Saturday Dinner with Company

I definitely liked this company dinner better than last week.  I finally got Jim off the beef and we only talk about wine, so it was a good evening.  For the appetizer, I changed it up with a Butternut Squash Tart with Fried Sage from Bon Appétit, October issue.  It was absolutely delicious and although step intensive, easy.  I also had my cashews that I blogged 3 Saturday’s ago and olives.    

Ingredients:

1 sheet of frozen puff pastry

1 egg

12- 1/8 “thick rounds peeled butternut squash

3 T EVOO, divided

Kosher salt

¼ C honey

1 thinly sliced Fresno, jalapeno or red Thai chile

12 fresh sage leaves

¼ C shaved Parmesan cheese

Black pepper

Directions:

1.      Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2.      Gently roll out the thawed pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 10” square. 

3.      Transfer to a prepared sheet. 

4.      Brush pastry with 1 egg beaten with 1t water. 

5.      Arrange the 12 rounds of butternut squash over the pastry, overlapping as needed and leaving a ½” border.

6.      Place another sheet of parchment paper over squash.  Set another large rimmed baking sheet over the tart.  (This will weigh down the pastry dough and steam the squash slices.) 

7.      Bake until bottom of pastry begins to brown and top begins to puff, about 10 minutes. 

8.      Remove top baking sheet and discard top sheet of parchment paper. 

9.      Brush squash slices with 1T of EVOO and season with salt. 

10.  Return tart, uncovered, to oven and bake until pastry is deep golden brown and cooked through, 25-30 minutes longer.

11.  Meanwhile combine ¼ C honey, and the jalapeno with 2 T water in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium heat.  Boil until thickened slightly and syrupy, about 6 minutes.  Watch it as it bubbles up. 

12.  I use paper plates to drain fried items on.  Heat 2T EVOO in a small skillet until just beginning to smoke.  Make sure exhaust fan is on.  Add 12 fresh sage leaves; fry until crisp, about 30 seconds.  Transfer to the paper plate to drain. 

13.  Slice the tart in different shapes and sizes.  I used a pizza wheel to cut it.  Arrange on the serving plate and arrange the shaved Parmesan on top; drizzle with the chile-infused honey.  Garnish with fried sage leaves and a few grinds of black pepper. 

The day before, Friday, I made the soup course.  It is very easy, but I wanted it out of the way.  When I entertain, I don’t want to be worn out from cooking, so I try to make some items ahead.  The recipe for this Onion and Fennel Bisque is from Gourmet Today.  It states that a demitasse cup serving is ideal as it is very rich.  I have small soup bowls with one of my china sets.  Even it was too much.  Between appetizers and soup, I had no room for dinner. 

Ingredients:

3 medium red onions, chopped

2 leeks (white and pale green parts only), chopped and washed well

1 medium fennel bulb (8 oz.), stalks discarded, bulb cored and chopped (actually I saved the tops of the leeks and the stalks from the bulb in a bag in the freezer for when I make vegetable broth.)

1 large garlic clove, minced

2 T unsalted butter

¼ C dry white wine

2 C Vegetable stock

1 ¼ C water

1 t salt

¼ t freshly ground black pepper

1/8 t freshly grated nutmeg

1 C heavy cream

2 t Pernod

Garnish: chopped fresh chives

Directions:

1.      Cook onions, leeks, fennel, and garlic in butter in a 5-6 qt. heavy pot over moderate heat, covered, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 15 minutes.

2.      Add wine and boil, uncovered, until evaporated, about 1 minute.

3.      Add stock, water, salt, pepper, and nutmeg; bring to a simmer, and simmer, uncovered, until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. 

4.      Stir in cream, bring to a simmer, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid is slightly thickened and reduced to about 6 cups, about 15 minutes.

5.      Puree soup with an immersion blender until smooth, and then transfer to a soup tureen.  Stir in Pernod and serve sprinkled with chives.

I stored it in the refrigerator in the tureen and warmed it up in the microwave.  I also made dessert a day ahead.  This one you do have to make ahead, as after baking it has to cool for an hour and refrigerate for 2 hours.  The dessert is called Pumpkin Brulee Tart from Sunset Magazine.  It is pumpkin pie meets crème brulee.  It is made in a 4”x 13” rectangular tart pan with a removable bottom.  It actually makes two.  For a million years, I have had 2 of these tart pans and never used them.  I recently gave one away.  Now I find a recipe that uses 2.  No problem I have half of the dough in the ref. along with half the filling.  I will bake a fresh tart when this one is gone.

