How To Make A Parisian Style Assiette Recipes

TRADITIONAL PARISIAN OMELET

Steps:

• Place a saute pan over medium heat.
• Using a fork, mix your eggs together with salt and pepper in a bowl and then add the herbs. Make sure your eggs are well mixed, with no long strands of egg white hanging off of the fork.
• When the pan is hot, add the butter and swirl it around until it's melted and has evenly coated the pan. Add all of your egg mixture and using a fork, continue to scramble the eggs in the pan, breaking up any large lumps that want to form as the eggs set. This will take about 30 seconds. Next, shake out the pan slightly so the eggs settle into an even layer with small curds. Lower the heat to medium-low and continue to cook for another 30 seconds until just set. Begin to loosen the sides and roll the omelet on to itself then flip out on to a plate. Serve immediately and enjoy!

CHICKEN PARISIENNE

Steps:

• Season chicken with salt and pepper; melt butter in a skillet and brown chicken breasts on both sides.
• Arrange chicken in a 9 X 13 baking dish and top with sliced onion.
• In a large mixing bowl combine remaining ingredients, mix well and pour over chicken and onions.
• Bake at 450 degrees uncovered for 50 min to an hour.

HOW TO MAKE A PARISIAN-STYLE ASSIETTE

Steps:

• An assiette (which means plate) is a meal composed of several simply prepared, aesthetically arranged components. In the vegetarian cafés of Paris, the protein is provided by seitan, tofu, or tempeh, prepared in uncomplicated ways. My favorite kind of plate features seitan, and for a homemade version, I recommend either Seitan and Mushrooms in Paprika Cream (page 68) or Cornmeal-Crusted Seitan (page 63). Tempeh Fries with Horseradish or Wasabi-Dill Mayonnaise (page 78) or Teriyaki Tofu Steaks (page 62) are two other possibilities for the protein portion of the plate.
• Assiettes often feature grated raw vegetables, usually carrots, with the addition of either turnips or beets. Grated Daikon and Carrot Salad (page 174) works well, but you can simply grate a small amount of one or more of these vegetables, either mixed together or placed in separate mounds on each plate.
• There is always a cooked vegetable or two, usually something green (most often zucchini, green beans, or broccoli). Next, a timbale-shaped serving of grain, either couscous or rice or a combination of grains like quinoa and bulgur, sits in the middle of the platter. (To create a timbale, just pack cooked grain firmly into a 1/2-cup measure and invert onto the plate.) Sometimes, a few wedges of tomato and three or four black olives adorn the plate.
• Arrange all these components pleasingly on individual plates, and voilá-you've created a gorgeous assiette with an assortment of colors, flavors, and textures. This kind of meal might require a little more effort than many of the other express meals in this book, but not that much more. It's a lot of fun, though, and you can save it to serve on special occasions, like an intimate dinner for two (you'll likely have leftovers) or a lovely meal for two couples.