ETHNIC COOK : Waiting for Gigot
Growing up, Claudie Ces was exposed to several cooking styles. She was born in the north of France, near Boulogne, where rich butter-and-cream sauces are a big part of the local diet. She spent most of her formative years in Algiers, where lamb is a staple. And during summer vacations on the Riviera she encountered sunny Provencal food, bright with tomatoes and heady with garlic, herbs and spices.
“The way we cook in Algiers is very close to Provence,” says Ces, who now lives in Belmont Park, Long Beach. One of her best dishes is a magnificent Provencal-style roast leg of lamb with Pernod sauce.
To focus the flavor of the anise-flavored Pernod, Ces seasons her Provencal tomato-and-herb sauce with fennel seeds, which also taste of anise. And she tosses in a handful of basil and a spoonful of herbes de Provence. “It’s not from a book,” she says of her dish; “it’s the way I do it.”
For company, Ces adds pasta or home-fried potatoes to the lamb and an intensely flavored Provencal ratatouille embellished with Greek olives. Afterward, she sometimes brings out a cheese plate composed of Brie, goat cheese and Roquefort or blue cheese and concludes with caramel custard or perhaps an apple or pear tart.
A local Provencal rose would accompany such a dinner in Aix-en-Provence, where Ces’ relatives live, but she suggests Beaujolais as an alternative. For an aperitif, offer the typical drink of southern France--Pernod diluted with water.
GIGOT D’AGNEAU ROTI A LA PROVENCALE (Provencal Roast Leg of Lamb)
1 (5-pound) leg of lamb
3 cloves garlic, cut into slivers
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons herbes de Provence, or combination of 1/2 teaspoon thyme, 1/2 teaspoon basil, 1/2 teaspoon marjoram, 1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Sauce Pernod
Ratatouille Nicoise
Remove fat from leg of lamb. Make several slits in meat and insert sliver of garlic in each. Make paste with olive oil, herbs, salt and pepper. Rub all over leg of lamb. Bake at 350 degrees, allowing 20 minutes per pound, about 1 hour 40 minutes.
Reserve pan juices for Sauce Pernod. Arrange sliced meat on warmed dinner plates. Cover with Sauce Pernod and accompany with Ratatouille Nicoise. Makes 6 servings.
Each serving contains about:
583 calories; 684 mg sodium; 242 mg cholesterol; 24 grams fat; 5 grams carbohydrates; 79 grams protein; 0 fiber; 37% calories from fat.
Sauce Pernod
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons minced shallots
3 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces
1 tablespoon herbes de Provence or combination of 3/4 teaspoon thyme, 3/4 teaspoon basil, 3/4 teaspoon marjoram, 3/4 teaspoon rosemary
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
Salt, pepper
3 tablespoons Pernod
Heat olive oil in heavy skillet or saucepan. Add shallots and brown. Add tomatoes, basil, herbs and fennel seeds and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook 15 minutes. Add Pernod and cook 15 minutes longer. Incorporate cooking juices reserved from lamb. Makes about 2 1/2 cups.
RATATOUILLE NICOISE
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 Oriental eggplant, peeled and cubed
4 zucchini, peeled and cubed
2 medium green peppers, cored, seeded and cut into julienne strips
2 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon herbes de Provence or combination of 3/4 teaspoon thyme, 3/4 teaspoon basil, 3/4 teaspoon marjoram, 3/4 teaspoon rosemary
1/2 cup canned Greek olives, pitted
Salt, pepper
Heat olive oil in heavy skillet. Add and saute onion, garlic, eggplant, zucchini and green pepper strips. Add tomatoes, herbs, olives and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook on medium heat, covered, 45 minutes. If vegetables yield too much liquid, cook partially covered to reduce juices. Makes about 6 cups or 6 servings.
Each serving contains about:
93 calories; 121 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 5 grams fat; 9 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 1 gram fiber; 47% calories from fat.