Lunch at the Mirazur in Menton

We arrived a few days ago at our little Italian hideaway in the perched village of Fanghetto built more than 1000 years ago. After two days of traveling from Paris, it is always a relief (given autoroute driving) and a thrill to arrive. The  weather has been perfect, sunny with cool dry breezes and wildflowers are everywhere. There are still snow-capped mountains in the distance making this paradise even more perfect.

View from our Terrace

We are just fifteen minutes from the sea in Ventimiglia which has an unbelievable covered food market with remarkably reasonable prices. We stocked up on all the spring delicacies - artichokes, new peas, fava beans, many different salad greens and the first strawberries and tomatoes from Sicily. We put our feet up and enjoyed meals on our terrace for the first couple of days.

Then yesterday, we and two friends, drove thirty minutes into France and treated ourselves to lunch at Mirazur, a restaurant with one star in the Michelin Guide, which is on a hillside just outside of Menton with panoramic views of the city which is known as “ The Pearl of the Cote d’Azur”.

Menton

I have known the chef, Mauro Colagreco, since he first opened Mirazur in 2006. He is originally from Argentina but spent more than 10 years working in two Michelin three star restaurants, Le Cote d’Or with Bernard Loiseau in Saulieu and L’Arpege with Alain Passard in Paris. Mauro grows many of his own vegetables, including little known varieties from Argentina, in a garden on top of the hillside. His food is fresh and stunningly beautiful.

Lunch is a bargain if you stay with the menu du dejeuner, available weekdays only. For 33 euros, you will have a feast. We ordered a provencal rose, Rimaureq 2010 cru classe which we had as an aperitif and continued drinking throughout lunch as it was crisp, with just the right amount of fruit and it complemented everything we ate nicely. Mauro serves tapas and then an amuse bouche to double your pleasure. The tapas were black rice chips with a vegetable tartar and polenta chips with a goat cheese cream, studded with cucumbers. The amuse bouche which followed was a delicate dollop of cream of cabbage soup with a mustard cream quenelle and a sliver of radish to add a little punch. 

For our first course we were served a carpaccio of gascon, a local white fish with a citrus vinaigrette and tiny edible flowers. We had a choice of fish or fowl for our main course. Three of us enjoyed the mackeral with a quenelle of manderine orange cream sprinkeled with Angelique flowers.

My husband Kent devoured every bite of his farm raised chicken, served with white asparagus, a cream of green asparagus, radishes and bits of caramelized juice from the chicken as it cooked.

So far every bite was as heavenly as the setting. Dessert however was a disappointment. It was an assortment of pastel colored sorbets and creams, including a saffron cream and an orange sorbet with orange flower bread. The colors on the plate matched the colors of the Menton buildings in the distance which was lovely to look at but the dish lacked flavor sadly.

At the end of the meal, we were served a complimentary glass of homemade limoncello and then we left for a nap on the nearby beach to dream of a meal which, despite the dessert, was a true feast for all our senses.

As many of you know, my business, Les Liaisons Delicieuses, (www.cookfrance.com) has been running culinary vacations for 17 years all over France, Italy, Morocco and Vietnam. I have an exciting new trip to both the French and Italian Rivieras, September 25- October 1, 2011. Mirazur and Mauro are highlights of this trip which still has a few spaces available. Email me at patricia.ravenscroft@gmail.com for details.

Recipe Fricasse d'Artichauts facon Barigoule

Serves 8

12 artichokes

4 cups sliced mushrooms

1/2 pound lean salt pork

1/2 pound sliced raw ham

Chopped tomatoes

Garlic

Onion

Parsley

Olive oil

Lemons

The lactarius mushroom “barigoule” in provencal, was simply sprinkled with olive oil and fried on charcoal.

Even though the recipe has changed, the name barigoule has remained.

Prepare the artichokes by cutting off the bottom tail and taking off the small leaves and the top of the upper leaves. Boil for 5-8 minutes. Drain and reserve.

Stuffing preparation:

Wash and thinly slice the mushrooms. Cut the lean salt pork into small pieces. Chop the raw ham. Mix with garlic, onion and parsley. Stuff the artichokes with the mushroom and ham mixture. In a deep saucepan, sauté the onion and chopped tomatoes in olive oil. When the mixture is cooked through, add the stuffed artichokes. Put in the oven uncovered for 10-15 minutes and sprinkle from time to time with dry white wine. Bring to a boil, cover and lower the temperature to cook slowly for 45-60 minutes.

