Noir Festival 2014, Menus and Films

All recipes are the property of Gourmet Magazine.

1. Out of the Past, November 1947, Screening October 2, 2014
2. He Walked by Night, November 1948, Screening October 16, 2014
3. Abandoned, October 1949, Screening October 23, 2014
4. Quicksand, March 1950, Screening October 30, 2014
5. 711 Ocean Drive, July 1950, Screening November 6, 2014
6. The Big Combo, February 1955, Screening November 20, 2014
7. Slaughter on Tenth Avenue, September 1957, Screening December 11, 2014
8. House of Games, October 1987, Screening December 18, 2014

Out of the Past [November 1947]
Screening October 2, 2014

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Wild Duck a la Bordeaux
Cauliflower Gourmet
Sweet Potato Balls
Spiced Nuts
Blood ‘n Sand

Wild Duck a la Bordeaux

“First, you kill a wild duck. Any kind of duck will do except a fish duck…I do not recommend this recipe for domestic duck.” [Well, tough shit, since I seemed to have let my hunting licence lapse.]

[There is a lot of noise about letting the duck age and rest properly, which again, I am not going to bother with. Let’s jump into to the relevant part and skip the discussion of proper plucking and feather singeing techniques.]

Forty-eight hours before you wish to eat, start your cooking preparations. Buy a bottle of good Bordeaux. The better the wine, the better the dish. Jacques [the person the author supposedly obtained this recipe from] always used a vintage wine, but a good sound California, New York, or Ohio wine of the right type will give you a delectable result.

It takes 1 pint of wine to cook 1 duck, but 2 or even 3 ducks can be cooked with a standard fifth size. Put six whole cloves, 2 allspice berries, and 1/4 bay leaf to soak in each pint of wine. When they have soaked 48 hours or even longer, you are all set to go.

Stuff your duck with a very stale bread dressing seasoned very sparingly with sage, celery, onion, and butter. Rub your duck all over with a split clove of garlic. Rub the breast bone, the tips of the wings, and the ends of the legs. Finish up by giving the a single wipe with the garlic around the top of the inside of the roasting pan you are going to use.

Lay the duck, or ducks, on the rack in a covered roaster and pour the spiced wine over it. Close the roaster up tight and bake your duck in a s-l-o-w oven for 1 3/4 hours. Yes, that’s what I said. An hour and forty-five minutes. This is not fourteen minute duck. Baste it freely and frequently with the spiced wine. When the meat is about to break away from the bones, open the vents in your roaster or take the cover off, raise the oven temperature, and brown it quickly. This should take from five to ten minutes.

When Mr. Wild Duck is well browned, remove him from the roaster (careful, he’ll be so tender he’ll fall to pieces if handled at all roughly) and put him on a well-warmed platter. Squeeze over him the juice of 1/2 lime, 1 jigger of good brandy, touch a match to the works, and bring to the table flaming. Baste it with the burning brandy until the fire dies out and then–Boy, howdy!

You won’t go far wrong if you fix one duck per person. You needn’t bother with much else for the meal except some raw celery. Alongside that duck, ordinary food seems a waste of time. One season, when I had good luck with my hunting, the wife and I had wild duck a la Bordeaux for thirty consecutive nights and each one seemed better than the night before. The brandy, by the way, diluted as it is by the lime juice and drippings, won’t burn unless the platter is well-warmed, almost too hot to hold.

Cauliflower Gourmet

Soak 1 medium-sized head of cauliflower in 1 quart cold water, mixed with 1 tablespoon each tarragon vinegar and salt, for 10 minutes. Drain well and cook the cauliflower whole and uncovered in enough slightly salted boiling water to cover, for 15 minutes, or until tender, depending on the size. Drain thoroughly. Place the cauliflower in a hot serving dish and pour over the following sauce:

Anchovy Sauce Gourmet

Wash and cut 6 anchovy fillets into small pices. Cook them in 2 tablespoons butter mixed with 1 clove garlic, finely chopped, over a gentle flame, stirring frequently until the garlic is brown. Pour this sauce over the cauliflower and serve at once.

Gingered Sweet Potato Balls

Mash or put through a ricer 6 boiled sweet potatoes, add 1/4 cup heavy cream, 2 tablespoons butter, and season to taste with salt and pepper, then with 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger. Beat the mixture vigorously until it is quite smooth and fluffy. When cold enough to handle, form into balls the size of a walnut. Roll each one in sieved dry bread crumbs, and fry them in hot deep, clear fat (390 F) until they are golden brown all over. Drain on absorbent paper and serve on a hot platter garnished with parsley, which may also be deep-fried.

