TasteFood

Bistro-Style Skirt Steak with Sautéed Shallots - Bavette aux Echalotes

I love French Bistro cooking; it makes me very happy. In fact, bistro cooking should make all of us happy. It's comforting, generous, convivial and unpretentiously rooted in French tradition. How can anyone not like that?

I became familiar with bistros while living in Paris and Geneva for 10 years. Found in every neighborhood, the bistro was the go-to restaurant for consistently delicious food.  Welcoming, bustling and casually elegant, the bistro was home away from home: soothing in its predictability, its well-worn ambience and its dedicated timelessness. Now, years later, there isn't a bistro in our neighborhood, but it's the cuisine I seek out in restaurants and enjoy making at home. 

Skirt Steak with Sautéed Shallots or Bavette aux Echalotes is a classic item featured on bistro menus. The less expensive and very tasty cut of meat is pan-fried on the stove and then served heaped with sautéed, caramelized shallots. It's quick to prepare, delicious to eat and economical on the wallet. Perfect bistro fare.

Bistro-Style Skirt Steak with Sautéed Shallots - Bavette aux Echalotes

Serves 4

4 skirt steaks, approx. 8 oz. (250 g.) each
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

8 large shallots, peeled, thinly sliced
1/3 cup (80 ml.) red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Fresh thyme sprigs for garnish

Prepare steak:
Use 2 skillets (or cook in 2 batches): Heat one tablespoon each of olive oil and butter in each skillet over medium-high heat.  Add 2 steaks to each skillet, making sure they fit in one layer without overcrowding. Cook, turning once, until seared and cooked through to desired doneness, about 3 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer steaks to platter and tent with foil to rest.

Prepare shallots:
Add one tablespoon olive oil to each skillet. Divide shallots between the two skillets and sauté over medium heat until golden brown, 6-8 minutes. Combine shallots in one skillet. Add red wine vinegar and cook until liquid is absorbed. Add one tablespoon butter, thyme and any juices from meat to the shallots. Cook, stirring, to incorporate, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper. Arrange steaks on individual plates or serving platter. Top with shallots. Garnish with fresh thyme sprigs. Serve.
 

If you like this, you might enjoy these recipes from TasteFood:

Beef Bourguignon





   

French Onion Soup au Gratin

Tarte Tatin

and these recipes from the foodblogs:

Chicken with Lentils from Blue Kitchen
Coq au Vin from Sippity Sup
Steak Frites with Oven Baked Parmesan Potatoes from The Naptime Chef
Moules Marinieres from Erin's Kitchen

Frisée and Escarole Salad with Lardons

 

Don't let the simplicity of this rustic salad fool you.  This is one hearty salad that demands respect.  Assertive frisée and escarole leaves are tossed with a sharp Dijon-vinaigrette and scattered with crispy lardons (bacon cubes) and croutons. While this salad could easily be the star of an easy weeknight dinner with a wedge of runny cheese and a glass of red wine, it's an appropriately bold accompaniment to a rich winter stew such as Beef Bourguignon.

Frisée and Escarole Salad with Lardons
This salad is inspired by the french Salade Lyonnaise, which traditionally calls for sautéing the leaves in warm bacon drippings and topping the salad with a poached egg. Here is a lighter version which simply browns the croutons in the bacon fat and omits the egg. 

Serves 4

One medium head frisée, ends and outer leaves removed, washed
One half head of escarole, ends and outer leaves removed, washed
6 oz. (180 g.) slab bacon, rind trimmed, cut in 1/4" cubes
8-12 baguette slices, 1/2" thick
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Place frisée and escarole in a large bowl.
Heat a skillet over medium heat and add bacon.  Cook until fat is rendered and bacon is crispy golden. Transfer bacon with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain.  Pour off all of the bacon fat except for one tablespoon.  Return skillet to stovetop.  Add baguette slices in one layer in batches.  Cook over medium heat until golden on both sides, turning once.  Transfer bread to another plate lined with a paper towel.

