Laugh Lines

Our last few unplanned days in Australia passed in a flash trying to make the most of the extra time. I spent a good portion of it in the supermarket, filling my suitcase with as much food as possible including extra treats for the first few jet-lagged mornings when the house is dark and quiet and only a tray of Tim-Tams will sooth the homesickness. Our return trip was uneventful although I’d hesitate before recommending Cathay Pacific for your next trip, but we did arrive safe and sound which is the most important thing and our bags were on the carousel waiting for us.

After a quick shower and a tiny nap I pushed myself back out the door to dealer day at Foire de Chatou, figuring if there was anything to help me stay awake it’d be endless tables of antiques and bric-a-brac (thanks to everyone I bumped into for not mentioning my tired eyes and unruly appearance). There seemed to be more peculiar items than usual and some had me in stitches, but I unironically have a real fondness for this enormous jug that I passed up.

On Friday morning the children rose at 2.30am and I shushed them for 4 hours until the rest of the house woke to join us for breakfast. At 9am I accompanied my son on a (long planned) school excursion to the local conservatoire de musique for an introduction to string instruments, and while listening to 16 small children try the violin for the first time wouldn’t be my first choice of activity on 5 hours sleep I did learn a lot about how to play the harp.

I was first in line at the market Saturday, pleasantly surprised to see the first white asparagus and rosy strawberries hitting stands, technically available but still at ridiculous-beginning-of-the-season-prices so I’ll wait a few more weeks to buy. I filled my trolley instead with a mountain of duck confit for a huge tray of parmentier de confit de canard and armfuls of ranunculus and eucalyptus to decorate the house.

In the evening I gave myself just a hint of a black eye while setting up a clothing rack for my birthday swap party (no not that kind) and was still lightly swearing as my girlfriends arrived. Everyone brought clothes, homewares, books and miscellaneous items to be exchanged for “new things” to take home and I said farewell to bits and bobs that have been emotionally weighing me down for years. Unfortunately the children found the bag of toys I was hoping to part with but apart from that it was a success and very easy to organise, should you be inclined. We paused the game for big bowls of duck parmentier with fennel and orange salad, then cheese followed by blood orange cake (the juice makes the icing go a perfect pink) and then got back to our “shopping”.

On Sunday I hustled back out to Foire de Chatou with guests for a tour, which as most antique tours do ended at financial net zero after I purchased some baccarat coupes which I’m using for ice-cream sundaes this evening. I brought some Ice-Magic (Magic Shell?) back from Australian so can’t wait to blow the children’s minds with culinary science.

In the afternoon we headed out to the local polling station to vote in elections for both Mayor of Paris and Mayor of our arrondissement, and there was a slightly awkward moment when a candidate I hadn’t ticked showed up to greet the locals. I almost changed my decision out of empathy but instead averted my eyes and ducked into the booth to cast my ballot. I adore the quaint paper envelope system here and if they’d only add some democracy sausage it could be the perfect experience.

Have a great week,

- Emily

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Cheese we’re eating this week:

• Tomme à la Truffe - a Swiss cheese made with raw cow’s milk that is soft and creamy with a ribbon of black truffles running through the centre giving it a warm aroma.

• Chêvre de Madame Moret - an ash coated goat’s cheese made by Madame Moret, the neighbour of the fromagier.

• Bleu de Gex - a mild, creamy, semi-soft blue cheese made from unpasteurized milk from Montbéliard cows in the Jura region.

All three cheeses were from Manu at Marché Maubert.

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Duck Parmentier

This dish is quite rich and incredibly comforting, perfect for a Sunday supper. I used duck confit legs from our local butcher and I hope you can find them easily wherever you are. It can be prepared in advance so it’s perfect if you’re having guests over, just pop it in the oven when you’re ready to eat. Adjust the quantities for more/less servings.

Serves 4.

• 4 duck confit legs

• 2 shallots

• 1 garlic clove

• Fresh thyme (or whatever herb you prefer, a pinch of 5 spice powder is also nice)

• 1 cup of chicken stock (you could also use white wine, red wine, or water)

• A splash of sherry (optional)

• Parmesan (optional)

• 4 large potatoes (mine came out to 1.2kgs)

• Butter

• Cream

• Salt & pepper

1. Turn the oven to 180C.

2. Peel and chop your potatoes, add them to a pot of cold salted water and place a lid on top. Bring to the boil and cook until a fork slides through them easily. Strain and mash with a big knob of butter, a good sprinkle of salt and pepper, and as much cream as you like (add it little by little until you’re happy with the texture - keep it reasonably firm as it’ll need to sit on top of the duck layer). Set aside.

3. Finely slice your shallot and cook in a teaspoon of duck fat in a frying pan. Once it’s soft, mince the garlic clove and add in, followed by a sprinkle of fresh thyme.

4. Shred the duck meat into bite-sized pieces (put the fat in a jar and keep it in the fridge for roasting potatoes in the future) and add to the pan. Pour in the chicken stock and cook out until nicely reduced. You want the duck nicely glazed in sauce but not watery. Splash in a bit of sherry (optional).

5. Place the duck mixture into a baking dish, top with the mashed potatoes and lightly dust with parmesan. Spread out the duck skin on a baking tray and bake both the duck skin and the parmentier in the oven for around 20 minutes. Keep an extra close eye on the duck skin, and once it’s crispy, crush it up, sprinkle over the parmentier and it’s ready to serve.

Great with a light green salad or, honey glazed carrots or just enjoy it on it’s own.

Bon appétit!

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Real Life Paris Photo

A bike and a baguette. What more do you need?