Tag Archives: Cooking

August 28, 2010 · 5:52 pm

Banana Walnut French Toast

Banana Walnut French Toast at Cafe du Soleil - Photo by Philippe Touitou

Here’s a good breakfast or brunch recipe for the upcoming Labor Day weekend. At Cafe du Soleil we serve this on our fall and winter brunch menu so watch for it in the next few months.

This dish is based on the classic dessert Bananas “Foster” – the only difference being that I omit the vanilla ice cream that’s usually served with it. If you’re feeling decadent, however, go ahead and use it, or pipe on some whipped cream!

Either way you’ll find it to be an easy and delicious way to impress your family or brunch guests.

Enjoy!

Ingredients to serve 4

  • 4 slices of brioche or challah bread (about 2″ thick, cut in 1/2 diagonally)
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup milk, preferably whole
  • 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon orange-flavored liqueur (optional)
  • pinch sea salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Bananas and Sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar (preferably dark)
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
  • 1 tablespoon banana liqueur (optional)
  • 2 just ripe bananas, sliced into 1-2″ slices
  • 1/2 cup walnut halves, shelled
  • 1/4 cup dark rum
  • 1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
  • optional garnishes – powdered sugar, berries, fresh mint sprigs

Directions

Preheat oven to 200F.

Whisk the eggs, milk, vanilla, orange liqueur, salt, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl until combined. Pour into a baking dish and soak bread slices for about 2 minutes per side. It’s helpful to press lightly on the bread to help it absorb the egg mixture. If you feel like the bread is getting too soggy remove it from bowl sooner.

Heat a non stick griddle or 10″ saute pan or heavy skillet over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Spray with cooking spray to coat lightly. Add bread slices and brown gently about 5 minutes per side, plus a few minutes standing on end to brown the edges. Place on a cookie sheet and keep warm in the oven while you prepare the sauce.

Wipe skillet clean, then add butter to melt over low heat. Add brown sugar and nutmeg and stir until sugar dissolves. Add banana liqueur (if using) and bring sauce to simmer. Add bananas and walnuts and cook for about 2 minutes, carefully spooning sauce over bananas as they are cooking. Remove bananas from pan to a bowl. Bring sauce to a simmer and carefully add the rum. If the sauce is very hot, the alcohol will flame on its own. Allow flame to subside, then add orange zest and remove from heat (keep warm if not using immediately).

To assemble:

Place 2 pieces French Toast on each plate, divide bananas evenly over bread and spoon sauce over it all. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired and garnish with berries and mint.

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July 6, 2010 · 9:59 pm

Profiteroles aux Deux Chocolats – Profiteroles with White and Dark Chocolate Sauces

Profiteroles at Cafe du Soleil - Photo by Philippe Touitou

Profiteroles are one of the most popular desserts at Cafe du Soleil, especially during the hot summer months. They have the elements of any great ice cream dish – ice cream, whipped cream and chocolate sauce. The French add a nice crisp “pate a choux” (which literally translates to “cabbage pastry” , based on the shape of the cooked product). It’s an easy dough to make at home once you get the hang of it. There really are few pitfalls so please try it with confidence. Even though the recipe may look complicated – it’s not. At Cafe du Soleil we serve them with two sauces – white and dark chocolate, but you can just as easily serve it with one.

After seeing the beautiful photo above done by Philippe Touitou I dare you not to try this recipe!!

Profiteroles aux Deux Chocolats

Serves 6 – Pastry recipe makes about 12 large “Choux Puffs” so you will have an extra 6 for another round of profiteroles, or fill with whipped cream and dust with powdered sugar for cream puffs! They freeze well but you should “recrisp” them in oven after defrosting.

Pastry:

1/2 cup water

2 ozs butter, unsalted

pinch salt

1/2 cup (about 2 1/2 ozs) all purpose flour

2 large eggs

Profiteroles:

6 large scoops of your favorite vanilla ice cream

2 cups whipped cream

strawberries, powdered sugar, and mint for garnish

Chocolate Sauces:

Dark:

4 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate,  finely chopped (better quality chocolate = better sauce)

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup light corn syrup

White:

4 ounces white chocolate

1/2 cup heavy cream

Method:

Choux pastry:

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set up a heavy-duty mixer with the paddle attachment.

