Ceps, parmesan and rocket

Clean and slice the mushrooms, shave the cheese, wash the salad. 

Serve with a good olive oil, some lemon juice and black pepper. 

How simple can it be...

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And have a look at my Kindle book 'Breakfast in Gascony' on Amazon.

Carpaccio of watermelon

I used a 10 cm serving ring to cut out round segments from the watermelon

Then sliced them very thinly with the mandoline

Made a dressing from walnut oil, crême of balsamic and olive oil

Served with blue cheese and chives. 

Cold melon soup

This one is very simple folks. 

Cut a nice, ripe melon in 4 quarters. One to make the cute balls, the flesh of the rest to be pureed with the juice of one orange and (the secret)! a splash of pastis. 

Prepare well in advance so you have plenty of time to chill in the fridge. 

Serve with some cured ham. Or not...

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 'Breakfast in Gascony" on Amazon

Bruschetta, broad beans, goat's cheese

Delicious bite on a hot summer night.

Use a garlic press and squeeze 1 clove of garlic into some olive oil. Soften on a low heat.

Brush the oil over the bread.

Fry the bread in a dry pan. 

Boil the fresh peas and (double podded) beans 3 mins in unsalted water, then mix with olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest and chopped mint.

Crumble the goat's cheese.

Serve as shown

Beetroot Carpaccio

Recently we had lunch at our friends Jappe and Susanna and when she served this I couldn't wait till the beetroots in my garden were ready. 

Today some of them were big enough, so I boiled them for 45 minutes. 

While they were cooling I whipped up a dressing with champagne vinegar, honey, walnut oil, olive oil and salt&pepper. 

Finely sliced a spring onion. Peeled the beetroots under the tap with my thumbs and sliced them very thinly with the mandoline. I arranged them in a circle on a plate. 

Then put the onion, goat's cheese and lightly toasted (in a dry pan) almond slivers over it and finally the dressing.

Download my new book from any Amazon

'A Year in Provence meets Hotel Babylon' (Daily Mail)

Content: House-hunting in Gascony (SW France) is not for the fainthearted as Peter (48) and Jan (45) discover. But they find their dream house. Starting its renovation they not only find an old grenade, but a bunch of secret papers as well. They are shocked being told about a murder in the village, threatened by snakes and other vermin and a mysterious derelict neighbouring farm seems to be booby-trapped, but why? 

Jan wants to convert the house into a small luxury hotel but all Peter wants is a holiday home. Over time Peter’s resistance is eroded. What a woman wants…The house back home is sold, a flat found. They are now in France most of the time. The hotel is in business. Jan has interviewed Yvette, a local girl to help her with the rooms. 

Delayed guests have arrived. Honeymooners. A ghost from the past drops in, Hugo Sanchez, claiming the house is his. Jan kicks out the first guests. New guests arrive, two househunting couples. The males starting a pissing contest. Peter gets his first Ferrari. A French neighbour explains why the British are strange people and that cave people were the first foreigners who came house hunting in France, 25.000 BC. 
Still in bed Peter finally meets Yvette, the new chambermaid. Is the baker’s wife unfaithful? How do the French call gay men? Yvette teaches Peter new techniques…about French bread. Dave, an Englishman pops in to pick Peter’s builders brains. 

Four German guests arrive with quite unusual tastes. Peter makes a shocking discovery in their bedroom. What is Yvette doing in a swingers club? Hugo Sanchez is seen again in the area, but what is he up to? 
Peter misjudges his young American guests. A dog selects a new master. A letter arrives from Spain from the man who claims he is the owner of the house. They learn the most popular word in Ireland. 

A Belgian guest has an unpleasant wake up call. Terrorists are seen in the area. New neighbour Dave dies. Peter checks out a potential terrorists’ lair. A truly international and eventful day in a small Gascon hotel. 
Guests have their car stolen. Dave’s bereaved brother arrives. Pictures of Jan’s interior are taken for Elle Decoration. A fireplace has travelled from Gascony to Amsterdam. and back. New guests are not what they were expected to be. 
Scantily clad models pose around the pool for a glossy magazine photoshoot, soon joined by a naked Yvette. 

