French Revolution

Now it's time to throw those misconceptions aside and become braver in the kitchen as world-renowned French chef, Raymond Blanc, dispels the age-old myth surrounding French cookery with his simple step-by-step guide to producing mouthwatering French cuisine in your own home.

"English people shouldn't be scared about attempting to cook French food but there are many French cookery books of the Old Cuisine style that are so very complicated that nobody can ever attempt them," says Blanc.

"My book is all about family cuisine, about very simple, delicious, earthy, wholesome cooking based around the seasons -- it is the French food that every Englishman dreams of when he comes to France."

Whatever you're looking for, from starters and soups, fish, meat and vegetable dishes, to an array of exquisite desserts, the 40 fabulous recipes in Foolproof French Cookery span the entire range of this famous cuisine, using readily-available ingredients combined with easy-to-follow instructions, colour photographs and inspired menus.

"Anyone who wants to cook the dishes in the book will certainly be able to do so -- it's not called Foolproof French Cooking for nothing," Blanc laughs.

So with a dash of practice and a sprinkling of patience in the kitchen, you too can enjoy heavenly dishes like Maman Blanc's Vegetable and Chervil Soup, Moules Mariniere, Coq au Vin, or Pan-fried Salmon Fillet with Sorrel Sauce, to name a few.

And who can possibly resist the pure indulgence of the ever-popular French classic, Creme Caramel, or a slice of delightfully zesty home-made Lemon Tart?

Almost every one of the delicious dishes are featured in the coveted menus of Blanc's four Le Petit Blanc brasseries, based in Birmingham, Cheltenham, Oxford and Manchester, and originate directly from Blanc's childhood home in Besancon near the French-Swiss border.

"All of the dishes have a certain nostalgia about them for me; my whole background, culture and philosophy has been dictated by my family, with the kitchen table being the absolute centre of the home," says Blanc.

When it comes to a key ingredient that should take pride of place in every kitchen, Blanc argues that no French cuisine is complete without a few cloves of fresh garlic. "Of course, garlic is essential in any French cookery and, as well as adding fantastic flavour, it also has wonderful health, nutritional and medicinal benefits - vive le garlic!"

Blanc himself has a beautiful herb garden at his two Michelin starred restaurant, Le Manoir Aux Quat' Saisons, in Oxfordshire, that boasts around 90 varieties of vegetables and over 120 types of herb. "Fresh garden herbs are vital if you really want to put the magic into a dish," he enthuses.

And he thinks the book is perfect for anyone passionate about food, from complete beginners, to self-styled kitchen-wizards.

"To create a whole environment and then to give it to your guests is so rewarding and, to me, it is an act of love," smiles Blanc.

Duck Breast with Sweet Potatoes and Cherry Sauce

(Serves 4, preparation time 40 minutes, cooking time 30 minutes)

For the cherry sauce:

50ml (2fl oz) red wine

50ml (2fl oz) ruby port

300g (11oz) fresh cherries, stoned

1 pinch of five-spice powder

2 pinches of freshly ground cinnamon (or best quality ready-ground cinnamon)

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the duck:

4 organic or free range duck breasts, about 225g (8oz) each off the bone

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the sweet potato:

1 large sweet potato, about 450g (1lb), peeled and cut lengthways into slices 8mm (1/3in) thick (you will need only the 4 largest slices)

2 tsp groundnut oil (or other good unscented oil)

10g (1/4oz) unsalted butter

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4. On a high heat, in a medium saucepan, boil the red wine and port until reduced by half. Add the cherries, five-spice powder, cinnamon, a pinch of salt and a pinch of black pepper. Return to the boil and simmer for two to three minutes, then remove 20 cherries and set aside.

Pour the remaining cherries and sauce into a blender and blend for two minutes. Strain through a fine sieve into a small saucepan. Add the reserved cherries to the sauce, then taste and adjust the seasoning if required.

With a very sharp knife, score the skin of each duck breast six or seven times; be careful not to cut the flesh. Season the duck breasts with two pinches of salt and two pinches of pepper.

On a medium-low heat, in a large ovenproof frying pan, cook the duck breasts skin-side down for 10 minutes to melt the fat away and crisp the skin; spoon out excess fat two or three times. Turn the duck on to its flesh side an sear for one minute to seal the juices inside. Turn the duck breasts skin-side down again and place in a hot oven for four minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for four minutes.

While the skin of the duck is rendering, on a medium heat, in a large ovenproof frying pan, fry the sweet potato slices in the groundnut oil and butter. Colour them for five to six minutes on each side, seasoning with two pinches of salt and two pinches of pepper, then transfer the pan to the oven for four minutes to finish the cooking. Serve each duck breast on a slice of roasted sweet potato, with the hot cherries and cherry sauce spooned around.

LEMON TART

(serves 4-6, preparation time 40 minutes plus one hour's chilling, cooking time 55 minutes)

For the sweet pastry:

20g (4 1/2oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature, diced

75g (3oz) icing sugar, sifted, plus extra for dusting

3 egg yolks

250g (9oz) plain flour

2 tablespoons water

For the lemon cream:

5 medium organic or free range eggs

150g (5oz) caster sugar

85ml (3fl oz) lemon juice

2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest

150ml (1/4pint) double cream

In a large bowl, with a spatula or wooden spoon, mix the soft butter and icing sugar to a cream; then beat in two of the egg yolks.

Add the flour and, with your fingertips, rub the butter mixture and flour together to achieve a crumbly texture. Add the water and press the mixture together to form a ball.

With the palms of your hands, knead the pastry on a lightly floured work surface until it is blended (maximum 30 seconds - do not overwork the pastry or it will be hard and lose its crumbly texture). Flatten the pastry slightly with the palm of your hand, wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes (this helps the dough lose its elasticity)

In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, sugar, lemon juice, and zest and whisk for a few seconds. Add the cream and whisk it in, then place in the fridge.

On a lightly floured work surface, evenly roll out the pastry into a circle 3mm (1/8in) thick.

Roll the pastry over the rolling pin and unroll it over a 24cm (9 1/2in) loose-bottomed tart tin. With one hand lift the pastry and with the other gently tuck it into the bottom edge of the tin so that it fits tightly. Be careful not to stretch it. Cut off the excess pastry by rolling the pin over the top edge of the tin. Take a small ball of the pastry and gently press it all around the base of the tart to ensure a snug fit.

Prick the base of the pastry all over with a fork and refrigerate for 30 minutes (this helps prevent shrinkage during cooking). Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas Mark 3.

Line the pastry case with aluminium foil and fill with dried beans, pushing them against the side. bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and lift out both the foil and beans. Return the tart tin to the oven and bake for a further 20 minutes. Brush the inside of the pastry with the remaining egg yolk and return to the oven for one minute (this creates a seal on the pastry and prevents it becoming soggy when the lemon cream is added). Turn the oven down to 140C/275F/Gas Mark 1.

Pour the lemon cream mixture into a saucepan and warm it gently (this is to speed up the cooking time of the tart), being careful not to heat it too much or it will scramble. Pour the warm mixture into the pastry case and bake for 25 minutes, until barely set. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for at least 1 hour, then dredge the icing sugar around the edge of the tart. Remove the tart from the tin and place on a serving plate.