This delightful dish is on the table in just 20 minutes, making the most of asparagus season.

What is a Grenobloise sauce?

A Grenobloise sauce, as its name suggests, is a specialty hailing from the French town of Grenoble. This classic French sauce is made of brown butter, lemon, capers, fresh parsley and croutons.

It is a buttery and tangy sauce that is often served with white fish (sole, skate fish, cod or salmon), seafood (scallops, shrimps) and to spruce up seasonal white asparagus – one of my favorite ways to enjoy it!

Making brown butter (beurre-noisette)

Known in French as “beurre-noisette”, brown butter is one of the key components of a Grenobloise sauce. So, let’s take a moment to discuss it… 

Brown butter is melted butter, with an improved flavor brought on by gently cooking it until it reaches a golden-brown color. Used regularly in both French cooking (sauces, etc.) and baking (financiers, madeleines, etc.), brown butter gives delectable nutty flavors to any recipe. It’s important you take the time to make brown butter properly for this recipe. Do not skip this step, you won’t regret it. 

For the butter, try and find a European-style one with a higher fat content than typical US/Canadian butters. 

How to make brown-butter (beurre-noisette)

1. In a small saucepan, melt your butter over medium-low heat, whisking frequently. Once all melted, the butter will start to simmer and foam. This takes 3-4 minutes. 
2. Eventually the butter will stop foaming. Keep a close eye on it and watch for golden specks to form at the bottom of the pan. Smell the butter for nutty aromas. This should take about 4-5 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and pour the butter into a cold bowl to stop the cooking process. For this Grenobloise sauce, instead of pouring the butter into a bowl, cold lemon juice is added to the pan, which stops the cooking process as well.

Be careful, as it’s easy to go from brown-butter to burnt-butter. If you think you’ve over-cooked or burned the butter, do not overthink it. Dump it and start again. Burnt butter is terrible for your health and tastes just as bad.

White asparagus at my local farmers’ market in Brittany, France.

How to store (uncooked) asparagus?

I think asparagus always taste better when you cook them the day you buy them. Asparagus are indeed a flowering plant, which are quite delicate and more impacted by passing time than your regular vegetable.

If you are not planning on cooking your asparagus the day you buy them, you can always store them just like cut flowers. Cut off one inch from the bottoms and place the stems in a large glass or vase, with water at the bottom. For optimum storage, cover the tops with a small plastic bag and place in the fridge.

For more details on how to store asparagus so they stay fresh and crisp, I recommend this article from the blog Foolproof living. It gives instructions for short-term storage (1-2 days) and long-term storage (up to 5 days).

How to peel asparagus?

The first step to enjoying asparagus, either green or white, is to peel them. Especially for white asparagus which are very fibrous. Peeling them is a must!

To do so, use a vegetable peeler and remove the peel starting from the base of the tip to the bottom of the spear. The asparagus head remains untouched.

White asparagus are usually thick and strong enough that you don’t need to worry about breaking them. For thinner green asparagus, you can place the asparagus over your hand to support them while peeling and make sure they won’t break.

Can I prepare this dish ahead of time?

To save time, you can prepare and cook the asparagus hours ahead and simply let the asparagus rest covered in a plate. Before serving, you can prepare the Grenobloise sauce and then place it over top your asparagus. The sauce should not be made in advance.

How to store leftovers?  

After making and enjoying White Asparagus à la Grenobloise– if you have any leftovers – you can store them in the refrigerator.

Let the dish cool completely and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Enjoy leftovers cold or reheat your portions in the microwave.

Notes:

• Use Organic Lemons. Because we are using zest from the peels, I recommend to use organic lemons which are pesticide free.
• Curly or flat parsley both work well for a Grenobloise sauce.

I hope you’ll love this White Asparagus à la Grenobloise recipe as much as I do! If you have any questions, please leave a comment. 

