French Scrambled Eggs Adapted From Julia Child Food

FRENCH SCRAMBLED EGGS, ADAPTED FROM JULIA CHILD

Steps:

• Place eggs, salt and pepper, and liquid in a mixing bowl and beat for 20-30 seconds.
• Smear bottom and sides of pan with butter. Pour in the eggs.
• Cook over moderately low heat, stirring slowly and continuously, reaching all over bottom of pan. Nothing will seem to happen for the first 2-3 minutes. Suddenly the eggs will begin to thicken into a custard. Stir rapidly, moving pan on and off heat, until they have almost thickened to your desired consistency.
• Remove from heat immediately - the eggs will continue to cook slightly.
• As soon as they have reached the desired consistency, add the enrichment (butter or cream), which will stop the cooking. Season to taste, arrange on plates and garnish with parsley.
• Variations:.
• Aux Fines Herbes: Beat a tablespoon of minced fresh herbs such as parsley, chervil, chives and tarragon into eggs at the beginning. Sprinkle on more herbs just before serving.
• Au Fromage: Stir 4-6 T. grated Swiss cheese into eggs along with the enrichment butter at the end.
• Aux Truffes: Stir 1 or 2 diced truffles into eggs before scrambling. Sprinkle a bit of chopped truffle over eggs before serving.
• Garnishings: ham, bacon, sausages, broiled or sauteed mushrooms, kidneys, chicken livers, sauteed eggplant or zucchini, broiled tomatoes, piperade, diced sauteed potatoes, buttered peas, asparagus tips, artichoke hearts.

SALMON GRATIN (ADAPTED FROM JULIA CHILD)

Steps:

• Cook onion in butter over low heat about 5 min or so - do not brown. Add flour, cook 2 minutes without coloring.
• Off heat, beat in boiling milk, wine (if using), salmon juice (if using), and seasoning. Boil several minutes to thicken. Thin to medium consistency with 4-6 T. additional milk. Taste for seasoning. Fold salmon (and mushrooms, if using) into sauce, check seasoning.
• Spread in 8" shallow baking dish or cooked pastry shell. Sprinkle on the cheese.
• Bake at 425 degrees F for 15 minutes, or til top is nicely browned.
• Note: You can also add extra ingredients such as peas, diced hard boiled eggs, etc. to the casserole.

MASTER RECIPE FOR BASIC STOCK (JULIA CHILD)

Steps:

• Place the meat and bones in a stockpot and add cold water to cover them by 2 inches. Set over moderate heat. As the liquid comes slowly to a simmer, scum wills tart to rise. Remove it with a spoon or ladle for 5 minutes or so, until it almost ceases to accumulate.
• Add all the ingredients to the left, tying the herbs up in an herb bouquet with cheesecloth. Add more water if the liquid does not cover the ingredients by a full inch. When the liquid is simmering again, skim as necessary. Partially cover the kettle, leaving a space of about 1 inch for steam to escape.Maintain at a very quiet simmer for 4-5 hours. Skim occasionally.
• To degrease, set the pot in the refrigerator until the fat has hardened on the surface and can be scraped off.

SPINACH QUICHE OR GRATIN - ADAPTED FROM JULIA CHILD

Steps:

• To partly bake the pastry shell: Bake in middle of oven at 400 degrees F. for 8-9 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place oven rack in upper third of oven.
• Saute onions briefly in butter; set aside.
• Beat together salt, eggs, nutmeg and pepper. Gradually stir in spinach mixture. Check seasoning.
• Pour into pastry shell. Sprinkle cheese on top. Place on baking sheet.
• Bake 25-30 minutes or until puffed and browned.

FRENCH SCRAMBLED EGGS

Steps:

• Combine eggs, salt, and pepper; stir briskly with a fork until blended.
• Melt butter in a large skillet, rotating skillet to coat bottom; add egg mixture.
• Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until eggs are firm, but still moist.
• Remove from heat; stir in cream.
• Serve immediately.

MUSHROOM QUICHE OR GRATIN - ADAPTED FROM JULIA CHILD

Steps:

• To partly bake the pastry shell: Bake in middle of oven at 400 degrees F. for 8-9 minutes.
• To make the mushroom filling:.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place oven rack in upper third of oven.
• Saute mushrooms in butter until they exude their juices, the liquid evaporates and the mushrooms are starting to brown slightly.
• Mix together mushrooms, onion, salt and lemon juice; set aside.
• Beat together eggs, milk, nutmeg and pepper. Gradually stir in mushroom mixture. Check seasoning.
• Pour into pastry shell. Sprinkle cheese on top. Place on baking sheet.
• Bake 25-30 minutes or until puffed and browned.

WATERCRESS SOUP (JULIA CHILD)

Steps:

• When measuring the watercress leaves and stems, pack them down in the measuring cup.
• Simmer leeks, potatoes, water and salt together, partially covered, 40-50 minutes until vegetables are tender.
• Stir in watercress and simmer 5 minutes.
• While the watercress is simmering, you can prepare the following optional garnish if you wish: a small handful of watercress leaves boiled 30 seconds, rinsed in cold water and drained.
• Mash the vegetables in the soup with a fork, or puree in blender. Correct seasoning.
• Off heat and just before serving, stir in cream or butter by spoonfuls. Decorate with the optional watercress leaves.