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Fish Stock

“…..stock is everything in cooking, at least in French cooking. Without it, nothing can be done. If one’s stock is good, what remains of the work is easy; if, on the other hand, it is bad or merely mediocre, it is quite hopeless to expect any thing approaching a satisfactory result.
The workman mindful of success, therefore, will naturally direct his attention to the faultless preparation of his stock, and, in order to achieve this result, he will find it necessary not merely to make use of the freshest and finest goods, but also to exercise the most scrupulous care in their preparation, for, in cooking, care is half the battle.” - Georges Auguste Escoffier (28 October 1846–12 February 1935).

Yesterday I cooked a Grand Fish Stew for a party of six.  It was an intense and flavorful stew that was based on a stock that had a depth of flavors that I had “layered” on in three different phases that stretched throughout the day.  Overall, the stock took several hours to prepare, in three separate phases.

Many of the recipes and principles of cuisine that guide us today can be traced back to a few great, innovative chefs.  The legendary Auguste Escoffier (Executive Chef at the Savoy Hotel in London in the 1890’s and named “the Emporer of Chefs by Kaiser Wilhelm) hit the nail on the head when discussing the importance of stock in his milestone book, “Le Guide Culinaire”.  If you are seriously interested in cookery, I encourage you to research and read more of Escoffier.  He had a dynamic career as chef at some of the finest hotels in Europe including  The Savoy, Grand Hotel Monte Carlo, Hotel Ritz Paris, Grand Hotel Rome, etc.  He is credited with the invention of over 10,000 original recipes, although many of Escoffier’s methods and techniques can be traced back to Antoine Careme (1784-1833).  One of the more bizarre facts about Escoffier’s life is that in 1911, it is reported that he trained Ho Chi Minh as a pastry chef at the Carlton Hotel in London!

Georges Auguste Escoffier (28 October 1846–12 February 1935)

And now, back to the main purpose of this post, to describe how I made the fish stock that was the basis for yesterday’s fish stew:

Ingredients for a large batch (enough stock to use as the basis for a fish stew of 10 – 12 servings):

• 4 lbs fish bones, white-fleshed fish only such as halibut
• 3 cups dry white wine
• 12 cups water
• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced thin
• 1 large or 2 medium onions, sliced and diced
• 2 celery sticks, sliced and diced, no leaves
• 1 medium fennel bulb, sliced and diced
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• handful of celery stalks
• Some fennel tops
• 2 bay leaves
• Sprigs of fresh herbs such as thyme, parsley, savory.
• 2 pinches saffron threads
• 3 tomatoes
• 1 small to medium leak
• 6 cloves garlic, peeledand chopped fine
• Salt
• 4 tomatoes, peeled, sliced and diced

Method, 1st Phase:

Remove gills, fins, organs from fish bones, cut them up, if necessary, into pieces that will fit into a large pan.

Cover with 8 cups of water, 3 cups dry white wine, add salt and bring to the boil.  Remove any foam from the surface and the add the sliced carrots, diced fennel bulb, diced onion, diced celery stalks, black peppercorns and parsley stems.

Bring to a boil, reduce to a slow simmer, cover and cook for 1 hour.

Remove all the bones from the stock and reserve for next phase. Very carefully pick through the stock, using a large “spoon with holes in it” making sure that all of the bones, skin, gristle and any other unpleasant or inedible pieces are removed at this stage.  Leave all the fish pieces and vegetable pieces, they will add texture and thickness to the stock.  Set the1st phase  stock aside for later.

Method, 2nd Phase:

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in another large pan and add the sliced leek and cook until golden and softening.  Add the fish bones from the first phase of stock,  4 cups of water, some salt, and a few black peppercorns.  Bring to the boil and simmer for 1 hour.  Allow this “second” stock to cool and then filter this “2nd phase” stock in chef’s muslin.  Squeeze the muslin to liberate all the liquid and discard the muslin and contents.

