Thanks for ordering your Valentine’s Dinner with us! Set your oven to 375F to finish the cooking of the Halibut & Duck Breast. Follow Franck’s instructions in the video for the rest! Merci et bon appetit.
By Rachel|Comments Off on Video for Reheating Valentine’s Main Courses 2.14.21
This week’s takeout menu included a Caramelized Onion & Tapenade Tart, Poached Cod in Red Wine, and Warm Chocolate Lava Cake with Creme de Menthe Cream. Start the video around 17 seconds to get tips on how to make caramelized onions, how to poach fish in red wine, and how to make the whipped ganache for the Creme de Menthe cream.
See this link for the recipe and video for the Chocolate Lava Cakes:
-Season shortribs with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large, shallow pan and sear over high heat to brown on all sides. Don’t put too many pieces in at once or they will steam instead of brown. Remove meat, sauté the following in the same pan:
1 onion
1 carrot
1 stick celery
4 cloves garlic
juniper berry, crushed
1 bay leaf
1 branch thyme
salt
pepper
-Deglaze with 1 750 ml bottle red wine. Return beef to pan with the wine. Slowly simmer over low heat or in a low oven until meat is tender, about 2 hrs. Remove the vegetable pieces and puree them and add back into sauce. Finish with red wine reduction to taste and winter vegetables.
To make red wine reduction:
1 750 ml bottle red wine
2 c port
1 c sugar
Winter vegetables: pearl onion, carrot, mushroom, celery, rutabaga
Truffle Vinaigrette
In blender mix: 3 egg yolks (or 3 T mayo to avoid raw egg)
1 T Dijon mustard
And 3 T white vinegar
Let mix and then drizzle in while running machine
1 ½ c truffle oil
½ c olive oil
Juice from a can of truffles
Salt, pepper
Taste for acidity, salt, pepper. Add chopped up truffle.
Bread Pudding with Brown Butter Sticky Rum Sauce
2 c eggnog
2 c cream
½ c sugar
½ t nutmeg
1 t vanilla
6 eggs
12 oz dry bread in cubes
6 T butter to coat mold or cut on top in small pieces
1/3 c raisins or other dried fruit
-Boil cream & milk, temper in eggs, sugar and flavorings. Strain through sieve and pour over bread cubes. Oven 350F. Pour into 9X13 inch baking pan and top with butter cut in small dice. Bake until puffed and browned in a bain marie, about 30-40 mins.
Sauce:
1/4 c brown sugar
1/2 c whisky
1 1/2 c heavy cream
1 pinch salt
1 t vanilla
-Boil together and thicken until coats a spoon.
Flourless Chocolate Devastation Cake
1 9 inch cake pan
Heat oven to 325 F
Melt over simmering pan of water (not too hot!):
1 lb. 2 oz good quality bittersweet chocolate
1 + 1/3 sticks unsalted butter
Mix together by hand with a whisk:
10 eggs
1 1/3 c sugar
Combine chocolate mix and egg mix in a large bowl and mix thoroughly, then pour into greased 9 inch pan lined with parchment on bottom. Bake in a water bath for 25-30 mins, until sides look dry but middle still shiny & jiggly. Let chill overnight then release with a sharp knife and turn out onto cake plate, remove parchment circle and flip onto serving plate.
By Rachel|Comments Off on PopUp TakeOut Dec 10/11 Beef Shortribs or Scallops Zoom Cooking Class
Please forward this video to 1:25 to avoid the beginning where everyone is getting oriented and lots of dogs are barking!
Recipes for the Pop-Up Dinner:
Classic French Onion Soup
Thinly slice enough onions to yield 8 c. Put in a soup kettle with 3-4 T oil. Cover pot and simmer 15-20 minds. Uncover pot, add fresh thyme branch or ½ t dried thyme, 1 ½ t salt. Raise heat to medium and cook onions, stirring often, until they are a rich medium brown color. It can take 45 mins, and it is the most important step for this soup.
