Home Sweet Bistro

It’s easy to understand why French bistros hit a responsive chord in this country. They’re typically warm, charming spaces filled with animated conversation, and they provide the perfect ambience for the hearty home-style food that is served. The food is the kind that we enjoy to the last bite, the kind inspired by time-honored French home cooking instead of the latest trend-setting style.

The recipes that follow make up a wonderful summer meal for six. The flavorful pate maison is served at Chez Georges, which has been a culinary landmark in Paris for more than six decades. The traditional accompaniments of cornichons, grainy Dijon mustard and crisp buttered baguette croutons make it a special opener for a light summer meal.

The bouillabaisse is colorful and delicious as well as quick and easy to prepare. It’s satisfying without being too rich or robust.

The refreshing grapefruit with mint and white wine is from one of my favorite bistros, a place where garlic chains, aged Bayonne hams and Auvergnat sausages dangle from the overhead beams, large wicker baskets brim over with assorted smaller sausages and smoked meats and rolling carts provide a dazzling choice of appetizers and desserts.

It’s necessary to prepare this pate at least three to four days before you plan to serve it; it can also be frozen up to two months, wrapped airtight (thaw , still wrapped, in refrigerator). The recipe is written for a standard-size processor but a meat grinder also works well. To vary the texture, grind pork and liver twice on large die, then grind half of this ground-meat mixture again through a small die. Whatever cut of pork you use, make sure it contains some fat for flavor.

CHEZ GEORGES’ PATE MAISON

2 large cloves garlic, peeled

1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme

1/2 tablespoon fresh rosemary

2 juniper berries, crushed

1 bay leaf, crumbled

1/8 teaspoon rubbed sage

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon finely ground black pepper

3 ounces chicken livers, trimmed

3 tablespoons brandy

1 tablespoon dry Sherry

1 1/2 pounds pork (loin preferred), cut into 3/4-inch cubes

1/4 cup shelled pistachio nuts

1 large egg white

Cornichons

Whole-seed mustard

18 Homemade Croutons

Mince garlic with thyme, rosemary, juniper, bay leaf, sage, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, salt and peppers in processor fitted with metal blade. Add chicken livers. Puree well. Transfer mixture to large bowl. Add brandy and Sherry. Stir to combine.

Divide pork into 3 batches. In food processor, puree first batch, then coarsely chop remaining batches using on/off motion to control texture. As each batch is processed, add to liver mixture in mixing bowl. Combine ingredients well. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.

Next morning, drop pistachios into boiling water 1 minute. Remove with slotted spoon. Rub skins off with cloth towel. Stir pistachios and egg white into pate mixture. Fry small sample to taste for seasonings and adjust seasonings as desired.

Pack mixture into 4-cup terrine lined with foil. Bang terrine on counter to eliminate any air bubbles. Cover with foil. Set terrine in larger pan. Let stand on oven rack. Carefully pour boiling water into outer pan to reach at least 1/3 up on sides of terrine.

Bake at 300 degrees until instant-reading thermometer inserted into center registers 165 degrees, about 2 hours. Remove terrine from water. Place on cooling rack, then weight down with foil-wrapped brick or other heavy object. When completely cool, refrigerate at least overnight or as long as 4 days, covered airtight.

To serve, remove pate from terrine. Discard foil. Use serrated knife to cut pate into 1/3-inch thick slices. Overlap slices on serving platter. Garnish platter with cornichons, whole-seed mustard and Homemade Croutons. Makes 12 servings.

Each serving, without croutons, contains about:

105 calories; 333 mg sodium; 58 mg cholesterol; 5 grams fat; 1 gram carbohydrates; 12 grams protein; 0.08 gram fiber.

These crisp, buttery croutons are served with the pate and also garnish the bouillabaisse recipe give below. It’s important to slice a narrow baguette, one that measures about 2 1/2 inches across, about 1 1/2 inches high, for the best effect. Can be made three days ahead then stored in an airtight tin at room temperature.

Homemade Croutons

36 baguette slices, cut about 1/4-inch thick

1/2 cup unsalted butter or margarine, melted and hot

Salt

Arrange baguette slices in single layer on 2 jellyroll pans. Brush with melted butter. Sprinkle lightly with salt to taste.

Bake in center of 325-degree oven until lightly browned and crisp, about 20 minutes. Let cool completely. Makes 36 croutons.

