Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 1 1/2-quart tall-sided baking dish. Coat with sugar, tapping out excess. Set dish on a rimmed baking sheet.
Souffle Chocolate
- Prep Time30 min
- Cook Time50 min
- Total Time1 hr 20 min
- Serving Size6
Ingredients
For Souffle Chocolate
- Unsalted butter, room temperature, for baking dish
- 1/4 cup sugar, plus more for baking dish
- 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped, or semisweet chocolate chips (1 cup)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 large egg yolks, lightly beaten, plus 4 large egg whites
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Method
1
2
In a large heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, combine chocolate, vanilla, and 1/4 cup water. Stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature, 20 minutes.
3
Stir egg yolks into cooled chocolate mixture until well combined. Set souffle base aside.
4
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat egg whites and cream of tartar on medium-high until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Gradually add sugar and beat until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 5 minutes (do not overbeat).
5
In two additions, fold egg-white mixture into souffle base: With a rubber spatula, gently cut down through center and lift up some base from bottom of bowl. Turning bowl, steadily continue to cut down and lift up base until just combined.
6
Transfer mixture to dish, taking care not to get batter on top edge of dish; smooth top. Bake souffle until puffed and set, 30 to 35 minutes. (Do not open oven during first 25 minutes of baking). Serve immediately.
Dust the finished souffle with confectioners' sugar if you like, then serve straight away -- the souffle will begin to lose its lift and collapse as it cools.
The post Souffle Chocolate appeared first on The Fine Food Magazine .
]]>Next-Level Croque Monsieur
We went all out with our new Croque Monsieur; it's a triple cheese threat made with Fontina in the sandwich, Parmesan in the bechamel sauce, and grated Gruyere on top.
- Prep Time10 min
- Cook Time10 min
- Total Time20 min
- Yield4 Sandwiches
- Serving Size4 Person
Ingredients
For Croque Monsieur
- 1 bunch broccoli rabe, trimmed
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons fig jam
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 8 ounces sliced ham
- 1/4 cup grated Gruyere
- Coarse salt
- 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
- 8 slices best-quality white bread
- 8 ounces fontina, thinly sliced
- Unsalted butter, room temperature, for brushing
- Parmesan Bechamel
Method
1
Preheat oven to 450 degrees with rack in bottom third. Blanch broccoli rabe in batches in a pot of salted boiling water until just tender, about 2 minutes. Drain.
2
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add broccoli rabe; cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Season with salt. Let cool slightly, then finely chop.
3
For each sandwich, spread 2 teaspoons jam on one bread slice and 1 teaspoon mustard on another. Layer one slice with cheese, broccoli rabe, and ham, dividing evenly. Close sandwich; brush each side with butter.
4
Place the sandwiches on a baking sheet, top with 2 tablespoons bechamel and 1/4 cup grated Gruyere. Broil until golden brown and bubbling, about 10 minutes.
For a Croque Madame, top each sandwich with a fried egg.
The post Next-Level Croque Monsieur appeared first on The Fine Food Magazine .
]]>Is there anything more comforting on a chilly day than a hot bowl of French onion soup? Especially with a thick slice of toasted bread loaded with melty Gruyere cheese and lots of caramelised onions.
The post French Onion Soup appeared first on The Fine Food Magazine .
]]>French Onion Soup
Stay warm with this great French onion soup! With beef stock base, slow-cooked caramelised onions, French bread, Gruyere and Parmesan cheese.
Is there anything more comforting on a chilly day than a hot bowl of French onion soup? Especially with a thick slice of toasted bread loaded with melty Gruyere cheese and lots of caramelised onions.
There are two essential components of a good French onion soup.
The first is the stock. Your soup will only be as good as the stock you are using. This soup traditionally is made with beef stock, though sometimes a good beef stock can be hard to come by and expensive to make.
If you use boxed stock, taste it first! If you don’t like the taste, don’t use it. (If you cook a lot of beef or beef roasts, save the scraps and freeze them to make a stock with later.)
The second most important element is to properly caramelise the onions. Caramelising the amount of onions needed in this recipe will take at least 40 minutes. Caramelising is a chemical process that occurs when the sugars in the onions reach a certain temperature.
This only happens after a long cooking time (the addition of a little extra sugar will help). The more caramelised, the deeper the colour of the onions and the more flavor you’ll get from them.
- Prep Time10 min
- Cook Time1 hr 10 min
- Total Time1 hr 20 min
- YieldServes 4-6
Ingredients
- 6 large red or yellow onions (about 3 pounds), peeled and thinly sliced root to stem, about 10 cups of sliced onions total
- 4 Tbsp Olive oil
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- Salt
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 cups of beef stock, chicken stock, or a combination of the two (traditionally the soup is made with beef stock)
- 1/2 cup of dry vermouth or dry white wine
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 Tbsp (loose) of fresh thyme (can also use a few sprigs of fresh thyme) OR 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (more to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Tbsp brandy (optional)
- 8 slices French bread or baguette cut 1-inch thick
- 1 1/2 cups of grated Swiss Gruyere and a sprinkling of Parmesan
Method
Caramelise the onions:
1
In a 5 to 6 quart thick-bottomed pot, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat. Add the onions and toss to coat with the olive oil.
Cook the onions, stirring often, until they have softened, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Increase the heat to medium high. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and the butter and cook, stirring often, until the onions start to brown, about 15 more minutes.
Then sprinkle with sugar (to help with the caramelisation) and 1 teaspoon of salt and continue to cook until the onions are well browned, about 10 to 15 more minutes.
Add the minced garlic and cook for a minute more.
Deglaze the pot with vermouth:
2
Add the vermouth to the pot and scrape up the browned bits on the bottom and sides of the pot, deglazing the pot as you go.
Add stock and seasonings:
3
Add the stock, bay leaves, and thyme. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot and lower the heat to maintain a low simmer. Cook for about 30 minutes.
Season to taste with more salt and add freshly ground black pepper. Discard the bay leaves. Add brandy if using.
Toast French bread slices:
4
While the soup is simmering, line a sheet pan with parchment paper or foil and preheat the oven to 450°F with a rack in the upper third of the oven.
Brush both sides of the French bread or baguette slices lightly with olive oil (you’ll end up using about a tablespoon and a half of olive oil for this).
Put in the oven and toast until lightly browned, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from oven.
Turn the toasts over and sprinkle with the grated Gruyere cheese and Parmesan. Return to oven when it’s close to serving time and bake until the cheese is bubbly and lightly browned.
Serve:
5
To serve, ladle soup into a bowl and transfer one cheesy toast onto the top of each bowl of soup.
Alternatively, you can use individual oven-proof bowls or one large casserole dish. Ladle the soup into the bowls or casserole dish. Cover with the toast and sprinkle with cheese. Put into the broiler for 10 minutes at 350° F, or until the cheese bubbles and is slightly browned.
Much of the success of this soup depends on the stock that you are using, and stock varies tremendously in its taste. Depending on your stock, you may need to bump up the flavor with some beef bouillon (we recommend ``Better than Bouillon brand``).
Taste the soup before putting it in the oven, and if it needs more seasoning, don't be afraid to add more!
The post French Onion Soup appeared first on The Fine Food Magazine .
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