Tag: Onion

Blanquette de veau à l’ancienne

Natalie Hanson

Serves 6-8 people.

3 lb of boneless veal in 2 inch chunks
6 cups of chicken stock, home made or canned
2 carrots, cut into chunks
1 large onion, quartered
2 cloves of garlic, unpeeled
2 celery tops
1 leek
Bouquet garni, salt, pepper

  • Blanch the veal: in a large casserole, cover the veal with cold water, bring it quickly to a boil, and let simmer for 1 minute before draining it in a large sieve.
  • Wash any residue off the pieces of meat under cold running water, scrub the casserole, and replace the veal in it.
  • Cover the veal with the chicken stock, and supplement the stock with water if necessary.
  • Add the carrots, onion, bouquet garni (thyme, bay leaf, parsley), garlic cloves, and the salt.
  • Slowly bring the stock to a boil, and skim the surface of any residual scum.
  • Then, reduce the heat to barely simmer the liquid.
  • Cook partially covered for 1 to 1-1/2  hours, or until tender.
  • While the veal is simmering prepare the white onions and the mushrooms.

The vegetables

20 to 25 small white onions, peeled and left whole
2 Tbsp of butter
2/3 cup of chicken stock
1 tsp of lemon juice, 1 lb of mushrooms, sliced

  • In a large saucepan you can cover tightly, heat together 2 Tbsp of butter and the stock.
  • Slowly bring this to a boil and, when the butter has melted, add the onions.
  • Cover the pan, reduce the heat, and simmer for about 30 minutes.
  • Turn the onions every now and then.
  • If the stock cooks away, add a little more from the veal in the casserole.
  • When the onions are cooked – pierced easily with a pointed knife – remove them from the pan with the slotted spoon, and set them aside in a bowl.
  • In the same pan, stir 1 tsp of lemon juice in the remaining stock, bring it to a boil, and add the mushrooms.
  • Cook them briskly for 5 minutes, remove then from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside with the onions.
  • Pour any remaining liquid into the simmering casserole with the veal.

The velouté sauce

3 Tbsp of flour
3 Tbsp of butter
2 large egg yolks
1 cup of cream

  • When the veal is cooked, remove all the pieces from the casserole and strain the stock into a saucepan (press down on the vegetables).
  • Carefully drain the veal, onions and mushrooms of any juices collected in their bowls and add to the stock to be reduced as well.
  • Bring the stock to a boil and reduce to 2 cupfuls to use for the velouté sauce.
  • Melt the butter and stir the flour into it.
  • Cook this roux over low heat for a minute without browning it.
  • Then, slowly add the two cups of reserved veal stock.
  • Raise the heat and bring the sauce to a boil.
  • Lower the heat and let cook for 5 minutes longer.
  • Meanwhile mix together the egg yolks and the cream and pour into the sauce.
  • Season to taste.
  • Place the meat and the mushrooms and onions in a clean casserole.
  • Pour the sauce over them.
  • Gently but thoroughly mix.
  • Heat once more and sprinkle with parsley.

Blanquette d’agneau des bords du Rhone

Natalie Hanson

3-1/2 lbs shoulder of lamb
2 medium onions finely chopped
2 carrots, chopped
Salt, pepper
Bouquet garni
1/2 cup of beurre manié
2/3 cup of mayonnaise
Juice of lemon

  • Remove the meat from the bones, trim excess fat and cut the meat into 2 inch cubes.
  • Heat a bit of oil in a large pan, add the onions and carrots and cook, stirring all the time, for 5 minutes.
  • Do not brown.
  • Add the meat and seal in the oil but do not let brown.
  • Pour in enough hot water to cover the meat, add the salt, pepper and bouquet garni, simmer gently for 1 hour or more.
  • Add the beurre manié a little at a time over the heat until a creamy sauce is obtained and the flour is cooked.
  • Remove the meat and vegetable in a hot serving dish after draining the sauce from them.
  • Discard the bouquet garni and place the meat in a warm serving dish. Reserve.
  • Mix a little of the sauce with the homemade mayonnaise, return to the pan, mix well and add lemon juice and seasoning.
  • Strain some sauce over the meat, garnish with the vegetable and sprinkle with parsley.
  • Serve the rest of the sauce separately.