La Rive Droite - A Star in Alencon

Just a few weeks ago I was in sunny Marrakech, which Kent and I discovered for the first time when we attended Charles-Henry and Segolene’s wedding there in February of 1998. And, just last Sunday for Easter, we had the pleasure of having lunch at their new restaurant, La Rive Droite, in Alencon. The connection  between Marrakech and La Rive Droite was striking - the brilliant blue skies, delicious food, and the décor as well, as their bar is decorated with many treasures and colors from Morocco.

Charles-Henry, Segolene and their three young sons are like family and it is always a pleasure to participate in their enterprises and adventures. Their Chateau Hotel, the Chateau de Saint Paterne has been the scene of many wonderful Les Liaisons Delicieuse’s culinary adventures. I have slept in every one of their exquisite guest rooms, including one with a remarkable painted ceiling where King Henry IV spent time with one of his mistresses! Because of Charles-Henry, I began running culinary tours with him beginning in Morocco in 2001 and in Vietnam in 2006.

But on to their newest enterprise, La Rive Droite. They bought the old lace museum on the Sarthe river in the old part of town several years ago.

La Rive Droite situated on the Sarthe River

It had been abandoned and needed a complete rehabilitation which they did with their usual flair. There are four different dining areas on the main floor each decorated differently and very beautifully. My favorites are the library which is very cozy in the wintertime filled with books and treasured photographs, and the Moroccan room.

La Rive Droite's moroccan room

In the spring sunshine however, the terrace is where you want to be. Four of us enjoyed our Easter lunch on a day as warm and sunny as Marrakech which was really delightful.

For years at the Chateau de Saint Paterne, Charles-Henry was the cook for the dinners served to guests in their dining room. But, with the opening of La Rive Droite right before Christmas, he hired a chef and graduated to manager of both kitchens he told me gleefully!

All four of us began our lunch with a Tourte de carottes en robe de chou which is one of Charles-Henry’s signature dishes, although this time prepared by chef Laurent. The carrots which are still crunchy are wrapped in savoy cabbage leaves and dressed with a sauce of crème fraiche and chives.

Tourte de carottes en robe de chou

The textures and flavors worked amazingly well together. We enjoyed a very pleasant Domaine Deshenry Cotes de Thongue 2010 white wine with our starters.

Two of us continued with the souris d’agneau which had been cooked with a little raspberry vinegar. The lamb fell easily off the bone and was incredibly succulent. The touch of raspberry was perfect. The second main course we ordered was magret de canard au miel. The duck was pink, tender and very tasty, complimented by a sweet and sour sauce of honey and balsamic vinegar. Both dishes were served with a medley of spring vegetables.

Souris d'agneau

Our wine for this course was a Domaine Cavalier du Val de Montferrand 2011 which was full bodied with a slight taste of berries.

We shared two desserts, a rich delicious Tarte Tatin and handmade ice cream with a touch of calvados, and a fondant au chocolat which was properly warm and runny with hints of caramel and butter.

Tarte tartin

Both desserts were wonderful. We left for a walk along the river completely satisfied. You should really consider a weekend at St. Paterne with a lunch at La Rive Droite but it is possible to take the train for the day and have a marvelous lunch and be back in Paris for dinner.

This week's recipe is for our starter:

Tourte de Carottes en Robe de Chou (Carrot Tart Baked in Cabbage Leaves)
Recipe from Charles-Henri de Valbray, Château-Hotel Saint-Paterne
Serves 8

Ingredients for the Tart

8 large leaves of Savoy cabbage

6 large carrots
¼ head cabbage
1 turnip, if desired
3 onions,
2 cloves garlic
1 bunch parsley
4 leeks, white only
1 ½ sticks of butter
5 eggs
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper
Toasted pine nuts
 
Ingredients for the Sauce
1 cup cream
3 tsp minced chives
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp butter

Wash the cabbage leaves and blanch for 3 minutes in boiling salted water. 

