PRESENTS THIS WEEK’S RECIPES:

BIBB LETTUCE SALAD (Salade de Laitue)

MY FAVORITE SIMPLE ROAST CHICKEN (Mon Poulet Rôti)

LEMON TART (Tarte au Citron)

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BIBB LETTUCE SALAD
(Salade de Laitue)

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 4 heads Bibb lettuce
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons minced shallots
• 2 tablespoons minced chives
• 1/4 cup Italian parsley leaves
• 1/4 cup tarragon leaves
• 1/4 cup chervil leaves
• 1/2 cup House Vinaigrette (See Recipe Below)
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

PROCEDURE

1. Carefully cut out the core from each head of lettuce and separate the leaves,
   but keep each head of lettuce together; discard any tough outer leaves. Because
   each head of lettuce will be reassembled, the easiest way to work is with one
   head at a time. First, place the leaves in a bowl of cold water to refresh them
   and remove any dirt, then lift out and spin-dry in a salad spinner.
2. Place the leaves from a single head of lettuce in a bowl. Sprinkle with a pinch
   of salt, a few grinds of pepper, 1-1/2 teaspoons of the shallots and chives, and
   1 tablespoon each of parsley, tarragon, and chervil. Then toss gently with 2
   tablespoons of House Vinaigrette and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Repeat with the
   remaining heads.

PLATING

1. For each serving, arrange the outer lettuce leaves as a base on the plate and
   rebuild each head of lettuce, ending with the smallest, most tender leaves.

HOUSE VINAIGRETTE

Makes approximately 2-1/2 cups

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1-1/2 cups canola oil

PROCEDURE

1. Combine the mustard and vinegar in a blender and blend at medium speed for about
   15 seconds. With the machine running, slowly drizzle in 1/2 cup of the oil. Don’t
   be tempted to add all the oil to the blender or the vinaigrette will become too
   thick. It should be very creamy.
2. Transfer the vinaigrette to a small bowl and, whisking constantly, slowly stream
   in the remaining 1 cup oil. (The dressing can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.
   Should the vinaigrette separate, use a blender or immersion blender to re-emulsify
   it.)

This recipe excerpted from BOUCHON by Thomas Keller (Artisan Books, 2004).

MY FAVORITE SIMPLE ROAST CHICKEN
(Mon Poulet Rôti)

Serves 2-4

INGREDIENTS

• One 2-to-3-pound farm-raised chicken
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons minced thyme (optional)
• Unsalted butter
• Dijon mustard

PROCEDURE

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Rinse the chicken, then dry it very well with paper
   towels, inside and out. The less it steams, the drier the heat, the better.
2. Salt and pepper the cavity, then truss the bird. Trussing is not difficult, and if
   you roast chicken often, it’s a good technique to feel comfortable with. When you
   truss a bird, the wings and legs stay close to the body; the ends of the drumsticks
   cover the top of the breast and keep it from drying out. Trussing helps the chicken
   to cook evenly, and it also makes for a more beautiful roasted bird.
3. Now, salt the chicken—I like to rain the salt over the bird so that it has a nice
   uniform coating that will result in a crisp, salty, flavorful skin (about 1
   tablespoon). When it’s cooked, you should still be able to make out the salt baked
   onto the crisp skin. Season to taste with pepper.
4. Place the chicken in a sauté pan or roasting pan and, when the oven is up to
   temperature, put the chicken in the oven. I leave it alone—I don’t baste it, I don’t
   add butter; you can if you wish, but I feel this creates steam, which I don’t want.
   Roast it until it’s done, 50 to 60 minutes. Remove it from the oven and add the thyme
   (if you desire) to the pan. Baste the chicken with the juices and thyme and let it
   rest for 15 minutes on a cutting board.
5. Remove the twine. Separate the middle wing joint and eat that immediately. Remove the
   legs and thighs.

This recipe excerpted from BOUCHON by Thomas Keller (Artisan Books, 2004).

LEMON TART
(Tarte au Citron)

Serves 8

INGREDIENTS

• Butter and flour for the tart pan
• 2 large eggs, cold
• 2 large egg yolks, cold
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 6 tablespoons (3 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
• 1/3 recipe Pine Nut Crust (See Recipe Below)

PROCEDURE

Crust (From Recipe Below)
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously butter and flour a 9-inch fluted tart pan
   with a removable bottom and refrigerate it while the oven preheats.
2. Remove the chilled pine nut dough from the refrigerator. Use your fingertips to press
   it evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Trim off excess dough.
3. Bake crust for 10 to 15 minutes, then rotate it and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes,
   or until it is golden brown. Remove the crust from the oven and let it cool while you
   make the filling (there may be some cracks; they will not affect the finished tart).

Lemon Sabayon
1. Bring about 1-1/2 inches of water to a boil in a pot slightly smaller than the
   diameter of a bowl you will be using for the sabayon. Meanwhile, in a large metal
   bowl, whisk the eggs, yolk, and sugar for about 1 minute, or until mixture is smooth.
2. Set the bowl over the pot and, using a large whisk, whip the mixture while you turn
   the bowl (for even heating). After about 2 minutes, when the eggs are foamy and have
   thickened, add one-third of the lemon juice. Continue whisking vigorously, still
   turning the bowl, until the mixture is thickened and light in color and the whisk
   leaves a trail in the bottom of the bowl. The total cooking time should be 8 to 10
   minutes.
3. Turn off the heat and leave the bowl over the water. Whisk in the butter a piece at a
   time. The sabayon may loosen slightly, but it will thicken and set as it cools. Pour
   the warm sabayon into the tart crust and place the pan on a baking sheet.
4. Preheat the broiler. While the sabayon is still warm, place the tart under the broiler.
   Leaving the door open, brown the top of the sabayon, rotating the tart if necessary for even
   color; this will take only a few seconds, so do not leave the oven. Remove the tart from the
   broiler and let it sit for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve at room temperature or cold.

PINE NUT CRUST

INGREDIENTS

• 10 ounces (2 cups) pine nuts
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 pound (3 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 8 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

PROCEDURE

Crust (From Recipe Below)
1. Place pine nuts in food processor and pulse a few times. Add the sugar and flour and
   continue to pulse until the nuts are finely ground. Transfer the mixture to a large
   bowl.
2. Add the butter, egg, and vanilla extract and mix to incorporate all the ingredients
   (the dough can be mixed by hand or in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment).
   Divide the dough into three equal parts. Wrap each piece in a plastic wrap and
   refrigerate for at least 10 minutes before using. (The extra dough can be frozen,
   wrapped well, for up to a month.)

This recipe excerpted from BOUCHON by Thomas Keller (Artisan Books, 2004).