The Little Paris Kitchen

With photographs by David Lof tusand i l lus tr at ions by Rachel Khoo

The Lit tle Pari s

Kitchen

Rachel Khoo

120 Simple but

Class ic French Recipes

35973_ParisKitchen_INT_3G_DC.indd 2-3 4/5/12 3:05 PM

With photographs by David Lof tusand i l lus tr at ions by Rachel Khoo

The Lit tle Pari s

Kitchen

Rachel Khoo

120 Simple but

Class ic French Recipes

First published in the United States of America in 2012 by Chronicle Books LLC.

First published in the United Kingdom in 2012 by Michael Joseph, an imprint of Penguin Books.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available.

ISBN 978-1-4521-1343-2

Manufactured in Germany

Prop styling by Elodie Rambaud.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Chronicle Books LLC 680 Second Street San Francisco, California 94107 www.chroniclebooks.com

Introduction 6

Everyday Cooking 10Snack Time 70

Summer Picnics 98Aperitifs 124

Dinner with Friends and Family 152Sweet Treats 210

French Basics 266Cook’s Notes 276

My Paris addresses 278Index 280

Acknowledgments 287

First published in the United States of America in 2012 by Chronicle Books LLC.

First published in the United Kingdom in 2012 by Michael Joseph, an imprint of Penguin Books.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available.

ISBN 978-1-4521-1343-2

Manufactured in Germany

Prop styling by Elodie Rambaud.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Chronicle Books LLC 680 Second Street San Francisco, California 94107 www.chroniclebooks.com

Introduction 6

Everyday Cooking 10Snack Time 70

Summer Picnics 98Aperitifs 124

Dinner with Friends and Family 152Sweet Treats 210

French Basics 266Cook’s Notes 276

My Paris addresses 278Index 280

Acknowledgments 287

E V E R Y D A Y C O O K I N G 15

Lentilles du Puy avec un fromage de chèvre, betteraves

et une vinaigrette d’aneth P u y l e n t i l s a l a d w i t h g o a t ’s c h e e s e ,

b e e t s , a n d a d i l l v i n a i g r e t t e

Lentilles du Puy are grown in the sunny, volcanic Auvergne. The hot climate and mineral-rich soil give them a unique taste and texture, and they are known in France as poor man’s caviar. They contain less starch than ordinary green lentils, so they hold their shape better: no mushy lentilles du Puy. Traditionally they are boiled in water, then fried with some chopped onion and lardons. I tend to improvise with ingredients I have in the fridge: they make a fine accompani-ment to almost anything.

For the dill vinaigrette: ½ bunch of dill • 2 tbsp sunflower oil • 2 tbsp white wine vinegar • salt • a pinch of sugar

• 1 cup Puy lentils • 1 bay leaf • 1 sprig of thyme • salt and pepper • 1 cooked beet, peeled • a handful of baby salad leaves (optional) • 7 oz fresh soft goat’s cheese* • extra virgin olive oil

TO MAKE THE VINAIGRETTE: Whizz the dill (stalks included) in a blender with the oil, vinegar, ½ tsp salt, and the sugar. Taste and add more salt if desired.

Wash the lentils in cold running water, then put them into a large pot with the bay leaf, thyme, and a generous pinch of salt. Cover the lentils with at least double their volume of boiling water and cook for 15 minutes or until tender.

Use a mandoline or a sharp knife to thinly slice the beet.

Drain the lentils and discard the bay leaf and thyme.

Divide the lentils equally between individual plates (or you could use a large serving dish) and scat-ter over the salad leaves (if using). Place the beet slices on top and crumble over the goat’s cheese. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and a little olive oil, and finish with a sprinkling of salt and pepper.

* If you prefer a strongertasting cheese, try feta or a hard goat’s cheese.

Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 15–20 minutes

S E R V E S 4 A S A S T A R T E R O R 2 A S A M A I N C O U R S E

E V E R Y D A Y C O O K I N G 15

Lentilles du Puy avec un fromage de chèvre, betteraves

et une vinaigrette d’aneth P u y l e n t i l s a l a d w i t h g o a t ’s c h e e s e ,

b e e t s , a n d a d i l l v i n a i g r e t t e

Lentilles du Puy are grown in the sunny, volcanic Auvergne. The hot climate and mineral-rich soil give them a unique taste and texture, and they are known in France as poor man’s caviar. They contain less starch than ordinary green lentils, so they hold their shape better: no mushy lentilles du Puy. Traditionally they are boiled in water, then fried with some chopped onion and lardons. I tend to improvise with ingredients I have in the fridge: they make a fine accompani-ment to almost anything.

For the dill vinaigrette: ½ bunch of dill • 2 tbsp sunflower oil • 2 tbsp white wine vinegar • salt • a pinch of sugar

• 1 cup Puy lentils • 1 bay leaf • 1 sprig of thyme • salt and pepper • 1 cooked beet, peeled • a handful of baby salad leaves (optional) • 7 oz fresh soft goat’s cheese* • extra virgin olive oil

TO MAKE THE VINAIGRETTE: Whizz the dill (stalks included) in a blender with the oil, vinegar, ½ tsp salt, and the sugar. Taste and add more salt if desired.

Wash the lentils in cold running water, then put them into a large pot with the bay leaf, thyme, and a generous pinch of salt. Cover the lentils with at least double their volume of boiling water and cook for 15 minutes or until tender.

Use a mandoline or a sharp knife to thinly slice the beet.

Drain the lentils and discard the bay leaf and thyme.

Divide the lentils equally between individual plates (or you could use a large serving dish) and scat-ter over the salad leaves (if using). Place the beet slices on top and crumble over the goat’s cheese. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and a little olive oil, and finish with a sprinkling of salt and pepper.

* If you prefer a strongertasting cheese, try feta or a hard goat’s cheese.

Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 15–20 minutes

S E R V E S 4 A S A S T A R T E R O R 2 A S A M A I N C O U R S E

S N A C K T I M E 91

Quatre-quarts aux agrumesC i t r u s f r u i t c a ke

Quatre-quarts is the French equivalent of pound cake. It’s a recipe that most French cooks know of by heart because it’s so simple to remember. As its name suggests, it has four main ingredi-ents (flour, sugar, eggs, and butter). C’est tout!

• 4 eggs • 1¼ cups superfine sugar • 2 cups all-purpose flour • a pinch of salt • finely grated zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange

• 1 tsp baking powder • 1 cup butter, melted and cooled

Preheat the oven to 350°F and butter and flour a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Separate the eggs. In a bowl, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks with half of the sugar. In another bowl, beat the egg yolks and the other half of the sugar until thick and pale in color.

In a separate bowl, mix the flour, salt, zest, and baking powder together.

Fold the flour mixture into the egg yolk mixture, then pour in the melted and cooled butter, stir-ring gently until the butter is just incorporated into the mix. Finally, carefully fold in the egg whites.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, then bake for 35–40 minutes or until the point of a knife comes out clean when inserted in the center.

The cake is best eaten the same day, but it will keep in an airtight container for a day or two.

Preparation time: 20 minutes Baking time: 35–40 minutes

S E R V E S 6 – 8