AT THE AGE OF TWELVE, JEAN-LOUIS PALLADIN WOULD RATHER PEEL POTATOES IN A RESTAURANT THAN GO TO SCHOOL IN HIS SMALL GASCON VILLAGE IN SOUTHWESTERN FRANCE.
HE TOLD ME "I LIKED IT, I LIKED IT, I LIKED IT, AND THEN ONE DAY I LOVED IT AND MADE IT MY LIFE."
AS SOON AS HE COULD DO SO, HE ENROLLED IN THE HOTEL SCHOOL IN TOULOUSE AND THEN BEGAN A SERIES OF APPRENTICESHIPS IN CHEF POSITIONS STARTING AT THE HOTEL DE PARIS IN MONTE CARLO AND ENDING AT THE FAMED PLAZA ATHENEE IN PARIS.
THEN HE RETURNED TO HIS NATIVE VILLAGE CONDOM AND STARTED HIS OWN RESTAURANT LA TABLE DES CORDELIERS.
AND AT TWENTY EIGHT HE BECAME THE YOUNGEST CHEF EVER TO BE AWARDED TWO STARS BY THE GUIDE MICHELIN.
THE RESTAURANT STILL HOLDS ITS PLACE IN THE GUIDE.
BUT THE STARS ARE GONE BECAUSE IN 1979, CHEF JEAN-LOUIS WAS ENTICED TO HEAD HIS OWN RESTAURANT, JEAN-LOUIS AT THE WATERGATE IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
HE CONSIDERS AMERICA ONE OF THE BEST FOOD PLACES IN THE WORLD AND SAYS, HE'S PROUD THAT THE INFLUENCES OF FRENCH CHEFS HAVE HELPED TRACE A LITTLE PATH FROM THEIR KITCHENS TO OURS.
AND WE'RE TRACING A PATH FROM AMERICA BACK TO JEAN-LOUIS GASCON DAYS, USING FINE MEATY HUDSON RIVER VALLEY DUCK BREASTS AND TOP-NOTCH QUALITY AMERICAN FOIE GRAS.
THE FOIE GRAS IS A FATTENED LIVER FROM THE DUCK AND TODAY WE ARE DOING IT WITH APPLE.
I'M JUST GOING TO PEEL AN APPLE FOR THE GARNISH OF THE DUCK LIVER.
YOU CAN TAKE DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT BRAND OF APPLE.
I'M COOKING WITH GRANNY SMITH RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THE GRANNY SMITH IS A POROUS APPLE AND TAKE THE SAUCE.
NOW, WHEN YOU EAT IT, YOU HAVE ALL THE SAUCE INSIDE THE APPLE.
I'M KEEPING, I'M JUST KEEPING THE PEEL BECAUSE THE PEEL GOING TO BE VERY IMPORTANT TO MAKE THE SAUCE.
I'M CUTTING BY MIDDLE, TAKING OUT THE SEED AND TAKING SOME WATER AND SOME SUGAR.
HERE, THE THING IS YOU DON'T WANT YOUR APPLE TO BE, TO GET BLACK.
YOU TAKE SOME LEMON AND YOU RUB WITH LEMON.
THEY GOING TO STAY WHITE.
THE PEEL, I'M GOING TO PUT THE PEEL INSIDE AND SOME SUGAR, EVERYTHING IS VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO USE THE SYRUP, WE'RE GOING TO USE THE SYRUP FOR THE SAUCE TOO.
NOW, I'M GOING TO COOK THE APPLE, YOU DON'T WANT THE APPLE TO BE OVER-COOKED, JUST FOR ABOUT FIFTEEN MINUTES, ABOUT 200 - 250 TO 300 DEGREES ON THE TOP OF THE STOVE.
OKAY, WE HAVE THE APPLE BOILING, WHAT WE ARE DOING NOW, WE ARE GOING TO CLEAN THE FOIE GRAS.
IT'S NOT A LOT TO DO.
IT'S JUST SOME LITTLE FIBER AND ONE VERY IMPORTANT THING IS, ON THIS HOLE IS THE BILE, IF YOU SEE SOME GREEN SPOT YOU JUST NEED TO CLEAN IT BECAUSE IT IS GOING TO BE VERY BITTER IF YOU DON'T DO THAT.
OKAY, HERE WE ARE LOOKING AT SOME LITTLE ARTERIES.
OKAY, WHAT I'M DOING NOW, I'M TAKING SOME SALT AND PEPPER AND JUST SEASONING THE FOIE GRAS.
WE'RE GOING TO COOK IT ON THE OVEN, NOT, REALLY NOT TOO FAST, ABOUT 250, 300 DEGREES.