More French starter recipes you may like: 

• Green asparagus with Gribiche Sauce 
• Classic French Salmon Rillettes
• Roasted Red Pepper Dip (Poivronade) 
• French Cheese Puffs (Gougeres)
• Leeks with Dijon Shallots Vinaigrettes (Poireaux Vinaigrette) 
• French-Style Potato Salad 

White Asparagus à la Grenobloise

Print Recipe

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 5 Minutes Cooking Time: 15 Minutes 15 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 2 voted )

Ingredients

About 20 white asparagus
¼ tsp salt
1/3 cup (76g) unsalted butter
1/2 cup cubed day-old bread, such as a baguette, or any French or Italian crusty loaf
¼ tsp salt
1 lemon, zested and juiced
5 tbsp (about 37.5g) mini capers
6-7 sprigs curly parsley, stemmed and chopped.
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper 

Instructions

Step 1 – Peel the asparagus using a vegetable peeler (see above instructions) and snap the woody ends off the base (about 2 inches).

Step 2 - Add the asparagus to a pan of boiling water with salt. Simmer for 10-12 minutes.

Step 3 – In the meantime, prepare the Grenobloise sauce. Drain the capers and set aside on a paper towel.

Step 4 – Cut the bread into small cubes. Heat up a large frying pan over medium-heat up with 1 ½ tbsp (20g) butter, the bread and salt. When the butter starts sizzling, continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the bread cubs are golden, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the pan. The croutons will crisp up as they cool.

Step 5 – Add the rest of the butter to the pan, on medium-heat. When it turns “noisette” (see instructions above in the article), turn off the heat and add the lemon juice, zest, capers and parsley. Stir.

Step 6 – Drain the asparagus and place them onto a serving dish. Pour the butter and lemon sauce over top and sprinkle with the croutons. Season with black pepper and serve immediately.

The post White Asparagus à la Grenobloise appeared first on Pardon Your French.

About Heirloom Tomatoes

Heirloom tomatoes are known in French as “Tomates d’Antan” – translating literally to “yesteryear tomatoes”. Heirloom tomatoes have their peak season in mid to late summer. They come in beautiful colors, such as red, yellow, green, and sometimes even dark red (referred to as black). 

Dark red “Tomates D’Antan” (heirloom tomatoes) from my hometown’s market in Brittany.

So, what are heirloom tomatoes, really?

It is their seeds that sets them apart. Unlike most “commercial” varieties, heirloom tomato seeds are passed down from one season to the other. Farmers often manually pick the seeds from the plants that gave the best tomatoes and/or choose to select them by traits, such as taste or juiciness.

Other times, farmers simply let their plants be pollinated naturally (by insects, wind…). In essence, heirloom tomatoes are the result of non-scientific modification. And because these tomatoes are grown with their best taste in mind (and not appearance, nor consistency in size), they grow in various shapes and colors, and they taste much better as well. 

My tips when shopping for ripe, in-season tomatoes: 

• Lift them – a medium to large tomato should feel heavy for its size.  
• Gently press on them – perfectly ripe tomatoes should have a slight bit of give, but they shouldn’t be soft. Remember they’ll continue to ripen on your counter. 
• Look for tomatoes that are uniformly ripe with no pale spots, cracks or bruises. 
• Smell them – Ripe tomatoes should smell floral. If you can’t smell anything, this likely means the tomato is under ripe. 

To make this Heirloom Tomato Bread salad ahead

I love that you can prepare all the components of this salad ahead and assemble it just before serving. You can start by preparing the vinaigrette. It can be made a few hours ahead, or longer, and kept tightly covered in the fridge. You can then prepare the croutons and keep them uncovered, spread over a plate. You can then slice the tomatoes, season them, and place them in the bowl.

Right before serving, toss the tomatoes with the fresh herbs, the vinaigrette and sprinkle the croutons over top, right before serving – you want the croutons to still be crunchy when you serve. After a few minutes, the croutons will naturally soak in the vinaigrette and soften; which can remind of the texture of an Italian Panzanella salad (traditionally made with wet bread). 

