The definitive “how to” for making an omelette

Julia Child puts to rest all other opinions on how to make an omelette.

If you don’t know this about me already, I’ll tell you my worst kept secret… Julia Child has been my hero since I was a young boy watching her cook up a storm on PBS. As many people as I know who love to cook, each have their own “secret to success” for making the perfect omelette. Some use a hot pan, others a low-heat pan, one will flip while another will fold, let it rest, keep it moving… Today a Facebook friend shared a link to this video on YouTube of Julia Child making an omelette. As only Julia could do, she breaks the technique down to a few simple steps and easy to remember tips. This is the classic French omelette and if Julia said it’s the way to make it, then it must be true.

Bon Appétit!

Osso Buco alla Milanese

(Milanese-style braised veal shanks)

Braising meats such as veal shanks, lamb shanks, beef ribs and other fibrous cuts is a basic technique for transforming them from a tough cut into tender, flavorful meals with a hearty, thick sauce.  Osso buco is Italian for marrow bone. As the veal shank sections slowly braise in a bath of meat stock, wine, and vegetables, the marrow and the connective tissue begins to melt into the sauce creating a silky-smooth texture and richer flavor.

The following recipe serves six, but you can easily adjust the amounts accordingly.

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 large veal shank sections (aprox. 2 inch shank section with the the marrow bone)
• flour
• 1 medium carrot, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup of white wine or dry French vermouth
• 1 tablespoon of double-concentrated tomato paste
• salt
• pepper
• 1 quart of veal stock or water

Gremolata

• 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon fine chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
• grated zest from 1/2 lemon

Melt butter in olive oil over high heat in a braising pot or dutch oven. Dust the shanks with flour and brown each side. Rotate the veal in and out if you can’t fit all in the pot at once. Lower heat to medium and add the celery, carrot and onion. Saute until lightly browned.

Return shanks to pot, add wine, tomato paste, salt, and pepper. Add enough stock and/or water to just cover the shanks. Cover and cook slowly over low heat for about 1-1/2 to 2 hours.

When the shanks are fork tender remove from pot. Raise heat to high and reduce liquid until it thickens slightly. Sprinkle veal with gremolata, ladle sauce over top, serve with risotto or noodles.

Chateaubriand with Béarnaise Sauce

Fancy French words for an easy to make, rich tasting and fabulous beef steak recipe.

Pan roast a thick-cut (2″+ and about 2 lbs.) top sirloin steak or beef filet, slice and serve with béarnaise sauce.  That’s all there is to it and here’s how it goes…

1. Create and herb rub of 1-1/2 teaspoons each of dried thyme, paprika, and garlic powder.
2. Salt and pepper the beef, coat with herb rub, and let rest for about 1 hour outside of the refrigerator
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
4. Heat an ovenproof skillet, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and then sear both sides of the steak, about 2 minutes each side.
5. Transfer pan to the oven and roast meat for an additional 10-20 minutes until an instant read thermometer reaches your desired doneness (120 degrees for rare, 130 for medium)
6. Remove steak from oven, loosely cover with foil
7. While the beef rests make your sauce
8. Slice meat thick, diaganally across the grain, plate slices and serve with béarnaise sauce.

Two Classics: Hollandaise Sauce and Béarnaise Sauce

The following recipes come from Julia Child’s Julia’s Kitchen Wisdom. Much of what makes French cooking so French is the sauces. Hollandaise is The Classic; Béarnaise is a variant that adds additional flavor suitable for beef, lamb, or shellfish.

Hollandaise Sauce

• 3 egg yolks
• big pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, melted and hot
• additional salt and pepper to taste

Beat egg yolks with a wire whisk in a stainless-steel saucepan until they are thickened and lemon-colored (about a minute). Whisk in a pinch of salt, lemon juice, and one tablespoon of cold butter.  Place pan on a very low heat and whisk constantly. When the mixture begins to thicken add the second tablespoon of cold butter.

BE CAREFUL, DO NOT LET THE YOLKS COOK! Pull the pan off and on the heat while you whisk just to be safe.

Start beating in the melted butter, a few drops at a time. Add more drops as the previous drops incorporate into the sauce. After half of the melted butter is incorporated you can add the rest of the butter at a quicker pace. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.

Béarnaise Sauce

Béarnaise Sauce is a variant of the classic Hollendaise Sauce. Two main differences: 1) instead of lemon juice for an acid a reduction of white wine and white wine vinegar is used, and 2) finely chopped shallots and tarragon are added.

• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup dry white wine or dry white vermouth
• 1 tablespoon minced shallots
• 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Place all ingredients in a small saucepan, boil rapidly to reduce liquid to 2 tablespoons. You may choose to strain the liquid or keep the shallots and tarragon in the reduction. Continue with the Hollandaise Sauce described above except substitute this reduction for the lemon juice and use only 1-1/2 sticks of butter total.

Herb-Crusted Beef Tenderloin

The new Christmas dinner favorite. Pricey? Yes, but an easy main dish that pleases all.

This recipe is excerpted from Holiday Entertaining from Cook’s Illustrated, 2009.

Prime rib used to be my holiday family dinner treat but since Christmas 2009 this herb-crusted beef tenderloin has become the family favorite. Compared to prime rib it’s easier to make, there is absolutely no waste, it plates well with all of the various side dishes served, and everyone at the table opts for a second slice.

Two hours before roasting coat your trimmed and tied tenderloin with a rub mixture of 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 1 tablespoon pepper and 2 teaspoons of sugar. This rub helps create a nice crust layer on the roast.

• 2 slices of white bread, torn and then turned into crumbs by pulsing in a food processor or blender
• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
• 2 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme leaves
• 2-1/2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 medium garlic cloves. Depending on the freshness and flavor strength of your garlic you may choose to use less.

Mix bread crumbs, 2 tablespoons parsley, 2 teaspoons thyme, 1/2 cup Parmesan, and 2 tablespoons olive oil.

In a food processor create a pesto by blending 6 tablespoons parsley, 2 tablespoons thyme, 3/4 cup Parmesan, 4 tablespoons oil, and garlic until a smooth paste forms.

Place oven rack in upper third of oven, pre-heat to 400 degrees. Roast tenderloin for 20 minutes and then remove from the oven and cut away strings – don’t worry, your roast will hold its shape. Coat roast with herb pesto and then the bread-crumb topping. Roast until thickest part of roast registers 130 degrees (for medium rare), about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove roast and let rest uncovered for 30 minutes. Serve 1/2-inch thick slices.