Hugo Sanchez takes Peter on his Nazi treasure hunt, to the local graveyard! Then Peter’s biggest secret is revealed. A real Hollywood actress and her baby-faced lover arrive. They are desperate to find out the identity of the famous singer/songwriter is who keeps to his room. Another guest makes a confession that ends the treasure hunt. 

Peter is invited to cook at a Hollywood wedding. A guest smells someone smoking pot and wants some himself. Jan plans a party. A bachelor tells Peter of a very un-orthodox way to find his bride. Somebody gets arrested by the Gendarmerie. Another one marries the wrong bride. An old colleague and his wife stop over. A lone guest discovers an interesting notebook in the library. A hare catches a dog. Eight expats who come for lunch are having severe problems. The party is a huge success but the next day Peter has a total blackout. Is Yvette getting married? 

Warning: although I paid professionals UK editors I'm told the book still has grammatical errors. At the moment corrections are being made. The result will be ready to download on August 5. 

Then download here (or any other Amazon site) to read on your tablet, PC, phone or Kindle:

http://www.amazon.fr/Breakfast-Gascony-English-Peter-Schoenmaker-ebook/dp/B00ZM6G4DE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1435161890&sr=8-1&keywords=peter+schoenmaker

Thai beef salad

Salad: Haricots verts, sugar snaps, red onion, red pepper, cucumber and coriander.

Dressing: juice from 1 lime (or 1/2 lemon), 1 tbsp fish sauce, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 2 tbsp soy sauce and 1 garlic clove.

That's all folks...

...and the thinly sliced panfried steak of course. As raw as you dare!

Follow me on Instagram @peterschoenmaker7 

and have a look at my book 'Breakfast in Gascony' on Amazon for your Kindle

Basque squid stew

As Rick Stein wrote this recipe, the original version comes from Basque fishermen. 
After catching some nice squid they used what they had on board to cook it: a can of tomatoes, some wine and onions. 

On dry land I started with cleaning 2 squid, then cut them into rings and the tentacles in bits and fried that in some oil. 

In the meantime finely cut 4 garlic cloves and 2 onions, one of them red. Fried them with the squid. 

Added a can of tomatoes, a glass of red wine and (because it was just ready) a glass of chicken stock. 

While it simmered I went into the garden for some rosemary and thyme and added lots of white pepper as well. Found a green paprika, sliced it and put it in. 

Simmered the lot for 2 hours. 

Then I came across a small fennel bulb and a stalk of celery. Sliced the fennel with the mandoline very thinly and cut the celery. In they went for just a minute, to give a crispy bite. 

Some leftover shrimps were used for decoration.

Follow me on Instagram: @peterschoenmaker7 and have a look at my Kindle book

 'Breakfast in Gascony" on Amazon

Panfried red mullet, fennel and crab mayo

I found these beautiful blue Gien plates this morning, asking for seafood. 

Sardines? Out of season!

I scoured the freezer (red mullet!) and the larder (a fennel bulb!) and remembered a recipe from ateliersdeschefs.co.uk and looked it up. 

Found the required tin of crab meat and started. 

Mixed the crab with some mayo and parsley and put it in the fridge.

Then made the sauce with lemon juice and olive oil. A matter of tasting, not too oily, not to acid.  Still not satisfied I reduced some orange juice till sirupy, let it cool and added that. Perfect.

Then used the mandoline to slice a funnel bulb wafer thin. Marinated the fennel in some of the sauce.
Added chopped chives to the rest of the sauce and panfried the mullet in a slightly oiled pan.

Served as shown. Looking good and simple!

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and have a look at my book 'Breakfast in Gascony' on Amazon for your Kindle

Caramellised fennel

Ottolenghi today! Vegetarian!

Start by preparing the fennel bulbs. First, cut off the leafy fronds, keeping a bit aside for the garnish. Next, slice off the end of the root and remove the tough outer layers, making sure the base still holds everything together. Cut each bulb lengthwise into 1/2 in. thick slices.