Glenn Wielo, chef at Chicago’s Bistro 110, has created a bouillabaisse that bows to today’s preference for light food; it’s also exceedingly easy to make at home. Use the freshest seafood you can get, substituting fish according to market availability. If you don’t have any homemade chicken stock, you can substitute canned chicken broth. The broth and fish can be prepared separately several hours in advance and carefully reheated together at serving time. Serve the bouillabaisse in large-rimmed soup dishes for the best presentation. Garnish the soup with homemade croutons and a dollop of red pepper mayonnaise.

BISTRO 110’s BOUILLABAISSE

3 cups chicken stock or broth

3 cups dry white wine

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crumbled saffron threads

2 small Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices

1 1/2 cups diced (1/2-inch) fresh tomatoes, about 3 tomatoes, seeds and juice discarded

3 tablespoons light-tasting olive oil

36 Manila clams, rinsed well

36 mussels, cleaned

18 medium shrimp, cut into 1/2-inch dice

3 ounces swordfish, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices

3 ounces tuna, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices

3 ounces calamari, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices

1/2 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper

18 Homemade Croutons

Red Pepper Mayonnaise

Combine stock and wine in 12-inch non-aluminum skillet. Add saffron, potatoes and tomatoes. Bring to boil. Simmer, uncovered, until potatoes are just short of being tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand at room temperature until cool.

Meanwhile, heat oil in 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add clams and mussels. When they start to open, add shrimp, swordfish, tuna and calamari. Cook, stirring often, until fish just turns opaque, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add fish and accumulated juices to cooled liquid. Can be made ahead to this point and refrigerated several hours, covered airtight.

To serve, gently reheat until hot, shaking pan often to distribute heat evenly. Do not overcook. Add salt and pepper to taste. Adjust seasonings to taste. Using slotted spoon, divide ingredients to warm soup dishes. Pour hot liquid over fish and vegetables. Garnish each with 3 croutons and about 1 1/2 tablespoons Red Pepper Mayonnaise. Serve immediately. Makes 6 servings.

Note: To clean mussels, wash under cold running water, discarding any that are open. Let soak in salted cold water to cover 30 minutes. Drain mussels. Scrub by rubbing 1 against another to remove beards and dirt.

Each serving contains about:

532 calories; 946 mg sodium; 107 mg cholesterol; 27 grams fat; 31 grams carbohydrates; 23 grams protein; 0.55 gram fiber.

Rouille, a hot red pepper mayonnaise, is typically served as a garnish with bouillabaisse. As a shortcut, it’s possible to add the pureed roasted red pepper to 1/2 cup prepared mayonnaise. Add a splash of lemon juice and hot red-pepper sauce to taste.

Red Pepper Mayonnaise

1 large egg yolk

1/2 cup light-tasting olive oil

1/2 roasted sweet red pepper, pureed

2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice

4 to 10 drops hot pepper sauce

1/4 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper

Beat egg yolk in mixer. With mixer running, very slowly add oil, allowing mixture to thicken from first addition of oil. Add pureed red pepper, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, hot pepper sauce, salt and pepper.

Mix well. Add remaining lemon juice, if desired. Adjust seasonings to taste. Can be made 3 days ahead and refrigerated. Makes 2/3 cup.

Fruit soups are typical bistro desserts. Just be sure the selection is juicy and flavorful; vary sugar according to sweetness of fruit. Serve in shallow soup plates set on larger dinner plates, with simple butter cookies on the side.

MARINATED FRUIT WITH MINT AND WHITE WINE

1 cup water

2 tablespoons dry white wine

1/3 cup sugar

1 small bunch fresh mint leaves

5 to 6 cups fresh fruit: grapefruit segments, orange segments, sliced peaches, nectarines or strawberries

Butter cookies, optional

Bring water, wine and sugar to boil on stove top or in microwave oven. Remove from heat. Add 16 mint leaves. Let cool. Strain liquid and discard mint leaves. Can be made 1 day ahead to this point and refrigerated.

Combine liquid with mixed fruit and chill. Grapefruit and orange segments can be refrigerated overnight, peaches and nectarines up to 3 hours and strawberries up to 1 hour.

Serve fruit chilled. Gently toss in 1 tablespoon julienned mint leaves. Divide between 6 chilled soup plates. Garnish each with mint leaf. Serve with butter cookies. Makes 6 servings.

Each serving, without cookies, contains about:

102 calories; 0 sodium; 0 cholesterol; 0 fat; 23 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 0.48 gram fiber.