Christmas in July

A Tefal promotion at Bistro Guillaume

It was a great start to the week when the media, foodies and bloggers were invited by Tefal Australia to learn how to cook from its ambassador, award-winning French chef Guillaume Brahimi of Bistro Guillaume at Crown.

Not to mention enjoying a sumptuous early lunch with le chef in the bistro's private dining room, no less!

The event was the launch of Tefal's Heritage roasting tray, the newest piece added to its remium collection.

Guillaume immediately developed a Christmas in July inspired menu with a French twist.

``With winter well and truly here, it’s the perfect time for all Australians to experience a traditional Christmas at home and cook up a delicious hot yuletide-inspired feast,'' he enthused.

``Tefal inspires the home chef as well as professionals and my recipes show that with the right ingredients and quality cookware, you can prepare delicious, healthy meals at home.''

Tefal has been on the market for over 50 years and its non-stick coating means less oils are needed for cooking and washing up is easy.

Add some je ne sais quoi to your winter cooking with Guillaume's recipes.

Traditional French onion soup with gruyère croutons

Serves 4

Ingredients

100g butter

1.6kg onions, sliced

2 small cloves garlic, sliced

2 sprigs thyme

1 large bay leaf

2 egg yolks

75ml crème fraîche

½ baguette

80g gruyère, grated

80ml port

80ml dry white wine

1 x litre veal stock

Salt and pepper

½ bunch chives, chopped

Method

Melt butter in the Tefal Heritage Pot Roast over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, thyme and bay leaf and cook for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are caramel in colour. Discard the herbs.

 

Whisk the egg yolks into the crème fraîche and whisk until well combined. Place in the fridge until ready to serve.

 

To make the croutons, slice the baguette on an angle into twelve pieces and place on a baking tray. Cook under a medium grill for one minute or until lightly toasted. Sprinkle about a spoonful of gruyère over each slice and return to the grill to melt the cheese.

 

Add the port and white wine to the onions to deglaze in the Pot Roast (this will ensure all of the flavours are released into the soup). Cook the soup for two minutes or until slightly reduced, then stir in the veal stock and bring to the boil. Season with salt and pepper to taste, remove the pan from the heat.

 

To serve, pour the egg yolk and crème fraîche into four bowls and ladle over the onion soup. Place three gruyère croutons on top of each soup and garnish with chives. Serve with extra baguette if required.

 

Roast chicken with pomme fondant and salsa verde

Serves 4

 

Ingredients

1 x 1.8kg Barossa chicken

12 desiree potatoes

200ml chicken stock

50gm unsalted butter

1 bunch thyme

1 stem bay leaves

1 head garlic

 

 

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees. Oil the chicken and sprinkle with salt. Fill the cavity with ½ the thyme, ½ garlic and three bay leaves, place the remaining herbs on the base of the Tefal French Heritage Roasting Tray, and place chicken on top. Place in the oven.

 

Using a 5cm cutter, cut out the potatoes and trim the top and bottom, using a knife to trim the top. When chicken has been cooking for 30 minutes, place a Tefal French Heritage Frypan on high heat, add oil to the pan and place the potatoes turned side down. Cook until nice and golden, add the butter and allow to foam. Pour entire ingredients of pan into the roasting tray, leaving the coloured side of the potato facing up, add hot stock and place the chicken back in the oven for 45 minutes.

 

Check the chicken is cooked, remove it from the try and allow to rest. Place the tray onto a burner and turn the potato, allow the potatoes to adsorb all liquor and glaze. Turn over and serve with chicken cut into quarters.

Spread some salsa verde on the chicken and serve with trussed cherry tomatoes

 

Salsa Verde

1 bunch flat leaf parsley (leaves only)

40gm Ligurian olives (pitted)

20gm capers

1 salted anchovy

100ml extra virgin olive oil

juice of ½ lemon

 

Method

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and season.

 

Trussed cherry tomatoes, onions and asparagus

Serves 4

 

Ingredients

2 bunches trussed cherry tomatoes

2 red onions - halved then quartered

2 bunches asparagus, peeled and ends trimmed

¼ loaf sourdough (cut into 2cm cubes)

1 baby basil

4 cloves garlic

50gm Ligurian olives (pitted)

100mls banylus vinegar

olive oil

 

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 170 degrees. Place the cherry tomatoes and three cloves of garlic in the Tefal roasting tray, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Place in the oven and cook until tomatoes just blister.

 

Place your Tefal frypan on heat, when the thermospot is bright red add olive oil and sourdough, place in one crushed garlic clove and toss until golden brown, then drain. Place in olive oil again and add the onions, toss for three minutes or until just softening, add in banylus vinegar,reduce a little and set onions aside.

Using the Tefal saucepan add water and boil, add salt and then asparagus,cook for two minutes.

Add the onions, asparagus, olives with the tomatoes, place over croutons and baby basil. Serve.