Method, 3rd final phase:

After the two stocks have cooled, remove any congealed fat that rises to the surface.  Combine both stocks into one.  In a large pan heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Cook gently until softening. Be careful not to brown or burn the garlic.  Add the tomatoes and stir together and cook gently for 5 minutes ago, stirring to ensure that the garlic does not burn.  Add in the combined stock.  Taste and adjust with salt as necessary.  Add some oregano, thyme, parsley and a bay leaf and simmer very gently for 20 minutes.  Allow to cool and refrigerate if not used within an hour or so.  Although this stock can be frozen and used as required, it is preferable to make the stock, refrigerate and use fresh within a day.

Eggplant Spaghetti

This simple, inexpensive dish tastes really good.  The key to preparing this dish is to thoroughly salt both sides of the eggplant slices and leave them for 30 minutes before rinsing and drying.  This will prevent them from absorbing too much oil during cooking and will help them to retain their light and fluffy texture.

Ingredients (serves 4 to 6)

• 2 eggplant (aka aubergine), sliced into 1/2″ slices with peel left on
• Salt – enough to cover both sides of all eggplant slices
• Extra virgin olive oil, about 1/2 cup
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 can, 24 ozs, of chopped tomatoes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 12 ozs wholewheat spaghetti
• 4 tablespoons fresh basil plus a handful of other fresh herbs of your choice, if you wish (oregano, marjoram, thyme, etc), coarsely chopped
• 4 ozs strong-tasting grating cheese such as pecorino.

Method:

1.  Slice the eggplant into 1/2″ to 3/4″ slices and lay them on a cutting board or other flat surface and sprinkle salt on both sides of the slices and set aside for 30 minutes.

The eggplant is sliced, salted and set aside for 30 minutes.

2.  Start heating a large pot of water to cook the spaghetti in.

3.  Make the sauce while the water is heating and the eggplant slices are sitting in salt.  Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large pan and sauté the chopped onion and chopped garlic until they are soft.

Cooking the onion and garlic in olive oil.

Add the tomatoes and simmer over medium heat until the mixture is reduced to a sauce-like consistency. Season with salt, pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of sugar.  Add half of the coarsely chopped herbs and set the sauce aside for later.

4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees farenheit.  Rinse the salt off the eggplant slices and dry them by patting with paper towels.  Heat one or two tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and quickly fry the eggplant slices, until the surface is slightly browned.

Frying the eggplant slices in olive oil.

Turn the slices over and brown the other sides.  When browned transfer the eggplant slices onto cookie trays and place them in the oven and cook for about 10 to 12 minutes while the spaghetti is cooking.

5.  Put one tablespoon of olive oil and some salt in the boiling water and cook the spaghetti in it until al dente.

6. Drain the cooked spaghetti and toss it in a bowl with the sauce.

The cooked spaghetti is combined with the sauce.

7. Serve by placing the cooked eggplant slices on the plates, placing the spaghetti with sauce on top with a handful of grated cheese and finishing with a generous garnish of the remainder of the chopped herbs.

The spaghetti and sauce are served on the eggplant slices and coverd in grated chees and chopped herbs.

Salmon and Corn Chowder

I went to the fish counter at my local store this morning looking for fish heads and bones to make a fish stock for a fish stew.  The only bones available today were salmon bones.  This fish is way too oily to use for stock but there was a lot of meat on the bones, so I bought them and decided to make a chowder with some fine fresh corn cobs that I saw at the same store.  I came away with about 7 lbs of salmon bones and paid only 50 cents/lb.  I retrieved about 1  1/2 lbs of salmon from the bones, so it was a very economical way of eating delicious fresh salmon (albeit somewhat labor intensive).  To separate the meat from the bones, place all the salmon bones in a large pot of boiling water and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes only.  Drain off the water and discard and place the bones on a large shallow baking tray.  Hand pick the meat off the bones and discard the skin, bones and other remains.  If you prefer not to do this or don’t have access to salmon bones, you can use 1 lb of salmon fillets with the skin and small bones removed instead. 

