Marcus Wareing’s French Classics

In his most personal book to date, chef Marcus Wareing takes readers on a culinary journey not only through France but through his life in French food.

CROQUE MADAME

A classic roux sauce is the foundation for so many great recipes and although I didn’t leam about it until I went to college, it’s one of the first things my wife Jane taught our kids to make when they were young. It opens so many culinary doors: macaroni cheese, lasagna, moussaka and arguably the best sandwiches in France- croques monsieur and madame. Layers of cheese, ham and luxurious roux sauce sandwiched between two slices of bread, toasted in butter and in the case of the croque madame – topped with a perfectly fried egg. Sandwiches may have been invented in Great Britain, but the French really took them to a whole new level with this fabulous recipe.

Serves: 2 | Prep time: under 10 minutes | Cooking time: about 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 100g Gruyère cheese, grated
• 4 slices of sourdough
• 4 slices of prosciutto
• 1 tbsp butter
• Vegetable oil, for frying 2 eggs
• Watercress or lamb’s lettuce, to serve

For the roux sauce

• 200ml milk
• 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp wholegrain mustard
• 100g Cheddar cheese, grated
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. To make the roux sauce, put the milk and thyme into a small saucepan. Gently bring to a simmer over low heat. Melt the butter in another small saucepan, then add the flour and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook over low heat for about I minute to get rid of the floury taste but avoid letting it brown. Gradually whisk in half of the hot milk, then add the remaining milk and cook for a further 5 minutes over low heat, stirring continuously. Remove from the heat, add the two mustards and cheese and stir until the cheese has melted.
2. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/Gas 6 and line a baking tray with baking parchment.
3. Divide the grated Gruyère between two slices of the sourdough, then top with the prosciutto. Finish with two-thirds of the roux sauce then top with the other slices of sourdough. Spread the remaining roux sauce on top. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add the butter then carefully add the sandwiches and toast them for 3-5 minutes. Gently turn the sandwiches over and brown the other side for 3-5 minutes.
4. Transfer to the lined baking tray and bake in the oven for 4-5 minutes until the cheese has melted.
5. While the sandwiches are baking, heat a little vegetable oil in a frying pan and crack both eggs into the pan. Fry for 2-3 minutes, or until the white is set and the yolk still soft. 6 Place the sandwiches on two separate plates and top each with a fried egg. Serve with watercress or lamb’s lettuce on the side.

QUICK COQ AU VIN

A classic coq au vin, while utterly delicious, is quite a stagey recipe to prepare. There are lots of different elements that are cooked separately before being added at different times to a casserole dish. With this recipe I’ve taken out as many of the stages as possible, while ensuring that the end result is just as tasty as the original. It’s good enough for a dinner party, but easy enough for a weeknight family dinner.

Serves: 4-6 | Prep time: 20 minutes | Cooking time: about 2 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp duck fat or butter
• 2 celery sticks, quartered
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, finely grated
• 4 tbsp plain flour
• ½ tsp table salt
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 whole large chicken, jointed into 8 pieces
• 250g smoked streaky bacon, cut into Icm lardons
• 250g button mushrooms, halved if large
• 200g small shallots, halved if large
• 2 tbsp brandy
• 750ml white wine
• 3 bay leaves
• ½ bunch of fresh thyme
• 500ml good-quality chicken stock
• 2 tsp cornflour (optional)
• ½ bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves chopped

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/Gas 4.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the duck fat or butter in a large frying pan over high heat and, when hot, add the celery, onion and carrots and cook for 10 minutes, or until softened. Add the garlic and fry for another minute or two. Remove from the pan and set aside in an ovenproof casserole dish.
3. Combine the flour, salt and pepper, then dust the chicken pieces all over with the seasoned flour. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of duck fat to the frying pan and fry the chicken pieces in batches until golden brown each batch should take about 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and add to the casserole dish.
4. Add the bacon, mushrooms and shallots to the pan and fry for 5-7 minutes until well browned, then add to the chicken in the casserole dish.
5. Deglaze the pan with the brandy then pour this over the ingredients in the casserole dish. Place the casserole dish over the heat, add the wine, bay leaves and thyme (tied together with string) and bring to the boil. Simmer rapidly for about 15 minutes, then add the chicken stock and simmer gently for a further 15 minutes, If needed, mix the comflour with a little water and stir into the sauce to thicken.
6. Cover and place in the oven for 40-50 minutes, or until the juices run clear when a chicken thigh is pierced with a knife in the thickest part. Remove the herbs tied with string, stir in the parsley and serve.

