The Cook's Atelier

Rabbit in Mustard Sauce

 

Rabbit in Mustard Sauce

1 large rabbit (3 - 4 pounds), cut into serving pieces

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup dijon mustard

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3/4 cup dry white wine

1 bouquet garni

1/3 cup crème fraîche

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

 

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

In a large bowl, season the rabbit with salt and pepper, mix in the mustard until each piece is coated by a thin film of mustard.

In a large dutch oven, melt the butter and cook until lightly foaming. Sear the rabbit pieces until rabbit is nicely browned, about 15 minutes.  Transfer to a platter.

Add the onions and garlic to the dutch oven and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 8 - 10 minutes.

Add the wine to the dutch oven and scrape up any browned bits.  Return the rabbit pieces along with the bouquet garni.  Cover and cook in the pre-heated oven until the rabbit is tender, about 1 hour.

Remove from the oven and stir is crème fraîche and parsley.

Gratin Dauphinois

This is our take on the French classic. It's perfect for a cook's lunch with a simple salad and a glass of Bourgogne chardonnay.  Enjoy!

gratin dauphinois

1 clove garlic, peeled

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled

1 cup Comté cheese, grated

about 1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

fresh nutmeg, for grating

sea salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Rub the gratin dish with the cut garlic.  Smear the inside of the dish with 1 tablespoon of butter.

Use a madoline to slice the potatoes to 1/8-inch thick rounds.  Place one layer of potatoes side by side, slightly overlapping, on the bottom of the dish.  Season with salt, pepper, thyme and a grate or two of fresh nutmeg. Top with 1/3 of the cheese and drizzle 1/4 cup of cream. Arrange a second layer of potatoes, repeat with the seasonings, 1/3 of the cheese and 1/4 cup of cream.  Press the potatoes down with your fingers as you go, letting the cream soak up through the layers.

Arange another layer of potatoes on top, season with salt, pepper, thyme, nutmeg and finish with a layer of cheese.  Drizzle 1/4 cup of cream.  The cream should cover the potatoes but not too "liquidy".  If it seems dry, add a little more cream.

Bake for 45 minutes until the potatoes are tender, the cream has been absorbed and the top is nice and golden brown. 

A cook's lunch - steak and onion rings with thyme

Whew!  September flew by in a flash and we are busy with cooking classes and workshops.  It's been an exciting couple months here at The Cook's Atelier. We were thrilled to be featured on the Williams Sonoma website and catalog and lots of exciting new things are in the works. We are working on some new autumn recipes today in the atelier and we thought we'd share with you our cook's lunch. Brace yourself, these are deadly, but so darn good.

onion rings with thyme

1 cup flour, plus more for dredging

1 teaspoon fleur de sel

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, more for garnishing

1 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons ice water

2 medium onions, preferably organic

grapeseed oil, for frying

In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup of flour, sea salt, pepper, baking powder and thyme.  Whisk in the buttermilk and water.

Heat 3 inches of oil in a medium stockpot.  Place flour in a medium sized bowl. Dredge onions in flour, tapping off the excess.  Working in batches, dip onion rings in batter, shaking off excess.  Carefully add to the hot oil, and cook until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes.  Transfer to paper towels to drain.  Sprinkle with fleur de sel, and serve immediately.

A cook's lunch

We thought you might enjoy a peek to see what we are eating here behind the scenes at The Cook's Atelier. These lunches are set up in the spirit of a staff meal at a restaurant. During the course of the week, in addition to our cooking classes, we are busy recipe testing and working on special projects and we feel that it is important to come together as a team and enjoy a meal around the long zinc table. Our lunches are always seasonal, using the freshest ingredients from our favorite artisan producers. They are served family style with a bottle or two of our favorite wines from the region.  We've recently added a new feature that explores the everyday life here at The Cook's Atelier entitled joie de vivre.  We also thought it might be fun to share what we are cooking outside the cooking classes since it's such a big part of our week.  It's perfect for those of you who are interested in a more casual approach.  We hope you enjoy.

For the recipes, please click here, here and here.

Coq au vin

According to the calendar, Spring has arrived.  A stroll through the park peeks your interest with the arrival of daffodils and the abundance of  flowering trees just ready to bloom. At the market, we are just beginning to see the beautiful white asparagus, english peas and fava beans, but with the remaining chilly days in the forecast, it seems that Spring can  be a bit finicky.  

In the kitchen, it's still too early to banish braised meats and creamy potatoes just yet, but I'll lighten them up with a little taste of Spring.  Coq au vin is a classic Burgundian dish and is typically made with red wine, however, I prefer to use a dry white wine as it makes for a lighter version of the well-known dish.  In addition, for a quick and easy preparation, I substitute the classic pearl onions with a chopped onion.

 

coq au vin

 

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

6 ounces thick-cut bacon slices, cut into lardons (rectangles 1/4 inch across and 1 inch long)

1-4 pound chicken, backbone removed, cut into 8 pieces (2 drumsticks, 2 thighs, 2 wings with top quarter of adjoining breast, 2 breasts)

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1 medium onion,  chopped

6 carrots, peeled and sliced

2 cups dry white wine

1 bouquet garni (4 sprigs thyme, a small bunch of parsley, and 1 bay leaf)

2 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade

for the mushrooms

 

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound assorted fresh wild mushrooms

 

Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

 

Heat oil in a heavy large pot (wide enough to hold the chicken in a single layer) over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and sauté until crisp.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a small bowl.  Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper.   Sauté, skin side down, in 2 batches until golden brown (do not turn), about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

 

Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the pot.  Cook the garlic, onion and carrots over medium heat, stirring frequently, until golden and just beginning to soften, about 5 minutes.  Add the wine and boil, uncovered, until reduced by about half, 3 to 5 minutes.  Return the chicken to the pot, skin side up, add the bacon and the bouquet garni. Cover with stock and simmer, partially covered, until cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes.

 

While the chicken is cooking, prepare the mushrooms.  Place a skillet over high heat with the butter and extra-virgin olive oil.  As soon as the butter foam has begun to subside, which indicates it is hot enough, add the mushrooms.  Toss and shake the pan for 4 to 5 minutes until lightly browned.  Add the mushrooms to the pot and bring to a simmer, basting the chicken with the sauce.  Cover and simmer slowly for 4 to 5 minutes to incorporate the flavors.  Adjust the seasoning and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

 

Serve from the pot or arrange on a hot platter with creamy mashed potatoes.