Episode 6 The Little Paris Kitchen: Cooking with Rachel Khoo

My name is Rachel Khoo. I am a food writer and a cook.

Wow.

My passion is for French food, cooked simply, the way Parisians do at home.

I think there is still this kind of cliche of French food,

where you think it is complicated.

My cooking is no-fuss, just enjoyable.

Oh, a little piece left, I'm going to have that. Yum. I love cheese.

After training here as a chef, I opened the smallest restaurant in Paris in my tiny flat.

Entrez, entrez.

Somebody said to me,

it's harder to get a reservation at my place than it is for El Bulli.

And I was like, OK!

Superbe.

Fantastic. Really.

In this series, I'm going to take the fear out of French cooking.

-Boire?

-Boire, yes. Wow.

Tonight, for my final menu,

I go cooking crazy... for a French classic.

I've got crumbs all over my mouth!

I have a go at making a Parisian favourite.

THEY SQUEAL

And I put a spicy Asian twist on a summer soup.

-Bon appetit.

-Mm!

-It's good.

-It works so well.

This is French food, the way the Parisians cook and eat it.

C'est tout. That's it.

With spring in full bloom,

it's the perfect time for some lighter recipes.

And with over 400 city parks, this is a favourite Parisian way to dine.

I used to cook up spring dishes in my restaurant

and serve as a delicious picnic in my local park, Buttes Chaumont.

There's more finger food, today. And of course, champagne.

And people love the alfresco dining experience.

Cheers, girls! Cheers.

Thanks for coming.

So, for my first recipe, I'm going to make my favourite picnic dish.

A simple French classic.

In the UK, most people go to the supermarket,

buy a quiche lorraine. It's got a soggy crust,

the bacon is not particularly nice, the filling is bleurgh.

My quiche lorraine is the exact opposite.

My first job is making the shortcrust pastry base.

Most busy Parisians would usually buy this.

I'm going to start off with 90 grams of soft butter, unsalted.

Add a teaspoon of sugar and a pinch of salt and cream it all together.

OK, I'm going to have my flour.

I've got 180 grams of plain flour.

Two egg yolks.

They give a lovely yellow colour and a richness to the pastry.

Then add a couple of tablespoons of cold water.

You just want to mix everything together and what will happen

is that it will get this kind of sandy texture.

At this point, you can use your hand to bring the dough together.

You see, it's coming together. Clingfilm.

Put your pastry in the fridge. Best is overnight.

If you haven't got the time, half an hour to 1 hour.

Chilling the dough makes it more pliable.

Remember to take it out of the fridge

about half an hour before you use it.

It'll be easier to work.

I use two sheets of baking paper to roll out my dough.

That way, you don't need to use any flour

and don't make any mess and also,

your pastry won't stick to the board.

It's a bit hard at the beginning to roll it out,

so if you bash it at the beginning, it softens it up, makes it easier, and it is fun, too.

It is a bit therapeutic. If you have anger issues,

this is what you need to do.

Roll out your pastry base

so that it overlaps the top of the tin by a few inches all round.

And don't forget to flour and butter your tin.

OK.

Peel off your paper.

And then you want to gently push it in the tin.

Once the pastry is firmly in, you can get rid of the excess

and fill in any cracks.

All you need to do is take the rolling pin...

and then roll over the top. It is as simple as that.

The base just needs a coating of egg white.

This acts like a barrier

between the filling and the pastry.

It stops the filling making the pastry soggy.

Chill the base to stop it from shrinking when it bakes.

Now you can crack on with the traditional filling.

All you need for your quiche lorraine is eggs, smoky bacon and cream.

Any additional ingredients, it's not a quiche lorraine any more.

To start, some smoky bacon.

Throw in your lardons, 150 grams.

And you need four eggs. And two egg yolks.

I'm going to add my double cream. 300 millilitres.

Or I sometimes use creme fraiche.

Salt. Black pepper.

Most Parisians have their own little twist on this recipe but for once, I'm sticking to the classic.

