A springtime treat in France, violet asparagus – gently steamed and then served with hollandaise sauce, divine! All that is needed to accompany this seasonal delicacy is crusty bread and chilled white wine. There are several ways of making this classic French sauce, I give you a very simple method here, and this recipe is well behaved enough to stay warm for up to 30 minutes! There are three types of cultivated asparagus: white, violet and green. The exposure time of asparagus to sunlight determines its colour – under sunlight the white asparagus turns first violet and then green. The cultivation methods applied determine the colour. Green asparagus for example is grown above ground and tastes most similar to the “original” wild asparagus. I like to sprinkle fresh violets from the garden on my asparagus – violets are edible and even if you do not eat them, they make a beautiful garnish! Serves 4 as an appetiser and 2 to 3 as a light meal.
A classic French way of serving radishes, simple and yet so good; crunchy radishes are simply served with fresh butter and sea salt. I like to serve mine with Fleur de Sel, which is the caviar of French sea salts. You will be offered this in most French homes as an aperitif snack or as an appetiser before a meal. All that is needed is some traditional French bread to accompany it for a light lunch or supper dish. Table salt is fine if you cannot source Fleur de Sel or a good sea salt. (Information on Fleur de Sel: Many consider fleur de sel, which means “flower of salt” in French, the finest type of sea salt available. Its price reflects its high quality, as it costs about 10 times more than your average sea salt and 100 times more than table salt. The delicacy with which it is hand-harvested accounts for much of the expense. Fleur de sel floats on the surface of shallow salt water marshes and is scraped off with a special rake called a lousse à de fleur. The raking must be done carefully by hand to prevent mixing the fleur de sel with the coarse gray salt beneath it. France harvests most of the world’s fleur de sel, with the town of Guérande possibly being the most famous producer. Fleur de sel has a higher mineral content than table salt, a natural greyish hue, a moist texture and a violet-like fragrance. Sprinkle it on food before serving to enliven flavours.)
I adore Moules Frites – for me it is quintessential French and Belgian Bistro food at its best – plus I love tactile eating! You can treat yourself to Moules Frites anywhere in France and Belgium, and for most of the year. I often make the “Moules” part at home – Moules Marinière – but now and then, for a treat I also do the “Frites” bit as well……chips or French fries! Serve these with lots of paper towels or napkins, and a glass of chilled white wine would be the perfect accompaniment! I bought special Moules Frites dishes, as shown in the photos, but a couple of bowls would be fine – and don’t forget a large bowl for the shells. If you really want to be 100% authentic, it is de rigueur to serve the frites with mayonnaise my dear…..sinfully good! Vive la France! Historical Note: Did you know that French Fries are really Belgian? Deep-fried chipped potatoes (“fries” in American English; “chips” in British English) are a very popular food item – and one which the Belgians claim to have invented. They are called frieten in Dutch and frites in French, whatever the name, they are my guilty pleasure!
The literal translation of quatre épices is four spices; however, quatre épices rarely contains JUST four spices, but can have anything up to five or six spices in the mixture! This is my own version of quatre épices, a spice mixture that I find invaluable in the French kitchen, especially for charcuterie such as terrines, pates, sausages and rillettes. This spice mix is also that quintessential ingredient when added to deep, dark slow cooked beef and game dishes, especially when they contain wine. There is a school of thought that suggests the need for a “sweet” quatre épices spice mix as well a “savoury” quatre épices spice mix; I have never bothered to deviate from this basic recipe, which is equally delicious in savoury dishes (as mentioned above), and when used with moderation in sweet puddings, rich cakes and biscuits. My recipe contains five spices and will keep for a several weeks in an airtight tin or jar. This spice mix also makes a thoughtful gift for a foodie friend or host and hostess!
These wonderful little tartelettes are made from a combination of ripe, sweet pears with tangy, sharp Roquefort blue cheese and aromatic rosemary.They make an excellent and very elegant starter; they are also wonderful if served as a light luncheon dish, with salads and chutney or pickles. The galettes can be assembled several hours in advance – or even the night before – then chilled until you are ready to bake and serve them. I have stipulated shortcrust pastry – but puff pastry can also be used.
