Books

1980
Jacques Pépin, Chef, Cookbook Author, Television Personality,
Dean of Special Projects at The French Culinary Institute

11/2 chickens (about 41/2 pounds) (see Note)
11/2 teaspoons coarse salt plus more to taste
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
2/3 cup fine-quality red wine vinegar
1/3 cup water
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon

More than being one of our most popular teachers, Jacques Pépin has been a guiding light to me at De Gustibus and a great friend. It was he who first suggested that a cooking school should have assistants and that an overhead mirror would make it easier for students to observe and better understand the cooking processes. Over the years he has offered many other insights that have helped me make De Gustibus a better school. Jacques is absolutely first class at garde manger—he taught us how to carve lemons, tomatoes, and other fruits and vegetables for garnish as well as how to work with game, terrines, and pâtés.
Jacques grew up in Lyon with a mother who was a chef. She was a proponent of traditional French home cooking, both at home and in her restaurant. Throughout his career Jacques has been at the forefront of taking simple home cooking and reworking it for different occasions—always making sure that the results were absolutely delicious. Many other chefs now follow this same route.

Season the chicken pieces with the salt and pepper.
Divide the butter in half and set aside 22⁄3 tablespoons. Place half of the remaining butter in each of two heavy skillets over medium heat. When hot, add half of the chicken to each pan, skin side down, and sear for about 4 minutes, or until golden. Turn and sear the remaining sides for about 4 minutes, or until golden. Pour off excess fat from each pan.
Divide the vinegar in half and set 1⁄3 cup aside. Pour half of the remaining 1⁄3 cup of vinegar, along with half of the water, into each skillet. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a serving platter (see Note). Tent lightly with aluminum foil to keep warm. Do not cover tightly or the chicken may taste slightly reheated.

Remove one of the skillets from the heat and set aside. Place the garlic in the remaining skillet and sauté for 1 minute, taking care that the garlic does not begin to burn. Add the remaining 1⁄3 cup of vinegar and bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to deglaze.
Return the reserved skillet to medium heat and, using a spatula, scrape all of the sauce from the other skillet into it. Add the tomato paste, stirring to incorporate. This should thicken the sauce somewhat. Taste and, if necessary, add salt and pepper. This sauce should be quite peppery (see Note).
Remove the sauce from the heat and begin beating in the remaining butter a bit at a time.

Uncover the chicken and pour the sauce over the top. Sprinkle with the parsley and tarragon and serve immediately.

Note: You will need three chicken halves. Each half should be quartered and then halved again to yield twelve pieces.
For a more elegant presentation, the chicken may be deboned after it cools slightly. The breastbone and the piece of backbone attached to the legs should pull off easily.
For a slightly different taste, you can season the sauce with
1 teaspoon of crushed green peppercorns during the final cooking.
Serves 6

Petites Homards de Maine en Court Bouillon
1983
Alain Sailhac, Chef, Executive Dean at The French Culinary Institute

Head of 1 red snapper
Four 1-pound lobsters
1 stalk celery, well washed, peeled, and cut crosswise into thin slices
4 ounces (about 2 medium) carrots, peeled and thinly sliced crosswise
4 ounces (about 1 medium) onion, peeled and chopped
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 large ripe tomato, peeled, cored, seeds and membrane removed, and finely diced
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
4 ounces pousse Pierre, blanched (see sidebar)
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh dill

Le Cirque Restaurant, owned by Sirio Maccioni, was the place to be seen in the roaring eighties. But unlike many other hot spots, the food was more than equal to the scene. Alain Sailhac (now my husband) brought three stars to the table as he veered toward the light side of the classic French cuisine in which he had been trained. His style greatly influenced many of the young American chefs that were climbing the stairway to the stars during the heyday of the big spender.
With this recipe, Alain showed the class that a very elegant soup could be prepared ahead of time so that home cooks could present a restaurant-quality dish at a dinner party. It was also the first time that we had seen pousse Pierre used, and Alain suggested that its delicate sea flavor would also work well as an accent to grilled or roasted fish.
I am always amazed to watch Alain cooking professionally in front of the class, as it gives me the opportunity to understand his culinary artistry, which I never see at home. Believe it or not, he can even make the process of pâté making seem sexy as he gently smooths the top. He is a spectacular chef and an even greater husband!

Place the snapper head in a bowl with cold water to cover. Allow to soak for 15 minutes.
Place the lobsters in a stockpot with at least 8 quarts of water. Bring to a boil and boil for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and drain well, reserving half of the lobster cooking water. Set the lobsters aside to cool slightly. Return the reserved lobster cooking water to a large saucepan.
Drain the snapper head and cut it into four pieces. Add the pieces to the lobster cooking water. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until reduced by half, skimming off the foam and particles that rise to the surface.
Strain the reduced fish stock through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan. Add the celery, carrots, and onions and return to medium-high heat. Bring just to a boil and immediately lower the heat. Cook at a bare simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Again, strain the stock into a clean saucepan and place over low heat to keep warm. Taste and, if necessary, add salt and pepper to taste. (The recipe can be made up to this point and the stock cooled in an ice-water bath, placed in a storage container, covered, and refrigerated for 1 day or frozen for up to 3 months.)
Preheat the oven to 200°F.

Shell the lobsters, carefully keeping the body and claw meat intact. Using a sharp knife, cut the bodies crosswise into very thin slices.
Place an equal portion of the sliced lobster meat in each of four shallow soup bowls. Place the bowls in the warm oven for just 30 seconds to warm slightly.
Remove the soup bowls from the oven and ladle the hot bouillon over the lobster. Add an equal portion of the tomato, parsley, pousse Pierre, and dill to each bowl. Place two lobster claws on top and serve immediately.
Serves 4