The Cutagory is...Knives!

Recipes

Creamy Shallot Dressing

Ingredients

1 cup fromage frais, crème fraîche, or sour cream

2 tablespoons of minced shallots 

½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

1 tablespoon finely minced chives

2 teaspoons of lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of zest

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Place the fromage frais, crème fraîche, or sour cream in a mixing bowl along with the minced shallots, herbs, lemon juice, and zest. Mix together and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with potato chips or cut vegetables (carrots, bell peppers, or cucumbers).

Winter Root Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

1-2 tablespoons of coconut oil

¼ cup of sliced leeks

2 tablespoons minced shallots

1 minced clove of garlic

1 medium peeled potato cut into 1-2 inch pieces

1 carrot peeled and cut into 1-2 inch pieces

1 cup of any variety of winter squash cut into 1-2 inch pieces

½ cup of celery root cut into 1-2 inch pieces

One 16 oz. can of coconut milk

1 sprig of thyme

1 bay leaf

2 cups of vegetable stock

Salt and pepper

½ cup of homemade croutons

Nice olive oil and flaky salt to finish

Equipment

Medium pot and immersion blender (or blender/food processor)

Instructions

• Heat one tablespoon of coconut oil over medium high heat in a medium pot and when the coconut oil is hot and shimmering in the pot, add the leeks and shallots. Cook until translucent. Then, add the minced garlic and cook for just another minute. If the vegetables are sticking to the pot lower the heat to medium and/or add more oil. 

• Add the potato, carrot, squash, and celery root into the pan and cover with coconut milk and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Add the thyme and bay leaf and season with ½ a teaspoon of salt. Cook for 20-30 minutes, covered with the lid of the pot slightly ajar, until the vegetables are very soft and tender. 

• Turn off the heat. Remove the pot from the stove and place on a trivet or kitchen towel (on a stable heat-proof spot in your kitchen). Discard the bay leaf and thyme stem. Blend the soup with an immersion blender, or in batches in a regular blender/food processor. 

• Return the pot to the stove and bring to a simmer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

• Serve immediately topped with a drizzle of nice olive oil, flaky salt, and some homemade croutons. 

Homemade Croutons

Ingredients

3 slices of sourdough bread around 1 cm thick.

Olive oil

Salt

Instructions

• Cut off the crusts of the slices of sourdough and discard. Then, cut the croutons carefully into 1x1cm cubes (or smaller if you’re being ambitious with your knife skills). 

• Heat two tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat in a frying pan. When the oil is hot, add the bread and fry tossing until each side is golden brown. Add more oil as needed (be generous with the oil so the bread doesn’t burn). 

• Remove the croutons from the pan promptly when lightly golden. Place on a plate lined with a paper towel and season with salt. 

Drink Pairings

I would want to pair something fruity or funky with the root vegetables. I think I would reach for the savory, dry, and deeply fruity flavors of oxidized white wine from the Jura region of France, a white pétillant naturel for festive bubbles, a dry cider, or a sour beer or east coast IPA.

Everyday Opulence

Thank you for joining our Everyday Opulence workshop! Here are the recipes, and playlist from our online class.

You can find the rice pilaf recipe here.

Poulet Basquaise (Basque Chicken) or Artichaut Basquaise (Vegan Option) 

Poulet Basquaise is a French dish that originates from the Basque region, a popular home-cooked meal in France. Basque Country is located in the Western Pyrenees Mountains and straddles the border of Spain and France. The stew base is a piperade made with bell peppers, onions, tomato, and piment d'espelette, and the colors of the stew are said to mirror the colors of the Basque flag. This meal is delicious and easy to make during the week for a quick and chic meal. To add opulence, serve with rice pilaf (toasted rice and onions cooked in chicken stock). 

Poulet Basquaise

With artichokes and turned potatoes

Recipe Type: Weeknight Meal

Time: 1 Hour

Servings: 4

Ingredients

Four whole chicken legs*

One red bell pepper

One green bell pepper

One medium tomato or two whole canned tomatoes

One small onion

Three Cloves of Garlic

One tablespoon of tomato paste

1/8 cup of white wine

Two cups of water

One teaspoon of piment d'espelette or ½ teaspoon of Cayenne pepper + 1 teaspoon of paprika 

One sprig of thyme (fresh or dried)

One bay leaf

Chicken Bouillon Cube (one teaspoon of powder) or two cups of Chicken Stock*

Salt & Pepper

Olive Oil

*Vegan substitutes 

Substitute chicken with 4 whole large artichoke hearts or one and a half pounds of cleaned baby artichokes & around 500 grams or 1 lb of washed fingerling potatoes

Substitute chicken stock for one teaspoon of vegan dashi powder or vegetable stock

Equipment

Cutting Board and knife

One large pot that will hold all four chicken legs comfortably

Tongs

Instructions

If you’re making the vegan version of this meal, skip steps one and three. Serve with rice pilaf.

1. Generously season the chicken legs with salt and pepper. If possible, do this an hour before cooking and let the chicken legs come to room temperature. 

2. Prepare the vegetables. Wash the produce, then cut the tops and bottoms of the bell peppers and remove the seeds. Then cut the bell pepper into ¼ inch strips. Peel the onion and cut lengthwise down the center, and cut into ¼ inch slices vertically. Mince the three cloves of garlic, and cut tomato(es) into ½ inch cubes.

3. Dry any moisture off the chicken legs with a paper towel. Heat the pot over medium-high heat. When the pot is hot, add two or three tablespoons of olive oil to the pot. When the oil is hot (it will shimmer, and the oil will move very quickly around the pot—like water), add the chicken legs skin side down and cook for five minutes or so until the skin browns. Make sure to adjust the heat accordingly to prevent the skin from burning. Flip and cook for another three minutes or so until the other side of the chicken browns. Carefully remove the chicken legs and set them on a plate.

4. Adjust the heat to medium and add the onions and bell peppers and cook for a few minutes until they start to soften. Stir the onions and bell peppers occasionally. Add oil as needed to avoid burning. 

5. Then, add the garlic and cook for just a minute. Add tomato paste and cook for another minute. Once cooked, add the white wine to deglaze the pan and stir to remove any brown bits from the pan. Cook for a minute to cook out the alcohol.

6. Place the chicken legs back into the pot skin side up, add chopped tomatoes, two cups of water + bouillon or chicken stock if using. 

   • If you’re making the vegan version of this recipe, add the artichoke, potatoes, tomatoes, and one teaspoon of vegan dashi + water or vegetable stock into the pot. 

7. Add piment d'espelette or cayenne pepper + paprika, the thyme and bay leaf, a generous pinch of salt, and freshly ground pepper. Bring the pot to a gentle simmer, and place the lid on the pot. Let cook for 20-30 minutes, checking on the chicken (or artichoke/potatoes) periodically. 

8. When there are 10 minutes left in cooking time, taste the broth and season with salt and pepper, and give the mixture a gentle stir. The stew is ready when the chicken thighs (and artichokes & potatoes) are cooked and tender when pierced with the tip of a knife. 

How to Serve

• Remove the thyme stems and bay leaf. In a shallow bowl, scoop some rice pilaf into the bowl, serve with the chicken and spoon the sauce and peppers over the chicken and rice. 

Suggested Wine Pairings

I recommend a full-bodied red wine to stand up to the spices, such as something from Bordeaux, a Côtes du Rhône, Malbec, or Shiraz.