Combine the water, butter, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, add the flour all at once, and stir rapidly with a stiff heatproof spatula or wooden spoon until the dough pulls away from the sides of the pan and the bottom of the pan is clean, with no dough sticking to it.

Enough moisture must evaporate from the dough to allow it to absorb more fat when the eggs are added. Continue to stir for about 2-3 minutes, adjusting the heat as necessary to prevent the dough from coloring. A thin coating will form on the bottom and sides of the pan. When enough moisture has evaporated, steam will rise from the dough and there will be the nutty aroma of cooked flour.

Transfer the dough to the mixer bowl and mix for a minute to release some of the heat from the dough. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each egg is completely incorporated before adding the next one; scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Place the dough in a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip. Pipe 12 disks about 2 1/2 inches across and about 1/2 inch thick on the baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch between them, as they will expand when baked. You may need an additional baking sheet in order not to crowd them too much.

Bake the puffs for 10 minutes, turn the sheet around, turn the oven down to 350°F, and bake 15 minutes more. Remove one puff and break it open: It should be hollow inside and not gooey or eggy; if it is still moist, return it to the oven and check in 5 minutes. Cool the puffs completely on the baking sheet. Store in an airtight container until serving time.

Chocolate Sauces:

Technique is the same for both sauces (minus the corn syrup in the white chocolate sauce) -

Place the chocolate in a metal bowl.

Combine the cream and corn syrup in a small  saucepan and bring to a simmer. Pour the liquid over the chocolate and allow it to sit for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the chocolate has melted. Whisk to combine. Allow the sauce to cool slightly, then pour into a bowl or other container.

To serve:
Preheat the oven to 300°F.

Warm the chocolate sauces in a double boiler or a microwave. Split each profiterole in half,  and warm on a baking sheet in the oven until crisp.

Place bottom half of each puff on serving plate. Place a large scoop of ice cream in the bottom half of each profiterole and top with the lid. Spoon the sauces over and decorate each plate with a generous amount of whipped cream, a few strawberries, powdered sugar, and mint.

Now tell me what could be bad about that?!!!

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September 12, 2009 · 6:21 pm

Endive Salad with Roquefort and Walnuts

Endive Roquefort Salad - Photo by Philippe Touitou

Endive Roquefort Salad - Photo by Philippe Touitou

 

Here’s an easy and appealing  salad for the cooler weather. This is a salad that works well with many different combinations of ingredients. You can substitute Chevre if you prefer, or a different kind of cheese. You could also add some dried cranberries or some apples (or both) to give some extra color and flavor. And you could use a different kind of nut (I like pecans or pistachios).

Unlike many salads this one goes well with a glass of red or white wine due to the roquefort cheese.

I’m not bothering to give you a traditional recipe here since this is a pretty simple dish. I’ll give you an easy Dijon Vinaigrette recipe (following a traditional 3 parts oil: 1 part vinegar ratio). I’ll throw in a couple pointers on putting the salad together, then you’re on your own so have fun making some interesting combinations!!

Dijon Vinaigrette:

Makes 2 1/4 cups

 

4 Tbsp Dijon Mustard

1/4 cup Red Wine Vinegar (preferably imported)

1/4 cup Sherry Vinegar

1 cup Vegetable Oil (replace 1/4 cup veg. oil with walnut oil if desired)

1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste

Water as needed to thin

 

Method – In a blender combine mustard and vinegars. Drizzle in oils until blended. Season with salt and pepper, add water to thin if needed. Refrigerate until ready to use.

 

For assembling the salad:

Cut your endive into julienne strips or crosswise as desired. Toss with a squeeze of lemon juice to prevent discoloring. Add vinaigrette (not too much) and cheese. Toss well and garnish with walnuts.

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May 31, 2009 · 10:52 am

5 Steps to a “Perfect” Roast Chicken

"Perfect" Roast Chicken at Cafe du Soleil, photo by Philippe Touitou

"Perfect" Roast Chicken at Cafe du Soleil, photo by Philippe Touitou

You may have heard some Chefs say that in order to judge a prospective cook’s abilities they ask them to prepare a simple roast chicken. While I have never seen this done in an actual professional kitchen, there is something to be said for stripping away the bells and whistles that some chef’s rely on. Respect for proper techniques and the sophistication of knowing that great products should not be overwhelmed would certainly be qualities I would appreciate in any cook.