Combine vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper in a small bowl.  Slowly pour in olive oil, whisking constantly to emulsify.  Pour dressing over salad leaves.  Toss to combine.  Arrange salad on serving plates.  Top with bacon and baguette croutons.

 
 

Rich Chocolate Brownies

Chocolate: a Swiss Remedy  

Living in Switzerland for 10 years gave me a certain perspective on chocolate as sustenance.  In this special country, chocolate is considered a staple and a panacea for all that is fraught in the world.  It's found in every lunch box, ski-pack and pantry.  It's not considered a dessert, but really it's own food group that transcends all nutritional categories and is arguably a national symbol, right up there with banks, cows and the Matterhorn.  In a manner of efficiency, as only the Swiss can do, chocolate is the the multi-tasking equivalent of a power bar, a balanced diet, a healthy psyche and an aspirin.  How can you not love a country for this?

When I lived in Crassier, near the French border about 15 miles outside of Geneva, I crossed the border regularly to shop in the French supermarkets.  When I returned to Switzerland, the Swiss border guards would often stop me and question my purchases.  (There were strict restrictions on quantities of wine, cheese, and meat that could be purchased abroad.)  One day when I was still new to the country, I returned with some French chocolate.  When I informed the Swiss guards that I had chocolate in my shopping bags they gaped at me in disbelief.  Forget the case of Burgundy wine, the kilos of runny French cheese, or the side of beef in my backseat - zut alors! - they were aghast and appalled that I had the gall and obvious lack of taste to purchase French chocolate instead of Swiss.  I had committed an act of treachery in their minds, and diminished my already lowly foreign status.  The next time I crossed the border, I would have to wear a paper bag over my head.

I learned my lesson.  Clearly, integrating meant more than learning the local language and paying taxes.  It also meant buying Swiss chocolate.  (Like I said, how can you not love a country for this?)  Now, many years and several countries later, I continue to buy Swiss chocolate - a.k.a. the Swiss remedy for everything.  And these days when life is throwing lots of curve-balls our way, a little chocolate medicine is a comforting and restaurative pleasure.  Straight-up and dark is my preferred manner of consumption, but when a little extra TLC is needed, there is nothing like a gooey, decadent, home-baked brownie. 

Chocolate Brownies
This brownie recipe is one of those no-fail, crowd-pleasing brownies.  It's dense and fudgey, chocolate-y enough to please the adults and sweet enough to appeal to kids.  I use Lindt 70% dark chocolate, bien sûr. 

Makes 32 small squares

1 cup (225 g.)  unsalted butter
12 oz. (350 grams) good quality dark chocolate (70%), coarsely chopped
3/4 cup (85 g.) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups (340 g.) granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Butter a 9-inch square baking pan.  Line bottom and sides with parchment paper.  Butter paper. 
Melt butter and chocolate in a double boiler or heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until smooth.  Remove from heat.  Mix flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl.  Whisk eggs, sugar and vanilla together in a large bowl until the mixture lightens in color.  Add chocolate to the eggs and stir to combine well.   Add flour to the chocolate batter, stirring with a wooden spoon, until combined. 
Pour batter into prepared pan.  Bake 30 minutes, or until top is set and sides begin to pull away from pan.  Brownies will be fudgey and a wooden pick will not come out clean.  Cool completely on rack.  For best results, refrigerate brownies covered overnight in pan. To cut, remove brownies from pan by lifting paper at sides.  Cut in small squares.

Tip:  These brownies are very rich and soft.  Keep them stored in the refrigerator, and they will last for up to one week. 

