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How to Make Galette Bretonne -- Here's a Photo Demo from Paris’ Street Market

 

 

Ever wonder how to make a Galette?  The master galette-maker in one of Paris’ best street markets works four griddles at a time.  It’s really quite the show!

 

Traditionally from Brittany & Normandy, Galette Bretonne is a basically a buckwheat crêpe cooked on one side only, and filled with egg, jambon (ham) and Emmental cheese -- it’s what the French call galette complète (a complete galette).

 

Here’s a step-by-step photo demo from the galette master of le Marché du President Wilson, Paris, France:

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Recipe for Galette Bretonne

 

A galette is not a crêpe.  Crêpes are filled with sweet ingredients and made with white wheat flour; while galettes are made with buckwheat flour and have savory fillings.  Originally from Brittany & Normandy, Galette Bretonne is traditionally cooked on one side only, and its most popular filling is egg, jambon (ham) and Emmental or Gruyere -- that’s what the French call galette complète (a complete galette).  Fillings are only limited to your imagination.  Have you heard of galette saucisse from Rennes?  It’s a hot sausage rolled up in a galette.  (Like a fancy hot dog.)

 

Spicy Shrimp & Dirty Grits with Chateau Ste. Michelle 2007 Eroica Riesling

After hours of shrimp ‘n grits research and recipe testing, I decided I likes ‘em like my men -- spicy, smoky and dirty.  There’s a zillion variations of this Low-Country dish, and quite honestly, I haven’t figured out the original.  From what I can tell, if shrimp, bell peppers, Tabasco, and some type of smoky, fat-rendering pork product are included, it’s a fairly genuine nod to tradition.

Broiled Grits with Smoky Bacon & Sharp Cheddar

Broiled grits is an excellent dinner party dish.  Made and topped in advance, this method lets you focus on your guests, not your grits.  When it’s time to serve, place them under the broiler for a few minutes to heat the grits and melt the cheese.  It’s also a great way to use up leftovers.

For an authentic touch, stir the grease from the bacon right into the grits at the end to dirty them up -- just don't tell your cardiologist.  If you don’t want the extra step of cooking bacon, a little chopped Kentucky ham is a delicious substitution.  

Braised Rosemary Chicken with Green Olives, Raisins & Capers

Braising is insanely easy and tastes even better the second day, which makes it an ideal dinner party dish.  A good braise depends on a flavorful braising liquid and a long, low simmer in the oven or on the stove top.  

Braising variations are almost endless -- experiment with different aromatic vegetables, herbs and spices, red or white wines, spirits, stock, and meat.  Side dishes are also numerous -- polenta, risotto, noodles, potatoes or other root vegetables, sauteed greens.

Braised Rosemary Chicken with Green Olives, Raisins & Capers

serves 4

Hangover Eggs

 

Corn Dogs

Oh, for Pete's sake, don't give me that look -- everyone loves a good corn dog.  However, there are two main camps: ketchupers and mustardites (if you are an aiolian or “special saucier”, your just throwing your vote away).  I’m a nonjudgemental mustardite -- I likes it spicy.  Regardless of your position, this dog recipe is condimentally nonpartisan.  Fry up a batch for your holiday party.  There may be a few moderately judgmental glances at first, but trust me, they'll love you.

Lasagne alla Bolognese

 

(Reading the following quote with a Tony-Shalhoub-Italian accent is both more effective & entertaining.) 

“You will love this place.  Bologna is... is sad, a little.  The city is old.  No, old is nice... but is dark.  But the food, anyway, oh!  They make there a dish called, listen, Lah-sahn-nya... boh-loh-NYEH-zeh... Lasagne Bolognese -- you can’t believe how good this is.  And when my uncle, in Rome, at his restaurant, when he make this... Uuuugh!  You eat and then you go and... uuuuugh!  You kill yourself!  You have to kill yourself.  After you eat this, you can’t live!” 

--Big Night (1996) 

Nary a more enthusiastic description of Lasagne Bolognese was ever spoken. Layers of hand-rolled pasta encasing rich, meaty ragù, creamy, nutmegged béchamel, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and perfumed basil leaves. Lasagne Bolognese is pure love in a Pyrex dish. It’s poetic, really. But, obviously, don’t “kill yourself” -- even if the motivation is simply to stick around for leftovers.

Ratatouille & Chateau Ste. Michelle 2006 Nelly’s Garden Dry Rose

Ratatouille is never as good as it is right now. It’s the epitomical late-summer dish. Each ingredient is at its peak -- eggplant, peppers, basil, tomatoes, summer squash.

I became addicted to it in culinary school. While stewing all those vegetables for hours, I wondered if the French had finally screwed one up. Nay. My mouth had an epiphany. Before then, I don’t believe I’d ever experienced such a symphonic meld of beautiful flavors that somehow still allowed each ingredient its character.

BBQ Ribs 101 - Low & Slow

The best method for BBQ pork ribs is low & slow. I was a bit skeptical when reading this recipe -- I didn’t think unattended coals would stay hot enough for three hours to cook anything, but it works like a charm. The brilliant testers over at Cook’s Illustrated also wrap the finished ribs in foil and then a brown paper bag. The Kid made these himself (set his I-Phone alarm for every rib-flip). His great, big hungry friends thought they were just the best ribs ever. (I thought so too!)

1. Toast homemade or store-bought spice rub in pan over medium heat until fragrant, about 20 seconds.