Dayrecipe Food Community

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4lb ground turkey (not labeled “all breast meat”)
• 1medium bosc pear (6 oz), peeled, cored, and coarsely grated
• 1/4cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage
• 3/4teaspoon salt
• 1/4teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4teaspoon ground allspice
• 1large egg, lightly beaten
• vegetable oil for brushing skillet

DIRECTIONS Makes 4 servings.Stir together all ingredients except oil in a large bowl until combined well.

Form 1/4 cups of sausage mixture into patties (3 inches in diameter; about 8 total) using moistened hands and arrange on a wax-paper-lined tray.

Lightly brush a 12-inch nonstick skillet with oil and heat over moderate heat until hot but not smoking.

Cook patties in batches of 4, turning over once, until browned and cooked through, about 6 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate as cooked and keep warm, covered with foil.

Cooks’ note:
• Patties can be formed (but not cooked) up to 3 hours ahead and chilled, loosely covered with plastic wrap.

Makes 12 cucumber rolls.

INGREDIENTS

(Le Gâteau de Maïs)

This is an old-fashioned dish, a simple meal that Marie-Rose Sol makes often for herself and her husband, Gabriel. Farmers who have raised everything from foie gras geese to vegetables, they are semi-retired now and living by themselves, though not far from their children. For Marie-Rose that means cooking for two, something that she’s never quite gotten used to. “When I make this, I still make almost as much as I did when the family was here, and we eat it all, with salad!” she says.

This dish, which is like a crisp corn pancake, is wonderful in late winter when the weather’s still cold but no longer biting. Marie-Rose makes it when she wants something delicious that takes little effort. “Besides, this is one of Gabriel’s favorite things,” she says.

It’s simple and somewhat unusual, like a dessert but treated as a vegetable. There is very little batter to cover the apples, so the result is light and crisp. Don’t be afraid to bake the cake until it is just this side of burned on the edges and golden in the center, Serve it immediately upon removing it from the oven. You’ll see that it goes perfectly with a garlicky salad!

Try a simple Bergerac with this.

Makes 2 to 4 servings.

INGREDIENTS

Jean-Yves Jaulin’s Mojhettes au Jambon

Makes 4 healthy servings.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound dried white beans (great northern)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 shallots, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely diced
• 4 cups water
• sea salt
• 4 1/4-inch thick slices of cured ham

DIRECTIONS 1. Place the beans in a large pot and cover them with cold water. Cover pot,
bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat, then remove from the heat
and let sit for 1 hour.Drain and reserve.

2.Place the shallots and 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large,
heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring, until the
butter is melted and the shallots have begun to sizzle. Continue to cook,
stirring often, until the shallots begin to turn translucent, about five
minutes. Add the pre-cooked beans, stir, then cover with the water.
Increase the heat to medium high. When the water boils, reduce the heat
again so the water is simmering very gently. Cover, and cook until the
beans are soft and some are beginning to fall apart, 1 1/2 hours.
Season with salt to taste, and keep warm.

3.Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat until it is hot but not
smoking. Add the ham slices and cook until they are golden on each side,
about 4 minutes per side.

4.Stir the remaining butter into the beans, adjust the seasoning, and
divide them among four plates.Lay a slice of ham next to the beans, and
serve, with the peppermill alongside.

(Poulet aux Echalotes de Mme. Lascourrèges)

This is an interpretation of a recipe given to me by Denise Lascourrèges, whom our son christened “Madame Châtaigne.” It was she who revealed to us the marvelous Gascon woods, which were so full of chestnuts we had to dodge those falling from the trees.

Mme. Lascourrèges raises her own chickens and ducks, and the appear frequently on her table. At her house I found ways of preparing chicken that departed from the norm. This recipe, which relies on the sweet heat of shallots and the bite of vinegar, intrigued me most of all, and I’ve made it often since I returned from her farm. I use the oven most often, though occasionally I cook it on the grill, which is the way Mme. Lascourrèges usually makes it.

In general, French farm cooks use a lot of shallots, which here turn dark and caramelized — some turn almost black — but they don’t get bitter. Instead, their flavor intensifies. The vinegar adds a pleasant tartness; the oil smooths all. At the last minute I like to add parsley, which scents the whole dish with its slight anise flavor. Consider it an option — it is my addition to Mme. Lascourrèges’s recipe.

Try this with a lightly chilled dry red Bordeaux, or a Chinon.

Watch how to cut a whole chicken into parts to use in this recipe.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

INGREDIENTS