Only three ingredients make up

this filling, so get the best quality you can.

When your lardons are crispy,

drain them and scatter into your pastry base.

Almost there. Just need to pour this creamy egg mix in.

So easy.

Put it in the oven. Slowly.

Don't rush this part, otherwise it will land on the floor.

Leave it for 40 minutes at 180 degrees.

For a veggie version, add roasted vegetables.

Or if you fancy fish, asparagus and

smoked salmon make a great combination.

The perfume of quiche lorraine. Nothing more appetising.

I'm going to get it out of my little oven.

Yum. Bit hot.

Take the whole tray. Ooh. That quiche looks perfect.

It has got the crust which is crisp, golden top, it has set nicely.

The filling should set with a slight wobble. So cut yourself a slice...

Wow! I have cut myself a big slice. It's so simple, yet...

..really delicious.

I've got crumbs all over my mouth, it's so tasty.

In France, this quiche is traditionally served warm for lunch,

or as a starter. And who can resist when it tastes this good?

I live in the neighbourhood of Belleville.

There are over 15,000 Asians living here

and just over a quarter of them are from the former French colony of Vietnam.

The French occupied Vietnam for over 100 years.

And after the Vietnam war, many emigrated here.

In Paris, one of the outcomes is a vibrant Vietnamese restaurant scene.

This one has been serving fantastic food for the past seven years.

I am really excited, because the restaurant owner, Irene,

has agreed to show me

how French ingredients have infused with Vietnamese cuisine.

-Well, it smells amazing in here.

-Thank you.

-I can smell lots of these fresh herbs.

-Can you smell it?

-Yeah.

-It is making me hungry. What are we going to make?

-Banh mi.

Vietnamese sandwiches. Fresh bread, and it looks like a baguette.

-Is that the influence from the French colony?

-Yes.

They take the French baguette and they fill it with...

in their way, yes. In Paris, in the 13th quarter, they sell it a lot. Yeah.

-On every street corner, there is a person selling banh mi?

-Yes.

-Yes.

-Shall we start making a few things?

The banh mi starts with carrots pickled in white wine vinegar and sugar.

And after, you put the meat, chicken.

And you put a lot of coriander.

This snack is typical Vietnamese cuisine which has

lots of fresh vegetables and herbs, especially coriander.

-Do you do a little sauce on top?

-Yeah.

-OK.

-Some nuoc mam sauce?

Nuoc mam is a Vietnamese fish sauce.

Irene has mixed hers with lemon juice.

-You want to try it?

-Yes, I'd love to try it. All right.

I love that sauce. I am loving this.

Good, huh?

Now I want to show Irene how Asian flavours have influenced my cooking.

I'm going to cook you a dish which has been inspired

by all these fresh flavours that you have in Vietnam.

Really?

-So how about you go and sit down and in half an hour, I'll bring you a dish.

-Thank you.

-OK.

I'm making my Vietnamese version of the delicious French pistou soup.

It's a comforting summer vegetable soup whose main ingredients

are pasta, white beans and the French equivalent of pesto.

First, fry some onions and garlic.

The onions and the garlic has softened up nicely. So I will start adding my other ingredients.

Three bay leaves and a couple sprigs of thyme.

Four tablespoons of tomato paste.

Two chopped carrots.

And then two chopped-up courgettes.

Just going to gently fry these until

they are cooked, but still firm.

I'm going to add my green beans.

Some water. About two litres.

Add some pasta.

This is coquillettes pasta which is used especially for soup.

And I'm going to cook this until the pasta is done

and the beans are al dente. They're cooked.

All right. For the pistou sauce, really easy.

You need one stalk of lemongrass, roughly chopped.

Half a birds-eye chili. My Vietnamese basil.

This is also known as Thai basil.

Shave off the leaves.

Go in there, leaves.

A big bunch.

All you need now is some sunflower oil.

Traditional pistou is a bit like the very popular Italian pesto.

It just doesn't have pine nuts or Parmesan in it.

And you're going to blend it up.

