Recipe, Financier, Hot Oysters On The Radio, Oeufs En Pot, Eggs, Oysters, Cookbook, The Art Of Living According To Joe Beef, Pastry, Cake, French Cake, Dessert, David McMillan, Frederic Morin, Joe Beef, Liverpool House, McKiernan Luncheonette, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, French, Wine List, Where to eat in Montreal, chef’s recommendations, smoker, Little Burgundy, H3J 1N6
WHAT
Chef's Recipes: recipes from The Art Of Living According To Joe Beef by chefs David McMillan and Frederic Morin of Montreal's Joe Beef.
Who
Chef / owners David McMillan and Frédéric Morin of Joe Beef, Liverpool House and McKiernan Luncheonette in Montreal.
Why
Known for their classic and accessible Québécois cooking and interesting wines lists.
Hot Oysters On The Radio
Recipe courtesy of David McMillan, Frédéric Morin & Meredith Erickson from “The Art Of Living According To Joe Beef”
Serves 4
Hot Oysters On The Radio
Photo Credit: Jennifer May
- 12 big, meaty oysters
- Coarse salt for partially filling pan
- 4 slices bacon, finely diced
- ¼ cup (120 g) peeled and finely diced small potatoes
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 2 egg yolks
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) whipping cream (35 percent butterfat)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
- ¼ cup (30 g) finely grated aged Cheddar cheese
- Salt and pepper
- ¼ cup (30 g) dried bread crumbs
- ¼ cup (55 g) unsalted butter, cut into 12 equal pieces
Directions
1) Shuck the oysters, pouring the liquor into a cup and keeping the oysters on their bottom shells. Set the oysters and liquor aside. A good trick for cooking the oysters is to fill a big cast-iron frying pan about half full with coarse salt, put it in the oven, and preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C), then heat the pan for an extra 15 minutes. This will help to accelerate the cooking process.
2) Place the potatoes and salted water to cover in a small pot over medium-high heat. Boil for 2 to 3 minutes, or until slightly softened. Drain the potatoes, let cool, and pat dry. Meanwhile, in another frying pan, crisp the bacon over medium-high heat until light brown. Add the potatoes to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 4 minutes, or until tender. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Remove from the heat.
3) In a bowl, rapidly whisk together the egg yolks, the cream, and whatever oyster liquor you were able to gather. Add the chives, Cheddar, a pinch each of salt and pepper, and the bacon-potato mixture and whisk to mix. Divide evenly among the oysters, spooning it on top. Dust the tops with the bread crumbs, then finish with a piece of butter.
4) Pull the cast-iron pan out of the oven and carefully nest the oysters in the hot salt. Return the pan to the oven and cook for 4 to 7 minutes, or until the tops start to turn golden. Serve immediately.
Joe Beef - Recipes
October 4, 2011
JOE BEEF
Little Burgundy
Steak / Seafood
2491 Notre Dame Ouest
Montreal, QC H3J 1N6 (view map)
T: 514.935.6504 (make a reservation)
Website:
Hours:
Tue - Sat: 6:30pm - close
LIVERPOOL HOUSE
Little Burgundy
Steak / Seafood
2501 Rue Notre-Dame West
Montreal, QC H3J 1N6 (view map)
T: 514.313.6049 (make a reservation)
Website:
Hours:
Tue - Sat: 6:30pm until close
MCKIERNAN LUNCHEONETTE
2485 Notre-Dame West
Montreal, QC H3J 1N6 (view map)
T: 514.759.6677
Website:
Hours:
Tue - Sat: 11am - 3pm
Wed - Sat: 6:30pm - close
Joe Beef, Liverpool House, McKiernan Luncheonette - Montreal, QC, Canada
Cookbooks
- The Art Of Living According To Joe Beef [buy it]
Recommended By
- Le Club Chasse et Peche (Montreal, QC)
Recommendations
David McMillan and Frédéric Morin’s recommendations on where to eat and drink in Montreal, New York, Portland (ME), Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Paris.