I'M TAKING THE FOIE GRAS, TO COOK THE FOIE GRAS AND ONE INTERESTING THING YOU DON'T NEED TO USE ANY FAT AT ALL BECAUSE THE FOIE GRAS GOT THE FAT ALREADY BY ITSELF.
AND THE FAT OF THE FOIE GRAS IT'S VERY, VERY HEALTHY.
NOW THE FINAL ACTION, WE ARE COOKING THE FOIE GRAS AND WAITING FOR THE DUCK FAT TO BOIL.
YOU DON'T WANT THE FOIE GRAS TO STICK ON THE BOTTOM OF THE PAN.
YOU WANT THE FOIE GRAS TO HAVE A NICE COLOR.
WE'RE GOING TO COOK FOR ABOUT FIVE TO SIX MINUTES ON THIS SIDE, I'M JUST LOOKING AT THE COLOR OF THE FOIE GRAS AND I'M TURNING IT BECAUSE HE HAS A NICE BROWN COLOR.
I'M TAKING SOME SHALLOTS TO GIVE SOME TASTE TO THE SAUCE.
EVERYTHING GOING TO SIMMER VERY SLOWLY.
THE FOIE GRAS IS COOKED EXACTLY LIKE A PIECE OF BEEF WHEN IT'S A LITTLE HARD ON THE FINGER.
WHAT I'M GOING TO DO NOW IS I'M JUST GOING TO DRAIN THE FOIE GRAS ON A TOWEL.
NOW I NEED TO TAKE OUT THE GREASE AND KEEP THE GREASE.
I'M GOING TO STRAIN THE GREASE.
YOU SEE THE BOTTOM PART OF THE PAN IS THE BEST PART TO DO THE SAUCE.
YOU NEED THE SHALLOT BACK INTO THE PAN.
WHAT I'M GOING TO TAKE NOW IS SOME PORTO, WHO GONNA BE THE BASE OF THE SAUCE.
I CUT ONE APPLE, I'M GOING TO USE IT TO DO THE SAUCE INSIDE THE PAN AND NOW I'M GOING TO TAKE THE SYRUP I DID THIS MORNING WITH, TO COOK THE APPLE.
AND NOW WE'RE GOING TO REDUCE ALL THE JUICE TO MAKE THE SAUCE.
YOU CLEAN, VERY IMPORTANT TO CLEAN THE PAN BECAUSE ALL, ALL THE TASTE IS ON THE BOTTOM OF THE PAN.
THAT'S GOING TO GIVE TO THE SAUCE THE FLAVOR OF THE FOIE GRAS.
I'M ADDING THE BASE WHO IS RICH VEAL STOCK.
OR YOU COULD TAKE A DUCK STOCK AND THAT GOING TO BE THE BODY OF THE SAUCE.
ABOUT FIVE LADLE OF TWO OUNCES.
NOW WE NEED TO REDUCE FOR ABOUT FIVE MINUTE TO HAVE THE THICKNESS OF THE SAUCE.
THE CONSISTENCY OF THE SAUCE IS LIKE A SYRUP AND I'M GOING TO STRAIN IT RIGHT NOW.
AND I'M POURING THE SAUCE INSIDE THE STRAINER, IF THE SAUCE IS JUST A LITTLE BIT TOO THICK, YOU STILL HAVE SOME SYRUP FROM THE APPLE WE COOKED AND THAT MAYBE WE NEED TO USE A LITTLE BIT OF THAT.
MOST IMPORTANT, WHEN YOU STRAIN THE SAUCE, YOU NEED TO STRAIN, TO PUSH VERY HARD BECAUSE ALL THE TASTE IS INSIDE THE APPLE AND INSIDE YOUR SHALLOTS.
YOU SEE THE CONSISTENCY, IT'S JUST A LITTLE BIT, TOO MUCH REDUCED.
WHAT I'M GOING TO DO, TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF SYRUP AND THE SAUCE IS READY.
OKAY, NOW THE FOIE GRAS DRAINED FOR ABOUT FIFTEEN MINUTES, WE JUST TAKE OUT THE EXCESS OF GREASE, BUT THE FOIE GRAS DOESN'T HAVE ANY DUCK FAT ANYMORE.
NOW, WHAT, WHAT WE ARE DOING, WE ARE JUST PUTTING THE FOIE GRAS INSIDE THE SAUCE TO HEAT THE FOIE GRAS BUT ALSO TO REFORM THE FOIE GRAS.
THE AMOUNT OF DUCK FAT THE FOIE GRAS LOST, NEEDS TO REVIVE WITH THE SAUCE.
UMM, SO GOOD.
