Hollywood Cooking: Julia Child Is Making You Dinner

By Meryl Streep

I am a terrible cook. I can cook, but I fear that, as with video gaming or hard-core rap, I have no natural affinity. My heart sank to my stomach when Glamour asked for my favorite recipes. I'm in direct line with my mother on this one: She had a needlepoint pillow that read, *I'm making my favorite thing for dinner: reservations.*May I add that I am at perhaps my least glamorous when I am cooking, especially for other people (as opposed to family)? I am usually in a flop sweat, snapping at anyone in my line of sight because: (A) I have forgotten some crucial ingredient at the store and don't know how to substitute to invent something wonderful, and (B) I have usually timed everything wrong, and we have the whole meal, with the potatoes, ready right after dessert. That's happened more than once. At least after making the Julia Child film I no longer apologize. Julia said, "Never apologize" and never make excuses. Now I just expect my guests to suck up their disappointment along with me.

OK, but I do take a special pleasure in thrift, a talent I get from my father. About this talent my mother said, "Harry's hobby is not spending money." So here's how you make a chicken last the workweek while living alone on location and making a movie. You have to really like chicken, which I do. And make sure it's organic chicken with no growth hormones or antibiotics added. I like Julia's chicken tarragon recipe.

Julia Child's Tarragon Chicken RecipeMeryl Streep's Four Days of Chicken LeftoversAmy Adams' Easy, Delicious GuacamoleNora Ephron's 10-Minute Dinner

It's very important to do what Julia says in terms of washing the chicken in cold water first, inside and out, and drying it really, really well. That makes the browning process very satisfying. The thing she tells you about sputtering is also important. Wait until the butter and oil are the right temperature to add the bird—until the sputter is happening, and the butter foam starts to subside and separate from the oil. That's the time to brown, no sooner, no later (and don't let the butter brown). I sometimes make this in a big, heavy Le Creuset pot, but I also have a Mario Batali cast-iron pot that's half the price and just as good. Pop the lid on to cover the chicken, then put it in a 325°F oven for an hour and a half, or until the juices from the leg run clear when you wiggle it and the leg breaks away easily.

After a roast chicken dinner, I remove the meat from the bones, save it and put the carcass in a big pot with cold water, a carrot, an onion, some celery, a bouquet garni (dried parsley, thyme and a bay leaf wrapped in a small piece of cheesecloth and tied with string, tea-bag-style) and any other sad little fellas hanging out in the vegetable drawer. No one is too poorly to jump in the pot, all are welcome. I was recently up in Zuma Beach, California, and went to Vital Zuma, a little farm stand operation, and they had some splendid greens—chard, mustard greens and beet greens. Man, I threw them in the pot, and what a rich and pungent broth came out…. My little group of drop-in guests raved about the soup that came from it. Anyway, I get all that boiling up, then turn it down to simmer while I go read something improving. In an hour or more, I drain it all into a colander and then through a sieve lined with cheesecloth. Let it cool, skim it and put it into containers of all sorts in the freezer. This is my Fort Knox, my treasure, my broth. I have given it to people who have stay-home-from-school-because-they-need-an-extension-on-their-English-paper disease, and they are cured the next day!

Next day I have cold chicken tarragon salad, and if I don't have to be a sylph in the film I'm making, I add a little bacon—yes, one strip. Gimme a break; people have to have a life. Day three I make a risotto with mushrooms and the divine broth, the next a curry with the dark meat. Then I make a soup with the frozen broth, adding canned cannellini beans, canned corn, chopped tomatoes, maybe throwing in those old risotto leftovers, fresh veggies and fresh herbs at the last minute, and have a little bruschetta with it.

I am proud of my housewifery, and I congratulate myself on these little accomplishments in the middle of making a movie, which often feels like making a mess until they cut it all together a year later and add music.

Ingredients

1 three-lb. roasting chicken, rinsed in cold water inside and out 3/4 tsp. salt, divided Pinch of pepper 7 tbsp. butter, divided 8 sprigs fresh (or 1 tsp. dried) tarragon 1 tbsp. olive oil, plus more if needed 1/2 cup sliced onions 1/4 cup sliced carrots

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Season cavity of chicken with 1/4 tsp. salt, ground pepper and 1 tbsp. butter. Insert 4 sprigs (or 1/2 tsp. dried) tarragon. Feeling ambitious? Truss chicken with kitchen string. (Learn how online at mahalo.com/how-to-truss-a-chicken.) Dry chicken well and rub skin with 1 tbsp. butter.
2. On a stove top, set casserole pot over medium heat; melt 2 tbsp. butter and add 1 tbsp. oil. When butter foam subsides, lay in chicken, breast side down. Brown for 2 to 3 minutes, regulating heat so butter is always hot but not burning. Turn chicken on another side using wooden spoons or a towel. Do not break the chicken skin! Continue browning and turning (about 10 to 15 minutes) until golden all over. Add more oil if necessary to keep bottom of casserole filmed. Remove chicken; set aside.
3. Pour out fat if there are a lot of blackened bits on the bottom of the pot. If necessary, add 3 more tbsp. butter. Cook onions and carrots on low in casserole pot, 5 minutes, without browning. Add 1/4 tsp. salt and 4 sprigs (or 1/2 tsp. dried) tarragon.
4. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 tsp. salt. Set it breast side up over the vegetables; dab with butter. Lay a piece of aluminum foil over chicken, cover casserole with lid and reheat on top of the stove until chicken sizzles. Place the casserole pot on a rack in the oven.
5. Roast for 1 hour and 10 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes, basting once or twice. Chicken is done when the drumsticks move in their sockets and juices run clear.
6. Discard strings (if trussed) and serve!

