Bistro!
For anyone who loves food and the unpretentious side of French gastronomy, it is the loveliest of words, conjuring up visions of large quantities of aromatic, rich, rustic food served in an informal setting.
Just how beautiful these settings can be-and how appetizing the food-has been captured in a lovely book filled with evocative photographs called
”Paris Bistro Cooking” (Clarkson Potter, $30), by American writer Linda Dannenberg.
Be the dish a plate of steamed mussels, a country terrine cut in thick slabs and garnished with the tiny pickles the French call cornichons, a pristine stew of veal and spring vegetables or a soup plate filled with custard sauce on which float pure-white pillows of meringue, it speaks to the purity and simplicity that form the underpinning of the French culinary genius.
Be the object that catches your eye a row of shiny copper pans on the wall; a country tablecloth with simple plates of rustic design; a waiter`s white shirt, black tie and long apron; the ageless woman sitting behind the cash register; or the equally ageless woodwork, it is never quite a cliche. You take the atmosphere away with you and, in recall, savor it as sensually as you do the food.
”Bistro,” Dannenberg points out, is a word almost impossible to define. But she may have a point when she says: ”I believe the core is the intimacy and the warmth of the welcome you receive. That stays with you more than the food and atmosphere.”
But all three, plus the look and behavior of the other customers, add up to that equally indefinable word ”ambience.” In Paris, as Dannenberg`s book shows, there are chic bistros and those still reserved to the working class;
many that are timeworn and some that are shiny and new; bistros where the cooking is welcomely predictable and others where it is ambitious and even daring. The differences are as important as the similarities, and somewhere among them is at least one you will come to cherish.
The bistros of Chicago offer this variety too. Each has its virtues, such as the authenticity of the food at Jean Claude, the joie de vivre of the clientele at Bistro 110, the appealing decor at Un Grand Cafe, the seamless blending of old and new at Kiki`s Bistro.
Bistros are on the upswing, Dannenberg believes, because ”Parisians are tired of precious food” and have returned to the substantial comfort food that is the core of any true bistro`s menu.
As proof, here are truly tried and true recipes from a quartet of her Paris favorites.
CHAMPIGNONS A LA GREQUE
(MUSHROOMS IN THE GREEK STYLE)
Four servings
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onions
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound mushrooms, quartered
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 medium tomatoes, cored and quartered
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Pinch cayenne
A few coriander seeds
1 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon finely chopped Italian parsley
1. In a large skillet, saute the onions in the olive oil until wilted but not browned, about 5 minutes. Toss the mushrooms with the lemon juice, then add to the onions and saute 3 minutes longer. Add all of the remaining ingredients except the parsley, bring to a simmer, cover and let simmer over low heat about 20 minutes.
2. Let cool completely. Sprinkle with the parsley. If made in advance and refrigerated, bring to room temperature before serving.
-From La Fontaine de Mars
BLANQUETTE DE JARRET DE VEAL
(BRAISED VEAL SHANK)
Three or four servings
3- to 4-pound veal shank, in one piece
1/2 lemon
1 large onion, quartered
2 medium carrots, quartered
1 bouquet garni (2 sprigs parsley, 1 bay leaf, 1 sprig thyme and 1/2 stalk celery, tied in a square of cheesecloth)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
12 small mushrooms, cleaned and tossed with 1 tablespoon lemon juice
12 small white onions
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup creme fraiche+
+Available in specialty food stores and some supermarkets.
1. Peel the thin silver skin from the veal shank and trim off any fat. Soak the veal overnight in cold water in the refrigerator. Pour off the water and rub the veal all over with the lemon.
2. Place the veal in a large pot, cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, bring about 1 quart of fresh water to a boil in a large pot and add the quartered onion, carrots and bouquet garni. Drain the water from the veal and add the meat to the pot with the onions and carrots. Season with salt and pepper, lower heat, and simmer gently for about 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until the veal is tender when pierced with a fork.
3. Remove the meat from the bone and cover to keep warm. Strain the liquid through a sieve and measure 2 cups of liquid to make the sauce. Add the mushrooms and white onions and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Remove with a slotted spoon and keep warm with the veal.
4. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan and whisk in the flour. Stirring constantly, cook the mixture 3 to 4 minutes, until it begins to color. Gradually whisk in the 2 cups of liquid and bring to a boil, stirring often. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Heat the creme fraiche in another medium saucepan and reduce it by half until very thick. Whisk the sauce mixture into the creme fraiche and adjust the seasoning. Slice the veal. Pour the sauce over the veal, mushrooms and onions and serve with noodles or rice.
-From Benoit
SOLE GRENOBLOISE
(FILLET OF SOLE WITH LEMON AND CAPERS)
Four servings
Garnishes:
2 slices day-old white bread, crusts removed, cut in 1/4-inch cubes and browned in 2 tablespoons butter
1 lemon, peel and pith removed, diced and seeded
2 tablespoons drained capers
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and seasoned with salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
For the fish:
4 sole fillets, about 6 ounces each
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 tablespoons salted butter
1. Assemble the garnishes. Set aside.
2. To prepare the fish: Season the fillets with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour, shaking off excess. In each of 2 medium skillets, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat. Add the fillets, lower heat slightly and saute for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until cooked through and golden.
3. Lift each fillet (with 2 spatulas, if necessary) onto a warmed dinner plate. Garnish each fillet with the croutons, lemon and capers. Sprinkle with butter and parsley.
-From La Cafetiere
POTS AU CREME AU CHOCOLAT
Eight servings
2 cups milk
1 cup sugar
1/2 pound semisweet chocolate, broken into pieces
Yolks of 8 large eggs
1 large egg
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Bring the milk and sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in the chocolate pieces and bring back to a boil, stirring often. Whisk the yolks and the egg together and very gradually whisk in the hot chocolate mixture. Pour into eight 1/2-cup ramekins and place the ramekins in a larger pan filled with enough hot water to come halfway up the ramekins. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until the chocolate mixture is set. Cool and refrigerate until ready to serve.
-From Le Bistro d`a Cote
