In the Kitchen: Black Olive Butter a l'Affriolé

All week I have been engaged in obsessive thinking about my recent dining experience at the l'Affriolé French Bistro.

Specifically, I was mentally savoring the taste of the black olive butter that came with the freshly baked bread. The moment I saw organic butter in the super market, my desire to make it peaked! 

INGREDIENTS:

1/8 c. black olives, chopped

1/4 c. salted butter

Baguette slices

First, seed the black olives and chop coarsely
(about 8-10 pieces to equal 1/8 c. full). 

 In a smal bowl, with a 1/2 c. capacity, assemble 1/4 c. softened butter
with the chopped olives.

 Mix with a fork.

 Transfer olive-butter mixture into a small ramekin, level the top 

and refrigerate for about 5 minutes.

 In the meantime, slice some pieces from the baguette 

and toast at broil temperatures for 1 1/2 minutes or so.

Plate your olive butter with your bread pieces.

 This was my dinner last night:

Black Olive Butter with toasted baguette slices

Tomato-Avocado Salad with vinegar (ACV) and oil (EVOO)

Dynamic Trio beverage (freshly juiced green apple, broccoli, carrots)

It turned out perfect! 

Restaurant Review: L'Affriole, Paris

Good friends like to celebrate birthdays. For such an occasion, we were on a search for a nice restaurant. What we found turned out to be the perfect venue.

l'Affriolé  Bistro Restaurant is located on 17 rue Malar 75007, 

between the Eiffel Tower and l'Invalides.

It's a small place that seats about 35 to 40 people and 

the interior design is contemporay chic.

Two-course or three-course menus are available from Tuesday to Saturday, for lunch and dinner. There is a formule - "Special of the Day" menu (which changes everyday), and another four starters, four main courses, and four desserts to choose from if you want to mix and match. 

Moderately priced at 24€ for Entree (starter course) + Plat (main course) or Plat + Dessert; 29€ for the full course meal, at lunch time. Dinner meals are at 35€. You may opt instead for a menu de degustation (tasting menu) for 50€.

As soon as we were seated, excellent service began.

This on-the-house hor d'oeuvres was placed on the table - freshly baked bread with a black olive-butter spread, and radish to cleanse the palate. 

Each member of our party decided to design their own menu choices.

FIRST MENU

Entree: Bar Lacqué au Miel et Avocats 

(Honey glaced Bar fillet on a bed of avocado)

Plat: Joue de Bouef Brisée au Vin Rouge 

(Beef braised in red wine)

Dessert: Tourte aux Pommes Caramélisées et Spéculo 

(Caramelized apples in a crust made of spéculo cookies)

SECOND MENU

Entree: Cremeux de Chataigne Emulsion au Jambon 

(Cream of chestnuts, emulsified, with pieces of ham)

Plat: Paté Pantin de Coquelet et Foies Gras

(Encrusted Chicken and foie gras)

Dessert: Gaufre aux Poires au Caramel 

(Waffle with pear, a scoop of ice ceam and caramel sauce)

THIRD MENU: Customized Vegetarian Menu, Celiac Friendly

Entree: Velouté de Potimarron 

(Squash soup)

Plat: Vegetable platter (special order)

Dessert: Anana Victoria Poêlé au Mangue

(Skewered pineapple cooked in its own juice, mango, butter, 

and some aromatics  and served with a scoop of sorbet) 

There is a wine list to choose from or a glass of house wine to order. For us, 

because of taking various medications, we were prevented from doing this.

We were delighted with all that chef Thierry Verola prepared for us. Our food experience started with feasting with our eyes to enjoying the delicate taste of the ingredients he used. The chef's wife, Maria, was so accommodating in arranging for the special vegetarian menu.

Needless to say, everything tasted so good that a promise to return a second time, with or without any occasion to celebrate, was made. If you plan to experience the good eats at this restaurant, making reservations beforehand is a must: Tel. no. 01 44 18 31 33. 

This place is always full!