Around My French Table (66 page)

Cut the onion half lengthwise in half, then slice it very thinly. Rinse the slices briefly under cold water, drain, and pat dry between paper towels.

Toss the onion, along with the garlic and piment d'Espelette or chile, into the bowl with the peppers and season with salt and pepper.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

SERVING
This mix goes well with grilled foods like chicken, meaty fish (try it with Spice-Crusted Tuna,
[>]
), and, best of all, steak. Serve the peppers family-style, or use them to top or go alongside the main course.

STORING
The peppers can be made up to 1 day ahead and kept tightly covered in the refrigerator; bring to room temperature and check for salt and pepper before serving.

S
LOW-ROASTED TOMATOES, OR
TOMATES CONFITES,
are somewhere between fresh tomatoes and sun-dried tomatoes and are the best thing you can do with any tomato that isn't as flavorful as you'd like it to be. (That said, don't let having good tomatoes stop you from roasting them—the time in the oven only makes them better.) By drizzling the tomatoes with oil and roasting them long and slow, you concentrate and deepen their flavor (I consider it a mini magic trick). And, if you don't use them right away, you can cover them with oil and get a bonus: tomato-infused olive oil.

Freshly made, the tomatoes are standouts in warm salads or tucked into whole fish bound for the oven or grill. If the tomatoes have been packed in oil, I stir them into simple pasta dishes, chop them to go into spreads and dips (see Eggplant Caviar,
[>]
), or spoon them and a little of their oil over grilled, sauteed, or steamed chicken, salmon, or tuna.

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 225 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

Cut the tomatoes in half—I cut cherry tomatoes crosswise (around their waists) and grape tomatoes from top to bottom—and place them cut side up on the lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper and drizzle with the olive oil. There's no need to use a lot of oil—just enough so that the tomato tops glisten. (If you'd like, you can brush on the oil.) If you're using the herbs and/or garlic, scatter them over the tomatoes.

Slide the baking sheet into the oven and roast the tomatoes for about 3 hours. When they're done, they will be shriveled and a little dry looking, but press them gently, and you'll see that they've still got some juice.

Use the tomatoes immediately, or cool them on the baking sheet. If you're not using them now, pack them in a jar along with the garlic and herbs, if you used them, and cover them with olive oil.

MAKES ABOUT 4 SERVINGS

SERVING
Think of these more as a condiment than a side dish and serve them whenever you want a touch of color, an extra hit of flavor, and another texture.

STORING
If just cooled on the baking sheet, the tomatoes should be used within a few hours; topped with oil and packed in a jar, they will keep in the refrigerator for a few weeks.

E
VERY FRENCH COOK WHO MAKES OVEN-ROASTED
herb-topped tomatoes has his or her own recipe, but the fact is it needs no recipe at all. There are a few givens—the tomatoes, to be sure; olive oil to moisten them and make a little basting sauce; herbs to top them; and garlic to set your culinary compass to the South of France—but which herbs you use, how you cut the tomatoes, whether you roast them until they're almost melted or leave them a little firmer are all up to you.

Many recipes for tomatoes Provençal call for cutting the tomatoes in half, removing the seeds, and making a copious topping, really a stuffing, of herbs, garlic, and bread crumbs. As delicious as that is, it's not my favorite way to play the recipe—I prefer the rusticity of leaving in the tomatoes' juicy innards, and I don't use bread crumbs, because I like a dish with more emphasis on the tomatoes and herbs. But I've no doubt that after you make this once, you'll find your own version.

One last word: of course, everything will be better if you use ripe tomatoes, but because of the bold-flavored herbs and garlic, this is a recipe you can turn to even when tomatoes are not at their prime.

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Use a little of the olive oil to grease a 9-inch pie plate or other baking dish that can hold the 12 tomato halves in a single layer.

Core the tomatoes and then slice them crosswise in half. If you want to scoop out the seeds, go ahead, but again, it's not necessary. Season the cut sides of the tomatoes with salt and pepper, and arrange them in the pie plate. (It's okay if the halves jostle one another and tilt on their sides a bit—precision isn't crucial here.)

Toss the garlic and minced herbs into a small bowl, season with salt and pepper, and, using your fingers, mix to blend. Sprinkle the topping over the tomatoes, making sure that each tomato gets its share, then drizzle the tomatoes and topping with olive oil. Don't drench the tomatoes, but don't be stingy either—you want the topping to be lightly moistened, and it's good to have some oil in the bottom of the pan.

Roast the tomatoes for 25 to 30 minutes. Spoon some of the accumulated juices over the tomatoes, and continue to roast for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the tomatoes are very tender and easily pierced with the tip of a knife. If you like your tomatoes firmer, take a look at them at the 20-minute mark and decide if they're done enough for you.

When you remove the pan from the oven, baste the tomatoes again.