Cooking tips: 

• Heirloom tomatoes are more delicate than “classic” tomatoes. Handle and cut them with care. 
• For homemade croutons that will crisp up nicely, use a day-old, sturdy loaf of bread. French, Italian, or even a sourdough boule or a baguette are all good options. Avoid using soft white breads, like dinner rolls or pre-sliced white bread.
• Basil, parsley, and chive are great combinations of fresh summer herbs in this salad. If you are comfortable, feel free to get creative with other herbs. Fresh tarragon or chervil work great here too. 

I hope you’ll love this Heirloom Tomato Bread Salad as much as I do! If you have any questions, please leave a comment. 

Heirloom Tomato Bread Salad with Fresh Herbs

Print Recipe

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 3 Minutes 3 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.7/5

( 3 voted )

Ingredients

2lbs (900g) ripe heirloom tomatoes, washed and chopped in half wedges
6-8 basil leaves, chopped
1/4 bunch parsley (curly or flat), stemmed and chopped
1/4 bunch chive, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

¼ cup French Vinaigrette

For the croutons:
1 tsp unsalted butter
1 cup cubed day-old bread, such as a sourdough boule, a baguette, or any French or Italian loaf
1/4 tsp fine sea salt

Instructions

Step 1 - Make the Croutons. In a medium skillet or frying pan, melt the butter over medium heat. When it foams, add the bread and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until golden, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside on a plate. The croutons will continue to crisp up as they cool.

Step 2 – Place the tomato slices in a large serving bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss with the fresh herbs and the vinaigrette (up to ¼ cup – less if you want). Right before serving, top off with the croutons.

The post Heirloom Tomato Bread Salad with Fresh Herbs appeared first on Pardon Your French.

If you’ve never been to Lyon or enjoyed its food, this Salade Lyonnaise is the perfect introduction. This is standard French bistro fare, served as a “salade-repas”, a meal-sized salad, which is a very popular lunch option among the rushed working crowd.

Bitter frisée, salty bacon bits, crunchy croutons, velvety poached eggs and a sharp vinaigrette come together into this simple yet luxurious recipe that’ll take you right to France.

About Frisée Salad

Frizzy and with a slight bitterness, Frisée Salad is a beloved component of French salads. Although less common and slightly pricier than lettuce or spring mix in the US, Frisée salad can usually be found in your regular grocery store starting from the end of spring and all throughout fall. Once purchased, a fresh head of frisée can be stored in the fridge, in a ventilated bag, for up to one week.

Can’t find lardons? 

Salade Lyonnaise contains cured pork belly, which is very common to find in France in the form of lardons: short, thin strips that are sold pre-sliced and ready to cook. To make your own, find thick-cut bacon and slice it across the grain into short matchsticks. Pancetta sliced into thin sticks also works well.

Tips to poach eggs

Poached eggs not only bring extra protein to this salad-repas, but also contribute to the overall texture. The idea is to place the just-cooked egg right on top of and in the middle of the frisée leaves, so that the runny egg yolk oozes into the salad and acts as a rich, velvety dressing. 

To ease you into the potentially intimidating process of poaching eggs, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

• • Use the freshest eggs possible. Once cracked, a fresh egg should have a white that is tightly attached around the yolk. The white will then hold together well in the poaching water and create a nice round shape. Older eggs will have ragged, liquidy whites that will disperse in the poaching water. 
  • Make sure the water is deep enough. I usually find you should have at least 4 inches of water in your pot, to give the eggs enough room to be fully submerged and poach into a round form. If there isn’t enough water, the eggs will poach flat. 
  • Add a splash of vinegar to the water. This will further assist in keeping the egg white together. If you are worried about your eggs having a vinegary taste, you can later pass them under cold water, to stop the cooking process and to rinse off any vinegar taste (of which there is very little). 
  • Crack each egg into a small ramekin first, then pour it into the poaching water. Using a ramekin allows you to check that the egg looks fresh, the yolk isn’t broken, and no shell has broken into the egg. It also makes it easier to pour the egg into the water in one smooth motion. 
  • Swirl a vortex in the water. Just before dropping in the egg, use the back of a wooden spoon to swirl a vortex in your pot of water. This will further encourage the egg to poach in a round shape, as the white wraps around itself. 

