(Only the linked recipes are available online. Other episode recipes are available by purchasing Jacques’ book, Essential Pepin.)

Couscous, a favorite in North African cuisine, is now available in supermarkets everywhere. With its green herb puree, this is ideal served with fish.

Serves 4

1 cup loosely packed fresh herb leaves (a mixture of chives, parsley, tarragon, and basil)
2 garlic cloves
3/4 cup boiling water
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 cup instant couscous
1/2 teaspoon salt

Process the herbs, garlic, and 1/4 cup of the boiling water in a blender or mini-chop for about 30 seconds, or until smooth.

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the couscous and salt and mix well to coat the couscous with the butter. Add the herb puree and the remaining 1/2 cup boiling water and mix well. Cover and let stand off the heat for 10 minutes.

Fluff the couscous with a fork and serve.

Copyright © 2011 by Jacques Pépin. Used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

(Only the linked recipes are available online. Other episode recipes are available by purchasing Jacques’ book, Essential Pepin.)

Literally translated, paillasson means “doormat.” Raw potatoes are shredded, pressed into a nonstick pan, and cooked to create a compact cake that is excellent with any kind of roast or on its own with a salad. The dish, also called pommes Darphin, after the chef who created it, is similar to what the Swiss call rösti potatoes.

If you are reluctant to attempt flipping the compacted potato cake over in the skillet with a spatula, loosen it (it should be a solid mass) around the edges and underneath, cover the pan with a flat lid or plate and, holding the lid in place, invert the pan. Then slide the potato cake, crusty side up, back into the skillet to cook on the other side.

Serves 4

3 baking (Idaho) potatoes (about 8 ounces each)
2 tablespoons corn oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
4 scallions, trimmed (leaving some green) and minced (1/2 cup)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Peel the potatoes and, using the large holes of a box grater, shred them. (You should have about 4 cups.) Squeeze the potatoes gently with your hands to remove some of the liquid.

Heat the oil and butter in a 10-to-12-inch nonstick skillet until hot. Add the potatoes, scallions, salt, and pepper and sauté, stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes, until the potatoes are well mixed with the seasonings. Press on the mixture with the back of a spoon to compact it, cover, reduce the heat, and cook gently for about 12 minutes.

Flip the potato mixture over and cook it for 10 minutes on the other side.

Invert it onto a serving plate, cut into wedges, and serve.

Copyright © 2011 by Jacques Pépin. Used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

(Only the linked recipes are available online. Other episode recipes are available by purchasing Jacques’ book, Essential Pepin.)

The rich filling for these little pies is a mixture of bittersweet chocolate, corn syrup, eggs, and mixed nuts. Baked in a classic graham cracker crust in individual ramekins, they are easy and delicious.

The pies can be made up to a day ahead and refrigerated, but they should be rewarmed in a low oven to bring them back to room temperature before serving.

Serves 4

CRUST
5 graham crackers (3 1/2 ounces)
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 tablespoons sugar

FILLING
1/2 cup mixed nuts (pecans, almonds)
1/4 cup pine nuts
3 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

FOR THE CRUST: Process the graham crackers, butter, canola oil, and sugar in a food processor for 1 minute, until the mixture is finely chopped, mealy, and starting to come together.

Divide the mixture among four 1-cup ramekins or aluminum muffin cups and press it evenly over the bottom and up the sides of each ramekin.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

FOR THE FILLING: Process the pecans and almonds in the food processor for a few seconds to coarsely chop them. Mix with the pine nuts and divide among the lined ramekins.

Melt the chocolate with the butter in a bowl in a microwave oven or in a double boiler. Add the cornstarch and mix well, then add the corn syrup and mix well. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well.

Divide the mixture among the ramekins. Arrange the ramekins on a cookie sheet, and bake in the middle of the oven for about 20 minutes, until the filling is set but still somewhat soft in the middle. Let cool to lukewarm or room temperature on a rack.

At serving time, invert each of the pies onto a dessert plate. Carefully turn the pies right side up and serve.

