What do a millennial Caesar salad enthusiast and the king of modern American French cooking have in common? We’re so glad you asked.
We’re thrilled to welcome Molly Baz, Bon Appétit alumna and Instagram darling, and French cuisine master Jacques Pépin, recipient of 16 James Beard Foundation awards, to chat about Molly’s new book, Cook This Book.
On Thursday, April 29th at 5pm PST/7pm CST/8pm , Molly and Jacques will talk cooking and technique, sharing ways to become a better, faster, more creative cook. Tickets to the event will include Molly’s new book and a zoom link to the discussion.
Though they may come from different eras in culinary instruction, the two chefs are likely to show us how much they have much in common:
1. They’re Born Teachers
Jacques premiered on television way back in 1982, before Molly was born, and in the ’90s, found a greater audience explaining French cuisine in cooking shows which aired on public television. He delights in bringing his native cuisine to new home cooks, writing the famous La Technique all about, yes, French technique. Likewise, Molly is determined to really walk her friends through cooking. “I’ve spent a lot of time observing the way my non-food-industry friends and fam navigate their kitchens, and through my observations I have noticed that time management, ingredient prep, and order of operations can really trip up the home cook,” writes Molly in her book.
2. They Know How to Make It Easier
In the 14 cooking shows that he hosted and in his more than 2 dozen cookbooks in print, Jacques Pepin tried to simplify European cuisine for the home cook. He’d break a recipe down right to the basics and, in the process, make it easier and more accessible for the home cook. As for Molly, she broke her cookbook down in an unusual, reader-friendly way. The ingredients are separated by the part of the store in which you’ll find them, as opposed to the traditional “as they’re used in the steps” order. This intends to make both shopping and prep earlier, and prevent you from spinning in circles between pantry and fridge, trying to make sure you’ve got it all. Also! She includes handy-dandy QR codes with videos of herself executing techniques.
3. They Love Classics (With a Twist)
Molly owns a pair of sneakers with “Cae” on one shoe and “Sal” on the other, an homage to her precious Caesar salad. (Lest you think that’s a fuddy-duddy dish, she insists you can whip up an easy homemade dressing with a Hellmann’s mayo base!) Chef Pépin, on the other hand, may have doled out classics like chicken in cream sauce, but pushed the envelope by swapping the chicken for cornish hen and the requisite mushrooms for vegetables in a kaleidoscope of colors.
So, when Molly was asked which recipe from her book she might like to share in advance of her conversation with Jacques? Her own version of a French classic, of course! The renowned Steak au Poivre. It seems that these two trendsetters of modern culinary technique have even that in common. We just can’t wait to see the two great cooks chatter about technique, making things easier, veggies, and classics on Thursday night! Join us!
Strip Steaks au Poivre
I recently got a text from my husband, who was having dinner at beloved all-day café/market/dream restaurant Gjusta in Venice, California. He was eating steak au poivre (a French dish of steak drenched in creamy pepper sauce) and just absolutely LOVING every minute of it. “I think you should bring back the steak au poivre” was what it said. A week later, this recipe was born and that was that.
Produce
1 large shallot
4 garlic cloves
3 thyme sprigs
Dairy
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1⁄2 cup heavy cream
Meat
2 (1 1⁄2-inch-thick) New York strip steaks (about 1 1⁄2 pounds total)
Pantry
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1⁄3 cup cognac, dry sherry, or brandy
Flaky sea salt
Prep your mise:
✦ Pat 2 New York strip steaks dry with paper towels. Season all over with 2 1⁄2 teaspoons kosher salt and a generous amount of ground black pepper. Set aside for at least 15 minutes.
✦ Finely chop 1 large shallot.
✦ Thinly slice 2 garlic cloves. Firmly smash 2 additional garlic cloves to really break them open so that they are able to release a lot of flavor when they hit the skillet.
✦ Place 1 tablespoon whole peppercorns in a sealable plastic bag, seal the bag, place it on your countertop, and crush with the bottom of a small saucepan to coarsely crack them. If you have a mortar and pestle, use that! They should be coarser than ground black pepper.
✦ Place 1 tablespoon whole peppercorns in a sealable plastic bag, seal the bag, place it on your countertop, and crush with the bottom of a small saucepan to coarsely crack them. If you have a mortar and pestle, use that! They should be coarser than ground black pepper.
Cook the steaks:
✦ Heat a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat for 4 minutes.
✦ Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil to the skillet. Add the steaks and cook, undisturbed, until a deep golden brown crust forms underneath, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook on the second side until equally golden brown, 3 minutes longer. (If the steaks have a fat cap, upend them on their sides, stabilizing them with tongs, and sear the edges, until browned, 2 to 3 minutes per edge.)
Baste:
✦ Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add 1 tablespoon butter, 3 thyme sprigs, and the 2 smashed garlic cloves to the pan. Use a spoon to continuously baste the steak, about 2 minutes. Insert your instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the steak. Once it registers 120°F, transfer it to a cutting board to rest.
Make the pan sauce:
✦ Add 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet along with the sliced garlic, shallot, and crushed peppercorns. Cook, stirring often, until the shallot and garlic are softened but not browned, 4 to 5 minutes.
✦ Turn off the heat (cognac is flammable!) and add 1⁄3 cup cognac. Return the skillet to medium heat and cook until the cognac has mostly evaporated and your spoon leaves streaks in the skillet when you stir, 1 to 2 minutes.
✦ Add 1⁄2 cup heavy cream, bring to a simmer, and cook until it coats the back of a spoon, about 1 minute. Season with kosher salt.
Serve:
✦ Slice the steak against the grain. Transfer to a serving platter.
✦ Pour any resting juices back into the skillet and stir them into the sauce. Spoon the sauce generously over the steak, season with flaky sea salt, and serve immediately.