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I finally saw "Ratatouille," the Academy Award-winning film produced by Pixar. It is the story of Remy, a French country rat who dreams of becoming a chef in Paris. This brilliant and charming film made me ache to return to the City of Light.
Paris is full of boulevards, sidewalk caf�s and bistros where wine flows and coffee is sipped.
On a number of occasions, I have written French cuisine is my favorite. I especially prefer the unstuffy, down-to-earth dishes found in bistros.
Since I gave recipes for salad dressings last week, I thought it a fine idea to write about salads served in French bistros.
Most Philadelphia restaurants offer a house, Caesar or spinach salad, as well as a wedge of iceberg with blue cheese dressing and the now-common beet, pear, walnut and greens salad. Some places will toss anything grilled on a bed of ho-hum, dreary mesclun.
Not the French. They take care and special pains to create salads that are unique, balanced and bursting with flavor. Whenever I want to create a bistro meal at home, I turn to "Bistro Cooking" by Patricia Wells. She teaches classes at her farmhouse in Provence and has been the restaurant critic for The International Herald Tribune for many years.
Here are recipes from "Bistro Cooking," which I have adapted for the American home.
Smoked Duck Breast Salad
Ingredients:
1 small head of fris�e, washed and torn into bite-sized pieces
2 cups of high-quality sherry wine vinegar
1/2 cup of fresh walnut oil
Salt, to taste
1/2 cup of cooked fresh corn or frozen kernels, thawed
4 thin slices or about 4 ounces of smoked duck breast or smoked ham, cut into thin strips
1/2 cup of walnut halves
Directions:
Place the fris�e in a large shallow bowl.
Warm the vinegar, oil and salt in a stainless steel saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer. Add the corn and warm for one to two minutes.
Pour the corn dressing over the greens. Toss gently but thoroughly. Divide among four large plates, spreading out and pressing the greens down to lie flat. Arrange the duck or ham on top of the greens. Sprinkle with the walnuts and serve.
Serves four.
Salad of Roquefort, Walnuts and Belgian Endive
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 cup of hazelnut or extra-virgin olive oil
6 Belgian endives
1 cup of walnut pieces
6 ounces of Roquefort cheese, crumbled
Directions:
In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice and salt and stir to blend. Add the oil and stir to blend. Taste and adjust for seasoning.
Separate the endive leaves, wash and pat dry. Place the whole leaves in a large salad bowl. Sprinkle on the walnuts and cheese. Add the dressing and toss well. Serve immediately.
Serves six.
Herring and Potato Salad
Ingredients:
8 ounces of small new red-skinned potatoes, scrubbed
Salt, to taste
4 ounces of jarred pickled herring, rinsed and halved
3 tablespoons of chopped fresh chives
1/4 cup of peanut oil
Directions:
Place the potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water. Add the salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil until nearly cooked through but still firm in the center, about 15 minutes. Drain and quarter the potatoes.
In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, herring and chives. Drizzle with the oil and toss.
Serves four.
Salad of Fresh Spinach and Saut�ed Chicken Livers
Ingredients:
1 pound of baby spinach leaves
12 fresh chicken livers, halved
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
1/2 cup of peanut or olive oil
Directions:
Arrange the spinach on four large salad plates.
Season the livers with the salt and pepper. In a small skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the livers and saut� for two to three minutes for pinkish livers, five to seven minutes for well-done. They should remain moist and tender. While still over the heat, deglaze the livers with the vinegar, stirring up any brown pieces stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add the oil and stir until the mixture is warm and blended.
Evenly arrange the warm livers on top of the spinach. Pour on the dressing and serve, allowing each guest to toss themselves.
Serves four.
