French

Cook Book Club: The Food of France / La cuisine de France

/ sbaskitchen / 7 Comments

I may have one or two French, or French inspired recipe books on my shelves, and as you wander from room to room in our home, you are likely to find more!

 

My French food journey began in earnest, in 2009, on our first visit to France.   As part of my planning, I read everything that I could get my hands on, in an attempt to learn about the culture, the traditions, the food, and did everything I could to try and grasp a little of the language, which is how I met my, now, best friend, Véronique. Continue reading →

Summer Tarts & Flans – Just a little bit French!

Cooking with SBA’s Kitchen

Summer Tarts & Flans – Just a little bit French!

Delicious summer produce arranged in sweet or savoury pastry and baked until golden. Tarts and flans are just perfect for relaxed summer entertaining, and picnics.

The next session:

Date:  Friday 3 November 2023
Time:  10:00am to 14:00pm
Venue:  Maffra Neighbourhood House
Cost:  $55.00 per person
Bookings:   Maffra Neighbourhood House – Ph: 0422 335 155
Max Participants:  6 participants

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Mushroom Bourguignon

 

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Mushroom Bourguignon
Prep Time
45 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
 

Who needs meat! This dish is a fabulous way to showcase beautiful mushrooms, and is perfect made using pine mushrooms, slippery jacks, etc. when available.

Category: Main
Style: French, Vegetarian
Keyword: mushrooms, Vegan Option
Quantity: 6 serves
Author: sbaskitchen
Ingredients
  • 400 ml mushroom stock (including the liqueur from rehydrating the porcini)
  • 2 sprigs rosemary
  • 2 sprigs thyme
  • 15 g 1/2oz dried porcini or shitake mushrooms
  • 1 tbsp 20g butter
  • 150 g 5oz shallots, peeled, and if large, halved
  • 2 garlic cloves crushed
  • 4 carrots thickly sliced
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 3 tsp potato flour
  • 200 ml red wine
  • 850 g mixed mushrooms
Instructions
  1. Heat the oven to 170C (fan).
  2. Bring the stock to boil and add the porcini mushrooms.

  3. Remove from the heat and let the ingredients infuse for 30 mins while you prepare the remainder of the ingredients for the dish.

  4. Drain the porcini mushrooms, and reserve the liquid. Chop the mushrooms and set aside.

  5. Strain the liquid to remove any grit left behind by the mushrooms. Add mushroom stock to make up to 400ml.

  6. Place a large pan over low heat, add the oil, shallots and garlic, and cook until they start to colour and soften (approx. 10 minutes).

  7. Add the carrots, tomato paste, and flour, stir to combine and cook for 1 minute.

  8. Slowly add the wine and stock, mixing well.

  9. Increase heat and continue stirring, until the sauce boils and thickens.

  10. Add the fresh mushrooms along with the rehydrated porcini mushrooms and stir to combine, bring back to the boil, cover with a lid and transfer the pot to the preheated oven.

  11. Cook for 1 hr.

  12. Scatter with fresh parsley and serve with mashed potatoes and steamed green greens.

Notes
  • I like to freeze the liqueur left from rehydrating mushrooms to use as mushroom stock.
  • For vegan option, replace butter with olive oil.

 

Yum

Madeleines

 

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Madeleines
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
8 mins
Resting Time
1 hr 30 mins
Total Time
1 hr 53 mins
 

Some years ago, after being diagnosed with Coeliac's Disease, I was delighted to find packs of individually wrapped, gluten free, Madeleines in the supermarkets as I traveled throughout France. Let me tell you, they were an absolute treat!

When I returned home from one of my trips I actually purchased a Madeleine tray thinking that I might try and bake some myself, but put it off until now, as I thought they would be difficult to make.

Who would have guessed how wrong I was!

