Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Recipes and Wines



Country pate/pate de campagne with cornichon on French baguette
Ingredients from Fairway market

Cremant de limoux Rose Click here to buy

Fondue savoyarde :


What you need :
About ½ lb of cheese as follows:
Comte (40%) , Beaufort (40%), Appenzeller (20%).
1 clove garlic
Nutmeg
White pepper
1/3 cup Kirsh (Kirshwasser – the real stuff – not sweet kirsh) - Dry  and Mineral white wine – In Savoie, they use Apremont or Roussette.
Baguette Bread


Preparation:
Cut the baguette into squares and let dry for couple of hours .Rub the inside of the fondue pot with garlic
Fill with Cheese cut into cubes. Add Kirsh.Add enough White wine to almost cover the cheese.Heat on low (start on stove) and stir continuously. Add a pinch of nutmeg and white pepper.When the cheese is melted (not too thick, not too sticky) and a few bubbles appear, transfer to the burner at the table.Serve with a green salad and a platter of cured meats,cornichons and small pickled onions.You can also dip green apples as a variation.When the cheese is nearly finished and starts to brown, add an egg yolk, stir quickly and dip your last piece of bread. Heavenly..

This recipe was handed down to Alex from the mother of Jean-Claude Killy in the famed French Alps ski resort of Val d’Isere.

Mousse au Chocolat :

There are many ways to make Mousse au Chocolat but this is the simplest and my favorite.

What you need:
A pound of good dark chocolate  with at least 72 % cacao –  I use the Belgian dark chocolate from Trader Joe’s by the pound.
10 Organic Farm Eggs
½ cup strong espresso
1 large spoon of crème fraiche (optional)


Preparation:
Cut the chocolate into pieces, melt very slowly with a drop of water or ideally in a double broiler.
Separate the yolks from the white of the eggs.Beat the whites until the y become very firm.Pour the melted chocolate in a large bowl.Add the yolks, the espresso and the crème fraiche and mix with a fork until you get a smooth paste.Add the egg whites and slowly integrate in folds to the chocolate with a spatula so the whites don’t break down.Refrigerate overnight (at least 6 hours) and serve with Raspberries (my favorite).

Port Quinta do Infantado : Click here to buy