Spiced Nuts

Sift three times 2 cups granulated sugar, together with 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons ground ginger, and 1 tablespoon ground cloves. Beat 2 egg whites slighting and add 2 tablespoons cold water. Put 1 3/4 cups nut meats (any kind) in a wire strainer and dip them into the egg mixture until each nut is well coated. Drain well, then roll the nuts in some of the spice sugar mixture.
Spread part of the remaining sugar mixture 1/4 inch thick in a shallow pan and place the nuts on this, separating each one. Cover the nuts with the rest of the sugar-spice mixture and bake in a very slow oven (250 F) for about 3 hours. Remove the nuts from the oven and sift. Save the spice-sugar mixture for pies or cakes.

Blood ‘n Sand

Pour into a cocktail shaker 1 jigger each Scotch whisky, cherry brandy, sweet vermouth, and orange juice. Shake well with cracked ice and strain into cocktail glasses.

He Walked by Night [November 1948]
Screening October 16, 2014

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Dinner:
Civet of Hare with Wine
Mashed potatoes of your choice (no recipe given, but I think they will be lovely with the rabbit)
Simple salad (again, no recipe)
Angels on Horseback

Dessert:
Coconut Creams

Cocktail:
Trader Vic’s Hot Buttered Rum (there was no recipe for any cocktail, so this idea was taken from an advertisement.)

Civet of Hare with Wine

[I,A note: if you are using domestically farmed rabbit, as I am, I suspect the cooking times should be shorter. I am going to freeball it as usual. Also, I doubt I can get a hare liver and blood, so I am going to use chicken livers.]

Clean the hare and reserve the blood, if any. Mix the blood with 2 tablespoons red wine and 1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar and keep in the refrigerator. Cut the hare in pieces, put in a bowl, and cover with a marinade made of 1 tablespoon salt, a little pepper, 1 slice onion, 2 shallots, minced, 3 springs parsley, a little thyme, 1 bay leaf, 3 tablespoons salad oil, and 1/2 cup red wine or white wine. Let this stand overnight in a cold place. Parboil 1 cup diced fat salt pork for 3 or 4 minutes. Drain and saute the dice in 2 tablespoons fat or butter until they are golden-brown. Remove from the fat and reserve. Put 12 small onions in the fat left in the pan, sprinkle with a pinch sugar, and cook until the onions are golden-brown. Remove the onions from the fat and put with the pork dice. Saute 1/2 pound cleaned mushrooms in 2 tablespoons butter until they are soft and the moisture is cooked away and add to the pork dice and onions.

Remove the pieces of hare from the marinade, drain and dry each piece, and cook them in the very hot fat left from cooking the pork dice and onions. Remove the pieces from the fat when well browned, put in a saucepan, and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons flour. Add 1 clove garlic, crushed, mix in well, and cook the meat in the over or over low heat until the flour is golden-brown. Add two cups red wine and enough stock or water to cover the meat. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula as it comes to a boil and cook until the sauce is smooth. Add a faggot made by tying together 2 stalks celery, 3 springs parsley, 1/2 bay leaf, and 1 sprig fresh (or one pinch dry) thyme. Cover the pan and cook slowly for 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the meat to another pan and add to it the pork dice, mushrooms, and onions. Correct the seasoning of the sauce with salt, strain it over the meat and vegetables, bring it all to a boil, and cook slowly for 30 to 35 minutes longer, or until the meat is tender.

Meanwhile clean the liver of the hare and cut away the bitter end near the gall. Cut it in small pieces, add to the civet, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes longer. If there was any blood saved, stir in 3 tablespoons of the sauce from the civet into it. Remove the pain of civet from the heat and pour the blood mixture slowly into it, moving the pan in a circular motion to combine the blood and thicken the sauce with it. Do not stir with a spoon and do not allow it to boil. Serve the hare sprinkled with fresh parsley and garnished with fried bread.

Angels on Horseback

Trim thinly sliced bacon into lengths that are sufficient to wrap around freshly opened, medium-sized oysters. Salt and pepper the oysters lightly, sprinkle them with paprika, wrap the bacon strips around them, and secure them with wooden toothpicks. Place the enrobed oysters in a shallow pan and brown them slowly in a medium oven (375 F) until the bacon is crisp. Angels on horseback may also be prepared under the flame of the broiler, but when broiling, turn them once to allow the bacon to crisp on both sides. No turning necessary if they are done in the oven. Serve hot.