Copyright © 2011 by Jacques Pépin. Used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

Wine and mushrooms combine with the reduced juices of the chicken and Armagnac to make this dish rich and elegant.

Capons (neutered and fattened chickens) are available during the holiday season in many markets. They are moist, tender, and succulent and well worth their extra cost.

Serves 10

1 pound mushrooms (domestic, wild, or a mixture), cleaned and thinly sliced (about 7 cups)
1 cup dry white vermouth
1 cup homemade Chicken Stock (see recipe below) or low-salt canned chicken broth
1 capon (about 8 pounds)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 1/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
2 tablespoons Armagnac
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon potato starch (see info below), dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Put the mushrooms in a saucepan with the vermouth and stock and bring to a boil, then cover, reduce the heat to low, and boil gently for 5 minutes. Set aside.

Season the capon inside and out with 1 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper and the herbes de Provence. Place the bird breast side up in a roasting pan and roast it for 30 minutes. Turn it over and roast for 1 hour. Finally, turn the capon onto its back again and roast it for 10 more minutes. (An instant-read thermometer inserted into the joint connecting a thigh and drumstick should register about 160 degrees.) Transfer the capon to an ovenproof platter and keep it warm in a 160-degree oven. (If you only have one oven, turn off the oven and leave the door open for about 5 minutes, then return the capon to the oven to keep warm.)

Skim off as much fat as possible from the drippings in the roasting pan. Pour the juices from the mushrooms into the pan and heat over high heat for a few seconds, stirring to melt the solidified juices, then pour the resulting glaze through a strainer set over the mushrooms. Add the cream and Armagnac to the mushroom mixture, bring to a boil, and stir in the dissolved potato starch. Mix in the remaining 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper and the tarragon.

Carve the capon and serve it with the sauce.

CHICKEN STOCK

Makes 3 quarts

It takes very little work to make your own stock; mostly it is a matter of being at home for the several hours it takes to cook. A flavorful money saver that is practically fat- and salt-free, homemade stock can be frozen in small quantities and used as needed.

Chicken backs and necks are available at most supermarkets. If you don’t see them, ask the butcher to set aside some for you. I also make stock from the bones of roasted chicken or turkey.

4 pounds chicken bones (necks, backs, wings, etc.), skinless or with as little skin as possible
6 quarts cold water
1 large onion (about 8 ounces), quartered
1 tablespoon herbes de Provence
12 whole cloves
4 bay leaves
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce (optional)

Combine the bones and water in a large stockpot and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and boil gently for 30 minutes. Most of the fat and impurities will rise to the surface; skim off as much of them as you can and discard them.

Add the onion, herbes de Provence, cloves, bay leaves, and soy sauce, if using, return to a boil, and boil gently for 2 1/2 hours. Strain the stock through a fine strainer or a colander lined with dampened paper towels. Allow to cool.

Remove the surface fat and refrigerate the stock for up to 5 days, or pour into containers and freeze.

I often use a “pure starch” — generally potato starch or arrowroot — to finish a sauce and give it a bit of viscosity. If nothing else is available, you can substitute cornstarch, but it tends to make a sauce gooey and gelatinous. I prefer potato starch, which is made from steamed potatoes that are dried and ground. Potato starch is gluten-free and sometimes appears in baked goods, particularly Jewish-Passover specialties. Inexpensive and available in 1-pound packages, it can be found in the Kosher section of many supermarkets and in Asian specialty food shops (it is also used in Japanese cooking). Arrowroot, on the other hand, comes in very small containers and is very expensive.

All of these starches are used in the same way: they are diluted with a little cold liquid — water, wine, or stock — and then stirred into a hot sauce. The starch thickens the sauce on contact and then it is usually brought to a boil.

Copyright © 2011 by Jacques Pépin. Used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

A ballottine is a whole chicken that has been boned and stuffed. Showy enough for company, it can be prepared up to a day ahead. (Freeze the bones and the neck, gizzard, and heart for later use in soup or stock.) This bird is best cooked in a sturdy, preferably aluminum, roasting pan, to ensure a good condensation of the cooking juices, which will be used to create the sauce.