The paste comes from Nice, which is only 30 kilometres from Italy,

hence the Italian influence on this dish.

My pistou looks perfect. And will sit on top of my soup.

You can use it like a pesto,

but it also goes well with potatoes, lamb chops and, because it has no dairy, it's great for vegans.

Mmm. Good.

Pasta's almost done.

And now I'm going to put in the last bits - white beans,

in they go.

And then I'm going to put the peas in.

In they go.

Give it a stir.

It's all cooked.

And now I'm going to serve it up to Irene.

I hope she likes it.

Et voila!

It's your soup, with my little Vietnamese twist.

Smells good and tasty.

Bon appetit!

You want to stir in your pistou a bit,

because if you eat it whole

then it's a bit spicy.

Mmm.

It's good.

-Do you like it?

-Delicious. Yes.

It's funny, because it's a French soup,

but I can taste the lemongrass

and the basil, which for me, it's totally Asian...

Vietnamese cooking.

But it works so well.

In homage to my favourite the Vietnamese flavours,

light and spicy,

perfect for hot summer days.

In Paris, you never have to travel far

to get your hands on good ingredients.

Now that spring is here,

it's the perfect excuse to get some lovely salads on my menu.

SHE SPEAKS FRENCH

'From my fantastic greengrocer Joalle Tivot,

'I've got some tasty carrots which will add vibrant colour and crunch

'to my next recipe.'

Mmm!

HE SPEAKS FRENCH

'Joalle is famous for his varied produce

'and many of his customers are top Parisian chefs.'

Joalle was just saying that when the chefs come in

and pick their vegetables, he lets the chefs pick them

like kids in a toy box.

You know, they're like, "I want this one and I want this one."

So he's letting me pick out my toys!

Merci beaucoup.

Carrot salad, celeriac

and apple salad doesn't sound very exciting

but actually, sometimes the simplest ingredients can be the tastiest.

Crudites - raw vegetables

like peppers, cucumbers and of course, this carrot salad,

is a menu staple in French bistros.

It's all not all heavy sauces and stews.

This idea

comes from seeing carrot salad everywhere.

The French are bit obsessed with carrot salad.

It's the simplicity which I think the Parisians enjoy most.

Top and tail your carrots and slice them

into matchsticks on a mandolin.

You can also make this salad with courgette or baby turnip.

That looks pretty beautiful and...

..pretty crunchy too!

'Put your carrots to one side, then get on

'with the delicious vinaigrette. This one starts with lemon.'

Give it a little squash and a roll,

helps with the juices.

I'm using sunflower oil.

What you're looking for is an oil which doesn't taste of anything.

Five tablespoons.

Using a neutral oil will help the sweet flavour of the carrots

shine through your citrus dressing.

A bit of salt.

I think it's really important to use good quality salt.

Pepper.

Yes!

You want it to have a little zing to it. Pour it all over,

mix it in.

Quality control!

Finishing touch is a bit of parsley.

You want to finely chop the parsley.

Sprinkle it over,

give it a mix around,

et voila!

There's your carrot salad. So fresh, it's crunchy.

Just looking at it, you feel healthier,

so forget about going to the gym. Just eat a bowl of this!

All right, ready to go on salad two.

I've got the ugliest vegetable ever -

celeriac. Yes, it doesn't look that great,

but I'm going to do a bit

of a vegetable makeover

and make it into a fantastic tasting dish.

I need a quarter, that's about 250 grams for this salad.

Begin by chopping off the rough skin.

If you've never tasted celeriac before,

then in terms of flavour,

it's very similar to celery,

but unlike celery, it doesn't have that watery taste.

I'm going to chop this up into more manageable pieces.

'Celeriac also has a much milder flavour than celery.'

OK.

Now, let's make the vinaigrette.

You need some lovely grainy mustard.

I'm using a heaped teaspoon of moutarde de Meaux,

whose seeds haven't been fully ground

but any wholegrain mustard will be fine.

