9 Timeless Recipes From Julia Child Your Family Will Love

Ingredients for sponge:
1/3 cup warm whole milk
2 1/4 tsps. active dry yeast
1 large egg
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Ingredients for dough:
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
6 oz. unsalted butter, softened

Instructions:
Mix the milk, yeast, egg and 1 cup of the flour until blended. Sprinkle the rest of the flour over the sponge mixture and allow to rest for 30-40 minutes. When the flour coating has cracked, add the sugar, salt, eggs, and 1 cup of the flour. Mix at a low speed and slowly add another 1/2 cup of flour, then increase the speed and beat for about 15 minutes.

Reduce the speed to a medium-low setting and add the soft butter, increasing the speed for roughly one minute once its fully combined. Beat the dough at a medium speed for another five minutes, then transfer the sticky dough to a buttered bowl and allow to rise for at least two hours.

Once its doubled in size, deflate the dough and allow to rest again overnight to again double in size.

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees and separate the dough into six pieces lined in rows and, again, allow to rise. Brush with an egg wash and bake for 30 minutes.

Ingredients:
4 cups sliced leeks
4 cups diced potatoes
6-7 cups water
1 1/2 to 2 tsps. salt
1/2 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp. minced chives or parsley

Instructions:
Boil the water, leeks, and potatoes in a saucepan, salting lightly and partially covering. Lower the heat and allow to simmer for 20-30 minutes. Add cream and season to taste, then set aside to chill. Serve with sprinkles of chives or parsley.

Ingredients for salad:
6 fresh eggs
6-8 red or yukon gold potatoes
1/2 tsp. salt
1 lb. crisp green beans
2 Tbsps. salt
1 Tbsp. finely minced shallots or scallions
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup cold water
Salt and ground black pepper
3-4 Tbsps. olive oil
1 large head of lettuce or leafy green of your choice
3-4 tomatoes quartered or 12-16 cherry tomatoes halved
1 can or bottle anchovy fillets
1 can chunk white tuna
Lemon juice
1 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsps. capers
1/2 cup black olives
Parsley sprigs

Ingredients for dressing:
1/2 lemon
1/4 tsp. salt
Ground black pepper
1/2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 Tbsp. minced shallots or scallions
1/2 cup olive oil

Instructions:
Hard boil the eggs, preferably using Julia's very detailed method, then wash the potatoes and steam in a saucepan with a basket over roughly two inches of water. Once it's brought to a boil, cover and lower the heat for 20 minutes until cooked through. Peel while they are still warm and slice.

In a large bowl, mix together the salt, shallots or scallions, white wine, and cold water. Add the sliced potatoes gently and baste with the mixture. Salt and pepper as needed and add several spoonfuls of olive oil. Boil the green beans in a large pot until tender with a slight crunch, then rinse with cold water and allow to fully chill.

Mix the dressing by grating the lemon peel and extracting the juice, then combine with salt, several grinds of pepper, mustard, and minced shallots until blended.

Wash and dry lettuce and arrange in a bowl or platter and lightly coat with the dressing. Toss the green beans with dressing and add to arrangement. Drain and season the tuna with lemon, salt, and pepper, then flake onto salad. Halve the eggs and remove the yolks, then arrange on top. Pile the potatoes in the center with the egg yolks along the bottom, topped with a dollop of mayonnaise and criss-crossed anchovies. Sprinkle capers and olives over the salad and tuck in the sprigs of parsley.

Ingredients:
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1 cup sliced onions
1 cup celery stalks
2 halved cloves unpeeled garlic
1 Tbsp. thyme
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup minced parsley
2 whole cloves or 4 allspice berries
5-lb. piece of braising beef trimmed and tied for cooking
1 Tbsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
5 cups red wine
1/3 cup brandy
1/2 cup olive oil
4-6 Tbsps. rendered pork fat or cooking oil
4-8 oz. fresh pork rind, bacon rind, or ham rind
4-6 cups beef stock or canned beef bouillon
2 lbs. quartered carrots
24-36 small white onions
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
Parsley sprigs

Instructions:
Fill the bottom of a large bowl with half of the vegetable, herb, and spice ingredients. Rub the meat with salt and pepper and place on top, then add the rest of your veggies, herbs, and spices over the beef. Cover with the red wine, brandy, and olive oil and allow to marinate for at least six hours, making sure to turn and baste every hour or so.

Drain and dry the beef and preheat your oven to 350 °F. Heat the fat or cooking oil and brown the sides of the meat over medium-high heat. Pour the marinade on top and allow to reduce by half. Add the pork rind and beef stock and bring to a simmer, then cover and place on lowest layer of your oven. Allow to simmer for roughly three hours, turning the meat until fully cooked.

Sauté the carrots and onions while the beef is in the oven, then arrange beside the beef when taken out. Save all the braising juices and use as sauce poured over the dish, using cornstarch to thicken if necessary.

