I taught a class last night that was inspired by southwestern France in it’s application of duck fat instead of butter. We made prune bergamot rissoles, beer braised pork with turnips, oranges and duck fat, warm quince cabbage salad and chocolate souffle with ginger creme anglaise. Jesse and Aubrey from Cacao joined us, and we all enjoyed their company–and the food!
-Kristen Murray, Teacher
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Warm Cabbage Salade with quince, radish and celery leaves
1 head green cabbage
½ head red cabbage
2 to 3 ripe quince
small bunch radishes
½ cup honey
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
3 Tbsp olive oil
5 large red celery leaves
Heat the honey in a low sauté pan till bubbling. Add peeled, cored and sliced quince. Deglaze with white wine or rose. Add to below:
Slice cabbage into bite size pieces, toss with julienned radish and celery leaf.
Dress with cider vinegar and olive oil, salt and white pepper to taste. Serve at room temperature.
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Chocolate Souffle with ginger crème anglaise
¾ quart milk
4 oz sugar
Bring to a boil.
1 # sugar
12 oz all purpose flour
2 oz cocoa powder
Sift, whisk, set aside.
12 yolks ( reserve whites)
2 cups milk
12 oz chocolate (your favorite between 65% and 72% cacao liquor)
Combine. Set aside. When sugar and milk come to a boil, mix yolks and milk with the dry ingredients. Temper this with the boiling liquid. We are making pastry cream. This is the classic soufflé base that I use in restaurants, as it will keep for 2 hours “holding” during dinner service. When our pastry cream is cooked I add the chopped chocolate and strain through a chiniose. Let cool slightly prior to folding in the egg whites that are whipped to medium firm peak.Whip whites from above with 2 Tbsp sugar, and fold into base. Bake 400 degree’s 6 to 8 minutes.
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Ginger crème anglaise
2 cups cream
1 cup milk
4 oz sugar
8 yolks
2 Tbsp ginger
Steep the ginger in the dairy. Divide the sugar into half, reserving 2 oz to temper with the yolks. Bring the dairy, sugar and ginger to a boil. Strain. Temper with the remaining sugar and yolks. Cook till nappe or until the custard coats the spoon. Strain and chill immediately.
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Pate Brisee a la Graisse de Canard comme en Aveyron
This is a simple recipe inspired by southwestern French cuisine, where duck fat is often used instead of butter.
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp orange flower water
3 Tbsp sugar
1 egg
4 Tbsp duck fat
1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
In a mixing bowl cream the salt, sugar, egg and duck fat. Add the flour and baking soda a little at a time. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes or until you have a homogeneous dough. Chill and let rest for one hour.
Filling:
10oz pitted prunes
1 tea bag
1 oz raisins
1 egg yolk for glazing
Slice the prunes and steep with the raisins in enough water to just cover. Add the tea to flavor.
Roll out the dough to 1/8 of an inch thick….cut out circles, spoon a tablespoon in the center, brush edges with egg wash and crimp to seal “turnover”. Brush the outside two times with egg wash and bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.
This golden turnover filled with fragrant prunes is a delicious treat for leaf fallen days to warm the belly and feed the spirit. Enjoy.
BON APPETIT!
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