Add five tablespoons of sunflower oil,

white wine vinegar...

actually, I think I had rose wine in this as well.

It's kind of a bit pink. Two tablespoons.

Add a little sugar, a pinch of salt and black pepper.

Give it a good mix.

Yum! Good!

My salad.

Mix in the dressing and grab the final ingredient - an apple.

Use one that's tart enough

to contrast with the mildness of the celeriac.

No! I've failed!

What does that mean?

I bet in some culture it means

I'll never get married or something like that!

The apple and celeriac will discolour

if you don't mix it with the dressing quickly.

That's the apple done.

Whack it in your bowl, mix the ingredients and that's your salad.

Have a little taste.

Tastes pretty good.

Simple, healthy and delicious.

Serve as a side dish, with a sandwich or with your steak.

And if you want to know more about any of the recipes in the programme

then log on to bbc.co.uk/food

If it's a quick snack you're after, then there's plenty of choice

in this culinary metropolis.

But Parisians' favourite street food is the crepe.

Voila, monsieur.

Originally from Brittany, you can now find vendors

selling them all over the capital.

Mm, yum-yum.

Alain Roussel is a crepe-maker extraordinaire

and has been perfecting the skills of the hotplate for over six years.

The best-selling crepe fillings are hazelnut chocolate

or lemon and sugar, but I'm going to make Alain MY favourite filling.

One of the most popular fillings for crepes

is creme de marron - chestnut cream.

All you need for your chestnut cream is some cooked chestnuts, 200g.

These are available in supermarkets, either in tins or vacuum packs.

Some cream.

I have got raw cane sugar, two tablespoons.

I'm going to add a bit of Cognac.

One and a half tablespoons.

Any Cognac will do - you don't need an expensive one.

And to finish off, a vanilla pod.

So, flatten it with the back of the knife,

slice in half,

take the back of the knife again

and then just scrape out the grains like that.

Add the vanilla pod, cos that's got flavour, too.

Put it on the simmer for about ten minutes.

After ten minutes, the cream will be infused by the vanilla

and the chestnuts will be soft enough to blend.

All you need to do at this point is whizz it up.

In the UK, you tend to eat chestnuts as a savoury thing

and actually chestnuts work really well in sweet dishes as well.

I also love this on toast, in yoghurts and on chocolate cake.

You need to blend this to a smooth paste,

is what you're looking to do.

That's it. That's what you're looking for, it's nice and smooth.

You can see the little speckles from the vanilla.

Let's have a little taste.

Mm.

Can't wait to have it with my crepes.

With my filling done, I'm heading off for a crepe-making masterclass.

Alain Roussel's organic crepe stand

is in the oldest market in Paris' Marais area.

His doughy delights are legendary and so is he.

-Bonjour.

-Bonjour.

I love crepes and I heard that you make the best crepes in Paris.

-In the universe.

-In the universe!

-Please.

-I'd love to have a go at the...

-Yes.

-So in exchange I thought I'll give you some creme de marron.

-Good.

-Come on, please.

-Thank you.

Cooking a crepe on a hotplate requires a fair bit of skill,

but Alain has got some handy pointers for me.

If you want to try this in your pan is piping hot and greased,

and don't put too much batter in.

HE SPEAKS IN FRENCH

So you don't press on to the crepe,

you, kind of, glide your wooden rake around on the crepe very gently.

Little lemon zest. The lemon zest is his special ingredient.

So, sugar and lemon.

Finishing touch, and a bit of lemon juice, too.

Mm, yum-yum.

-For you.

-Oh, merci, monsieur.

Mm.

Having watched Alain, now it's my turn on the hotplate.

Oh, God.

No, no. This is a disaster.

No, no, no, no, no, no.

-Argh!

-Oh!

A natural, I'm not.

OK.

Alain says I need to relax my wrists.

-Relax.

-Relax?

-Oui.

-OK.

-All right, more relaxed.

-Yes. Go.

Stop. Yes, good.

Go-o-od!

Ah! Hoo, bit better the second time.