Need more chocolate medicine?  Try these recipes from TasteFood:

Chocolate Oblivion Cookies

 

 

 

Chocolate Terrine with Orange Crème Anglaise and Gran Marnier Oranges

Flourless Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Coulis

 

Tarte Tatin

 

Tarte Tatin is pure heaven for lovers of caramelized fruit.  Essentially, it's an upside-down tart, with the fruit slowly caramelized in buttter and sugar on the stove top, then topped with pastry and baked in the oven.  The origin of Tarte Tatin lies with the Tatin sisters who had a restaurant in the French village of Lamotte-Beuvron at the turn of the 20th century.  The story goes that they made an error while baking a traditional apple tart, when the pastry was omitted from the bottom of the tart pan.  Not to be deterred, the Tatin sisters added the pastry as an afterthought on top of the fruit, and so we have the Tarte Tatin.  This is a perfect example of going with the flow in the kitchen - with spectacular results.  

 Tarte Tatin
 
A perfect dessert to finish an autumn meal.  Traditionally prepared with apples, but pears and apricots work well, too.
Serves 10-12

Sour Cream Pastry:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1 cup chilled unsalted butter, cut in pieces
1/2 cup sour cream

Apple Filling:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, divided into 4 pieces, room temperature
1 cup plus 2 tblsp. sugar 
5-6 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, quartered top to bottom

1 egg, lightly beaten

Prepare pastry:
Combine flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl of a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Mix well. Add butter and mix at medium-low speed until butter is size of peas, 2-3 minutes. Add sour cream and mix until moist clumps form.  Gather dough into ball, flatten and wrap in plastic.  Refrigerate at least 2 hours. (Can be made one day ahead. Refrigerate until use.) Let soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.

Arrange butter over bottom of large oven-proof skillet (preferably cast iron.)  Sprinkle 1 cup sugar over butter. Place skillet over medium-low heat and cook until butter melts, sugar begins to dissolve and mixture starts to bubble, about 3 minutes.  Remove from heat.
Arrange apples, core side up, around edge of skillet, placing tightly together. Place remaining apples in a circle in center of skillet.  Sprinkle with the remaining sugar.
Set skillet over medium-high heat. Boil until a thick amber-colored syrup forms, occasionally turning skillet to ensure even cooking, about 30 minutes.  While apples cook, fill in gaps with additional apple quarters. Remove skillet from heat.  

While apples are cooking on stove, preheat oven to 425 F.
Roll out pastry on floured surface or parchment paper to a round shape to fit size of skillet. 
Place dough over apple mixture once removed from stove, pressing dough down around the apples at edge of skillet.  Cut 4 slits in top of pastry.  Brush pastry with the egg glaze. 
Bake tart until pastry is golden brown, 30-40 minutes. Remove from oven and cool one minute.
Cut around edge of skillet to loosen pastry. Place large platter over skillet. Using oven mitts, hold skillet and platter together tightly together and invert tart onto platter.  Cool at least 30 minutes. 
Cut in wedges and serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

 

Provençal Vegetable Tian with Goat Cheese and Basil Coulis

Tiring of Ratatouille?  I am a big fan of the Provençal-inspired stew of summer vegetables, but by the end of August I find myself seeking cues for inspiration in a hungry quest for different ways to use the heaps of squash, zucchini, eggplant and tomatoes harvested from our summer gardens.  So, prompted by this month's Grow Your Own event hosted by Andrea's Recipes, armed with a shiny new lime-green enameled cast iron pan, and inspired by a scrumptious article on tians in my favorite French magazine, Côté Sud,  I decided to create a Provençal Vegetable Tian with homegrown heirloom tomatoes and basil. 

Tian is the the French word for a casserole baked in an earthenware dish, layered with seasonal vegetables and cheese.  Originating in the south of France, and possibly influenced by the North African couscous pot, the ingredients are decoratively arranged and slow cooked for simple, rustic, flavorful results.  What better way to present a typically Provençal selection of vegetables than in a tian?  The sliced veggies are tossed in a coulis of puréed basil leaves, garlic and extra-virgin olive oil to give moisture and the unmistakable flavor of summer.  Crumbled soft goat cheese adds a creamy, tangy depth to this vegetarian dish.  Baked until the vegetables are tender but not too soft, this tian is delicious straight from the oven or even the next day.  Just like a good ratatouille - but different.

