Gluten is a protein found in wheat as well as some other grains (e.g., barley, rye, spelt, kamut, and triticale). In addition to being present in breads, it is also a frequently used additive in many commercially prepared foods. Primarily used to thicken and stabilize products, it also adds flavor.
Although the French are not typically known for gluten-free recipes, many dishes do not involve the use of flour or other related grains. After careful thought regarding our meal the following menu was created.
DINNER AT RU AND LOU’S
Butternut Squash and Apple Soup
Roasted Wild Salmon
in Pink Peppercorn Sauce
Peach Sorbet
Duck Shepard’s Pie
Salad with Three Cheeses
Morbier (cow’s milk)
Bucherondin De Chevre (goat’s milk)
P’Tit Basque (sheep’s milk)
Noire et Blanc:
Valrhona Dark Chocolate Mousse
Caramelized Valrhona White Chocolate Panna Cotta
As we started the prep for dinner everything was going just fine right up to the point that I realized that the sauce for the Duck Shepard’s Pie is thickened with a roux (i.e., a cooked mixture of flour and fat). A quick search for “gluten free roux” on the internet revealed several alternatives, but none really jumped out at me as being an identical taste and consistency substitute. With a little thought I quickly realized that I was going to have to go “old school” on this recipe. Having, as I am sure everyone does, some duck bones in the freezer that were left over from another recipe, I made some duck stock. However, added to the duck bones were some beef bones to add the thickening power of some of the connective tissue.
One thing that I have learned is that roasting bones and vegetables to produce a dark stock can really mess up your oven from all of fat splattering around. Therefore, the barbeque is a great place to do the roasting without worrying so much about the mess.
The stock was simmered very slowly for many hours. Prior to making this dish, I reduced the stock to thicken it even further.
The butternut squash and apple soup is fairly straight forward. Home made chicken stock, leaks, celery, onion, Granny Smith apples, and butternut squash are all cooked together. What made this an especially good choice, other than the relatively cold evenings, was that this recipe is thickened with rice that you cook with everything else.
When it is pureed and cream is added the mixture is thick and velvety.
A multi-day process, the Duck Shepard’s Pie consisted of duck legs that were first marinated over night in red wine, root vegetables, and herbs.
Vacuum packing the duck and marinade helps infuse the flavors.
Removed from the marinade and dried, the duck is first browned. Then the vegetables are browned and both are covered with the red wine marinade and the duck stock.
Placed in the oven at a low temperature, the duck cooks for about three hours until it falls off the bone.
The meat is separated and the vegetables are strained out of the cooking liquid. This liquid is then further reduced until it is thick and wonderful.
The meat and vegetables are placed into small cooking vessels and toped with a mixture of cooked potatoes, parsnips, and celery root.
The king salmon was simply roasted and placed on a bed of sautéed spinach. The pink peppercorn sauce is a reduction of white wine and shallots. Tomato paste is then added. The thickener here is heavy cream, which when reduced naturally thickens.
Peach sorbet was not a problem and guests had the option of splashing on a little peach vodka if they wanted.
The Duck Shepard’s Pie is topped with some grated Parmesan cheese and baked to heat it all up. Then it is placed under the broiler to brown before serving.
The salad is kind of self explanatory by now, but when we do a French cheese course we like to pick a variety of cow’s milk (raw), sheep’s milk, and goat’s milk.
The Dessert
Finally, there is the dessert course. Our favorite dark chocolate mousse is made with raw eggs (we were into the “Raw” movement before most). Chocolate is melted with espresso coffee and added to egg yolks that have been beaten for a long time. Beaten egg whites are folded in and it is refrigerated overnight. This mouse is served with some sweetened whipped cream.
Now the white chocolate panna cotta was one of those recipes that when I first saw it I was somewhat skeptical. I was reading Eric Ripert’s new cookbook/travel log in which he described this dessert. Normally, everyone who works with chocolate is very careful not to burn it when melting it for some use. This recipe placed the white chocolate in a baking dish in a 300 degree oven. I first experimented with a less expensive chocolate than Valrhona. With some careful watching and stirring, it slowly started to turn a golden brown and caramelized. The flavor turned from the typical sweetness of white chocolate to a nutty and mellow flavor. When I next tried the recipe with the Valrhona white chocolate it was wonderful! In the comparison you can see the change in color from pure while to golden. For the panna cotta the chocolate is mixed with milk and cream and gelatin is added to thicken it.
Everyone seemed to enjoy the meal, even those who are not on a gluten-free diet. The only thing that I cheated on was to put some warm bread on the table as a vehicle to both soak up the sauces and to hold the French butter that we always serve.
