Claude Bosi’s Perfect French Dinner Recipe

Esteemed chef Claude Bosi grew up in Lyon, going on to work at some of France’s most prestigious kitchens before making the move to the UK, where he has remained ever since. His latest culinary project is Josephine, a Lyonnaise restaurant in Fulham focusing on bistro classics. Fancy giving some of his dishes a whirl? Here are three Claude Bosi recipes: a French starter, main and dessert – perfect for an all-out date night.

Claude Bosi Recipes: Starter, Main, Dessert

Starter: French Onion Soup, Croutons, Beaufort d’Alpage

French Onion Soup

Ingredients:

• 1.2kg white onion, julienned
• 100g red onion, julienned
• 125g butter 
• 300g white wine
• 2 cloves garlic, microplaned 
• 50g T55 flour 
• 2g chopped thyme 
• 2.8l veal stock 
• 15g salt

Method:

1. Sweat down the onion and garlic until it’s a nice colour.
2. Add the wine and reduce by glaze.
3. Add the thyme and flour, then add stock slowly and emulsify well to avoid lumps with the flour.
4. Cook until it’s the right consistency, and season with salt and pepper as needed.

Croutons

Ingredients:

• 1 baguette

Method:

Take 1 baguette and cut it into 3cm chunks, bake plain in the oven at 180C for 5 min until it’s a nice golden brown colour.

Assembly

Ingredients:

• 200ml soup
• 4 croutons
• 70-80g grated cheese

Method:

1. Heat the soup, put the croutons in and the cheese on top. 
2. Put in the oven for a few minutes and finish under the salamander (grill) until the cheese is crispy and golden in colour.

Main: Salad Lyonnaise

Serves 4 people

Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

• 45g finely chopped banana shallot
• 10ml sherry vinegar
• 15g Dijon mustard
• 50g extra virgin olive oil
• Fleur de sel and freshly ground peppercorn

Method:

1. Whisk the chopped shallot, vinegar, mustard and 1 tbsp water in a small bowl. 
2. Add the oil gradually to make a thick dressing, season then set aside.

Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 fine frisée salad
• 1 coarse ribbed frisée salad
• 80g baguette bread 
• 4 slices of smoked bacon
• 20ml rapeseed oil 
• 1 clove of garlic 
• 20ml veal jus
• 15ml sherry vinegar
• 4 poached eggs 
• 5g chopped chives
• Fleur de sel and freshly ground pepper

 Method:

1. Wash and dry the frisée salad, keeping only the lightest leaves. Dice the smoked bacon into large cubes or lardons.
2. Place a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the oil and sear the smoked bacon cubes well, with the garlic clove, until nice and brown. Once golden, drain them on a rack, keeping the garlic and the bacon fat in the pan. 
3. Dice the baguette and toss the pieces in the pan until golden and crispy. Drain them in a strainer.
4. De-grease the frying pan and deglaze with the vinegar. Roll the bacon dice in it, add the reduced veal stock and a few turns of pepper mill and set aside.
5. Bring a pan of water to a gentle boil and add a splash of vinegar. Crack the eggs into small bowls then gently lower into the water and poach for three minutes, with a slotted spoon lift the eggs onto a tray with a paper towel, season it with fleur de sel and freshly ground pepper
6. Place the croutons, lardons, all the leaves and two-thirds of the dressing into a salad bowl and toss well. Pile the salad high into the middle of the plates and arrange the remaining croutons and lardons around the sides. Drizzle the rest of the dressing around the outside and, just before serving, top each plate of salad with an egg and chopped chives.

Josephine

Dessert: Rice Pudding with Rhubarb

Ingredients:

• 200g pudding rice
• 1 litre whole milk 
• 120g caster sugar 
• 1g salt 
• 1 vanilla pod
• 2 egg yolks
• 75g whipped cream 

Method:

1. Bring a small pan of water to the boil and add the rice. Cook for five seconds to burst the starch and then strain.
2. Place the milk, sugar, salt and vanilla in a pan and bring to a simmer. Add the rice.
3. Continue to cook on a medium heat, until the milk has reduced and the rice is fully cooked.
4. Allow to cool at room temp and then fold in the whipped cream. 
5. Separate between serving dishes.

For the rhubarb:

1. Take 500g of rhubarb and peel. Cut the rhubarb into 8cm battens.
2. Place peelings in a pan with 250g sugar, 250g water and bring to the boil. Leave for 20 minutes for the peelings to release their colour.
3. Strain the liquid and heat on the stove. Place the rhubarb into the liquid to poach until soft to the bite.
4. Once cooled, remove from liquid and allow to cool.
5. To serve, place the battens in the rice pudding and finish with crushed toasted pistachio.

You can try Bosi’s cooking for yourself by visiting josephinebouchon.com