8 Jan. [1920] ♃. Hexagram LI. Startling movements. I suppose I’d better go to Fontainebleau. No: I ran around Paris, and walked into Laperouse for lunch to find Beadle and Willy! Packed and paid. Marlotte-tomorrow. — The Magical Record of the Beast 666
Best Restaurants Paris tells us: “In the 6th district of Paris, this mythical place has been overlooking the Seine River and the Saint-Louis Island since 1766. Lapérouse has experienced all of Paris literature (Guy de Maupassant, Emile Zola, Victor Hugo, ….) while retaining its original decor. In multiple lounges, enjoy woodwork, murals or gildings of the past. The chef evokes the Lapérouse spirit to date with a tasty French gastronomic cuisine, where local produce and beautiful wines meet.”
One selection on the Lapérouse lunch menu is suprême de volaille rôtie, pomme de terre gabriel et choux fleurs à la graine de moutarde (roast chicken breast, potatoes and cauliflower with mustard seeds). Perhaps Crowley enjoyed something like this at his January 20 lunch.
Roast Chicken Breast with Onions and Fennel
- 6 chicken breasts
- 3 fennel bulbs
- 3 new onions
- 6 tbs olive oil
- 12 tbs water
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 bunch flat parsley
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 2 tsp pepper
Wash vegetables. Slice the fennel in half lengthwise and then slice them to get thin strips. Cut the onions in half and slice them thinly.
Heat 3 tbs olive oil in a pan, then place chicken fillets in the oil, skin side down. Cook over high heat for 5-6 min, seasoning to taste.
Reduce heat. Add 12 tbs water and place foil over the pan to retain steam. Cook over low heat for 8-10 minutes.
In another pan, heat 3 tbs olive oil and sauté the vegetables with a little salt. Add 12 tbs water, cumin and cinnamon, and cover the pan. Cook for 6-7 minutes.
Garnish with parsley, and sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Translated from L’Atelier des Chefs.
Cauliflower and Potatoes with Black Mustard Seeds
- 21⁄2 cups cubed new potatoes
- 1 small cauliflower
- 2 tsp black mustard seeds
- 12-15 fenugreek seeds
- 1 tsp freshly ground cumin seed
- 1⁄2 tsp turmeric
- 1⁄2 tsp hot red powdered chili pepper
- Salt to taste
- 6 tbs peanut oil
- 2 tbs minced garlic
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 1-2 fresh serrano chili, chopped
- 1 cup chopped cilantro leaf
- 1 tbs lemon juice, to taste
