Cocotte eggs with Comté

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A light delicious and quickly prepared dish, an easy and elegant answer to the frequent question "what are we going to eat this evening?". Here is version with Comté (a famous cheese from eastern France, like gruyère, but much better), but it can be made prepared many different ways.

Cooking sugar

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Cooking sugar, which is one of the basics of patisserie and sweet-making, is a delicate operation in which sugar is heated from 100°C or 212°F to 180°C or 356°F. Here is some information on this tricky subject. [Translator's note: the terms used below correspond to the French tradition, as often used by English-speaking chefs, but there are other stages and terms in other traditions. Best to use a thermometer, and be guided by temperature, as the English terms commonly used in domestic...

Fillet of pollack cooked in two stages

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This pollack fillet is cooked in two stages: first pan-fried briefly to seal it and colour the outside, then baked gently in the oven in a parcel (en papillotte) on a bed of melting onions, julienne carrots and peas. This double cooking...

Fish in a salt crust

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Fish cooked in a salt crust is simply baked in the oven, surrounded and completely covered by a layer of coarse salt. This allows the fish to cook gently and it should be eaten as soon as the salt crust is opened. In this version, it is stuffed with lemon and herbs. Using a thermometer is the best way to ensure that the fish is cooked to perfection.

Tender tuna

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Cooking tuna can be tricky: undercooked it is unappetising, overcooked it dries out rapidly. Here is a method which guarantees that your tuna will be perfectly cooked and tender.

Fish in a seed crust

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Fish fillets coated with a mixture of breadcrumbs and seeds, then fried.

Jura bread

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This speciality bread is full of all the character of the Jura: dry white wine (made with Savagnin grapes, of course), diced Comté cheese and toasted walnuts. "Jurassic bread" was is first name... The loaves can be made long, as shown here, or as small rolls. This is ideal as an aperitif snack, served sliced and maybe reheated briefly in the oven.

Blackcurrant liqueur

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The fruit liqueurs (or "creams" in French) are a mix of neutral alcohol in which fruits are macerated, and sugar syrup. They are the basis of the very famous "Kir", mixture of dry white wine and blackcurrant liqueur. This recipe is for blackcurrant, but it can be made with other soft fruits like raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, etc.

Praline

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Praline is a preparation of caramelized nuts (in this case almonds), with a very characteristic flavour. Either crushed or as a paste, it is used to fill or flavour all manner of things like creams, chocolates, biscuits, etc.

Pistachio powder or paste

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Pistachio paste has a similar texture to almond paste, but the similarity ends there, as its flavour and colour are quite characteristic.

Stock-pot fish

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A julienne of vegetables (small sticks) mixed with choice morsels of fish, slowly cooked in vegetable stock.

Quick orange marmalade

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Just oranges (organic) and sugar in this simplified marmalade recipe.

Pollack Parmentier

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"Parmentier", in French cuisine, means topped or mixed with mashed potato. This fishy version is made with pollack (or another fish, if you prefer), poached, flaked, and mixed with cooked onions, mashed potatoes and a little thyme. This is then topped with grated cheese and browned in the oven, gratin style.

Pollack fillet baked with rice and vegetables.

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This oven-baked recipe teams layers of rice and vegetables (sesame-flavoured rice, sautéed courgettes, onions and tomatoes) with fillets of fish (pollack here) and thyme laid on top. Everything is then cooked together in the oven.

Mackerel Fillets in White Wine

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Mackerel fillets in white wine are the kind of thing we normally buy ready-made in a tin, as a quick snack. But preparing them at home is straightforward and so much better. Here is how to create this classic yourself, step by step.

Cod loin with saffron

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A thick, deboned loin of fish (cod in this case), pan-fried and served with a reduced white-wine and cream sauce, flavoured with shallot and saffron.

Pistachio ice cream

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Rediscover the real, delicate taste of pistachio in this ice cream with its very definite flavour.

Nougat

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Nougat is a sweet made with honey and almonds that has changed very little since ancient times. The nougat we know today is the Montelimar variety, in which egg whites are added to the basic recipe for a lighter texture. Here is a simplified version.

Swiss meringues

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Swiss meringues are a variant of the classic French meringue. The eggs whites and sugar are beaten together in a bain-marie at first, then beaten stiff as normal. This makes for a firmer meringue which can be used to make small items or figures to decorate cakes or ice creams (such as mushrooms, snowmen, etc.).

Fish fillet with preserved lemons

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A thick fish fillet stuffed with slices of preserved lemon - crispy on the outside and tender inside.

Finishing touches

Is an oven really ever finished? Well there are always ideas for improvements. Here are af few...
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Basic temperature in bread-making

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The thermometer is your friend

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The power of sayings and beliefs in the kitchen

One day, in the comments on the recipe for beaten egg whites, a young woman asked if you could beat egg whites stiff while having a period, as a friend had told her it wasn't possible. Sometime later another person commented that for mayonnaise it had been (get this!) scientifically proven that a...
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Good fridge management

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Should I believe my oven?

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The secret of cooking until "done"

This is a real chef's skill: being able to look at a fish fillet cooking and say, "Stop – that's enough, it's cooked". I always admire this ability to see at a glance if something is done. It is what sets the professionals apart from us mere amateurs. And it's true that how fish is cooked is...
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Fruits which can ruin your jelly

There are many ways of making a fruit mousse, but one of the simplest is to prepare a fruit jelly (basically a fresh fruit coulis with gelatine) and then mix this jelly before it sets completely with whipped cream. The result is perfect for filling a charlotte, for example. But do beware;...
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One should cover a pan while heating?

You've probably heard it before: "Cover your pan, it'll boil faster", but is it true? Let's find out.
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Your oven in "proofer" mode

In the bakery, proofing is a crucial stage in the process of making light, plump breads and pastries. During proofing, the yeast ferments the sugars present in the dough, releasing carbon dioxide which forms bubbles. This process allows the dough to swell and aerate, guaranteeing a soft, light...
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