Cooking in Paris with Charlotte, IV

 

Last week I sat in on a cooking class with top cooking teacher, Charlotte Puckette. Its been a while. Class begins at marché Saxe-Breteuil in the 7th. 

An upper crust arrondissement with upper crust produce. The leçons begin.

Dirt on carrots is de rigueur. It is a preservative I’m told. These carottes des Landes*grow straighter and are tastier. One does not want to eat a crooked carrot 🥕 !

The pointy green cabbages are tastier than the round chou. I never even noticed them before.

Charlotte gifted me a Betterave Crapaudine beet(upper left). They’re better than regular French beets. Why did I leave it hanging on her coat rack😬

A plethora of French potatoes to choose from. The little reds Charlotte chose ended up being burst of pure joy. 

Back in Charlotte’s town house near Rue Cler.

We always start out making dessert 1st. A chocolate ganache tarte made with just 3 ingredients. 

So fast and so easy to make, you can’t believe it. And the smell of it…puts you in just the right frame of mind. 

I always like to take a quick ‘Sherlockian’ look around 🔍 thé cuisine.

Many of Charlotte’s favorite knives are from, believe it or not, IKEA! 

Our starter/entré is scallops with charred tomatoes. Though the scallops are ready to cook, Charlotte shows us how to shuck our own scallop straight from the shell, should the occasion arise. 

The scallops are cooked plain, just patted dry with salt and pepper, in avocado oil. 

The plated dish. The contrast in textures, color and flavors was divine. 

Our main (really I could have stopped with the entrée) is a classic French dish, roasted guinea fowl breast, stuffed with mushrooms(ceps) and herb butter. I kept  busy taking pictures and salivating while the others chopped and stuffed. 

Ta da! As delish and even better than it looks. My first guinea hen. Those incredible little red potatoes whose distinctive name I forget. All the wines🍷  were from Charlotte’s friend’s vineyard. We sat and chatted about what else? Food of course. I can highly recommend taking a cooking class with Charlotte. Who knows..she might let me come again to report all. You can still  order a your Paris Christmas🎄letter. 

❤️🎄🐻🧣🇫🇷💌 Bonne Weekend PBers🎄❤️🧣🐻🐿🇫🇷💌

Cooking in Paris with Charlotte

On Thursday I joined Charlotte Puckette at the market again.

Marche Saxe-Breteuil in the 7th arrondissement is right under the Eiffel Tower. An upper crust residential area and as Marjorie Williams says in her essential guide, Markets of Paris, 'it draws an elegant crowd, even the dogs are well coiffed'.

Charlotte had planned a chicken tagine for the menu so Moroccan condiments was first stop.

Purple olives are required. Who knew?

And preserved lemon - a first time taste for me.

Tomate a branche for the tomato water, whatever that is.

We get a poulet lecon from Charlotte. We must henceforth only buy fermier chickens (on the left, bigger and always a specific breed and free-runners). The smaller chicken on the right is a 'hybrid', tres commercial, and not nearly as flavorful. Tres ordinaire and best avoided like the plague.
 

Not just excellent chicken and veg here but very high-end double cashmere sweaters are on sale at marche Saxe-Breteuil going for a mere 499 euros! Ouch

With a little arm-twisting, OK almost none at all, Charlotte convinced me to join the class back in her kitchen. Note the Eiffel Tower off to the left. *Note also her fabulous polka-dotted yellow bag from Kiehl's.

The mise en place for our first course, 'Seared Sardines with tomato water, lime and mint.

This tomato water had me cleaning my plate. This would make a salad dressing I bet and so easy to throw together.
Charlotte's recipe is HERE!!

I was a little nervous about fresh grilled sardines (Ew...) but they were so darn delicious.

On to our chicken tagine ingredients. Wonderful colors non?

We get to taste the preserved lemon before Charlotte tells us to get chopping and 'Shake it off".

At the stove Charlotte looks like Don Quixote with her pot lid and wooden spoon ready to do battle.
 

Purple olives work their charm.

A table!

Did I mention our chicken is a very special breed, a Tauzin chick with a red neck. She lounged around a pool for a good 6-12 weeks in Saint Tropez eating only the best French cuisine and generally leading the life of Riley until... Very flavorful indeed.

Naturalement we had a cheese course after our main. A perfect quartet of hard chevre, a gentle Roquefort, Epoissees in the wooden box that was too die for.

I didn't show you the dessert making.

A chocolate chestnut (cream) cake without a drop of flour (!) because one of us was gluten-free. Only 4 ingredients too.
Cake recipe is HERE!!
The final to-die-for course of a wonderful meal. I floated home on a cloud... Big Merci Charlotte!!