To those who do not know her well, France is Paris—Notre Dame and the Champs Elysées and the bookstalls along the Seine, the Madeleine and the Louvre and the Place Pigalle.
But France to her intimates is more than that. Much more. Those who love France know that her heart beats not only in the big cities, but also in the tiniest villages and in the smallest cafés, chez le marchand de tabac, and in the market places. Yes, France comes to life especially in the market places with their neat, symmetrical piles of vegetables, greens and fruits, for she is basically an agricultural land with a bountiful soil. A newly arrived visitor to a small French town would find it rustic, quaint and unsophisticated, but he would find no lack of sophistication in the cuisine. Where ever you go in France, you discover a subtlety and perfect finesse in the regional specialtiés and the vins du pays.
Moulins is a typical small town. Becomingly aged by time, and gently treated by nature, it is the kind of village that gives a visitor the feel of France. Moulins is wonderful in May, but it will not look to you as it did to me at the turn of the century when I first went there as an apprentice chef. Wars leave their scars, and, in addition, in the new ways of a modern world some of the charm of the old is inevitably lost.
Moulins is set in a verdant countryside dotted with beautiful old châteaux and peaceful farms. In the town proper, stately mansions that used to be the homes of the local aristocracy border quiet streets lined with well-trimmed trees. Sonic of these mansions face each other across shaded courts like the Cours Anatole France which you can see from the entrance to the Grand Hôtel de Paris. The town has a pleasant climate, neither too cold in winter nor too hot in summer. Winding its way through the local country, the Allier River provides summer fishing and boating. In the fall there is good hunting. No wonder the beau monde of Paris likes to maintain châteaux at Moulins and eventually to settle in this retreat when it tires of the push and crush of the city.
The rue de l'Evêché is in the business section of the town, near the Hôtel de Ville. Walk along this street of the diocese and you will arrive at the Maison Calondre, where I trained as a chef. Only recently I visited it again to find, as I had expected, that it had changed considerably within the past fifty years, Now it is a fine pastry shop. Then it was that and more. It was, en effet, the foremost catering establishment of the vicinity. As I remember it in 1898, it boasted mirrored walls outlined in shiny metal, probably nickel. Glass-enclosed marble counters displayed orderly rows of exquisite pastries; there must have been dozens of different varieties. Chairs of intricately patterned ironwork surrounded the marble-topped tables. In the center of the shop, a round, tiered stand held bottles of sherry, port, Madeira and various liqueurs. These were served with tiny pastries to the ladies who came to the shop to plan their party menus and to place their orders. The daughters of prominent local families would come too, when they had completed their études at the local lycée. They attracted the officiers and the sousofficiers from the Dixième Régiment de Chasseurs à Cheval, many of them titled young men, who came ostensibly for a bite or two of pastry and a glass of wine, hut actually for the mild flirtations and covert glances—and dinner invitations which might be forthcoming. It was all very gay, very friendly, and, as the French say, intime. When Madame Calondre, who took charge of the shop, spoke with many of the customers, she used to tutoyer them—using the familiar tu instead of vous — because she had known them since they were children. Such a circumstance would be rare, indeed, in a city the size of Paris.
I watched the arrivals and departures of these beaux and their belles as though they were characters in a pièce de thé âtre. In retrospect, the Maison Calondre seems like a stage set with a dramatic charm all its own. I can see why Frenchmen have tried to open similar places in New York, and I can also see why they have never been able to capture the essence of the mood. The leisurely manner, the intimate graciousness that always combines with it a certain formality, are not compatible with New York's always quickening tempo.
We apprentis lived upstairs, over the shop, in a large room arranged like a dormitory. And each evening before going to bed, 1 would write in a notebook the things I had learned during the day. I still have those notebooks and 1 like to turn to them when I plan these classes in our classic French cuisine. Going back over the faded pages, I find myself recalling my mistakes. 1 also recall the little tricks of the chef's trade which I did not immediately comprehend, and the times when only the sure hand of Monsieur Calondre saved me from serious failure. These notebooks serve to remind me of details which I must emphasize if J am to be your teacher.
So we will continue with the subject of eggs. Last time, I discussed methods of cooking the egg. Now I want to discuss the dishes which contain eggs as an essential ingredient—the hollandaise, béarnaise and mayonnaise sauces and their variations, and the custards.