 

Provençal Vegetable Tian with Goat Cheese and Basil Coulis
Serves 4-6

2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1 garlic clove
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 medium, firm eggplant/aubergine, stemmed, quartered lengthwise, cut in 1/2" thick slices

3 large ripe vine or heirloom tomatoes, cut in 1/2" thick slices
2 small yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced
2 red or orange sweet peppers, halved, seeded, cut in 2" square pieces
1 medium zucchini, cut in 1/4" thick slices
1 medium yellow squash or 2-3 large patty pan squash, cut in 1/4" thick slices
6 oz. (180 grams) fresh goat cheese, crumbled

Prepare Basil Coulis:
Combine basil and garlic in bowl of food processor. While the machine is running, pour in 1/3 cup (80 ml.) oil in steady stream until consistency resembles a vinaigrette; add more oil if necessary.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside.

Grill Eggplant:
Arrange eggplant slices in one layer on oven tray.  Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Grill in oven until eggplant turns golden brown and softens, about 8 minutes.  Remove from oven.

Assemble Tian:
Preheat oven to 325 F. (170 C.)
Lightly oil an earthenware baking/gratin dish.  In a large bowl, toss slices of grilled eggplant, tomatoes, onions, zucchini and yellow squash with 3/4 of the basil coulis.  Arrange slices overlapping on the diagonal in baking dish.  Crumble goat cheese over vegetables.  Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bake in oven 50 minutes.  Remove and allow to cool briefly.  Drizzle remaining basil coulis over tian.  Garnish with whole basil leaves.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

 

Le Marché au Place des Lices - St. Tropez

 

Bistro-Style Skirt Steak with Sautéed Shallots - Bavette aux Echalotes

At the risk of repeating myself, I will tell you that I love French bistro cooking.  Simply put, it makes me very happy.  In fact, bistro food should make all of us happy.  It's comforting, generous, convivial and unpretentiously rooted in French tradition.  How can anyone not like it? 

I became familiar with bistros when I lived in Paris and Geneva.  Found in every neighborhood, the bistro was the go-to restaurant for consistent, delicious, and fun food.  Welcoming, bustling, and casually elegant, it was home away from home - satisfying and soothing in its predictability, its well worn ambience, and its dedicated timelessness.  Now, years later, there isn't a bistro in my neighborhood, but I do seek it out in restaurants and cook bistro fare at home.  It's perfect for entertaining and families, and since my family was raised eating bistro food in Europe, it's one of our preferred cuisines  for home cooking.

So, needless to say, I was very excited when Johanna at the Passionate Cook announced Bistro Food as this month's theme for the foodblogging event Waiter There is Something in My... (or WTSIM) - I knew I couldn't miss it.  Skirt Steak with Sautéed Shallots or Bavette aux Echalotes is a classic item on bistro menus.  The less expensive cut of meat is pan-fried on the stove and then served heaped with sautééd, caramelized shallots.  It's quick to prepare, delicious to eat and economical on the wallet.

Bistro-Style Skirt Steak with Sautéed Shallots - Bavette aux Echalotes
Serves 4

4 skirt steaks, approx. 8 oz./250 g. each
2 tablespoons high heat oil (canola or grapeseed)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
8 large shallots, peeled, thinly sliced
1/3 cup/80 ml. red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Prepare Steak:
Use 2 skillets or cook in 2 batches:  Heat one tablespoon canola oil in skillet over medium-high heat.  Add 1 tablespoon butter to skillet and swirl around to brown.  Add steaks, 2 at a time to skillet.  Cook turning once until seared and cooked through to desired doneness, about 3 minutes per side for medium-rare.  Transfer steaks to platter and tent with foil to rest. 

