Frederick Eckhard - A very distinguished visitor!

 All our visitors are special and a large number of our students arrive as strangers and leave as friends! However we had a very distinguished visitor last week. Frederick Eckhard, former Spokesman for UN Secretary Kofi Annan and his lovely wife Katheryn. We have been friends for some years but it is only recently, having read his book,  ''Kofi Annan: A Spokesperson's Memoir'' that I have realised the extraordinary career  Frederick has had: https://amzn.eu/d/30UQPvx

So you can imagine how pleased I was that Frederick joined us for lunch and took the time to write up an account of his visit afterwards:

Lunch with Poul and Niall

8 May 2023

 

We’ve known Poul and Niall for at least six years. Poul is from Denmark and is a chef; he runs the French Dining School in a little village in Brittany called Kerrouët. Niall is his partner and is from Ireland. (Niall’s cousin Méabh keeps the books for our Burkina Faso association Chance for Change in New York as a volunteer; she lives in England.)

 Poul had a student Norm, originally from San Francisco but currently living in Paris, who is a Peace Corps Volunteer who worked in Burkina Faso. Poul thought we would like to meet him and so invited us all to lunch.

 Poul and Niall live in a 16^th century house that they bought as a ruin and renovated; they opened the school ten years ago.

We relaxed in a comfortable room recently added on to the old house.

Poul poured us some champagne, then returned to the kitchen.

Norm joined him as he prepared the first course—French white asparagus. 

Kathryn and Niall chatted while waiting patiently for lunch. Niall has what my Irish grandmother called “the gift of the gab”. Well he is the CEO Chief Entertainment Officer ! Totally entertaining!

Then the asparagus arrived. Délicieux!

The main course was Salmon Fishcakes! Here's the recipe:

A knockout!

Of course, in France - there has to be a cheese course.

Served with bruschetta made that morning by Norm.

And finally, a strawberry sorbet for dessert.

                                             photo from The Irish Times

If you would like to book a course—see their website: www.frenchdiningschool.com.

Quiche for a Royal Coronation!

I only met King Charles once when he was a young man and at the time the world’s most eligible bachelor! I had to fight against a line of determined ladies who were equally keen to get an eyeful of princely magic and was surprised to see what a small guy he actually is in the flesh. 

I don’t agree with his recipe for Coronation Quiche. There is a limit to the amount of greens you can add to a quiche without turning it into a pie and spinach with broad beans are unlikely bed fellows even in a Kerrouet quiche. My advice is to stick to the classic French recipe of Quiche Lorraine. After all wasn’t the monarchy French with Guillaume le Conquérant back in 1066 and all that?!

serves 6

ingredients for the dough

175 g of wheat flour 

1/4 tsp salt

100 g of cold butter

1 tablespoon water

1 tbsp olive oil

6 lean slices of bacon, chopped

4 large eggs

250 ml cream

150 ml milk

140 g Gruyère, Comte of french Emmental cheese, finely grated

nutmeg

Method

Preheat the oven to fan 180C. 

Heat the oil in a frying pan and stir fry the bacon for a minute or so until lightly cooked.

dough

Mix flour and salt in a bowl. Cut the butter into small pieces and crumble it into the flour mixture until it resembles grated cheese. Add the water and pick up quickly dough. Press it out into a greased pie form (about 22 cm in diameter). 

Put the crust covered in the refrigerator for at least ½ hour. Pre-bake the pie shell in the middle of the oven.

Beat the eggs, cream and milk together with a fork then add the cheese, nutmeg and plenty of seasoning. Stir in half the bacon and carefully pour the mixture into the baked pastry case,  then scatter over the remaining bacon.

Bake for 35-40 minutes until the filling is set, starting to turn golden and slightly puffed up above the pastry case. Allow to cool a little before removing from the tin. Serve warm or at room temperature, with a green salad or cold with the neighbours with English wines of course!! Enjoy your quiche and Coronation Party!