Eggs arc generally combined with other ingredients for three reasons: to enrich, to thicken or to give a lighter texture to a mixture. They form an emulsion with fatty substances such as the oil in mayonnaise or the butter in hollandaise. They coagulate with a hot liquid, as in the case of custards. When we finish a hot sauce with egg yolks, we speak of giving it “body, ” or, in French, du corps. The eggs also act as a binder, which is to say that they blend with the other ingredients to achieve a smoother, richer texture.
No prima donna is as temperamental as an egg. Eggs resent careless handling by the COOk and they must be worked slowly, almost lovingly.
For best results, use eggs which arc at room temperature. In many mixtures, mayonnaise for example, not only eggs but all the ingredients should be at room temperature.
Alors, let's consider hollandaise. Few gourmets fail to appreciate hollandaise sauce, but many, unfortunately, feel that success in making a hollandaise is a mystery and purely a matter of luck. The rules for making hollandaise are simple, and if followed will lead to a sauce that will not break down or curdle,
First, the sauce should be cooked in the top of a double boiler over hot, but not boiling, water. If the boiling point is reached, a little cold water should be added to the pot. Second, the butter used in making the sauce should be added gradually—one-third of it at a time—and after each addition the sauce should be thoroughly stirred. Professional sauce chefs prefer to make hollandaise with clarified butter—the clear fat which can be poured off the milky sediment when the butter is melted. Third, the sauce must be stirred rapidly, preferably with a wire whisk, from the moment it is begun until it is completed. Fourth, the sauce may be kept in a warm place for no longer than half an hour and stirred from time to time until it is served.
Should the mixture curdle, it may be reconstituted by putting an egg yolk in another pan over hot water and gradually and thoroughly stirring in the curdled mixture.
Sauce Hollandaise
Divide ½ pound butter at room temperature into three parts. Put 3 egg yolks and 1 tablespoon water in the top of a double boiler, over hot but not boiling water. Stir the mixture briskly with a wire whisk until it is light and fluffy. Add a third of the butter and whip constantly until the mixture thickens slightly. Add the second third of butter in the same manner and then the remainder, allowing the mixture to thicken after each addition. Season to taste with salt and a little lemon juice and a pinch of cayenne pepper. If desired, the sauce may be thinned with 1 tablespoon cold water. For poached fish and certain vegetables such as asparagus, artichokes and cauliflower.
Béarnaise sauce is a first cousin of hollandaise. It has an added piquancy which comes from herbs, wine and vinegar.
Sauce Béarnaise
Divide ½ pound butter at room temperature into three pans. Combine 3 sprigs tarragon, 3 sprigs chervil, 2 shallots, all finely chopped, 4 crushed peppercorns, and ¼ cup each tarragon vinegar and white wine in the top of a double boiler. Cook these ingredients over direct heat until they are reduced to a thick paste. Allow to cool slightly. Put the pan over hot water and add 3 egg yolks and 1 tablespoon water. Stir briskly with a small wire whisk until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the first third of the butter and stir constantly until the mixture is thick and smooth. Add the second and third parts, stirring briskly after each addition. Season to taste with salt and a pinch of cayenne, strain through a fine sieve, and add 3 sprigs each tarragon and chervil, both finely chopped. For grilled meats and grilled fish.
Sauce Mousseline
Fold 2 tablespoons whipped cream into 1 cup hollandaise sauce. Use instead of hollandaise.
Sauce Maltaise
Blend 3 tablespoons orange juice and½ teaspoon grated orange rind into I cup hollandaise sauce. For asparagus and similar vegetables.
Sauce Florida
Blend 3 tablespoons tangerine juice and ½ teaspoon grated tangerine rind into 1 cup hollandaise sauce.
Sauce Choron
Add ¼ cup tomato purée to 1 cup béarnaise sauce. Use instead of béarnaise.
Sauce Foyot
Add 1 teaspoon melted beef extract or glace de viande to 1 cup béarnaise sauce. The extract should give the sauce a light brownish color. Use like béarnaise.
Mayonnaise may be mixed with a wire whisk or with an electric beater at low speed. Like hollandaise, it may curdle or separate, but if the basic rules arc followed there is no cause for failure.
