Category Archives: French Fridays with Dorie
salty (-sweet) potato far {ffwd}
This week’s recipe for French Fridays with Dorie was filled with conflict and confusion. Starting with the title. I initially thought it was a sweet potato side. Turns out, this Breton version of potato pudding is both salty and sweet, the sweet component contributed by prunes. The potatoes are just regular white potatoes, not sweet potatoes.
Anyone who knows how things roll in my kitchen knows that prunes weren’t going to go over with my dear husband. I wasn’t so sure how they would go over with me either. Prunes with potatoes and bacon does sound a little weird. I went for His and Hers. Half with prunes (Hers) and half without (His).
His and Hers Potato Fars
This was relatively easy to put together. You start by crisping some bacon lardons. Then, you make a simple custardy batter, grate some potatoes, and stir them into the batter. Finally, you add bacon and chopped prunes. Because I’d heard from some of the other Doristas that the final dish was lacking something, I stirred a quarter pound of grated Emmenthaler cheese into the batter.
I loved how the potato pudding puffed up and crisped on the outside. When I divided the potato far into two smaller dishes, I didn’t adjust the cooking time. It might have been a little too much, though it still tasted good.
Because I wasn’t sure how this would go over, I was hesitant to serve it as the main course. Instead, I roasted chicken thighs and served the potato far as a side dish.
The prunes weren’t terrible, but to me, they were a little jarring with the other flavors. I would have preferred more bacon and cheese and no prunes. Howard liked his pruneless version. However, I don’t think potato far, sweet, salty, or otherwise, will be making a repeat appearance chez moi. It just wasn’t interesting enough.
The opinions of this one are bound to be feisty. Check them out by following the links here. If you’re curious and want to try it, you can find the recipe in Dorie Greenspan’s book Around My French Table.
Thanksgiving falls between now and the next French Friday, so to my Dorista friends, I wish you and your family a wonderful Thanksgiving! I hope your table is laden with a delicious feast and that the seats are filled with the ones you love. Enjoy the holiday!
chestnut-pear soup {ffwd}
November is not a good month for Howard and French Fridays with Dorie recipes. He liked the chicken, but after week 1, it’s been all downhill, and the slide will continue for the rest of the month. Fruit, fruit mixed with savory, French toast, all just not his thing… Oh, well, as they say, “More for me!” This week’s recipe is in the fruit mixed with savory category: Chestnut-Pear Soup.
My signature Thanksgiving stuffing is a chestnut stuffing, so I’m a big fan of chestnuts. I used to roast and peel them, filling the kitchen with aromas that evoke memories of a city street corner on a winter’s day. Peeling chestnuts is hard work, though, so I was so happy when, about a decade ago, I discovered jars of already steamed and peeled chestnuts at Williams-Sonoma. Not an inexpensive option, but with all the tasks to make a Thanksgiving meal, pre-peeled chestnuts always seemed like a good value. Since that initial discovery, I’ve seen (and purchased) chestnuts in even more stores, around this time of year, and stock up to introduce chestnuts into pre- and post-Thanksgiving meals.
Add this simple soup to the list of tasty ways to consume chestnuts. A bowl of Chestnut-Pear Soup looks unpromising, yet a spoonful reveals a surprising complexity of flavor. You get the earthy nuttiness of the chestnuts along with a touch of sweetness from ripe pears and the added depth of oniony-ness from leeks (in addition to regular onions). I used only 1 quart of broth because I prefer a thicker soup than Dorie does.
Chestnut-Pear Soup made a perfect autumn lunch. It would also make an elegant starter to a special (or even an everyday) meal. I topped the soup with a splash of cream and a quartered chestnut and enjoyed my lunch. I’m hoping it freezes well. I was the only one eating it this week, so put a few containers in the freezer for later.
If you’d like to find out how my French Friday friends enjoyed their soup, check out their links here. For the recipe, you can find it in Dorie Greenspan’s book Around My French Table.
A Plateful of Happiness 