Jun 12
Check out the latest episode of Back of the House with Ariane – Lamb, bam, thank you ma’am! In this quick video, Ariane is cooking our grass-fed lamb and lamb merguez sausage with Chef Ariane Duarte of CulinAriane in Montclair, NJ.
Rack of Lamb with Warm Green Bean Potato Salad
Duckfat Potato Cake with Merguez and Harissa Aioli
Merguez Canapes with Eggplant Caviar
Couscous with Merguez, Fennel and Raisins
Shake up your weeknight dinner routine with Ariane’s recipe for Buffalo Steak au Poivre. This quick and easy recipe is a fun twist on the classic French bistro staple that is sure to become a family favorite.
Add some crispy duck fat french fries and a bottle of your favorite red wine for a fabulous bistro-style dinner at home. By the way, this technique and basic sauce recipe can be used on traditional beef steak, as well as venison, veal, pork or lamb. Give it a try!
Buffalo Steak au Poivre
Serves 2
Ingredients
2 D’Artagnan Buffalo Buffalo Ribeye Steaks, about 8 oz each
4 tablespoons coarsely-ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 ounces Armagnac
6 1/2 ounces D’Artagnan Duck and Veal Demi-Glace
2 tablespoons green peppercorns
6 ounces heavy cream
Salt
Preparation
Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F.
Season steaks on both sides with salt and coarsely-ground black pepper. Heat vegetable oil in oven-proof skillet over high-flame until smoking.
Sear steaks until brown and crusted on both sides. Put skillet into oven, cook for 4 minutes until medium-rare. Remove steaks from skillet and allow to rest.
Over medium-high heat deglaze the skillet with Armagnac, add demi-glace and reduce by half. Add green peppercorns, heavy cream and cook until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Season to taste with salt.
Remove skillet from heat, add steaks and any drippings. Spoon sauce over steaks.
Serve with duck fat french fries and your favorite bottle of red wine!
So yesterday, we gave you some ideas and recipes for Easter appetizers. (Mmmmm… black truffle gougeres!) Today, we’re all about classic main dishes and comforting, family-friendly sides. We broke our suggestions down into two menus that can also be mixed and matched, if you desire.
Our first menu features Lamb as the centerpiece. Our boneless lamb loin is super easy to prepare and no matter how you cook it, turns out tender and juicy. Tangy spring leeks make the perfect foil to a sweet, truffle honey vinaigrette. We paired the lamb with potatoes roasted in duck fat (our secret weapon!) and rounded out the meal with smoky maitake mushrooms and a crisp bibb lettuce salad.
Menu #1
Lamb Loin with Leeks and Truffle Honey Vinaigrette
Pan Roasted Hen-of-the-Woods Mushrooms
Spring Salad with Peas, Radishes and Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette
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Our second menu shines the light on a perennial Easter favorite, our Applewood Smoked Heritage Hams. We did the work for you – our hand-crafted hams are fully-cooked and need little adornment. We just brushed on a simple glaze made with apricot preserves, mustard and bourbon and heated through. Dried morels give decadent pommes dauphinois an earthy edge, while citrusy green beans and duck fat biscuits finish the table.
Menu #2
Apricot-Bourbon Glazed Applewood Smoked Heritage Ham
Yukon Gold Potato Gratin with Morels
Green Beans with Tarragon and Citrus Butter
Duck Fat Biscuits
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Come back for tomorrow’s post! It’s all about the perfect wines to pair with your Easter feast, with suggestions and tasting notes from one of America’s Top Sommeliers, Anani Lawson of per se in New York City. This is one you do not want to miss.
Still planning your Easter feast? We’re here to help!
This year, we’ve put together a sample menu of fabulous spring recipes for your Easter table. Today’s post puts the spotlight on appetizers.
First up, our Black Truffle Butter Gougeres.
Light-as-air puffs with a moist interior, these truffle-flecked gougeres will disappear fast – so make a bunch! We adapted this tried-and-true recipe from Daniel Boulud’s cookbook, Cocktails & Amuses-Bouches for Him & Her.
Teeny deviled quail eggs are not only delicious but a great conversation starter. Here are three crowd-pleasing variations that start with the same basic ingredients and technique then veer off in completely different directions – trust us, there’s one for every taste!
Deviled Quail Eggs with Bacon & Thyme
These little beauties have a satisfying smoky bite from the addition of our Uncured Hickory Smoked Bacon. Fresh thyme balances the richness.
Deviled Quail Eggs with Porcini & Parmesan
Don’t let their size fool you – these mini eggs are umami-bombs. Our Porcini Powder lends an earthy richness while the soft bed of microplaned parmesan gives them a stable resting spot and another layer of flavor.
Deviled Quail Eggs with D’Artagnan Caviar
A swirl of creme fraiche makes these deviled eggs silky smooth, but the real star of this dish is our exclusive Caviar D’Aquitaine.
