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Patricia Wells delivers true taste of
Paris
December 5, 2001
By SHARON HUDGINS / Special Contributor to The Dallas
Morning News
When an American in Paris writes about French food
– and the French flock to buy her cookbook –
then you can be sure she knows her stuff.
Patricia Wells was recently in Dallas to promote The
Paris Cookbook (HarperCollins, $30), her latest work
about the foods of France.
Published simultaneously in American, British, and
French editions, this user-friendly cookbook is already
selling briskly on both sides of the Atlantic.
Ms. Wells first moved from New York to France in 1980
with her husband, a journalist for the Paris-based International
Herald Tribune. They planned to work in France for only
two years, but they were so seduced by France that they
decided to stay.
Today, they divide their time between Paris (where
Ms. Wells is also the restaurant critic for the International
Herald Tribune) and their 18th-century farmhouse in
Provence.
Since the mid-1980s, Ms. Wells has written six other
books about food, five of them focusing on France.
The Paris Cookbook is the culmination of two decades
of her cooking and eating in that city. She has scouted
out the best neighborhood food markets in Paris, watched
master chefs at work, savored the French version of
comfort foods in local bistros, and collected recipes
from French cooks, amateurs, and professionals.
"What I try to do in my book is show how people
are eating in Paris today," says Ms. Wells, who
also includes "a lot of dishes that are my favorite
things to cook, too."
The result is a very personal compendium of 150 recipes,
ranging from classics such as French Onion Soup and
Tarte Tatin to contemporary fare such as Slow-Roasted
Salmon With Sorrel Sauce and Tante Louise's Caramelized
Cauliflower Soup With Foie Gras.
All the recipes are written in Ms. Wells' simple, straightforward
style. Many American cooks might be surprised at how
easily these French dishes can be made in American home
kitchens. Yet they still capture the authentic flavor
of French food.
Ms. Wells' enthusiasm for French food permeates The
Paris Cookbook. Each recipe is introduced by an anecdote
about where she first ate that particular dish, or how
she got the recipe, or why she likes to serve it for
guests at home.
Sidebars extol the virtues of goose fat, explain what
confit (a food-preservation method) and onglet (flank
steak) are, provide tips on cooking techniques, and
suggest affordable wines to accompany many of the foods
she so lovingly describes.
Ms. Wells says that at her own home in Paris she likes
to make Clams in Vinaigrette, traditional Alsatian Choucroute
[sauerkraut garnished with smoked pork and sausages],
Flora's Polenta Fries, and The Apple Lady's Apple Cake,
as well as "all the chicken recipes" in the
book.
For a winter holiday menu, she suggests Parisian Roasted
Turkey (with sausage stuffing), Carrots With Cumin and
Orange, and "any of the chocolate or apple recipes
for dessert," including La Maison du Chocolat's
Bittersweet Chocolate Mousse.
Sharon Hudgins is a McKinney free-lance writer.
Lemon Chicken
1 chicken (about 5 pounds)
Sea salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 lemons, preferably organic, scrubbed, dried, and quartered
lengthwise
Several sprigs fresh thyme
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Preheat oven to 425 F.
Generously season the cavity of the chicken with sea
salt and black pepper. Place the giblets, lemon quarters,
and thyme inside. Truss. Rub the skin with the butter.
Season all over with sea salt and black pepper.
Place the chicken on its side on a rack in a roasting
pan. Place in the center of the oven and roast, uncovered,
for 20 minutes. Turn the chicken to the other side and
roast for 20 minutes more. Turn the chicken breast-side
up and roast for 20 minutes more, for a total of 1 hour
roasting time. By this time the skin should be a deep
golden color.
Reduce the heat to 375 F. Turn the chicken breast-side
down, at an angle if at all possible, so its head end
is down and its tail end is in the air. This heightens
the flavor by allowing the juices to flow down through
the breast meat. Roast until the juices run clear when
you pierce a thigh with a skewer, about 15 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and season the chicken
generously with sea salt and black pepper. Transfer
the chicken to a platter and place it on an angle against
the edge of an overturned plate, with its head down
and tail in the air. Cover loosely with foil. Turn off
the oven and place the platter in the oven with the
door open. Let the chicken rest for a minimum of 10
minutes and up to 30 minutes. It will continue to cook
during this resting time.
Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Place the roasting pan
over moderate heat and cook, scraping up any bits that
cling to the bottom and stirring until the liquid is
almost caramelized, 2 to 3 minutes. Do not let it burn.
Spoon off and discard any fat. Add several tablespoons
of cold water to deglaze the pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce
the heat to low and simmer until thickened, about 5
minutes.
While the sauce is cooking, remove the lemons from
the cavity of the chicken. Carve the chicken into serving
pieces and transfer them to a warmed platter. Squeeze
the lemons all over the chicken pieces, extracting as
much juice as possible. Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh
sieve and pour it into a sauceboat. Serve immediately.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
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