Garnish (cooked separately and tossed in butter)

1/2 lb of green beans
1/2 lb of carrots
Parsley

Mayonnaise

  • Beat 2 egg yolks with 1 tsp of Dijon mustard and a dash of white pepper.
  • Drip about 1 cup of olive oil in this mixture, slowly at the beginning and faster when it starts to thicken.
  • Add 2 Tbsp of lemon and some salt.

Beurre manié

  • 1/4 cup of butter worked together with 1/2 cup of flour.

Yugoslavian vegetable dish

Natalie Hanson

From Ruth Wessels.

Can be made several days ahead (without the cheese on top) and frozen after cooking.  Then return the casserole to the oven, to reheat 30 minutes.  Spread the cheese and brown just before serving.

1 potato, diced
1 medium zucchini, unpeeled and diced
1 medium eggplant, unpeeled and diced
2 green peppers, diced
2 small carrots, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1 inch strips
1 Bermuda onion, coarsely chopped
1 cup of shelled fresh peas
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
1/3 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp salt
1 tsp Tabasco (or soy) sauce                
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
5 large tomatoes, sliced
1/3 cup raw rice
1/2 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese 

  • Combine potatoes, zucchini, eggplant, green peppers, onion, carrots, peas, and parsley with 1/3 cup of olive oil, salt, Tabasco, and pepper.
  • Line an oiled 9 x11 inch (deep) baking dish with half of the vegetable mixture.
  • Layer with half the tomato slices, sprinkle with rice, and add the other half of the vegetable mixture.
  • Top with remaining tomato slices.
  • Mix the remaining 1/2 cup olive oil with vinegar and pour over casserole.
  • Bake, covered at 350°F for 1-3/4 hours.
  • Sprinkle with cheese and place under broiler until cheese is melted.

Tian d’aubergines

Natalie Hanson

Tian is a provençal word often used to describe a casserole of vegetables which can include meat or fish as well.  Eggplant and tomato is a favorite combination of vegetables in the South of France.

It is a good idea to use a covered casserole dish that can go from oven to the refrigerator or even to the microwave, since this dish can be served hot, cold, or reheated.

2 medium eggplants (or 4 small ones)
4 tomatoes, sliced
2 onions, peeled and sliced
6 Tbsp of olive oil
2 Tbsp of balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp of Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper

  • Lightly oil a gratin dish and spread the sliced onions at the bottom.
  • Slice the eggplants but do not cut all the way through.
  • Put a slice of tomato between each cut of the eggplants.
  • Slicing the tomatoes in a slant will permit a better fit when layering them into the cuts of the eggplants.
  • Make sure that the top of each tomato is flush with the top of the eggplant to make a nice presentation.
  • Arrange both eggplants, layered with the tomatoes, on top of the sliced onions.
  • Make a vinaigrette sauce sauce by mixing the mustard and vinegar and add the oil.  Season with salt and pepper.
  • Dribble the vinaigrette all over the eggplants.
  • Cook, uncovered, for an hour.
  • Then cover with aluminum foil or with the cover of the dish, and cook for another 45 to 50 minutes.

Ratatouille

Natalie Hanson

This recipe is better when done the day before and reheated.

1 medium eggplant, cubed
4 or 5 small zucchinis, sliced
1/4 cup of olive oil
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1 lb of tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 green pepper, cored, seeded and sliced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tsp basil
Sprig of thyme
1/2 tsp of coriander
Pinch of crushed aniseed
Chopped parsley

  • Sprinkle the eggplant with salt and put let the water drain for 30 minutes.
  • Dry on paper towels.
  • To get the best flavor, you can cook each vegetable separately in a frying pan before proceeding with the recipe.
  • Heat half the oil in a large casserole, add the onion and cook over low heat until soft.
  • In a large pot put the eggplant, zucchinis, tomatoes and pepper.
  • Sprinkle the garlic, herbs, salt and pepper on it.
  • Mix gently.
  • Spoon the remaining oil on top.
  • Cover and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes until vegetables are tender.
  • Sprinkle with parsley and serve hot.

Petits pois à la parisienne

Natalie Hanson

2 onions
2 Tbsp olive oil
6 carrots sliced
2 packages of tender tiny peas
1 clove of garlic and some chopped parsley
lettuce leaves

  • Brown onions in 2 Tbsp of olive oil.
  • Add the sliced carrots and cook until tender.
  • Add the defrosted peas, the garlic and parsley and a few leaves of lettuce.
  • Cook gently, covered, for about 10 minutes.

