Larousse At Home

While reading Larousse I’ve found many interesting recipes. With a few ideas I decided to do a three course dinner for my parents last week. The first course was all me but the last two were from Larousse Gastronomique. The menu:

First Course

Prosciutto di San Daniele with Blue Montagnolo; Truffle Honey, Baguette Bread

Second Course

Beefsteaks à l’ andalouse; Pan Jus with Sherry, Tomato, Parsley

Third Course

Le jeu de pommes; Organic Honey, Calvados, Lemon Juice

Larousse Gastronomique Recipes

Beefsteaks à l’ andalouse

Soften 50 g (2 oz) chopped onion and a chopped garlic clove in butter. Add salt and pepper. Mix with 400 g (14 oz, 2 cups) minced (ground) beef and form into 4 rounds. Coat these with flour and cook in oil. Sauté 4 large tomato halves in oil and place a cooked steak on each. Arrange them on a plate with a rice pilaf in the centre (optional). Deglaze the cooking juices of the steaks with ½ dl (2-3 tablespoons) sherry. Reduce, add some butter, and pour the sauce over the steaks.

Le jeu de pommes

Make a fine pastry by mixing in the blender 200 g (7 oz, generous 1 ½ cups) flour, 140 g (5 oz, 2/3 cup) rather firm butter, a pinch of salt, 8 g (1/4 oz, 1 teaspoon) sugar, and a little olive oil. Incorporate 1 dl (6 tablespoons, scant ½ cup) water and rotate a few times in the food processer (the particles of butter should still be visible). Remove the dough and roll it out finely; cut out 16 circles approximately 12 cm (5 in) in diameter using a pastry (cookie) cutter. Place them on nonstick baking sheets, cover them with very thin slices of apple, brush with 50 g (2 oz, ¼ cup) melted butter, and sprinkle lightly with caster (superfine) sugar. Bake in a hot oven at 220 C (425 F, gas 7) for 15 minutes.

Turn each tartlet over on the baking sheet using a spatula and dust the reverse side with icing (confectioners’) sugar. Put the tartlets under the grill (broiler). As it caramelizes, the sugar forms a glossy crackly film. Leave to cool for 15 minutes. Take 4 dessert plates and place 4 tartlets on top of each other on each plate (apples upwards). Just before serving, cover each jeu de pommes with 1 tablespoon warmed honey and sprinkle with a little calvados and a few drops of lemon juice. This dessert may be accompanied by a lemon sorbet.

Prosciutto di San Daniele with Blue Montagnolo

























Truffle Honey, Baguette Bread

Beefsteaks à l’ andalouse














Pan Jus with Sherry, Tomato, Parsley

Le jeu de pommes














Organic Honey, Calvados, Lemon Juice, Ice Cream