Recipes
Blackcurrant Almond Tea Clafoutis
Puffed from the oven and dusted with powdered sugar, a clafoutis that smells like a Parisian macaron: Dammann Frères’ Macaron Cassis Violette Tea Bags N°313 infuse the milk with blackcurrant, bitter almond and violet over a fresh green tea.
Strawberry Passion Fruit Tea Tiramisu
Instead of coffee, the ladyfingers soak up a cool, fragrant tea before disappearing under mascarpone, strawberries and passion fruit; Dammann Frères’ L’Ôriental Tea N°2, green tea with passion fruit, bush peach and wild strawberry, gives the dessert its gently exotic air.
Apricot Vanilla Tea Crème Brûlée
The spoon taps, the caramel shatters, and beneath it the cream carries apricot, bergamot and vanilla: Joli Coeur Tea N°656 from Dammann Frères, a Chinese Sencha with a lovely gourmet sweetness, has steeped in it before baking.
Asparagus with Elderflower Vinaigrette
Bright green asparagus straight from its ice bath, a few shavings of parmesan, some chives: spooned over the top, a vinaigrette made with Le Paulmier’s Elderflower Apple Cider Vinegar brings the lightness of a hedgerow in bloom.
Normandy-Style Mussels with Cider Vinegar
Shells clatter in the pot and fall open in a cloud of steam, then crème fraîche turns the juices silky: Le Paulmier’s organic Apple Cider Vinegar, matured in casks for at least six months, brings rounded acidity to these Normandy-style mussels.
French Grated Carrot Salad
Ten minutes of rest is all it takes for grated carrots to soften and soak up their dressing. Laurent Agnès’s White Wine Vinegar, from Bordeaux Sauvignon grapes, lends fruity, herbaceous notes to this humble French classic.
Quick Béarnaise Sauce
Keep whisking over the lowest heat and the yolks turn thick and glossy, ready for a steak. Reduced with shallot at the start, Laurent Agnès’s Tarragon Vinegar, aromatic and gently spiced, gives the béarnaise its herbaceous backbone.
Frisée Salad with Bacon and Shallot Vinegar
Hot bacon fat, a splash of vinegar and a wooden spoon scraping the skillet: the warm dressing sizzles, then barely wilts the frisée. Laurent Agnès’s Shallot Vinegar, sweet and mild, brings its aromatic shallot character to this bistro salad.
Chicken with Red Wine Vinegar
The vinegar hisses as it hits the hot skillet, the kitchen fills with its sharp perfume, then cream softens everything. Laurent Agnès’s Red Wine Vinegar, made from Bordeaux Merlot and aged three years, gives this chicken its rounded depth.
Sparkling Raspberry Vinegar Spritzer
Hold a glass up to the light and the color alone is a promise, deep and jewel-toned: Laurent Agnès’s Raspberry Vinegar, bright and tart, stirred with honey and sparkling water, makes a refreshing alcohol-free spritzer.
Chocolate Mendiants
Ten little squares melt into ten thin disks, each studded with almond, pistachio, raisin and candied orange, so the Mini Organic Pyramid from François Pralus, organic 75% dark chocolate from five origins, becomes a small tray of homemade treats.
Roasted Figs with Mascarpone and Fig Vinegar
Figs soften in the oven until their juices run into the dish, a spoonful of cool mascarpone waiting beside them. Laurent Agnès’s Fig Vinegar, rich and warmly spiced, deepens those juices into a glossy, sweet-tart sauce.