“Pork & Sons,” by Stephane Reynaud (Phaidon, $39.95)
Move over, Bruce Aidells, French chef Stephane Reynaud has stepped into the “love thy pork” arena with a charming testament to family, friends and unsuspecting porkers with “Pork & Sons.”
Reynaud’s book, with a pink and white, gingham- checked cover, is perfect for a French national, Francophile or cookbook collector who appreciates a refreshing way of looking at our porcine friends.
Punctuated with illustrations of lounging, cycling, reading, dancing and partying piggies, the book’s whimsy is balanced by recipes interwoven with photographs and narratives that define seasonal preparations that leave no pig part uncooked, from pig’s head and parsley pate, to pig’s feet with caramelized onion. | Ellen Sweets
RECIPES
Stuffed Cabbage
Serves 6
Ingredients
1 white cabbage
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped cremini mushrooms
Scant 1 cup chopped preserved chestnuts
Generous 1 cup chopped cooked pork
9 ounces bulk (breakfast) sausage, skins removed
1 1/2 tablespoons sweet butter
3/4 cup white wine
Salt and pepper
Directions
Core the cabbage and separate the leaves. Select 12 large leaves, blanch them in salted boiling water for one minute, then drain, and refresh in cold water.
Chop remaining cabbage leaves. Heat oil in a large pan. Add shallots, garlic, mushrooms, chestnuts and chopped cabbage and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 5-10 minutes, until softened. Combine pork and sausage in a bowl and stir in the cabbage mixture. Season with salt and pepper.
Reassemble the cabbage, alternating the stuffing and leaves, and then place it in a large lidded flameproof casserole or earthenware pot. Add water to the pot to come to a depth of two inches, and cover with the lid. Cook the cabbage in the oven for 11/2 hours, adding water as necessary during cooking. Drain the cooking water, then add the butter and pour the white wine over. Bring to a boil on the stovetop, then lower the heat, cover and simmer, basting frequently, for 30 minutes.
Pork Tenderloins with Porcini Stuffing
Serves 6
Ingredients
3 small pork tenderloins, total weight about 21/2 pounds
4 garlic cloves
1 bunch of fresh parsley
7 ounces porcini mushrooms, chopped, plus 6 whole large porcini mushrooms
1/4 cup sweet butter, divided use
18 thin slices of smoked bacon
Salt and pepper
Directions
Using a small, sharp knife, cut ’round the tenderloins in a spiral to open them up like snails. Season with salt and pepper.
Chop the garlic with the parsley. Combine chopped mushrooms with half the garlic and parsley mixture. Melt half the butter in a skillet, add the chopped mushroom mixture, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.
Spread each piece of pork with the mushroom stuffing, roll up and wrap each one in 6 slices of bacon. Place them in a heavy pan and cook, turning frequently, for 15 minutes.
Melt the remaining butter in another pan. Add the large whole porcinis and the remaining garlic and parsley mixture and cook, turning occasionally for about 8 minutes. Cut each pork packet into six and serve with the whole mushrooms and the garlic and parsley butter.
Pork and Citrus Fruit with Ratatouille
Serves 6
Ingredients
2 1/4 pounds boneless pork loin
Grated rind and juice of 3 oranges
Juice of 1 grapefruit
7 tablespoons olive oil, divided use
4 onions, sliced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
3 zucchini, diced
3 eggplants, diced
6 tomatoes, diced
2 bay leaves
1 fresh thyme sprig
Directions
Place pork in a non-metallic dish. Sprinkle with orange rind and pour orange and grapefruit juice over it. Marinate in a cool place for 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Heat 5 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, flameproof casserole. Add onions, garlic, zucchini, eggplants and tomatoes and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes, until softened. Add bay leaves and thyme and cook in the oven, uncovered, for one hour, stirring frequently.
Drain pork, reserving the marinade. Heat the remaining olive oil in a skillet. Add pork and cook over high heat, turning frequently, for about 10 minutes, until evenly browned. Transfer to an ovenproof dish and pour in the reserved marinade. Place in the oven and cook, basting frequently, for one hour.
Transfer the pork to a plate. Mix the ratatouille with the roasting juices, then place the pork on top. Return to the oven and cook for a further 15 minutes. Remove and slice the pork, then serve it on a bed of ratatouille.
