Week 15: Is it summer yet, Mama?

So, I’m sure you are all dying to know who’s on strike now. The sun. Blue skies. Warm breezes.

It’s been the longest February yet on record here. Until the French government steps down, Summer has refused to come.

And here at chez Maureen, we’re still eating potatoes like it’s Winter 2016:

Tortilla de patatas and Frittata di patate (Potato omelet, Spanish and Italian)

Salmon and potato pie

(I might note that in actual news, the rain really has stolen the headlines. Flooding in the center of Paris has already closed down one train line and others are sure to follow. The airline unions cancelled their weekend strike after acknowledging that the airport is in fact the only reliable way out of this mess at the moment.)

Tortilla de Patatas and Frittata di patate (Potato omelet, Spanish and Italian)

A potato omelet is a great dish to have up your sleeve when morale is low and you begin to seriously consider taking the toddlers grocery shopping for some pre-made dinner. We all know to never grocery shop on an empty stomach. To take it one step further, walking into a grocery store just before dinnertime, outnumbered by two hungry toddlers is an excellent way to make sure everyone in the neighborhood knows who you are. (Cultural note: French children do not cry, whine, complain or in any way disrupt other shoppers. French shoppers are eager to show their dismay for children who do.)

Here’s a better idea. Stay at home. Send the toddlers down into the basement to pick out some potatoes while you decide whether to start the dinner-making process with a glass of Rioja or a glass of Chianti. Proceed accordingly:

Tortilla de patatas (Spanish omelet)

Potatoes, cut in cubes, 2-3 (The original recipe I looked at before totally ignoring it and going off on my own, called for 1 potato. Who are they kidding? A one-potato recipe? That wouldn’t even be worth the frying pan.)

Onion, chopped, 1

Eggs, 6

Bacon, 6-7 slices, cut into small pieces (We don’t have bacon here in France. I used a couple of packs (150 g) of “lardons” (already cut into small pieces) with great results.)

Salt + pepper

1. Fry the bacon/lardons in a frying pan. If you are using real bacon, drain off most of the fat. If you’re frying up lardons, you may need to add a bit of butter to the pan.
2. Add in the onions and potatoes and sauté until the potatoes are brown.

3. Beat the eggs with salt and pepper. Pour into the pan with the potatoes and bacon.
4. Cook over low heat for about 10 minutes until eggs are set (no longer jiggly in the middle). I find low heat is very difficult to control so it usually takes me longer than 10 minutes until the middle of the pan has set. But better to error on the side of low heat because high heat will cause the bottom to burn before you’re ready. If your toddlers (or your “toddler”-side) don’t have the patience to wait, turn it into a Frittata by flipping it over, see step #4 below.
5. Serve cut into wedges like an omelet cut into wedges.

Tortilla de patatas (Spanish omelet)

The original recipe I looked at before totally ignoring it and going off on my own, called for 1 potato. Who are they kidding? A one-potato recipe? That wouldn’t even be worth the frying pan.

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• Potatoes cut in cubes, 2-3
• Onion chopped, 1
• Eggs 6
• Bacon 6-7 slices, cut into small pieces
• Salt + pepper

Instructions

• Fry the bacon/lardons in a frying pan. If you are using real bacon, drain off most of the fat. If you’re frying up lardons, you may need to add a bit of butter to the pan.
• Add in the onions and potatoes and sauté until the potatoes are brown.
• Beat the eggs with salt and pepper. Pour into the pan with the potatoes and bacon.
• Cook over low heat for about 10 minutes until eggs are set (no longer jiggly in the middle).
• Serve cut into wedges like an omelet cut into wedges.

Frittata di patate (Italian omelet)

After my last “I’ll just make this Italian dish without looking at a recipe” attempt (check it out here), I decided to consult an expert.

Potatoes, 14 ounces, (400 g) (now we’re talking! That’s at least 4 good-looking spuds.)

Butter, 2 Tbsp, (30 g)

Eggs, 4

Cheese, the mystery ingredient. Cheese doesn’t appear on the list of ingredients but is included in the cooking directions. I used some crumbled goat cheese which I do personally think was an awesome choice, though admittedly not very Italian. Parmesan would certainly be good too. The amount is really at your discretion. Add some, see how it looks, then add some more.

Salt

Nutmeg

1. Peel and thinly slice the potatoes. Cook them for 10 minutes in salted boiling water. Drain.
2. Fry the potatoes gently on both sides in a frying pan with 1 Tbsp (15 g) of butter.

3. Beat the eggs together with the cheese. Season with salt and, since the recipe includes eggs, a bit of nutmeg (House rules. Seriously. If I don’t add nutmeg to a dish including eggs, there are complaints).
4. Add the rest of the butter to the frying potatoes and then the beaten eggs.

5. Cook 10 minutes. Turn the omelet and cook a further 5 minutes. (Right, turning the omelet…anyone have any tips? I tried sliding the omelet onto a large plate and then flipping it back into the pan. It didn’t really work. You could try the “1,2, flip it straight up into the air and catch it elegantly with the pan like they do in the cartoons” approach if you’re not that hungry and you don’t mind cleaning omelet off of your kitchen counter, floor, etc.)

