Ma Vie, Aujourd’hui!
Musings
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Archive for December, 2008
On Seasons
In my phase of grievance, I used to long for winter. I celebrated the arrival of hibernal chill as an excuse to bundle up, to pad my wounded self and protect it from the cruelty of the world. I was filled with a hollow and somewhat desperate pleasure by the sight of trees stripped bare; the tortured beauty of the landscape echoing my own bereavement. Bereft. It is a beautiful word, expressive of sadness in meaning and sound. It forces the mouth into a special movement, so that the utterance of the word is always soft and grave. I used to love that word.
Roasted Duck with Orange, Thyme,
and Butternut SquashActually, I have a rather long history with this dish. It was one of the primary reasons I bought Seasons, the first cookbook I purchased for myself, independently and with my own money. It is a beautifully photographed cookbook, and one of the first I encountered with a mind towards seasonal eating. This dish, unsurprisingly, was part of the Fall chapter. Unfortunately, Seasons was lost long ago amidst all my transcontinental moves, but it’s absence had forced me to make this duck dish all my own. For instance, I’ve replaced the original pumpkin wedges with butternut squash, which I find is more readily available and universally attractive. It’s a meal that is, oddly, perfect for three. But of course, this is dependent on the type of duck you get; Duck size and fattiness is incredibly variable. I prefer French Barbary ducks for roasting. They’re not quite as gamy as Mallards, and less appallingly fat than Peking, or Long Island, specimens (these ducks have an aberrantly thick layer of subcutaneous fat which is a splendid enabler of Duck Confit, but which renders them unsuitable for roasting, in my opinion). Barbary’s are, however, relatively small. Seek out a large Barbary duck if you need to feed four people, or content yourself with an especially light meal if this is impossible. You won’t be particularly hungry; you just won’t need to go lie down.
Ingredients, for 3 or 4:
- 1 Duck for roasting, preferably a French Barbary.
- 2 Butternut Squash.
- 3 large Navel oranges.
- 2 Handfuls of thyme.
- Grand Marnier Liqueur or Cointreau.
- 2 T olive oil.
- Gros sel gris de Geurande, fine milled sel gris,pepper.
Procedure:
- Remove lungs, kidneys, heart, and neck from the cavity.
- Holding the duck over a sink, pour a kettle of boiling water over the bird. This helps to loosen the fat from the animal.
- Dry the bird meticulously, then rub with Grand Marnier or Cointreau, about 2 T, I think.
- Season the cavity of the bird with salt and pepper, then season the sides of the bird aggressively, pressing the salt crystals and pepper into the skin to form a light crust. Let the bird rest this way, uncovered, in the fridge overnight to help dry it out.
- Preheat the oven t 400 degrees F.
- Zest and juice one of the oranges. Stuff the cavity of the duck with the quartered rind of the juiced orange, and as much thyme as you can shove in there. Sprinkle a bit of the zest on the duck’s breast, then reserve the juice and most of the zest.
- Using a sharp knife, carefully score the skin of the duck, particularly on the breast and thighs. This will permit the subcutaneous fat to drain successfully, creating a burnished and crispy skin.
- Place the duck in the middle of the oven, in a dish that holds it somewhat snuggly. Let it roast at this temperature for forty-five minutes, remembering to flip it around halfway through (not onto it’s breast, but just so that it’s facing the opposite side of the oven, so that both left and right breasts are evenly cooked). Also, drain the fat from the pan periodically to avoid having the duck fry. Reserve the fat if you wish: duck fat is extraordinarily good for you, good for sautéing up potatoes, and indispensable for making Confit de Canard.
- In the meantime, dispatch the remaining 2 oranges into suprêmes and reserve.
- Peel the squash and cut into medium-thin rectangles (accomplished by slicing the halved butternut vertically, and then crosswise into approximate rectangles).
- In a large bowl, toss the squash flesh with 2 T olive oil, a hefty dose of thyme flowers, fine salt, pepper, the remaining orange zest, and a splash of orange juice.
- After forty-five minutes, turn the oven down to 300 degrees F and leave the duck to cook for another two hours, until it is falling off the bone.
- Arrange the squash in one layer on a baking dish, and place in the oven, on a lower rack, for the last 20 minutes of cooking.
