The Simple Elegance Of French Cooking

Featured in this Show

• French Cooking Deceptively Simple To Make At Home

  Download

  French cooking has a reputation for being complicated. Betsy Piper, however, thinks that the elegance of French cooking is really in its simplicity.

  Piper was the chef at the French House on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus for over 30 years before retiring in 2013. She is also a culinary instructor at All Through The House in Stoughton.

  “I think when people think of French cooking, they think of the ‘haute cuisine,’ with the complicated sauces and the foie gras and the escargots and all these esoteric ingredients,” Piper said on Monday. “Some of that’s (accurate), but generally, it’s more simple, fresh food.”

  According to Piper, the French value buying and eating what is in season, as well as what is grown, raised, or fished locally. She said that the cuisine reflects those values, both in terms of preparation and how it is enjoyed. The emphasis, she said, is on quality over quantity, “and not gulping your food down in ten minutes.”

  “When you go out to dinner, it’s an event, not ‘dine and dash’,” she said. You eat your food slowly and enjoy the food, and also enjoy the company that you’re with.”

  Because French cooking showcases what is grown locally, it’s no surprise that regional French cooking varies tremendously from place to place. Piper said that in the south of France around Marseilles, you will find very Mediterranean dishes.

  “They use olive oil; they use garlic; they use tomatoes, peppers, and fresh herbs, like the ‘herbes de Provence’ mixture,” she said. (Herbes de Provence is an herb combination that includes savory, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, oregano and lavender.)

  Fish dishes are popular in Marseilles as well, including the bouillabaisse fish stew.

  Travelers to the northern regions of France will be rewarded with very different ingredients and dishes. For example, Normandy is similar to Wisconsin in many ways: They produce wonderful cow milk cheeses, a variety of apple products, and cherries. Butter and cream are also much more commonly used than olive oil, which reflects the north’s focus on dairy.

  As a self-taught chef herself, Piper suggested that people trying to get the hang of French cooking pick up cookbooks that look interesting. For French cooking, one of Piper’s favorites is David Lebovitz’s “My Paris Kitchen.”

  “It’s just a wonderful book,” she said. “I recommend it highly.”

  As for those who are still a little nervous about trying their hand at French cooking: “Just do it,” said Piper. “If you fail, that’s OK, because you’re learning.”

  To prove that French cooking can be simple and easy, Piper provided the following three recipes. Bon appétit!

  ---

  Sables Au Chevre Et Au Romarin (Goat cheese and rosemary cookies)

  • 8 oz. goat cheese at room temperature
  • 4-5 teaspoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon honey or agave nectar
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 egg yolks, at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups flour or more if needed

  Combine all ingredients (except flour) in a bowl until smooth. Add flour, stir to combine. Transfer to a work surface and roll into a log 1 inch in diameter and 12 inches long. Wrap in parchment paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

  Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Slice dough into rounds 3/8 of an inch thick. Place on baking sheets and bake 25-30 minutes or until golden. Cool.

  Poulet Au Citron Et Lavande (Chicken with lemon and lavender)

  ---

  • 8-10 pieces chicken thighs
  • 2-3 tablespoons fresh lavender flower, chopped
  • 4-5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 tablespoons honey or agave nectar
  • 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • Zest and juice of one lemon

  Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Mix well. Place chicken in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Pour marinade over chicken, cover and leave to marinade at least 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sprinkle chicken with kosher salt. Roast uncovered at least 45 minutes or until chicken is done.

  ---

  Tart Aux Framboises Et Amandes (Raspberry and almond tart)

  • 1 frozen pie shell, thawed, pricked several times with fork
  • 2 cups ground almonds
  • 1 cup ultra-fine sugar
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2 eggs, at room temperature
  • 10 ounces fresh raspberries

  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixer, combine almonds, sugar and butter until smooth. Add eggs and combine well. Spread almond cream in pie shell and arrange raspberries on top. Bake 35-45 minutes or until edges are golden. Cool.