Coconut Creams

Heat slowly in a large saucepan 2 cups granulated sugar and 2/3 cup cold water. Stir steadily until the sugar is completely dissolved, then stop the stirring entirely. With a small brush moistened with water, or with a fork wrapped in a damp cloth, wash the inside of the pan down to the syrup’s edge. Boil the syrup up once and add either 1 teaspoon corn syrup or 1 pinch cream of tartar. Still without stirring, continue to heat the syrup until the candy thermometer registers 238 F, or until a few drops in cold water form a soft ball. At that point remove the syrup immediately from the fire and allow it to settle for 4 or 5 minutes, when the air bubbles will have ceased rising. Pour the mixture onto a large wet platter to a thickness of 1 1/2 inches and set in a cool place. When its temperature has dropped to lukewarm, about 110 F, beat the mixture briskly with a wooden spoon.

Now work the mixture around, missing no part of it, until it becomes white. Then knead it until it is perfectly smooth. Cover the mixture for the next hour with a clean towel which has been wrung out of cold water, to let it ripen. At the end of this mellowing process, remove the towel and knead the fondant again, so it becomes creamy and smooth. Then work into 1 cup fondant as much shredded fresh coconut as possible without the mixture’s becoming too stiff to mold. Roll the mixture in balls, let them dry, and then dip them into the remaining fondant, which has been melted over hot water. Place the creams on a platter to cool.

Abandoned [October 1949]
Screening October 23, 2014

MENU

Dinner:
Cassoulet de Castelnaudary
Habichuelas a la Vizcaina (String Beans Biscay)
Whipped Avocado
simple green salad (no recipe)

Dessert:
Apples Bourgeoise

Cocktail:
London Fog

Cassoulet de Castelnaudry

Soak 1 quart white beans overnight in cold water. Drain and place the beans in a large kettle with 3/4 pound salt pork, 1/2 pound fresh pork rind tied in a bundle, 1 carrot, 1 onion stuck with 2 cloves, 1/4 teaspoon thyme, a little freshly ground pepper, and a bouquet garni composed of 3 cloves garlic, 4 springs parsley, 3 springs celery tops, and 1 bay leaf, all wrapped in cheesecloth. Cover the mixture completely with boiling water and simmer very gently for 1 1/2 hours.

Meanwhile, heat 4 tablespoons goose fat or lard in a large skillet and add 1 1/2 pounds loin of pork and 1 pound boned breast of lamb, both well seasoned with salt and pepper. Brown the pieces of meat on all sides, and 2 onions, finely chopped, and continue to brown a little. Add 2 cloves garlic, mashed, and 1/2 cup meat stock. Cover and cook slowly for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, or until the meat is tender, adding more stock from time to time.

When the beans have cooked for 1 1/2 hours, remove the carrot, onion, and bouquet garni. Transfer the mixture to a larger kettle if necessary, and add it to the cooked lamb and pork (reserving the juices in the pan for later use), 1 garlic sausage weighing about 1 pound, 3 fresh pork sausages, and several large sections of roast goose or duck. In Gascony, the cassoulet is more often made with confit d’oie, which is preserved goose, and very rare in this country. Let the mixture simmer very slowly for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the beans are tender but still intact. Remove all the pieces of meat. Cut the lamb, pork, and goose or duck in small slices of equal size. Cut the pork rind in rectangles, remove the skin from the garlic sausage and cut it in thick slices, and cut the pork sausages in half.

Cover the bottom of a large earthenware casserole with the pork rind and add a layer of beans. On this arrange a layer consisting of an even mixture if the meats and sprinkle with some of the meat juices. Cover with another layer of beans and repeat until all of the ingredients have been used, seasoning each layer with freshly ground pepper to taste. On the last layer of beans place a few slices of salt pork, pork rind, and a few slices of garlic sausage. Add enough bean broth to cover, sprinkle the top with coarse bread crumbs, then with goose fat if goose has been used, or dot with butter. Cover and bake in a slow oven (300 F) for 1 1/2 hours, remove cover, and continue to cook for another 30 minutes. Serve in the casserole.

Habichuelas a la Vizcaina (String Beans Biscay)

In a large saucepan melt 1 tablespoon butter and in it saute 2 onions, 2 cloves garlic, and 1 small green pepper, all chopped, over a very low fire. When the onions turn slightly golden, add 1 small can tomato paste and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup dry white wine, 3/4 pound string beans, snapped or cut, and 1/2 pound raw ham in 1/2 inch cubes. Season to taste with salt, leaf thyme, and cayenne. Cover the saucepan and let contents simmer for 25 to 35 minutes, or until the beans are tender. Add small amounts of wine or water if the sauce becomes to reduced during the cooking. Decorate with hardcooked egg slices and serve piping hot to four people.

