The Culinary
Institute LeNôtre:
Best Recipes for Winter and Spring
The Culinary Institute LeNôtre® (CIL) in Houston, Texas is the only French-owned culinary school in the United States and the largest culinary college in Houston. It was founded in 1998 by third generation French Chef Alain LeNôtre and his wife, Marie. The LeNôtre name is known worldwide for its French cuisine and pastry art. Alain’s father, famous pastry chef and renowned caterer, Gaston LeNôtre, along with his wife, Colette, created a French food empire. The LeNôtre family is regarded as one of the greatest culinary families of France.
CIL aims to train the culinary experts of tomorrow and welcome them into its international family of renowned chefs and hospitality workers. A highly structured curriculum, low student-to-teacher ratio, and training in classic and innovative techniques ensures students learn the skills they need to become model chefs. The institute offers four diplomas and three associate degrees in applied science, respected credentials in the food industry.
Located in Independence Heights, CIL now occupies two buildings,including its own restaurant, Le Bistro, where students gain real-world experience. The student body has expanded to 320 students taught by 14 full-time international chef-instructors. The school also offers leisure classes every Saturday to all foodies who want to learn traditional French recipes or exciting contemporary dishes to try again at home.
CKW LUXE is honored to present a selection of CIL’s best recipes especially designed for winter and spring for our readers to make and enjoy on their own.
Blue Cheese Broccoli Salad
Sauce
0.25 pint (1/2 cup) apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
0.25 pint (1/2 cup) mayonnaise
Blue cheese to taste
Salad base
1 pint (2 cups) broccoli florets, small dice
2 green apples, small dice
0.5 pint (1 cup) red grapes
0.25 pint (1/2 cup) pine nuts
Directions:
Dice broccoli florets and apples; add grapes and pine nuts.
To prepare the dressing, mix the vinegar, sugar, mayonnaise, and blue cheese together until smooth.
Roasted Duck Magret with Honey Glaze
Ingredients (2 to 4 servings)
Protein
Duck breast, two per person
Honey glaze
0.25 pint (1/2 cup) honey
0.25 pint (1/2 cup) water
Reduction
Shallot, minced, one per person
Garlic clove, minced, one per person
0.25 pint (1/2 cup) red wine vinegar
0.25 pint (1/2 cup) honey
Bouquet garni, one per person
0. 25 pint (1/2 cup) brown veal stock
Directions:
Score the fat side of the magret (duck breast). On low heat, render the fat. The process takes about 15 minutes, depending on the size of the magret. Baste the flesh side with hot duck fat. Sear the flesh side on heat to caramelize. Brush with honey glaze at the end of
cooking. Duck should reach 118ºF to 120ºF and requires a 10-minute
rest time before slicing. Reduce the reduction and the veal glace, then combine to make a drag on the plate.
Fraisier
Génoise/Biscuit
3 eggs
100 grams (.42 cup) sugar
70 grams (.3 cup) flour
30 grams (2 tablespoons) almond powder
1 tablespoon pistachio paste
Mousseline cream
500 grams (2.1 cups) milk
2 tablespoons pistachio paste
100 grams (.42 cups) chopped pistachios
Red food coloring
Vanilla beans
200 grams (.85 cups) sugar
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
50 grams (3 tablespoons) cornstarch
200 grams (.85 cups) butter
300 grams (1.3 cups) fresh strawberries
Strawberry jam
Syrup
150 grams (.6 cups) water
150 grams (.6 cups) strawberry purée
Making the biscuit:
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Mix eggs, pistachio paste, and sugar.
The volume must triple, and the dough must be almost white. Add
flour and almond powder. Cook on a baking sheet for 10 to 12
minutes. Let cool down. Cut in half.
Making the mousseline cream:
Heat the milk with the vanilla beans and half of the sugar. Mix the eggs and the other half of the sugar until the mixture thickens and becomes white. Add cornstarch and pistachio paste. Pour the hot milk very softly on the mixture, mix it, and put it back on the fire.
Keep on mixing to make it thick. Let it cool down. When the cream is cold, whip it, gently adding the softened butter while mixing. Add broken pistachios to half of the cream. Color the other half red
with the food coloring, and add tiny chopped strawberries.
Making the syrup:
Heat the purée and the water until mixture thickens a bit.
Making the cake:
Soak the biscuit with the syrup. Add a thin layer of strawberry purée, then pistachio mousseline cream, another layer of biscuit
wet with the syrup, and strawberry jam. Then add the strawberry mousseline cream and put fresh strawberries on the top of the cake to decorate.