More cooking tips: 

• Salade Lyonnaise is all about assembling ingredients in the right way. You should start by preparing the vinaigrette. It can be made a few hours ahead—or longer, and kept tightly covered in the fridge. You can then prepare the croutons, and then the poached eggs. Cook the lardons (or bacon) last, just before assembling the salad, as you want them to still be crisp and warm when serving. 
• To prepare the Frisée Salad, avoid cutting it with a knife, which will flatten the curly shape of the leaves. Instead, wash the head right before serving and tear the delicate curly leaves by hand into large pieces, dropping them right onto the serving plates.
• For homemade croutons that will crisp up nicely, use a day-old, sturdy loaf of bread. French, Italian, or even a sourdough boule or a baguette. are all good options. Avoid using soft white breads, like dinner rolls or pre-sliced white bread.

I hope you’ll love this Frisée Salad with Bacon, Egg and Croutons (Salade Lyonnaise) as much as I do! This is a simple yet impressive salad recipe that you can make from Spring to Fall. Enjoy it for lunch with a glass of white wine. 

You may also like: 

• Chicken Fricassée with Shallots and Bacon
• Chicken Provençal with Olives and Cherry Tomatoes
• Creamy French Chicken Tarragon (Poulet à l’Estragon)
• Braised Chicken Thighs with Garlic and Onion

Frisée Salad with Bacon, Egg and Croutons (Salade Lyonnaise)

Print Recipe

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cooking Time: 22 Minutes 22 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 3 voted )

Ingredients

For the Vinaigrette
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp (30ml) red wine vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
6 tbsp (90ml) neutral oil, such as sunflower seed, grapeseed, or canola
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

For the Salad Components
1 tsp unsalted butter
1 cup cubed day-old bread, such as a sourdough boule, a baguette, or any French or Italian loaf
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
4 large eggs
1/4 cup (60ml) white vinegar
5 slices (about 5 ounces) bacon, cut into short, thin matchsticks
8 cups frisée lettuce, hand-torn into large pieces

Instructions

Step 1 - Prepare the Vinaigrette. In a medium bowl, combine the salt and red wine vinegar, and whisk with a fork until the salt has dissolved. Stir in the mustard. Pour in the oil slowly, stirring all the while to create an emulsion. Sprinkle generously with pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

If not using right away, cover and refrigerate the vinaigrette until ready to serve. 

Step 2 - Make the Croutons. In a small skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. When it foams, add the bread and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until golden, about 3 to 5 minutes. The croutons will crisp up as they cool.

Step 3 - Poach the Eggs. Break each egg into individual ramekins. Bring a large pot of water (at least 4 inches deep) to a gentle simmer with the vinegar. With a wooden spoon, stir the water to create a gentle whirlpool in the center. Immediately and carefully drop an egg into the center of the whirlpool. Cook for 3 minutes, until the white looks set. Carefully lift the egg with a slotted spoon, run it under a gentle stream of cold water, and transfer it onto a kitchen cloth or paper towel. Repeat with the other eggs.

Step 4 - Fry the Lardons. In a dry skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon, stirring frequently, until browned, about 5 minutes. Scoop into a bowl. Discard or keep the rendered fat for another use.

Step 5 - To Assemble. Divide the torn Frisée salad among salad plates, forming nests. Top with the poached eggs and sprinkle with the bacon strips and croutons. Drizzle each salad plate with vinaigrette and serve immediately.

Notes...

Leftover vinaigrette keeps for up to 1 week in the fridge, in a glass jar with a tight lid.

The post Frisée Salad with Bacon, Egg and Croutons (Salade Lyonnaise) appeared first on Pardon Your French.