Long-grain Wehani rice has a chewy texture that I love. I cook it with mushrooms in stock and then flavor it with leeks and onions for the stuffing. As an alternative, you can stuff the ballottine with a combination of spinach, cheese, and cubed bread. The ballottine is served with a rich wine sauce made with the defatted chicken drippings and a mixture of finely diced vegetables, called a brunoise.

Serves 4

1 chicken (about 3 3/4 pounds), boned
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Red Rice Stuffing or Spinach, Cheese, and Bread Stuffing (see recipes below)

SAUCE
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 celery stalk (2 ounces), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice (1/2 cup)
1 small onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 carrot (2 ounces), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice (1/3 cup)
1/2 teaspoon potato starch (see info below), dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Lay the chicken skin side down on the work surface and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Spread the cool rice or spinach mixture evenly over the chicken. If using the spinach stuffing, sprinkle the cheese and bread cubes on top of the spinach. Roll the chicken up, tie it with kitchen string, and place it in a roasting pan.

Roast the ballottine for 1 hour. Lift it from the pan and place it on a platter.

FOR THE SAUCE: Skim off and discard most of the fat from the drippings in the pan. Add the water and wine to the drippings to deglaze the pan, and heat over medium heat, stirring to loosen and melt the solidified juices.

Strain the juices into a saucepan. Add the celery, onion, and carrot and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and boil gently for 5 minutes. Stir in the dissolved potato starch and soy sauce and bring the mixture back to a boil, stirring, to thicken it. Remove from the heat.

Transfer the ballottine to a cutting board and remove the string. Cut half of it into 4 or 5 slices, each about 1 inch thick. Return the uncut half of the ballottine to the serving platter and arrange the cut slices in front of it. Pour the sauce over and around the ballottine, garnish with the parsley, and serve. Cut additional slices of ballottine as needed at the table.

Red Rice Stuffing
1/2 cup Wehani rice
1 1/4 cups homemade chicken stock (see recipe below) or low-salt canned chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 ounce (about 1/2 cup) dried mushrooms, such as cèpes (porcini), rinsed and broken into pieces
1/2 large leek, trimmed (leaving some green), split, washed, and sliced (1 cup)
1 onion (4 ounces), chopped (3/4 cup)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup water

Combine the rice, stock, salt, and dried mushrooms in a large saucepan and bring to a boil, then cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 1 hour, or until the rice is tender. Set the rice aside in the pan, uncovered.

Meanwhile, combine the leek, onion, oil, and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil, then cover, reduce the heat, and cook at a gentle boil for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to cook until all the water is gone. Add to the rice, mix well, and let cool to room temperature.

Spinach, Cheese, and Bread Stuffing
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
5 ounces baby spinach leaves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup grated Gruyère or mozzarella cheese (about 4 ounces)
1 1/2 cups cubed (1/2-inch) bread

Heat the oil in a large saucepan or skillet. Add the garlic, spinach, salt, and pepper and cook for 1 minute to soften the garlic and wilt the spinach.

Transfer to a bowl and let cool to room temperature.

I often use a “pure starch” — generally potato starch or arrowroot — to finish a sauce and give it a bit of viscosity. If nothing else is available, you can substitute cornstarch, but it tends to make a sauce gooey and gelatinous. I prefer potato starch, which is made from steamed potatoes that are dried and ground. Potato starch is gluten-free and sometimes appears in baked goods, particularly Jewish-Passover specialties. Inexpensive and available in 1-pound packages, it can be found in the Kosher section of many supermarkets and in Asian specialty food shops (it is also used in Japanese cooking). Arrowroot, on the other hand, comes in very small containers and is very expensive.

All of these starches are used in the same way: they are diluted with a little cold liquid — water, wine, or stock — and then stirred into a hot sauce. The starch thickens the sauce on contact and then it is usually brought to a boil.