Plunge in cold water, remove and dry between paper towels or tea towels.
Remove large ribs.
Wash cabbage, leeks and peel turnip and carrots.  Grate cabbage, turnip, and carrots; slice leeks finely.  Chop onion, garlic and parsley.
Melt 7 tbsp butter in a large saucepan, add grated cabbage, leeks, and onions and sauté gently 5 minutes.  Add carrots, garlic and parsley.
Cook vegetables together for 15 minutes over low heat, stirring from time to time.  Add the cayenne, salt and pepper.  Remove from heat and let cool.  Beat eggs and fold into vegetable mixture, mixing well.
Butter a deep straight-sided pie or cake pan or earthenware casserole with half the remaining butter.  Line the pan with the cabbage leaves, keeping one leaf aside.  Let the leaves extend over the edges of the pan.
Pour the vegetable and egg mixture into the pan.  Fold the leaves over the mixture and top with the remaining leaf.  Dot with remaining butter.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30-40 minutes at 350F.
While tart is baking, prepare the sauce.  Melt butter in cream over low heat.  Add chives, salt and pepper, mix well, and pour in a sauce boat.
Unmold tart on a large round serving place, sprinkle with pine nuts, and serve with sauce.

A Day in the Country with Alix

Alix de Lauzanne is a young woman I have known for 13 years since I attended her Uncle Charles-Henry de Valbray’s wedding in Morocco.  She is now married, the mother of four delightful young children, and lives happyily one hour outside Paris in the tiny village of Jonquieres, near Compiegne.  Alix started a business several years ago, Private Kitchen, giving cooking classes to friends and neighbors in her large, well-appointed country kitchen.

Alix de Lauzanne in her kitchen

I have been wanting to attend one of her classes for several years and yesterday, my new culinary buddy and good friend, Toni and I took off in the early morning sunshine for Jonquieres.  We arrived a little after 10am and enjoyed tea in the kitchen while we waited for the rest of the group to arrive.  We were five plus Alix, and as we donned our aprons, Alix explained how she likes to teach.  Because she and her clients all live far from a big or even middle size city where shopping is easy, she likes to show people how to create delicious meals using only ingredients which can be bought in a supermarket (Carrefour is where she goes).  Our class and lunch for the day was to be Mille-feuilles de canard au gorgonzola et au chutney, Osso Bucco and Tarte tout chocolat facon “Laduree”.

We began with the Osso Bucco because it needed to cook for one hour.  All of us worked at preparing the carrots and the garlic.  Alix had quite a few short cuts and tricks to share.  She said she always uses frozen (Picard) chopped onions, as onions freeze well and this reduces kitchen tears!  BUT, she never uses frozen garlic or shallots as they don’t freeze well and the bitter germ in the garlic is never removed.  She further added that browning the veal first does not add that much to the flavor, so she did not do it and the dish was put together in 15 minutes, and the result was indeed delicious.

Osso Bucco served with tagliatelle

Then we attacked the chocolate tart, which is Alix’s lighter version of Laduree’s celebrated tarte tout chocolat, with considerably less butter and chocolate.  The quality of the chocolate is important here – it must be 65-75% cocoa, and the butter must be sweet butter, but Alix throws in a pinch of fleur de sel for a little salty bite.  We made the pate sablee (short pastry) and then the chocolate ganache, put the two together and refrigerated the tarts for two hours.  When we were ready for dessert, we decorated our tarts and they looked as good as they tasted.

The last dish we made was our first course, the mille-feuille with duck breast, gorgonzola and chutney.  We made the chutney first, then cut filo dough into rectangles and buttered and cooked them for our pastry layers, and finally we assembled the dish and then enjoyed it immediately.  It was lovely to look at, and the combination of the pear chutney, gorgonzola and smoked duck breast was heavenly.

Mille-feuille with duck breast and gorgonzola
served on a bed of chutney

We enjoyed lunch and conversation around Alix’s dining room table with the sun streaming in and a good time was had by all.  I recommend a trip to Private Kitchen (www.privatekitchen.com) for all of you who live in Paris.  Alix will pick you up at the train station if you don’t have a car and she speaks excellent English, so if you put together your own group, she can teach the class in English.

P.S. There is a great brocante (bric-a-brac shop) where we went after lunch, which should be a part of your day if you go!

Alix’s Adaptation of Laduree’s Famous Chocolate Tart (serves 8-10 people)

Pate Sablee au Chocolat

200g (3/4 cup) flour (T45)

120g (8 tbsp) sweet butter (cold)

75g (1/4 cup) powdered sugar

25g (2 tbsp) ground almonds

12g (1 tbsp) cocoa

Pinch of fleur de sel

Chocolate Ganache

300g (1-1/2 cup) chocolate, 65-75% cocoa (Alix likes Nestle Corse Noir)

300g (1-1/2 cup) heavy cream

50g (3-1/2 tbsp) butter, room temperature

Instructions

Pate Sablee:

1. Mix all the ingredients by hand or in a mixer.  Note, this is a very dry mix.
2. Fill individual moulds or a large tart mould with a thin layer of the dry mix.  Press down firmly and evenly.
3. Cook in a 180C (350F) oven for 25 minutes – cool.

