Winter Dinner Menu from La Cuisine Provençale
Menu for a Cozy Evening
Earlier this year, Jane Satow launched La Cuisine Provençale – an interactive cooking school in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. Tucked away in the heart of charming St Rémy, La Cuisine Provençale is on a quiet street with a small square. After several months of renovation work, Jane gave us a look at the finished product. Step out of the tiny alley into a bright, ground-floor kitchen. Designed with plenty of open space, up to 12 people can participate in a hands-on cooking class. Read more about Jane and her cooking school here.
The vision at La Cuisine Provençale is to host small cooking classes and intimate seasonal dinners. Jane curated the following menu with dishes she likes to serve guests (after they have been prepared and cooked) during the cold weather months. In November, she and her partner planned to host a dinner about wild mushrooms. Unfortunately, the evening was cancelled due to the 2nd lockdown order in France the week before. However, she shared below that you can enjoy the Winter Dinner Menu.
Starter Course:
Sautéed Wild Mushrooms
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups Chanterelles or Girolles lightly washed or brushed clean
- 1 large garlic clove minced
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- fleur de sel
- freshly ground black pepper coarsely ground
- sprigs fresh rosemary
Instructions
- Heat the butter and olive oil together in a heavy-bottomed, non-stick sauté pan to an almost searing point – a minute or so.
- Add the mushrooms and garlic. Allow space between the mushrooms while cooking an inch apart to ensure they brown. You may need to cook the mushrooms in 2 batches. Once all the mushrooms are browned, add them back into the pan with the rosemary sprigs and cover. Cook on low for about 2 minutes longer with the lid on.
- Add fleur de sel and black pepper to taste.
Notes
Main Course:
Magret de Canard with Wild Cèpes in a Port Wine Reduction Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 package duck breasts (magret de canard) there are usually 2 to a package
- 2 medium Cèpes or equivalent, see note*
- 1 cup port wine 10-year old is best
- fleur de sel or coarse sea salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp fresh thyme chopped
Side Dish:
- 1 whole butternut squash
- 1 tbsp butter or olive oil
Instructions
- Take the magret de canard (duck breast) out of the plastic package and leave it out of the fridge (at room temperature) for 30 minutes.
Prepare the Squash:
- Slice the squash into thin (2-3 cm) half-moon shapes and remove the seeds.
- In a non-stick saucepan, heat 1-2 tablespoons of butter. Sear the butternut squash to a light brown colour on high heat on either side. Note: You may also roast the squash in a hot oven (200°C/400°F) until slightly blackened, which takes a bit longer (20-30 minutes).
Prepare the Duck Breast:
- Chop the shallot and fresh thyme. Set aside.
- Score the duck breast's fat side several times, slicing with a knife about 2 centimetres deep, almost to the meat under the fat. This allows the meat to cook more evenly.
- Heat a heavy-bottomed saucepan on high heat for one minute. Then, place the duck breast fat side down and sear until it is browned.
- Remove the duck and set aside. You can now sautée the mushrooms directly in the duck fat. It should be a thin layer of fat, or you can drain away excess and use olive oil or butter if you prefer.
- Sear the sliced mushrooms to a golden brown. If using dried porcini, soak them in liquid – a hot broth like vegetable stock is best – for 10 minutes to bring them back to life, then pat them dry with paper towels before searing.
- After cooking, set the mushrooms aside.
- Reduce the heat so that the pan doesn't get too hot and begin to burn.
- Resume searing the other side of the duck breast using this same pan - using high heat as you want to sear the outside to a golden brown.
- After searing the duck meat side down to a nice brown colour, turn the heat down and add the shallots. After cooking the shallots for around 1 minute or until they are translucent but only slightly brown, deglaze the pan with the port wine, leaving the duck breast in the pan. Stir and scrape the saucepan's bottom to collect all the flavours from the sautéed mushrooms, shallots, and duck.
- Let this reduce and further cook the duck to your desired temperature; 2 - 3 minutes for rare.
- Remove the duck breast and let it sit at room temperature for a good 5 minutes before slicing.
- Allow the port sauce to simmer and reduce in the pan, adding salt, pepper, and thyme. Turn off the heat and set aside.
- Slice the duck breast into thin portions and plate 3-4 slices per person.
- Serve 2 tablespoons of the sauce from the pan over your duck breast, then scatter the sautéed mushrooms on top or the side.
Notes
Dessert:
Jane selected a cheese course instead of a sweet dessert. Enjoy a traditional pâte de coings – quince jelly with a selection of cheese.
Pâte de Coings (Quince Cheese) with a Cheese Course
Equipment
- immersion blender or food mill
Ingredients
- 3-4 quince ripe
- water
- 2 cups sugar or a mix of white and brown. The exact amount is determined after you have a purée.
- 1/2 vanilla bean
- 1 lemon for juice and zest
- 2 cardamom pods
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 clove optional
Instructions
- Cored and cut the quince into cubes, leaving the peel on.
- Add just enough water to cover the quince cubes in a deep saucepan. Bring to a boil, and let simmer for 20 minutes or until the quinces are soft.
- Drain off excess water and put the mixture through a food mill or handheld blender, blending it into a soft, smooth consistency.
- Add as much white sugar as possible, or a mix of white and brown, to the quince purée. This requires weighing or a good eyeball estimation. You want an equal amount of sugar by weight to the quince purée.
- Reheat this mixture to a simmer for 30 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent it from burning on the bottom.
- Add 1/2 vanilla bean, the juice of 1 lemon and lemon zest, crushed seeds of 2 cardamom pods, a cinnamon stick and/or 1 clove. Heat until the mixture thickens and turns slightly red in colour. (Note: Some quince varieties remain yellow.)
- Remove the vanilla bean and cinnamon stick.
- Scoop the mixture into a shallow square Pyrex or a 2-inch shallow plate lined with parchment paper. Cover with parchment paper and set aside in a cool place for a few days, not in the fridge, as it won’t set up properly. It will harden a bit and should be a bit softer than gummy bear consistency but firmer than jello when ready.
- Cut into cubes or slices to serve.
For Pinterest fans:
Image Credits with gracious thanks to the following photographers:
- Chef François de Melogue of Pistou and Pastis – Porcini Mushroom
- David Scott Allen of Cocoa & Lavender – Butternut Squash
- Bruno Suet – La Cuisine Provençale kitchen
- Jane Satow – Main Course, Dessert and Starter
More Winter Dinner Party Menus:
Tasha Powell of Pitcher and Powell: Winter is a time of reflection, rejuvenation, slowing down, and the opportunity to cocoon for a few months before birthing new ideas and projects in the spring. Sit by the fireplace and enjoy my Winter Menu inspired by Provence featuring slow-roasted lamb, leeks and pears.
David Scott Allen of Cocoa & Lavender: Winter. Part of me wants to hide under a woollen blanket in the early evening darkness and consume copious amounts of heavy food. Bring on the butter, cream, fat, and carbs… put on the pounds and brace against the cold winds and inevitable rains and blizzards. The menu has it all – butter, cream, fat, and carbs. But it is also light, colourful, and happy food.
This menu is hearty and suitable for cooler evenings and days filled with outdoor activities. This winter dinner menu is built around some traditional ingredients Jerusalem artichokes (topinambour), almonds, leeks, chicken and squash.
Don’t wait for a special occasion; pull out the china and the fancy wine glasses and greet a special feast. We hope you enjoy this seafood-based menu.
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