You know my story: I love my French braising pan so much that I wrote a cookbook about it. Yet, you’d be fair to ask: What do you do with a braising pan in summer?
Plenty, that’s what! Although the braising pan is a great way to bring stews and long-simmering pot roasts to the table in fall and winter, I’ve found that it comes in very handy in summer too—especially when braising those terrific summer greens, such as curly endive (chicory) and Swiss chard.
Here’s a recipe for curly endive—known as chicory in parts of the U.S., chicory lettuce in Great Britain, and chicory frisée in France.
Try this with roasted salmon or with a great French-style sausage you brought home from the market.
Chicory with Bacon, Onions, and White Beans
3 slices thick bacon, chopped (use about 1/2 cup lardons if you live in France!)
Olive oil (if needed)
1 small onion, chopped
1 8-ounce head curly endive (chicory), rinsed, cored, and roughly chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 15.8-ounce can Great Northern beans or Cannellini Beans, rinsed and drained
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
In a 3 1/2-quart braising pan or a deep skillet with tight-fitting lid, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan. Add enough olive oil to the pan to equal about 1 tablespoon. Add the onion and cook 3 to 5 minutes or until tender but not brown.
Stir in the chicory, garlic cloves, and chicken stock. Cover and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until the endive is wilted but still colorful, stirring once during cooking time. Stir in the beans; cook and stir until the beans are heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 4.
To continue to bring a little bit of France to your table, follow me on Facebook: Chez Bonne Femme, or check out my blog at http://chezbonnefemme.com. And be sure to check out my book, The Bonne Femme Cookbook: Simple, Splendid Food That French Women Cook Every Day. A bientôt!
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte's professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.
Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.
Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.
I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.
Tours cost 210 euros for up to 3 people, and 70 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com
Click here to watch a video of our famous Marais tour