I rarely use the word perfect for anything. Occasionaly, though, I like to step out on a limb for a particular subject, and proclaim that I know what perfection is and that I know how to achieve it. In the case of roast chicken, I first encountered perfection when I began working with David Leiderman to reopen Chez Louis Bistro in midtown Manhattan. David’s roast chicken epiphany came when he first visited L’Ami Louis in Paris. There, they roast the finest Bresse chickens to juicy crispiness in a high-heat wood-burning oven. They serve them with a garlic potato cake, and when you hear David describe it you want to hop the next flight to Paris to indulge.

David developed some steps to reproduce the L’Ami Louis roast chicken back here in the US which I will share with you here. Taken separately they are quite common culinary techniques. Combined together they produce a “perfect” roast chicken!!!!

Perfect Roast Chicken:

Note: Since Bresse chickens are hard to find in the US (and extremely expensive if you do find them), I use Murray’s brand Free Range Chickens. I prefer the 3 1/2 # size.

1) BRINE – Brine chickens for about one hour in a solution of 1 cup Kosher salt per gallon of water. Remove and pat dry.

2) MARINATE – Prepare a marinade of chopped fresh tarragon, thyme, and rosemary, chopped garlic, and enough vegetable oil just to make a spreadable mixture. Spread marinade on inside and outside of chicken and marinate for a few hours or preferably overnight.

3) SMOKE – This step is optional and is an attempt to recreate the slight wood flavor that a wood-burning oven would impart to a roast chicken. Cover the bottom of a heavy roasting pan with wood chips (apple is best), and place on top of a medium flame  until the chips begin to smoke (you need a well ventilated kitchen, or you can bring it outside after removing from the heat). Turn off burner, place a wire rack over chips, and place chicken on rack. Cover with an inverted roasting pan of the same size, or with aluminum foil. Let smoke for about 10 minutes. You can do this step and then refrigerate chicken again until ready to use.

4) SEAR – Pat chicken skin until dry. Heat a heavy roasting pan on a high flame until very hot. Add a few drops vegetable oil, then sear chicken on all sides until nicely browned. Alternately if you have a gas or charcoal grill at hand you can sear the chicken on that until lightly charred.

 5) ROAST – This should be done on the highest setting of your oven. For most ovens this is 550F. Yes, the chicken will splatter the oven a bit, but this is the way to get a nice crisp skin. The chicken does not need additional seasoning before roasting. Place chicken in your roasting pan, and set on medium shelf of oven. You may need to cover the tips of the legs with aluminum foil to prevent them from burning. Roast the chicken for about 30 minutes. Test doneness by inserting a metal thermometer into the spot where the leg joins the body. When the thermometer reads 150F remove chicken from oven and “carryover” cooking should bring it to 160F. You should let the chicken “rest” for 10 – 30 minutes before carving. Don’t cover chicken with foil at any point in the roasting or “resting” periods.

 Carve, and enjoy!!!

At Cafe du Soleil we serve the roast chicken with roasted garlic rosemary potatoes, whole roasted garlic, and romesco sauce.

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April 19, 2009 · 3:21 pm

Belgian Waffles

Belgian Waffles at Cafe du Soleil - photo by Philippe Touitou

Belgian Waffles at Cafe du Soleil - photo by Philippe Touitou

We serve Belgian Waffles on our breakfast  and brunch menus at Cafe du Soleil.  While they may seem like something best left to restaurants, they are just as simple as making pancakes. In fact many waffle recipes are just pancake batter thrown into the Waffle machine.

Some people claim, though, that a true Belgian Waffle needs to be made with yeast rather than baking powder. But as I mentioned in my pancake posts of March and May 2008 – pancakes can be done with yeast too. So it’s your call which way you want to go. The yeast does give a bread-like flavor which some people may not want.

Either way you’ll have a nice weekend brunch treat – or if you make extras and freeze them you’ll have a quick weekday breakfast ready in minutes.

As a memory trick I like to remember this (and the recipe for pancakes) as 1/1/1 recipes. This refers to the core ingredients which always follow more or less these proportions:

1 cup of flour/1 cup of milk/1 egg

Additional essential ingredients (which can vary somewhat according to taste) go like this:

Leavening: about 1 tsp of baking soda per cup flour, or 1/2 tsp dry yeast

Fat: about 1 oz per cup flour

Sweetening: about 1 tsp per cup flour (or more if you’re not going to eat these with something sweet like maple syrup)

Seasoning: about 1/2 tsp salt per cup flour

There are variations on these amounts, but I’ve looked at tons of recipes and they all more or less stay in the same vicinity of equal amounts by volume of flour and liquid with about 1 egg per cup of flour. This way of looking at these recipes makes them not only easy to memorize (helping you look like a kitchen PRO – remember the title of my blog) but also very easy to multiply.

