Josh joined me for this month's French cooking demonstration!
When we first arrived they brought roasted chestnuts to all the tables which neither Josh nor I had ever eaten. They were delish!
There were about three times the amount of people as there were at the last demonstration, I guess people are catching on to the awesomennes of this idea! But since there were so many people we were split up into several groups and saw each course of the meal prepared at stations. Josh and I were a little wary of this idea at first but it worked out really well!
After we went through all the stations and were famished from smelling all the wonderful food cooking we were welcomed back to our table with warm bread and butter followed by the soup, lamb chops and decadent dessert!!
I think we WILL be doing this again. =)
(I worked hard to try and find a "french outfit" in my wardrobe. hehe)
Soupe Aux Champignons (Cream of forest mushroom and black truffle soup)
Ingredients:
-1 lb fresh mushrooms (of your choice)
-1 oz butter, unsalted
-4 oz dried mushrooms, rehydrated (mix)
-1 oz truffles
-1 onion, chopped
-3 ribs of celery
-3 carrots, chopped
-2 medium potatoes (your choice)
-2 cloves garlic
-Herbs of choice, to taste
-Slat and pepper to taste
-1 pint of heavy cream
-Wine stock or water to cover
Instructions:
-Saute chopped veggies, mushrooms and garlic in butter
-Deglace with dried mushrooms and liquid
-Add herbs and seasoning
-Cover with stock, water or wine or combo
-Simmer until veggies are tender, about one hour
-Puree and serve
(can add chicken or other meet if like)
Cote dAgneau aux Fruits (Grilled lamb chops over herbed spaetzle sided by a svaory fall compote)
Spaetzle Dough
Ingredients:
-4 eggs
-6 oz milk
-Salt, pepper to taste
-Ground nutmeg to taste
-12 oz flour
-Butter
Directions:
-Combine the eggs, milk and seasoning in a large bowl and mix well
-Work in the flour by hand
-Let the dough rest for 10 minutes
-Using a spaetzle machine or other shaping technique, drop the dough into a large pot of boiling, salted water and simmer until done
-Remove the spaetzle with a spider and shock in cold water; drain well
-Season the spaetzle in whole butter, season to taste with salt and pepper, then serve
Fall Fruit Compote
Ingredients:
-1 oz butter, unslated
-1 apple
-1 pear
-4 oz dried fruit (your choice)
-2 oz brown sugar
-Cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste
-Wine/vinegar to cover
Directions:
-Process apple and pear as desired
-Saute in butter
-Add seasonings
-Add dried fruit
-Cover with vinegar/wine and let reduce to half
Chocolat a la Menthe
Chocolate Mousse
Ingredients:
-1/2 cup butter, unsalted
-1 cup chocolate, semi sweet
-1/2 cup sugar
-4 oz egg yolks, pasteurized
-6 oz egg whites, pasteurized
-1-1/2 cup whipped cream
Directions;
-In a double boiler melt the chocolate and the butter until smooth
-Crack and separate the eggs in a mixing bowl
-In a mixing bowl, whip the yolk with half of the sugar.
-Do the same preparation with the egg whites and cream
-Assemble the mousse in the listed order
-Mix the chocolate and butter with the egg yolks
-Add the whipped egg whites
-Add the whipped cream
-You need to reserve the chocolate mousse in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours (to allow to set).
Chocolate a la Menthe
Ingredients:
-Chocolate sponge base
-Chocolate mousse
-8 oz mint liquor
-8 oz simple sugar
-16 oz ganache
Directions:
- Slice sponge base into three pieces
-saturate with mint liquor and simple syrup
-Layer with mousse
-Cover in ganache
-Garnish with fresh mint
Chocolate mousse recipe on the 02.28.10CC
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