Recipe Roud-up

A few things I want to try to cook/photograph:
Ratatouille
chicken and dumplings with fresh dill (photo)
freedom pochettes (photo)
shrimp and peanut sauce
zuppa toscana
hamentaschen
croissants
strawberry summer cake
spaetzle
meatballs
french onion soup
Beef bourguignon
White Chocolate and Raspberry Paris-Brest

White Chocolate and Raspberry Paris-Brest
For 10 – 12 gorgeous little pastries you will need…
Pastry Cream (crème pâtissière)

300mls fresh milk
50g caster sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
a pinch of salt
15g plain flour
15g cornflour
4 egg yolks
50g good quality white chocolate, chopped

1. Heat the milk in a medium saucepan until simmering.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks together with the vanilla extract and sugar until thick and paler in colour. Add in the salt, plain flour and cornflour and whisk until incorporated.
3. Slowly add the simmering milk to the egg yolk mixture, whisking all the time (never add cold eggs to hot liquid unless you want scrambled eggs). Mix well and return the liquid to the saucepan. Continue to whisk over a low heat until the liquid has become a thick custard. This will take about 3 or 4 minutes. Make sure not to boil the custard or it will become grainy and may scramble. The custard is thick enough when it coats the back of a wooden spoon and a finger pulled though this coating leaves a clean trail.
4. Add in the white chocolate and stir until it has melted into the custard.
5. Transfer to a bowl and cover with clingfilm, making sure the clingfilm makes contact with the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Chill until ready to use. This can be prepared ahead and will keep in the refrigerator for several days.

Choux Pastries

150mls water
50g butter
70g strong white flour/plain flour
A pinch of fine salt
2 eggs beaten
25g flaked almonds
You will also need a punnet of fresh raspberries
Pre-heat the oven to 200°C (fan oven) at step 8

1. Heat the water and butter together in a medium saucepan until the butter has melted and the liquid is simmering
2. Carefully tip the flour and salt into the liquid in one go. Stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together in a soft ball of paste and no dry flour remains. Spread the ball of paste over the bottom of the saucepan and leave to cool to room temperature.
3. When the paste has cooled, add in the beaten egg a little at a time, whisking well between additions. An electric whisk is best for this job. You want a smooth glossy soft paste that will hold its shape so check the mixture as you go along as you may not need to add all the egg.
4. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag and pipe circles of the mixture (approximately 8cm/3 inches in diameter) onto a lightly buttered baking tray, leaving 5cm/2 inches between circles. Scatter the tops of the circles with almond flakes and transfer to the oven. Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until evenly golden brown. Remove from the oven and poke 2 horizontal slits in the side of each pastry to release some steam. Return to the oven for a further 2 minutes before removing to cool on a wire rack.
5. Assemble the little pastries just before serving: slice them in half horizontally. Beat the cooled pastry cream until smooth. For a really decadent touch, I sometimes stir a tablespoon of mandarin brandy into the pastry cream at this stage. Pipe onto the lower half of the pastry wheel and add fresh raspberries. Replace the top and dust with icing sugar.






Poached Scallops cut into 1/3 and served with greens (taken from food and wine mag)


Anthony Bourdain's Boeuf Bourguignon
The Washington Post, December 22, 2004

* Cuisine: French
* Course: Main Course, Soup

Summary:

"This dish is much better the second day. Just cool the stew down in an ice bath, or on your countertop (the Health Department is unlikely to raid your kitchen). Refrigerate overnight. When time, heat and serve. Goes well with a few boiled potatoes. But goes really well with a bottle of Cote de Nuit Villages Pommard."

6 servings
Ingredients:

* 2 pounds beef shoulder or neck, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 4 onions, thinly sliced
* 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 1 cup red Burgundy
* 6 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
* 1 clove garlic
* 1 bouquet garni (a tied bundle of herbs, usually thyme, bay and parsley)
* A little chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

Stage One: Season the meat with salt and pepper. In a Dutch oven, heat the oil over high heat until it is almost smoking. Add the meat in batches -- NOT ALL AT ONCE! -- and sear on all sides until it is well browned (not gray). You dump too much meat in the pot at the same time and you'll overcrowd it; cool the thing down and you won't get good color. Sear the meat a little at a time, removing it and setting it aside as it finishes. When all the meat is a nice, dark brown color and has been set aside, add the onions to the pot. Lower the heat to medium high until the onions are soft and golden brown (about 10 minutes). Sprinkle the flour over them. Continue to cook for about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the red wine. Naturally, you want to scrape up all that really good fond from the bottom of the pot with your wooden spoon. Bring the wine to a boil.

Stage Two: Return the meat to the pot and add the carrots, garlic and bouquet garni. Add just enough water (and two big spoons of demi-glace, if you have it) so that the liquid covers the meat by one-third -- meaning you want a ratio of 3 parts liquid to 2 parts meat. This is a stew, so you want plenty of liquid even after it cooks down and reduces. Bring to a boil, reduce to a gentle simmer, and let cook for about 2 hours, or until the meat is tender (break-apart-with-a-fork tender).

You should pay attention to the dish, meaning to check it every 15 to 20 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot to make sure the meat is not sticking or, God forbid, scorching. You should also skim off any foam or scum or oil collecting on the surface, using a large spoon or ladle. When done, remove and discard the bouquet garni, add the chopped parsley to the pot, and serve.

Zuppa Toscana
Ingredients:
* 1 lb Italian sausage (I like mild sausage)
* 2 large russet baking potatoes, sliced in half,and then in 1/4 inch slices
* 1 large onion, chopped
* 1/2 can oscar meyer bacon bit
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 cups kale or 2 cups swiss chard, chopped
* 2 cans chicken broth
* 1 quart water
* 1 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:
1. 1 Cook sausage in a 300°F oven for approximately 30 minutes.
2. 2 Drain sausages on paper towels and cut into slices.
3. 3 Place onions, potatoes, chicken broth, water, garlic in pot, and cook on medium heat until potatoes are done.
4. 4 Add sausage and bacon.
5. 5 Salt and pepper to taste.
6. 6 Simmer for another 10 minutes.
7. 7 Turn to low heat.
8. 8 Add kale and cream.
9. 9 Heat through and serve.