Paris -- Cooking Lesson: Bistronomie Chic

Despite the pretentious name, I signed up for this course at the Atelier des Chefs in Paris. And what a nice course it was!

On the menu:

An incredibly simple Tarte Tatin aux tomates cerises et rouget au basilic (upside down caramelized cherry tomato tart with red mullet and basil sauce). While this is theoretically an appetizer, it would make a nice main course.

Cherry tomato Tartes Tatin just out of the oven

Cherry tomato Tarte Tatin with red mullet filets and basil sauce

Tournedos de volaille, beurre noisette au fenouil, pommes Anna traditionnelle (rolled chicken breasts with brown butter sauce and shaved fennel with Pommes Anna). Unfortunately the chicken breast, despite a cooking method guaranteed to keep them moist (i.e. browned briefly then baked at 160 for an hour), was dry. The Pommes Anna were great; with all that butter how could they not be?

Chicken breast "tournedos," Pommes Anna, brown butter sauce, shaved fennel

Sablé breton spéculoos, chantilly vanille et framboises (homemade speculoos cookie with raspberry whipped cream and fresh raspberries). A home run! Simple if you have a siphon, not so hard if you don't.

Speculoos cookie, raspberry whipped cream and fresh raspberries

All eminently repeatable recipes and a quite delicious morning.

Bobby Jay