French Recipes Used for the Olympics Opening Ceremony

Fromage Fort

From Bon Appetit:

It requires about 8 oz. cheese, room temperature (you can always do more, but depending on the size of your food processor, you may have a hard time doing less). Part of the fun is figuring out which cheeses to play against each other. In general bluer, funkier, or saltier cheeses will have a more dominating flavor than milder cheeses, so use less of them if you want the flavors of any other cheeses to come through. Try balancing 1 or 2 oz. of your blue or funky cheese with 3 or 4 oz. of something mild and buttery, like Muenster or Gouda, and round out the rest with familiar fridge standbys like goat cheese, Parmesan, or cheddar. Grate any harder cheeses and cube or crumble softer cheeses. If you want to add garlic—and you do—give a clove a rough chop.

Toss the cheese in the food processor with a pat of room-temperature butter. Add a splash of dry white wine, like Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay, and blend for a few minutes, scraping down the sides of the food processor bowl after a minute or two. You’re looking for a texture that mimics whipped cream cheese—it should be smooth enough to spread on a cracker but a chip dipped in it probably won’t stand up. The mixture doesn’t have to be perfectly smooth, but it shouldn’t appear to be seeping liquid. If it looks too grainy or isn’t blending into a homogeneous texture, add a touch more wine or butter or both. If it feels too loose, add more cheese. If you’re using more soft cheese, you likely won’t need to use as much butter or wine. Salt or season to taste, although with the amount of cheese, salt probably won’t be necessary. Best enjoyed at room temperature, it keeps in the fridge about a week.

Poulet A'lestragon

From House and Garden:

1 tbsp olive oil
4 chicken leg portions
10 x 15cm sprigs of French tarragon (or, at a pinch 1tbsp freeze-dried tarragon)
250ml white wine
3tbsp crème fraîche

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the chicken until browned on both sides.

Transfer the pieces to an ovenproof dish (one that will accommodate them in a single layer). Tip the fat out of the frying pan and pour in the wine. Bring to the boil, stirring well to release all the brown bits from the base of the pan. Pour over the chicken, and tuck in four of the tarragon sprigs.

Transfer the dish to the oven and cook uncovered for 30 mins. Remove the chicken from the dish and keep warm. Tip the juices into a small pan, and spoon off the fat from the top if there seems to be a lot. Bring the juices to simmering point. Stir in the crème fraîche and the rest of the tarragon. Taste and adjust the seasoning and pour over the chicken.

Haricots Verts

From Tastes Better From Scratch:

2 cup water
1 pound French green beans 
3 tablespoons butter
1 shallot , peeled and chopped
¼ teaspoon salt 
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Place beans in a large skillet. Add 2 cups water to the skillet.

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until barely tender, but still crisp. About 5 minutes, tossing occasionally. Drain beans and water and set aside.

Add butter to the skillet over medium heat. Once melted add the shallots and saute for 1 minute.

Add the beans and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Garlic Confit

From Saveur:

(I made about half this amount and used olive oil)

 2 cups canola oil, lard, or rendered chicken or duck fat 
 1 cup garlic cloves, peeled

Simmer oil, lard, or fat with garlic cloves in a 1-qt. saucepan over medium-low; cook until garlic is tender, 35–40 minutes. Let cool. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks.

Provencal Vegetable Gratin

From Saveur:

6 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more
 2 large white or yellow onions, thinly sliced
 Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
 2 tsp. chopped thyme
 1⁄4 tsp. crushed chile flakes
 6 cloves garlic, minced
 1 lb. medium zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
 1 1⁄2 lb. small, firm eggplant, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
 1 1⁄2 lb. ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
 Torn basil leaves, for garnish

Put oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add thyme, chile flakes, and garlic. Cook 2 minutes more.

Heat oven to 400°F. Spread the cooked onion mixture in the bottom of a large earthenware baking dish, about 9 by 13 inches I used a round cast iron pan). Arrange the zucchini, eggplant, and tomatoes in alternating rows: Start by making a row of overlapping zucchini slices, standing them vertically on edge. Follow with a row of eggplant, then a row of tomatoes in the same manner, packing the rows tightly together. Continue until the baking dish is filled. Sprinkle the surface of the vegetables generously with salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil.

Bake uncovered for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°F and continue baking for about 1 hour 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft and lightly browned. Serve warm or at room temperature garnished with the basil leaves.

Leeks in Vinaigrette

From Bon Appetit:

4 large leeks, white and pale-green parts only, tough outer layer removed

Kosher salt
1 small shallot, finely chopped
½ garlic clove, finely grated
1 tablespoon Sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
½ teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
¼ teaspoon sugar
¼ cup olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper

Trim root end of leeks (leave as intact as possible so they don’t break apart while cooking) and cook in a large pot of boiling salted water until very tender, 15–20 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain; let cool. (I would cut in 1-inch pieces next time)

Whisk shallot, garlic, vinegar, Dijon and whole grain mustards, thyme, and sugar in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in oil and 1 Tbsp. water; season with salt and pepper.

Arrange leeks on a platter, cut side up; drizzle with vinaigrette and let sit at least 10 minutes before serving.

Cherry Clafoutis

From Tastes Better From Scratch:

1 1/2 cups Fresh sweet cherries, pitted or not (or use canned cherries, drained--about 1 can)
3 large eggs , room temperature
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar , plus 2 Tablespoons for topping
1 cup whole milk , or half and half
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
powdered sugar , for dusting on top

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter the bottom of a 9 or 10 inch baking dish or pie plate.

Arrange cherries evenly around on bottom of dish.

In a blender (I used a mixer), add eggs, 1 cup sugar, milk, flour, extracts and salt. Blend until smooth. Pour batter over cherries and sprinkle with reserved 2 Tablespoons sugar.

Bake for about 35-45 minutes, just until custard is set.Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. Clafoutis is delicious served warm, room temp or cold.

Store leftover cherry clafoutis in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Notes

Cherries: Use fresh, sweet cherries or canned cherries (drained) Frozen cherries can also be used, just make sure you thaw and drain the excess liquid first. Cherry Clafoutis is traditionally made with unpitted black cherries but I prefer to use pitted cherries so it's easier to eat. If you decide to use unpitted cherries, make sure your guests are aware.

Variations: Clafoutis can also be made with plums, prunes, apples, pears, cranberries, or blackberries.

Reheating Instructions: Clafoutis lasts about 3 to 4 days, but is best served within 24 hours. It can be eaten cold or warmed up. If you choose to reheat it, microwave it in 15-second intervals until warm, or cover it with foil and bake in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 5 to 10 minutes.