FRANCE

1. French Onion Soup

2 tb (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 c Vegetable oil
3 1/2 lb Onions, thinly sliced
2 c Dry wine
6 c Chicken stock or canned
Low-salt broth
12 1/2-inch thick French Bread
Baguette slices, toasted
1 c Gruye're Cheese (about 4 oz)

Melt butter with oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onions, cover and cook until lightly colored, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes. Add wine and bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Cook 5 minutes. Add browned bits. Cook 5 minutes. Add stock and bring to simmer. Simmer uncovered 1-1/2 hours. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before continuing.) Preheat broiler. Ladle soup into boilerproof bowls. Top with slices oftoasted French bread. Sprinkle with grated Gruyere cheese. Broil untilcheese melts. Serve immediately.

SOURCE: Bon Appetit Favorite Restaurant Recipes Volume II Shared by Cate Vanicek

2. Tourti=8Are French Canadian Meat Pie

2 tb Vegetable oil
1 lb Ground pork
1 lb Ground veal
1 lb Ground beef
3 x Cloves of garlic, minced
3 x Onions, minced
2 c Beef broth
1/2 ts Dried sage
Bay leaf
1/4 ts Cinnamon
1/4 ts Nutmeg
1 ts Ground cloves
2 tb Parsley flakes
1 tb Powdered dry celery leaves
1/2 ts Celery seeds
2 oz Brandy
1/2 c Fresh breadcrumbs
2 ts Salt
1 ts Pepper
Flaky pastry for 3 double-
Crust 9-inch pies
1 lg Egg, beaten

COMMENTS:Bake in miniature size and use as an hors d'oeuvre, suggests The owner of this recipe, who uses muffin pans for his favorite dish for a December family reunion. To accompany the mini-tourti=8Ares, he likes home-made tomato-and-peach ketchup and dry red wine.

TIP: Add a pinch or two more herbes and spices.

Heat oil in a large, heavy frying pan and saut=82 ground pork, veal and beef, breaking up meat until crumbly. Add garlic and onions, and saut=82 until vegetables are soft. Add beef broth, sage, bay leaf, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, parsley flakes, dry celery leaves and celery seeds. Cover and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Add brandy and breadcrumbs. Blend in salt and pepper. Simmer briefly. Mixture should be moist. Cool. Preheat oven to 425'F.. Line 3 9-inch pie pans with pastry, reserving an equal amount of the dough for top crusts. Fill each pan with meat mixture. Cover with pastry, cutting two slits in the center of each pie to permit steam to escape. Brush each pie with beaten egg. Bake tourti=8Ares for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350'F. and cook until crust is golden-brown, about 25 minutes. Serve hot or cool completely, wrap and freeze. Makes 3 tourti=8Ares.

From the MOTREAL GAZETTE, DECEMBER 5 1984.

3. Chicken Francaise

6 ea Medium chicken breasts
1/2 c Dry white wine
10 1/2 oz Can cream of mushroom soup
3 oz Mushrooms; slice (1/2 cup)
1 ea Paprika
1 c Sour cream
1 x Hot cooked rice

Place chicken breasts, skin side up, in 12 x 7 1/2 x 2 inch baking dish; sprinkle with salt. Blend wine into mushroom soup; add mushrooms and pour over chicken. Bake at 350 for 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Remove chicken to platter; sprinkle with paprika. Pour sauce into saucepan; blend in sour cream and heat gently till hot. Do not boil or sauce may separate. Serve sauce over chicken and hot cooked rice.

Recipe source Meal Master

4. French Apple Tart

dough:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup confectioner's
1 1/2 ounces butter
1 large egg
filling:
4 1/2 ounces butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup almond powder
3/4 cup cake flour
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 medium tart apples

To make the dough, mix the flour, confectioner's sugar and 1 1/2 ounces butter until a crumbly mixture forms. Add 1 egg and mix until it is absorbed. For the filling, mix 4 1/2 ounces butter, sugar and 2 eggs into a smooth paste. Gradually add the almonds, cake flour and vanilla extract. Make a smooth paste. Peel, core, quarter and thin slice apples; save them in orange juice to prevent browning. Roll out dough and lay in 9″ tart pan, and perforate the bottom to prevent unnecessary bubbles. Spread in filling and layer on apples in decorative manner. Bake at 350 F for 15 to 20 minutes or until filling is done. Glaze with melted apricot jelly or apple jelly for a pretty appearance. Garnish with vanilla, cinnamon or almond ice cream and/or a complementary sauce.

NOTES : Finely ground almonds may be substituted for the almond powder. Granny Smith apples are recommended. Recipe souce Meal Master.