CHICKEN STOCK

Makes 3 quarts

It takes very little work to make your own stock; mostly it is a matter of being at home for the several hours it takes to cook. A flavorful money saver that is practically fat- and salt-free, homemade stock can be frozen in small quantities and used as needed.

Chicken backs and necks are available at most supermarkets. If you don’t see them, ask the butcher to set aside some for you. I also make stock from the bones of roasted chicken or turkey.

4 pounds chicken bones (necks, backs, wings, etc.), skinless or with as little skin as possible
6 quarts cold water
1 large onion (about 8 ounces), quartered
1 tablespoon herbes de Provence
12 whole cloves
4 bay leaves
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce (optional)

Combine the bones and water in a large stockpot and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and boil gently for 30 minutes. Most of the fat and impurities will rise to the surface; skim off as much of them as you can and discard them.

Add the onion, herbes de Provence, cloves, bay leaves, and soy sauce, if using, return to a boil, and boil gently for 2 1/2 hours. Strain the stock through a fine strainer or a colander lined with dampened paper towels. Allow to cool.

Remove the surface fat and refrigerate the stock for up to 5 days, or pour into containers and freeze.

Copyright © 2011 by Jacques Pépin. Used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

If you can’t find striped bass where you live, replace it with a fish of approximately the same size — anything from red snapper to porgy to black sea bass.

Serves 4

4 strips lemon zest, removed with a vegetable peeler
1 leek (about 5 ounces), trimmed (leaving some green), split, washed, and cut into julienne strips (about 2 cups)
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into julienne strips (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped celery
1 small red onion, thinly sliced (1 cup)
5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced (1 1/2 tablespoons)
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt
4 skin-on striped bass fillets (about 6 ounces each)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Stack the strips of lemon zest and cut into fine julienne strips. (You should have about 1 1/2 tablespoons.)

Combine zest, leek, carrot, celery, red onion, garlic, water, wine, olive oil, butter, and salt in a large stainless steel saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce the heat to medium, and boil gently for 4 minutes.

Add the fish and bring to a boil, then cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 1 minute. Set the fish aside, covered, in the broth for 5 minutes to rest and finish cooking before serving.

To serve, carefully remove the fillets from the broth with a slotted spoon and transfer to four individual plates. (Serve the fillets with or without the skin, as desired.)

Add the pepper to the broth, and bring to a boil. Spoon the broth and vegetables over the fish and serve.

Copyright © 2011 by Jacques Pépin. Used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

Black fish, also called tautog, is readily available on the East Coast during summer. Whitefleshed, firm, and juicy, this is one of the best fish around. You can substitute sea bass, halibut, swordfish, or even Arctic char. These fillets are cooked in a shredded potato crust. The crisp crust keeps the fish juicy and provides a nice balance to the tender flesh. Use large baking potatoes. Peel them (although they can be left unpeeled, if you prefer) and wash them, then shred them against the side of a box grater with the largest holes. At this point, the potatoes should be used immediately or kept in water to cover until ready to cook.

Serves 4

2 large baking potatoes (1 pound total)
1/2 medium leek, trimmed (leaving some green), split, washed, and finely chopped (1/2 cup)
1 tablespoon safflower or peanut oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 skinless black fish (sea bass) fillets (about 6 ounces each)

Peel the potatoes (or leave them unpeeled, if desired) and wash them. Shred the potatoes on the large holes of a box grater. (You should have about 2 1/2 cups.) Drain well in a colander, then combine in a bowl with the leek and mix well.

Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet, preferably nonstick. Meanwhile, sprinkle half the salt on the fillets. When the oil and butter are hot, spoon 4 small, evenly spaced mounds of the shredded potatoes and leek (each about 1/3 cup) into the skillet. Press a portion of fish into each mound and cover the fish with the remaining potatoes. Sprinkle with the remaining salt. Cook the potato packages over medium-high heat for 6 to 7 minutes. Turn them carefully with a large spatula and cook them for 6 to 7 minutes on the other side. The potatoes should be nicely crusted on both sides and the fish just cooked. Serve.

Copyright © 2011 by Jacques Pépin. Used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.