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 lb salmon with skin and bones removed
• 2 tbs butter
• 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 2 shallots, minced
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 4 medium unpeeled red potatoes, cut into 1/2″ dice
• 2 cups of corn kernels
• 1 cup half and half (this is half cream and half milk)
• Sea salt and ground pepper (white pepper is preferable)
• Fresh dill sprigs for garnish

Method:

Melt 1 tb of olive oil and 1 tb of butter in a pan and cut the salmon into 1″ pieces.  Gently sauté the salmon in the butter and olive oil for about 2 – 3 minutes until the pieces are just opaque on the outside.  Take off the heat and reserve for later.

Mince the shallots and sauté them in the remaining butter and olive oil for about 3 minutes until translucent. 

Add the stock, stir and turn the heat up high until it is boiling.  Add the diced potatoes and reduce to a simmer.  Partially cover and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.

In a blender or food processor put 1/2 cup of the corn kernels and 1/2 cup of the half and half. Purée until smooth and mix this into the chowder.

Add the rest of the half and half and the remaining corn kernels and simmer for about 5 minutes until the corn is tender then add the salmon and cook until it is cooked though, for about 2 minutes. 

 Be very careful not to overcook or the subtle flavors and textures will be diminished.  Season with salt and pepper.

Serve immediately with the fresh dill sprigs as a garnish.

Curried Zucchini / The Fall of the British Raj

Regular readers of this blog know that I am an Englishman living in California.  I moved here when I was 23 years old but go back to the mother country to visit regularly.  Indian influences are very prevalent in English cuisine and Indian food is possibly the most popular food in England.  I recently read that the most-served dish in all English restaurants is Chicken Tikka Masala….    I rest my case!   This popularity may be driven partially by our obsession with the history of the once glorious British Empire but is more likely because there seem to be as many Indian restaurants on every English High Street as there are pubs.  A couple of pints of beer and a curry has long been a mainstay of the English social regime!  For my family, the connection goes deeper.  My grandparents emigrated to India in the 1920’s and my Dad was born in Calcutta in 1924.  He returned to England to go to boarding school when he was five years old, but Granny and Grandad stayed in India pretty much until the fall of the British Raj which occurred in 1947.  Dad joined the Royal Air Force during World War II and was posted to another corner of the British Empire, the Province of Burma, which subsequently gained independence in 1948.  Here’s a great photo of Dad in his Air Force flying jacket around the early 1940’s:

Dad tells a good story about his trip, as a young Flying Officer,  to active duty in Burma.  He managed to persuade his Commanding Officer to give him a couple of days leave on his way to Burma.  Dad arranged to be dropped off in Calcutta and made a surprise visit to his parents’ home there on his 21st birthday.  I can imagine that my grandparents must have been very surprised and proud to see their young moustachioed son on his way to serve his country at war.  When on active duty in Burma, he flew in de Havilland Mosquitoes, a very fast plane of revolutionary design.  Capable of speeds of well over 4oo mph, they were the fastest and most versatile fighter/bombers of their time.  The construction was advanced wood composite made mostly from Ecuadorean balsawood sandwiched between sheets of Canadian birch.

Oh gosh, I am way off subject…   back to the recipe.  This dish is actually quite light and is relatively quick to prepare but really has a nice mixture of complex flavors.  It has a slight bite but is not really “hot”.  Personally, I like the zucchini (courgettes if you are in the U.K.) to be  only cooked slightly so they are still nice and crunchy.  If they are overcooked they get too mushy and the whole dish turns into a sort of Indian-flavored ratatouille, which is not the intent!

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs zucchini
• 1 medium onion
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tbs oil (I use olive oil)
• 3 fat cloves garlic
• 1/4 tsp chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 14 oz can chopped tomatoes
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 tbsp chopped cilantro
• 1 tsp garam masala

Method:

Cut the zucchini into 1/2″ slices.  Slice and chop the onion.

Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the cumin and mustard seeds for 2 or 3 minutes until they begin to pop.

Add the onion and crushed garlic and cook for about 5 minutes until the onions are softened.

Now add the chilli powder, ground coriander, cumin, turmeric and salt a cook for 2 more minutes.  Then add the sliced zucchini and cook for 5 more minutes stirring frequently to ensure that the zucchini pieces are well covered with the spices. 

