Ingredients:

2 medium heads broccoli, about 1 kilogram
250 grams fillets of smoked herring (a.k.a. kipper — substitute another kind of smoked fish, provided it is sold in fillets, not thin slices)
1 1/2 cup of milk (optional, to de-salt the herring if needed)
1/3 cup crème fraîche (substitute heavy or sour cream)
1/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs (unseasoned)
pepper

Procedure:

If you are using salted herring fillets, they need to be desalted: put them in a dish, cover with milk and let rest for at least 3 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Drain, rinse with water and pat dry before using. Clean, trim and boil the broccoli florets until soft (but not falling apart). Drain thoroughly. Add in the crème fraîche and mash with a potato masher or a fork, until it forms a chunky purée. Season with pepper but very little to no salt, as the herring contains a fair amount. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Cut the herring in half-inch chunks, and arrange them in an even layer at the bottom of a medium baking dish. Top with the broccoli purée, flattening the surface with a spatula, and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. (Alternately, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and reproduce this layering in serving circles, to make individual servings as pictured above.) Put into the oven to bake for twenty minutes or so, until it is thoroughly heated and the breadcrumbs have turned golden. Serve immediately. Makes 6 servings.

Ingredients:

Bouquet Garni : see below

2 lb. dried navy beans
4 carrots
3 medium onions
2 whole cloves
1 small head plus 5
1 cloves garlic
1 piece (4 oz) pork rind, rolled, tied (optional)
1 duck (about 5 lb) cut into
8 pieces with giblets
salt and freshly ground
pepper to taste
1 (8 oz) thick sliced bacon, cut into 1 inch squares
1 can (28 oz) whole tomatoes, drained, coarsely chopped, liquid reserved
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
1 1/2 lb. garlic sausage, such as Kielbasa
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs

Procedure:

Place beans in large Dutch oven and add water to cover by 3 inch heat over medium heat to boiling. Meanwhile, prepare bouquet garni. Scrub 1 carrot and trim ends. Peel 1 onion and stick it with the cloves. Add bouquet garni, onion, 1 head garlic, pork rind (if using) and duck giblets (but not he liver) to beans. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered, adding water if necessary, until tender, 1 and 1/2 hours. Drain beans reserving liquid. Discard herbs and vegetables. Chop giblets and pork rind; mix with beans in large bowl. Add salt and pepper. Meanwhile, fry bacon in large heavy saucepan over medium heat until golden, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain on paper towels, then stir into beans. Discard fat. Trim fat from duck and prick skin thoroughly with fork. Brown duck on all sides in same saucepan over medium high heat, about 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Pour off duck fat and reserve. Pare and thickly slice remaining carrots; coarsely chop remaining onions. Add to the same saucepan; cook stirring occasionally, over medium heat until softened about 5 minutes. Mince 5 cloves garlic, add to pan, and cook 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes; cook 3 minutes. Add 1 cup bean liquid and scrape brown bits from bottom of pan. Return duck to saucepan; sprinkle with thyme. Add enough bean liquid to partially cover duck. Simmer covered over low heat until duck is tender, about 1 and 1/4 hours. Remove duck. Spoon off as much fat as possible from the broth. Meanwhile, add sausage to large pan of simmering water; simmer 5 - 7 minutes. Drain and cool slightly. Peel and cut into 1/4 inch thick slices. Heat oven to 325°. Halve remaining clove garlic and rub over inside of large Dutch oven, then coat with 2 tablespoons reserved duck fat. Sprinkling each layer with pepper, add ingredients to pot as follows; one fourth the beans; half the sausage, one fourth the beans; one third the duck broth with the vegetables, the duck pieces, one third the broth, one fourth the beans, then remaining sausage, broth, and beans. Add bean liquid if necessary to come to the top of the beans without covering them. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup bread crumbs and drizzle with 2 tablespoons duck fat. Bake covered 35 minutes. Remove cover and bake 45 minutes longer, breaking crust and turning top crust under with large spoon 2 or 3 times. Increase heat to 400° F. Add some tomato liquid if cassoulet seems dry. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup bread crumbs and drizzle with 2 tablespoons duck fat. Bake until top is crusty and golden, about 20 minutes longer. Serve hot from Dutch oven.

For bouquet garni, tie 1 bay leaf, i leek, 1 rib celery, 3 sprigs parsely, and 1 pinch dried thyme in cheesecloth (or purchase). Serve with a Cotes du Rhone.

Ingredients:

1.2 kg. (3 lb) lean stewing veal, cubed
salt and pepper to taste
6 tbsp. butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup veal or chicken stock
1 bouquet garni
225 grams (8 oz.) canned peeled tomatoes
65 grams (2 1/2 oz.) tomato puree (paste)
1 tsp. paprika
12 pickling or pearl onions
3 cups button mushrooms, sliced
1 tbsp. beurre manie

Procedure:

Rub the veal cubes with salt and pepper. Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter with the oil in a large flameproof casserole. Add the onions and garlic and fry until they are soft. Stir in the veal and fry until the cubes are evenly browned. Pour over the wine and stock and stir in the bouquet garni, tomatoes and can juice, the tomato puree (paste) and paprika. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer the mixture for 1 1/2 hours. Add the onions and simmer for a further 30 minutes or until the meat is cooked through. Meanwhile, melt the remaining butter in a frying-pan. Add the mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Transfer the mushrooms to a warmed serving dish. When the veal is cooked, transfer the cubes and onions to the serving dish. Keep warm while you finish the sauce. Remove the casserole from the heat and strain the contents into a saucepan, pressing down on the vegetables and flavorings with the back of a wooden spoon. Skim any scum from the surface of the cooking liquid and bring to the boil. Boil for about 10 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced by about a third. Stir in the beurre manie, a little at a time, and cook the sauce for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, or until it has thickened and is smooth. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables and serve at once. Makes 6 servings.

Ingredients:

450 grams (1 lb.) pork meat
300 grams (2/3 lb.) veal meat
250 grams (1/2 lb.) smoked lardoons (bacon)
5 cl. ( 2 fl. oz.) cognac
2 eggs
2 blades of thyme
2 bay leaves
nutmeg, salt & pepper

Procedure:

Cut the meats into cubes. In an electric mixer, with the blade accessory, put meat cubes and crush them, but not too thinly. Put the meat in a salad bowl, pour the cognac, add the thyme leaves, the nutmeg, salt (not too much because of the bacon) & pepper ; mix everything and leave for 15 minutes. Add the 2 eggs to the meat and mix to obtain an homogeneous mixture ; put it into a paté terrine, smooth the surface and display the bay leaves on. Cover with the terrine lid. Put the terrine on the oven baking tray in which you must always keep some water during the baking time (this is called “bain marie”). Bake in preheated oven at 180°C / 350°F for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Let it cool down then keep in fridge for at least 12 hours before serving. Serve with French bread and cornichons (gherkins).