- When the duck is ready, remove from the oven. Turn the oven back up to 400 degrees and let the squash continue to cook for ten minutes, until the flesh is lightly caramelized, while the duck rests.
- Using the tines of two forks, shred the duck meat away from the carcass. Mix it with the reserved orange juice, and check for seasoning.
- Arrange he butternut squash on a plate, mound the duck delicately in the center of a plate, and scatter with the orange segments. Tada!
Chestnut and Armagnac Souffle
with Bittersweet Chocolate SauceI must admit that none of the creative genius behind this soufflé is mine. It’s a recipe from Bon Appetit magazine (to which I am subscribed, yes. Go ahead and laugh!) that I amended only slightly. Also, I halved the recipe when I made it, for who on god’s green earth has a 14 cup soufflé dish? I’m not done with it though. I have a theory that it would fare better baked in individual ramekins, and that a certain magical flavor is missing that I shall ferret out in due time. For the moment, it is still delicious, and I urge you all to try. Bonne chance!!!
Ingredients:
For Soufflé:
- 1 7.25- to 7.41-ounce jar whole steamed chestnuts or vacuum-packed roasted chestnuts, or 1/2 pound of whole fresh chestnuts that you’ll steam yourself. This is what I did, and it was amazing.
- 2 tablespoons water
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, divided
- 1/4 cup sugar (for coating soufflé dish) plus 14 tablespoons sugar, divided
- 2 cups whole milk, divided
- 4 large egg yolks
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons Armagnac, Cognac, or other brandy
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup egg whites (about 8 large)
- 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
For Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce:
- 6 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- 4 tablespoons Armagnac, Cognac, or other brandy
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Procedure:
For Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce:
* You can either make this ahead of time and reheat just before serving, or prepare it as the soufflé bakes.
- Combine chocolate and butter in medium metal bowl. Place bowl over saucepan of simmering water; stir until melted and smooth. Remove from over water.
- Bring cream to simmer in small saucepan; gently stir into chocolate. Add Armagnac, vanilla, and salt and stir to blend.
- Serve very warm.
For Soufflé:
- Blend chestnuts, 2 tablespoons water, and 1 tablespoon butter in processor until paste forms. Transfer mixture to small bowl. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.
- Coat inside of 14-cup soufflé dish (about 8 1/4 inches wide and 3 3/4 inches deep) with remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Sprinkle dish with 1/4 cup sugar and tilt to coat bottom and sides evenly.
- Whisk 1/4 cup milk, egg yolks, 4 tablespoons sugar, cornstarch, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Bring remaining 1 3/4 cups milk and 4 tablespoons sugar to simmer in heavy large saucepan. Gradually whisk hot milk mixture into yolk mixture. Return custard to same pan. Stir over medium heat until custard thickens and boils, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Add chestnut paste, Armagnac, and vanilla and whisk to blend well (some small pieces of chestnut paste will remain). DO AHEAD Soufflé base can be made 2 hours ahead. Press plastic wrap onto surface; let stand at room temperature.
- Position rack just below center of oven and preheat to 400°F. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 6 tablespoons sugar, beating until stiff but not dry. Fold whites into soufflé base in 3 additions. Transfer batter to prepared dish.
- Bake soufflé until puffed and just firm to touch in center, about 50 minutes (when I halved la recette, I baked it for 30 minutes.) Serve immediately with sauce.
Food and Sex, and Des Eggs
It’s no surprise that since I imported my portly papa from the big apple, he and I have spent the better part of our time rhapsodizing about food, often directly across the table from each other, and likely while reveling in the pleasures provided by a bowl of grapes. We’re able to discuss food endlessly without tiring the subject out, for there is always an element of mystère in food, après tout. It is an endlessly giving subject, always relevant, and just elusive enough that it captivates me unendingly.
Indeed, with a French posse around (believe it or not, we’ve got a Francophone tribe in Marfa), a certain haughtiness appears in my culinary attitude. Or rather, the notion of French culinary superiority that I usually secret away in the far back recesses of mind, quite ashamedly, becomes validated. And I give it voice! Grace à dieu, for once in my life I’m not soliloquizing, but discussing! With real live specimens! It is quite a departure, a breath of fresh air, a horse of a different color, and, let me see…ah! A whole different ball game! Man, I love idioms! See, even when I get hoity toity and Française, I never forget that I am very much American too.
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