Voila. Now to add the filling - my home-made creme de marron.

-Good.

-Oh, wow! There you go. For you, monsieur.

-Tell me what do you think.

-Mm. Beautiful.

-So you think it's delicious?

-Fantastic. Delicious.

I might not have mastered the hotplate,

but my filling looks like it's a hit.

Yum-yum. SHE LAUGHS

I will leave you with my creme de marron and I have a crepe.

All right. Bye-bye.

-A bientot.

-A bientot.

She's better than me.

My petit restaurant has been the perfect avenue

to test out my recipes and experiment with ingredients.

I love cooking for people and my final recipe never fails to impress.

There's a bit of a debate about beef Wellington.

The French have theirs, the English have theirs - who cares about that?

I have my version. I'm going to make beautiful mini venison Wellingtons.

Need a big frying pan.

Just going to brown my meat.

I'm going to season my venison with some salt.

Pepper.

I have two guests coming for dinner tonight,

so I'm making a bit of an effort.

Meat goes in.

You can hear it sizzling away.

Really important to brown the meat.

It just caramelises the outside and you just get a richer flavour.

You just want 30 seconds on each side.

Beef Wellington is usually done with one large beef fillet.

However, I think my delicious parcels are more elegant,

and you get more of that flaky pastry.

Just add a generous bit of butter.

I'm going to caramelise some red onions,

which will surround the venison inside its pastry parcel.

They will give a milder and sweeter taste than white onions.

And no need to wash the pan in between.

You'll get some of that lovely venison flavour with your onions

and you save on washing up.

I'm going to add a pinch of salt...

..a pinch of sugar.

Give it a little stir.

And you want to very gently cook them for about...

..20 minutes.

Just so they're nice and soft and they become caramelised.

This isn't the traditional way to cover the meat.

Usually it's a layer of cooked and seasoned mushrooms and onions

called duxelle, but my caramelised onions make a refreshing change.

As you can see, the onions have reduced down.

They're nice and soft.

At this point, I'm going to add some Armagnac,

which has this delicious flavour.

And at this point,

you just want to cook your onions a little bit further.

If the onions are too wet then your pastry will be soggy

when you come to bake it.

Who wants soggy pastry? Urgh.

The onions are done. Just switch it off.

They go into the blender.

You're just looking for a smooth paste.

Should only take a minute.

That's it, that's done. At this point, it's just an assembly job.

Puff pastry. You need some Dijon mustard.

And, of course, your seared venison.

Then I'm going to brush some mustard on top.

OK. Put the piece of meat on your puff pastry.

Take a heaped tablespoon of your onion mix.

Spread it on top.

I've a mixture of eggs and water here.

Run it round the sides, here.

That's going to make the pastry stick together.

Second piece of pastry.

Then you want to press it down quite firmly.

I have sealed the edges and I'm just going to crimp them.

You don't have to do this, but I think it makes it look a little bit prettier.

There you go.

Looks like a little parcel.

Grab your baking tray.

Put that on here.

So they are almost finished.

Just need to make a little cross at the top,

and that's just so some of the steam releases.

I'm just going to finish off with a coating of egg wash

to make sure our Wellingtons are golden.

And that's it.

Goes in the oven at 200 degrees Celsius.

And after about 15 minutes, your Wellingtons should be ready.

OK, let's have a look at these. Wow.

They're golden, they're puffy.

Doesn't that look delicious? That golden parcel?

My guests are in for a treat.

-Bonsoir.

-Bonsoir.

-Squeeze yourself in.

-Sante.

-Sante.

-Oui, sante.

-Sante.

My love affair with Paris and its cuisine

will always excite and inspire me.

Ah.

-Bon appetit.

-Merci.

-Enjoy, enjoy.

-Thank you.

It's juicy, it's...

-Superbe.

-Oh, merci. C'est termine?

-Very good. I really like that. Thank you very much.

-We'll have to come again.

Being able to share my recipes with my diners gives me so much delight.

Long may my French food adventure continue.

My Paris, j'adore.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd