IN THE ’80s, SOUTH FLORIDA went on a feeding frenzy of New California, New American and, more recently, New Florida-Caribbean cuisines. Now, thankfully, it’s the turn of that old classic, the French bistro or brasserie. The timing couldn’t be better for local Francophiles who in the past decade have witnessed an alarming decline in the number of French restaurants.
Several new bistros have opened in South Florida recently, but one stands head and shoulders above the rest. This is Brasserie Le Coze, opened in 1991 by the brother-and-sister team of Gilbert and Maguy Le Coze in Coconut Grove.
In the seven years since the Le Cozes opened their first American restaurant, Le Bernardin in New York, they have garnered every known culinary accolade, including the rarely awarded four stars from The New York Times. Before that, they had received the coveted Michelin three stars, that publication’s highest award, for their Le Bernardin restaurant in Paris. They are noted for the perfection of their fish and seafood dishes, and their mastery of high French cuisine.
But, being French, they talked of opening a Paris-style brasserie, one that would be less formal and more fun than Le Bernardin. And Maguy had fallen in love with Coconut Grove, which reminded her of the bohemian ambience of the French Riviera.
“It’s stressful to worry about keeping those stars,” she says. “So when the opportunity came, we decided to create a brasserie in the image of well- known Paris legends like La Coupole.”
GIVEN THE LE COZES’ TRACK record, it was not surprising that their new project became an immediate success. Designed by architect Philip George, the restaurant is as authentic in style, feeling and cuisine as any brasserie can be outside of France.
Many diners, hoping perhaps to recreate romantic hours spent at Parisian sidewalk cafes, lounge outdoors with their aperitifs, sampling foie gras or pate maison from the appetizer bar. Others sit inside on banquettes, facing the outdoors. They order more sturdily from a menu offering cassoulet of duck confit, beef Bourgignon, a crisp-roasted chicken on a bed of cabbage, or a pan-sauteed codfish with rosemary vinaigrette and pommes boulangere.
Maguy has been surprised by the preferences of her clientele.
“I thought, in a tropical climate like this, they would order fish for the most part,” she said. “But the cassoulet is our biggest seller, and we sell tons of French fries. We have a chef who cooks nothing but frites through the day and night.”
Maguy is delighted with the restaurant’s success. In the two years since it opened, she has become a confirmed South Floridian, very much in touch with the international flavor of the area.
“We have an extensive outdoor dining area,” she said, “but the entire restaurant is open and there’s a feeling that you are dining alfresco. This is an atmosphere that both visitors and those who live here enjoy.”
BRASSERIE LE COZE MAY HAVE started, and has certainly encouraged, the South Florida trend toward bistro-style restaurants.
A good example is Bistro Mezzaluna, which opened on Fort Lauderdale’s 17th Street Causeway nine months ago. European-trained chef Ulrich Koeps achieved recognition both in Miami’s 41 Club and Fort Lauderdale’s Cafe September, and is back after a stint in the Dominican Republic. Though many of his dishes are contemporary in style, he too prepares daily specials of homey French dishes: terrines, lamb shanks, coq au vin, cassoulet.
Other new bistros include Bistro L’Europe, which opened two years ago in Boca Raton’s Mizner Center, and the year-old Bistro Jean Pierre in Palm Beach.
On page 20 we present the recipes for a Brasserie Le Coze three-course meal specially devised by Maguy Le Coze for Sunshine’s Great Florida Dinners series.
MENU APPETIZER
Sauteed Shrimp with Bean Sprouts
ENTREE
Roast Monkfish with Savoy Cabbage
DESSERT
Fresh Citrus Bomb with Orange Sauce
SAUTEED SHRIMP WITH BEAN SPROUTS
24 fresh shrimp, peeled
8 ounces fresh bean sprouts
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
1 fresh ripe tomato, seeds removed, peeled and diced
1 bunch chives, thinly sliced crosswise
Soy Ginger Vinaigrette (below)
2 tablespoons julienne of fresh cilantro
Soy Ginger Vinaigrette:
2 ounces chopped shallot
8 ounces chopped fresh ginger
1 ounce oyster sauce
3 ounces soy sauce
1/2 ounces sherry vinegar
3 ounces vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste
For Vinaigrette: Mix together all ingredients, except one tablespoon of the vegetable oil, but do not emulsify. Set aside.
