Hubert
Keller
Chef at Fleur de Lys
San Francisco, CA
Hubert Keller's Vegetarian Philosophy
Fleur de Lys, San Francisco
I am proud of the fact that Fleur de Lys was the first upscale French
restaurant in the United States to offer a vegetarian menu. I never
imagined how much attention our vegetarian menu would attract and how
popular it would become. Since we introduced it in the 1980s, the nation's
awareness of the healthfulness of vegetarian food has grown significantly.
Over the last two or three years especially, professional chefs have
led the way in demonstrating how flavorful and resourceful meatless
dishes can be.
The success you can expect from the recipes is directly related to the
quality of the produce you use. Always take advantage of the peak growing
season and resist making dishes when their star ingredients are not
in season. When shopping for ingredients take advantage of the access
to the beautiful premium produce, much of it organic, sold at the farmer's
markets in this country, the produce is likely to be extra fresh, high
quality and raised with care and integrity. One final thought: since
these dishes are inexpensive to prepare, I recommend you use whatever
you have saved by not buying meat on upgrading the wine to accompany
the meal.
Stuffed Artichoke Heart Barigoule
http://starchefs.com/HKeller/artichokes.html
• 1
to 1¼ pounds fresh spinach leaves, washed and stems removed
• 6
garlic cloves
• 3½
Tablespoons olive oil
• 3
Tablespoons Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• 2
lemons, cut in half
• 8
medium artichokes
• 1
cup young carrots, cut into thin slices
• 1
cup medium white onions, cut into thin slices
• 1
cup leeks, white part only, split and thinly sliced
• 2
bay leaves
• 2
sprigs of fresh thyme
• 1½
cups dry white wine
• 10-12
basil leaves
• 4
Tablespoons parsley, finely minced
• 2
medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded and cut into ¼-inch dices
• Salt
and freshly ground black pepper
Special Equipment Suggested
• 1
melon baller
• 1
large heavy non-reactive casserole or heavy-bottomed saucepot with lid
• Large
saucepan
• 1
sharp stainless steel paring knife
To prepare, peel and lightly crush 1 garlic clove. Heat a large saucepan
over high heat. Add the garlic and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Just
before the olive oil starts to smoke, add the spinach. Season with salt
and pepper, cook by stirring continuously with a wooden spoon, until
the spinach is tender and the liquid has evaporated (about 5 minutes).
When cooked, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and stir well. Remove the
garlic clove and transfer the spinach to a small platter. Let cool.
Have a bowl of water ready, mixed with juice of one of the lemons. Do
not cut the stems from the artichokes: break off two rows of the largest
leaves from the base. Using a paring knife cut all around the artichokes,
trimming away all the leaves and hard green skin. As you finish trimming,
rub each artichoke heart with half of the lemon to keep hearts from
darkening. With a melon baller scoop out the hairy choke. Place each
artichoke bottom in the lemon water, until the 8 artichokes are completely
trimmed.
Heat the remaining olive oil in a casserole over medium heat. Add the
carrots, onions and leeks, sweat them (without coloring) for about 6
or 7 minutes. Arrange the artichokes in the casserole. Add the bay leaves,
thyme, 3 garlic cloves, (lightly crushed), salt and pepper. Pour the
white wine over everything and cook over medium heat for about 20 to
25 minutes or until the hearts are cooked (when you can pierce them
with the point of the paring knife).
Meanwhile, finely mince the remaining garlic cloves and basil leaves,
and mix with the parsley. Once the artichokes are cooked, carefully
transfer them to a warm serving platter and cover with aluminum foil
to keep them hot. Reduce the artichoke broth to approximately 1½ cups.
While boiling, stir in the tomatoes, herbs and garlic mixture, taste
for seasoning. Gently spoon the broth and the vegetables around the
artichoke hearts. Serve hot.
Chef
Keller's Note
I always give the diners a spoon, to enjoy the broth. This dish translates
itself into an explosion of aromas and colors.
