One Menu, Three Hours

One Menu, Three Hours    
Brazosport College Community Education culinary classes Location: Brazosport Main Campus 02/28/12 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm    Instructor: Debbie Warren  


The Menu
Carrot Soup with Croutons
Cornish Hens with Rosemary Butter and Orange Glaze
Rice Pilaf
Caramel Mousse Napoleon with Caramel Sauce


coffee and tea

Caramel Mousse Napoleons with Caramel Sauce

from Debbie Warren's cooking class:

Pastry Layers
2 frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed
2 T. unsalted butter, melted
6 t. sugar


Caramel sauce and mousse
3 T. plus 3/4 cup water
1 envelope unflavored gelatin


2 3/4 cups sugar
2 T. light corn syrup
1 3/4 cups whipping cream, room temperature
1/2 cup unsalted butter


1 1/2 cups chilled whipping cream


Powdered sugar for decoration

Make pastry layers:

Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 400°F. Roll out 1 pastry sheet on lightly floured surface to 13x11-inch rectangle. Trim sheet and cut into four even pieces. Pierce square all over with fork; transfer to 1 ungreased baking sheet. Repeat with remaining pastry sheet, transferring to another ungreased baking sheet. Brush rectangles with melted butter; sprinkle each with 1 teaspoons sugar.

Bake pastries 8 minutes. Reverse position of baking sheets and bake until pastries are golden, about 8 minutes longer. Cool pastries on sheets

.

Make caramel sauce and mousse:

Pour 3 tablespoons water into ramekin. Sprinkle with gelatin; let soften while preparing caramel sauce.

Combine sugar, corn syrup and 3/4 cup water in heavy large saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves, frequently brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush. Increase heat; boil without stirring until syrup turns golden, Swirl pan occasionally, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Add 1 3/4 cups cream and butter (caramel will bubble up vigorously). Return to low heat; stir until any bits of caramel dissolve.

Pour 1 1/2 cups caramel sauce into glass measuring cup; set aside pan of caramel sauce. Place ramekin with gelatin mixture in microwave for 5 seconds at 1/2 power. Stir gelatin until mixture is clear. Mix gelatin into measured 1 1/2 cups hot caramel; cool just to room temperature, stirring occasionally.

Beat chilled whipping cream in large bowl to medium-firm peaks. Gradually pour cooled caramel-gelatin mixture over cream, gently folding together. Chill mousse 15 minutes.

Arrange 6 pastry squares on a large clean baking sheets; drizzle each with 2 tablespoons caramel from pan. Spread 1/2 cup mousse evenly over each square. Chill until mousse begins to set, about 1 hour. Reserve plain pastry square.

Place 1 pastry layer with mousse on small baking sheet or board. Top with second layer, third layer, then plain pastry, aligning layers. Press assembled pastry lightly so that layers will adhere. Repeat with last 4 squares. 

Cover and chill thoroughly. Cover and chill remaining caramel sauce in pan.

Using serrated knife, cut each pastry crosswise into 6 pieces. Dust napoleons with powdered sugar. Transfer to plates. Rewarm sauce over low heat just until pourable; drizzle sauce onto each plate. 

Caramel Mousse Napoleon with Caramel Sauce and Berries

Bon Appétit  | September 2000

by Nicole Coady

Finale, Boston, MA

Debbie Warren's Croutons

6 slices french bread, homemade or from deli
2 T butter, melted


Cut each bread slice into four pieces and place on cookie sheet. Brush with butter. Turn over and brush again. Bake at 400 degrees F. For 10 minutes.  turn over and bake another 10 minutes. Place in basket to serve.

Debbie Warren's Carrot Soup

Carrot Soup

2 T. butter
1 1/3 lbs. carrots
1 med onion, sliced
2 med. potatoes, peeled and sliced
1 bay leaf
2 cans chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
parsley, chopped for garnish 


Procedure:


Place all ingredients in large saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover and cook about 45 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Place vegetables in food processor or blended with slotted spoon and process until smooth. Return to pan and stir in broth.

To serve, ladle into individual bowls and garnish with parsley. Serve with croutons.

Debbie Warren's Rice Pilaf

1 T. butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup long grain rice
1 3/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
salt and pepper to taste.