Melt butter and olive oil in a large frying pan over high heat. When the butter starts to foam, add a layer of sliced fennel. Do not overcrowd the pan and don’t turn the fennel over or stir it around in the pan until one side has become light golden, which will take a few minutes. Using tongs, turn the slices over and cook for another few minutes. Remove from the pan, add a bit more olive oil and butter if needed and repeat the process with the remaining raw fennel.

Once all the fennel is done and removed from the pan, reduce the heat, then add t sugar, fennel seeds, and plenty of salt and pepper to the pan. Fry for 30 seconds, adding a little more oil or butter if needed, until the sugar is dissolved, then return all the fennel to the pan and caramelize them gently. Once the fennel is caramelized, coated with sauce and tender (say 5 minutes?), turn off the heat and add the garlic. Stir again to incorporate it.

To serve, toss the fennel in a bowl with the dill and lemon zest. Taste and adjust seasoning. Arrange on a serving plate, or serve on toast as an appetizer (you may want to cut them into slightly smaller pieces). Dot with spoonfuls of goat’s cheese and garnish with fennel fronds.

About it being advertised as vegetarian. It is, but if you take a closer look at the picture you can see that we couldn't resist adding a nice juicy leg of chicken. Sorry

Garlicky escargots, mushrooms

Slice half a shallot very finely and do the same with 3 cloves of garlic, sweat them in 50 gr of salted butter.
Add 4 tbsp chopped parsley. Mix with the garlic/shallot butter, off the heat. 

Clean some mushrooms, take out the stems and fry the hoods in butter

Then heat up snails from a tin in the garlic butter. Then put them in the upturned mushrooms. Add a slice of red pepper and a parsley leaf for colour and serve with fresh crusty bread. 

Pan seared sea trout,mash and pea/feta/mint pesto

Start with the 'pesto', boil a handful of frozen peas for 7 mins, drain. Use the stick blender to blitz them with olive oil, 2 tbsp of mint leaves  and 1 garlic clove till the right consistency.  Then crumble some feta cheese and mix that in as well.

Next: boil a few potatoes.

Then sear the fish (the recipe said sea bream, but I had sea trout) in a lightly oiled pan, skin side down. When the skin is nice and crisp, turn off the heat and turn the fish. It will be done in a minute.

In the meantime crush the potatoes with a fork and add some olive oil. The recipe also asked for some spring onions, but I didn't have any, so I finely cut half a shallot and sweated that for a minute and added to the mash. `For color I added some parsley as well.

Inspiration: atelierdeschefs.co.uk






PS Don't forget, like I did,  to serve with lemon wedges!

Creamy chicken and wholegrain mustard and mushroom sauce

To accompany 2 leftover chicken legs we made Ottolenghi's sauce :

1 tbsp sunflower oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
15g unsalted butter
1 large onion, peeled and finely diced
Some thyme sprigs from the garden
200g mushrooms, halved
1 tsp paprikapowder
200ml chicken stock from our freezer
2 tsp wholegrain mustard
80g double cream
8 small gherkins, cut in half lengthways
Some parsley leaves, roughly chopped
Some tarragon leaves, roughly chopped (in the garden they were frozen, so we used dry ones from a pot)

Put the oil in  a large sauté pan on medium heat. 

Add the butter, onion and thyme, and saute for five minutes, until softened. Add the mushrooms, cook for eight minutes, until they take on a little colour, then add the paprika, half a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper. Stir, cook for a minute, then add the stock and mustard. Cook for five or so minutes, to thicken the sauce, stir through the cream and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes more; if the sauce needs further thickening, reduce the sauce. 

Off the heat, stir in the gherkins, parsley and tarragon, and serve piping hot – mashed potato or plain boiled rice would make a very happy partner, but we didn't.

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 'Breakfast in Gascony" on Amazon

Fresh lobster

Buy or catch a lobster. 

Fill pan with 4 liter water, half a bottle of white wine and 1 liter chicken stock, add 2 onions (halved), thyme, rosemary, 1 diced leek, 2 laurel leaves, 2 crushed garlic cloves. salt and pepper. Bring to the boil.

Put in the lobster, head first. Boiling time: 1 min per 100 grams.

Cut in half. Serve with mayo...

Don't forget to use the leftovers to make a delicious lobster stock!