Eat French!

Magret de canard aux grains de poivre
(duck with peppercorns)

From the kitchen of chef Daniel Pont, chef and owner of La Bonne Soupe Café; 920 8th Street, (916) 492-9506.

Ingredients:
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 duck breast, skinned
4 tsp duck stock
2 tsp crème fraîche
1 tsp green peppercorns in vinegar, drained
salt
fresh parsley to garnish

Instructions:
1. Heat oil in a heavy frying pan.
2. Add the duck breast and cook over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes on each side.
3. Transfer the duck breast to a plate and cover to keep warm. Pour off any fat from the pan and deglaze with two teaspoons of Cognac, then add the duck stock and peppercorns. Reduce the sauce and add crème fraîche. Boil for 2-3 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly, then season with salt.
4. This duck breast should be served medium rare.

Serves two.

Poulet au vinaigre et a l’echalotte
(chicken with vinegar and shallots)

From the kitchen of chef Daniel Pont, chef and owner of La Bonne Soupe Café; 920 8th Street, (916) 492-9506.

Ingredients:
3 to 4 lb chicken, cut up
salt
pepper
2 tsp vegetable oil
4 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 tsp thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup red wine
2 shallots, diced
1 tsp butter
fresh parsley

Instructions:
1. Salt and pepper chicken.
2. Heat oil in a large pot and brown chicken on all sides. Add garlic, thyme and bay leaf and cover.
3. Cook on medium heat for 7-8 minutes, gradually adding half of the vinegar.
4. Cover and simmer for a half hour.
5. When the chicken is done, remove from pot and place in a warm platter.
6. Whisk butter into sauce and pour over chicken and sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley

Serves four.

Roasted herb leg of lamb

“This is simple French cooking at its best,” says Daniel Pont, chef and owner of La Bonne Soupe Café; 920 8th Street, (916) 492-9506.

Ingredients:
leg of lamb
2 or 3 garlic cloves
bay leaves
1 tsp butter
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp chopped fresh parsley
juice of two lemons
salt
pepper

Instructions:
1. Slice two or three garlic cloves. Make small cuts in the meat and insert slices of garlic inside. Put the meat onto foil with bay leaves underneath.
2. In a small bowl, mix butter, thyme, rosemary, parsley, lemon, salt and pepper. Spread mixture over upper surface of meat.
3. Loosely wrap foil around the joint of meat.
4. Place in roasting pan and roast in preheated over at 400 Fahrenheit for about an hour.
5. Unwrap foil and baste meat with melted fat.
6. Continue roasting, uncovered, for 25 minutes until crisp on outside.