Chicken livers fry briefly with shallot and garlic, deglaze with brandy, finish with thyme and a splash of cream. The hot mixture blends with cubed cold butter into a silky paste, presses into a terrine, and sets cold under a layer of clarified butter. Eats best after a day in the fridge.
A quick béchamel goes onto two slices of bread, ham fills the middle, more béchamel and grated gruyère pile on top. Bakes in a hot oven until the cheese melts into a deep golden crust.
Choux dough cooks on the stovetop: milk + water + butter + salt come to a rolling boil; flour is dumped in all at once; cooked for 1-2 minutes until the dough comes together as a ball that pulls away from the pan walls. Cooled slightly. Eggs whisk in one at a time to a smooth thick pipe-able paste. Grated Gruyère, Comté and a touch of Dijon mustard fold through. Piped or spooned into small mounds on a baking tray; brushed with egg wash; sprinkled with more cheese. Baked at 220°C for 10 minutes then 200°C for 15 more, the puffs rise dramatically, crack, and turn deep golden. Served warm.
Pork shoulder (fatty cuts only, lean cuts will be dry) is cut into 3 cm chunks. Pork back fat (or lard) adds extra cooking fat; shallots, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, white wine and a glass of water go in with the pork. Cooked at the lowest oven temperature for 3-4 hours covered until the pork is completely tender and the fat has rendered into a clear pool. Once drained, the fat is reserved separately and the pork is pulled into long strands with two forks. The strands are packed into sterilised jars; salt and pepper season to taste; some of the reserved fat is poured over to seal the surface. Refrigerated for 3-5 days to mature; the flavours develop dramatically. Served with toasted baguette, cornichons and mustard.
A rustic yet sophisticated tart featuring slowly roasted cherry tomatoes with fragrant basil and garlic on a crisp pastry base. The semi-confit technique concentrates tomato sweetness while preserving brightness. A summer-perfect vegetarian tart celebrating tomatoes at their peak.
A simple batter of chickpea flour (also called gram flour or besan), water, olive oil and salt is whisked to a smooth thin consistency; rested at least 1 hour (overnight is even better; lets the chickpea flour fully hydrate and removes the raw bitterness). A heavy ovenproof frying pan (cast iron is ideal) is heated to smoking-hot under a high broiler / grill. A generous slick of olive oil goes in. The batter is poured in to a 5-mm depth. Under the broiler 8-12 minutes until the surface is golden, the edges are crisp-charred, and the centre is just set with some bubbling. Slid out, sliced rough, scattered with pepper and salt, eaten hot with the fingers.