Let's see... nuts, potatoes, mixed greens, French vinaigrette. Yeah, I'll have that.

The salad itself is deceptively simple for something that packs this much flavor. The tender gesiers are basically umami delivery mechanisms that punch up all the flavors. The wonderful savoriness is cut by the earthy mixed greens and the light acidity of the vinaigrette. A handful of fresh nuts goes a long way, rounding out the textures in the salad.

Oh, I guess I haven’t mentioned what a gesier is yet (and that’s not entirely accidental). People enjoy this dish until I spoil it by telling them what they are eating. Don’t worry though, it’s just duck. Well, it’s not just duck, it’s the duck’s gizzard. I know, I know, that might sound a bit odd, but this is actually pretty good. I guess the best way to describe it would be to imagine if the dark meat of a duck (or chicken) was more, uh, just more. It’s very flavorful, so you don’t need much. The amount in the salad is great because it’s not overpowering and well balanced by the other flavors.

Don’t be nervous though, if this isn’t your thing I won’t surprise you with a plate of it if you come over for dinner. But if you want to try it, I think you’ll be quite pleased. (Give me a heads-up and I’ll try to get a hold of some more!)

My mouth is watering as I type this. This looks so good. Savory, slightly bitter from the salad, a touch of acid from the vinegar offseting everything... I really need to get some more of these.

In case you do find a good source and want to make it, here are two ways I suggest serving it. The first (image directly above) is an extremely basic salad that puts the gesier front and center. The second method (see the image at top of page) has more ingredients, including potatoes and nuts, which complement the rest of the flavors.

Simple Gesier Salad
Ingredients
about 2 gesiers per person
mixed baby greens or salad de mâche
basic french vinaigrette (See this post for the recipe)

Directions
Salad de mâche was used here.
1. Heat a skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Cut the gesiers into wedges or slices. Add some oil to the skillet and toss in the gesiers. Cook for several minutes until slightly browned.
2. Make the vinaigrette in a large bowl. Add the salad and mix to coat with a thin layer of dressing.
3. Serve on the plate with the gesiers on top of the salad.

If you have any crusty French bread, serve that along side it. You know this looks good. It is. I’d much rather eat a gesier salad than something like this, wouldn’t you?

Here, my mom is cutting the gesier into wedges. Thanks for dinner!

Sear them briefly in a hot skillet before serving.

Gesier salad with potatoes and nuts
Ingredients
about 2 gesiers per person
mixed baby greens or salad de mâche
basic french vinaigrette (See this post for the recipe)
oven roasted potatoes
Crushed walnuts

Directions
We had some left over roasted potatoes that we used for this dish. If you don’t have any, or want to quickly make some simply cut some potatoes into even, bite sized cubes and toss lightly with olive oil and a touch of salt and pepper. Bake them at 375F for 30-45 minutes, until they become golden brown.

1. Heat a skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Cut the gesiers into wedges or slices. Add some oil to the skillet and toss in the gesiers. Cook for several minutes until slightly browned.
2. Make the vinaigrette in a large bowl. Add the salad, most of the nuts, and the potatoes. Mix to coat everything with a thin layer of dressing.
3. But a bed of dressing on a plate, add some of the cooked gesiers and a few more nuts.

This isn't something you'd find in every home. Enjoy it.

As a bonus for reading all the way down to the bottom, here is the can of gesiers from Verdier. He makes pâtés and other ‘canned’ meats that we can easily transport back on the plane. My grandfather actually used to live near him and we always eat some of his products when I go visit my family in France. He runs a small operation that consistently produces quality foods.

This guy makes terrific pâté's too. I really hesitate to eat the ones I have because I can't easily get more.

Excellent pork tenderloin, amazing sauce, and the bacon wrapping just makes it that much more awesome.

This isn’t even the first time we have made bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin. The now-elusive Kyle made this a couple years ago. His was great, but I have to say that mine significantly ups the flavors by adding mushrooms, cream, and whiskey. (Maybe now he’ll have to one-up me…)

This dish is great served with rice or potatoes to soak up the leftover sauce. I even wiped the skillet with a piece of bread to get every last bit of sauce into my belly–It’s that good.

For a cream sauce, it’s lighter than you would think. That may have something to do with the addition of whiskey :) The mushrooms give it a more robust flavor without compromising the consistency. I’m tempted to make this sauce with chicken now… I may even make a simplified version to serve with fish.

