Thomas Keller's Favorite Dinner
Back before the Beverly Hills location of Bouchon opened, the Los Angeles edition of Daily Candy found out what Thomas Keller would most like to order : Salade de laitue (Bibb lettuce salad), roast chicken, and a slice of tarte au citron (lemon tart). The best part about finding out what his favorite dishes were? ...they also got the recipes!
Salade de Laitue
Serves four
Ingredients
4 heads Bibb lettuce
2 tbsp. minced shallots
2 tbsp. minced chives
¼ c. Italian parsley
¼ c. tarragon leaves
¼ c. chervil leaves
½ c. house vinaigrette
1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
1. Core the heads of lettuce. Separate leaves but keep each head by itself; discard outer leaves. Head by head, place the leaves in a bowl of cold water to refresh them and remove any dirt, then dry in a salad spinner.
2. Place the leaves from one head in a bowl; sprinkle with a pinch of salt, a few grinds of pepper, 1½ tsp. each shallots and chives; and 1 tbsp. each parsley, tarragon, and chervil.
3. Toss gently with 2 tbsp. vinaigrette and 1 tsp. lemon juice. Repeat with remaining heads.
2. Place the leaves from one head in a bowl; sprinkle with a pinch of salt, a few grinds of pepper, 1½ tsp. each shallots and chives; and 1 tbsp. each parsley, tarragon, and chervil.
3. Toss gently with 2 tbsp. vinaigrette and 1 tsp. lemon juice. Repeat with remaining heads.
House Vinaigrette
Makes about 2½ cups
Ingredients
¼ c. Dijon mustard
½ c. red wine vinegar
1½ c. canola oil
1. In a blender, combine the mustard and vinegar at medium speed for about 15 seconds. With the machine running, slowly drizzle in 1/2 c. canola oil.
2. Transfer to a small bowl and, whisking constantly, slowly stream in the remaining 1 c. oil. Use immediately or refrigerate up to two weeks.
Roast Chicken
Serves four
Ingredients
2 - 2¼ to 2½ lb. chickens
2 tbsp. canola oil
2 tsp. chopped thyme leaves
1 c. chicken jus, warmed
Fleur de sel
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1. Rinse chickens under cold water, then submerge in pot of brine and refrigerate six hours.
2. Preheat oven to 475°.
3. Remove chickens from brine, rinse, and dry with paper towels. Season inside and out with salt and pepper, truss chickens, and let them sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes.
4. Salt and pepper chickens again. Place two heavy, ovenproof, 10-inch skillets over high heat. When hot, add half the oil to each. Place birds breast side up in skillets, then into the oven, legs first.
5. Roast for 40 minutes, checking every 15 minutes and rotating skillets to brown evenly. When done, temperature should read approximately 155°F. Remove from oven, add thyme leaves to skillets, and baste birds with the juices and thyme. Let sit in a warm spot for about 10 minutes.
6. Carve each bird into 4 serving pieces. Arrange one breast and a leg on each plate, top with ¼ c. chicken jus, and sprinkle with fleur de sel.
4. To serve, arrange outer leaves as the base on the plate and rebuild each head of lettuce, ending with the smallest leaves.
2. Preheat oven to 475°.
3. Remove chickens from brine, rinse, and dry with paper towels. Season inside and out with salt and pepper, truss chickens, and let them sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes.
4. Salt and pepper chickens again. Place two heavy, ovenproof, 10-inch skillets over high heat. When hot, add half the oil to each. Place birds breast side up in skillets, then into the oven, legs first.
5. Roast for 40 minutes, checking every 15 minutes and rotating skillets to brown evenly. When done, temperature should read approximately 155°F. Remove from oven, add thyme leaves to skillets, and baste birds with the juices and thyme. Let sit in a warm spot for about 10 minutes.
6. Carve each bird into 4 serving pieces. Arrange one breast and a leg on each plate, top with ¼ c. chicken jus, and sprinkle with fleur de sel.
4. To serve, arrange outer leaves as the base on the plate and rebuild each head of lettuce, ending with the smallest leaves.
Lemon Tart (Tarte au Citron)
Serves eight
Ingredients
2 c. pine nuts
1/3 c. sugar
4 c. all-purpose flour, plus extra
1 c. unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra
3 eggs, cold
1 tsp. vanilla extract
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, cold, cut into 6 pieces
2 egg yolks, cold
¾ c. sugar
½ c. lemon juice
1. Place pine nuts in food processor and pulse; add the sugar and 4 c. flour and pulse until nuts are finely ground. Transfer mixture to a large bowl.
2. Add room-temperature butter, 1 egg, and vanilla; mix to incorporate. Divide the dough into three equal parts. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 10 minutes before using (Because the dough uses only one egg, it’s difficult to make a smaller quantity. Freeze the extra for another time.)
3. Preheat oven to 350°. Butter and flour a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom and refrigerate it while the oven preheats.
4. Remove tart pan from fridge; press 1 ball of chilled pine nut dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Trim off excess.
5. Bake for 10-15 minutes; rotate; bake for another 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool while you make the filling.
6. Bring about 1½ inches of water to a boil in a pot slightly smaller than the diameter of the bowl you will be using for the sabayon. Meanwhile, in a large metal bowl, whisk remaining eggs, yolks, and sugar for about 1 minute.
7. Set the bowl over the pot and whisk mixture while turning the bowl. When eggs are foamy and have thickened (about 2 minutes), add one third of the lemon juice. Continue whisking while turning, adding remaining lemon juice in thirds, until the mixture is thick, light in color, and the whisk leaves a trail in the bottom of the bowl (about 8-10 minutes). Turn off heat and leave bowl over water, then whisk in butter.
8. Pour the warm sabayon into the tart crust and place the pan on a baking sheet.
9. While sabayon is still warm, put in preheated broiler. Leaving the door open, brown the top of the tart (just a few seconds).
10. Remove the tart from the broiler and let it sit for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve at room temperature or cold.
2. Add room-temperature butter, 1 egg, and vanilla; mix to incorporate. Divide the dough into three equal parts. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 10 minutes before using (Because the dough uses only one egg, it’s difficult to make a smaller quantity. Freeze the extra for another time.)
3. Preheat oven to 350°. Butter and flour a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom and refrigerate it while the oven preheats.
4. Remove tart pan from fridge; press 1 ball of chilled pine nut dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Trim off excess.
5. Bake for 10-15 minutes; rotate; bake for another 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool while you make the filling.
6. Bring about 1½ inches of water to a boil in a pot slightly smaller than the diameter of the bowl you will be using for the sabayon. Meanwhile, in a large metal bowl, whisk remaining eggs, yolks, and sugar for about 1 minute.
7. Set the bowl over the pot and whisk mixture while turning the bowl. When eggs are foamy and have thickened (about 2 minutes), add one third of the lemon juice. Continue whisking while turning, adding remaining lemon juice in thirds, until the mixture is thick, light in color, and the whisk leaves a trail in the bottom of the bowl (about 8-10 minutes). Turn off heat and leave bowl over water, then whisk in butter.
8. Pour the warm sabayon into the tart crust and place the pan on a baking sheet.
9. While sabayon is still warm, put in preheated broiler. Leaving the door open, brown the top of the tart (just a few seconds).
10. Remove the tart from the broiler and let it sit for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve at room temperature or cold.
Bouchon in Beverly Hills
235 N Canon Dr
bt Dayton & Clifton Ways
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
310-271-9910
310-271-9910
PHOTO CREDIT : DEBORAH JONES
Recipe Information VIA: LA Daily Candy
Sarah Simms