Not-So-Fancy French Food

Can a chef in France who rates 17 out of 20 Gault-Millau points and is accustomed to cooking refined cuisine come up with a menu that can easily be cooked at home? Chef Reine Sammut, co-owner, with her husband Guy, of La Feniere restaurant in the quaint Provencal village of Lourmarin, put together a meal that is wonderfully expressive of her region and is not difficult.

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WARM CARROT SALAD WITH CUMIN

2 pounds young carrots, peeled Salt 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil 3 large cloves garlic, minced 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin 2 1/2 to 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar Freshly ground pepper 3 cups mixed field greens, rinsed and crisped

Cook carrots in boiling salted water to cover until just tender. Drain and place under cold running water until cold. Cut into thin slices and transfer to 6-cup mixing bowl.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook without browning, about 4 minutes. Add cumin. Mix well. Add 2 1/2 tablespoons vinegar to deglaze skillet. Pour warm mixture over carrots. Toss to mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix well again. To this point, salad can be made several hours in advance and kept at room temperature.

To serve, gently reheat carrots (if made ahead). Arrange greens on 4 salad plates. Top with warm carrots, evenly divided. Season to taste with pepper. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about:

268 calories; 158 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 18 grams fat; 26 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams protein; 2.69 grams fiber.

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PROVENCAL FARM CHICKEN IN RED WINE

2 tablespoons olive oil 1 (3-pound) chicken, cut into 8 serving pieces, rinsed, dried with paper towels Salt Freshly ground pepper 4 ounces smoked lean bacon, cut into small pieces 1 pint basket pearl onions, dropped into boiling water and peeled 1 pound medium mushrooms, coarsely chopped 1 bottle light red wine 1 sprig thyme 1 bay leaf Steamed small peeled potatoes, optional

Heat oil in 14-inch-deep heavy casserole over medium-high heat. When very hot, lightly season chicken to taste with salt and pepper. Then brown (in batches, if too crowded) on both sides, turning once, about 6 minutes total, if done in 1 batch.

Add bacon, onions and mushrooms to chicken. Cook until very hot, shaking pan as necessary to distribute ingredients. When hot, add wine and 1 cup water. Add thyme and bay leaf. Cook barely at simmer, covered, 1 hour or until done. Add more water if liquid evaporates too much. Transfer cooked chicken to heated serving platter and tent with foil to keep warm. Skim fat off pan juices, if desired. Boil pan juices with vegetables, uncovered, until reduced to about 1 1/4 cups liquid, about 10 minutes. Discard thyme and bay leaf. Adjust seasonings to taste. Ladle sauce over chicken and serve with steamed potatoes. Makes 4 servings.

Each serving, without potatoes, contains about:

768 calories; 423 mg sodium; 149 mg cholesterol; 50 grams fat; 13 grams carbohydrates; 38 grams protein; 1.19 grams fiber.

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FRUIT GRATIN IN SABAYON SAUCE

5 cups mixed raspberries, strawberries, cubed ripe pears (tossed in little lemon juice to keep them from turning brown) 3 large egg yolks 3 tablespoons sugar 1/4 cup Beaumes de Venise or other sweet Muscat wine 1/2 cup whipping cream

Arrange mixed fruit in 6-cup-capacity shallow gratin dish. Keep chilled.

Beat egg yolks (save egg white for another use) and sugar in mixer until very light and smooth, about 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat Muscat in microwave oven or stove top until very hot. Slowly drizzle hot Muscat into egg yolk mixture as mixer is running. Stop mixer when Muscat is mixed in. Transfer sauce to top of double boiler. Cook over--not on--boiling water until very thick (almost poached-looking) and hot, 3 to 5 minutes, depending on heat. Stir constantly. Transfer sauce to 2-cup bowl and refrigerate several hours until chilled.

Whip cream until thick. Keep chilled.

To serve, combine whipped cream and sabayon, both chilled. Evenly spread over fruit. Broil about 5 inches from heat until lightly browned. Watch constantly to avoid burning. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about:

245 calories; 19 mg sodium; 245 mg cholesterol; 16 grams fat; 22 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams protein; 1.9 grams fiber.