Those are little packets of flavor wrapped in a bacon strip.

Bacon wrapped pork tenderloin with a whiskey cream sauce

Ingredients
1 to 1.5 inch medallions from a single tenderloin
1 slice bacon per medallion (at least 8, I used more because I doubled up on some and not all the slices were usable)
salt
pepper
1 pint mushrooms, sliced
1 shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup whiskey
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup half and half (or cream)
1/2 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp thyme
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
vegetable or canola oil

Directions
1. Place the bacon in a large microwave safe bowl and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Cook in the microwave for 1-4 minutes without letting them crisp. This is to render some fat from the bacon. You should have at least 1/2 cup of fat that you can pour off. Once cooled slightly, wrap each medallion with bacon, using kitchen twine or toothpicks run through it to hold the bacon onto the pork. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Place about 2 tsps of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the medallions to the skillet being careful not to crowd the pan. Sear the medallions on all sides, including turning them on edge to sear the bacon. You may find it easier to work in two batches rather than doing it all at once. Remove from the pan and reserve on a plate covered in foil.
3. Reduce the heat to medium, add the mushrooms, shallot, garlic, and spices to the pan. Cook on medium stirring occasionally, for about 5-7 minutes, until the mushrooms have given up their liquid and have started to reduce in size.
4. Add the whiskey and allow to simmer for about a minute. Then add the stock and return to a simmer for about a minute. Add the cream and mustard and return to a simmer. Finally add the reserved medallions and any juice that drained onto the plate. Allow to simmer for a few minutes to reheat the medallions, then serve.

I need to make more chimichurri

There is also something else a bit unusual going on here: quail eggs. I was recently told that my local egg supplier, Box Turtle Meadow Farm, not only had chicken and duck eggs, but also had quail eggs available! Obviously, I was eager to try them. When I finally got my hands on a few, I couldn’t think of what to do with them. As I mentioned in the first paragraph, steak with chimichurri was already on my mind. So I decided to put the two together. Steak and eggs isn’t uncommon, but steak and quail eggs… With chimichurri… Now that’s going to be a feast.

I rounded off the meal with some sweet glazed carrots and some mashed potatoes (with some sweet potato added for extra flavor).

I’ll try to post more information about quail eggs in the coming months as I play around with them and learn some more about their characteristics and how they can be used. I’ve already got a few dishes in mind and am looking forward to trying them out. If you have trouble locating quail eggs for this recipe, try looking in farmer’s markets or in Asian markets.

Anybody want some dinner?

Steak with chimichurri and quail egg

Ingredients for the chimichurri
Makes about a cup
1 bunch Italian flat-leaf parsley
2-3 cloves garlic
salt
lemon juice (about a whole lemon)
1/4 c red wine vinegar
2/3 cup olive oil (up to a cup may be needed)

Directions for the chimichurri
To prep the parsley, grab the bunch and chop off the stems. It’s fine if there are still sections of stem, just grab the bunch of parsley and cut about 1/2 to 1/3 of the way down.
Food Processor Directions:
1. Pulse everything gently in the food processor until minced. Do not just run it until it becomes a paste. Paste=bad. Minced=good.
2. Set aside until ready to use. Can be made a few hours ahead of time.
Non-food Processor Directions (for people like me):
1. Mince the parsley into a fine, uh, mince. I did about half the parsley as a fine mince and the rest and only lightly minced to provide a bit of contrast in size.
2. Mince the garlic, add it to the parsley. Add a pinch of salt, lemon juice, and vinegar. Add about 3/4 of the oil you have and whisk together, adding more as needed. The thickness of the chimichurri is up to you. I made mine loose enough to pour and easily whisk, but thick enough that little piles would stand up under their own weight (like in the photos).
3. Set aside until ready to use. Can be made a few hours ahead of time.