JUST DON'T, DON'T BOIL TOO, TOO HARD, IF NOT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A FOIE GRAS WELL DONE AND YOU DON'T WANT A FOIE GRAS WELL DONE, YOU DON'T, YOU WANT THE FOIE GRAS KIND OF MEDIUM RARE.
THE FOIE GRAS NOW IS READY TO EAT.
NOW, FINAL STAGE OF THE RECIPE, I'M GOING TO DRAIN THE APPLE ON A TOWEL AND PLACE THE APPLE ON A PLATE, LIKE THAT.
NOW, I'M TAKING THE FOIE GRAS AND I'M GOING TO CUT A PIECE OF FOIE GRAS.
NICE CUT.
I'M ADDING THE SAUCE ON THE TOP OF THE APPLE AND ON THE TOP OF THE FOIE GRAS.
WHAT'S BEAUTIFUL ABOUT THIS RECIPE IS THE SIMPLICITY OF IT; THERE ARE ONLY TWO ELEMENTS IN THE SAUCE.
BON APPETIT!
THAT'S A MARVELOUS DISH.
SO OFTEN WHEN YOU GET A WONDERFUL SOMETHING LIKE FOIE GRAS IT'S SO GOOD OF ITSELF THAT ITS SIMPLE COOKING METHOD SHOWS IT OFF TO ITS BEST.
I'M READY FOR THIS AGAIN ANY TIME.
IN JEAN-LOUIS CHILDHOOD HOME, THE HEARTH WAS ALMOST AS WIDE AS THE WALL OF THE HOUSE.
THERE WERE ALWAYS THE EMBERS OF A FIRE GOING AND ALWAYS A BIG POT OF SOUP SUSPENDED OVER THEM.
LOTS OF COOKING WAS DONE IN THAT FIREPLACE.
AND JEAN-LOUIS IS ABOUT TO SHOW US HOW EASY IT IS TO USE ANY HOME FIREPLACE AS AN OVEN AS HE ROASTS SOME HERB-COATED DUCK BREAST.
I'M DOING LE MAGRET DU CANARD A LA FICELLE OR TRANSLATED, THE BREAST OF DUCK WITH A STRING.
WHY WITH A STRING?
BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO COOK THE BREAST ON THE FIREPLACE.
FIRST THING I'M DOING, JUST CUTTING THE LITTLE FILET OUT AND WHAT WE CALL TENDERLOIN AND I'M GOING TO TAKE OUT A LITTLE BIT OF GRISTLE FROM THE BREAST AND WE'RE GOING TO COOK THE BREAST ON THE FIREPLACE.
WHY THE FIREPLACE?
BECAUSE I BELIEVE IT IS THE BEST, REALLY IS THE BEST WAY TO COOK SOMETHING AND TO HAVE THE BEST, BEST, BEST TASTE YOU CAN HAVE.
THE THING IS, I'M CUTTING INTO THE SKIN JUST TO HAVE THE COOKING A LITTLE BIT BETTER ON, ON THE OTHER SIDE, BECAUSE YOU SEE THIS ONE IS THE LEAN SIDE AND THIS ONE IS THE GREASY SIDE.
I'M GOING TO CUT IT ONTO THE GREASE, WHY?
JUST TO HAVE THE HEAT ENTER INSIDE THE MEAT.
WHAT I'M GOING TO DO NOW, JUST TAKE THE SALT AND PEPPER ON THE TOP, ON THE SKIN AND ON THE MEAT.
I LOVE BLACK PEPPER, THAT'S WHY I USE IT.
THE PERFUME IS MUCH, MUCH BETTER THAN THE WHITE ONE.
I'M GOING TO ADD SOME HERB.
HERE WE HAVE SOME THYME, IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY THYME YOU CAN GO WITH A LITTLE BIT OF ROSEMARY BECAUSE ROSEMARY IS VERY, IT'S VERY STRONG.
THE THYME IS MORE SUBTLE.
OKAY, ON A, ON A, ON THIS SIDE, YOU HAVE TWO SIDES, ONE IS A LITTLE BIT THINNER THAN THE OTHER.
WHAT I WANT TO DO, I TAKE THE STRING, WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IS JUST ADD THE STRING INTO SOME OIL LIKE THAT, YOU ARE SAVED THE STRING NEVER GOING TO BURN, JUST TAKING THE STRING UNDER THE BREAST, AND TIE IT CLOSELY LIKE THAT SO THE MEAT IS NOT LOOSE.
YOU SEE, EXACTLY LIKE, LIKE A SAUSAGE AND TAKING THE END OF THE STRING AND PASS OVER THE OTHER ONE, LIKE THAT.
LOOK AT THAT, BEAUTIFUL.
THIS PIECE IS READY.
WE NEED A LONG STRING, WHY?
BECAUSE WE NEED TO SUSPEND ON THE FIREPLACE.
