Cooking in Southwest France with Madame Alexander

Vichyssoise leek and potato soup

I apologize for the lack of recipe inclusion in my blog. The few that I have added thus far include obscure ingredient. That is why I have added the following recipe for you. This famous leek and potato puree soup is fantastic. Not just for the fact that it has less than five ingredients, but because it is absolutely splendid served either hot or cold. For this time of year, I suggest serving it hot.

1 leek

5 potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick

1.5 cups cream

salt

pepper mill

Don't bother washing the leek before cutting it. Cut off the white portion of leek and slice it very thinly. It will begin to separate naturally. Wash it now in a colander. In a heavy bottomed stainless steel pot, saute the leeks in butter. Keep the flame low so you only sweat them, don't let them caramelize and brown. Add in the potatoes and allow them to sweat and become coated with the butter. As soon as you sense that the contents start sticking to the bottom of the pan, remove and add water just above the line of potatoes. The less water you add, the more flavorful your soup will be. Return the mixture to the stove and allow to simmer steadily with a lid on. After about fifteen minutes, the potatoes will be cooked completely. Take off of the stove and allow to cool a bit. Ladle this mixture into a blender and mix until completely smooth, adding the cream slowly. Place in a container until further use. When reheating to serve, season the mixture with salt. After placing in the bowl to serve, add a bit of pepper from the mill. By doing this last step, you insure that the pepper doesn't become bitter or "burnt" tasting during the cooking of the soup. When the soup is presented, the steam allows the pepper to waft into your nostrils, creating a pleasant and appetite stimulating sensation.

Simmering the leeks and potatoes

Final product=Vichyssoise

Random food

Homemade croissants

Apple Custard pie

Rillette amuse bouche with cornichons

Vanilla sauce for seared tuna (butter, shallots, white wine, vanilla beans, cream)

Ruth Reichl's Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream (Ruth Reichl, found in The Gourmet Cookbook)

Makes 1 quart

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

3/4 cup sugar

1/8 tsp. salt

3 vanilla beans, halved lengthwise

2 large eggs

Combine cream, milk, sugar, and salt in a 2-3 quart heavy saucepan. With tip of knife, scrape seeds from vanilla beans into cream mixture, then drop in pods. Bring just to a boil, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, whisk eggs in a large metal bowl. Add hot cream mixture in a slow stream, whisking constantly, then pour mix into saucepan and cook over med-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until custard is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Temperature should register 170-175 degress F. Don't allow to boil!

Pour custard through a fine mesh sieve into clean metal bowl; discard pods. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally, then refrigerate, covered until cold (at least 3 hours). Freeze custard in ice cream maker. Store in airtight container.

I have made this recipe about three times, after Dorothee so kindly referred me to Mz. Reichl's recipe. I highly recommend it. I will post pictures for you to see.

Panna Cotta

1 Liter Milk
1 Liter Cream
220 grams sugar
7 leaves gelatin
to taste vanilla extract

Bloom gelatin in just enough cold water to cover the sheets. Lay in water one by one to make sure all layers get dissolved evenly. Add sugar, bloomed gelatin, and just enough milk to cover the prior ingredients in a small saucepan. Whisk this mixture over low-med heat until gelatin is completely melted. Strain through a sieve just to be on the safe side! I messed this stage up big time and it caused the finish product to have little pieces of gelatin still left in the pudding! It's a turn off, I promise!

Put the rest of the milk and cream in a big bowl and add the vanilla extract. Slowly pour the heated mixture into the cold, whisking all the while. Distribute the mixture evenly in ceramic or glass cups, reserving about 1/2 inch of room for the final presentation. After about three hours, the pudding should be set. To make sure, jiggle the mixture, and it should be a bit firmer than Jello. Serve chilled with a spoonful of preserves over the top. I suggest a smooth jelly, so it sits nicely on top as a glaze, and so that the presence of whole fruit pieces doesn't detract from the smooth custard mouth feel of the panna cotta. Pictures to follow.

Black Currant Marshmallows

Well, folks! I have added a picture of the cabbage that I had photographed at a prior date. The dish is traditionally served just as you see it here, with very little frills, just some boiled carrots and whole leeks. Drizzle a bit of the vegetable stock you have used to cook the cabbage over the top. Enjoy! I ate a bowl of it today for lunch, and it is a real “stick to your guts” kind of meal. I’d suggest that someone serve this next St. Patrick’s day in lieu of the cliché same-old, same-old Jig’s dinner fare.

The next set of photographs you see are the stages of marshmallow development. Yesterday Jean-Denis decided to make black currant marshmallows to be served in a few weeks. I have included the recipe for those brave souls willing to make something off the beaten path. Be advised that there are a few ingredients that are hard to find in your local grocery store.

Marshmallow Recipe

1 Liter coulis (black currant, strawberry, raspberry, or strong flavored coulis) Note: avoid light flavors, like mango

1.5 kg sugar

500 g staboline (inverted sugar/glucose syrup)

114 g gelatin

625 g glucose syrup

superfine powdered sugar/cornstarch mixture

1. Heat the sugar and 500 g inverted sugar in a saucepan with a touch of water on the pan's bottom. Bring to 110 degrees Celsius.

2. Place coulis in another pan and heat until quite hot.

3. After you have bloomed the gelatin in just enough water to cover, add it to the second round of inverted sugar and melt on the stove until gelatin is completely dissolved.

4. Once the sugar and inverted sugar mixture reaches 110 degrees Celsius, add the coulis and place in a kitchen aid mixer with a cover and whisk attachment. Whisk on med-high speed. (Note: depending on the size of your mixer, you may have to make a 1/2 batch recipe in order5to preclude overflow during this portion of the recipe preparation).

5. Once gelatin and inverted sugar mixture is melted, add to the mixer slowly, through a sieve, to insure no pieces of gelatin are remaining.

6. Whisk this mixture until the mixing bowl is entirely cooled down to the touch. This process incorporates air and causes the mix to turn lighter in color. Time: approx. 30 minutes.

7. Dust the bottom of a full hotel pan 1" with superfine powdered sugar/cornstarch mixture (available at specialty baking stores). Add marshmallow mix to the pan and spread with an inverted spatula, being careful to not deflate the mixture.

8. With a sieve, sift more sugar on top and place in a dry area. Let rest one day before cutting and redusting with sugar. Do not consume marshmallows for a week, to insure that they are properly dried.