An Easter meal just isn’t complete without some early spring vegetables. Adapted from one of our favorite Martha Stewart recipes, this easy-to-make Asparagus Tart with Jambon de Bayonne is piled high with ribbons of tender-crisp asparagus and topped with a sprinkling of salty Gruyere. Our version has a hidden layer of Bayonne Ham that puts it over the edge. Delicious!
Are you hungry yet?!
We’re not finished! Tomorrow we’ll cover classic Easter main courses and comforting side dishes. On Friday, we’ll tie it all together with some convivial wine pairings from one of America’s top sommeliers!
Stay tuned!
T-minus-2-days until the NY Giants face the New England Patriots in the 2012 Super Bowl. As everyone knows, we’re not only interested in the game – we’re in it for the grub! For the last few days we covered snacks, beer and sandwiches but what about main dishes? Here are some suggestions for festive (and filling) fare for your Super Bowl gathering!
Anasazi Cowboy Chili with Buffalo
This SPICY chili not only pairs well with your favorite brewski, it’s got beer in the recipe!
Try these aromatic tacos made with grilled duck breast that’s been simmered in cumin and coriander then piled into homemade tortillas with fresh pico de gallo. Even the kids will eat them!
We cannot talk feeding a crowd without mentioning CASSOULET! Easier than you think and tastes even better when made the day before. So you can get out of the kitchen and in front of the flat screen!
Berkshire Pork Ribs Costillas Pibil
These ultra-flavorful ribs have both dry and wet spice rubs and a citrus kick.
Sweet-and-Sticky Baby Back Ribs
Cane syrup, a sticky sweet syrup made from sugar cane, gives this barbecue sauce backbone, along with honey, molasses and cider vinegar. Perfection!
Rabbit ragout is the foundation of this lasagna, which contains layers of mushroom-studded the ragout and creamy bechamel.
Bitter coffee, paprika and salt help create a charred crust for meaty, bone-in pork chops.
This hearty stew is smoky and satisfying, perfect for the Super Bowl.
Game for the game! This rustic venison pot pie will please a roomful of hungry carnivores.
Feb 1
Here at D’Artagnan, like much of the country, we’ve come down with a serious case of Super Bowl Fever. Our “home team” is playing and there are A LOT of football fans on staff (and an equal number who will tune in just for the commercials *cough, cough*) but no matter who we root for or why we watch the big game, one thing is certain – we‘re all in it for the FOOD.
So for a little staff vs. staff fun, we’re staging our own Super Bowl Sandwich Showdown.
Representing the NY GIANTS we have…
THE BIG BLEU BURGER
Now that's a GIANT mouthful!
D’Artagnan Buffalo Burger with
Old Chatham Sheepherding “Ewe’s Blue” Cheese
D’Artagnan Hickory Smoked Bacon
Jersey Tomato
Red Onion
Butterhead Lettuce
on a Zomick’s Challah Roll
with North Fork Chips and
Brooklyn Brewery Brown Ale
click HERE for the full recipe on dartagnan.com
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And for the Patriots…
SMOKEY NEW ENGLAND LOBSTER ROLLS
Brings new meaning to Surf 'n Turf!
Live Maine Lobster
D’Artagnan Applewood Smoked Bacon
Boston Lettuce
Maine Sea Salt Co. Apple-Smoked Salt
Traditional Mayo with lemon juice & chives
in a New England-style split-top hot dog bun
with Cape Cod Chips and
Harpoon’s UFO White Wheat Beer
click HERE for the full recipe on dartagnan.com
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And for good measure, we threw in a wild card…
PULLED PORK SLIDERS with Apple-Jicama Slaw
A little sweet, a little heat, a little crunch and totally neutral.
D’Artagnan Berkshire Pork Shoulder
Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce
and Apple-Jicama Slaw
on good ol’ Martins Potato Rolls
click HERE for the full recipe on dartagnan.com
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What are all of you eating this Sunday? Hit us up on Twitter and let us know! And stay tuned for tomorrow’s Super Bowl Recipe Post – we’ll be sharing lots of appetizer ideas for the big game.
At a good New Year’s Eve Party, the star is the champagne. When planning the menu for your party, consider flavors that pair will with bubbly. So that you can be a guest at your own party, select dishes that require little work, can be made ahead of time, and will taste delicious at room temperature; not having to keep foods hot or cold is one less thing to worry about. Serving finger food is a win-win! It means fewer dishes at the end of the party, and it also keeps guests’ hands free, allowing them more freedom to mingle and munch their way through the evening.
For an elegant affair with your foodie friends, try the following ideas:
Getting the Party Started
To get the party going with a little fun and whimsy, serve popcorn drizzled with melted truffle butter and sprinkled with a fine grating of good parmesan.
Also, ease your guests into the party with an inviting charcuterie platter. Include a variety of offerings such as peppery Dry-Cured Saucisson Sec or Wild Boar Saucisson Sec and Jambon de Bayonne (French Prosciutto). Pâté is always welcome on a charcuterie platter. If you can’t decide which one to serve, try The French Pâté Collection, which allows you to sample three different kinds. Include water crackers or thin bread sticks with your charcuterie platter.