Ingredients:
6 pork chops, cut 1-inch thick
3-4 Tbsps. rendered pork fat or cooking oil
2 Tbsps. butter
2 garlic cloves, halved
1/2 cup dry white wine

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 325 °F and pat the pork chops dry with a paper towel. Warm the fat or oil on the stove, then brown each pork chop for three or four minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and herbs to your taste if the meat was not already previously marinated.

Pour the fat out and melt the butter, then add garlic and baste the chops. Cover and continue to heat until chops are sizzling, then bake on the lowest level of your oven for 25-30 minutes, turning and basting halfway.

Plate the pork chops and add white wine to the remaining fat, allowing to boil until there is 1/2 cup of concentrated sauce, then pour over the meat.

Ingredients for Braised Onions:
4-5 peeled white onions
1/2 cup of chicken stock or dry white wine
2 Tbsps. butter
Salt and pepper to taste
2 parsley sprigs
2 thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf

Ingredients for Stewed Mushrooms:
8 oz. baby portobello mushrooms
Half a lemon
1 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup water
Salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients for Fricassee:
3 lbs. chicken
4 Tbsps. butter
2 diced carrots
2 diced celery stalks
1 diced medium white onion
Salt and white pepper to taste
3 Tbsps. flour
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup dry white wine
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Dash of fresh nutmeg
1 tsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsps. butter
1 Tbsp. chopped parsley
2 parsley sprigs
2 thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf

Instructions:
Add onions, butter, chicken stock, seasonings, and herbs in a medium saucepan and simmer over a low heat for 35-40 minutes. Remove from stove when tender.

Dry the chicken pieces with paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Add two tablespoons of butter to a warm Dutch oven and brown the chicken; Set aside. Sauté carrots, celery, and onions in the Dutch oven with remaining butter over medium-high heat. Once tender, coat with flour and continue cooking for about a minute. Add the wine and chicken stock, then place the chicken and herbs in the oven once the liquid has thickened. Cover and simmer on low heat for 30-35 minutes.

Bring water, lemon juice, and butter to a boil in separate pot. Add the mushrooms and stir, then cover and allow to cook for five minutes.

Uncover Dutch oven and allow sauce to reduce and thicken over the chicken. In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks and heavy cream together. Carefully add a few spoonfuls of the Dutch oven sauce to the mixture, making sure not to let the eggs scramble, then pour over the chicken.

Bring the oven to a boil, then lower heat and add braised onions and stewed mushrooms. Serve with rice or mashed potatoes.

Ingredients:
4-6 skinless, boneless fillets of sole
1/2 cup flour
5-6 Tbsps. clarified butter
Chopped parsley
Lemon wedges
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsps. capers

Instructions:
Dry the fillets with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Coat with a light layer of flour and place in skillet with butter on medium-heat, browning both sides for one or two minutes until golden. Remove the fillets and heat capers in the remaining butter, then pour over the dish. Serve garnished with the parsley and lemon wedges.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. potatoes
2 Tbsps. minced shallots or scallions
Salt
Ground white pepper
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 1/2 Tbsps. wine vinegar
2 to 3 Tbsps. chopped parsley
2 to 3 Tbsps. light olive oil

Instructions:
Wash, peel, slice, and boil the potatoes until tender. It's important to keep a close eye on them, as Julia herself says, “Crunchily undercooked potatoes are dreadful, and overcooked potato slices will disintegrate.” Once ready, drain the water and allow the potatoes to sit for a few minutes, but not so long that they become cold. Toss in a bowl with the shallots or scallions, stock or cooking water, vinegar, and parsley. Let the mixture steep for 10 minutes before serving.

Ingredients for Dough:
3/4 cups flour
1/4 cup cake flour
2 Tbsps. sugar
6 Tbsps. chilled, diced butter
2 Tbsps. chilled vegetable shortening
1/4 cup ice water

Ingredients for Tarte Tatin:
6 apples
1 lemon
1 1/2 cups sugar
6 Tbsps. unsalted butter
Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

Instructions:
Pulse flour, sugar, and butter in a food processor five or six times in short bursts, then add shortening and cold water and pulse two or three more times. Remove the lumpy dough and kneed into smooth mound, then wrap in plastic and allow to chill for at least two hours.

Preheat oven to 375 °F. Quarter the apples and toss in a bowl with lemon juice, zest, and half a cup of sugar. Allow to soften for 20 minutes, then drain. Melt butter in a skillet over high heat, then stir in remaining sugar and caramelize. Remove from heat and arrange apples on top of the syrup, then return to medium-high heat and cook for 25 minutes, covering after 10 of those minutes. Occasionally press and juice the apples as they cook.

Roll out the chilled dough on a floured surface so that it will drape an inch over your pan. Drape over the apples and press the dough between the slices. Cut steam holes and bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Once cooled, flip the dessert over with the pastry side down and serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

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