Tag: bistro fare

Julia Child’s Escargots à la Bourguignonne

Julia Child's Escargots à la Bourguignonne

Celebrating Julia Child’s Birthday
with Her
Escargots à la Bourguignonne

Just beyond the doors of Julia and Paul Child’s apartment at 81 Rue de l’Université, the narrow Paris streets settle into a golden, late-summer hush. It is August 15th, Julia’s birthday, and Paul has planned a special surprise.

Arm in arm, they stroll along the cobblestones, passing sun-dappled wrought-iron balconies draped with geraniums. The scent of yeasty pain de campagne drifts from a corner boulangerie, mingling with that of roasted coffee from nearby cafés. Paul’s eyes glint with quiet anticipation, eager to reveal his secret.

81 Rue de l’Université, Paris 81 Rue de l’Université, Paris

After a short while they arrive at their destination — Bistrot Ataloré, a small, warmly lit eatery tucked on a side street where the awning is striped in red and cream. Paul had stopped by earlier in the week to alert the maître d’ to the occasion. As they step inside, the aromas of garlic butter and roasting meats envelopes them.

“Bon anniversaire, Madame Child,” the maître d’ says graciously, bowing ever so slightly. “Nous sommes honorés de célébrer avec vous ce soir.”

He guides them to a private little table in the back corner, away from the gentle bustle of the dining room. As he hands them the menus, he leans in conspiratorially. “You must begin with our escargots — a specialty of the house. Divine garlic butter, perfect for dunking with our fresh-baked baguette. And the sole meunière… magnifique. For dessert, I recommend our seasonal figs with sabayon. Très enchanteur.”

Paul smiles at Julia, already knowing she’ll say yes to the escargots — the tender wild snails from Burgundy bathed in parsley-flecked butter. It is the kind of dish that lingers in your memory long after the last bite, much like this evening surely will.

Julia Child's Escargots à la Bourguignonne

The meal begins as the escargots arrive, bubbling in their cast iron dishes, green-gold pools of garlic-herb butter infused with a touch of dry vermouth, fragrant with fresh parsley and shallots. Each snail is perfectly coated, inviting a first bite of mouthwatering, buttery richness… Julia is in heaven.

Julia Child's Escargots à la Bourguignonne

Bon Appétit!

Julia Child's Escargots à la Bourguignonne

Julia Child’s Escargots à la Bourguignonne Recipe

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Salade de Chèvre Chaud

Salade de Chèvre Chaud

Salade de Chèvre Chaud
Warm Goat Cheese Salad

Salade de Chèvre Chaud is a classic French salad that features warm goat cheese as its star ingredient. It starts with a bed of mixed greens and herbs topped with cucumber and radish for added texture and flavor and color.

Medallions of fresh tangy goat cheese are coated with panko breadcrumbs and fried in oil to a golden crunchy exterior and creamy interior. The dressing is a classic Dijon vinaigrette. And the addition of edible flowers makes the salad pop!

The Salade de Chèvre Chaud can be served with two or three medallions for a main course or with a smaller salad and one medallion as a starter course. Crusty baguette is always welcome on the side. And rosé is the perfect accompaniment.

Salade de Chèvre Chaud

Recette de Salade de Chèvre Chaud

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Monkfish Cargot (Escargots-Style)

Monkfish Cargot (Escargots-Style)Monkfish Cargot (Escargots-Style)

A delightful dinner at Michael Mina’s Bardot Brasserie in the Aria Las Vegas served as the inspiration for this dish. But alas, with no snails on hand, I decided to try a monkfish version of Escargots de Bourgogne instead.

Et voilà, it exceeded our expectations!

The flesh of monkfish is dense, meaty, and succulent, with a sweet flavor. It has a firm texture that holds up well to baking at high heat in garlic butter, making it a perfect substitute for snails in this escargots-style recipe.

Monkfish Cargot (Escargots-Style)

Monkfish, also known as lotte in French cuisine, is a unique-looking fish found in both the Atlantic and Mediterranean. It’s known for its rather unattractive appearance, with a large, flat head, tapering body, and a wide mouth filled with sharp teeth.

Despite its unappealing looks, monkfish is prized for its delicious, firm flesh, often compared to lobster or scallops in taste and texture. It’s also a sustainable seafood choice, as monkfish populations are relatively abundant and well-managed.

Bardot Brasserie Las Vegas

Bardot Brasserie

ESCARGOTclassically prepared, absinthe butter, garlic, baguette
BARDOT BRASSERIE ESCARGOTS
classically prepared, absinthe butter, garlic, baguette

As we also took some food to go, I was able to bring home a paper baguette bag too, to use in my photographs.

Monkfish Cargot Recipe

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Oeufs Mayonnaise

Oeufs Mayonnaise

Classic Bistro Fare
🥚 Oeufs Mayonnaise 🥚

Oeufs Mayonnaise is appreciated for its simplicity and the rich creaminess of the eggs combined with the tanginess of the mayonnaise. It’s a staple in French cuisine and often served as an appetizer in bistros, cafes, and homes across France. It’s a dish that exemplifies the elegance of simplicity and the artistry of combining everyday ingredients in traditional French cooking.

In the late 1980s, Paris experienced a shift in culinary preferences, with traditional dishes like oeufs mayonnaise losing some of their allure. One factor that likely contributed to this decline in interest was growing concern about health issues, particularly the perceived risks associated with consuming foods high in cholesterol. Eggs, a key ingredient in oeufs mayonnaise, were often vilified due to their cholesterol content during this period.

Amidst this changing landscape, Claude Lebey, a prominent figure in the French culinary scene renowned for his restaurant guides, recognized the need to preserve and celebrate dishes like oeufs mayonnaise. In 1990, Lebey took action by establishing the “Association de sauvegarde de l’oeuf mayonnaise” also known as ASOM. This association was dedicated to championing the dish and ensuring its proper preparation in bistros and restaurants across Paris.

Oeufs Mayonnaise

Lebey’s motivation stemmed from a concern that bistros, iconic establishments of French gastronomy cherished for their authentic charm and simple, hearty fare, were gradually losing their traditional character. He viewed oeuf mayonnaise as more than just a dish; it was a symbol of the essence of bistro cuisine—a humble yet delicious offering that epitomized the soul of French culinary heritage.

Lebey’s efforts, coupled with a broader movement towards rediscovering and celebrating traditional cuisine, ultimately contributed to a resurgence of interest in oeufs mayonnaise. The dish regained its place on bistro menus, reaffirming its status as a beloved staple of French gastronomy and a testament to the enduring appeal of simple, well-executed dishes that have stood the test of time.

Today, Claude Lebey’s grandson, Romain Lebey, has continued his family’s legacy by further promoting and preserving French culinary traditions, including the advocacy for dishes like oeufs mayonnaise.

Oeufs Mayonnaise Recipe

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Ultimate Bistro Salad: Salade de Laitue

Ultimate Bistro Salad: Salade de Laitue

Ultimate Bistro Salad:
Salade de Laitue

Living whole heads of Bibb lettuce, high quality vinaigrette components, and the synergistic combination of a few fresh herbs result in a deceptively simple yet exquisitely balanced salad, one that is the best imaginable of its kind. Period.

Chef Thomas Keller writes in his fabulous bistro cookbook Bouchon, “The word laitue comes from the Latin word for milk, from the milky juices some lettuces can exude. Hearty, buttery Bibb leaves are a good example of the rich juicy quality lettuce can have. They’re so big and rich, in fact, that this salad almost qualifies as a meal in itself.”

Atelier Atalore, Las Vegas

Salade de Laitue Recipe

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