Leading Up to the Countdown
Serve an understated beef carpaccio. (Freeze a beef tenderloin until firm. Slice as thinly as possible. You might even gently flatten the slices with a meat mallet to ensure ultimate thinness. Arrange the slices of meat beautifully on a plate. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with big grains of salt and black pepper.)
For a spin on a classic party appetizer, try Duck and Scallop Rumaki.
Make D’Artagnan’s Mousse of Foie Gras with Candied Hazelnuts, and the foie gras and hazelnuts will both sing in harmony with champagne.
For a savory bite, serve canapés with mushrooms – tiny toasts topped with creamy goat cheese and wild mushrooms sautéed with garlic, shallots, and a splash of sherry or Madeira.
Just after Midnight
After the clock strikes midnight and your guests have celebrated with a toast and a New Year’s kiss, continue the party by bringing out a platter of French Kisses, prunes marinated in French Brandy and stuffed with foie gras mousse.
Late into the Night
For a sweet ending to the party, you can’t get much easier than strawberries with mascarpone and chocolate. (Slice strawberries in half, leaving the tops on for garnish. Pipe a little mascarpone cheese on the cut side of each berry and top with shaved chocolate.)
Quick Tip
With your perfect over-the-top menu all set, you might not know how to respond if a guest asks what they can bring to the party. Remember that you can never have too much champagne. Also, a lovely wedge of soft, rind-ripened cheese will complement the charcuterie platter perfectly.
Dec 23
Duck fat is not only an indispensable cooking fat, it’s also excellent for baking. It can be substituted 1:1 for lard in any old fashioned recipe, you just need to keep it well-chilled while you work with it. Duck fat adds depth of flavor to baked goods, makes an especially tender pie crust, lofty Viennoiseries, and flaky cookies. Ariane’s father, Andre Daguin, made duck fat pepper biscuits in his chef days. He served them with chilled marinated peaches, the recipe of which is in his 1981 cookbook, Le Nouveau Cuisinier Gascon.
A holiday staple in the American Southwest, biscochitos are cookies made from lard and flavored with anise seed and orange zest. Since anise and orange are also common flavors in Southwest France, we thought we’d put our own spin on biscochitos by making them with duck fat. The cookies are delicious and quickly becoming a holiday favorite around the office. Give them a try!
Recipe after the jump…
Dec 21
It’s no secret, we love to eat. And while 99% of the time you’ll find us posting about our various, in-office meaty adventures, we also make time to enjoy the sweeter treats in life. So last week, when there was a rogue truffle floating around the D’Artagnan kitchen, we put it to good use by mixing up a batch of Black Truffle Ice Cream.
While sweet fungus-studded ice cream may sound strange to some – it was absolutely delicious. The earthy truffle aroma was subtle and nicely balanced by bourbon vanilla. We started with the best vanilla ice cream recipe we know of, David Lebovitz‘s version from his brilliant book, The Perfect Scoop: Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, and Sweet Accompaniments. (If you have an ice cream maker and don’t have this book – run, run, run out and get it – it’s the only one you’ll ever need!) David’s recipe starts with a traditional French custard, to which we added a couple of extra yolks. (You could actually substitute duck eggs for an even richer custard – next time!) We added a splash of the aperitif, Lacheze Liqueur a la Truffe, a holiday gift from Chef David Malbequi. We crowned the finished glace with crisp, truffle honey Florentine cookies which we adapted from Martha Stewart’s Cookies book. Very, very good and super easy. Recipe is after the jump… Read more
Oh do we ever relish simple pleasures. Take our latest addiction – equal parts sweet butter and foie gras, beautifully blended into a silken spread. Tasty alchemy that makes an easy holiday hors d’oeuvre.
This recipe is adapted from Jennifer McLagan’s excellent cookbook, Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient, with Recipes. Which by the way, makes a fabulous Christmas gift! We especially love this decadent treat during the winter months, as it’s got the subtle flavor of traditional baking spices. Try it spread on warm baguette, stirred into hot polenta or slathered on a ripe fig. Heaven!
Foie Gras Butter with Quatre Epices
makes about 1 cup
4 ounces D’Artagnan Foie Gras Cubes
4 ounces unsalted butter, softened (we used Strauss Family Creamery)
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon finely ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
Leave foie gras cubes on a plate at room temperature until softened. Mash with a pastry bender or fork then remove any veins, blemishes or stringy tissue. Place mashed foie gras onto saran wrap then roll into a tight log, about ½ inch in diameter. Secure the ends. Refrigerate until firm.
Prepare an ice water bath, set aside. Bring saucepan of salted water to a boil. Reduce heat to bare simmer. Drop in foie gras. Poach until the foie gras is soft and the fat is beginning to melt, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove and place in prepared ice water bath to cool.
Remove plastic wrap and place foie gras in bowl of food processor. Add butter, salt, pepper, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger. Process until smooth, scraping down sides as necessary, about 1 minute. Transfer to container and refrigerate for up to one week, or freeze for several months.