Category: Baking, Cakes
Style: French, Gluten Free Option
Keyword: Cakes, Madeleines
Quantity: 40 pieces
Author: sbaskitchen
Ingredients
  • 225 g butter diced
  • 4 eggs
  • 230 g sugar
  • 275 g plain flour (see below for gluten free option)
  • 10 g baking powder
  • 1 lemon zested
Instructions
  1. Melt the butter, either in the microwave or in a bain-marie, then let it cool completely.
  2. Break the eggs into a bowl and whisk them briskly with the sugar until the mixture becomes light and fluffy.
  3. Fold in the sifted flour and baking powder, and leave to stand at room temperature for exactly 1 hour.
  4. Remove the white cream that has formed on top of the butter, and incorporate the buter into the preparation, together with the lemon zest. Mix well to combine, then place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  5. Preheat the oven to 260C. Butter and flour madeleine tins.
  6. Place a large teaspoon of the mixture into each mould.
  7. Lower the temperature to 240C, put in the oven and bake for 8 minutes.
  8. Once cooked turn the madeleines onto a cake rack to cool.
  9. Continue to bake other batches until you have used all the batter.
Notes
  • Translated and slightly adapted from 'Douceurs d'antan' [Sweets of yesteryear] by Marie Leteuré p. 98
  • This recipe cooked perfectly using my gluten free flour blend.
  • I noted the following comment in the instructions (translated for your benefit:
    • [if you can, use silicone madeleine moulds, so easy to use].
    • [Before cooking, the madeleine dough can be kept for 3 days in the refrigerator; you can therefore prepare a good quantity of dough in advance, and cook the madeleines as you need them.]
  • My oven has a maximum temperature of 250˚C, so preheated to 250˚C rather than 260˚C.
  • Best baked as required, but that being said, I do find they last well in an airtight container for a couple of days.  I just freeze them, and take them out as needed - they don't take long to thaw.

 

Yum

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gluten Free Baguette

I make all of my gluten free bread, have done for some years now.  For a light white bread this is quick and easy, delicious, and versatile, making great bread rolls, loaves, baguettes and foccacias, toast, crostini and bruschetta.  However, while it is a bread, it is a batter mix, not a dough mix, so you need to be wary when deciding how to bake it.  I have given instructions for baguettes, if you want to prepare a loaf, you can line a loaf tin and bake in the tin – if your tins are non-stick, just spray with canola oil.  For a more rustic loaf, spread thickly on a lined tray or in a lined slice tin, or similar.  If you would like something with seeds etc, try my Gluten Free Bread with Seeds.

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Gluten Free Baguette
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
 
Category: Breads & Doughs
Style: Gluten Free
Quantity: 2 baguettes
Author: sbaskitchen
Ingredients
  • 280 g rice flour
  • 110 g tapioca flour
  • 3 tsp xanthan gum
  • 1½ tsp salt
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 3 tsp dry yeast
  • 340 ml lukewarm water
  • 1½ tbsp olive oil
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1 tsp vinegar
  • Canola spray, to grease the pans
  • Extra olive oil, to finish
Instructions

  1. Line the baguette pans with baking paper, folding the ends to enclose and prevent spillage.

  2. Using a stand mixer, blend the flours, sugar, yeast, xanthan gum and salt on low speed to combine

  3. Add the water, olive oil, egg whites and vinegar to the dry ingredients.

  4. With the mixer on high (Kenwood speed 4-5), beat the mixture for 3 minutes. (The mixture will be a smooth batter, not a dough.)

  5. Using a wetted spoon, spoon the dough/batter into the lined French baguette pans. Smooth the top with a wet spatula.

  6. Drizzle over a little olive and, using a flexible spatula, carefully coat the top of the baguette with the oil.

  7. Preheat oven to 200˚C.

  8. Set the baguettes to rise in a warm place until doubled in size.

  9. Bake for 35 minutes in preheated oven.

  10. Remove the baguettes from the trays and place directly onto the oven rack and continue to bake for an additional 10 minutes.

  11. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

Notes
  • I use a Thai white rice flour and tapioca flour, they are a very fine flour and they are also inexpensive.  Generally available in most Asian grocers.
  • The mixture is quite sticky, and I find that the best way to get it into your baking pans is to use a wetted spoon or plastic plastic spatula. I have a jug of warm water on the side and dip the spoon into the water each time, this stops the dough from sticking to the spoon. The dough rises quite fast and will at least double in size.
  • Allow the bread to cool completely before cutting.  In fact, if you can wait, it's best cut the following day.  If you can't wait, when it is at room temp, refrigerate the loaf for an hour or so,  It makes it much easier to slice.
  • Remember, the mixture for this bread is not so much a dough, as a batter.
  • If you don't have a good stand mixer, don't be tempted to use a hand held mixer, it is best to hand mix the batter using a large spoon.  While it won't give such a smooth batter, the baked result is just the same.
  • I also use this batter to make a gluten free style focaccia.  I just spread the batter 1.5 - 2.5 cm (1/2 - 1 inch)  thick onto a baking paper lined baking tray, oil the top of the batter, and once it has risen, poke in sprigs of rosemary, pieces of Queso Blanco (you could use ricotta, feta or such), and sprinkle with pure salt flakes.
  • Last updated:  4 January 2025

 

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Bon appétit!

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