When I was a chef in the hospitality industry there was always a set menu for Bastille day and everyone was always excited about it . French treats, dishes and bread were prepared for the long weekly feast. Some of the food we would prepare would be apricot filled brioche, orange crepes, croissants and a menu fit with matching wines from the Bordeaux region.( Bakery in Paris below)
I would like to share some tasty french treats with you that will take you half the time to do and will taste just as good. So get your aprons on.
The first French treat is called “Pain au chocolat “ or “Chocolate croissants”. Now don’t get worried these are simple to make and as soon as you pop these into your oven,your kitchen will transform into a gastronomic French day dream and your visitors will be so impressed.
Ok so normally you would make your own puff pastry which isn’t hard to do it is just extremely time consuming as you roll out dough and add squares of room temperature butter, fold the dough roll and repeat the process (see below). The rolling and process creates the multiple layers of puff but if you are keen on making your own Puff Pastry , that’s great !!!
However for those that are under time restrictions then by all means buy a packet of ready made Puff Pastry. Ok yes I know you are probably thinking “is that ok”… and the reason it is ok is because the Puff Pastry I am referring you all to purchase is called “Carême Pastry ” . This is the best pastry by far and is amazing to bake with .Carême Pastry is owned and operated by William and Claire Wood. Carême Pastry is located in Tanunda in the Barossa Valley South Australia.
Careme Pastry established in 2005 with a clear vision - to provide a range of the finest, hand- crafted pastry products made using traditional methods from natural ingredients, free from additives, preservatives and colourings. Unlike commercial manufacturers they do not use stabilizers, relaxants or any other additives commonly used in mass production. Their products are genuinely hand-made in order to maintain the highest quality.
Carême is named in recognition of the great Master Chef and Pâtissier, Antonin Carême (1783-1833), an orphan of the French revolution and self-educated he became the most celebrated chef of his time. Revered for his skill and ingenuity he likened the art of pastry to that of architecture and the Pâtissier to a master builder. His legacy can be found in the finest European pâtisseries and in the Carême range of traditional pastry.
I strongly urge you all to go out and buy a packet the Puff pastry is divine as well as the vanilla bean sweet shortcrust pastry in a 435gram packet please see website below.
http://www.caremepastry.com/
Pain Au Chocolat – Chocolate Croissants
Ingredients
1 packet ready rolled butter puff pastry( I use Careme puff pastry )
100-gram dark chocolate - (use good quality chocolate eg: Plasitowe Nestle, Callebaut)
1 egg beaten
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Unfurl the sheet of pastry and then cut it into 6 squares.
Cut each square diagonally to give 2 triangles (they will appear quite small). Put the triangle with the wider part facing you and the point away from you.
Break off small pieces of chocolate (approx.1cm/half inch) to place about 2cm/3/4-inch up from the wide end nearest you.(see pic below).
Then carefully roll from that chocolate loaded end towards the point of the triangle.
You should now have something resembling a straight croissant, seal it slightly with your fingertips and curl it around into a crescent.
Place the chocolate croissants on a lined baking tray and paint with the beaten egg. Bake for 15 minutes until golden and puffy and exuberantly, if miniature, croissant-like. (See pic below)
A really quick French treat which will have people begging you to make more is called "French Chocolate Bark", smooth dark chcolate with apricots, nuts and cranberries. The reason it is called French Bark is because in Paris the French scatter the fruit and nuts over the choclate rather than mixing it in.
Renee's Really Easy French Chocolate Bark
250 gram good quality dark chocolate -
Apricots - chopped
Cashews - salted for that amazing contrast with sweet and salty
Dried Cranberries- can use currants also or sultanas
Melt Chocolate in a glass bowl over simmering water, stir till it melts.
Lay greaseproof paper on a tray and spread chocolate in a rectangle shape with a spatula and then scatter fruits and nuts all over chocolate.