Ingredients for steak and quail eggs
steak (I used shoulder steak this time because of a good sale, but NY Strip is my favorite cut for great flavor and texture)
2 quail eggs per cut of steak
vegetable oil
salt and pepper

Directions for steak and quail eggs
1. Allow steak to come to room temperature. Season lightly with salt and a little pepper. Rub lightly with vegetable oil.
2. Heat a cast iron or regular skillet over medium high heat.
3. When hot, add about 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil to to skillet. Then add the steaks and sear the first side. The cooking time will depend on the thickness. For a medium-rare steak that is about 3/4 of an inch thick, cook for about a minute-and-a-half to two minutes a side.
4. After cooking the first side, flip the steaks. In the space in the pan surrounding the steaks, start frying the quail eggs. They are small and will cook fast. Once the white sets, gently lift them and place them on top of the steak until the steak finishes cooking. The steak will protect them from overcooking.
5. Using a spatula (gently, so the eggs don’t slide off), move the steaks to a resting tray to allow the juices to settle. A plate with an inverted saucer on it or a cooling rack placed in a cookie sheet work well. Allow to rest for at least a minute.
6. Serve with the chimichurri either on the side or spooned across the top of the steak.

Steak and eggs, foodspot style

Let me clarify in haiku form:

Best meal in a while
was not in a restaurant:
It’s Beef Wellington.

I'm being entirely serious when I say that this is one of the best meals I have eaten. Great flavor, great texture.

Alight, I admit that haiku didn’t likely clarify anything, but it was fun to write.

I had been hesitating making this recipe for a while now. It seemed a little too extravagant, a little to unnecessary. Is it wrapping meat around bread really a good way to improve it? Would it really improve the dish, or is it just a novelty? I was basically worried that I was making really expensive state-fair food–it may be an interesting experiment, but ultimately forgettable and certainly not anything you would actively seek out again.

The difficulty level of putting this together wasn’t stopping me either. It was the excessive ingredients. Combining two or more great things does not necessarily make the final product better (remember these?). This time a beef tenderloin, a load of mushrooms, a few strips of prosciutto, and puff pastry combined to create something that was elevated to an entirely new level.

I was so worried when I pulled this out. I had no idea what the inside was going to look like. I feared the worst.

I had conceived of multiple points of failure, everything from the beef overcooking, to the crust becoming a soggy mess, to the duxelles (mushroom mixture) would sliding off. Ultimately, all my worries were unfounded. It was excellent.

Really. Excellent.

Very tender, flavorful beef. Great, slightly buttery bread built-in. The mushroom flavor was noticeable, but not overpowered. The prosciutto tied everything together with a little more flavor. I wouldn’t change a thing.

I’m afraid to even remake this dish. My first attempt was so good that I’m scared that every other attempt will pale in comparison. It may take a while to build up the courage. Actually, why wait? I’ve convinced myself to make it again–and soon. It’s not even that hard and it can be broken up across multiple days to make things even easier. I’m so making this again.

I have to thank Gorden Ramesy for this recipe. He saved me last time I tried something overly British. His technique of wrapping the beef in prosciutto worked perfectly.

Beef Wellington
Recipe adapted from Gorden Ramsey.
1 tbsp olive oil
beef tenderloin 2lb 4oz (1kg)
3 tbsp olive oil
12 oz mushrooms (I used crimini) (better to err on the side of too much)
3 1/2 tbsp butter
1 large sprig fresh thyme
3 1/3 ounces (100ml) dry white wine
12 slices prosciutto, trimmed of fat (get 13 slices, you may find the extra one comes in handy, if not, just eat it)
1 two-sheet pack puff pastry, thawed
flour, for dusting
2 egg yolks, beaten

Directions
There are a lot of steps here, but don’t let that intimidate you, I’m just detailed :)
Preparing the Tenderloin
1. Trim off any silver skin or excess fat.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat until hot. Add about 1 tbsp olive oil, then the tenderloin. Sear the tenderloin on all sides (30-60 seconds a side). You aren’t cooking it, you just want to sear the outside. Remove the tenderloin and allow to cool.

Preparing the Duxelles
1. Finely chop the mushrooms. (You can use a food processor but be careful to not let it become a mushed mess. I did it all by hand.)
2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, when hot, add 2 tbsps of olive oil, all the butter, the mushrooms and the sprig of thyme. Cook for about 10 minutes, until softened, stirring often to mix. Season with salt and a small amount of pepper.
3. Add the wine and cook for another 10 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed. The mixture should be resembling a thick paste that holds it’s shape when pushed around.
4. Remove the duxelles from the pan, remove the thyme, and allow to cool.

