Vegan Homard, Crabe, ou Crevettes en Aspic

[Vegan Lobster, Crab, or Shrimp in Aspic]

...this is a variation of the same 'en Aspic' recipe for chicken liver...and I'm doing it first because it sounds slightly better to me than the liver version...but I do think that this sort of Luncheon/Cold Buffet dish has pretty much gone out of style...I think that gatherings in general have gotten a lot less formal...and these recipes were written in an era when most women still did not work outside of the home...so midday visits with other women were probably a lot more common...

...it's not a particularly difficult or time consuming recipe...

...I'm using my lobster mushrooms for the lobster...just simmering them in some seaweed flavored broth...

...sauteeing some shallots...

...added some agar agar to the broth and then boiled for a few minutes...

...poured it into a ramekin mold...then into the fridge to chill...

...unmolded over some lettuce leaves as suggested...

...it's just really odd...it doesn't look very appetizing to me...

...it tastes ok though...a savory sort of jello bite...still weird though...

Substitutions:

Earth Balance for Butter
Broth made with vegetable bouillon and nori
Lobster Mushrooms for the lobster
Agar Agar for the gelatin

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking p. 549

Vegan Clafouti à la Bourdaloue

[Vegan Cherry or Pear Flan with Almonds]

...I've made all of the other variations of Clafouti...and I didn't even realize that I'd missed this last one...I do love clafouti...and it's not something you ever hear of here in the States...

...Julia says you can also do this almond version with the Pear Clafouti...that one was definitely a favorite...so pretty...

...it's a really simple dessert...I buttered the dish with vegan butter...

...I blanched some almonds and peeled them...You can see how I do that here...

...and put those and the rest of the ingredients into the Vitamix...Julia says to use 1 tsp. of almond extract...but unless you really...really love almond I wouldn't...it's such a strong flavor...maybe Julia's wasn't as strong as mine...I only used about 1/4 teaspoon...

...arranged your cherries in your buttered dish...I'm using frozen ones that I've thawed...the grocery store had no fresh cherries at all...

...I thought I'd taken a photo of me pouring the batter over the cherries...but I guess I missed it...I sprinkled the baked clafouti with powdered sugar...

...and served it with tea...

...it was delicious...I really do love clafouti...

Substitutions:

Earth Balance for Butter
Almond Milk for milk
Flax Seed Goo for Eggs

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking pp.656-657

GIGOT À L'ANGLAISE

[Boiled Leg of Lamb with Onion, Caper, or Tomato Sauce]

...Julia says this is a delicious and very easy way to cook a vegan leg of lamb...

...basically you just boil it in salty water...and first you'll need to make the seitan of course...I used the same simple vegan 'lamb' recipe as before: dry:
1 1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
1/4 cup soy flour
1 Tbsp vegan beef flavored bouillon
1/4 tsp garlic powder

liquid
1 cup red wine
1 1/2 tbsp Braggs Liquid Aminos
1 tsp tamari

...shaped it into a sort of a leg-gy shape...and wrapped in cheesecloth...like you usually do for boiled seitan...

...and then you just make some salty water...

...and then Julia says...Just simmer it in a kettle of salted water until it is done...1/2 tsp salt per quart of water...so it is really easy...like she said...

...when it's done...unwrap it and put it on a serving tray...

...and then she gives you three choices for sauces to serve with this simple dish...and we chose the Sauce Soubise...a pretty simple onion bechamel...

...Julia says to pass the sauce in a warmed sauceboat...we used our little cut glass cream pitcher though...

...and poured it over the lamb seitan...

...it was pretty delicious...I'd make it again...

Vegan Lamb Seitan - recipe above...
Sauce aux Cdpres (mock hollandaise with egg yolks, cream, capers, and butter), page 65
Sauce Soubise (bechamel with onion puree), page 64
Coulis de Tomates (fresh tomato sauce with herbs), page 78

recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking pp. 332-334...

VEGAN POMMES NORMANDE EN BELLE VUE

[Vegan Applesauce Caramel Mold — a warm or cold dessert]5

...Julia says...This is a much lighter dessert than the apple charlotte, and also much easier to prepare...

...I guess it is...as it doesn't have all of the lining and toasting bits...

...so you start with apples...and basically make some applesauce...

...add some lemon zest, sugar and cinnamon...

...cook the 'applesauce' for about 20 minutes...then take it off heat and add some rum...(or cognac or apple brandy)

...then add in vegan egg, vegan butter, and vegan egg white...

...Julia uses one big mold...but I'm using individual ramekins...

...and they need to be lined with caramel...so make some Vegan Caramel...

...and pour it into the ramekins...

...just enough in the bottom of each ramekin to cover...or all of it if you're using a big mold...

...turn the apple mixture into the caramel-lined mold...

...cover with lid or plate...

...and set in the saucepan with boiling water around the outside of the mold up to the level of the apple mixture...and put it in the oven...regulating the oven temperature to maintain water almost at the simmer...

...Julia recommends 1 to 1 1/2 hours for the large mold...but our small ramekins only took about half an hour...take them out and let them cool for 20 minutes or so...

...make some VEGAN CRÈME ANGLAISE...

...remove the ramekins...

...and then I thought it was interesting that Julia gives instructions for the remaining caramel in the ramekins...

...she says to simmer the rum or brandy in the mold to dissolve any remaining caramel...

...and pour that over...

...we had ours warm...but Julia says it can be served cold...I don't think I would like it as well cold though...

...pour over the VEGAN CRÈME ANGLAISE...

...this was a really good dessert...almost like an apple pie pudding...we really enjoyed it...

Substitutions

Vegan milk
Vegan Butter
Vegan egg
Vegan egg white
recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking pp. 624-625...