Mix the tomato paste in with the chopped tomatoes and mix them all into the pan with the water and stir well.  Cover the pan and simmer for 4 minutes, then remove the lid and cook for 4 more minutes.  Stir in the chopped cilantro and garam masala and cook for about 5 more minutes until the zucchini are cooked to your liking (I recommend that you keep them nice and crunchy).

Serve immediately with some Indian bread such as Naan bread.

While digging through old family photos, I came across this family pic from the 50's. Yes, that's me with my tongue out, next to my brother, Andy, who appears to be in pain! Mum and Dad are in the background. I have two more brothers who are not in this photo, but I have some equally embarassing photos of them that I will include in future postings......

Egg Fried in Olive Oil Variation as a Preamble to Woodwork Project

Our home kitchen management committee met last week and it was decided, over a decent bottle of Pinot Noir(2006 Four Clone Pinot Noir, by Curvare, from the Sonoma Coast and Carneros Regions) that we needed a better SMS (Spice Management System). Our inventory had grown and sprawled over several drawers.  So, after breakfast the next day I set about my project.

Breakfast was basically a variation on the one I discribed in this posting a few weeks ago.  I have made a couple of changes, though.  I now use a very small pan, about 3 1/2 or 4 inches in diameter to cook each egg and then cook the mushroom (sliced horizontally) in the remaining oil after spooning the cooked eggs onto the diced tomatoes and toasted breadstick.  The mushroom slices were cooked quickly, after the eggs,  and then poured, with the remaining hot olive oil onto the tomatoes and toast.  I served this on top of lightly toasted vegan breadstick, rolled in sunflower seeds from Judy’s Breadsticks.

This is the finished spice rack which was constructed using standard size clear douglas fir stock of  2  1/2″ x 11/16″, with one coat of sanding sealer and two applications of neutral furniture wax.  The construction features exposed mortice and tenon joinery.  The exposed tenons are shown in the picture below.  I needed that breakfast – there was a lot of hand chiselling to do!  The wire at the front is 1/8″ dia. steel welding rod, cleaned with a 3m pad then waxed.  I have always liked the look of clear Douglas fir.  Here on the West Coast of the USA this wood is very abundant and is the most common wood used as a structural component in wood construction.  It is relatively cheap here and greatly underrated, I think, as a finish wood.

I love cooking but it’s nice, once in a while, to make something that isn’t eaten!

All-In-One Fruit Cake

This is the fruit cake of my childhood.  It was our Dad’s favorite cake and Mum cooked it regularly.  When I grew up and left home Mum would bake it when I visited home.  When I bake this cake now the spicy aromas from the oven bring back a host of childhood memories!  When we were kids and Mum baked this cake, my brothers and I would hang out in the kitchen until the cake was in the oven and, if we’d behaved ourselves, we would be allowed the great privilege of licking the mixing spoon or the mixing bowl!  This is still a great treat for me and one of the pleasures of making this cake.  Try it – you’ll see what I mean!

This is a much lighter, dryer cake than the stereotypical “English-style” dense, fruitcake that most people think of and it can definitely be used as an everyday cake.  I am a great believer in fruit cake as an energy snack – it is much tastier and way more economical than the ubiquitous “energy bar”.   With the ingredients that I use it can be baked for less than $5 (US) and yields about 8 to 10 generous slices, which makes it about 4 times cheaper (and 100 times more delicious) than a mass-produced yukky energy bar.  I recommend that you put a slice of this cake in your packed lunches or bake for your family and friends and enjoy it with a hot cup of tea or a glass of milk.

