Well, over here in ole Yurrup it's the height of summer, everyone is off on holiday so we're basically dispersed to the four corners of France (or beyond), but I'm going to take the time anyway to give you one from the archives. I'll be quite honest about it, I have in fact made it for Sophie but not for lunch, only for dinner - I'm not really into starting cooking lunch at 11:00 to eat at 13:00, unless I'm on holiday and have vast amounts or rosé to sustain me. Maybe I'm the only person that really likes it, but I like it a lot and can eat vast quantities, so let's hear it for - drumroll, please - croquettes de porc.
These are really remarkably simple, reheat well and apart from a few vegetables or a salad on the side, require no other work - in my book, this makes them almost perfect.
Whatever, start out with 150gm of that bacon you've made, chop it finely and start it sizzling in a frying pan. Whip it out when nicely crispy, and replace it with a finely chopped onion or - better - three chopped shallots. Turn the heat down low and watch them soften while you have a glass of rosé. (Incidentally, you can get a really marvellous Costières de Nîmes rosé - try it if you find it.) And while you're at it, open a bottle of white because you'll need it later on. Like, in about five minutes.
Now go off and find a bowl from wherever you hide them and stick about 100gm of breadcrumbs (what I call chapelure) in it and add a good slosh of milk. Let that sit for five minutes or so, then add - in that order - two egg yolks (save the whites, you will need them too), salt, pepper, nutmeg, the crispy bacon and the onions, about 400gm of pork mince (surprised you with that one, didn't I? Sorry) and a glass of the white wine. Mix the whole damn lot together - this may require using your fingers - and it really does need to be well incorporated, and a bit on the sloppy side: then, as you've been multi-tasking you've also beaten the egg whites very stiffly, so you can now fold them carefully into the piggy-meat mixture.
The whole mess will stay together for an hour or so without any attention, but don't finish off the white, we're not done with it yet.
Once you're ready, it's time to heat up the frying pan again (hope you didn't chuck out the fat from the bacon - can always add some butter and olive oil if necessary). Now take big spoonfuls of the pork soufflé mix ('cos that's basically what it is), roll them in flour and put them in the frying pan to brown on all sides.
Now that they're all sizzly and browned, all that's left to do is add a couple of cloves of garlic, some thyme and rosemary, a couple of glasses of white wine and maybe some beef stock, if you think it needs it. When all that comes to the boil turn the heat down low and add some potatoes chopped into cubes, then cover and let simmer for 35 minutes or so.
Do check it from time to time - add more wine if it's looking a bit dry, turn the croquettes so that they bathe in the juice - when the potatoes are tender sprinkle the whole damn lot with chopped parsley and eat immediately.
You could follow this up with a flan aux raisins if you like, another of those things that are so bloody simple that they don't qualify as recipes. Whatever, line a pie-dish with puff pastry or sweet short pastry (your choice, I go for the short pastry myself but that's just me) and then spread vast quantities of grapes in it. Until you can't fit any more in.
It would now be time to get out the old beater and beat two eggs with 100gm of sugar until thick and foamy, then add 3 or 4 tbsp of ground almonds (hell, add more than that, I love almonds) and 100 ml of heavy cream. Beat hell out of it, pour it over the grapes, stick it into the oven for 40 minutes or so.
Do let it cool a bit before you eat it: the grapes will be boiling hot when it comes out of the oven. Don't say I didn't warn you.
These are really remarkably simple, reheat well and apart from a few vegetables or a salad on the side, require no other work - in my book, this makes them almost perfect.
Whatever, start out with 150gm of that bacon you've made, chop it finely and start it sizzling in a frying pan. Whip it out when nicely crispy, and replace it with a finely chopped onion or - better - three chopped shallots. Turn the heat down low and watch them soften while you have a glass of rosé. (Incidentally, you can get a really marvellous Costières de Nîmes rosé - try it if you find it.) And while you're at it, open a bottle of white because you'll need it later on. Like, in about five minutes.
Now go off and find a bowl from wherever you hide them and stick about 100gm of breadcrumbs (what I call chapelure) in it and add a good slosh of milk. Let that sit for five minutes or so, then add - in that order - two egg yolks (save the whites, you will need them too), salt, pepper, nutmeg, the crispy bacon and the onions, about 400gm of pork mince (surprised you with that one, didn't I? Sorry) and a glass of the white wine. Mix the whole damn lot together - this may require using your fingers - and it really does need to be well incorporated, and a bit on the sloppy side: then, as you've been multi-tasking you've also beaten the egg whites very stiffly, so you can now fold them carefully into the piggy-meat mixture.
The whole mess will stay together for an hour or so without any attention, but don't finish off the white, we're not done with it yet.
Once you're ready, it's time to heat up the frying pan again (hope you didn't chuck out the fat from the bacon - can always add some butter and olive oil if necessary). Now take big spoonfuls of the pork soufflé mix ('cos that's basically what it is), roll them in flour and put them in the frying pan to brown on all sides.
Now that they're all sizzly and browned, all that's left to do is add a couple of cloves of garlic, some thyme and rosemary, a couple of glasses of white wine and maybe some beef stock, if you think it needs it. When all that comes to the boil turn the heat down low and add some potatoes chopped into cubes, then cover and let simmer for 35 minutes or so.
Do check it from time to time - add more wine if it's looking a bit dry, turn the croquettes so that they bathe in the juice - when the potatoes are tender sprinkle the whole damn lot with chopped parsley and eat immediately.
You could follow this up with a flan aux raisins if you like, another of those things that are so bloody simple that they don't qualify as recipes. Whatever, line a pie-dish with puff pastry or sweet short pastry (your choice, I go for the short pastry myself but that's just me) and then spread vast quantities of grapes in it. Until you can't fit any more in.
It would now be time to get out the old beater and beat two eggs with 100gm of sugar until thick and foamy, then add 3 or 4 tbsp of ground almonds (hell, add more than that, I love almonds) and 100 ml of heavy cream. Beat hell out of it, pour it over the grapes, stick it into the oven for 40 minutes or so.
Do let it cool a bit before you eat it: the grapes will be boiling hot when it comes out of the oven. Don't say I didn't warn you.
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