Le Grand Vefour in Paris, a Dining Experience to Remember

When Buzz and I travel, we research the top restaurants in the city and make a reservation at the one we deem best by menu, ambience and on line ratings. Paris had more to choose from than any other city we have been to. We chose  Le Grand Vefour and we had an unforgettable meal. The restaurant was started in 1787 and the gold and blue decor is breathtaking. It has been a rendezvous location for political, literary and artistic society for over 200 years. I sat in a seat once occupied by Empress Josephine
no less. The appetizer was Ravioli de foie gras crème foisonne truffee. Your basic ravioli stuffed with truffles and finished with foie gras cream. It only gets more complicated when we got to the entrees. I have decided to share the fillet of lamb in the  garlic crust. It was served with green and yellow zucchini.

Ingredients:
4 lamb fillets about 2 inches thick
4 cloves of garlic mashed
2 Tablespoons of whole grain mustard
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
2 Tablespoon olive oil
2 Tablespoons chopped rosemary
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
Salt and pepper fillets of lamb, aside
Mix mustard and crushed garlic to form a paste
Brush mustard mixture on both sides of each fillet
Combine Panko, olive oil, and rosemary in a small flat bowl
Roll each fillet in Panko mixture to coat well on both sides
Roast fillets on oiled sheet pan  in 425 degree oven for 12 minutes, turning once
Serve

 

 

Chez Paul Veal Stew

Veal stew is a classic French dish. I tried it our first night in Paris at a small bistro on the Place Dauphine. We arrived early( 6:45 for a 7PM reservation) and had to wait for the staff to finish their dinner and begin serving. Apparently they never heard of the early bird special so popular for seniors in the US. The dish was delicious. In your kitchen, you could use your crock pot. I favor slow cooking in a 325 degree oven. The smell in the kitchen is divine.

Ingredients:
3 pounds veal meat cut in 1 inch cubes
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 onion minced
2 cups dry white wine
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups tomato puree
2 cloves mashed garlic
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 pound of button mushrooms

Preparation:
Dry the veal in paper towels.
Heat the oil in a casserole dish
Brown the veal pieces in the heated oil
remove veal from casserole and set aside
Turn down the heat and then saute onions in the dish
Add the veal back to the dish, salt and pepper the meat and onions
Add the flour to the meat and onion mixture and brown the mixture for 2 minutes
Add the wine and stir, being sure to scrape up all the luscious juices in the casserole
Add tomato puree, thyme and mashed garlic
Bring the stew to a simmer, cover and place in 325 degree oven
Simmer in oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until meat is easily pierced by a fork
Add the mushrooms, bring to a simmer, and return to oven for another 15 minutes
Remove from oven and serve

High Tea at the Savoy in London

Before I go on with recipes from our trip to Paris, I would like to write about our High Tea at the Savoy hotel in London. I have become a real fan of afternoon tea both at home and in local tea shops or venues. So I was naturally anxious to try this experience in the place afternoon tea was invented. First you must understand how seriously the British take their tea time. We were almost unable to get a reservation for High Tea at the Savoy. The Atrium was packed every single day from 2:30 to 5:30PM. The first thing I noticed is champagne was used to whet the appetite before tea was served. I like this custom . After champagne you pick the kind of tea you want. I particularly like the Buckingham Palace black tea but you can choose from black teas to herb teas or green teas. After your pot of tea is delivered, scones with clotted cream(see my recipe for scones in a previous post). These were marvelous. They were warm and buttery without the addition of any condiment. Next comes tea sandwiches. These were not so good. The bread was like  a white Wonder Bread with the crust removed. They were filled pimento, cucumber, egg salad or chicken salad. They were cold and tasteless for the most part. Next came a wealth of different pastries with chocolate éclair being my favorite. Believe it or not, we were then offered two different types of cake. By this time we were already on a sugar high. All in all I was somewhat disappointed. If you live in the DC area, the best afternoon tea I have found is the one offered from 2 to 4 PM each Thursday at the Black Market Bistro in Garret Park .For a terrific atmosphere try the Tea on the Tiber in Ellicott City.