Set it aside and let it harden and once you are able to touch it (about 2 hours) cut it up and pass this treat around. Perfect for having with coffee after dessert.
French Fruit Galette
These galettes work with a variety of fruit, you could also use peaches, apples, pears or nectarines.
375g carême butter puff pastry
½ kilo apricots or ½ kilo cherries (fresh cherries can be substituted for good quality pitted morello cherries)
400g quark style cheese (if you cannot find quark then use cottage cheese)
pulp from half a vanilla bean
50g (or to taste) castor sugar
zest half lemon
1egg beaten
3 tbsp apricot jam for glazing
Directions
1. Pre heat oven to 200ºC.
2. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Unroll pastry (do not attempt whilst still frozen this will cause the pastry to crack). Lightly flour the pastry and work surface. Gently roll out the pastry to give you approx an extra 4cm all round or to around 2mm thick.
3. Using a 10cm pastry cutter, cut out 8 discs and place on the baking tray, place this in the refrigerator while you prepare the topping.
4. Mix the cheese, vanilla bean pulp, castor sugar, lemon zest and egg together.
5. Prepare the fruit: halve and remove the stone from apricots, if large cut into quarters. Remove pip from cherries if using fresh.
6. Remove pastry from fridge and top each disc with 2 teaspoons of the gruth mixture leaving a 1cm border. Top each disc with either 5 pieces of apricot or approx. 5 – 8 cherries depending on size.
7. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes at 200ºC, reduce temperature to 170ºC and continue to bake for 15 minutes or until pastry is golden brown.
8. While the pastries are baking warm through the apricot jam either on the stove or in the microwave. If the jam is chunky pass through a sieve.
9. Remove pastries from the oven and glaze the fruit and pastry with apricot jam whilst still warm.(Galette pic below).
Fruit galettes can be served warm or cold, to re heat place in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes at 160ºC.
Now as this blog is all about all things French, I wanted to include some of my favorite places as well. When you want to swept away by the Eiffel Tower or feel as though you are walking down the “Champs-Elysées “ then have a browse through some of my favorite Frenchy places below.
1. La Parisienne Pates
290 Lygon Street
Carlton VIC 3053
2. Le Petit Gateau
458 Little Collins St
Melbourne
Tel: 03 9944 8893
Le Petit Gâteau’s irresistible cakes and tarts are very indulgent and especially designed to impress the most discerning cake lover.. Conveniently located in the heart of the Melbourne CBD at 458 Little Collins Street at the rear of the stylish RACV Club, ideal for catering for inner-city businesses.
This is the place to go to impress or just to sit and have a coffee and indulgle in one of Pierrick Boyer’s many French inspired pastry creations.
Le Petit Gateau’s Head Pastry Chef, Pierrick Boyer (below), has a wealth of international experience, gained in many of the world’s most prestigious venues, and has worked alongside some of the most internationally renowned chefs including Alain Ducasse, Christophe Michalak, Pierre Marcolini and Stephane Leroux.(Amazing Pastry chefs).
Pierrick has received many awards for his outstanding creations and now you can waltz in down to Le Petiti Gateau and see just all of these mouth watering desserts.
The most popular cake sold at Le Petit Gateau is called the Brownie cake pictured below left and with the arrival of Bastille Day Pierrick and his Pastry team worked wonders and produced these babies on the right , "Blue, White & Red macaron Parisien, filled with vanilla butter cream and home made soft raspberry jam"...yum!
Check out http://www.lepetitgateau.com.au/
Ok so now I am heading towards the French restaurant scene where you and your loved one (mon ami) or your friends and family can go and indulge in a fancy French restaurant and you don’t even need to leave Melbourne.