Prepare shallots:
Add one tablespoon olive oil to skillet.  Add shallots and sauté over medium heat until golden brown, about 6 minutes.  Add red wine vinegar and cook until liquid is absorbed.  Add 1 tablespoon butter, thyme and any juices from meat to the shallots. Cook, stirring, to incorporate, about 30 seconds.  Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.  Arrange steaks on individual plates or serving platter.  Top with shallots and serve.

Feeding the Soul: French Onion Soup au Gratin

Patience pays.  The essence of an onion soup is, well, the onions.  When onions are slow-cooked, they break down, releasing their sugars and juices and then they caramelize.  What begins as a crisp white onion evolves into a slippery, squishy, mahogany-colored mound of onion - and this is a very, very good thing.  Combined with stock, herbs, wine and a splash of cognac, the amorphous mound of slow-cooked onions becomes the base and richness for a sweet, deep, flavorful soup.  Topped with a thick slice of grilled pain paysan which in turn is topped with melted, bubbling alpine cheese, you have a sublime, satisfying and substantial winter soup. 

So, here is where patience pays: It is essential that the onions cook for a long time.  There are recipes for onion soup where the onions are fried on the cooktop and browned in less than one hour.  While they may look like they are close to the desired outcome in flavor, they are not.  The onions must sweat, break down, release their juices.  The juices, in turn, must slowly evaporate, allowing the onions to caramelize.  If you skip this process, you will miss in the soup an extra depth of flavor and body that will leave you struggling to improvise as you desperately rummage through your spice cabinet for that extra something that is missing. 

Do not be deterred by the time required; all you need is some advance planning and an oven.  While the stovetop works, it does require constant checking and care which is labor intensive for the busy cook.  With the oven, the onions can cook through the afternoon, and an hour before dinner the soup is ready to finish.  Simplicity, economy of ingredients, time and care - this is the essence of slow cooking, resulting in a rustic, comforting meal that feeds the soul and palate.

French Onion Soup au Gratin
Serves 6

5 lbs. (2.5 kg.) yellow onions
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (240 ml.) dry white wine
1/4 cup (60 ml.) cognac
6 cups (1.5 liters) beef stock (or 3 cups chicken stock and 3 cups beef stock)
Bouquet garni: 4 thyme sprigs, 1 bay leaf, 6 black peppercorns wrapped in cheesecloth, tied with kitchen string

Six 3/4" thick slices peasant bread
10 oz. (300 grams) grated alpine cheese such as Grùyere, Comté, Emmenthaler

Preheat oven to 400 F. (200 C.)
Melt butter over medium heat in a large Dutch oven or heavy oven-proof pot with lid.  Add onions and salt.  Cook, stirring, 5 minutes.  Cover pot and place in oven for one hour.

Remove pot, stir onions and any collected brown bits on sides and bottom of pan.  Cover, leaving slightly ajar and return pot to oven.  Cook until onions are soft and golden brown, two hours, checking and stirring up browned bits once.  (There will be a lot of liquid in the pot at this point.)

Remove pot from oven and remove lid.  Transfer to stovetop. Simmer over medium heat until liquid evaporates and onions turn brown, stirring and  scraping up any browned bits on bottom and sides of pan, about 20 minutes.  Continue cooking allowing a crust to form on the bottom of the pan without burning, about 5 minutes.  Add 1/2 cup white wine to deglaze pan and loosen crust.  Continue cooking until wine evaporates and another crust begins to form.  Deglaze a second time with remaining 1/2 cup wine.  The onions should be dark brown at this point.  Add cognac, and cook stirring until cognac evaporates.

Add stock and bouquet garni.  Stir and scrape up any brown bits on bottom and sides of pot.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, 30 minutes.  Discard bouquet garni.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Make the croutons:
While the soup simmers, lightly brush bread slices with olive oil.  Place on a baking sheet and bake in 400 F. (200 C.) oven until light golden, about 5 minutes.  Remove and set aside.