6. Serve cut into wedges like a Spanish omelet cut into wedges.

Frittata di patate (Italian omelet)

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• Potatoes 14 ounces, (400 g)
• Butter 2 Tbsp, (30 g)
• Eggs 4
• Cheese see Note below
• Salt
• Nutmeg

Instructions

• Peel and thinly slice the potatoes. Cook them for 10 minutes in salted boiling water. Drain.
• Fry the potatoes gently on both sides in a frying pan with 1 Tbsp (15 g) of butter.
• Beat the eggs together with the cheese. Season with salt and, since the recipe includes eggs, a bit of nutmeg.
• Add the rest of the butter to the frying potatoes and then the beaten eggs.
• Cook 10 minutes. Turn the omelet and cook a further 5 minutes.
• Serve cut into wedges like a Spanish omelet cut into wedges.

Notes

Cheese: I used some crumbled goat cheese which I do personally think was an awesome choice, though admittedly not very Italian. Parmesan would certainly be good too. The amount is really at your discretion. Add some, see how it looks, then add some more.

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Salmon and potato pie

This recipe arrived in my inbox just as we were bemoaning another gray and rainy day. (In German they have a saying about not complaining about the weather, which Jan says to me quite often because I complain about the weather quite often. I should be able to tell you the saying by now, but clearly I haven’t been paying it much attention.)

The recipe caught my eye because it includes coconut milk. Suddenly tropical breezes started blowing through the kitchen. I could hear the roar of the waves in the background and the sound of children playing happily in the sand. (Not my children, they were fighting cabin fever and each other in the living room. Other, tropical, children.) It turned out the waves were actually just the raindrops beating against our skylight. But by then, I was already half way to the pantry to check for coconut milk.

(Cook’s note: I made about ½ the original recipe. My approximate quantities are described below.)

Salmon, 2 steaks, approx. 1/2 lb (250 g), cooked and broken up (I used two frozen salmon filets which I forgot to defrost the night before. I put them frozen into the steamer basket. They actually cooked really fast. So fast, in fact, that if I’d had two more socks to pair before I remembered to check on them, we’d have had salmon jerky. Error on the conservative side and start checking after 10 minutes.)

Potatoes, 6-8, peeled and thinly sliced

Carrot, chopped, 1

Celery stalk, chopped, 1-3 (I bought celery explicitly for this recipe so I figured I’d better throw in a couple extra stalks.)

Red onion, diced

Chives, minced, 2 Tbsp. (I used some leftover spring onions that were otherwise destined to shrivel into oblivion in our crisper box. You can substitute with any onion family member: leeks, shallots, heck, even another onion!)

Coconut milk, 1 can (the recipe called for 2 cups, so I planned to use 1. However a can of coconut milk contains about 1-1/4 cup around these parts and there is absolutely no use pretending that I’m going to remember to use up that extra ¼ cup in some other recipe before it goes sour in the fridge, so I just threw it in.)

Garlic cloves, minced, 2

Flour, 1 Tbsp

Coconut oil, a couple of Tbsp

Salt + pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. Fry the garlic in the coconut oil in a saucepan. Whisk in the flour, followed by the coconut milk. Cook, while stirring, until the sauce thickens to your liking. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Combine the salmon with the carrot, celery, onion and chives. Season.
4. In a casserole dish start with a layer of potato slices. Top with some of the coconut sauce.

5. Add half the salmon mixture, then another layer of potatoes, then sauce, then salmon, then potatoes and then the rest of the sauce on top.

6. Bake for 45-60 minutes.

7. Pack your bags. You’re about to be transported to your tropical destination of choice.

Salmon and potato pie

The recipe caught my eye because it includes coconut milk. Suddenly tropical breezes started blowing through the kitchen. I could hear the roar of the waves in the background and the sound of children playing happily in the sand. (Not my children, they were fighting cabin fever and each other in the living room. Other, tropical, children.)

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• Salmon 2 steaks, approx. 1/2 lb (250 g), cooked and broken up, see Note below
• Potatoes 6-8, peeled and thinly sliced
• Carrot chopped, 1
• Celery stalk chopped, 1-3
• Red onion diced
• Chives minced, 2 Tbsp., see Note below
• Coconut milk 1 can
• Garlic cloves minced, 2
• Flour 1 Tbsp
• Coconut oil a couple of Tbsp
• Salt + pepper

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
• Fry the garlic in the coconut oil in a saucepan. Whisk in the flour, followed by the coconut milk. Cook, while stirring, until the sauce thickens to your liking. Season with salt and pepper.
• Combine the salmon with the carrot, celery, onion and chives. Season.
• In a casserole dish start with a layer of potato slices. Top with some of the coconut sauce.
• Add half the salmon mixture, then another layer of potatoes, then sauce, then salmon, then potatoes and then the rest of the sauce on top.
• Bake for 45-60 minutes.

Notes

Salmon: I used two frozen salmon filets which I forgot to defrost the night before. I put them frozen into the steamer basket. They actually cooked really fast. So fast, in fact, that if I’d had two more socks to pair before I remembered to check on them, we’d have had salmon jerky. Error on the conservative side and start checking after 10 minutes.

Chives: I used some leftover spring onions that were otherwise destined to shrivel into oblivion in our crisper box. You can substitute with any onion family member: leeks, shallots, heck, even another onion!

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Coming up next week, as we prepare to bid a solemn adieu to the few remaining members of our resident potato population:

Gratin dauphinois (the classic French potato side)

Apple pie (the classic American apple dessert)

Kartoffel-Gemüse Auflauf (Potato-vegetable Casserole)

Chutney de pomme (Apple chutney)

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