Home Cooking with Chef Michel Roux

In his latest superb cookbook, French chef Michel Roux showcases his favourite recipes for family and friends. Here we present four classics to try at home.

COURGETTE SALAD WITH OLIVES

Salade de courgettes et olives | Serves 4

We don’t always think of eating courgettes raw but they are delicious, particularly if you can find small ones, which are sweeter and have fewer seeds than the large ones. Mix different varieties if possible to get a range of flavour, texture and colour. I like to add the courgette flowers but if you can’t get them, don’t worry the salad will still be good.

INGREDIENTS

• 500g mixed courgettes (baby, green, round, yellow)
• 2 medium shallots, finely sliced
• 1 tbsp floral honey
• Juice of 1 lemon and zest of 1½ lemon
• 4 tbsp good-quality extra virgin olive oil
• 80g black olives, pitted and roughly chopped
• 100g sundried tomatoes in oil, sliced
• 1 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tbsp chopped chives
• 100g rocket leaves
• Salt and black pepper

For the courgette flowers (optional)

• 8 courgette flowers
• 1 litre vegetable oil, for frying
• 2 tbsp cornflour

METHOD

1. Using a mandolin or a sharp knife, cut the courgettes into a variety of shapes, such as thin slices, matchsticks, ribbons and dice. Put them in a serving bowl, add the shallots and season with salt and pepper.
2. Mix the honey with the lemon juice and zest, add the olive oil, then pour this dressing on to the courgettes.
3. Add the olives, sundried tomatoes and herbs, taste and season again if needed. Sprinkle some rocket leaves on top and serve.
4. If using the courgette flowers, open them carefully and remove the stamens which can be very bitter. Add the oil to a large pan and heat it until a square of bread browns in seconds. Dust the flowers with comflour and deep-fry them for 2 minutes until crisp. Remove and drain on kitchen paper, then season with a little salt. Serve with the salad.

ROAST VEGETABLE TART TATIN

Tarte tatin de légumes | Serves 4

Here we have a great French classic made into a vegetarian treat. I’ve suggested a selection of vegetables, but you can vary them according to the season and spice them up with more chilli if you like a bit of heat. Delicious as a main meal or as an accompaniment, this can be made in individual portions as well as a large tart. It’s fine to use shop-bought puff pastry – I do!

INGREDIENTS

• 3 small heads of red chicory
• 3 small heads of yellow chicory
• 200g slender carrots, halved lengthways
• 300g kohlrabi, cut into batons
• 100g cauliflower florets or sprouting broccoli, halved
• 1 large onion, cut into wedges
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and sliced
• Leaves from 1 thyme sprig
• 350g puff pastry
• Flour, for dusting
• Salt and black pepper

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/Fan 200°C/Gas 7. Cut the heads of chicory in half (or if they are large, into quarters) and put them in a bowl with the other vegetables. Add the oil and toss, then season with salt and black pepper. Spread the vegetables over a baking tray and roast them in the oven for 8-10 minutes. The vegetables should be partly cooked and have a little colour.
2. Melt the butter in a large (28cm) ovenproof frying pan, then sprinkle over the sugar. Place the cooked vegetables, sliced chilli and thyme on top, making sure to pack the vegetables tightly.
3. Roll out the pastry on a floured work surface to 3mm thick. Place the pastry over the vegetables, tucking it in around the edges. Make a few holes in the pastry with the point of a knife, then bake for 20 minutes. Leave to cool a little, then place a plate over the pan and carefully turn the pan over to invert the tart on to the plate. Serve warm.