Ingredients

• 250 gr / 8 0zs self-raising flour
• 1 tsp “Mixed Spice”.  This is a spice product found in the UK that comprises cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and other spices.  In the US, I use: 1 tsp “Pumpkin Pie Spice” plus 1/4 tsp ground Allspice.  When I have been unable to find either of these, I have used 1 tsp Garam Marsala, which is surprisingly good and very aromatic during baking.
• 125 gr / 4 ozs soft margarine or butter softened at room temperature  (I prefer butter, but Mum always used margarine)
• 2 eggs
• 125 ml / 4 fl ozs milk
• 125 gr / 4 ozs caster sugar.  In the US this is called “Baker’s Sugar”. If you can’t find it use regular sugar.
• 375 gr / 12 ozs mixed dried fruit.  In the UK, this is readily available for fruit cakes and comprises sultanas (golden raisins), currants, raisins, orange and lemon peel.  I haven’t been able to find the same mix in the US so I use “Jumbo Raisin Medley” from Trader Joes. It is only $3 /lb and comprises seedless golden light raisins (sultanas), flame raisins and gumbo raisins.

Method

• Grease a 1 kg / 2 lb loaf tin and preheat oven to 160 C / 325 F / gas mark 3
• Sift the flour and spices together into a large mixing bowl and beat them together for 2 -3 minutes until mixed
• Place the cake mixture in the prepared loaf tin and bake in the center of the preheated oven for about 1 hour and 30 minutes.  Test with a knife – if it comes out clean, it is ready!
• Remove from oven and allow the cake to cool in tin for 10 mins then transfer to a cooling rack until completely cooled.

Provençal Fish Soup

This is one of my very favorite recipes. It has similarities to the renowned fish soup Bouillabaisse from Marseilles, although there are many Marseillais who would consider it the worst kind of sacreligious blasphemy to mention the name of their sacred fish soup in the context of a discussion about a fish soup made even five kilometres outside of Marseilles, let alone in California!  Please see a previous posting of mine, Fish Soup: Two Tips From Marcel Pagnol for more about Marseillais’ passion for fish soup.

To me, this soup tastes like the quintessential Provençal recipe.  If served with Aioli you’ll have some of the best Provençal flavors on your table.  I paired this wine with a delicious 2007 Chardonnay from White Oak Vineyards in the Russian River Valley in Sonoma County. This wine has strong lemon and lime aromas combined with oak, vanilla, and charred wood. It is dry, full-bodied and was a good match for the complexity of the soup.

There are two stages to preparing this soup so it can be rather time consuming unless the stock is prepared in advance, which may be a good idea, especially if you are entertaining.  The whole process can take a couple of hours or more if you are not familiar with the recipe.  I speed this along a little by using the pressure cooker to make the fish stock, which is the first stage.

Ingredients for 4 – 6 servings:

3 to 4  pounds of fish bones, from white fish only. Remove gills. I purchase this for 99 cents a pound at the seafood counter of my grocery store.  Often, the bones still have large amounts of meat left on them, which I remove with a sharp knife and reserve to use later.  The bones I used this time were mostly halibut and had a lot of meat on them.

2 medium onions, peeled and sliced

2 medium fennel bulbs, cleaned, sliced

10 medium tomatoes, cut in medium chunks

2 carrots, peeled and sliced

1 leek, tender white part only, cleaned, sliced and diced

12 – 14  cloves of garlic

Olive oil

Salt

Cayenne pepper

10 black peppercorns

1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds

1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds

Herbs:  thyme, fennel tops, cilantro (parsley is good if you don’t have cilantro), bay leaves

2 – 3 pinches Saffron

3 cups dry white wine

1 quart water

1 – 2 pounds of fish fillets (cod, halibut or similar)

1 pound mussels (use clams as well, if you wish)

Up to 1 pound of other seafood such as langoustine, scallops, shrimp, etc

Method:

To make the stock:

Cut up the fish bones into pieces that will fit in your pressure cooker or large deep pan.  Remove the gills.  clean and rinse them.  Peel and slice 2 onions, 2 carrots and 1 fennel bulb. Cut up 5 tomatoes into big chunks and prepare about 8 – 10 garlic cloves.  Remember that these ingredients are for the stock which will be sieved so no need to prepare them too prettily.