PORK CHOPS WITH FENNEL, SAGE AND ONION

I have my mum to thank for this recipe; she used to make a version of this when I was a lad and the whole family would devour it. The classic French flavour combination of pork and fennel is enhanced with sage and onion and works an absolute treat. It also happens to be about as easy as it gets to cook, with very little preparation required and only a handful of ingredients. It makes a deliciously simple supper served with wilted cavolo nero.

Serves: 4 | Prep time: 15 minutes | Cooking time: about 1½ hours

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 4 x 150-200g pork loin chops
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced
• ½ bunch of fresh thyme
• 15 fresh sage leaves
• 2 tsp dried sage
• 50g cold butter, diced
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/Gas 4.
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat while you season the chops well with salt and pepper. Sear the chops on one side for 3 minutes (you may have to do this in two batches). Transfer the seared chops to a heavy overproof casserole or baking dish, unseared side down.
3. Cover the chops with the onion and fennel slices, separating the slices as you scatter them. The chops should be completely buried in the onions and fennel, so their juices will seep into the chops.
4. Top with the thyme sprigs, fresh and dried sage, and diced butter. Season well.
5. Cover the dish with a tight-fitting lid or seal with foil. Bake for about 1-1½ hours until the pork feels tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife. Two or three times during cooking, remove the lid or foil and tilt the dish so the juices run into one corner. Scoop up the juices and drizzle them over the chops to baste them.
6. Serve the chops with the onions and fennel piled on top and the buttery juices spooned over and around.

APPLE TARTE TATIN WITH NUTMEG CREAM

My first ever attempt at making an apple tarte Tatin was in a competition at The Savoy hotel in London-talk about being thrown in at the deep end! It did not go well. I had no idea that the apples needed to be caramelised, which I soon realised is the key to a perfect tarte Tatin. I’m happy to say that I’ve mastered the technique since then and this recipe is both foolproof and delicious.

Serves: 6-8 | Prep time: 20 minutes | Cooking time: about 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 x 320g sheet of ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry
• Plain flour, for dusting
• 100g cold butter, softened
• 100g golden caster sugar
• 2 cardamom pods, bashed gently with a rolling pin to release the flavour I cinnamon stick
• 6-7 Braeburn apples, peeled and quartered

For the nutmeg cream

• 200ml double or whipping cream
• A grating of fresh nutmeg

Method

1. To make the tarte Tatin, roll out the puff pastry on a floured work surface to about 3mm thick and cut around a plate to make a large circle, just bigger than the pan you’re going to use to make the tart. Cut three small slits in the pastry for the steam to escape and move to a baking parchment-lined tray. Place in the fridge to rest while you make the rest of the tart.
2. Spread the softened butter in an even layer over the base of a 20-24cm ovenproof frying pan. Cover with the sugar and spices in another even layer: Arrange the apples on top in a spiral, overlapping one another.
3. Preheat the oven to 210°C/190°C fan/Gas 7.
4. Place the pan on the hob over medium-high heat and cook until the butter and sugar start to bubble and form a caramel, this will take around 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and then place the pastry circle over the apples, using a spoon to tuck the pastry in around the edges of the pan. Be careful it will be very hot!
5. Bake for about 35-40 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, make the nutmeg cream by whisking the cream until it reaches soft peaks. Spoon into a serving bowl and grate some fresh nutmeg over the top.
6. Run a small knife around the inside of the pan to ease away the caramelised pastry. Put a large plate over the tarte Tatin in the pan and carefully flip both pan and plate over. Slowly lift the pan off to turn the tart out. Serve with the nutmeg cream on the side.

From France Today Magazine