After two weeks of French cooking, Anjel finally got a chance to step up and show how we do things back in Cali. As a token of our thanks, and to prepare a sample of some California cuisine, Anjel asked to make a dinner. Everyone thought that was a great idea and the guest list quickly expanded to include 15. It also turned into a lunch because not everyone could make the dinner – but the French are used to having large lunches, so that worked out just fine.
After thinking for a few days about what to make (and more importantly, what she’d be able to find ingredients for) she whipped up a fabulous meal of fish tacos staring with a marinade for the fish (olive oil, cumin, paprika, chili, fresh cilantro, garlic and salt and pepper) followed by toppings of homemade pico de gallo, red onions sliced and marinated in a red wine vinegar sauce, freshly sliced cabbage and creme freche (served on small flour tortillas – we wanted small corn torillas, but you’d be surprised how limited the Hispanic foods section is in a French supermarket – about 2 feet of shelf space and time didn’t allow for a homemade version).
All this was followed by a second course of a Mexican-style chicken tortilla soup which started the night before when Anjel made the broth using two whole chickens, fresh thyme, bay leaves, pepper corns, clove, garlic, onion. That simmered for 4 hours before the chicken was removed and the broth let sit overnight. In the morning she started the tomato portion which began by broiling a baking dish of tomato, onion, garlic and roasted red pepper, lightly tossed in olive oil with cumin, paprika and pepper. When that was ready it was pureed and then reduced over heat, finally being mixed with the chicken stock and let simmer for 45 minutes. The chicken was shredded and corn tortillas were cut into strips and fried. Anjel also added just a hint of a hot pepper to the broth from some dried peppers that Cathou and Denis picked up in Tunisia. They were extremely hot and just a touch was enough to add a hint of heat to the soup.
The shredded chicken was put into each bowl, topped with diced avocado, the fried tortilla strips, some chopped fresh parsley and some crumbled feta. The soup was ladled out once the bowls were brought to the table, then dolloped with creme freche.
The meal was delicious and needless to say a huge success. After having planned the meal for several days, when the meal was finally over and everyone had headed off, Anjel finally crashed on the sofa – rewarded in the only way the French know how: with a class of cognac followed by a well deserved nap.
The full set of photos are on our flickr site.
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
I wanna come eat this!
Thanks, Richard! From you that is VERY flattering
–also made a mango-citrus green salad and a few bits of arugula to finish off the meal.
that’s awesome, cousin!
you used to make this at the shire! we miss your cooking
mouth is watering. make that for meeee when you guys are back!
heh, thanks guys! but seriously, marcelo! what’s this I hear about roasting a whole pig???
Ball of Goo, Kick at You
Brought A Friend, Johnny Uppercut
@Kim Chi – an obscure Mortal Kombat reference to be sure.
So proud of my girl!!!!!!!