Belgian Waffles

2 cups Milk (I use half fresh milk and half buttermilk)

2 Eggs (Extra Large)

2 cups All Purpose or Cake Flour

Leavening – 1 tsp Dry Yeast (or 2 tsp Baking Powder)

Sweeteneing – 2 tsp Sugar

Fat – 2 ozs Butter (1/2 stick)

Plus 1 tsp Salt

Method:

Warm the milk to about 100F and add the sugar and yeast (if using baking powder do no not warm milk and add it to the dry ingredients as for pancakes). Melt the butter and add to milk. Lightly beat the eggs in a mixing bowl and add the milk mixture, then the flour. Stir until combined then add the salt.

Cover with plastic wrap and put in refrigerator overnight or leave at room temperature for an hour to let yeast develop.

Optional: For an even lighter waffle texture separate the egg yolks and whites. Add yolks to milk mixture. Beat whites until stiff then fold into batter just before cooking.

Cook as directed by Waffle machine instructions.

Serve with your favorite topping.

Makes about 6 Waffles

 

Bon Appetit!!

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February 28, 2009 · 11:30 pm

Whole Roasted Daurade a la Provencale

Daurade Roti at Cafe du Soleil - Photo by Philippe Touitou

Daurade Roti at Cafe du Soleil - Photo by Philippe Touitou

 

I love roasting fish whole. The preparation is simple and the results outweigh the minimal effort. You just need to have a willing audience – willing to stare their dinner in the eye, and willing to tackle the bones as they eat.

It’s relatively easy to find whole fish at most fish markets. Ask them to scale the fish for you, trim the fins and tail, and remove the gills. This dish will work well with many kinds of fish. Pictured is a Daurade (Sea Bream) imported from the Mediterranean. These fish have become more common in recent years with the rise in aquaculture. They are farm raised in Greece and shipped here quickly so they are usually very reliably fresh. Another excellent imported farm-raised fish is the Branzino which is a Mediterranean Sea Bass.

Other fish to try are Red Snapper, Black Sea Bass, Farm-Raised Striped Bass, and Domestic Sea Bream, also known as Porgies.

The preparation is the same for all. Season the fish inside and out with salt and pepper, and a light drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Stuff the cavity with fresh or dried herbs (I like thyme and fresh bay leaves if you can find them) and slices of lemon and tomato. Place on an oiled baking sheet or baking dish, and roast in the oven at 400F for about 10 to 15 minutes.

The best way to tell if it’s done is an old trick I learned in restaurants over the years – you pull on the finbone closest to the head of the fish. You should just barely be able to pull it away from the flesh. This makes alot of sense since if you can’t pull it away it means the flesh is still raw at that point (try pulling a bone from a raw fish and you’ll see what I mean), and if you can pull it away too easily it means the resistance is gone and it’s overcooked.

Drizzle the fish with some more EVOO and you’re ready to serve. You don’t really need a sauce with this, but here are a couple suggestions:

When you remove the fish from the oven and transfer it to your serving dish, pour a little white or rose wine into the baking dish, place it on a burner, and scrape up any bits that may have stuck to the dish while letting the wine reduce a little. Add a knob of butter if desired and serve on the side or pour over the fish.

Alternately you could prepare a light beurre blanc (see my beurre blanc post of March 15, 2008 for a recipe) and flavor it with capers and lemon, or whatever else strikes your fancy.

Also in the photo you can see a lovely row of baked Provencale Vegetables on the platter with the Daurade. This makes an excellent accompaniment. Rather than give an exact recipe I’ll just describe how they’re made:

Saute some sliced onions and red peppers in olive oil, season with salt and pepper and chopped garlic to tatse, and spread over the bottom of a baking dish. Slice zucchini, yellow squash, tomato, and eggplant into uniform slices, then layer (alternating the colors) on top of the pepper onion mixture. Season the whole with salt and pepper, drizzle generously with EVOO, and add some chopped fresh thyme. Cover with foil, and bake at 350F for about 20 to 30 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Uncover the foil and bake another 10 minutes or so until they are slightly browned on top.