The ingredients which go into the making of mayonnaise should be at room temperature. The oil should be added gradually. The first spoonfuls of oil should be whipped into the egg yolks a few drops at a time. After that, the oil should be added in a thread-like stream, and the vinegar added in small amounts when the mixture becomes heavy. Excessive cold will cause mayonnaise to separate, so it should be kept in a cool place, but not in the extreme cold of the refrigerator,
Mayonnaise
Rinse a mixing bowl with hot water and dry it well. Put in it 2 egg yolks. ½ teaspoon salt, a little white pepper, ½ teaspoon dry mustard and 1 teaspoon vinegar. Beat the mixture vigorously with a whisk or at low speed in an electric mixer and add 1 cup olive oil or a good salad oil drop by drop, until a little more than ¼ cup oil has been added. Add ½ teaspoon vinegar, still bearing, and then pour in the rest of the oil in a thin stream. Beat continually and stop adding the oil from time to time to make sure that the mixture is well blended. When all the oil has been added, finish with ½ teaspoon vinegar. Lemon or lime juice may replace the vinegar in the mayonnaise, and prepared mustard to taste may be substituted for the dry mustard.
If the mayonnaise should curdle, wash the beater, beat 1 egg yolk in another bowl, and very slowly add the curdled mayonnaise to the fresh egg yolk, beating constantly to form a new emulsion.
Mayonnaise which is nor to be used immediately will stand up better if 1 tablespoon boiling water is mixed into it after the last of the oil has been added.
Light Mayonnaise
Add the juice of ½ lemon to 1 cup mayonnaise and fold in 2 tablespoons lightly whipped cream. For egg salads.
Mayonnaise à la Membe (Mint-flavored oral Mayonnaise)
Pour ½ cup scalded vinegar over 1 tablespoon chopped mint leaves. Cool, Strain and use the vinegar to make mayonnaise. Add a few chopped mint leaves to the mayonnaise. For fruit salads.
Sauce Tartare
Combine ¼ cup pickles and 1 tablespoon capers, both finely chopped, and squeeze them in a dry cloth to remove as much liquid as possible. To this add ½ teaspoon each finely chopped parsley. tarragon and chervil. Combine with 1 cup mayonnaise. For fried fish and other sea food.
Sauce Rémoulade
To 1 cup sauce tartare add 3 anchovy filets pounded to a fine paste and 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard. For cold boiled shrimp and other sea food.
Sauce Gribiche
Add 1 hard-cooked egg, finely Chopped, to 1 cup sauce tartare. For poached fish and cold meats.
Sauce Niçoise
Discard the pith and seeds of 1 small red or green sweet pepper and chop the pepper finely. Combine with 1 teaspoon mixed chopped tarragon and chives, ¼ cup tomato paste, and 1 cup mayonnaise. For fish.
Mona Lisa Dressing
Combine 1 teaspoon each paprika, horseradish and English mustard with 1 cup mayonnaise. Fold into the mixture 2 tablespoons heavy cream. For sea food.
Green Sauce
Wash thoroughly the leaves from 8 sprigs water cress. 8 spinach leaves and 4 sprigs parsley. Cover with boiling water and let stand 5 to 6 minutes. Drain the leaves, put them into a basin of cold water and drain again. Squeeze the greens thoroughly to remove all surplus water. Chop, press through a fine sieve and combine with 1 cup mayonnaise. For salmon.
Sauce Vincent
Add 8 sorrel leaves to the greens listed in the recipe for green sauce.
Russian Dressing
Add 3 tablespoons chili sauce and 1 teaspoon each pimiento and chives, both finely chopped, to 1 cup mayonnaise. For salads.
Sauce Aïoli
Combine 2 or 3 cloves of garlic, pounded to a smooth paste, with 2 egg yolks. Add 7 to 8 tablespoons olive oil, drop by drop at first, increasing to a thin Stream as the sauce begins to thicken, beating constantly. When half the oil has been beaten in, add alternately with the remaining oil 1 scant teaspoon fresh lemon juice and a few drops of cold water. Season highly with salt and freshly ground black pepper and serve very cold. Sometimes ½ cup mashed potato, cold or lukewarm, is added to the sauce before the lemon juice. For poached fish or boiled beef.
Custards—a mixture of eggs, milk or cream, sugar and flavoring — may be made on top of a stove or in an oven, but the texture of a custard depends on the proportion of eggs to milk employed. the richness of the milk and the care with-which the custard is cooked. At least three eggs are needed to thicken one pint of milk. More eggs will enrich the custard, but generally only yolks are used for this purpose. Some chefs use only yolks, and their custards arc invariably rich and smooth.
The problem of curdling also enters the picture in the preparation of custards. But again, if the rules are followed this possibility is eliminated.
