In the very first episode, Jack tells the girls that his specialty is les langoustines grillées au beurre safran avec la salade doucette. (Unfortunately, the closed-captioning just says "French", so you have to listen very carefully). In English, that's Grilled lobster in saffron butter with lamb-lettuce.

-- Saffron butter sauce --

1/4 ts Saffron threads, crumbled
2 tb Shallot, minced
2 tb White wine vinegar
3 tb Dry white wine
3 tb Heavy cream
14 tb Unsalted butter, cold, cut into 14 pieces

1. In a small heavy saucepan, combine the saffron, shallot, vinegar, and wine. Simmer the mixture until it is reduced to about 2 Tablespoons. Stir in the cream and simmer the mixture, whisking occasionally, until the liquid is reduced to 2 Tablespoons.

2. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low, and whisk in the butter, 1 piece at a time, but overlapping slightly to keep the sauce from getting too hot. Remove from heat, from time to time, as the butter is whisked in.

3. Remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper. Use with pasta and/or seafoods. Makes about 1 cup.

--- Grilled lobster ---

1. Select live lobsters that weigh between 1-1/2 and 2 pounds.

2. In a large pot, bring about two gallons of water to a boil. Parboil two lobsters at a time in a covered pot for five to seven minutes.

3. Remove lobsters from the cooking pot, turn them upside down on a cutting board, and slice them in half lengthwise from the tail to the top of the head. Use a sharp knife to split the claws only on the side that will be turned up on the grill.

4. Place each half lobster, shell side down, on a grill that has been pre-heated to medium temperature.

5. Baste the exposed lobster meat with melted butter or oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. For added flavor, use seasoned oils, or add garlic, herbs and spices or lemon or lime juice to the butter.

6. Cover lobsters with a metal pie plate or a shallow roasting pan to ensure quick and even cooking. Remove the cover periodically to baste the lobsters and to check cooking progress.

7. Grill lobsters for about 10 minutes. Be sure to check the meat at the thickest part of the tail in order to determine that lobsters are completely cooked. When the meat is white and opaque, your grilled lobsters are ready to eat.

8. Serve grilled lobster with melted drawn butter (here, saffron butter) and a slice of lemon.

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OMG. It's obvious why Janet and Chrissy, and Cindy, and Terri, tolerated Jack-of-all-skirts as the man about the house. :)

Forgive the double post, this is just too much fun... :)

Episode #4. No Children, No Dogs

----Beef Bourguignon (for everyone except Mr. Roper)----

Pièce de Boeuf à la Bourguignonne (Escoffier, Recipe 1146)

Lard the rump of beef, and marinate it for three hours in brandy and red wine. Braise it after the manner described in (247) [the description of braising covers six pages]; moisten first with the wine of the marinade, and, when the latter is reduced, with some veal gravy and one-half pint of Espagnole sauce (24) [this is a Lenten variation of Espagnole sauce; a bit more than a page of instructions is given] per quart of liquid, taking care that the liquid reaches the top of the piece of meat. Add an herb bunch and some mushrooms peelings; set to boil, and cook gently in the oven.

When the meat is two-thirds cooked, transfer it to another saucepan, and surround it with mushrooms cut into three or four, according to their size, and tossed in butter; bacon, cut into dice, blanched and tossed in butter, and some small onions half-glazed with butter.

Strain the sauce through a sieve over the piece of beef and its garnish, and complete the cooking gently.

A few minutes before serving, put the meat on a platter and glaze it in the oven. Transfer the meat to the dish intended for the table; quickly reduce the sauce if necessary, and pour it over the beef and the garnish.

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Of course, Mr. Roper had the bourguignon-from-a-can version.... :)

If anyone has any more recipes, throw them in!!! Maybe we can publish a Jack Tripper Cookbook Online! :)

What is jack tripper chocolate cream pie recipe??