Whipped Avocado

Chill 3 large ripe avocadoes and cut them in half a few minutes before serving. Remove the pulp, keeping the skin intact. Whip the pulp to a smooth, vevety cream with 1 1/2 cups sugar and 4 tablespoons fresh lime juice. Pile the puree back into the skins and serve immediately with wedges of lime.

Instead of sugar, the puree may be sweetened with any liqueur. A little whipped cream may also be added to the puree, but proceed according to taste.

Apples Bourgeoise

Peel 6 apples, cut in halves, and remove the cores. Cook in light syrup until soft as for stewed apples. Place them, cut side up, on a heatproof serving dish. Fill the core cavity with mixed candied fruit and coat the tops with creme patissiere. Sprinkle with chopped almonds or macaroon crumbs and then with granulated sugar. Place in a hot oven (425 F) or under the broiler and cook until the top is browned.

Creme Patissiere

Scald 1 1/2 cups milk with a piece of vanilla bean. Mix together 1/2 cup sugar and 4 egg yolks, working them together with a spoon until the mixture is creamy and light colored. Add 1/4 cup flour, mixing just enough to combine it, but without working it. Add the scalded milk gradually, stirring until well combined. Turn this back into the saucepan and cook, stirring vigorously until it reaches the boiling point. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean, or if that was not available, add a few drops vanilla extract. Strain and let cool, stirring occasionally to prevent a crust from forming.

London Fog

Fill an oversized cocktail glass with shaved ice. Pour in 2 ounces dry gin and 1/2 ounce Pernod. Mix and serve.

Quicksand [March 1950]
Screening October 30, 2014

MENU

Dinner:
Crab Louis
Oignons a la Monegasque
Rice a la Grecque

Dessert:
Pineapple Melba

Cocktail:
Bacardi Cocktail

Crab Louis

Flake 1 1/2 pounds fresh crab meat in as big pieces as possible, removing all bits of shell and cartilage. On 6 individual plates arrange a bed of shredded lettuce and on this place a mound of crab meat, topped with a big piece from the legs. Sprinkle finely chopped hard-cooked eggs around the crab meat, allowing 1 egg per serving, and sprinkle the crab meat with chopped chives. Serve well chilled, with Russian dressing.

Rice a la Grecque

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan or casserole (one that has a tight cover and that can go in the oven), add 1 onion, finely chopped, and cook until it is soft but not brown. Add 1/2 clove garlic, crushed, 4 leaves green lettuce, shredded, 4 mushrooms, sliced, 4 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped, or 1 cup canned tomatoes, and 3 fresh sausages, peeled and crushed. Add 1 1/2 cups rice and mix all together well. Add 3 cups boiling water or chicken stock, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and a little pepper. Cover tightly and cook in a hot oven (400 F) for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and empty the casserole by inverting it on a hot platter. Separate the grains and release the steam by tossing it with a long-tined kitchen fork, meanwhile adding 1 tablespoon melted butter, 3/4 cup cooked peas, 1 pimento, diced, and 3 tablespoons dried raisins sauteed in a little butter. Serve as an entree, with meat or poultry, or use for a poultry stuffing.

Oignons a la Monegasque

Peel 1 pound small white onions, the smallest obtainable, and put them in a saucepan with 1 1/2 cups water, 1/2 cup white wine vinegar, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 3 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 bay leaf, 1/4 teaspoon thyme, a spring of parsley, salt and freshly ground pepper, and 1/2 cup seedless raisins. Cover and allow them to cook over a low fire for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the onions are tender and the sauce is thick and greatly reduced. Arrange the onions in a flat serving dish, pour the sauce over them, and chill.

Pineapple Melba

Select 3 small ripe pineapples and cut them in half lengthwise, leaving on the green top. With a fork, scrape out the flesh, discarding the hard core and being careful not to break through the shell. Sprinkle the inside of the shells with a little sugar and set them in the refrigerator to get very cold. Use the shredded flesh to make pineapple ice cream. when ready to serve, place half a pineapple shell on each serving plate. Fill the shells with the pineapple ice cream and pour over them some raspberry puree.

Raspberry Puree

Defrost a package of frozen raspberries and put them through a fine sieve. In a small saucepan combine 1 cup sugar, a pinch of cream of tartar, and 1/3 cup water. Cover the saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil, remove the cover, and let it boil rapidly until the syrup spins a very short, light thread. Stir it into the raspberry pulp and allow to cool.

Bacardi Cocktail

Jigger of Bacardi
Juice of half a lime
Half teaspoon sugar
Dash of grenadine

Shake well with finely chipped ice. Use Bacardi White Label (Carta Blanca).