Ganache:

1. Cut the chocolate into small pieces.
2. Warm the cream until just boiling and pour over chocolate pieces and whisk gently, being careful not to touch the bottom of the bowl (otherwise the chocolate will congeal into a large mass, and it is very difficult to break up at that point).
3. Whisk in the pieces of cold butter until smooth.
4. Pour the chocolate into the moulds and refrigerate for 2 hours.
5. Decorate with chocolate shavings and cocoa.

Fricassee of Pork Cheeks Recipe

Pork Fricassee with Mushrooms and Carrots (serves 8)

Adaptation of original recipe from Gourmet Magazine, November 1992

Note: This fricassee may be made up to 2 days in advance (in fact, it tastes better if made ahead), and kept covered and chilled until ready to heat and serve.

3 tbsp vegetable oil

3-1/2 lbs pork cheeks (or if unavailable, use boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 2” pieces)

1 large onion, chopped

2 ribs of celery, chopped

1 bay leaf

6 cups chicken broth

2 cups dry white wine

8 large carrots, cut diagonally into 1” thick pieces

1 lb mushrooms, sliced thin

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup heavy cream

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, or to taste

1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

In a large pot, heat the oil over moderately high heat until it is hot but not smoking and brown the pork, patted dry, in batches, transferring it as it is browned to a large bowl. 

Pour off the excess fat and return the pork to the pot with the onion, celery, bay leaf, broth, wine, and simmer the mixture, uncovered, for 2 hours, or until the pork is tender. 

Add the carrots, simmer the mixture, covered, for 15 minutes, or until the carrots are tender, and transfer the pork and the carrots with tongs to a bowl. 

Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl, return the cooking liquid to the pot, and boil it until it is reduced to about 3 cups.

In a large heavy skillet cook the mushrooms in the butter over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid the mushrooms gives off is evaporated, sprinkle the mixture with the flour, and cook it over moderately low heat, scraping up the brown bits, for 3 minutes. 

Stir in the cream, stirring until the mixture is combined well, add the mushroom mixture to the cooking liquid, and simmer the sauce, stirring until it is thickened. 

Stir in the lemon juice, pork, carrots, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with rice.

Fricassee of Pork Cheeks

A Delicious Cauliflower Soup Recipe

My good friend, Toni Fyvie, who originally hails from New Zealand but lives in Paris full-time, is helping me with my blog.  We share a passion for great food and wine, both in restaurants and at home.  Since I know that most of you like to cook (as well as eat out), I have decided that every time I post on my blog, I will share a recipe with you.  Last night I made a truly wonderful cauliflower soup from Betty Rosbottom’s new soup cookbook, Sunday Soup.  I am giving Toni a taste of it today, and the recipe follows.  

Cauliflower Soup with Crispy Prosciutto and Parmesan (Serves 6)

4 tbsp unsalted butter

3 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts only (4-5 medium leeks)

12 cups cauliflower florets (from 2 large heads; about 2 lbs each)

8 cups chicken stock

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

1/2 cup crème fraiche

Kosher salt

4 oz thinly sliced prosciutto

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. Melt the butter in a large, heavy deep-sided pot (with a lid) set over medium-high heat.  Add the leeks and sauté, stirring, until softened for 4-5 minutes.  Add the cauliflower florets, chicken stock, and cayenne pepper.  Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cover pot.  Cook until vegetables are very tender, for about 20 minutes.
2. Puree the soup, whisk in 1/2 cup of the cheese and the crème fraiche.  Taste soup and season with salt, as needed. (The soup can be made 2 days ahead; cool, cover and refrigerate.  Reheat over medium heat.)
3. Cut the prosciutto into julienne strips 3-4 inches long and 1/4 inch wide.  Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet set over medium heat.  When hot, add the prosciutto and sauté, stirring constantly, until crisp and brownded, for 4-5 minutes.  Using slotted spoon, transfer prosciutto to paper towels to drain.
4. Sprinkle each serving with some prosciutto, parsley, the remaining Parmesan and a touch of piment d’espelette.

Cauliflower Soup with Crispy Prosciutto and Parmesan

Enjoy!