‘I didn’t think I would live in France, but then I got hooked on French food and culture’

Feel like you’re French with these classic dinner party dishes

This is an edited extract from French at Heart: Recipes That Bring France Home by Marjorie Taylor, Kendall Smith Franchini and Jess Thomson. (Abrams, $60). Photography: Anson Smart

People ask us all the time how in the world we found ourselves, a mother-daughter duo from Arizona, living and working in the heart of Burgundy. It didn’t start with a road map or a fancy bank account, but really, with two things: French food and French culture. Throughout my career as a pastry chef and a cook while Kendall was a girl, I had fallen in love with French food. I didn’t set out thinking I would ever end up living in France. But I did have a sense of wonder, and it was important to me to instill in Kendall the belief that she could do anything she dreamed about.

Marjorie Taylor and Kendall Smith Franchini in France. Photo: Abbie Melle

Roast lamb rack, served pink, from French at Heart. Photo: Anson Smart

French-style rack of lamb

Ingredients

• 2 lamb rib roasts (8 ribs each), frenched
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled but whole
• Fleur de sel
• 8 rosemary sprigs, plus more sprigs for garnish
• ¼ cup (60ml) plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Take the racks of lamb out of the fridge and let them come to room temperature (minimum 1 hour) before searing. Tie to secure the meat for even roasting, or have your butcher do this. Pound the garlic in a mortar and pestle with a little pinch of salt until it forms a paste. Remove the leaves from the rosemary stems and, using a sharp knife, finely mince. (You should have 2 tablespoons or so.) Add it to the mortar with the crushed garlic along with 1 tablespoon salt and stir to combine.
2. Drizzle the lamb with ¼ cup (60ml) of the olive oil, rubbing it all over the racks. Sprinkle the rosemary salt evenly over the racks on all sides. Let rest at room temperature for 1 additional hour.
3. Preheat the oven to 205C. Heat two large ovenproof frypans over medium-high heat. When hot, add about 1 tablespoon of oil to each pan, tilting the pans to coat each evenly. Place a rack in each pan, fatty-side down, and cook until nicely browned, 2-3 minutes. Turn the racks 90 degrees, so that the bones are sticking straight up, and brown the meat on the short side of each rack for another 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the racks fat-side up and season with pepper.
4. Transfer the pans to the oven and roast until the racks are nicely browned, the temperature in the centre registers 52C, and the meat is still quite pink in the centre, 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven, transfer to a wooden cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes. Cut each rack into chops. Arrange on a board or warm platter with plenty of fresh rosemary and serve.

Serves 4-6

Gratin Dauphinois is a perfect side. Photo: Anson Smart

French at Heart: Recipes That Bring France Home.

Gratin dauphinois

Ingredients

• 1 clove garlic, smashed and peeled
• Softened butter, for the baking dish
• 900g (4 large or 6 medium) potatoes, peeled
• Fleur de sel and freshly ground black pepper
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• 565g aged Comté cheese, coarsely grated (4-5 cups)
• ¾ cup heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons unsalted
• European-style butter, cut into small pieces

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190C. Rub the bottom and sides of a 33x23cm gratin dish that’s about 4cm deep (or similar baking dish) with the smashed garlic. Butter the inside of the dish (bottom and sides) and set aside.
2. Using a mandoline or sharp knife, slice the potatoes into paper-thin rounds. Starting with the largest slices, using about one-quarter of the potatoes, arrange the potatoes in overlapping layers in the gratin dish, completely covering the bottom of the dish. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
3. Scatter about one-quarter of the cheese over the potatoes. Continue this layering process until the gratin is full, finishing with grated cheese. Place the gratin dish on a sheet pan to catch any drips, drizzle with the heavy cream, and scatter the butter over the top.
4. Bake until the potatoes are tender when poked with a paring knife and the top is golden brown and bubbling, 55 minutes to 1 hour.
5. Serve immediately. Leftovers can be cooled to room temperature, covered and refrigerated up to 3 days, then reheated at 175C until bubbling, about 20 minutes, before serving.

Serves 4-6

Beans, French style.

French-style beans

Ingredients

• 450g small green beans or yellow beans, stems trimmed
• ½ cup hazelnuts, toasted and chopped
• Fleur de sel and freshly ground black pepper
• Small bunch tarragon, finely chopped
• Quantity of classic French vinaigrette, see below

Method

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In a large bowl, stir together the vinaigrette and tarragon. Set aside. Add the beans to the pot and cook until tender and bright green and still crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain well and place in the bowl with the tarragon vinaigrette. Add the hazelnuts, season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Arrange on a warm serving platter or serving bowl and serve immediately.

Classic French vinaigrette

• 1 tablespoon white or red wine vinegar
• Fleur de sel and freshly ground pepper
• 2 teaspoons fresh golden shallot, optional
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, salt and pepper. (If using the shallot, add it here and set the mixture aside for about 10 minutes to soften the taste of the shallot.) Whisk in the olive oil.

Serves 4-6