Stir in ¼ c flour and cook a couple of minutes, stirring. Add 2 qt veggie stock or water, 2 c white wine, 1/3 c soy sauce, splash of Port. Simmer about ½ hr and season with salt and pepper to taste. Finish with croutons & grated cheese under the broiler.
Steak au Poivre
8 oz steaks
2 shallots, minced
½ c crushed peppercorns (we use mix of black and green)
1 c beef jus/demi glace
¼ c cognac
Salt, pepper
¼ c cream or sour cream
Press peppercorns into steak. Heat skillet on high and sear the steaks, peppercorn-side down, then remove from pan. Add a splash of oil to same pan then sweat the shallots. Flambee with cognac, add the jus, then reduce to thicken sauce. Add salt & cream at the end.
Lemon Tart Base 1 large tart
2 sticks soft butter
1/4 c sugar
2 T powdered sugar
1 t vanilla
2 1/4 c flour
1/2 t salt
Heat oven to 400F. Combine butter, sugars and salt until fluffy. Add flour to make crumbly mixture. Press into tart mold and bake completely
Lemon Tart Filling:
1 c lemon juice
2 T lemon zest
1 1/4 sticks butter
½ c cream
1 1/4 c sugar
4 eggs
2 yolks
½ t salt
½ t vanilla
Bring juice, zest, butter and cream to simmer. Whisk sugar, eggs, yolks, salt and slowly add hot liquid to temper. Pour back into pan and cook to thicken, until first bubbles appear. Add vanilla and salt off heat, pass through sieve and fill baked tart shell. Bake at 300 to set, about 10-15mins. Chill thoroughly before cutting.
Quinoa Soup Dice the following vegetables: 1 large onion, 5-6 carrots, 3 stalks celery, sauté in olive oil until starts to brown. Add 3 qt water or veg stock to vegetables. Cut ½ green cabbage into pot, 1 small rutabaga, half of a butternut squash and 2 cloves garlic. Add 1 ½ T salt, pepper, and 1 c rinsed quinoa. Add 2 small diced potatoes and more water if necessary. Check seasoning and doneness of vegetables. Finish with chopped fresh cilantro.
Braised Duck with Red Wine & Cranberry Sauce Serves 6 6 Duck legs 1 carrot, diced 1 celery, diced 1 onion, diced 1 head garlic, cut in half 1 qt veal stock or demi glaze 1 t tomato paste 1 bottle red wine 1 c port 1/2 c cranberry Salt, pepper 4 juniper berries, ground 1 clove, ground 10 black peppercorns, ground 1 branch rosemary 1 branch thyme 1 branch sage -marinate duck legs with vegetables, spices, herbs and red wine overnight. The next day, separate the meat from the vegetables and also the vegetables from the wine. Season duck legs with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large, shallow pan and sear over high heat to brown on all sides. Don’t put too many pieces in at once or they will steam instead of brown. Meanwhile, boil the marinade wine in a saucepan on the side, when blood coagulates, strain and set aside. Remove legs, put 2 T plain oil and sweat the vegetables until browned. Add tomato paste and sauté one minute, add back the duck, deglaze with port, add demi glaze and the marinade wine. Bring to boil, cover, and cook slowly between 1 ½ – 2 hrs. When cooked, separate the duck legs from the jus and strain the liquid.
Return to saucepan and reduce, skimming off the fat. Taste for seasoning, and then add duck and heat together.
Spaetzle
500 g flour
100 ml seltzer
pinch nutmeg
3 T chopped parsley
8 eggs
Whisk together all ingredients smooth. Work it in the bowl with a wooden spoon to make a very stiff batter. Simmer a pan of salted boiling water, one which fits the bottom of a colander or strainer. Push the batter with a spatula through the holes of the colander, into the boiling water to make strands. (You’ll probably have to do a few batches). Once the strands/spaetzle rise to the top of the simmering water they’re cooked. Remove from the water to a strainer and let dry thoroughly. To serve, heat a heavy-bottomed saute’ pan with butter and toss in the spaetzle and get nice and crispy. Taste for seasoning.
