Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan Read Free Book Online Page B

like to dress it up, serve it on warm blini ( [>] ) or spread it on small rounds of toasted brioche (think canapés) and top with salmon roe.
     
    STORING
Packed airtight, the rillettes will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

 

Tuna Rillettes
    T HIS RECIPE WAS GIVEN TO ME by my friend Olivier Martina, and from the moment I got it, I've been making it and surprising French and Americans alike. The French do a double take because of the curry powder in the mix, and the Americans keep imagining how good the rillettes would be as a stand-in for regular tuna salad in the classic tuna, lettuce, and tomato on toast. (The answer to "how good?" is "very good.") As with other rillettes—like salmon, [>] , and sardine, [>] —this is soft, spreadable, and just a tad rich, and it's also quickly made. However, once it's mixed together (a process that takes less than 10 minutes), I urge you to forget about it for an hour or so—left in the fridge, the flavors blend and the curry powder, as well as that dash of quatre-épices (a mix of ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice), comes to the fore.
    Because tuna varies in flavor and moistness, I've given you only a guideline for the quantities of spices and cream. Taste and see for yourself what you'd like.
    BE PREPARED: The rillettes should chill for at least 1 hour before serving.
2
5- to 6-ounce cans chunk light tuna packed in oil, drained (albacore tuna is too firm and dry)
1
shallot, thinly sliced, rinsed, and dried
½-1
teaspoon curry powder
Up to ¼ teaspoon quatre-épices (see Sources [>] ) or a very small pinch of ground allspice
About 3 tablespoons crème fraîche or 3–5 tablespoons heavy cream
¼
teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper
Fresh lemon or lime juice to taste (optional)
    Put the tuna, shallot, ½ teaspoon curry powder, a pinch of quatre-épices or allspice, 3 tablespoons crème fraîche or heavy cream, the salt, and pepper to taste into a food processor (a mini processor is just right for this job). Whir until the tuna becomes a nice just-right-on-a-cracker paste, then taste it and add more curry, quatre-épices, salt, pepper, and/or cream. Although the flavors will intensify and the texture thicken slightly as the rillettes chills, you'll be able to get a good idea of the balance now. Adjust the seasonings and give the rillettes a squeeze of lemon or lime juice, if you think it needs it—you can always add juice or more of anything else right before serving.
    Pack the rillettes into a container, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for at least 1 hour before serving.
     
    MAKES 1 CUP OR ABOUT 6 SERVINGS
     
    SERVING
I like to offer rillettes as a nibble with drinks. Surround the rillettes with whole-grain crackers and/or slices of tart, crisp apples and make sure to provide a small knife—this is a spread, not a dip.
     
    STORING
Covered tightly, tuna rillettes will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Arman's Caviar in Aspic
    O NCE YOU'VE SEEN A SCULPTURE by the late French artist Arman, you'll recognize his work immediately ever after. Arman's signature piece is a musical instrument, most famously a violin or saxophone, sliced, deconstructed, cast (or not), and mounted. Walk around Paris, and every once in a while, you'll turn and there'll be an Arman to delight you. (There's one in the outdoor sculpture garden along the Seine, another at the entrance to the Palais de Justice.) You'll also find them in several grand restaurants all over the country. Arman was a great friend to great chefs and a very good cook himself.
    I got a glimpse of Arman's culinary side in 1988 when we worked together on some of his recipes for a dinner party. While the main course was an earthy, rustic osso buco ( [>] ), the passed hors d'oeuvre was pure city-chic: clear wiggly-jiggly cubes of lightly flavored aspic, their bellies scooped out and the resulting indentation filled with caviar. Like Arman's art, these are beautiful, surprising, and fun. They're also