Melt butter in saucepan and saute onions.  Add rice and stir into butter and onions.  Add broth, thyme, salt and pepper and bring to boil. Reduce head and simmer covered for 20 minutes.

Debbie Warren's Cornish Hens with Rosemary Butter and Orange Glaze

3 1 lb. Cornish game hens
6 T. butter, softened
1 T. rosemary, finely chopped
salt and pepper
3 T. orange marmalade
1 rice pilaf recipe
orange slices and rosemary sprigs to garnish




Procedure:


Hens should be thoroughly thawed.  Loosen skin from meat. Mix butter and rosemary and spread 1/4 of mixture under skin and on outside of each hen. Season with salt and pepper. Tie legs together with string. Place on rack of roaster and cover bottom of pan with water.  Bake in 350 degree oven. After about an hour glaze hens with orange marmalade. Continue roasting for another 1/2 to 1 hours or until juices run clear when pierced with a fork. 


Cut hens in half and arrange on outside of platter. Spoon rice on inside of platter and garnish around hens with rosemary and orange slices. 

Dark Chocolate Truffles

Dark Chocolate Truffles

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Ingredients

• 300ml double cream

• 1 T. unsalted butter

• finely grated zest from 1 orange

• 300g good-quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), broken into small pieces

• a pinch salt

• a splash of brandy

• a handful of mixed nuts (pecans, toasted almonds, pistachios and hazelnuts)

• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder, to serve

• 1 pack biscotti, to serve

•

Put the cream in a pan over a medium heat and let it heat up (not boiling). As soon as tiny bubbles start to appear, add the butter (and the orange zest if desired). Once the butter has melted, pour this hot mixture over the chocolate pieces, whisking as you go, so the chocolate melts slowly. If the mixture splits slightly, don’t worry, you can bring it right by adding a few drops of boiling water.

Add a pinch of salt to the mixture! Stir in a splash of brandy if desired.

When completely melted and smooth, pour your melted chocolate mixture into the refrigerator for about 2 hours to set. About 30 minutes before you’re ready to make your truffles, take chocolate out of the refrigerator and let the chocolate warm up to room temperature.

Put your mixed nuts into a plastic bag and use a rolling pin to break them up finely. Spread the nuts and cocoa powder onto sheets of waxed paper. Put several teaspoons in a cup filled with boiled water for scooping the chocolate. Dip rounded teaspoons of chocolate in the cocoa or nuts and place on wax paper.
makes about 50 teaspoon-sized truffles

from Jamie Oliver - says it is healthy

Tomato Fennel Soup

PREP TIME 15 Min

TOTAL TIME 40 Min

SERVINGS 6

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 medium bulbs fresh fennel, chopped (3 cups)

1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

28 oz  peeled tomatoes, undrained  - (I used fresh tomatoes that I had cooked before freezing)

1 3/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 T finely chopped Italian parsley

2 T. finely chopped basil

1/4 teaspoon salt

Several grinds of black pepper

In 4-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Cook fennel, onion and garlic in oil about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender. Stir in tomatoes, broth, salt and pepper, breaking up tomatoes with spoon. Heat to boiling.

Reduce heat. Cover; simmer 20 to 25 minutes or until vegetables are soft.

If you prefer a smooth soup, process in a blender or food  processor.

originally from Betty Crocker

Sameer's Patore

Ingredient:.
1 1/4 cup (250 gm) Chick pea flour
½ t. cumin seeds
½ chopped onion
5 cloves garlic, mashed into a paste
2 cups water
3 T. oil

Mix together the chick pea flour, cumin seeds, onion and garlic paste Add water and mix well. . Bring to a boil. Add: ½ t chili pepper Salt to taste

Heat the oil in a wok Gradually pour the above mixture into the wok Cook till the mixture leaves the sides of the wok. Spread the mixture uniformly in a greased tray. . Let it set for 1-2 hours. . Cut with a knife into 1” cubes or diamond shapes.

Sauce:
3 T. oil
½ t cumin seeds

1 onion, chopped

Roast cumin seeds in oil for a few seconds. Add chopped onion and sauté until golden and translucent.





Paste:
1 t. red chili powder
½ t coriander
¼ t salt
½ t turmeric
3 t. garlic, mashed to a paste.
1 ½ T yogurt
Add paste to sauté pan.

3 T. Cilantro for garnish

Drop in chick pea flour cubes