Soft custards must be cooked in the top of a double boiler or over low, controlled heat. A little of the scalded milk used to make the custard must always be poured into the egg and sugar mixture before the eggs are added to the hot milk. The mixture must be stirred constantly until it thickens, and it must be removed from the heat the minute it becomes thick. If these rules are not followed and the custard begins to curdle there is nothing to be done but start anew, because custards cannot be reconstituted. To stop the custard from cooking on retained heat, pour it as soon as it is done into a cold bowl. Stir it occasionally while it cools to prevent a skin from forming on the surface.
In making a baked custard, set the dish in a pan of water and keep the oven temperature low. Otherwise, the custard will separate and be watery. Overcooking will have the same bad effect. To determine when a baked custard is done, insert a small, pointed silver knife just to one side of its Center. When the custard is done, the knife will come out clean.
In fine cookery, the raw vanilla bean is preferred to vanilla extract for flavoring desserts. A piece of bean 1 to 2 inches long will flavor a pint of milk. Pieces of vanilla bean may be re-used several times if they are washed and dried well after each use. If vanilla extract is used, it should be added at the end of the cooking, because heat will destroy some of its flavor.
Crème Renrersée a la Française (Vanilla Custard)
Scald 5 cups milk with a 1-inch piece of vanilla bean and cool it slightly. Beat 4 eggs, 4 egg yolks and ½ cup sugar until light and lemon-colored and add the milk, stirring constantly. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a buttered baking dish or individual custard cups. Set the dish or cups in a pan of hot water, cover, and bake in a moderately slow oven (325° F.) until the custard is set and a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.
Crème Renversée au Chocolat (Chocolate Custard)
Cook ½ cup water and ¼ pound grated sweet chocolate over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is smooth. Combine with 2 ½ cups scalded milk and follow directions for crème renversée à la française.
Crème Renversée au Café (Coffee Custard)
Combine ½ cup strong coffee with 2 cups scalded milk and follow directions for crème renversée a la française.
Crème Renversée Caramel (Caramel Cream Custard)
Scald 1 cup cream and 1 cup milk with a 1-inch piece of vanilla bean. Beat together until well blended 3 eggs, 2 egg yolks and ½ cup sugar. Cool the milk slightly and pour it gradually into the egg mixture, stirring constantly. Strain through a fine sieve.
Melt 1 cup sugar in a heavy skillet over a moderate fire, stirring constantly. Gradually add ½ cup water and boil. stirring, until the caramel is well blended and brown. Pour the caramel into a ring mold, turning the mold around and around until the inside is well coated. Cool until the caramel is set. Pour the custard into the mold and put the mold in a pan of hot water. Bake in a moderate oven (350° F.) for about 45 minutes, or until the custard is set and a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool and chill the cream and unmold onto a serving dish.
Petits Pots de Crème à la Vanille(Vanilla Pot Creams)
Scald 2 cups cream with a 1-inch piece of vanilla bean and ½cup sugar and cool it slightly. Beat 6 egg yolks until they are light and lemon-colored and add the cream, stirring constantly. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into small earthenware pots or custard cups Set the pots in a pan of water, cover the pan and bake in a moderately slow even for about 15 minutes, or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Serve the pots de crème chilled.
Petits Pots de Crème au Chocolat (Chocolate Pot Creams)
Follow the directions for petits pots de crème à la vanille, substituting 4 ounces sweet chocolate, melted, for ½ the sugar.
Vanilla Sauce
Beat 3 egg yolks lightly with a wire whisk. Pour over them 2 cups scalded milk flavored with 2 tablespoons sugar and 3 pinch of salt. Add a 1-inch piece of vanilla bean, and cook the mixture over hot but not boiling water, stirring constantly, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Strain the custard into a pitcher or bowl. Serve it hot or cold, as a pudding sauce. This sauce is also called English custard and soft custard.
Oeufs à la Neige (Snow Eggs)
Beat the whites of 4 eggs stiff, adding gradually ¾ cup sugar. Using a wet spoon, form the meringue into egg shapes and slip them off the spoon into boiling water. Poach for about 2 minutes, turn them and poach them on the other side for 2 minutes. Remove the snow eggs from the water with a skimmer and put them on paper towels to dry. Put sliced fresh fruit or berries in the bottom of a deep dish and arrange the meringues on the fruit. Pour cold vanilla sauce around the meringues and sprinkle with toasted slivered almonds or grated chocolate.