Assembling the Wellington
1. Overlap two pieces of plastic wrap to make on large piece. Place the prosciutto in two rows of six slices to make a bed for the duxelles and loin. The prosciutto should overlap slightly and the plastic wrap should be visible (this is where that 13th slice I told you to get comes in handy). It should be as wide as the tenderloin and long enough to wrap around the tenderloin with a bit of overlap to seal.
2. Evenly spread the duxelles over the prosciutto, leaving about one-inch of prosciutto visible on the far side. (see the image below)
3. Place the loin on the part that has the duxelles to the end and, using the plastic wrap, roll the duxelles covered prosciutto around the tenderloin. The one-inch of prosciutto that was visible should wrap over itself to create a seal over the meat. The sides will stay relatively open. Chill until ready to continue.

Genius way to add a tiny bit of flavor and keep everything in place.

4. On a rimmed baking sheet with a sheet of parchment paper on it, place a third of one of the two sheets of puff pastry. It should be about the size of the base of the loin. You can gently roll it out on a lightly floured surface if needed.
5. Join the remaining full sheet of puff pastry to the two-thirds sheet by gently pinching the seam together with a bit of water or the beaten egg yolk. Roll newly elongated puff pastry gently on a floured surface to flatten it and extend it slightly.
6. Place the prosciutto-wrapped tenderloin (without the plastic wrap, silly) on the pre-cut piece of puff pastry. Drape the larger sheet over the top.
On the long sides, using the back or bottom of a butter knife, gently tuck the puff pastry toward the base layer.
Cut out four squares from each of the corners. This way the sides can fold towards the meat without getting in the way of each other.
On the long sides, using the back or bottom of a butter knife, gently tuck the puff pastry toward the base layer.
You should now have a relatively sealed tenderloin but with excess dough coming out from the bottom of the tenderloin. Don’t cut this off. Simple tuck it under itself to create a simple fold of dough. To do this, take the loose end of dough and fold it under itself, toward the sheetpan and, using the butter knife, press it against the dough. This will bake into a nice golden round around the beef.
7. Brush the entire surface with the egg yolk. Use the back of a butter knife to draw patterns over the surface of the dough. Gently press on the dough, but do NOT cut through it. Chill for at least 30 minutes (can chill for 24 hours without a problem).

Making it, Baking it
1. Heat oven to 430F. 2. If the Wellington has been refrigerated overnight, brush with a little more egg yolk.
2. Cook for 25-30 minutes for medium-rare, 30-35 minutes for medium. (Uhh, times are an estimate. I used a thermometer. You should too.) After removing from the oven, allow to rest for at least 10 minutes before cutting.

Highly recommended tips
- This is actually a great recipe for a dinner event because almost all of it can be made ahead. You can sear the meat, make the duxelles, and wrap the prosciutto around the tenderloin up to two days ahead. The next day you wrap that with the puff pastry. Then on the day of your meal, all you have to do is bake it.
- If the Wellington starts to brown too much, tent loosely with a sheet of foil.
- Using the wide, bottom end of a butter knife to seal the dough will help ensure that you don’t accidentally cut through it. Also, consider using the back of a plastic knife to draw the patterns on the dough.
- The excess dough is folded for two reasons: 1) I think it looks nice, and 2) more importantly, it gives the dough some room to expand to ensure the dough doesn’t break.
- Those four scraps squares of dough you cut out of the sides… don’t though those out. Simply roll them out into a free-form circle, throw on some sliced pears or apples, sprinkle a small amount of sugar and bake for 20-30 minutes at 350F. Easiest, quickest tart ever.

That's a great, even rise there. I loved how cleanly the souffle baked. The browned top also provides a great texture contrast to the light eggyness underneath.

So did it make a difference? Yes. Was it better… that’s difficult to say. If you can’t get a hold of duck eggs, you aren’t missing out on much. I’d even actually recommend making it with fresh chicken eggs instead of duck eggs, especially if this is your first time making or eating souffle. Both versions rose well and browned nicely. The biggest difference was in the way the souffle set. The chicken eggs souffle was firmer and almost allowed me to slice and serve the souffle without it coming completely to pieces. The duck egg version was much moister and did not set as strongly. The egg flavor came through a bit more in the duck egg version. Your preference may be more related to how you like your eggs. If you are a fan of creamy, light scrambled eggs, the duck souffle may be more your style. The presentation on the plate may be a bit less glamorous, but that’s a small price to pay for getting tasty food.

