Mimi Thorisson’s Must-Know Recipes: 3 Dishes Anyone Can Master for Easy Entertaining

Master the art of French cooking with these simple recipes from A Kitchen in France author Mimi Thorisson. (Brush up Mimi’s entertaining tips before you play host.)

Mimi’s Tuna Salad
Thorisson’s updated version of a classic Niçoise

5 eggs
3 handfuls of haricots verts (French green beans)
6 tbsp. olive oil
3 to 4 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp. celery salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
2 cans good-quality canned tuna, mashed
Large handful of mint, chopped

1. Make hard-boiled eggs: Place eggs in a pot and add water to cover. Cover and cook over high heat for 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of cold water and let cool completely. Peel eggs, chop, and set aside.
2. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cut the tips off the haricots verts on both ends, rinse well, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes in the water. Drain and set aside to cool, then cut into 1/2-inch pieces.
3. Prepare vinaigrette: In a small jar, mix together olive oil, vinegar, celery salt, and pepper. You can add more or less vinegar as desired.
4. Assemble salad: Spoon tuna into the center of a large bowl. Ring with eggs, then green beans. Just before serving, sprinkle with mint and drizzle with vinaigrette.

Serves 4.

Roast Chicken With Olives
Behold, Thorisson’s main event: a surefire shortcut to being crowned hostess with the mostest!

1 chicken (3- to 4-lb.)
3 tbsp. unsalted butter
Coarse sea salt
Spice mixture (below), for seasoning
10 small potatoes, cut into quarters
3 onions, cut into halves
1 jar (about 16-oz.) pitted green olives
2 large cloves of garlic

Spice Mixture
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried coriander
1 tsp. dried cumin
1 tsp. dried paprika
1 tsp. dried ginger
1 tsp. dried cinnamon
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Rub the outside and inside of the chicken with the butter and sea salt. Season with the spice mixture.
2. Lightly butter the bottom of a large roasting pan, skillet, or Dutch oven, and layer in the potatoes and five of the onion halves. Insert half of an onion, a few of the olives, and the garlic cloves into the chicken’s cavity and place chicken, breastbone up, on top of potatoes. Place in oven.
3. After one hour stir the remaining green olives into the potatoes, and drizzle the olive juice over the chicken. Cook until a thermometer reads 160°F or a cut to the thigh bone reveals no pink flesh, approximately 1 hour 20 minutes total. Remove from oven and let chicken sit 10 minutes before carving.

Serves 4.

Berry Meringue Tarts
Dip extra berries in leftover whipped cream for breakfast the next day.

For the pâte sablée:
1 cup plain flour
1/3 cup fine sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 pinch salt
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp. dark rum
1/2 vanilla pod, split lengthwise

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F/ 180°C. Mix all the ingredients together, ‘working’ the dough 5 minutes. Shape into a ball, wrap with cling film and place in the fridge for at least 30 min.
2. Roll out the pastry on a floured surface and cut off 6 circles to fit the pans. Line each tartlet pan and cook in oven for about 15 min or until golden.

For the cream:
3/4 cup cream (for whipping)
1/2 cup mascarpone
2 vanilla pods (cut a slit on the entire length and scrape off the beans with the tip of your knife)
2 to 3 tbsp. icing sugar (sifted)
Fresh berries to decorate

1. Mix all the ingredients (cream, mascarpone, vanilla beans and sugar) together and whisk for 4-5 minutes until stiff
2. Place a generous amount of cream mixture into your tartlet shells.
3. Garnish with the fresh berries on top.

Makes approximately 6 tartlets

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