The French Laundry Cookbook (The Thomas Keller Library)

2014 marks the twentieth anniversary of the acclaimed French Laundry restaurant in the Napa Valley—“the most exciting place to eat in the United States” ( The New York Times ). The most transformative cookbook of the century celebrates this milestone by showcasing the genius of chef/proprietor Thomas Keller himself. Keller is a wizard, a purist, a man obsessed with getting it right. And this, his first cookbook, is every bit as satisfying as a French Laundry meal itself: a series of small, impeccable, highly refined, intensely focused courses. Most dazzling is how simple Keller's methods are: squeegeeing the moisture from the skin on fish so it sautées beautifully; poaching eggs in a deep pot of water for perfect shape; the initial steeping in the shell that makes cooking raw lobster out of the shell a cinch; using vinegar as a flavor enhancer; the repeated washing of bones for stock for the cleanest, clearest tastes. From innovative soup techniques, to the proper way to cook green vegetables, to secrets of great fish cookery, to the creation of breathtaking desserts; from beurre monté to foie gras au torchon, to a wild and thoroughly unexpected take on coffee and doughnuts, The French Laundry Cookbook captures, through recipes, essays, profiles, and extraordinary photography, one of America's great restaurants, its great chef, and the food that makes both unique. One hundred and fifty superlative recipes are exact recipes from the French Laundry kitchen—no shortcuts have been taken, no critical steps ignored, all have been thoroughly tested in home kitchens. If you can't get to the French Laundry, you can now re-create at home the very experience Wine Spectator described as “as close to dining perfection as it gets.” Thomas Keller, Chef/proprietor Of The French Laundry In The Napa Valley Is A Wizard, A Purist, A Man Obsessed With Getting It Right. And This, His First Cookbook, Is Every Bit As Satisfying As A French Laundry Meal Itself: A Series Of Small, Impeccable, Highly Refined, Intensely Focused Courses.--book Jacket. From Innovative Soup Techniques, To The Proper Way To Cook Green Vegetables, To Secrets Of Great Fish Cookery, To The Creation Of Breathtaking Desserts; From Beurre Monte To Foie Gras Au Torchon, To A Wild And Thoroughly Unexpected Take On Coffee And Doughnuts, The French Laundry Cookbook Captures, Through Recipes, Essays, Profiles, And Photography, One Of America's Great Restaurants, Its Great Chef, And The Food That Makes Both Unique.--jacket. Pleasure And Perfection -- The Road To The French Laundry -- A Sad Happy Story -- Cornets -- About The Chef -- When In Doubt, Strain : Notes On How To Use This Book -- Canapes -- The Law Of Diminishing Returns -- The Mushroom Lady -- Soup -- Blini -- The Importance Of Hollandaise -- Garden Canapes -- First Course -- Big-pot Blanching -- Hearts Of The Palm Grower -- Tools Of Refinement : The Chinois And Tamis -- Agnolotti -- Truffles -- Foie Gras -- The Importance Of Staff Meal -- Fish -- A Passion For Fish -- The Accidental Fishmonger -- Cooking Lobster -- Beurre Monte : The Workhorse Sauce -- Infused Oil -- Meat -- The Importance Of Trussing Chicken -- Salt And Pepper And Vinegar -- Braising And The Virtue Of The Process -- The Pittsburgh Lamber -- Vegetable Cuts -- The Importance Of Rabbits -- The Importance Of Offal -- Stocks And Sauces -- Quick Sauces -- Powders -- Cheese -- The Composed Cheese Course -- The Importance Of France -- The Attorney Cheesemaker -- Dessert -- Beginning And Ending -- The Ultimate Purveyors. Thomas Keller With Susie Heller And Michael Ruhlman ; Photographs By Deborah Jones. First Of Several Editions Published In 1999. Photographs, Essays, And 150 Recipes Help Profile The Food Chef Thomas Keller Creates At His Restaurant In The Napa Valley. Some Recipes Include Wine Or Liquor As Ingredients. Color Illustrated Paper Boards. Color Illustrated Dust Jacket. Includes Index. Includes Index. Cover......Page 1 Half Title......Page 2 Title......Page 4 Copyright......Page 5 Contents......Page 7 Acknowledgments......Page 10 Pleasure and Perfection......Page 13 The Road to the French Laundry......Page 14 A Sad Happy Story......Page 15 "Cornets"......Page 17 About the Chef......Page 19 When in Doubt, Strain: Notes on How to Use This Book......Page 21 CANAPÉS......Page 23 The Law of Diminishing Returns......Page 25 The Mushroom Lady......Page 39 