Photography by Squire Fox; Food Styled by Eva Bell; Props Styled by Laurent Laborie; Hair and Makeup by Deanna Melluso
|
Fast Food His Way
By Jacques Pépin, January & February 2005
Jacques Pépin shares his secrets for making simple, elegant French meals in minutes
|
Cooking is so much a part of my life, my lifestyle, and my family tradition
that even when I go on vacation I usually think in terms of food. Where are we
going to eat? Where are the markets? What are the local specialties?
But it's a mistake to think that professional chefs—especially
French chefs like me—eat fancy food all the time. Just like everyone
else, we arrive home after a busy day and scramble for something to eat. Even
on more leisurely days I rarely want to spend hours slaving in the kitchen.
That's when I think about fast food. Not conventional fast food, but fast
food my way, made with high-quality convenience foods, a few essential pantry
staples, and whatever fresh produce happens to be in my refrigerator.
For example, I often make a simple homemade soup that my wife, Gloria, likes
to call "fridge soup." First, I put a pot containing
two to three cups of water on the stove. By the time the water boils I have
raided the refrigerator and found, maybe, a carrot, a piece of onion, a
zucchini, and a few scallions or a piece of leek. I usually grate these
vegetables on the large holes of a box grater and then drop them into the
boiling water with a few leaves of leftover salad and a dash of salt. By the
time the water returns to a boil, the vegetables are cooked. At that point, I
add a thickening agent—a spoonful of Cream of Wheat, oatmeal, or
grits—cook for a couple more minutes, and finish with a dash of olive oil
or a pat of butter. I have a great soup from scratch in 10 or 15 minutes.
Great food like this takes only minimal planning, but it's important to
have a well-stocked pantry and freezer. I always have canned anchovies,
sardines, tomatoes, stocks, and an array of beans on hand. There certainly are
canned items that I wouldn't use; some vegetables discolor and get mushy.
But a can of white or black beans consists of beans, water, and salt, which is
basically what I would end up with if I cooked beans from scratch, and that
would take a couple of hours. I can take a can of drained black beans;
purée them in a food processor; add some garlic, cilantro, Tabasco, and
a little olive oil; and serve as an excellent first course with smoked oysters
(also available in cans), topped with a generous dollop of sour cream and fresh
cilantro.
American supermarkets are better supplied now than they have ever been, and
this is where I get my food. At the deli counter, I often buy a selection of
cheeses, marinated mushrooms, peppers, pimientos, and olives, then mix them at
home with a little extra-virgin olive oil, some cracked pepper, and fresh
herbs. I like to serve this colorful salad on lettuce leaves.
You can also find good smoked salmon or whitefish at most
supermarkets. When you get home, it is just a matter of arranging the fish on
an attractive plate; adding a garnish of chopped red onion, capers, a little
diced cucumber, some herbs; and finishing it with cracked pepper and a dash of
extra-virgin olive oil. This makes a beautiful first course or, served with a
wedge of lemon and some buttered black bread, a great lunch.
Great fast food takes only minimal planning, but it’s important to have a well-stocked pantry and freezer.
Good produce doesn't necessarily have to be fresh. Search the
frozen-food section for such vegetables as baby peas, a favorite at my house.
When peas are harvested, they go into a bath of salted water; the larger ones,
high in starch, sink to the bottom, while the smaller ones, high in sugar, rise
to the top. Picked out, frozen, and sold as baby or petite peas, they are
always of good quality whether they are sautéed briefly or
puréed.
Frozen raspberries are another favorite of mine and can be as good as fresh.
I often divide a bag of frozen raspberries among individual gratin
dishes or put them into one large gratin dish and top with crumbled
cookies—chocolate chip or plain butter work well—a sprinkling of
sugar, and a dollop of butter. Baked for 16 to 18 minutes and served lukewarm
with sour cream, this dessert is absolutely wonderful.
Ultimately, the most important thing to remember about food is to share it
with family or friends. Regardless of how long it takes to prepare the food,
the proof is in the eating. If the food is good, enjoy it and take the kudos
for it.
Bon appétit!
Jacques Pépin is the author of 23 cookbooks. His latest,
Fast Food My Way (Houghton Mifflin, 2004), is the companion book to his new
PBS series by the same name.
|
