Thomas Keller y lentil soup: an oxymoron? Perhaps not.

M

marilynfl

Moderator
I was lusting after Bouchon Bakery and thought I checked it out of the library. Turns out they don't have that one; what I actually checked out was Bouchon. After trolling through the book, I decided to make the lentil soup since Thomas Keller ranks right up there as Culinary Gospel Source Material.

Soupe aux Lentilles (oh those French.They can may anything sound good, even dirt-covered lentils)

Step 1: 4 oz of slab bacon (liking this already)

Step 2: 1/2 Cup drained Soffritto (page 330)

Oh, oh. In my cursory glance at this recipe, I had assumed (big mistake) that I could just buy a bottle of generic soffritto sold in the Hispanic aisle. Oh no.

Turn to page 330. The onions (Spanish only, please) cook for TWO hours in the olive oil. Only then do I get to add the 6 plum tomatoes grated on the large hole side of my box grater.

Then it cooks for ANOTHER TWO HOURS.

Only then do I get to add the remaining ingredients, finished cooking, drain and then finally use the prepared Soffritto in my lentil soup.

The Spanish onions are sauteing now. Only 99 more minutes until I can add the grated tomato. Soup may be ready for Thanksgiving dinner.

 
Double DRAT! I burnt it ALL. After 3.5 friggin' hours, I walked out of the

room and lost track of time....then I smelled it.

Is there nothing worse than KNOWING you are walking into a crime scene by the smell.

There she sat, my cast-iron (set on medium LOW) pot bubbling away with the charred remains of 8 plum tomatoes, 3 spanish onions, a cup of olive oil and four hours of my life. ALL BURNT.

Apparently Thomas Keller has indentured servants working in HIS kitchen making HIS soffritto and stirring HIS stuff every nine nanoseconds so it doesn't burn.

Triple DRAT!

 
LOL! I can relate. I've made several things from Buchon.

- Smoked and Steamed Salmon Rillettes
- Onion Soup
- All of the quiches (including the one with the onion confit)
- Croque Madame with Mornay Sauce (okay, not great)
- Mussels with Saffron and Mustard
- Sauteed Spinach with Garlic Confit
- Gnocchi with Summer Vegetables
- Almond Cake
- Chocolate Terrine
- Mellon Sorbet
- Profiteroles


I'd make all of them again except the Croque Madame and the quiche with the onion confit (the moisture from the onions made it loose it's shape and the onions were very sweet.)

 
After having the pleasure of eating at Ad Hoc and Addendum lately,

and stopping by the Bouchon Bakery...
yes, Kellar has the equivalence of Santa's elves, churning out wonderful dinners and pastries and bread, and fried chicken and .....
It's all in the use of fresh local quality produce and impeccable technique....

 
Darice! Where have you been?? You and Steve are my Jam go-to's.

It's so nice to see you.

oh...and I'll try not to hate you for getting to dine at Keller's restaurants. (Please, please, please tell me the soffritto tasted burnt. Even if you have to lie.)

 
I have several favorite recipes in there. Based on the number of recipes I've made from it,

it's in my to 20 most used cookbooks. I was enthusiastic about it when I first got it, and my cookbook group covered it one month. I picked it up again last month and made the onion confit, the mornay sauce, and this week, I'll be making the gnocchi recipe again. On average, I make the Bouchon quiche recipes once a month.

 
I did the same thing last week making tamales. While steaming the 2nd batch, the pot ran dry.

Burned the pot, left all the tamales with a foul charred smell, and the smell is still lingering in the bamboo steamer I used. Grr....

 
I read a hint that worked for me. Put a penny in the pot. It will make noise when the water level

gets low.

 
I had a similar day, 3 failures, or near failures, for 3....

I made a much touted cake from the NYTimes. Whole wheat, prune. It was dry and tasteless. I made a cornbread casserole from Skinny Kitchen, also dry but maybe I weighed the corn meal incorrectly so I won't blame them. Next my gas grill wouldn't light so I had to finish some ribs in the oven broiler. I left for a minute to plug my Touch into the stero and they charred a bit too much. Two guests for dinner thought it was all terrific and took home leftovers except for said cake. It went in the garbage. Tried and true only in the future for guests is my new credo! Oh, thanks Pat, the red cabbage slaw was a success but then I've made that a lot and it's hard to screw up that one.

 
I've been too busy entering the Marin County Fair, overseeing (more)

a two day party kitchen for 400 guests and eating at Thomas Keller's restaurants to post...

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top