I'M DOING THE SAME THING INSIDE THE OIL WITH THE OTHER ONE.
TAKING THE PIECE OF MEAT AND TIE IT AS TIGHT AS POSSIBLE.
YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT INTERESTING WHEN AH, WHEN YOU DO COOKING ON THE FIREPLACE IS YOU CAN, YOU CAN COOK DIFFERENT PIECES OF MEAT.
WE'RE DOING THE MAGRET TODAY, BUT YOU CAN DO A BEAUTIFUL CHICKEN, YOU CAN DO SOME GUINEA HEN, YOU CAN DO SOME SUCKLING PIG, YOU CAN DO, IT'S, IT'S VERY, VERY INTERESTING COOKING.
WHEN I WAS YOUNG, I JUST COOKED ALL MY YOUNG LIFE, FOR 21 YEARS WITH A CHIMNEY FIREPLACE AND WHEN I CAME TO WASHINGTON, I DIDN'T HAVE ANY ONE.
BUT THAT'S THE BEST FOR ME, IT'S THE BEST COOKING EVER.
NOW THE PIECE OF MEAT IS READY TO BE HANGED ON THE FIREPLACE AND TO BE READY TO COOK.
AND WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO, WE'RE GOING TO HANG LIKE THAT AND TURN IT, AND IT'S READY TO GO.
TO DO THIS RECIPE YOU NEED TO HAVE A BEAUTIFUL FIRE.
FIRST, WE'RE GOING TO COOK THE MAGRET ON THE FIRE.
I WEDGE A PIECE OF IRON OR COOPER OR WHATEVER YOU WANT TO SUSPEND THE MAGRET ON IT.
WHAT YOU DO, YOU TAKE THE STRING AND YOU HAVE THE MAGRET AROUND HALF A FOOT FROM THE BOTTOM.
LIKE THAT.
YOU TAKE THE OTHER ONE, YOU CAN DO THREE OR FOUR LIKE THAT, ON THE SAME HEIGHT.
OKAY, NOW WE ARE READY TO BASTE WITH SOME OF DUCK FAT, THE MAGRET WAS ALREADY SALTED AND PEPPERED, NOW WE'RE GOING TO TAKE ABOUT 20 TO 25 MINUTES TO COOK.
TO HAVE A COOKING, EVEN COOKING, YOU JUST TURN THE MAGRET LIKE THAT AND YOU BASTE EVERY FOUR OR FIVE MINUTES.
WE CONTINUE TO BASTE, UH, TIME TO TIME AND TO TURN A LITTLE BIT OF THE MAGRET FOR THE COOKING.
THE MAGRET IS GOING TO COOK NOT BY THE FLAME OF THE FIRE, BUT BY REFLECTION OF, OF, THE HEAT AGAINST THE BACK OF THE FIREPLACE INTO THE MAGRET.
AND NOW, LOOK AT THE BEAUTIFUL MAGRET OF DUCK.
WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO, TAKE OFF THE STRING, FIRST.
CUT THE STRING AND YOU SEE THE COLOR.
TODAY WE'RE GOING TO PRESENT THE MAGRET WITH SOME PORCINI MUSHROOM, JUST SAUTEED WITH SOME GARLIC AND THYME.
I'M GOING TO PICK UP THE MUSHROOM NOW.
TODAY, I CHOOSE MUSHROOM BECAUSE I, I LOVE THE PORCINI MUSHROOM AND, BUT, YOU CAN DO A GRATIN OF POTATO, YOU CAN DO, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER PLEASE YOU, SOME GREEN CABBAGE.
OKAY, NOW, I'M CUTTING, I'M CUTTING THE MAGRET OF DUCK, ARRANGE ON THE TOP OFTHE MUSHROOM.
AND, YOU STILL HAVE ON THE BOTTOM OF THE PLATE SOME JUICE AND THIS JUICE IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT, GOING, GOING TO BE POURED ON TOP OF THE MAGRET AND THE JUICE HAS A TASTE, A FANTASTIC TASTE.
LOOK, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL PLATE YOU'VE GOT.
IF YOU WANT, JUST PUT A LITTLE BIT OF THYME AND THE DISH IS OVER.
SO, AFTER SOME THIRTY THREE YEARS IN THE KITCHEN, CHEF JEAN-LOUIS PALLADIN, THIS OPEN AND EXUBERANT MAN IS STILL PASSIONATELY IN LOVE WITH HIS PROFESSION AS HE IS WITH EVERYTHING ELSE HE DOES.
"LIFE IS FUN," SAYS HE.
AND IT IS.
THIS IS JULIA CHILD FOR COOKING WITH MASTER CHEFS.
BON APPETIT.
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