Finish the soup:
Divide soup evenly among 6 oven-proof bowls or crocks arranged on a baking sheet.  Gently lay one crouton slice on each portion.  Sprinkle cheese evenly over crouton and soup.  Place baking sheet in oven under grill element.  Grill/broil until cheese melts and bubbles, 2-3 minutes.  Serve.


What to Drink?
Red Wine:  Medium bodied, fruity red wine such as Côtes du Rhône, red Burgundy or Californian Pinot Noir.
White Wine:  Medium-full bodied white wine such as a Californian Pinot Gris or Chardonnay

Gigot de Sept Heures - Seven Hour Lamb

 

The precise translation of this recipe is Seven Hour Leg of Lamb, but do not let the name of this dish intimidate you. This slow-cooked leg of lamb can be put in the oven at noon and essentially ignored until dinner.  In the meantime, the meat will slow-cook at a low temperature in its juices and red wine, perfumed and infused with herbs, root vegetables and lots of garlic.  The finished result is comfort food at its best: meat falling of the bone, so tender you can eat it with a spoon, accompanied by a rustic sauce consisting of the braised vegetables, wine and pan juices.

The preparation of Gigot de Sept Heures was originally meant to make use of tough older mutton meat.  Long slow cooking would tenderize it, allowing the connective tissues to break down, creating a rich sauce when cooked.  (This method is similar to the origin of Coq au Vin, which makes use of roosters or coqs.)  Some may argue that this preparation does not do justice to a leg of lamb, which is also delicious simply roasted or grilled with garlic and herbs.  If you feel this way, then try preparing this recipe with a stew or braise cut of lamb such as the shoulder or shank.

 Gigot de Sept Heures
 
1 hour to prepare + 6 hours in the oven

Serves 6-8

 

1 leg of lamb with bone, 5-6 lbs. (2.5-3 kg.)
8 cloves of garlic, peeled
1/4 cup (60 ml.) olive oil
3 large carrots, peeled, cut in chunks
2 medium yellow onions, peeled, quartered
2 tomatoes, peeled*, seeded, quartered
1 bouquet garni (thyme, bayleaf, parsley)
1 cup (240 ml.) red wine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Fresh thyme and rosemary sprigs

 

Prepare the lamb:

Preheat oven to 400 F. (200 C.)

Trim fat from lamb, leaving 1/4" layer.
Mince 3 garlic cloves and smear over lamb.  Generously salt and pepper lamb.  Place in a Dutch oven or baking pan.  Surround lamb with carrots, onion, tomatoes, remaining garlic cloves.  Drizzle olive oil over lamb and vegetables.  Roast in oven, uncovered, 30 minutes.  Reduce oven temperature to 350 F. (180 C.)  Roast additional 30  minutes.

Remove pan from oven and reduce oven temperature to 250 F. (125 C.)
Transfer lamb to a plate.  Add bouquet garni and red wine to baking pan. Bring to a boil on stove over medium heat, scraping up caramelized bits from bottom of pan.  Return lamb to pan.  Cover pan with lid or aluminum foil.  Return to oven.  Cook 6 hours.

When lamb is finished, remove pan from oven.  Transfer lamb to a cutting board, cover loosely with aluminum foil. Discard bouquet garni from vegetable mixture.  Blend or purée vegetables, wine and collected lamb juice in batches. 

Slice lamb and arrange on warm serving platter or dinner plates.  Spoon some of the sauce over.  Garnish with rosemary or thyme sprigs. Serve with remaining sauce in a bowl on the side.

 

 

*Cooking Class:  How to Peel Tomatoes

1.  Take a paring knife and cut out the stem: Make shallow incisions around the stem and scoop out the stem.

2.  With same knife, make a shallow X-incision in bottom of tomato.
3.  Bring a saucepan of water to a rolling boil.  Plunge tomato into water for 10 seconds.  Remove and submerge in a bowl of ice water.

