Vichysoise, crayfish

Cut 5 leeks (the white and very light green only) in rings, sweat in some butter with 2 crushed cloves of garlic and 2 chopped celery sticks. 

Add 2 potatoes (in small pieces) and 750 cl chicken stock . 

Simmer for 20 mins. 

Use the blender. Serve with some nice crayfish, pepper and olive oil.

Grilled... watermelon. Really?

Yes, really! 

Lightly oil both sides. Then in a smoking hot grill pan, 1 min per side. 

Serve with Spanish ham and some blue cheese.

Leeks, chicken liver, Camembert

Whenever we are in a French supermarket we buy a package of chicken liver confit. They have already been slow-cooked in duck fat, so at home all we have to do is to give them a nice tan in a dry, hot pan.

But you can use normal chicken livers of course. 

At the same time we soften, in butter,  the white of 4 big leeks and 1 onion, cut into rings. A round baking tin is covered with store-bought puff pastry. Then the pastry is covered with baking paper and held down with coins or beans and pre-baked for 10 mins in a 200° C oven. 

After removing the weights and the sulpherised paper the tin goes back in the oven for another 10 mins. Then lower the temperature to 185°.

Then the baked pastry is filled with the softened leeks and onion, chicken livers are put on top and last but not least slices of good Camembert are covering it. 

Finally beat 3 eggs with 250 cl crême fraiche and some black pepper. 

Pour the mixture in the quiche. Bake for another 30-35 mins till golden brown:

Red mullet, safran mash, sauce vierge

Start with the mash: boil 1 potato with some safran and a garlic clove in about 18 mins.

In the meantime brown a tsp of fennel seeds in a dry pan. Set apart.

For the sauce vierge: cut another garlic clove finely and brown in some olive oil. Add more oil, 2 tbsp soy sauce and a tbsp  Ricard. 

Add fennel seeds. Keep warm.

De-skin a tomato, remove the seeds and cut into small cubes.

Fry the fillets of mullet, skin side down till crisp. Turn the heat off and then turn the fish for another 2 mins.

In the meantime finish the mash with some olive oil and cream.

Serve as shown, the green is tarragon.

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