Soup......Page 42 Blini......Page 50 The Importance of Hollandaise......Page 53 Garden Canapés......Page 56 FIRST COURSE......Page 63 Big-Pot Blanching......Page 69 Hearts of Palm Grower......Page 79 Tools of Refinement: The Chinois and Tamis......Page 84 Agnolotti......Page 85 Truffles......Page 95 Foie Gras......Page 114 The Importance of Staff Meal......Page 126 FISH......Page 129 A Passion for Fish......Page 132 The Accidental Fishmonger......Page 133 Cooking Lobster......Page 135 Beurre Monté: The Workhorse Sauce......Page 146 Infused Oils......Page 176 MEAT......Page 180 The Importance of Trussing Chicken......Page 182 Salt and Pepper and Vinegar......Page 191 Braising and the Virtue of the Process......Page 197 The Pittsburgh Lamber......Page 205 Vegetable Cuts......Page 213 The Importance of Rabbits......Page 216 The Importance of Offal......Page 220 Stocks and Sauces......Page 231 "Quick" Sauces......Page 239 Powders......Page 242 CHEESE......Page 245 The Composed Cheese Course......Page 247 The Importance of France......Page 258 The Attorney Cheesemaker......Page 259 DESSERT......Page 271 Beginning and Ending......Page 316 The Ultimate Purveyors......Page 322 Sources......Page 326 List of Recipes......Page 327 B......Page 329 C......Page 330 F......Page 331 M......Page 332 P......Page 333 S......Page 334 T......Page 335 Z......Page 336 IACP Award Winner 2019 marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the acclaimed French Laundry restaurant in the Napa Valley—“the most exciting place to eat in the United States” (The New York Times). The most transformative cookbook of the century celebrates this milestone by showcasing the genius of chef/proprietor Thomas Keller himself. Keller is a wizard, a purist, a man obsessed with getting it right. And this, his first cookbook, is every bit as satisfying as a French Laundry meal itself: a series of small, impeccable, highly refined, intensely focused courses. Most dazzling is how simple Keller's methods are: squeegeeing the moisture from the skin on fish so it sautées beautifully; poaching eggs in a deep pot of water for perfect shape; the initial steeping in the shell that makes cooking raw lobster out of the shell a cinch; using vinegar as a flavor enhancer; the repeated washing of bones for stock for the cleanest, clearest tastes. From innovative soup techniques, to the proper way to cook green vegetables, to secrets of great fish cookery, to the creation of breathtaking desserts; from beurre monté to foie gras au torchon, to a wild and thoroughly unexpected take on coffee and doughnuts, The French Laundry Cookbook captures, through recipes, essays, profiles, and extraordinary photography, one of America's great restaurants, its great chef, and the food that makes both unique. One hundred and fifty superlative recipes are exact recipes from the French Laundry kitchen—no shortcuts have been taken, no critical steps ignored, all have been thoroughly tested in home kitchens. If you can't get to the French Laundry, you can now re-create at home the very experience Wine Spectator described as “as close to dining perfection as it gets.” Cover 1 Half Title 2 Title 4 Copyright 5 Contents 7 Acknowledgments 10 Pleasure and Perfection 13 The Road to the French Laundry 14 A Sad Happy Story 15 "Cornets" 17 About the Chef 19 When in Doubt, Strain: Notes on How to Use This Book 21 CANAPÉS 23 The Law of Diminishing Returns 25 The Mushroom Lady 39 Soup 42 Blini 50 The Importance of Hollandaise 53 Garden Canapés 56 FIRST COURSE 63 Big-Pot Blanching 69 Hearts of Palm Grower 79 Tools of Refinement: The Chinois and Tamis 84 Agnolotti 85 Truffles 95 Foie Gras 114 The Importance of Staff Meal 126 FISH 129 A Passion for Fish 132 The Accidental Fishmonger 133 Cooking Lobster 135 Beurre Monté: The Workhorse Sauce 146 Infused Oils 176 MEAT 180 The Importance of Trussing Chicken 182 Salt and Pepper and Vinegar 191 Braising and the Virtue of the Process 197 The Pittsburgh Lamber 205 Vegetable Cuts 213 The Importance of Rabbits 216 The Importance of Offal 220 Stocks and Sauces 231 "Quick" Sauces 239 Powders 242 CHEESE 245 The Composed Cheese Course 247 The Importance of France 258 The Attorney Cheesemaker 259 DESSERT 271 Beginning and Ending 316 The Ultimate Purveyors 322 Sources 326 List of Recipes 327 Index 329 A 329 B 329 C 330 D 331 E 331 F 331 G 332 H 332 I 332 J 332 K 332 L 332 M 332 N 333 O 333 P 333 Q 334 R 334 S 334 T 335 V 336 W 336 Y 336 Z 336