La Recette du Jour

This recipe was inspired by a tapa in an Andalusian bar, in a village surrounded by thousands of avocado trees. The dressing is a version of a recipe I learned from Jim Fisher at Cook in France. There, we used grain mustard and served it on a salad of blanched spring vegetables and poached eggs. I toned it down a little here so as not to overwhelm the avocados. I like this colourful salad so much I’m already imagining variations: crumbled feta cheese on top, for example.
Recipe for Avocado, orange, and roasted pepper salad »

This?

Or this?

I know many people buy hollandaise in jars and OK, it’s acceptable. But it’s not true hollandaise. The real thing is easy and quick to make, and is infinitely superior. I’ve seen recipes that faff about with blenders or even food processors, but this is quite unnecessary A couple of small, heavy pans and a whisk are all you need.

A good hollandaise is a perfect blend between the smoothness of butter, the sharpness of lemon, and the velvety consistency of egg yolks. Wonderful with vegetables such as asparagus or artichokes, and with fish. Or, of course, eggs benedict.
Recipe for Hollandaise sauce »

A ripe Charentais melon is a wondeful thing, and we are lucky enough to be able to eat them all summer. When it is perfectly ripe and chilled, it’s a sin to eat it in any other way than as it is, with a glass of Muscat de St Jean de Minervois. If it isn’t, this is another way of using it; it makes a nice relish to serve with grilled duck breast, roast duck, or — dare I say it — foie gras. Quick to make too.
Recipe for Melon chutney »

It may seem unnecessary to post a recipe for vinaigrette. But although I will admit to doing it myself sometimes when I’m in a hurry, putting a few ingredients in a jar and shaking it does not result in true vinaigrette in my opinion. Real vinaigrette is an emulsion with the consistency of thin cream, and a hopeful shake will not emulsify oil and liquid; it just blends them temporarily. So this is how you do it properly. It takes longer, but one benefit is that you need less of it, because it sticks to your salad leaves better!

Recipe for Real vinaigrette »

Recipe for Salsa Verde »

Worth making double quantity and freezing some.

Recipe for Orange sauce for roast duck »

This sauce is utterly divine poured over vanilla ice cream …

Recipe for Caramel au beurre salé »