Chocolate Mousse
1 3/4 c heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks
2 eggs
4 yolks
10 oz/300 g dark chocolate
1/2 c sugar
3 T water
Place eggs, yolks and sugar in mixing bowl with a wire whip and beat fluffy. place sugar and water in very clean sauce pan and add a pinch of salt, cook over high heat to 248F and drizzle onto whipping eggs. Let beat cold. Meanwhile, melt chocolate in a large mixing bowl over simmering water. When egg mixture is cool and fluffy, stop mixer. Add cream to chocolate, working quickly to mix in evenly. Add sabayon/egg mixture and gently fold in to keep maximum of air. If desired, add a splash of liqueur.
There are so many versions of this cake, and many places that claim to have invented it. This variation happens to be my personal favorite: the proportions are just right. I have to admit, I’m not a chocoholic. I’m a pastry chef who happens to prefer vanilla, or lemon, or fruit. It’s controversial. But I’ll eat chocolate, of course. It just has to be really good. And these cakes happen to be a snap to make, too (as long as you have some chocolate ganache on hand; or nutella, or peanut butter, or chunks of your favorite chocolate or a chocolate truffle, a spoon of jam…you can put whatever you like in the middle, really).
Lava Cake Oven 375F Approx 6-8 mins., put 1 t ganache in middle Makes 10 Butter 4 oz ramekins and line with sugar
Melt together: 150 g butter 195 g bittersweet chocolate
4 eggs 4 yolks
105 g. cake flour (or gluten free flour blend, I use Bob’s Red Mill 1-for1) 135 g powdered sugar Pinch salt
Add eggs and yolks to butter and chocolate mixture. Sift dry ingredients and fold in by hand. Scoop half of the mixture into prepared molds, place a teaspoon of ganache (or see above for other ideas), then scoop the rest of the mixture on top to cover the ganache and bake until middle looks a little shiny still, just barely baked. Turn out when cool enough and reheat 10-20 seconds in the microwave to serve.
Chocolate Ganache
Bring 1 cup cream to a boil. Pour over 1 1/2 c chopped dark chocolate. When chocolate is melted, whisk smooth, then add pinch of salt & 1-2 T of your favorite alcohol (rum, brandy, kahlua, Bailey’s) (optional). Ganache keeps in the fridge 2-3 weeks, or in the freezer.
For all the tips and tricks to make the most delicious Cod Brandade, check out this video from our Facebook Live cooking series.
I always describe this dish to customers as “French Macaroni and Cheese” which makes no sense at all. Brandade has no macaroni – or pasta of any shape – and no cheese in it. But to me this great, classic Provençal dish has everything that Macaroni & Cheese gives me: creamy, warm, starchy comfort. Franck demonstrates this recipe on Facebook live and it really is easy to make, and has endless variations: you can add olives, sundried tomatoes, pesto, melted leeks or zucchini, a different kind of fish (salmon would be great). The traditional Brandade is made with Salt Cod (Brandade de Morue). To avoid the strong taste that salt cod can sometimes have, we make it with fresh fish, which we salt for about 1/2 hr to draw out some of the moisture, and then rinse. You can serve this as an appetizer, with crostini to spread it on, or let it cool and shape it into little balls, bread it and fry it to make delicious fritters.
Fresh Cod Brandade
1 lb fresh cod
2 -3 T salt
1 lb russet potatoes
Approx 3 c Milk, whole clove garlic, branch each thyme,
rosemary
-Salt fish for 30 mins, then rinse and pat dry
-Boil potatoes in unsalted water until soft
-Bring milk, garlic & herbs to boil. Cook fish in milk.
-Drain, finish mashed potatoes with milk from the stove
From our Facebook Live video series: these are the lightest, most delicate Potato Gnocchi. We learned this technique from reading Paula Wolfert’s recipes. She recommends keeping the potatoes as dry as possible at all times, to keep the gnocchi from getting weighed down by liquid. So this recipe is really just a technique, and a guideline. Have fun playing with it and doing your own variations!