4.  Remove the cooled tomato from the water.  Peel away skin.

5.  To seed the tomato, cut the tomato in half.  Use your fingers to scoop out seeds.  

 

 

A Festival of Lemons

 

To me, lemons symbolize early spring and a brightness at the end of a lingering winter season.  Mind you, I live in California now, and our winter has been unseasonably warm and dry to this point, but as I think about lemons for a moment, I am transported back to Northern Europe where by the end of January, the dark and drizzle of the long winter season would be wearing thin. The knowledge of approaching spring and lengthening days would be shrugged off in a moment of impatience when we would impulsively book a quick escape in February to somewhere south in search of warmth and light.  A favorite destination would be the south of France, for, while Scandinavia and the UK would be shrouded in chilly mist and shadow, our southern counterparts would be basking in sunshine, enjoying the blooming daffodils and mimosa, and partaking in the festivities of Carnival in Nice and the Fête du Citron in Menton.

Fête du Citron?  Yes, that would be a Lemon Festival, and each year for 6 weeks from February to March, the  city of Menton devotes a celebration to all things citrus and yellow.  Situated halfway between Monte Carlo and the Italian border along the riviera, Menton is blessed with a warm micro-climate that is conducive to growing citrus.  Its history of cultivating lemons dates back to the 15th century, and by the early 19th century Menton was a main exporter of lemons to Europe and America.  Its prominence declined following a frost and increased competition from neighboring Italy and Spain, and, in 1934, the Lemon Festival was established in order to call attention to the replanting of Menton's lemon trees and the re-establishment of their citrus production. 

And what a festival it is.  Over the course of 6 weeks the town has celebrations, parades, and fireworks. Lemons, lemons are everywhere.  Parade floats are made of lemons, statues and decorations consist of lemons, food revolves around lemons, and tours and exhibitions are held throughout the city and at private estates to view lemon and citrus groves.  Typically, this festival coincides with the Carnival celebration in nearby Nice, so If you happen to be in the area for this double whammy of festivals, you can rest assured that you will have your fill of sun, fun and celebration - a perfect antidote for the winter doldrums.

Now, for those of us far away from the village of Menton and unable to hop on a short flight to the south of France, a little imagination is necessary to visualize this event and transport ourselves away from snowdrifts and frigid temperatures.  What I can offer you in tangibles, however,  is the following dessert. This lemon tart is simple to make and very, very lemony.  Its brightness is guarranteed to add a little sunshine to  your day, wherever you are.

 

Lemon Tart - Tarte au Citron

Makes one 9" tart

For the pastry - Pâte Sucrée
1 1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut in 1/2" pieces
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon ice water

Combine flour, sugar and salt in bowl of food processor.  Add butter, using on/off turns until the mixture becomes crumbly. 
Stir together egg yolk and water in small bowl.  Add to flour mixture.  Pulse until dough begins to clump together. 
Press dough into bottom and up sides of 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom.  Trim edges.  Pierce crust all over with fork.  Freeze 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Line crust with foil.  Fill with dried beans or pie weights.  Bake until crust is set, about 15 minutes.  Remove foil and beans or weights.  Continue baking until crust is lightly golden, about 20 minutes.  Transfer to rack to cool while preparing the filling.

For the Lemon Filling:

6 egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2-3 lemons)
6 tablespoons butter, softened
pinch of salt
2 teaspoons lemon zest

In a medium sauce pan, combine egg yolks and sugar.  Mix well to combine.  Add remaining ingredients, except for the lemon zest.  Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.  (Do not allow to boil or the mixture will curdle.)
When the mixture changes to a bright yellow color, and thickly coats the wooden spoon, remove from heat.  Pour through a fine strainer.  Discard the residue.  Stir in lemon zest.
Pour the filling into the cooled tart shell; it will continue to thicken as it sets.  Let it sit at least one hour.  Serve at room temperature or cold.