The French name for this custard sauce is crème anglaise, which means “English cream.” À l’anglaise is a descriptor given to many preparations in classic French cuisine. It is in fact mildly derogatory, as it always describes the most basic of preparations. For instance, vegetables prepared à l’anglaise are boiled, then served with butter and parsley. Meat dishes prepared a l’angaise are also always boiled. And crème anglaise is the most basic of dessert sauces, a pourable custard flavoured with vanilla.
So yes: this sauce is considered very ordinary within the context of classic cuisine. It is not usually a featured component, but an accompaniment, an afterthought.
After initial preparation, crème anglaise can go on to become a number … Continue reading.
Recently I was shocked to discover that many people have bad childhood memories of “creamy” coleslaw. I was raised on chopped cabbage in mayonnaise, a creamy slaw that we called cabbage salad. Many detest this side dish so much that they have given up slaw all together.
I’d like to vouch for a different style of coleslaw, one that has more in common with the German Krautsalat than the classic mayo-bound North American slaw.
The main difference is that it’s dressed in a vinaigrette, instead of mayonnaise or buttermilk. But before we discuss dressing, there’s a very important technique to consider.
Lightly Curing Cabbage for Slaw
There are very few vegetables that I truly enjoy raw. Good carrots, radishes, and … Continue reading.
There are many compelling reasons to never buy salad dressings from the grocery store:
- You almost certainly already have the ingredients in your pantry to make a good dressing.
- A good dressing can be made in less than 90 seconds. Actually you can make enough dressing for a few weeks in 90 seconds.
- There are weird things in store-bought dressings, like calcium disodium EDTA and acetylated monoglycerides. They also usually contain a good deal of sugar or glucose-fructose; not necessarily a bad thing, but a fact of which many people are unaware.
Invest is some quality oil and vinegar, then never buy a Kraft dressing again.
The simplest dressing to make at home is vinaigrette, which is a French diminutive … Continue reading.
The personal website of Edmonton chef Allan Suddaby