Potato Gnocchi
makes approx. 40 1 inch square gnocchi
Bake 1 lb. potatoes fully (prick with a fork multiple times to allow steam to escape during the cooking
1 cup all-purpose flour
salt and pepper to taste
(add chopped herbs to taste, chopped olives or sundried tomatoes)
Peel the potatoes while they’re still warm, and put through a ricer or food mill to get a fluffy mash. Add salt, pepper and flour and knead together to a soft dough. Roll a piece of dough out into a long rope, about 1 inch wide, and cut with a sharp knife into 1 inch long pieces. Boil a large pot of salted water. Place the gnocchi in the water and wait until they float to the top. Take out of the water with a slotted spoon and place on a tray to cool. They can be frozen at this point (freeze on the tray, then remove to a container or zip lock bag). When you want to serve, heat olive oil in sauté pan and cook the gnocchi until crisp and browned.
From our recent Facebook Live video series! Here’s how to make these delicious, melt-in-your-mouth cakes. Easily works with all-purpose flour or a gluten-free flour blend (we use Bob’s Red Mill 1-for-1). Feel free to substitute for another nut; we love them with ground pecans, pistachios, or walnuts, too! A great way to use up extra egg whites, and this large batch can be halved, or the extra batter can be frozen and baked when you’re in the mood.
Financiers
450 g powdered sugar
375 g egg whites (large egg whites weigh 25-30 g each)
150 g almond powder/flour
150 g flour (see note above)
5 g salt
288 g beurre noisette/browned butter
First, you must make the browned butter so it has time to cool. This recipe comes together best when the ingredients are all around room temperature. Place about 340 g butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to the boil. Keep an eye on the butter while it boils, then starts to brown. You need to use extra butter at this point because so much water will evaporate from the butter before it’s done; you will need to weigh 288 g for the recipe. If you have a bit left over, it’s delicious to use when you sauté fish or vegetables. Take the butter off of the heat when it’s golden and smells nutty (it can burn easily if you let it go too far, it will smell bitter and look black and is unusable at that point). Pass the liquid butter through a seive to strain out the butter solids that are browned on the bottom of the pan. Let cool then weigh what you need to proceed with the recipe.
Next, whisk together in a large mixing bowl the powdered sugar & egg whites. Add the flours & salt and whisk well. Then gradually add in the butter. The batter should rest in the fridge a few hours or overnight before baking.
Preheat oven to 400F. Grease your individual cake molds/mini muffin pans well. Fill molds 3/4 of the way, bake until golden brown and immediately take out of the molds when baked. Can soak the cakes in rum (or other alcohol) syrup: 1/2 c sugar, 1/2 c water, pinch salt – bring to boil. Off heat, add alcohol to taste.
By Rachel|Also posted in Desserts, Recipes|Comments Off on Financiers, French Almond Cakes
Recently we did a video on how to cook with ramps that you can find in the woods this time of year. Franck made Pickles & Pesto with ramp bases and leaves:
Ramp Pickles
Enough of the bases/stems/white part of ramp to fill a pint jar, well cleaned 4-6 times
1/2 c honey
1 c distilled vinegar
1 t peppercorns
1 t mustard seeds
1/2 t chili flakes
1/2 t fennel seeds
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 t salt
Bring honey to a boil until it froths up. Meanwhile, pack the ramp stems into a hot, sterilized pint jar. Add spices to honey and simmer 30 seconds. Add vinegar and remove from heat. Pour over stems and close the jar. Let rest in the fridge for 2-3 days before eating.
Ramp Coulis or Pesto
2 c green ramp leaves, well-washed and drained
1 t chopped garlic
2 t olive oil
salt, pepper
1/4 c additional olive oil
optional: 1/4 c parmesan cheese, 1/4 c pinenuts or almonds
Heat a large saute pan extremely hot. Quickly add 2 t olive oil, then the garlic. Simmer 10 seconds, then add ramps. Quickly wilt the ramps in the pan, don’t cook too much. Should take 30-60 seconds. Immediately transfer to a blender and liquify with additional olive oil. If you’d like to make a pesto, add the cheese and nuts. Season to taste with salt & pepper. If you’d like to keep it very green, transfer immediately to a bowl which is placed over a bowl of ice to cool quickly. Store in fridge 3-4 days or freezer 1 month.