 

I hope you’ll try these dishes – and if you do, I hope you enjoy them. Comments and feedback are always welcome.

Bon Appetit!

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January 28, 2009 · 8:14 pm

Valrhona Cocoa Vin

Cocoa Vin at Cafe du Soleil, Photo by Philippe Touitou

Cocoa Vin at Cafe du Soleil, Photo by Philippe Touitou

Just before opening Cafe du Soleil I was being treated by a physical therapist for a pulled muscle. We were talking about food as she stretched me and electrocuted me (those of you have gone through PT will know what I mean). She didn’t know much about French food and she asked me if a “coq au vin” was a kind of  dessert made with cocoa. I laughed and told her that even though the words are pronounced alike, the “coq” was in fact a chicken dish (or more accurately rooster, but noone serves rooster here). But she got me thinking about the play on words and I decided to create a chocolate dessert using wine. Thus was born my “Valrhona Cocoa Vin”.
At Cafe du Soleil we describe the “Valrhona Cocoa Vin” as a Warm Flourless Chocolate Souffle Cake. The technique I use is to bake it halfway in a water bath, then cool it to room temperature. I finish the baking  to order resulting in a lovely mousselike texture that’s a cross between a Chocolate Souffle and a Warm Chocolate Cake. I serve it with an orange wine sauce (hence, the “vin”) and whipped cream on the side. The benefit to making a dessert like this versus a traditional Choclate Souffle is that you can do it ahead of time and just put the finishing touches on while your guests wait for dessert.
You can use the same recipe formula to make different results. You could bake the same batter like a Brownie or Chocolate Cake in a 350F oven. It will rise up like a souffle and then fall in the middle as it cools (this is normal). Just don’t overbake it or it will be too dry. It is done when a toothpick inserted into the middle is still very moist, but not tasing of raw batter. I usually call this a Fallen Flourless Chocolate Souffle Cake.
No matter how you bake it or what you call it you’ll find that it’s a delicious recipe with a lovely texture. I use Valrhona brand chocolate (about 70% Cocoa Solids) which has an excellent and pure flavor. And as with all desserts, the sweetness can be varied according to taste. I like mine on the less sweet side so this recipe reflects that.
ENJOY!!
Valrhona Cocoa Vin
Makes about 12 servings
Cake:
8 Extra Large Eggs, Separated
1/4 cup Sugar, Granulated
9 ozs Valrhona Chocolate, Bittersweet, Chopped into small pieces
6 ozs Butter, Unsalted
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Lime or Lemon Juice
Non-stick cooking spray
Powdered Sugar for dusting cake
Optional Garnish – 3 T. Toasted Hazelnuts, Chopped
Orange Wine Sauce:
2 cups Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
Zest of 1/2 Orange, Grated
3/4 cup White Wine, any kind will do
1/4 cup Granulated Sugar (or less if you like)
Method:
1) Preheat oven to 300F.
2) Spray 6 souffle cups with cooking spray and set into a roasting pan.
3) Place chocolate and butter into a medium mixing bowl, and melt by placing over a pan of simmering water. Cool slightly.
4) Beat egg yolks, half the sugar, and the salt at high speed in mixer until light and pale yellow in color. Fold the melted chocolate into this mixture.
5) Beat Egg whites with remaining sugar and lemon or lime juice until medium peaks form, then fold gently into chocolate/yolk mixture. Divide batter into souffle cups, filling about 3/4 full.
6) Add simmering water to the roasting pan until it comes halfway up the sides of the cups. Bake in oven about 20 minutes until it begins to rise slighty (about to the top of the souffle cups). Remove from oven and remove from water bath to allow to cool to room temperature. Set aside until ready to serve.
7) Prepare Wine Sauce: combine orange juice, grated zest, wine, and sugar and bring to a boil, then simmer until reduced by half to yield about 1 1/2 cups sauce. Set aside.
To Finish Souffle Cakes:
Heat oven to 400F, place cakes on a baking tray. Run a knife around the top edge of the cups so the cake doesn’t stick to the cup. Bake for about 10 minutes until cakes rise about 1/2 an inch above the rim of the souffle dish. Be careful not to burn the edge of the cakes, if the edge of the cakes starts to get too dark before they have risen lower the oven temperature slighty.
Dust each cake with powdered sugar and optional hazelnuts, serve with Orange Wine Sauce on the side, and some Whipped Cream if desired. I like to spoon the wine sauce into the center of each souffle as I serve it to the guests.

