Pork fillet wrapped in bacon, cooked sous vide. Juicy, soft and aromatic. This is a Sunday meal that can be prepared perfectly in advance and then brought fresh to the plate. The fillet is wrapped in a more or less tasty wrap. We love a smoked bacon, but you can definitely pack it in air-dried versions like Parma ham. As always, the essential is the quality of the ingredients. Organic is a must.

Important questions
What if I don’t have sous vide equipment?
Sous vide allows for a perfect result when it comes to the degree of doneness. If you want your fillet to be slightly pink, cook at 59-60 degrees. You’ll add crispiness at the end when cooking Sous Vide. The ‘traditional’ alternative is to first wrap the fillet in bacon, then sear it and put it in the oven at 160° top and bottom heat for 15-20 minutes. Definitely use a cooking thermometer. The core temperature should be 60 degrees. Leave to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Why is resting important after searing?
Searing draws the meat juices inwards and when you cut the meat, the juice runs out. By letting it rest, the meat juices get evenly distributed again and the meat is juicier. Simply cover with aluminum foil after frying and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes.

Bouchée a la Reine, the queen of pies. Not a pie in the traditional sense. A fine ragout in puff pastry. A classic Alsatian specialty that has conquered the world. A quick dish that looks great and tastes phantastic.

The bouchées are often served as a warm starter and there are endless variations. Escoffier alone describes 16 different variants, with asparagus (Grand-Duc) or game birds (Diane). We’re going to focus on the traditional veal version. There are definitely no limits to creativity.

Interesting:
Bouchée a la Reine was created in the 18th century by the chef of Marie Leczinska, daughter of the King of Poland and wife of Louis XV. At least that’s what the legend claims and it also says that the good woman should have had a right appetite. It was probably necessary because she gave birth to 10 children in the first 12 years of her marriage.

Important Questions
Buy the pastes or make them yourself?
We buy them. If you feel like it, you can buy a ready-made puff pastry, cut it out and stack it. The hardcore bakers also make the puff pastry themselves. But that is very time-consuming.

Bechamel?
If you like a really creamy sauce, make a bechamel sauce and add the meat / vegetables. We prefer a slightly lighter version.

A fine recipe, a noble dish. Bœuf Stroganoff, strips of beef with mushrooms in sauce. A quick recipe with maximum enjoyment.

The namesake, the Stroganoff family (also Stroganow, Stroganov, Стро́ганов) has an illustrious history. Over the centuries they were close supporters of the royal family and made their fortunes in Siberia. It is not historically clear whether the Stroganoffs, or rather their cooks, are really the inventors or inspirers of this dish. Anyway, in the second half of the 19th century, this creation started traveling around the world and accordingly many local versions were created.

The basic ingredients are the same for all versions: excellent quality beef strips, ideally fillet, with mushrooms, but it can also be porcini, shallots, cream and mustard. We usually include pickles or gherkins, but there are also variants with beetroot.

Important Questions’
What kind of meat?
The best is beef fillet, which is only fried very briefly. Don’t overcook the meat. You often see beef tenderloin tips in recipes. We tend to use the center piece, as pieces of the same size produce a better roasting result.

Flambé
n France yes, the rest of the world is a bit more cautious. If you decide to flambé, please make sure the extractor fan is not running. It may be dangerous.

Marinate?
you can, but it doesn’t have to be. The dish thrives on super-tender strips of beef and marinating often doesn’t help with tenderizing.

Tarte au Citron or Lemon Pie, the luxury version with meringue. A divine tart. History has it that the first lemon meringue tart was baked in Philalephia in 1806 by Elizabeth Goodwell. If that weren’t the case, credit goes to Elizabeth for being the first to publish a usable recipe. Our recipe isn’t that old. It’s inspired by our favorite pastry chef, Karen, who makes the prettiest and best tarts.

A tarte au citron consists of 3 components: a shortcrust pastry, a lemon cream and a meringue. These 3 components are also prepared at different times. The shortcrust pastry has to rest – preferably overnight. The same goes for the tart filled with the cream. Finally, the meringue mass is piped on and then browned with the burner. If you take 3 days, the tarte will be perfect.

