Create an authentic Bastille Day meal at home. Bastille Day, the French national holiday, is celebrated today throughout France with parades, festivities, and great food. Below are some traditional recipes you can make at home to bring an authentic French flair to your own dinner table!
Seared Dayboat Scallop with Crushed Fava and Mint with Chorizo
Crushed Fava and Mint
- 2 cups of blanched and peeled fava beans
- 1/4 bunch mint leaves, blanched and drained
- 2 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Method:
In a mortar and pestle, crush fava beans into a smooth paste. Add Mint leaves and crush to incorporate with olive oil and fava beans. Season with salt and pepper. Reserve.
Chorizo Vinaigrette
- 2 cups of sherry vinegar, reduced by 4 times
- 1 oz Spanish Chorizo
- 4 oz Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Method:
Reduce Sherry vinegar with the Chorizo to ¼ of the original volume. Strain. Season with salt and pepper. Add olive oil.
Garnish
- English pea tendrils
- Small diced Spanish chorizo
To Finish
In a hot sauté pan, sear 4 dayboat scallops in a film of vegetable oil. When caramelized, flip scallop to reverse side and continue to sear until medium rare. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add to the pan the diced chorizo and sweat until aromatic. Add the pea tendrils and lightly sauté until gently wilted.
Place a dollop of the fava puree on the left side of the plate, place seared scallop on top of the puree. On the right side of the plate place your sautéed garnish. Dress each with the chorizo vinaigrette.
Crab Salad
Makes 4 portions
Court Bouillon for Crab
- 1 gallon of water
- 3T cayenne
- 3T coriander
- 2T fennel seeds
- Salt to taste
Crabs:
Cook 1 large Dungeness crab for10 minutes in boiling court bouillon. Pick meat by separating the bodies and legs. Use a mallot to crack the legs. Remove gills and vicera. Reserve the shells and liquid inside the crabs.
Crab Stock:
- Rough dice: 1 onion
- 3 leeks
- 3 celery stalks
- 1/2 c olive oil
Sweat Vegetables with olive oil in large pot. Add crab bones and juice, crush with a spoon.
Add 1c sherry
1pint water
1pint white Wine
Reduce by 1/2 stirring occasionally.
Strain through chinois
Crab Vinaigrette:
Add 2oz. lobster roe to 1pint of crab stock. Gently heat until bright orange. Puree in a blender. Add 1c crab stock, ½c lemon juice, 1c olive oil, mix and season to taste
Pea Panna Cotta:
300 grams Pea Soup
Bloom gelatin leaves in water until soft. Remove from the water and dry. Take 100 grams of pea soup and warm to dissolve the gelatin and temper into the remaining 200 grams of pea soup. Pour into plastic wrap lined 1/4 sheet tray. Let set. When set cut Panna Cotta into rectangles 3 ¼ inch by 4 inch.
Crab Tuile:
- 1c flour
- 1/2c water
- 3oz red wine vinegar
- 2T sugar
- 2T dijon
- 1T espelette
Combine ingredients and whisk until smooth, spread 1mm thick on ½ silpat. Bake 4 minutes at 300 degrees. Cut tuiles to desired size with pizza cutter. Cover with another ½ slipat and bake 8-10 minutes until crispy but not brown
Lemon Vinaigrette for the crab meat:
- Combine 1oz lemon juice
- 1/2 c olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Place Panna Cotta on the plate. Combine crab meat with 1/4 cup of lemon vinaigrette, salt, pepper and micro greens to taste then place on panna cotta. Place tuile on crab. Place caviar in 3 clusters along the edge of plate. Place ancho cress in 3 clusters along edge of plate. Sauce the edge of the plate with crab vinaigrette.
For more information about La Folie, visit www.lafolie.com
About Chef Roland Passot (
Chef/Proprietor of
La Folie):
Chef Roland Passot began his culinary career at the tender age of fifteen in France's gastronomic capital of Lyon. Traditionally trained, by some of the most famous chefs in France, he began as an apprentice, peeling carrots and potatoes in the kitchens before working his way up to the position of assistant Sous-chef at Léon de Lyon (Michelin Three Stars) under Chef Paul Lacombe. He was singled out by Jean Banchet of Chicago's famed Le Français while a member of the brigade de cuisine at the eponymous restaurant of chef Pierre Orsi (Michelin Two Stars) in Lyon.
At barely the age of 20, Passot came to Chicago and spent four years under the tutelage of Banchet as Sous-chef at Le Français. From there he was lured to San Francisco and did a brief stint at the now defunct Le Castel. In 1981, Banchet played another integral role in Passot's career by appointing him the chef to open the swank French Room at the Adolphus Hotel in Dallas. As Passot likes to say, he became a Texan for a few years, even perfecting his Southern drawl. While at the French Room, Passot received national accolades and prepared dinners for celebrities and royalty from around the world including Prince Charles and Bob Hope. Following his heart back to San Francisco, Passot became the chef at Chez Michel, but it was not meant to be; the restaurant closed soon after he arrived.
Passot, with his wife Jamie opened La Folie (2316 Polk Street, San Francisco 415-776-5577) in March of 1988. Ownership of the intimate 60-seat restaurant gave Passot the freedom to truly cook from his heart without the constraint of having to follow someone else's rules or ideas of what or how to cook. Through his rigorous French training and several positions in the Midwest, Southwest and in San Francisco, Passot had developed his personal style of cooking, in which he showcases at La Folie. He combines the freshest of ingredients in unusual marriages as in his Maine Lobster Salad with a Spicy Mango and Citrus Vinaigrette or Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras with Wild Oregon Huckleberries with Aged Blis Maple Syrup. Passot's culinary creativity lies not only in exotic combinations, but in their presentation as well. Each plate leaves the kitchen resembling more a work of art than a meal-a canvas of color and design that tastes even better than it looks.