Petites tomates farcies

Natalie Hanson

7 or 8 small tomatoes
6 Tbsp of butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, chopped
1/2 cup of soft bread crumbs
2 Tbsp of chopped parsley
Salt and pepper 

  • Cut tops off tomatoes, scoop out the pulp and reserve.
  • Salt the inside of each tomato and invert on a paper towel to draw some of the juice.
  • Melt 3 Tbsp of butter in a small pan and cook onions and garlic until transparent.
  • Stir in the reserved pulp and cook over high heat for 10 minutes.
  • Add bread crumbs, parsley, salt and pepper.
  • Fill the tomatoes, dot with the remaining butter and cook in the oven for 30 minutes or until brown.

Galette Lyonnaise

Natalie Hanson1 Comment

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

2 lb of baking potatoes
2 large onions
5 Tbsp of unsalted butter
freshly grated nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste

  • Peel the potatoes.
  • Boil and steam them until tender, drain.
  • Coarsely mash with a fork, leaving a few irregular chunks.
  • Preheat the broiler.
  • Slice the onions.
  • Melt 2 Tbsp of the butter in a large skillet, add the onions and sauté until soft and golden.
  • Melt the rest of the butter in the skillet and add the potatoes, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
  • Cook and toss the mixture about 3 minutes.
  • Transfer to a gratin dish, smooth the surface with a spoon and dot with the remaining butter.
  • Brown lightly under the broiler.

Fonds d’artichauts à blanc

Natalie Hanson

For 6 or 8 artichoke bottoms.

1/2 cup of flour
1 quart of cold water
2 Tbsp of lemon juice
1-1/2 tsp of salt

  • Put the flour in a saucepan and beat in a bit of cold water to make a smooth paste.
  • Then beat in the rest of the water, the lemon juice and the salt.
  • Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
  • Add the artichokes.
  • Bring liquid to the boil again and cook for 30 to 40 minutes at a simmer or until tender.
  • Allow them to cool in the liquid.
  • If they are to be refrigerated for a day or two, cover the water with a film of oil.
  • Remove the artichokes from the cooking liquid and rinse under cold water.
  • Delicately scoop out the choke with a spoon and trim off any remaining leaf ends.

 Sauce au crabe

1 cup of crab meat
2 Tbsp of butter
1 onion, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
2 Tbsp of butter
2 Tbsp of flour
enough milk to make a creamy sauce 

  • Cook the onions in the butter until barely brown.
  • Add the green pepper then the red pepper. Reserve.
  • In saucepan melt the butter, add the flour and mix while cooking on medium heat.
  • Add the milk slowly and bring to a boil.
  • Add the vegetables and the crab meat to the sauce.
  • Roll some pastry dough cut it into small squares and fill each square with the filling.
  • Refrigerate.
  • Cover each turnover with an egg wash (1 egg beaten with some water).
  • Cook on a cookie sheet at 400°F until golden.

Eggplant provençale

Natalie Hanson

This is a time-consuming recipe but well worth its colorful result.

2 lb of eggplants
2 cups of onions, sliced
2 Tbsps of olive oil
2 cans of peeled italian tomatoes (1lb each)
Thyme, orange peel, saffron, garlic
Salt and pepper
8 oz of sliced swiss cheese 

  • Cook onions in olive oil, covered, for 8 to 10 minutes.
  • Drain the tomatoes, reserve the juice.
  • Rub the pulp trough a sieve to eliminate the seeds.
  • Stir the pulp into the onions and add herbs, orange peel, saffron, garlic, salt and pepper.
  • Cover the pan and simmer for 45 minutes.
  • The sauce should be thick enough to hold its shape in a spoon.
  • In a big pan boiled some salted water.
  • Cut eggplants in halves then in slices.
  • Blanch the slices in boiling water for 2 minutes and drain on paper towels.
  • Saute the slices in olive oil until slightly browned and put them on a tray.
  • In a gratin dish arrange in layers – slices of eggplants, tomato sauce, and swiss cheese.
  • Repeat until all slices are used.
  • Reheat oven 375°F and bake 35 minutes covered, then 10 more uncovered.
  • Use the reserved juice of the tomatoes if the dish looks too dry while cooking.

See also Tian d’aubergines.