Serves six

Ingredients

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast or 3 cups of leftover tarragon chicken salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste 2 tbsp. mayonnaise 2 tbsp. sour cream 1 tbsp. lemon juice 1 Granny Smith apple, cored, cut into eighths 1 small red onion, peeled, thinly sliced 2 ribs celery, thinly sliced 4 ounces bacon, cooked, crumbled (optional) 3 sprigs fresh tarragon leaves 1 bunch fresh dandelion, arugula or watercress

Directions

1. Place chicken in a medium saucepan, cover with water, season with salt, place over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and cook until chicken is opaque throughout, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from water and let cool. Meanwhile, in a large bowl whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, pull apart into bite-size pieces and transfer to the bowl with the dressing. Add the apple, onion, celery, bacon (if using) and tarragon and toss to combine. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary. Divide the chicken salad among six plates and arrange the dandelion on each and serve.

Serves six

Ingredients

6 tbsp. butter 4 tbsp. olive oil 1 lb. wild mushrooms, cut in half if large pieces 6 thin slices prosciutto, julienne one-inch wide (optional) 1 medium onion, 1/4 inch dice 1 cup Arborio rice 5 to 6 cups chicken stock 3 tsp. lemon thyme leaves 1 1/2 tsp. fresh chopped rosemary 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving on the side salt and pepper

Directions

1. Heat stock over low heat.
2. Heat a skillet with 2 tbsp. olive oil, sauté prosciutto and mushrooms until well browned, seven to 10 minutes. Set aside.
3. In a saucepan, heat 2 tbsp. butter and 2 tbsp. olive oil. Add onions and cook until translucent, about seven minutes.
4. Add rice and cook for three to four minutes, stirring.
5. Add 1 cup stock and stir continuously until absorbed.
6. Add 1 cup stock and repeat process until rice is al dente, 15 to 20 minutes.
7. Add prosciutto, mushrooms and herbs and cook, stirring, for five minutes.
8. Add final 1 cup of broth, cheese and 4 tbsp. butter. Stir until butter is melted.
9. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan on the side.

Serves four

Ingredients

2 to 3 tbsp. olive oil 1 1/2 sugar snap peas 1 lb. chicken (boneless) thighs, cut into chunks salt and pepper 1 medium onion, 1/4 inch dice 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp. ground cumin 1 tsp. ground tumeric 1 tsp. garam masala 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 tbsp. curry powder 1 cup chicken stock 2 plum tomatoes, seeded cut 3/4 inch dice 1 cup coconut milk or heavy cream rice for serving cilantro for garnish

Directions

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
2. Brown allover on high heat for 10 minutes, remove from pan.
3. Cook onions until slightly golden, five minutes.
4. Add back chicken, garlic and spices, stir to combine.
5. Add stock, cover and cook until liquid is thickened, about 15 minutes.
6. Stir in tomatoes, cover, cook five minutes.
7. Stir in coconut milk.
8. Serve over rice, garnished with cilantro.

Serves four

Ingredients

3 cups chicken broth 8 small leaves red chard, remove rib, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces 4 small carrots, chopped in 1/2 inch slices 1 cup cannellini beans 4 tablespoons corn, fresh or frozen 2 small tomatoes, chopped 24 sugar snap peas 8 slices fresh fennel 1 tsp. leaves of fresh herbs, chopped (e.g., tarragon, thyme and parsley) salt and pepper bruschetta, for serving on the side

Directions

1. Cook the chard and carrots first for 10 minutes in the broth.
2. Add the remaining ingredients.
3. Salt and pepper to taste.

In the movie, Amy Adams' character cooks up 524 of Julia Child's recipes in the course of a year. In real life, who has the time? Adams admits she's no stranger to takeout. She does, however, make a mean guac and chips. Her no-fail recipe:

Ingredients

3 avocados 1/2 fresh jalapeño, seeds removed, finely chopped 1 tomatillo, husked, chopped (optional; found in supermarket produce aisle) 1/2 tomato, chopped into 1/4-inch cubes 1/2 red onion, finely chopped Handful of chopped cilantro Juice of 1 lime Pinch of red pepper flakes Salt and pepper to taste Store-bought tortilla chips

Directions

In a bowl, mash avocados with a fork; stir in rest of the ingredients. Serve with chips. Serves 4.

Julie & Julia writer-director Nora Ephron once wrote that Child played a huge role in her single-girl life: "Just before I moved to New York, two historic events had occurred: The birth control pill was invented, and the first Julia Child cookbook was published. As a result, everyone was having sex, and when the sex was over, you cooked something." We're in! Try this Ephron fave:

Ingredients

1 lb. spaghetti 4 cloves of garlic, slivered 2/3 cup olive oil (not virgin) 1 cup coarse bread crumbs Salt and pepper Fresh parsley, chopped

Directions

1. Boil spaghetti according to package instructions.
2. Preheat oven to broil. In a small skillet, saute garlic in oil, 3 to 4 minutes, or until slightly brown. Remove garlic; discard. Place bread crumbs in a bowl and drizzle with 2 tbsp. of the garlic-infused oil. Toss.
3. Spread crumbs onto a baking sheet; broil in oven to lightly toast, about 6 to 8 minutes (make sure they don't burn!), or toast on the "top brown" setting of your toaster oven for about 3 minutes.
4. Drain pasta, then toss with remaining oil and toasted bread crumbs. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley. Serves 6 people as a side dish, 4 people as a main course.