The most succulent cut of pork, roasted to a crispy golden brown on the outside, meltingly tender on the inside, infused with rosemary and garlic — this is a recipe fit for the most discriminating palate. The meat is lean and juicy, its elegance enhanced by the spicy earthiness of the rosemary. And the beauty of the dish is that it takes just 5 minutes to prepare, plus roasting time of about half an hour.
Filet de porc au romarin / Roast pork fillet with rosemary
Roast pork fillet marries well with country dishes like vegetable purées or Provence-style roasted tomatoes (coming tomorrow). I could say more, but will not as I’m rather tired, having been up from 3-4:30 a.m. watching the U.S. presidential debate. Like many Americans in Paris, I am very concerned about the outcome of this election — we may be an ocean away, but we feel very close to the situation back home. But that is not the subject of this web site, so I will save my thoughts on the matter for another occasion.
Instead, here’s some site news: My young French computer genius stopped by yesterday and added share buttons to the bottom of each page (except the home page). Which means that if you like a recipe, you may send it to friends via Facebook or Twitter. Meanwhile I have begun building a Facebook page dedicated to The Everyday French Chef. The page will inform its readers about upcoming events — the first of which is a soufflé demonstration scheduled for early November — and hopefully also include video interviews of some of my favorite Paris chefs. If you’d like a sneak preview, search on Facebook for The Everyday French Chef.
When I was a kid growing up in the United States, artichokes were considered a great delicacy in my family. But as we lived far from California, where they were grown, they were expensive. My mother would cook a single artichoke for the four of us, cut into quarters. When I came to France and was served a whole artichoke for the first time, I thought it must be a mistake. But artichokes are available everywhere here. They grow wild along the roadside in parts of the south, their crowns bursting into glorious purple bloom if they remain unharvested. So it wasn’t a mistake. I had simply landed in paradise.
Zucchini infused with thyme, garlic and nutmeg and topped with a crust of bubbling cheese — it sounds as good as it tastes. But the best thing about this dish is how easy it is to make. In the time it takes to heat up the oven, you can steam the zucchini, grate the cheese, combine the cream and seasonings, and presto — it’s ready to bake. You may need to double or triple the recipe, because it will have your happy diners clamoring for seconds.
The beauty of the clafoutis is that it is so easy to make. An unpretentious French dessert, it is typically prepared in the spring, with cherries. But why wait half a year to enjoy it? In this late-summer version, pears are first caramelized and then baked in a batter of eggs, sugar, flour and milk. The result, served at tea time or after a meal, is mouth-wateringly delicious.
Site news: We’ve been up for four weeks now, and I have to say it has really been fun. If you like the site, please subscribe by email — simply click on the envelope above and you will receive a daily update with a link to the latest recipe. FaceBook subscriptions will also be available soon.