Aux Batifolles - French Brasserie
400 Nicholson St
Fitzroy North 3068 VIC
Batifoler means 'to romp or to lark about; to flirt'- appropriate descriptors of this cheerful suburban bistro. Quality, well-priced Gallic classics are prepared and served by an all-French staff, encouraging diners to pull out their dodgy high school French in order to completely capture the French experience. The dishes have a predominantly hearty provincial flavour, with occasional Mediterranean notes from France's southern neighbours , Head Chef is Chef: Stephane Pettier among the other amazing Kitchen staff.
So when you are next in North Fitzroy check out this delightful French foodie delight.
Website: http://www.auxbatifolles.com.au/
Libertine Dining
500 Victoria St, North Melbourne, VIC 3051
Libertine is owned and run by Nick Creswick and Zoë Ladyman, a young couple dedicated to their craft of providing not only a superb meal, but an indulgent service experience. They love classic and traditional French cuisine (pic of dessert below left) and remain steadfast in their intentions to bring back an old-fashioned style of respectful and responsive service. Libertine proudly supports produce suppliers that are quality driven and strive to use the best game, seafood and vegetables available each season. The wines on offer in the restaurant form a small eclectic collection from around the world, always of exceptional quality at every price point, catering for those just starting their exploration of wine, as well as those wanting a very special or rare bottle.
Libertine opened September 2005 with immediate success and acclaim from both local diners and the press. The restaurant was renovated to open the first floor dining room October 2006.
Check out Libertine Dining experience at http://www.libertinedining.com.au/ and have a listen to the “oh so Frenchy” music .
Now before we end out French journey I wanted to let you all in on a love that I have had since I was a 2nd year apprentice. The love is my love for the “Roux Brothers” and their amazing, brillant pastry work.
The Roux Brothers are legends in the Patissere world and The name is a culinary legend. Michel with his older brother Albert arrived in England in 1971 to open the original Le Gavroche Restaurant in Lower Sloane Street. The address was imprinted immediately onto the gourmets and gourmands across the country. By 1972 when they opened The Waterside Inn, they had another 3 restaurants in London, each a landmark in a city not then known for fine dining. Between them they have trained over 800 young chefs many of whom are now also legendary. Since 1984 the Roux Scholarship is undoubtedly considered the ultimate British competition for chefs.
If you are like me and are remotely passionate about cooking/ pastry and bread making etc then you must get a copy of “The Roux Brothers on Patissere” ..outstanding book and every recipe is spot on and will lead you to a perfect dish.
For more information on “The Roux Fmaily” check out http://www.waterside-inn.co.uk/
As promised here is my local business for the week ,one local business that I am loving and hope that you all try and venture out is called “Pope Joan café” in East Brunswick. I am loving the fact that around the corner from my sisters house there is a groovy café that serves amazing meals ..simple but delicious.
Pope Joan cafe is a new venture between Ben Foster (long-serving general manager of North Carlton's Kent Hotel and husband of The Age restaurant critic Larissa Dubecki) and Matthew Wilkinson (executive chef of Circa, the Prince).
Located at 77 – 79 Nicholson street East Brunswick , Pope Joan finally opened it’s doors on the 2nd of July 2010 by owners Ben Foster and Matt Wilkinson. Pope Joan is open for breakfast and lunch 7 days a week and hope to be opening for dinner mid week soon. A small selection of local beverages of the alcoholic variety are now also available.
'We are hoping to achieve a fresh and eclectic take on a modern cafe. The premises will (hopefully) be licensed and seat around 60 people. Matt's approach to the food will be about making the most of whats on offer, produce driven and certainly drawing on his British heritage and Circa experience. The aim is to create a cafe which is relaxed yet service oriented with a unique take on your standard cafe fare. We'll try to use sustainable, seasonal food sourced locally, with a small Victorian wine and beer list.” Ben Foster”.
So go for a Sunday stroll and get a bite and support your local business, check out http://www.popejoan.com.au/
Next blog I will be devising a 3 course restaurant quality menu for you all to try and it will be so simple you will be rushing to put your aprons on.
Until next time…………Happy Cooking or "Bon Apetit" !!!!
