Paleron is a cut of beef from the shoulder, called chicken steak or flatiron steak here in the United States. It’s a very beefy, hardy cut for braising, and it gives a nice rich broth for the sauce. In France, paleron de boeuf is a staple, the kind of dish someone’s grandmother would make in the winter when she needed to warm up the family. If you are cooking for a crowd, double this recipe (you’ll need a really big pot). There’s no shame in leftovers, since it reheats so well. If you are short on time, you can skip the marinating.
This is Lynne’s favorite baked bean recipe. They’re unlike any baked beans we know. Sticky, sweet-tart and smoky, the beans are nearly candied as they bake with bacon, brown sugar, garlic and vinegar. A spoonful served alongside a Farmers’ Market Salad makes the perfect summer lunch.
When we walk in the door in the evening beyond tired and crunched for time, this salad has stepped up for dinner so many times we've lost count. It's made for improvising with what you have on hand: toss in coarsely crushed salted almonds, dried cherries, or Craisins; add slices of leftover chicken breast or grilled shrimp; anything goes.
I love hash so much I've even served this diner staple at The French Laundry. It's a great Sunday brunch dish, with poached eggs, but could also be served as a side dish at dinner. Don't hold the cubed potatoes in water—cut them just before cooking so that they are very dry and will become very crisp. The cooked potatoes are tossed with bacon and melted onions.
Ingredients
These addictive truffles were inspired by some served at the prestigious Magnolia Grill in Durham, North Carolina, a restaurant known nationwide for its innovative desserts. Whereas the chef there uses dry-roasted peanuts, I much prefer the large, toothsome, regular goobers I order routinely from Aunt Ruby's in Enfield, North Carolina (1-800-843-0105), and for even smoother and richer texture, I do add butter to the chocolate. If ever the affinity between bacon and peanut butter and/or chocolate were questioned, these truffles serve as undeniable proof. Stored in an airtight container, the truffles keep in the refrigerator up to about a week and are best served slightly chilled.
When I was in Paris, I sent this recipe that I had developed to my parents, hoping they would try it for a more pâté-de-campagne-like version of our standard meatloaf that I had developed. Knowing my mother's aversion to garlic, I suggested that the two fat garlic cloves called for could be sliced and spread on the top and removed before serving, to get just a whiff of that garlic flavor, but it is really much better when they are mashed into the ground meats.
All those people who claim to hate Brussels sprouts will like this.
In this brasserie's simple and fabulous choucroute, the slab bacon gives some of the smokiness and fattiness of a classic choucroute garnie to a salmon version.
Ingredients