French cusine is storming the city and our panel of experts, Chef Satbir Bakshi from The Oberoi and the duo from the French bistro Chez Vous, Frederic Fernandez and Satyen Melwani teach you how to get your sauces and techniques just right.
Fernandez says, "The basis of French cooking is the sauce. The base of most begins with a roux which is a cooked mixture of wheat flour and fat, traditionally clarified butter. It forms the base of three mother sauces, bechamel,veloute and espagnole."
Skill counter
Frederic Fernandez and Satyen Melwani get your techniques in place
-Most French food uses baking or a combination of pan searing and baking — cooking time is minimal with a focus on protecting the internal flavour of the main ingredient which maybe the meat or any vegetable.
-One of the most flamboyant and glamourous cooking techniques used is Flambeing. Pastis — a traditional fennel flavoured liqueur is warmed and then poured over a cooking dish close the the finish. The volatile mixture can then be lit up using a match stick or the burner. Contrary to common belief that this is done to burn off the alcohol, the actual reason is to caramelize the ingredients by flaming them a little. The French love caramelisation — This brings on an addition of sweetness and is present in many of our dishes such as the caramelised onion tart of the prawns flambeed in Pastis.
-Poaching is a short cooking method to simmer food and bring out a tender texture.
-Braising uses a flavoured liquid as a medium in which food is cooked slowly, to accentuate the flavour.
-Broiling and grilling are nearly identical cooking methods where an oiled piece of food is cooked over direct and moderately high heat.
Hollandaise
The best looking sauce is also the most difficult to make. Hollandaise is pleasant yellow in colour and has a mayo-like texture. It's prepared using eggs, vinegar, shallots, black pepper corn and oodles of clarified butter. The ingredients are whisked constantly over a double-burner until its consistency starts to change and it turns creamy.
Taste bud test : It feels rich on the tongue and leaves a mild sour aftertaste.
Goes best with : Eggs benedict, salmon.
Bechamel
One of the earliest sauces to be made, commonly known as white sauce. It's made using flour, butter, milk and cream. Milk is simmered for a few mintues and added to the roux while continuously whisking to avoid lump formation.
Taste bud test : Bechamel is smooth on the tongue due to the presence of velvety cream. It has a milky aroma and a slightly raw aftertaste coming from the flour.
Goes best with : Cannelloni, mushroom, chicken.
Espagnole
Another name for espagnole is brown sauce. The thick, viscous sauce is made with roasted meat bones, tomatoes, celery, bay leaf, pepper corn, carrot, boquet garni (tied bunch of herbs) and water. It is classically used as a base for sauces such as pepper and bordelaise.
Taste bud test : The sauce has a luscious buttery glaze top and an earthy, roasted meat-like flavour with a slight tang introduced by the tomatoes.
Goes best with : Chicken, lamb chops.
Veloute
Veloute is French for velvety. Made with equal portions of butter and flour, the sauce is white with a tinge of brown. Veloute can be made using chicken, fish or mushroom stock depending on your taste and preference. Ensure you whisk continously to avoid lumps.
Taste bud test : Due to the abundance of butter, it has a rich thick texture.
Goes best with : Poached and steam chicken, fish.
Tomate
The base sauce for our favourite Penne Arrabiata is the tomato sauce. Predominantly consisting of juicy Roman tomatoes, Tomate has evolved into provencal, amatriciana and puttanesca sauces. The traditional recipe is a medley of garlic, onions, celery, leek, peppercorn, bay leaf, carrots and tomatoes of course!
Taste bud test : The red sauce is chunky and tangy. If made well, it leaves a slightly piquant aftertaste of bay leaves.
Goes best with : Pizza base, penne, macaroni, baked dishes.
Crabe farci Chez Vous presents a signature French-style baked Crab with coconut
Crabe farci a la creole servis en habit, sauce rougail (pimen crase)French Caribbean style stuffed crab Served with its Rougail crushed chilly sauce
Chef's Tip : Make sure you cook with lemon and coconut milk and add chives only in the end only after the mix is cold or else the chives will wilt. Heat oil in a pan and temper chillies. Add chopped onions and garlic and sautee for a few minutes. Then add carrots, rosemary, thyme and sautee for another few mintues. Add crab meat and cook on medium heat. As it starts slightly sticking to the bottom of the pan, add coconut milk and lemon juice.
Check for seasoning, add breadcrumbs and blend into the mixture. Let it cool and then add chives, parsley and mix again. Stuff the mixture into crab shells. Just before serving, add powdered coconut on top and cook in the oven for a minute and half or until light browning occurs. Serve hot.
Ingredients
300gms crab meat
60gms carrot
10 gms chilly
10 gms garlic peeled
60 gms onion
5 gms thyme (chop rough)
5 gms rosemary (chop rough)
50 gms chives
juice of three limes
30 ml coconut mil
30 gms bread crumbs
15 ml milk
3 crab shells
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