Daniel Boulud - Daniel’s Dish: Entertaining at Home With a Four-Star Chef

To Micky and Alix for whom I cook Daniels dishes at home.

Food stylists, Cyrille Allannic, Rmy Fnfrock and Lior Lev Sercarz

Prop stylist, Sonja Jurgens

Editor, Jessica Dheere

Copyeditor, Jennifer Ditsler-Ladonne

Copyright 2003 Daniel Boulud Ltd

Photographs copyright Peter Medilek / Food Look NYC

First eBook Edition: November 2009

Filipacchi Publishing

Hachette Book Group

237 Park Avenue,

New York, NY 10017

Visit our website at www.HachetteBookGroup.com

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

ISBN: 978-1-933-23177-8

by Margaret Russell

Im fairly certain that when Daniel Boulud asked me to write the foreword to this book, he was under the impression that I could cook. After all, wed known each other even before he began writing Daniels Dish for ELLE DECOR in 1995. Over the years, weve spent a lot of time togetherplanning the columns for the magazine at his three Manhattan restaurants, DANIEL, Caf Boulud and DB Bistro Moderne; and at charity fundraisers and ELLE DECOR events. But somehow the subject of my kitchen skills never came up. Thankfully, he was unaware that the contents of my refrigerator consisted of champagne, bottled water, mustard, jam, and a few jars of Crme de la Mer moisturizer.

And yes, to tell the truth, I had often collaborated with one of the greatest chefs of out time and hadnt even attempted to whip up a single one of the recipes hed created for the magazine. I had every intention of doing so, of course, but a litany of excuses prevented meI travel a great deal, I work late hours, its so much easier to order in or eat out, and so on. After my initial reluctance (and panic that my complete lack of interest in turning on an oven would finally be revealed), I had an epiphany: I love a great meal, I enjoy entertaining and I have, in fact, cooked in the past and could conceivably try it once again.

So I started by refamiliarizing myself with my kitchen appliances and taking baby stepsfamily dishes from childhood and recipes from magazines, newspapers and cookbooks. To lower my anxiety level, I avoided any recipes with more than six ingredients. I made many mistakes; I couldnt tell the difference between scallions and leeks, I stubbornly refused to follow directions, and I burned food I didnt even know could burn. But as my confidence grew and my culinary skills advanced, the process of cooking at home began to give me more pleasure than pain; it ceased to be intimidating and was actually fun. Amazingly, by the time I received the advance material for this cookbook, I was even ready to attempt . (Although it requires more than six ingredients, its relatively easy and, better yet, looks impressive!)

Both novice and gourmet cooks will appreciate the uncomplicated approach of Daniels Dish: Entertaining at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Its rare for a world-class chef to produce a guide for the home cook that isnt too daunting, but, like Daniel himself, this book is straightforward and pragmatic. More than just a compilation of the best of Daniels ELLE DECOR columns from the past eight years, it features both newly created dishes and updates of perennial favorites. Recipes for everything from frozen drinks to canaps to cassoulet and spicy sea bass to cupcakes and cherry clafoutis are organized into four sections, followed by suggested menus for entertaining as well as menus based on the availability of seasonal ingredients. Wine pairings for each dish are also provided, thanks to the expertise of restaurant DANIELs award-winning sommelier, Jean Luc Le D, whose taste and insight have always been an integral part of the Daniels Dish columns. The book even includes a shortlist of pantry essentials (my kitchen is now well stocked), basic equipment every home chef should own, and Daniels topflight sources for tableware and kitchen products.

Readers who have had the memorable experience of dining at one of Daniels four restaurants (Caf Boulud in Palm Beach opened last summer) will recognize his trademarks: extraordinary attention to detail, a focus on fresh seasonal ingredients of the highest quality, a constant quest for a surprising mix of flavors, and a subtle sophistication without an ounce of pretense. Daniels Dish, like ELLE DECOR, celebrates passion, joie de vivre, and inspiration from around the globe and encourages the reader to experiment and play.

As for me, my neighborhood bistro is off my speed dial and Im no longer apoplectic at the thought of cooking a holiday turkeyproof that theres no one better that Daniel Boulud to show us all that, like decorating, cooking and entertaining with style should be easy, relaxing and fun.

Margaret Russell, ELLE DECOR, editor-in-chief

Dinner service is the point at which the curtain rises at my restaurant DANIEL. The days preparationthe baking of breads and pastries, the selection of ingredients, the polishing of silver and arranging of flowers, the finalizing of the menuis complete, and the guests start to arrive. The matre ds, waiters, sous-chefs, line cooks, and busboys, like the cast of an opera, have taken their places and are waiting for their cue to begin.

My desire, always, is that, in the execution of their individual roles, the members of my staff make everyone feel as if the entire production has been orchestrated just for them. From that touch of crme frache gently applied to a caviar canap with a single fork tine to the light and airy spun-sugar basket of a Pineapple and Coconut Givr, every detail should reinforce the idea that an evening at DANIEL is nothing short of a dream.

I cant imagine the host who wouldnt want this, even on a small scale, for his guests. What host doesnt want to serve a beautifully concocted cocktail? What cook wouldnt relish an It smells wonderful! from a special friend? And what amateur pastry chef wouldnt want their table companions to gasp like children as the desserts exit the kitchen? This impulse to please strikes me as similar to that which inspires designers and homeowners to realize their singular visions for the interiors published in ELLE DECOR, which is why eight years ago, when my recipes began to run in the magazine, the partnership seemed so natural.

Recreating such a scene may sound like a daunting task, especially for the home chef, but it is far from an impossible one. With the recipes here, as with the ones that have appeared in ELLE DECOR, I share my style of home entertaining, giving readers insight into how I prepare meals for friends and familythe people I most love to cook for. I want to convey that with planning, fresh seasonal ingredients, and simplified techniques, the home kitchen can become a source of dishes that reveal the depth of flavor and surprising juxtapositions of textures that my guests have come to expect at my restaurants. Equally important is to make sure that cooks using these recipes can also enjoy the time they have with their guests, as I do during dinner service at DANIEL, so particular attention has been paid to allowing for preparation in stages and keeping last-minute steps to a minimum. Most of all, I want to give you the tools and techniques that will let you enjoy the chefs art as much as I do.

Many of the ELLE DECOR dishes re-surface here, but a number of the recipes represent new creations or, in a few cases, adaptations of longtime favorites, like the Asian-, North African, and Indian-inspired renditions of my Classic Burger. Divided into four chaptersCocktails, Small Bites, and Starters; Fish and Shellfish; Meat, Poultry, and Side Dishes; and Breads and Desserts