Ingredients for the Pie Dough:

1 ½ C flour

½ T sugar

¾ t salt

½ C cold unsalted butter cut into cubes

1/3 C ice cold water

Ingredients for Pumpkin Filling:  

2 C pumpkin puree canned

2 large eggs

3 large egg yolks

1 ½ C half-and-half

¾ C sugar, plus more for caramelizing top

¾ t kosher salt

1 t each ground ginger and cloves

1 ½ t ground cinnamon

Directions for Dough:

1.      In your food processor, whirl the flour, sugar and salt. 

2.      Add the cubed butter and pulse into pea-size pieces.

3.      Drizzle the cold water over the crumbs and pulse just until moistened.

4.      Turn dough out onto plastic wrap and gather into a ball.  Divide the dough in half, form each into a flat rectangle, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes. 

5.      Roll out on a lightly floured work surface into a rectangle measuring about 7” x 16”.

6.      Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

7.      Lay dough over a 4” x 13” tart pan with a removable bottom.  Lift and lower dough into pan.  Trim edges flush with rim of pan, using your thumb or a metal spatula.  (Actually, I take the rolling pin and run over the top.)

8.      Cut pieces of parchment paper to fit into tart shell with about 1” overhang on all sides.  Fill shells with pie weights.  Set pan on a rimmed baking sheet.

9.      Bake until dough is starting to brown, 25-30 minutes. 

10.  Let cool on sheet until only slightly warm, then carefully remove pie weights and remove parchment. 

Directions for Filing:   

1.      Blend remaining ingredients (except sugar for caramelizing) in a large bowl. 

2.      Pour custard mixture into prepared tart shell.

3.      Reduce the heat to 325 degrees.  Bake tart until custard is set and is slightly puffed at edges, about 30 minutes.  (Mine took 50 minutes.) 

4.      Cool for 1 hour.  Chill at least 2 hours and up to 2 days, covering with plastic wrap once cold. 

5.      Remove tart from pan and set on a serving platter.  Sprinkle top of tart generously with sugar.  Pass flame of a blowtorch over tops until sugar melts and turns golden brown. 

6.      Let sugar cool until hard, and then cut each tart into pieces.  The picture shows cutting the pieces in rectangles. 

My blow torch ran out of gas.  We had to deep six the butane when we moved, so have to get more before I make the second tart.  This is an excellent pumpkin dessert. 

Finally the main course which both come from Barefoot in Paris.  I think this is the best cookbook she has ever written.  I made the Chicken with Morels and French String Beans. 

They both serve 6. 

Ingredients for Chicken with Morels:

1 oz. dried morels, soaked for 30 minutes in 3 C very hot water

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

All-purpose flour, for dredging

¼ C clarified butter

1/3 cup chopped shallots (2 large)

1 T minced garlic (3 cloves)

1 C Madeira wine

1 C (8 oz) crème fraiche (remember how excited I was to find the local speciality store that had this and the morels)

1 C heavy cream

2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 lemon)

Directions:

1.      Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2.      Lift the morels carefully from the hot water in order to leave any grit behind in the liquid.  Rinse a few times to be sure all the grittiness is gone.  Discard the liquid and dry the morels lightly with paper towels. Set aside.

3.      Sprinkle the chicken breast with salt and pepper. 

4.      Dredge them in four and shake off the excess. Heat half the clarified butter in a large sauté pan and cook the chicken in 2 bathes over medium-low heat until browned on both sides, 8-10 minutes, turning half way.  Remove to an ovenproof casserole.

5.      Add the rest of the clarified butter to the pan along with the shallots, drained morels, and garlic.  Sauté over medium heat for 2 minutes, tossing and stirring constantly. 

6.      Pour the Madeira into the pan and reduce the liquid by half over high heat, 2-4 minutes.

7.      Add the crème fraiche, cream, lemon juice, 1 t salt, and ¾ t pepper. 

8.      Boil until the mixture starts to thicken, 5-10 minutes.  

9.      Pour the sauce over the chicken and bake for 12 minutes, or until the chicken is heated through. 

I did ahead earlier in the day, except for the final baking.  I put it in the oven as we were eating our soup course. 

Ingredients for the French String Beans:

1# French string beans, both ends removed (they have perfect ones at Costco)

Kosher salt

1 red onion

½ red pepper

½ yellow pepper

EVOO

Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:   

1.      Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2.      Blanch the string beans in a large pot of boiling salted water for just 4 minutes.  Drain immediately and immerse in a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking.  When they are cool, drain and set aside.  (I did this the day before and placed in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.)

3.      Meanwhile in a large bowl toss the onion and bell peppers together with 2 T EVOO.  Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. 

4.      Place in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for about 15 minutes, tossing with a spatula from time to time to be sure the vegetables evenly roast.  (I did this earlier in the day.  I covered and kept handy for the final cooking.) 

5.      Just before serving, reheat the string beans in a large sauté pan drizzled with a little EVOO.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and mix in the roasted vegetables before plating. 

This dinner was very good.  Jim and I both agreed that we definitely like our green beans, roasted with lemon EVOO better than the ones from tonight.  The pumpkin tart and the squash appetizer were the stars of the meal.