Pour 2 -3 tbs olive oil into pressure cooker or large, deep pan over medium heat.  Sauté the fish bones for just a few minutes, turning often. Add 2 sliced carrots, 2 sliced onions,  8 – 10 garlic cloves, 1 sliced fennel bulb, about 5 diced tomatoes, 10 black peppercorns, 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, 1/2 tsp coriander seeds, several sprigs of fresh thyme, some fennel tops and a small bunch of cilantro (or parley), 2 bay leaves and a fat pinch of saffron.  Cook for a few more minutes until things start to soften up a little then add the three cups of dry white wine. Bring to a boil and cook for a few minutes to evaporate the alcohol in the wine.  Add 1 quart of water and some salt.  Bring to a boil, skim off any foam that appears and then (if cooking in pressure cooker) bring to pressure and cook under pressure for 30 minutes OR (if cooking in conventional saucepan) reduce to a medium simmer and cook for one hour.  Strain and reserve the stock for later.

Cut the fish fillets into bite-size pieces and marinate them with any other of the seafood (except for mussels, clams or anything still in shells) in extra virgin olive oil, 3 tbs chopped fennel tops and cilantro (or parsley, whichever you are using), 6 garlic cloves peeled and coarsely chopped and 2 fat pinches of cayenne pepper.  Prepare the mussels by removing the beards and scrubbing shells with stiff brush. Prepare all other shellfish, if you have others.  Set aside the fish and shell fish until later.

In a heavy pan (I use a 5 qt heavy stainless steel sauté pan) pour in 2-3 tbs olive oil.  When hot, add 1 large onion, chopped fine.  Cook for 3 -4 minutes and then add 1 finely diced leek, 1 diced fennel bulb and a fat pinch of saffron.  Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently to avoid browning, for about 8 – 10 minutes until soft.   Then add 6 diced tomatoes (about 1 lb).  Cook for 5 more minutes while stirring frequently.  Add some salt then add the strained fish stock, bring to boil, turn down and simmer for about 5 minutes.

The soup base can be prepared in advance, as described above, and reserved for later.

Just before you are ready to serve bring the soup base to a simmer over medium heat and add the fish.  Cook for 4 minutes then add the shellfish and cook until they have opened up.  Serve with a generous garnish of fresh chopped cilantro or parsley with toasted french bread and aioli (strong garlic mayonnaise made with olive oil).  I will discuss aioli in a future posting.

Please keep in mind that Austin de Croze, in Les Plat Regionaux de France, says that his fish soup, “should be served when the guests are at table. Which is to say that it must not wait, but be waited for.”

Et maintenant………..    à la soupe ! !

Pork Chops, Chicken Breast & Spinach, Poached in Tomato and Herb Sauce

This was an unplanned meal, made on the spur of the moment from ingredients on hand.   I paired this dish with a 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon from Benziger Family Winery, an interesting winery in Sonoma County whose commitment to biodynamic, organic and sustainable farming methods is reflected in the intriguing depth of flavors in their palette of wine offerings.  Although I may not ordinarily pair a Cabernet Sauvignon with pork chops or chicken (a more conventional pairing would be a Merlot, Chardonnay or even a Pinot Noir)  the depth of flavors from cooking the chicken and  pork chop together with  sage, thyme, bay leaves, tomatoes, onions and garlic, and combining them with the mineral earthiness of spinach demanded a wine that complimented and created resonance with the earthy herbs and minerals in this dish. The Benziger Cabernet Sauvignon was a good choice and I would recommend it for it’s rich fruit intensity, hints of earth, spice, minerals, toasted oak and other flavors that created both harmony and counterpoint to this dish.

Ingredients (for four)

2 pork chops and 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 onion, peeled and sliced

3 cloves garlic, peeled and diced

1 lb spinach, washed and picked over to remove any unappealing leaves

8 medium sized Yukon Gold potatoes

1 medium yellow carrot, sliced wafer thin

5 or 6 good sized tomatoes,  diced into medium size pieces

1 glass Cabernet Sauvignon

2 tb chopped fresh sage (if dried, use only 2 tsp)

5 or 6 good sprigs of fresh thyme (1  1/2 tsp if dried)

2 bay leaves

2 tbs extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt or kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For Salad:

2 or 3 heirloom tomatoes, washed and sliced

Salt

1  1/2 tbs fresh chopped basil

1 small fresh goats cheese, of sufficient size for 4 small portions (serve at room temperature of slightly warm)

4 slices of sourdough wholewheat bread, lightly toasted and sliced horizontally.