Important questions
Can you substitute the lemons?
Yes you can, with other citrus fruits. e.g. oranges, grapefruit

What’s with the metal taste?
Sometimes one has the impression that the lemon flavor is overlaid by a metallic note. This is interesting because not everyone perceives the taste. The reason is the citric acid.

The reasons for the metal taste can be different. Citric acid reacts with metal. Standard kitchen appliances are made of stainless steel and are therefore not a problem. Another reason is to use lemon zest. The white skin tastes bitter and can produce the metallic taste. Be careful when rubbing off the zest.

Boeuf bourguignon is the classic Sunday dish in France, or at least one of them. Quite quick to prepare and tastes delicious. Like goulash, there are as many original recipes as there are families in France.

For a change, we won’t follow in the footsteps of the old grandmasters in our version of the Boeuf, but will lean on a contemporary interpretation by Thierry Marx.

In France it is said that the basis of Boeuf bourguignon are 2 ingredients: meat and wine from Burgundy. Since the meat in particular is difficult to obtain outside of France, we will settle for a local product. However, we are using the Burgundy wine. High tannin Pinot Noir helps the sauce develop its ‘deep’ flavor.

Depending on the interpretation, it is marinated first or not. The meat is always seared at a very high temperature, which gives it a nice roasted aroma, dusted with flour and cooked for a long time in wine and stock. There are also the classic side dishes: pearl onions, bacon and mushrooms.

Important questions
What kind if meat works best?
In France there are big discussions about what is the best choice. There are chefs who suggest using a variety of different types of meat. We believe that a piece off the shoulder (paleron in France) is the best option. Alternatively, you can also use the Wadschunken, which is already known from the goulash. However, this is sinewy and needs plenty of time to soften.

Marinate or not?
Contrary to popular belief, wine does not tenderize meat. On the contrary, if you leave the meat in the wine (acid) for too long, the meat hardens. CO2 (carbonic acid) in mineral water helps to tenderize meat. After a mineral water bath, another hour in wine helps get some flavor into the meat.

What makes the boeuf bourguignon so special?
Fry the meat cubes, dust with flour, deglaze with red wine and cook for a long time. There is a version without marinating or just with wine, but in Burgundy a version without wine is unimaginable. You then hear that it’s certainly good, but not a Boeuf Bourguignon.

Interesting:
Charolaise cattle are bred in Burgundy. Very large animals, a full-grown bull can weigh a good ton. The breed is one of the oldest bred meat breeds in Europe.

A classic with meat, fish or french fries. We couldn’t find out who keried the sauce for the first time; Auguste Escoffier definitely mentions it in his 1903 cookbook under the cold sauces. This is prepared with hard-boiled egg yolks and oil, plus chives and onions. It is more the Gribiche sauce that corresponds to today’s tartar sauce. The gribiche is mixed with hard-boiled egg yolks but with mustard and oil to make a maynaise and then pickles, capers and herbs are added.

Today it is quite easy to do without hard-boiling the eggs. Provided the cold chain works especially in summer, salmonella is no longer too big an issue, which was different in Escoffier’s time. In addition, the preparation of mayonnaise with hard-boiled egg yolk is a little more complicated than with raw egg yolk. Raw egg emulsifies more easily.

Our tartar sauce is based on the gribiche and we use raw egg yolks, plus what the herb garden has to offer.

Interesting

If you use hard-boiled egg yolks, it is important that you mash the yolks very finely with a fork, almost smear them and then bring them to a good, creamy consistency with the mustard. You may need to add a few drops of water. If you do not have a creamy mixture, the oil will not emulsify and there will be no connection.

Important questions:

Egg – hard-boiled?
in the past, not anymore. We also like fresh eggs better.

But what is already fine is hard-boiled egg white cut into small cubes in the tartar sauce.

Pickles yes or no?
Originally not. That was reserved for the Gribiche sauce.

What about capers?
Same as with the pickles.