Last year, I decided to celebrate Bastille Day and due to popular demand (mine), I’ll be doing it again sometime soon. Not this year though, because I forgot to organise it.
14th July – A Bastille Day menu (serves 4)
Chicken liver pate on crostini
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Minute steak with herb butter and green salad
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Tarte au citron
First of all, put a French maid’s outfit on. Not only will this add to the festivity of the occasion, but nobody will really mind if you cook them rubbish food. A bit of prep is required here, but it’s nothing too stressful so don’t panic. After that, it’s really just an assembly job prior to your guests arriving.
The night before the party, you have three jobs:
-make the pate
-make the crostini
-make the herb butter
Now, you could do this on the morning of the event but sometimes it’s nice to have the heavy lifting out of the way so you can wake up to a clean kitchen that just requires you to drift around looking calm and collected. Also, the longer you leave the pate and butter, the better the flavours. So, arrive home from work, unhook the phone, put on some Abba and get cooking for your spectacular dinner the following night.
First thing’s first. Pate.
Chicken liver pate
You will need:
-400g chicken livers
-Splash of brandy
-100ml double cream
-25g butter
-Pinch of nutmeg
Method:
Disclaimer: some of what follows is a bit icky.
-Tip all the livers out onto a clean plastic chopping board (hygiene people, hygiene).
- Pick them up individually and fiddle until you can see a tough white ‘core’ that is holding the bits together (a lot like a kidney, but obviously not quite the same). Cut this out. This prevents bitterness in the pate. Not to mention gross bits.
-Fry the livers in a pan with some/a lot of butter. They need to be pink in the middle still, or your pate will be grey.
-Let the livers cool and pat dry.
-Place in a blender with the brandy, cream and nutmeg. Blend to a thick paste. Taste for seasoning, adjust as necessary.
-Melt some butter in a small pan.
-Pour the pate mixture from the blender into one large container or individual ramekins.
-Smooth down the surface and pour a bit of the butter on top, to form a seal.
-Place in the fridge.
-If you can be bothered, a couple of peppercorns and an appropriate leaf or two placed in the solidifying butter looks nice.
-Chill overnight.
Next job:
-Cut a baguette into slices. Make the slices as thin as you can without driving yourself crazy.
-Spread them out on some foil, drizzle with olive oil and rock salt, and grill them for 2 minutes a side. Voila, you have crostini.
-Put them in an airtight container overnight so they stay crunchy.
Last but not least:
Herb butter
You will need:
-175g salted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
-large handful of chopped herbs of your preference. Parsley is the classic, but lemon thyme is an interesting addition.
-Soften the butter (leave it on the side whilst making the pate).
-Mash in the garlic and herbs.
-Put the mixture on a sheet of clingfilm and roll and shape into a cylinder.
-Chill in fridge overnight.
So, everything’s ready for the main event. Off you go to bed and enjoy your free day tomorrow.
On the evening of the party (before guests arrive, obviously):
Lemon Tart
You will need:
-1 roll of all butter shortcrust pastry
-250ml double cream
-175g caster sugar
-3 lemons, juice and zest.
Method:
-Roll the shortcrust pastry out into a tart/pie tin and blind bake in the oven at 200 for 10 minutes.
-Remove the pastry case and eggwash the insides. Bake for a further 5 minutes.
-Whisk the sugar and cream together.
-Add the lemon juice.
-Add the lemon zest.
-Pour into the pastry case and bake at 200 for 20 minutes, or until the filling is set but still slightly wobbly. It should not be coloured on the top.
-Leave to cool, set aside until ready to serve.
Simple salad dressing.
You will need:
1 clove crushed garlic
100ml olive oil
3 teaspoons of Dijon
Splashes of lemon juice
Method:
-Mix the garlic, mustard and lemon juice in the bottom of the salad serving bowl.
-Add the oil by pouring in a thin, steady stream, whisking continuously. This should emulsify pretty much immediately.
-Season, taste and adjust accordingly.
-Put the salad leaves of your choice (butterhead or simple round lettuce works well here) into the bowl with some chopped walnuts, but don’t toss until you’re ready to serve.
-Set aside.
Now you’re all ready for the guests to arrive. Welcome them in, give them drinks, make enchanting conversation, hand around the pate on crostini.
When people are milling ominously near the fridge, it’s time to eat. Make sure the table is laid (with a checked cloth, obviously) and everything is to hand because this takes seconds.
Minute steak
You will need:
-4 thin frying steaks.
Method:
-Head a skillet or pan with some oil until smoking hot.
-Drop the steaks one at a time into the pan, almost immediately turn them over and remove to a warm serving plate. This, quite literally, takes a minute. Clever name hey?
Final steps
-Cut the herb butter into discs and dot strategically over the plate of steaks.
-Bring to the table and serve with the now tossed salad and some crusty bread. You can put the remainder of the herb butter on the table too.
-Drink lots of red wine.
-Eat the lemon tart.
-Sing the Marseillaise (optional).
NB. Since this dinner took place a year ago, I’m afraid I have no photos of the food. You know what a steak looks like. So here’s me in my maid’s outfit.
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| Je voudrais les escargots s'il vous plait |
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