Saturday, October 10, 2009
French Scrambled Eggs / Oeufs Brouilles
The above is an exert (from Julia Child's, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking") taken from the book Julie & Julia (by Julie Powell). As you can see, the French have an interesting relationship with eggs.. My sister visited Paris, France a few years back and came back complaining about the fact that eggs were put practically ever dish they ordered in Paris (my sister is not a fan of the "Egg").. I find it interesting that the French have found so many culinary uses for eggs (when you have a moment, look up all the variations of poached eggs, keyword "Oeufs"). Even scrambled eggs find a place in "Mastering the Art of French Cooking." This morning, I tried scrambled Eggs, ah la French Style... Be careful as to not heat up your pan to high to begin with.. Everyone I know adds milk/cream to the eggs before they are cooked, but not Julia Child! My husband described the eggs as delicate, fluffy and very tasty (this works for me ;).... They were different from the scrambled eggs I usually make, but I enjoyed the process much more.. The French Scrambled egg is more of an art form, the process makes you feel like you've actually created something worthy of the term culinary art..
Scrambled eggs in French are creamy soft curds that just hold their shape from fork to mouth. As stated in Mastering the Art of French Cooking, "Their preparation is a matter of stirring the eggs over gentle heat until they slowly thicken as a mass into a custard."
What you will need:
Fork or wire whip
Mixing bowl
Eggs
pinch of salt & pepper
2 Tb softened butter
Frying pan (the heavier the better)
Spatula
Cream and/or butter
Parsley sprigs (optional)
Now Julia suggests 8 eggs or 7 eggs and 2 yolks.. I'm only cooking for my husband and I, so I have to shorten the ingredients..
Beat the eggs in the bowl with salt & pepper for 20 to 30 seconds only
Smear the bottom and sides of pan with butter (this is not low calorie, the French eat for taste...)
Pour in the eggs and set over moderately low heat. Stir slowly and continually. Nothing will seem to happen for 2 to 3 minutes as the eggs slowly heat up.
When you notice the eggs begin to thicken, begin to stir rapidly and jerk the pan back and forth above the heat (see top of this page for helpful hint). Heat until the eggs have thickened to the consistency you desire and remove from heat. The eggs will continue to thicken slightly.
As soon as you see the eggs are at the consistency you like, stir in the butter and/or cream (this enhances the flavor as well as stops the cooking). I made the mistake of adding the cream when the pan was still on the burner, but they still turned out very good.
Sprinkle with parsley if you so desire and enjoy!
*Note
I like to add cheese (feta), spinach, and sometimes olives in my egg dishes, but I find that in the French style eggs, the cheese works, but not the olives.. Good luck & share your thoughts!!
Breaded Chicken Roll Ups
STRIP STEAKS WITH BALSAMIC CREAM SAUCE
Pavlova Dessert
My husband and I were invited to a Hanukkah party where we were introduced to some wonderfully unique and tasty dishes. The room was full of warm and friendly people and the hostess offered up a great meal and atmosphere. Duck and fish were the two main courses, served with some very creative and unique side dishes with an Asian flair!
The dessert was what really made the day for me. The hostess was a beautiful and charming gal from New Zealand and she made a traditional New Zealand (or Kiwi) dessert called Pavlova. I highly recommend bringing this dish to a holiday gathering and impressing your friends and family.. The recipe does not call for many ingredients and the method is reads fairly simple. I'm going to attempt to make it for family in the coming weeks (I may have to attempt it a couple of times because though there is a chance it wont turn out the first time, even though the recipe seems pretty simple).
I know it will take practice to get the dessert to turn out as amazing as my friends did, but I'm up for the challenge. If you want to impress friends and family with a sweet and stunning dessert, I highly recommend making a Pavlova cake. We enjoyed this cake served with whipped cream and chocolate mousse (creamy and sweet), but it is traditionally served with fresh fruit and whipped cream. Enjoy!
Pavlova Recipe & Method
Ingredients for Cake: 4 large (120 grams) egg whites 1 cup (200 grams) superfine or castor sugar 1 teaspoon white vinegar 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch (corn flour) Topping: 1 cup (240 ml) heavy whippingcream 1 1/2 tablespoons (20 grams) granulated white sugar 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Fresh fruit - kiwi, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, passion fruit, peaches, pineapple, or other fruit of your choice. Also can be served with chocolate chips and whipped cream. METHOD: Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (130 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and draw a 7 inch (18 cm) circle on the paper. In the bowl of your electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until they hold soft peaks. Start adding the sugar, a tablespoon at a time, and continue to beat until the meringue holds very stiff peaks. (Test to see if the sugar is fully dissolved by rubbing a little of the meringue between your thumb and index finger. The meringue should feel smooth, not gritty. If it feels gritty the sugar has not fully dissolved so keep beating until it feels smooth between your fingers). Sprinkle the vinegar and cornstarch over the top of the meringue and, with a rubber spatula, fold in. Gently spread the meringue inside the circle drawn on the parchment paper, smoothing the edges. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes or until the outside is dry and takes on a very pale cream color. Turn the oven off, leave the door slightly ajar, and let the meringue cool completely in the oven. (The outside of the meringue will feel firm to the touch, if gently pressed, but as it cools you will get a little cracking and you will see that the inside is soft and marshmallowy.) The cooled meringue can be made and stored in a cool dry place, in an airtight container, for a few days. Just before serving gently place the meringue onto a serving plate. Whip the cream in your electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, until soft peaks form. Sweeten with the sugar and vanilla and then mound the softly whipped cream into the center of the meringue. Arrange the fruit randomly, or in a decorative pattern, on top of the cream. Serve immediately as this dessert does not hold for more than a few hours. Serves 6 to 8. |
Hot cocoa for the winter soul.....
A Cocoa Fact: Cocoa dates back to the Aztecs. To the Aztec's, the cocoa beans were valuable not only for their culinary importance, but also used as a form of currency.
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