Mirepoix is one of the simplest food preparations in the world - a combination of celery, carrot and onion. That's all. However, this "holy trinity" is an essential ingredient in dozens, if not hundreds, of traditional French dishes, and knowing what it is and how to make it is essential. And you thought French cooking was hard....
Basic Mirepoix Recipe
1 c. diced white onion
1/2 c. diced carrot
1/2 c. diced celery
When dicing the separate ingredients, try to make the dices as small and uniform as possible, both because it is aesthetically more pleasing and because the small pieces will cook more uniformly.
So what's the deal? If it's that simple, why is it so important? Well, these three basic ingredients, in this perfect ratio, provide a deep, earthy flavor that gives so many French dishes the recognizable flavor that sets them apart from, say, Italian or Spanish cooking.
Simple Uses for Mirepoix
* Try stewing a chicken in a slow cooker or Crock Pot with just mirepoix and a sprinkle of Herbes de Provence.
* Use mirepoix to deglaze a pan after cooking pork chops. Pour the mixture over the top of the chops and serve.
* Roast veal bones and mirepoix in an oven until browned, then put the mixture into a stock pot, cover with water, and simmer (not boil!) for an hour. This makes indispensable stock that can be used in many, many dishes.
Mirepoix Trivia
- "Mirepoix" is pronounced "meer-pwah". It can also be spelled "mirepois".
- In most recipes, mirepoix thrown into a pan all at once, and allowed to "sweat", or become translucent, rather than browning. Mirepoix is generally cooked in butter, not lighter oils.
- Tradition states that the word "mirepoix" was actually the last name of a 17th century French duke, whose chef perfected the 2:1:1 ratio of the recipe. However, the recipe has likely been in use for far longer than that.
- In Louisiana Cajun and Creole cooking, New World variations on classic French cooking, the carrot in the mirepoix is replaced with green bell pepper.
- In French restaurants, mirepoix is an important item in every line cook's "mise en place" (the prepared food items at their cooking stations that save them the trouble of making each tiny part of a recipe every time an order comes in).
- "Mirepoix" is also the name of a beautiful medieval town in the Pyrenees of Southern France. A person from the town of Mirepoix is called a Mirapicien (male) or a Mirapicienne (female).