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December 20, 2008 · 5:14 pm

Bisque de Tomates en Croute

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Tomato Bisque with Chevre and Puff Pastry Crust at Cafe du Soleil

 

Here’s something kind of retro for the holidays. It’s a very simple recipe that looks complicated – and it’s sure to wow your guests! You can use this technique with many different soups. You could even dress up a store-bought soup and easily pass it off as your own creation. I first came across this presentation back in cooking school when Paul Bocuse’s Truffle Soup named after President Giscard d’Estaing was all the rage. I’m sure it’s a technique that’s been around for ages though.

 

By the way this recipe is essentially the same as a Marinara sauce (just don’t add the tomato juice or cream, and puree it in a food mill instead of a blender). Make a double or triple batch, puree half for soup, and save the rest for pasta. The soup can be made well in advance, then heated and finished with the pastry crust just before serving.

 

 

Bisque de Tomates en Croute – Tomato Bisque with a Puff Pastry Crust – serves 4

 

One 28.5 oz. Can Whole Peeled Plum Tomatoes (preferably San Marzano)

1 small Onion, chopped

1 T. Garlic, minced

2 T. Olive Oil

½ tsp Oregano, dried

½ tsp Basil, dried

Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper to taste

1 cup Tomato Juice

½ cup Heavy Cream (optional)

4 oz. Goat Cheese Log, cut into 4 slices

 

Pastry Crust:

1 sheet Puff Pastry, frozen (store bought is fine)

1 Egg Yolk

¼ cup Milk

 

Method:

 

Heat a 2 qt. saucepan over medium heat. Cook onions and garlic in olive oil until soft. Add tomatoes and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add seasonings and dried herbs and cook for about 30 minutes. Add tomato juice, then puree in a blender. Add heavy cream and chill if not serving immediately, or keep hot for serving.

 

For pastry crust – cut rounds of puff pastry about ½” larger than the size of the soup bowls you will be using (try to use deep narrow bowls rather than wide shallow ones). You can roll the dough out thinner if you want a crispier crust, but the result will be fine either way. Set pastry aside in refrigerator between sheets of wax paper. Mix egg yolk and milk for egg wash in a small bowl.

 

To serve:

Preheat oven to 400F. Place hot soup into bowls. Add a slice of goat cheese to each bowl. Wet the rim and outside edge of the bowl, and top each with a round of puff pastry. Press on the edges of the dough so it sticks to the bowl. Brush a thin layer of egg wash all over pastry and place bowls on a baking sheet in oven. Bake for  5-10 minutes until pastry is nicely browned. Serve immediately.

 

Bon Appetit!!

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November 18, 2008 · 11:48 am

Roasted Pumpkin or Winter Squash Soup

Pumpkin Soup - Photo by Nina Wurtzel

Pumpkin Soup - Photo by Nina Wurtzel

Here’s a great dish for the season – nice for a fall dinner or for a part of your Thanksgiving feast.

The best pumpkins to use for this are called Cheese Pumpkins. They may be hard to find unless you have a farmer’s market nearby. You can use regular pumpkins or other winter squash such as butternut, acorn, delicata, or hubbard. The roasting of the squash is what gives this soup it’s characteristic flavor so be sure not to skimp on this step. Once the squash is roasted the soup cooks quickly so it doesn’t really take longer overall. I havent tried this soup with canned pumpkin but alot of recipes suggest using it so you could give it a shot. I usually use canned pumpkin for pies so I’m not opposed to it on principle.

What I like about this version of pumpkin soup is its simplicity and versatility. Seasonings can be varied depending on what style you want. Try adding fresh chopped ginger and five spice powder for a more Asian style. Or try cumin, garlic, and fresh cilantro for a South American twist. Curry also works well with squash.

Try different liquids as well – chicken stock, white wine, or apple cider would all work – but probably best in combination with water. If you want to experiment just taste as you go along  – and stick with the vegetable to liquid ratio.

Additionally, some recipes call for onions or leeks (gently cooked in butter or oil) as an additional flavoring. I dont add them in here but if you want to just use about one cup of onion/leeks per pound of squash.