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

SERVING
I can't think of a dish that doesn't go with these tomatoes, from omelets and salads to roasted chicken, chops, and vegetables. You can serve tomatoes Provençal as a side dish, but because they're very good at room temperature, they're great on a buffet or in a picnic basket, or brought to a friend's for a potluck meal. Coarsely chopped, the tomatoes and their oil make a very good sauce for pasta.

STORING
The tomatoes can be covered and kept in the refrigerator overnight; serve cold, or allow them to come to room temperature, or reheat them gently.

BONNE IDÉE
Tomato Provençal Tian.
The tian is named for the pottery dish, like a deep-dish pie plate, that holds the tomatoes. Slice the tomatoes crosswise into thirds and arrange them in slightly overlapping circles in an oiled 9-inch pie plate. (You may need more or fewer than 6 tomatoes.) Cover the tomatoes with the herb-garlic mixture (you may need a little more), drizzle generously with oil, and roast. If you like, a few minutes before the tomatoes are ready to come out of the oven, dust the top of the tian with grated Parmesan or Gruyère. For a browner top, run the pan under the broiler before serving. If you use the cheese, the dish is better served hot than cold.

T
HIS DISH COMES FROM LA FERRANDAISE,
a wonderful bistro around the corner from our apartment. Chanterelles, the thin-stemmed, fan-shaped golden mushrooms known as
girolles
in France, are quickly sautéed, cooked to tenderness in broth, and then strewn with finely shredded Napa cabbage, chopped hazelnuts, and fresh parsley. The cabbage, so unexpected, is sweet and bold, the nuts are a little crunchy, and the parsley adds some freshness. At La Ferrandaise, the mushrooms are cooked in a
jus de viande,
a rich, meaty broth that chefs have on hand all the time. At home, to keep the rapidity of the dish's preparation as well as its flavor and spirit, I use a beef broth made with that most relied-upon French shortcut, a bouillon cube, which I fortify with a drop of soy sauce.

When I first had this dish, it was as a starter—the mushrooms were spooned into a soup plate and presented on their own—but it's also good served alongside something substantial. In fact, with just a switch of bouillon, from beef to chicken, the dish goes from deep and dark to soft and light, and from perfect with a big roast to just right with chicken or fish; see Bonne Idée for the how-to.

This dish was created for chanterelles and is really best with them. However, if chanterelles aren't available, you can make the dish with assorted wild mushrooms or even white mushrooms, any of which might not cook up in the same way as chanterelles, so be prepared to make adjustments in the amounts of oil and liquid needed.

If your mushrooms are not very dirty, you can clean them using a little brush or a damp cloth or paper towel. If they're really dirty, you may need to rinse them—just make sure to dry them well. Trim the bottom of the stems if they seem tough, and if the mushrooms are very large, slice them in half lengthwise. Dissolve the bouillon cube in the boiling water, and stir in the soy sauce.

Pour 1 tablespoon oil into a large skillet or, better yet, a wok (or wok-shaped pan), and warm over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring, until it softens, about 2 minutes. Turn up the heat to medium-high and, if the pan seems dry, add some more oil. Add the mushrooms and stir to coat them with oil. Season with salt and pepper and sauté the mushrooms for a minute, then add the bouillon and bring to a boil. If the mushrooms haven't released much liquid, cook them, covered, for about 2 minutes, until they're just tender; if they have given up a lot of liquid, cook them uncovered. (If you have really a lot of liquid, unusual but possible, remove the mushrooms with a slotted spoon and reduce the liquid. Then, when you add the cabbage, return the mushrooms to the pan.) In either case, at the point where the mushrooms offer just a little resistance when poked with the tip of a knife, 2 to 3 minutes into the cooking, uncover them if they were covered and boil down the bouillon until just a couple of tablespoons remain. Add the cabbage and stir to mix. Cook for about 30 seconds, turn off the heat, stir in the hazelnuts and parsley, and serve.

MAKES 4 SIDE-DISH OR STARTER SERVINGS

SERVING
You need to get the mushrooms to the table quickly, since they're best served hot. If, for some reason, they've had to wait, you can give them a very quick reheat (see Storing) to bring them back up to temperature. Serve them as an accompaniment to steaks, roasts, or sauteed meat or as a starter, in which case you can add a pouf of herb salad.

STORING
Best eaten as soon as they're made, the mushrooms can be reheated quickly in a skillet over high heat if necessary. You might have to add a bit more bouillon or a splash of water.

BONNE IDÉE
Chanterelles for Chicken or Fish.
Replace the beef bouillon with an equal amount of chicken bouillon and omit the soy sauce. If you'd like, you can add a few white grapes to the mix: Halve and seed the grapes. Add them when the mushrooms are almost soft and cook for 1 minute, then proceed with the recipe.