La Folie was an immediate success with the critics and it has been consistently rated as one of the top restaurants in San Francisco since its opening. The restaurant received four stars from Food & Wine magazine (1992), "Best Food" and "Best Presentation" in Gourmet magazine (1996) and "Best Food" and "Best Nouvelle French Restaurant" in the Zagat Survey (1998). Passot himself was awarded the coveted James Beard Rising Star Chef Award in 1990 and in 1991 he was inducted into the prestigious French Chefs' organization Maîtres Cuisiniers de France. Other notable accolades continue ~ SF's "Top Ten" in Gourmet Magazine (2000), "10 Great Places to Eat a la Français" in USA Today (July 2000), "Best French Restaurant" in San Francisco Weekly (2000 and 2001), "Best Chef" in San Francisco Weekly (2000), he was awarded a Four Star review in the San Francisco Chronicle (2009) and "Best French Restaurant" in San Francisco Magazine (2002), "Best French Restaurant" in 7x7Magazine (2009),
In 1994, Passot teamed up with Edward N. Levine, CEO of Vine Dining Enterprises, Inc. and President of Vine Solutions to develop and open Left Bank in Larkspur. This 200 seat brasserie features "Cuisine Grand-mere," Passot's version of French home-style cooking. It was an immediate success and in August 1998, Passot and Levine took their concept to Silicon Valley opening a second Left Bank in Menlo Park and a third in San Jose. What followed was more interest and demand for more locations LB Steak in Santana Row opened in the summer of 2009.
Named "Northside Chef of the Year" in 2005 by Northside SF Magazine, and an avid supporter of sustainable fishing, Chef Passot makes a conscious effort to reflect that in the dishes he prepares and the vendors he purchases from. Ranked as one of the Top Ten and Best French Restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area by the Zagat Guide in 2006 and 2007, La Folie has continued to flourish in this city which is riddled with great talent, drive and inspiration. Nominated once again for the James Beard Best Chef, California, in 2005, 2006, and 2007, Passot is dedicated to providing a "fun" environment where his guests can enjoy great food. As a testament to his dedication, in 2007 Passot's passion and skill were recognized once again as he was one of the first restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area to receive a coveted Michelin Star. In December of 2007, Passot has teamed up with Tsar Nicholai Caviar to launch "Passot Roe," a series of flavor infused trout roe.
Although Passot is extremely serious about his food, his talent, his gregarious personality and booming laugh have made him a favorite with local TV producers and as a guest chef with several local culinary centers including Draeger's, Ramekins and Sur La Table. Chef Passot's commitment to his métier is reflected locally with his October 2000 induction into the California Culinary Academy's Chef Stars Walk of Fame. However his June 2001 awarding of Chevalier dans l'Ordre du Mèrite Agricole is perhaps one of his greatest accomplishments, as this is an official French Governmental recognition of his genuine contribution to his native country and the value of his craft. He also donates his time and talent to his favorite charities including Meals on Wheels, Make a Wish, SF Food Bank and the James Beard Foundation.
About Ludovic Miazga:
Ludovic "Ludo" Miazga is one of London's best-loved bartenders. He perfected the art of
cocktail making at some of France's top cocktail bars. He worked at the Club House in
Chamonix, La Compagnie des Comptoirs and La Plage des Bikinis before making his
mark on the London cocktail scene as manager of one of the world's most highly
acclaimed bars, Milk and Honey.
He has lent his cocktail expertise to renowned events around the world including the MTV Music Awards and the fashion collection launches of Gucci, De Beers and Givenchy.
Born and raised in Aix en Provence, in the South of France, Ludo, 29, grew up in an environment that nurtured his early passion for food and drink. He believes that his Grandmother's enthusiasm for cooking was a strong influence in his subsequent love of mixology and his desire to create new drink recipes using the very best, seasonal ingredients.
After graduating with a degree in Electrical Engineering from the University d'Aix- Marseille, Ludo came to London and had the rare opportunity to learn the craft of the cocktail from two of the world's master mixologists - Salvatore Calabrese and Dale DeGroff. It was then that he knew he had found his future career. For Ludo, the creation of a cocktail involves experimentation, innovation and creation. He loves to explore different ways in which to combine fresh ingredients to create a truly sensory experience.
Ludo now has the enviable role of Noilly Prat Global Brand Ambassador. Like Ludo himself Noilly Prat comes from the South of France and Ludo enjoys nothing more than traveling the world sharing his love of Noilly Prat and the art of cocktail making.
About Noilly Prat:
First created by Joseph Noilly in 1813, Noilly Prat Dry vermouth is a classic French
aperitif and a must for any cocktail enthusiast. At its home in the South of France, a
selection of fine white wines are aged outdoors in oak casks exposed to the
Mediterranean sun, sea and wind for 12 months. The dry, full-bodied wines are then
infused with the aromatic blend of 20 herbs and spices macerated directly in the wine for
three weeks. The result is worth the wait. The distinctive taste of Noilly Prat is delicious
served chilled on its own, with a mixer or in cocktails.
For more information, visit www.noillyprat.com