For Shrimp: Season shrimp with salt and pepper and saute in very hot pan with the 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil until barely done. Place shrimp in a pile in center of four room-temperature plates. In a bowl, mix bean sprouts with sesame seeds, diced tomatoes and chives. Mix in three tablespoons vinaigrette. Place a quarter of the bean sprout mixture on top of each shrimp pile and garnish with fresh cilantro. Drizzle remaining vinaigrette around each plate. Serves 4.
ROAST MONKFISH WITH SAVOY CABBAGE
2 pounds monkfish filet in one or two pieces
1/4 pounds savoy cabbage, cored and hard pieces removed
1/2 ounces smoked slab bacon, skin removed and cut into 1/2-inch dice
12 ounces fish stock
1 chicken bouillon cube
Salt and pepper
Flour for dusting filets
1 ounce oil
1/2 pound sweet butter
Chervil leaves
Clean and trim the monkfish and set aside. Cut cabbage into thin strips and blanch in lightly salted boiling water. Drain and refresh in cold water. Reserve a little of the liquid. Drain again on paper towels.
Drop the diced bacon into a small amount of boiling water, bring back to boil, then strain. Reserve a little of the liquid. Dry on paper towels. In a dry saute pan, saute the bacon until lightly brown. Place the bacon with 8 ounces of the fish stock and the bouillon cube in a small saucepan and reduce by 3/4. Set aside.
Season the monkfish well with salt and freshly ground pepper. Roll lightly in flour and dust off excess. Brown in oil on all sides. Remove from pan and set aside.
In a deep, ovenproof casserole, arrange the cabbage and diced bacon with 2 tablespoons of their reserved liquid. Place monkfish on top and pour on the remaining fish stock. Cover with a lid or foil and place in a preheated 450- degree oven for 10-15 minutes, depending on thickness of fish. When fish is lightly firm to the touch, remove the casserole from the oven. Place the fish on a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
Place contents of the casserole in a saucepan, and reduce the liquid slightly. Add the butter and continue boiling until all the butter is emulsified into the sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
To Serve: Slice monkfish into 3/8-inch slices on the bias. With a slotted spoon, lift the cabbage mixture from the liquid. Place equal amounts on four preheated plates. Arrange the monkfish in a shingled effect on top. Pour some of the sauce over each and garnish with some of the chervil leaves. Serves 4.
FRESH CITRUS BOMBE
4 oranges
2 grapefruits
2 sprigs mint
Pinch of sugar
4 packets Knox gelatin
Orange Sauce:
8 ounces orange juice
1 tablespoon arrowroot
1 tablespoon cold water
Remove skin and pith from oranges and grapefruits. Cut segments from the fruits, reserving the best for the outside part of the bombe. Squeeze the juice from the citrus scraps and place in a pot with mint sprigs and a pinch of sugar. Heat and reduce juice to two cups and add gelatin. Stir to incorporate and cool.
Meanwhile, using the best citrus segments, line four coffee cups alternately with orange and grapefruit segments and place in the freezer for five minutes. Remove cups and place remaining citrus segments inside the cups. Fill with the juice mixture and return to the freezer to jell.
For Orange Sauce: Boil orange juice, skimming as necessary. Mix arrowroot with cold water and stir into boiling orange juice. Boil one minute longer, remove from heat and cool.
To Serve: Place orange sauce on four room temperature plates. Remove bombes from freezer and place each briefly in warm water to help unmold from the cups. Place each bombe upside down on orange sauce, removing cup. Garnish with mint leaves. Serve immediately. Serves 4.
