French Kitchen

Crème Fraîche  To  Beurre manié

My curiosity about cooking has started since I was a little child.  I have learned a lot of trough books, people and others.  Now I enjoy and love to cook dishes from all over the world.  Italian cooking was the first cooking I have learned, thanks to Nonna Bocchino.  Italian dishes are a part of our family meals since.  Then, of course, the French cuisine, I know to learn classic French cooking is almost impossible for a home cook, but I believed that It is achievable.  Larousse Gastronomique gives me information about French cuisine, which helps me to understand more about French cooking and culture.

Familiar Objects In a French Kitchen

In the nineties, my daughter Melanie gave me this book; Simple French Cuisine - From Provence to Languedoc, by Jenny Baker.  It has been handy to me since.  It is practical, comfortable and informative about French cooking. I cook French cuisine more often than before.  Baguettes to brioches, ragu, pistou, savouries to sweet pastries, meat to sauces, tarts to terrine,  and my family love it.

I make my own crème fraîche, it is easy enough and inexpensive too. Crème fraîche, not only has nutty flavour but also it does not curdle even when it is boiled.  So the cooking never fails, it adds extra smoothness and creaminess to the dish. 

Mix together 300 g double cream with 150 sour cream

to make a crème fraîche

Cover and leave it at a warm place for overnight

before keeping it in a fridge

The Recipe:

Crème Fraîche
300 ml double cream
150 ml soured cream
Mix the two together in a bowl.
Cover and leave in a warm place overnight.
Stir well and transfers to the fridge

It will keep up to ten days in a refrigerator. It is delicious as well to go with desserts and fruits.

Fresh potted herbs in my garden, garlic and olive oil are there in my pantry.

To save time, have French salad dressing ready at hand and make the right quantity of beurre manié.

The beurre manié is very important in the winter time, for my ragu and all sauces.

We tend to think of meat is being the centre of French cooking. Actually, they love their fresh vegetables too. They even grow vegetables in the backyard.  The fresh verity of vegetables can be purchased in the markets. They have beautiful traditional salads recipes, I like the Nicoise salad, I did try this salad when we were in Provence, and it was so lovely.  They make salads and taste like salads, and if you eat chicken taste like chicken.  Spot on!

I love vegetables so much, salad is served almost every day, and the French salad dressing is one of my favourites dressing.

Thickened Butter (beurre manié)
100g softened butter
100g flour
Mash together, then form into a roll, wrap in greaseproof paper
Store in the fridge.  Slice off what you need.

100 gr softened butter and 100 g flour

Mash the butter and mix with the flour

Form it into a roll

Wrap in greaseproof paper

keep in a fridge, sliced off what you need it.

The trick of French cooking to thicken sauces by stirring in small pieces of a paste made by mixing an equal amount of butter with flour.  Usually, it is done at the end of the cooking time, such as to thicken slow-cooked stews or casserole-daube.  It is a good idea to have a supply on hand.

Definitely a large room for French Kitchen at my place.

I hope you all like this post.
Susy