Photo Credit: Jennifer May
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Financier
Recipe courtesy of Joe Beef
Photograph courtesy of Joe Beef
Yield
4 to 6 round cakes
Ingredients
Basic Almond Financier
- 250 grams of almond powder
- 175 grams of unsalted butter, melted
- 175 grams of icing sugar
- 4 eggs, separated into whites and yolks
- 40 grams of flour, or cornstarch for a gluten free option
- 1 tablespoon of baking powder
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon of neutral almond extract (we use this, but its optional)
Tools
We use ornate paper tartlet molds. If you don’t have or can’t find, just fill a third of a muffin tin with paper and you’ll get the same result.
Directions
1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2) Sift the sugar, almond powder, baking powder, salt and flour.
3) Split your eggs and beat the whites to stiff peaks.
4) Preferably in an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter until soft and add the yolks one by one. Add the almond extract. Incorporate the dry mix. The mixture will appear a bit stiff.
5) Add half of the whipped whites, slowly.
6) By hand, with a spatula, gently fold in the remaining whites.
7) Spoon the mixture into your molds. You should have about 1 to 1 1/2 inches in each.
8) Bake for 20 minutes or until the center is bouncy. If you stick it with a knife, it will
always be greasy, so the best way it to press your finger and it bounces back rather than sinks. If you are using paper molds, leave and serve. If metal molds, remove and let cool. Best served at room temperature with ice cream or sweet wine.
Variations
Hazelnut
Replace the almond powder with hazelnut powder. Toast the hazelnut powder, setting the timer for every 3 minutes so you don’t forget. Occasionally, mix with a fork. The telltale sign of hazelnut powder being done is that it smells like a Belgian chocolate store. Wait until its cool. Then sift it per above and follow the rest of the base recipe. This is delicious with a few halved apricots gently pushed into the top of the financier.
Muscat
When the big Italian grapes come in their foam-padded wooden crates, it’s an exciting time. Press them down as the apricots above.
Orange
Thin slices of orange simmered in simple syrup for 1 hour. Pressed on the surface. Add 2 ounces of Irish whiskey into the batter.
Red Peanuts
Whisk 2 tablespoons of peanut butter into the batter. Sink in 15 of the red candied peanuts into the top of each cake.
Pistachio
Add 2 tablespoons of pistachio paste on top of each cake before cooking.
Russet Apple
Cook half of the apples cut side-up for 15 minutes with a pat of butter and a teaspoon of sugar at 400 degrees F, then gently press one half into each financier before baking.
Jordan Almonds
Take 1/2 cup of the bold colored, sugar coated almonds and crush them with a rolling pin. Cover the financier before baking with the crushed nuts. Add 2 ounces of Stregga, anisette or alkermes to the mix.
Oeufs En Pot
Recipe courtesy of David McMillan, Frédéric Morin & Meredith Erickson from “The Art Of Living According To Joe Beef”
Serves 2
Oeufs En Pot
Photo Credit: Jennifer May
- 8 ounces (225 g) chanterelle or morel mushrooms
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 French shallot, thinly diced
- 6 slices bacon, diced (about 50 g)
- Salt and pepper
- ½ cup (125 ml) whipping cream (35 percent butterfat)
- ½ cup (125 ml) chicken skin jus, beef shank stock, or chicken stock, reduced to ¼ cup (60 ml)
- 1 tablespoon vin jaune or dry sherry (optional)
- 2 eggs
- Buttered toasted bread wedges for serving
Directions
1) In a frying pan, sweat the mushrooms with the butter over medium heat for about 2 minutes, or until the mushrooms have released their water. Add the shallot, bacon, and a pinch each of salt and pepper and simmer for 5 minutes.
2) Meanwhile, ready a bain-marie: place 2 ramekins, each about 2/3 cup (160 ml), in a small pan. Fill the pan with water to reach about halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Take the ramekins out and put the pan of water on to boil.
3) Meanwhile, add the cream, stock, and vin jaune to the mushrooms and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the cream has reduced by one-third.
4) Fill each ramekin two-thirds full with the cream mixture. Crack 1 egg onto each ramekin, nesting it on top of the cream mixture.
5) The water should now be boiling: using tongs, carefully place each ramekin into the pan of boiling water and cover the pan immediately. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the egg whites are cooked but the yolks are still slightly runny.
6) Remove the ramekins from the pan and serve at once with the buttery toast soldiers.
