The French Laundry CookbookThomas Keller, chef/proprieter of the French Laundry in the Napa ValleyÑ"the most exciting place to eat in the United States," wrote Ruth Reichl in The New York TimesÑis a wizard, a purist, a man obsessed with getting it right. And this, his first cookbook, is every bit as satisfying as a French Laundry meal itself: a series of small, impeccable, highly refined, intensely focused courses. Most dazzling is how simple Keller's methods are: squeegeeing the moisture from the skin on fish so it saut es beautifully; poaching eggs in a deep pot of water for perfect shape; the initial steeping in the shell that makes cooking raw lobster out of the shell a cinch; using vinegar as a flavor enhancer; the repeated washing of bones for stock for the cleanest, clearest tastes. From innovative soup techniques, to the proper way to cook green vegetables, to secrets of great fish cookery, to the creation of breathtaking desserts; from beurre mont to foie gras au torchon, to a wild and thoroughly unexpected take on coffee and doughnuts, The French Laundry Cookbook captures, through recipes, essays, profiles, and extraordinary photography, one of America's great restaurants, its great chef, and the food that makes both unique. One hundred and fifty superlative recipes are exact recipes from the French Laundry kitchenÑno shortcuts have been taken, no critical steps ignored, all have been thoroughly tested in home kitchens. If you can't get to the French Laundry, you can now re-create at home the very experience the Wine Spectator described as "as close to dining perfection as it gets." |
Contents
The Importance of Hollandaise | 83 |
the Process | 210 |
Stocks and Sauces | 220 |
The Pittsburgh Lamber | 228 |
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Common terms and phrases
1/2 teaspoon agnolotti artichoke arugula baking sheet beans beets beurre monté black pepper blanched blender boil bones bowl braising brown brunoise canola oil carrots cheese chicken stock chinois chives chocolate chopped cook cool cover crème fraîche crisp custard dish dough drain fennel flavor flour foie gras French Laundry freshly ground black garlic garnish glaze ground black pepper inch juice Kosher salt layer liquid lobster low heat mascarpone meat medium heat milk minutes mirepoix mixture mushrooms olive oil onions ounces paper towels parsley pasta peeled pieces Place plate poaching potatoes Preheat the oven purée recipe refrigerate Remove roasted room temperature salad salt and freshly salt and pepper sauce sauté Season serving shallots side Silpat simmer skillet skin slices small saucepan spoon sprigs sprinkle stir Strain strainer tablespoons taste teaspoon thyme tomato Trim truffle oil unsalted butter veal stock vegetables warm whisk white pepper wine vinegar