Method:

Heat the olive oil in a large deep sauté pan – I use a Tramontina 5 Qt deep sauté pan that looks like this:   It’s my very favorite pan and I use it all the time.  Add the sliced onion and diced garlic, cook over medium heat for a few minutes until golden then add the pork chops and chicken breasts.  Cook the chops and chicken for a few minutes, turning once or twice,  until they are somewhat browned on the outside.  Be careful not to overcook or to cook too hot.  Add the tomatoes, mixing them into the onion and garlic mixture.  Cook for 3 or 4 minutes until softened and then stir the sage, thyme and red wine into the tomato mix and then add the bay leaves, salt and pepper.  Cover the pan and poach at a medium simmer until the chops and chicken are nearly cooked through.  This could be approximately 10 to 20 minutes depending on the thickness of the meat.  I like chicken and pork to be cooked only just past the point where the meat is no longer pink in the center.  This preserves it’s tenderness.

While the meat and stew are cooking, wash the potatoes, cover them with water and boil until they are cooked through but still firmish in the center.

When the meat is cooked through, taste the “stew” and adjust with salt and pepper to your taste. Add the washed spinach on top of the stew, then layer  the wafer-thin slices of yellow carrots over the spinach. Cover the pan (this is why a large pan is required – 1lb of uncooked spinach is quite voluminous, but will cook down to a fraction of that size quickly).  Cook with the cover on the pan for several more minutes until the spinach is cooked and reduced in volume.  Serve with the boiled potatoes

Salad:

Place several slices of tomato on each salad plate and sprinkle with a little salt and chopped fresh basil.  Place a small serving of the warm goat cheese in the center and serve with toasted wholewheat sourdough bread.

Fish Soup: Two Tips From Marcel Pagnol

Over the years I’ve used several different recipes for fish soup.  Essentially, I make a strong fish stock with plenty of garlic, herbs, etc, then cook mussels, and a variety of other sea food in the stock  along with several different vegetables and herbs and serve it with  a fresh cilantro garnish and a rouille (a spicy garlic mayonnaise) spread on toasted wholewheat sourdough bread. This is definitely one of my favorite meals and I’ve been making a few changes to the recipe so I’ll post it when I’m satisfied with the final version.  It’s a somewhat elaborate recipe so the whole production is a bit of a time consumer, but it is WELL worth the effort so watch this space!

In the meantime this weekend I watched three of  Marcel Pagnol’s many great films,  Marius (1931), Fanny (1933) and César (1936).  The three films together are known as the Fanny Trilogy or the Marseille Trilogy.  Pagnol, a teacher and playwright turned filmmaker, came from Marseille and was reputedly very fond of Bouillabaisse, as is suggested by Fernandel, an actor who worked with Pagnol on several projects and said:  “With Marcel Pagnol, making a film is first of all going to Marseille, then eating some bouillabaisse with a friend, talking about the rain or the beautiful weather, and finally if there is a spare moment, shooting.”

The characters in the film are bar owners, merchants, sailors and others who live and work on the waterfront in Marseille.  Pagnol shows a great fondness for all these characters and depicts them with enormous humor and endearment.   After losing a game of Boules (Pétanque), César accuses his opponent of cheating and showers him with insults, including the worst possible insult for a Marseillais, a slur on his wife’s fish soup.  This scene also contains two very good tips on making fish soup:

This scene is absolutely hilarious but contains some sage advice about cooking fish stew: 1. Use fresh fish, and 2. Use good water.  Throughout Pagnol’s films, there are all kinds of comic insights into food, wine, aperitifs and, one of Pagnol’s other great passions, the game of boules.  Keep checking in, I’m sure I’ll be referring to some of these in future posts.