Barefoot in Paris

Easy French Food You Can Make at Home: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

Author Ina Garten On Tour
Photographs by Quentin Bacon
Hearty boeuf Bourguignon served in deep bowls over a garlic-rubbed slice of baguette toast; decadently rich croque monsieur, eggy and oozing with cheese; gossamer crème brulee, its sweetness offset by a brittle burnt-sugar topping. Whether shared in a cozy French bistro or in your own home, the romance and enduring appeal of French country cooking is irrefutable. Here is the book that helps you bring that spirit, those evocative dishes, into your own home.

What Ina Garten is known for—on her Food Network show and in her three previous bestselling books—is adding a special twist to familiar dishes, while also streamlining the recipes so you spend less time in the kitchen but still emerge with perfection. And that’s exactly what she offers in Barefoot in Paris. Ina’s kir royale includes the unique addition of raspberry liqueur—a refreshing alternative to the traditional crème de cassis. Her vichyssoise is brightened with the addition of zucchini, and her chocolate mousse is deeply flavored with the essence of orange. All of these dishes are true to their Parisian roots, but all offer something special—and are thoroughly delicious, completely accessible, and the perfect fare for friends and family.

Barefoot in Paris is suffused with Ina’s love of the city, of the bustling outdoor markets and alluring little shops, of the bakeries and fromageries and charcuteries—of the wonderful celebration of food that you find on every street corner, in every neighborhood. So take a trip to Paris with the perfect guide—the Barefoot Contessa herself—in her most personal book yet.
Chocolate Orange Mousse

Serves 4-8

6 ounces semisweet chocolate
2 ounces good bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup Grand Marnier liquer
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
8 extra-large eggs, at room temperature, seperated
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
Pinch of kosher salt
1/2 cup cold heavy cream
Whipped cream and mandarin orange segments, for decoration

Combine the two chocolates, Grand Marnier, 1/4 cup water, and the vanilla in a heat-proof bowl. Set it over a pan of simmering water until the chocolate just melts. Cool to room temperature. Whisk in the orange zest and butter until completely combined.

With an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks and 1/2 cup of the sugar on high speed for 4 minutes, or until very thick and pale yellow. With the mixer on low speed, add the chocolate mixture. Transfer to a large bowl. Beat 1 cup of the egg whites, the salt, and 1 tablespoon of the sugar on high speed until firm but not dry. Whisk half of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture; then carefully fold the rest.

Whip the heavy cream and the remaining tablespoon of sugar until firm. Fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture. Chill the mousse and decorate with whipped cream and oranges, if using.
© Quentin Bacon
Ina Garten is a New York Times bestselling author, the host of Be My Guest on Discovery+, and host of Barefoot Contessa on Food Network, for which she has won five Emmy Awards and a James Beard Award. She lives in East Hampton, New York, with her husband, Jeffrey. View titles by Ina Garten

About

Hearty boeuf Bourguignon served in deep bowls over a garlic-rubbed slice of baguette toast; decadently rich croque monsieur, eggy and oozing with cheese; gossamer crème brulee, its sweetness offset by a brittle burnt-sugar topping. Whether shared in a cozy French bistro or in your own home, the romance and enduring appeal of French country cooking is irrefutable. Here is the book that helps you bring that spirit, those evocative dishes, into your own home.

What Ina Garten is known for—on her Food Network show and in her three previous bestselling books—is adding a special twist to familiar dishes, while also streamlining the recipes so you spend less time in the kitchen but still emerge with perfection. And that’s exactly what she offers in Barefoot in Paris. Ina’s kir royale includes the unique addition of raspberry liqueur—a refreshing alternative to the traditional crème de cassis. Her vichyssoise is brightened with the addition of zucchini, and her chocolate mousse is deeply flavored with the essence of orange. All of these dishes are true to their Parisian roots, but all offer something special—and are thoroughly delicious, completely accessible, and the perfect fare for friends and family.

Barefoot in Paris is suffused with Ina’s love of the city, of the bustling outdoor markets and alluring little shops, of the bakeries and fromageries and charcuteries—of the wonderful celebration of food that you find on every street corner, in every neighborhood. So take a trip to Paris with the perfect guide—the Barefoot Contessa herself—in her most personal book yet.

Excerpt

Chocolate Orange Mousse

Serves 4-8

6 ounces semisweet chocolate
2 ounces good bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup Grand Marnier liquer
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
8 extra-large eggs, at room temperature, seperated
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
Pinch of kosher salt
1/2 cup cold heavy cream
Whipped cream and mandarin orange segments, for decoration

Combine the two chocolates, Grand Marnier, 1/4 cup water, and the vanilla in a heat-proof bowl. Set it over a pan of simmering water until the chocolate just melts. Cool to room temperature. Whisk in the orange zest and butter until completely combined.

With an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks and 1/2 cup of the sugar on high speed for 4 minutes, or until very thick and pale yellow. With the mixer on low speed, add the chocolate mixture. Transfer to a large bowl. Beat 1 cup of the egg whites, the salt, and 1 tablespoon of the sugar on high speed until firm but not dry. Whisk half of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture; then carefully fold the rest.

Whip the heavy cream and the remaining tablespoon of sugar until firm. Fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture. Chill the mousse and decorate with whipped cream and oranges, if using.

Author

© Quentin Bacon
Ina Garten is a New York Times bestselling author, the host of Be My Guest on Discovery+, and host of Barefoot Contessa on Food Network, for which she has won five Emmy Awards and a James Beard Award. She lives in East Hampton, New York, with her husband, Jeffrey. View titles by Ina Garten