Here is a great recipe for your new year’s eve dinner. It’s from my home region, Brittany which is situated on the west coast of France (that weird arm going into the sea you see on French maps It’s not very difficult to make, the annoying part being cleaning them. They often come with sand inside and need to be cleaned carefully. The secret of the sauce resides in getting the right balance between flour and wine. If your sauce is too liquid, it will get out in the oven. If you poured too much flour and your sauce has over dried, you can add a small amount (not too much!) of boiling water. And remember: never pour cold water, it would take the taste away.

Preparation Time: 40 mn – Cooking Time: 5 to 10 mn

Ingredients (for 6 servings):

4.4 lbs (2 kg) of fresh scallops (with shell)
1 onion
2 garlic cloves
1 1/2 cup of white wine
3 tablespoons of dried breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoon of parsley
1 tablespoon of butter
1 pinch of salt
1 pinch of pepper

Instructions:

1/ Open and clean scallops. (Once opened, you »ll see a black part on top of the meat. You need to take that out very carefully so it doesn’t break. It’s the animal’s stomach and tastes really bad.)

2/ Keep aside white meat and coral (roe). Cut the rest into small pieces.

3/ Cut onion, garlic cloves and parsley into small pieces.

4/ Melt a piece of butter in a pan (don’t ever let it get brown, it’s very bad for health). Pour scallop pieces (the ones you cut before), onion and garlic.

5/ Once onions are transparent, add white wine and parsley. Let boil for 5 to 7 mn (When cooking with wine, always take it to a boil so the alcohol evaporates).

7/ Add flour gradually until sauce gets thick and creamy. Add salt and pepper.

8/ Add scallops and coral in pan. Cook for a little less than 1 mn on each side.

9/ Pour mixture, scallops and coral in clean shells. Add dried breadcrumbs and a piece of butter on top.

10/ Grill in oven until crust is golden.

You can serve it alone as a starter or with a salad as a main dish.

Hachis Parmentier is a traditional French dish made of mashed potatoes and whatever vegetables and meat you have left in the fridge. I’s a useful recipe for the days you only have potatoes and leftovers!

Preparation Time : 20 mn – Cooking Time : 30 mn

Ingredients (for 4 servings):
20 oz (600g) of minced beef meat
2.2 lbs (1kg) of potatoes
5/8 cup (150ml) of milk
2 tomatoes
2 onions
2 garlic cloves
1/4 lbs (115 gr / 4 oz) of parmesan cheese
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon of flour
1 tablespoon of herbes de Provence (rosemary, marjoram, basil, bay leaf, thyme)
1 tablespoon of Olive oil
1 oz (30g) of butter

Instructions:

1/ Boil potatoes for 30 mn (they’ll be easier to mash if overcooked). Let them chill.

2/ Chop onions and garlic and make them gently melt in hot oil, in a pan.

3/ When onions are transparents, add meat.

4/ When meat is cooked, add flour, herbes de Provence, salt and pepper.

5/ Stir gently for about 5 mn or until everything is cooked. Take away from heat and add egg yolk and half of parmesan cheese. Stir well.

6/ Peel and mash potatoes. Add milk, butter (keep aside 3 small pieces), salt and pepper. Stir well.

7/ Pour meat on a square pan. Slice tomatoes and put on top. Add the mashed potatoes and parmesan cheese. Finish with pieces of butter.

8/ Grill in oven until crust is golden.

9/ Serve with a salad.

Try it and let me know what you think! If you don’t have the exact ingredients don’t worry about it. This one is a personalized recipe but I think the original has carrots and sometimes peas in it… But what really matters in cooking is adapting the taste of the recipes to what you like. Don’t be afraid to try! Better not on an important dinner, though

Mussels are cheap and relatively easy to find anywhere and even easier to cook ! The most annoying moment being their cleaning, if you find them already scrubbed and beard off you can easily have your Marinières Mussels made in less than 20 mn.

Preparation Time : 15 mn – Cooking Time : 15 mn

Ingredients (for 4 servings):

6 to 8 lbs of fresh mussels
2 onions
3 garlic cloves
2 cups of dry white wine
2 1/2 tablespoons of fresh parsley
1 tablespoon (1/2 oz) of butter
Salt & pepper

Instructions:

1/ Scrub and debeard mussels. (Crude mussels must be close or close down when you push on it. If some stay open, throw them away. They’re not fresh enough.)

2/ Chop onions and garlic and make them gently melt in hot butter, in a large stewpot.

3/ When onions are transparents, add the wine and bring to a boil. (When cooking with wine, you should always bring it to a boil so the alcohol evaporates.) Let it boil gently for about 5 to 7 mn.

4/ Add persley, mussels, salt & pepper. Stir well and cover stewpot.

5/ When mussels are opened, your dish is ready. Serve with rice or French fries.