Finally, you can play around with different garnishes too. Any kind of toasted croutons work well with soup – sourdough, cornbread, etc. In this recipe I use toasted pumkin seeds but nuts would work well too. 

As with most soups it is best made a day or two ahead so the flavors can comingle and the cook can taste it with a fresh palate!

 

Roasted Pumpkin Soup    (Yields about 8 servings)

*Ratio of vegetable to liquid is 3 cups liquid per pound of squash*

2 pounds pumpkin or winter squash – cut into 3″ pieces and seeds removed

1/4 cup vegetable oil

6 cups liquid (I use 1/2 Water and 1/2 fresh squeezed orange juice)

Seasonings:

zest of one orange

1/2 – 1 tsp cinnamon, ground

4 T. honey

pinch nutmeg

salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Optional to finish soup:

8 Tbsp unsalted butter or 1/2 cup heavy cream

Garnish:

Toasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas) – about 1 Tbsp per person – toasted with spices and a pinch of salt

 

Method:

Preheat oven to 400F.

Toss pumpkin or squash with vegetable oil and lay out on a baking sheet. Roast in oven for about 30-40 minutes turning occasionally to ensure even browning. Make sure squash is very tender so that it will puree smoothly. Allow to cool slightly.

Scoop the flesh from the skin and place in a 4 qt. saucepan. Add the liquids and seasonings, bring to a boil, then simmer about 30 minutes.

Puree with a hand blender or in a regular blender but be very careful not to fill blender more than halfway with soup to avoid blowing the top off and burning yourself. Taste soup and adjust seasonings if needed. Add additional liquid if you think the soup is too thick.

To serve – reheat soup and add optional butter or cream. Top with pumpkin seeds. Some Chefs serve this soup in a hollowed out pumkin for dramatic effect – it’s up to you if you want to go that route.

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October 17, 2008 · 5:53 pm

Wild Mushroom Ragout

Wild Mushroom Ragout at Cafe du Soleil

Wild Mushroom Ragout at Cafe du Soleil

Today’s post continues the series of dishes from my restaurant Cafe du Soleil photographed by Philippe Touitou.
He does an excellent job of making my food look even better than in real life!
The wild mushroom ragout doesn’t have much of a recipe to follow - since it’s really just sauteed mushrooms with chopped garlic, shallots, and herbs. But I’ll give you some guidelines to follow to create a successful dish, or “un plat bien reussi” as the French say.
To begin with, let’s start at the highest level. Call your local mycologist and see if they will take you foraging with them.
Here are a couple links:
http://theforagerpress.com/community/index.htm
http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/
There really is nothing to compare with cooking mushrooms that you have picked yourself. I highly recommmend it but let me say this first: Unless you consider yourself to be an expert, or are with an expert, or just have a death wish, DO NOT TRY THIS ON YOUR OWN!!
Imagine coming home with a nice harvest of your own……..
Okay so thats probably not gonna happen too often, right?
So next best would be to buy some wild mushrooms at your local gourmet market. Two problems with this: they are usually VERY expensive and they usually arent all that fresh, and (okay that’s three problems) it’s hard to tell cultivated “wild”mushrooms from real ones. So, what to do? Well, buy a few of the wild mushrooms and mix them with less expensive cultivated mushrooms such as Portobellos, Oyster mushrooms, and Shiitakes.
Actually, your local Farmer’s Market might have some wild mushrooms so try checking there too. And I have seen some high-end cultivated mushrooms there.
Once you have your mushrooms, you must confront the eternal mushroom question.
Wash or don’t wash?
I’m not going to add fuel to that debate - I usually dont wash mushrooms. Here’s a blog post about washing mushrooms if you want more info:
http://beyondsalmon.blogspot.com/2008/05/its-ok-to-wash-your-mushrooms.html
Most important when cooking your mushrooms is to get your pan really hot! That way the water in the mushrooms basically evaporates as it comes out of the mushrooms. Some mushrooms have more water than others though, so some experimenting will be needed. So once your pan is super hot, add your oil.
I usually saute mushrooms in vegetable oil. And you usually need more oil than you think.
Toss the mushrooms in the pan occasionally, allow them to brown nicely. When they are almost done, add some chopped garlic and shallots, then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Just before serving add a splash of white wine and a knob of butter, then a little choppped parsley and you’re ready to go.

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Filed under Appetizers, Mushrooms, Side Dishes, Thanksgiving Recipes

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