Cooking weekend in Paris

Eiffel Tower - Finally sharing some of the photos from my weekend with friends in Paris!  We had such a great time!  Here are a few of us underneath the Eiffel Tower - not the normal view :).  I'm really going to miss these gals - they were on the Mediterranean cruise as well and also Malta (except for Kelsey). 

 Le Sacre-Coeur - This was such a beautiful area of Paris.  Behind the cathedral was a great neighborhood (Montmarte?) and we were there at the finish of a city 10K race.  Lots of cool shops, boutiques, and restaurants.  The area here in front of the cathedral was packed with people enjoying the sunshine and the view of Paris behind us.  

Flowers at the market.  The first stop of our cooking class was the market to buy all the fresh ingredients we would need to prepare an appetizer, a main and side, and a dessert.  The flowers were just a bonus!

 Fresh fruits and vegetables - everything was so colorful!

We bought fresh scallops and they were the best I've ever eaten!  Here, the scallops are being cleaned for us.

Seared Scallop Recipe:
In a small hot skillet pour some olive oil and sear the scallops until golden brown. Do not overcook. (the center should still a little bit transparent.) Remove and spoon over the zucchini cake (see below). Pour the butter sauce around (also below). Garnish with a seasoned salad and serve immediately.

Zucchini Flan (Serves 4):
2 zucchinis, washed and grated
2 eggs
1/2 cup of "creme fraiche" or heavy cream
1 medium onion, finely diced
1/2 tablespoon of flour
Olive oil
Chopped basil and parsley
Salt and pepper

Squeeze the zucchini to remove some of the juice. In a skillet oven medium high heat saute the onion and zucchini in olive oil. Season and cook for 3 minutes. In a mixing bowl, mix the eggs, cream and chopped herbs with the flour. Add the zucchini mixture.
Pour in oiled muffin molds and cook 25 minutes or until firm. Oven set at 350F.

Butter Sauce (Yields 6 servings):
2 medium size shallots, peeled and finely diced
1 cup of extra dry white vermouth (Noilly Prat) or dry white wine (Chenin Blanc)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon of unsalted cold butter cut into small pieces
salt and white pepper

In a small pan, mix the diced shallot and the vermouth. Bring to a boil and let simmer until the liquid is reduced by half. Add the cream and reduce by half again. Add the cold butter little by little whisking constantly.  Season with salt and pepper to your taste.





Yummy!!!  You will love it!