RED RICE WITH MERGUEZ SAUSAGES

Riz camarguais aux merguez | Serves 2

Red rice from the Camargue region of France takes longer to cook than white rice but it’s well worth it for the lovely nutty taste. I use it a lot and enjoy it in this dish with merguez sausages and some herby pesto. Merguez are quick to cook and they have a great spicy flavour. And if you want extra heat, you could add a little chilli.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1 rosemary sprig, finely chopped
• 100g red rice, soaked for 30 minutes, then rinsed
• 25ml dry white wine
• 350ml vegetable stock
• 200g lamb merguez sausages
• 1½ preserved lemon, finely chopped
• 10 cherry tomatoes, halved
• Salt and black pepper
• Herb pesto
• Small handful of coriander leaves
• Small handful of mint leaves
• Small handful of parsley leaves
• 5-6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

METHOD

1. Heat the oil in a pan and cook the shallot, garlic and rosemary until soft. Add the rice, then the wine and stock and bring to the boil. Tum the heat down to a gentle simmer and cook for about 40 minutes or until the rice is tender and all the liquid has been absorbed.
2. Meanwhile, make the pesto. Place the herbs in a small food processor along with a little olive oil, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Blitz until smooth.
3. When the rice has been cooking for about 30 minutes, place a griddle pan over a high heat. When it’s hot, add the merguez sausages and cook for 5-6 minutes, tuming regularly until they are charred on all sides.
4. When the rice is ready, stir in the preserved lemon and the cherry tomatoes, then season to taste. Serve the rice with the merguez sausages and drizzle generously with the herby pesto.

SOUFFLÉD PANCAKES WITH ORANGES & GRAND MARNIER

Crêpes soufflées à l’orange et Grand Marnier | Serves 4

This show-stopping dessert was one of my Uncle Michel’s favourites.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 oranges
• 250g crème pâtissière (see below)
• 6 free-range egg whites
• Pinch of sugar
• 50ml Grand Marnier
• 20g icing sugar, for dusting

For the pancakes:

• 1 free-range egg
• 75g plain flour
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 210ml milk
• 1 tbsp clarified butter

Crème pâtissière

Makes about 250ml

INGREDIENTS

• 4 free-range egg yolks
• 60g caster sugar
• 20g plain flour
• 250ml milk
• ½ vanilla pod split

METHOD

1. Place the egg yolks and about 20g of the sugar in a bowl and whisk until pale. Sift in the flour and mix well.
2. Put the milk, the rest of the sugar and the split vanilla pod in a pan and bring to the boil. As soon as the mixture bubbles, pour about one-third of it on to the egg yolks, stiming continuously. Pour the mixture back into the pan and cook over a gentle heat, stirring continuously, for 2 minutes.
3. Tip the mixture into a bowl and immediately cover with cling film to prevent a skin from forming. Leave to cool.

PANCAKES METHOD

1. First make the pancake batter. Beat the egg in a bowl, then whisk in the flour a little at a time. Add the sugar and salt and mix well with a whisk. Stir in the milk to make a smooth batter, then leave it to rest in a cool place for at least an hour. To cook, brush a frying pan or crêpe pan with a little of the clarified butter and heat. Ladle in less than a quarter of the batter and cook the pancake for 1 or 2 minutes on each side, tuming it with a palette knife. You should get 4 or 5 pancakes.
2. Segment 2 of the oranges and squeeze all the membranes into a pan to extract any juice. Add the juice of the other 2 oranges to the pan. Place over a low heat and reduce by half, then strain into a bowl and set aside at room temperature.
3. Put the crème pâtissière in a bowl, place it over a pan of simmering water and heat gently. Meanwhile, beat the egg whites with a pinch of sugar until they form soft peaks. Take the crème pâtissière off the heat, whisk in the Grand Marnier and beat briefly, then add one-third of the egg whites. Mix well, then carefully fold in the rest of the egg whites with a spatula. Preheat the oven to 240°C/Fan 220°C/Gas 9.
4. Lay a pancake on a board and spoon a quarter of the crème pâtissière mix over one half. Add a few orange segments, then fold the pancake over and press down gently to seal the edges. Repeat with the remaining pancakes, crème pâtissière mix and orange segments.
5. Put the filled pancakes on to a lightly greased baking tray and bake in the preheated oven for 2-5 minutes. Remove and dust them generously with icing sugar, then place under a hot grill for 4-5 minutes, so that the sugar melts and becomes partly caramelised.
6. To serve, slide each pancake on to a plate. Pour some of the reduced orange juice around each one and add a few orange segments. Serve at once.

From France Today Magazine