I think it is possible to make a duck egg version set strongly and not collapse. I’d have to experiment with a few more variables. For example, because duck eggs are larger than chicken eggs had to reduce the quantity of eggs in the recipe. I compared the weight of whole chicken and duck eggs to try to get equal measurements. This was a good start, but I have a feeling that the ratio of yolk-to-white in a duck egg is higher than a chicken egg, but I have no empirical proof. Next time I’ll get a sample of the weights of chicken egg yolk and chicken egg whites to compare that to the weights of duck egg yolks and duck egg whites. I’d also increase the cooking time to try to drive some more of the moisture out. Perhaps start in a slightly hotter oven to encourage oven-spring and lower the temperature slightly after 20 minutes or so. I have a feeling that I’d still need to tent it with foil to prevent over browning. Frankly though, I’m in no hurry to do the tests. I’ll take a few measurements to collect data as I cook other dishes, but don’t expect another souffle soon. (I’ve recently made a few while testing a different things, so I’m a bit souffled out). Besides, the chicken egg version works so well. It rises beautifully, tastes great, and stays together when you serve it.

Look at that. Beautiful rise. Moist, tender, eggy... Basically, it's tasty.

The recipe is essentially identical to the chicken egg version. The one change is to reduce the egg count. As I mentioned, I weighed 8 whole chicken eggs to find the appropriate equivalent proportion of duck eggs: It averaged to about 7 whole duck eggs. I’ve included the appropriate changes below.

Duck Egg Soufflé
This can probably feed 6 people, but the four of us didn’t have much trouble polishing it off. In parenthesis are the actual measurements of the original recipe given in metric and the conversion.
7 duck eggs, separated (room temp)
2 cups milk (1/2 liter = 2c .9oz)
125 grams butter ( = 4.4 ounces = 8.2 Tbsp) Measure by weight if you can.
2 to 3 Tbsp butter for the ramekin
125 grams flour ( = 4.4 ounces = 1 cup) Measure by weight if you can.
125 grams cheese, gruyère ( = 4.4 ounces = 1 cup) Measure by weight if you can.
1 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper (white pepper, if you have it)

Directions
The directions are a bit long, but there isn’t anything that I found to be complicated. Give it a shot! It will surprise you
1. Preheat the oven to 430F (220C, it’s French, remember).
2. Melt 2 or 3 tablespoons of butter, brush bottom and sides of a large ramekin. Refrigerate the ramekin for about 10 minutes and brush with butter again. Keep in the fridge until ready to use.
3. Heat the milk, salt, and pepper in a pot over medium-high heat until it comes to a simmer.
4. While the milk is heating, add the butter to a large pot over medium heat. Once melted, dump in all the flour and whisk until it is well integrated. Allow to cook, whisking continuously for 30-60 seconds. Do not let this brown. A white roux has much less flavor but much more thickening power. Today, we want the thickening power.
5. Add the milk all at once and whisk continuously. The combined mixture will thicken almost immediately. It should feel like you are stirring a pile of glue (but taste better). Remove from heat.
6. To this, add the the egg yolks (already beaten together) and the the cheese. Mix thoroughly then cover to keep warm.
7. Beat the egg white until they come together and start to get a little bit foamy. Add the 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar, then continue to beat until glossy and firm (mid to stiff peaks).
8. Add about 1/4 of the whites to the milk and cheese mixture. Mix to combine. Add the rest, about a quarter at a time, folding the two together gently. They should be combined, but don’t worry about small pockets of egg white. Don’t stir everything like a batter, you want to gently incorporate everything.
9. Bake for 30 minutes. Do NOT open the oven door during the first 20 minutes–it will let the heat out and may prematurely deflate the souffle. Check the souffle (through the oven door window if you have one), if the top is browning too quickly, toss a sheet of aluminum foil loosely over the top. After testing this twice, I’d bake it for another 10-15 minutes, making sure to toss foil over the top.

Tajines are tasty

There are many, many ways to make this dish. They commonly include lamb or chicken, but vegetarian versions are popular too. I’ve even seen a few recipes that more closely resemble a ratatouille with a few Morrocan spices than anything else–that’s not a bad thing, just perhaps a touch less authentic. Speaking of authenticity, I can’t make terribly grand claims about my own–some of the spices and ingredients that are common in North Africa are not easily found in the US. Two things I really wanted but could not get a hold of are preserved lemons and Ras el hanout. It seems that preserved lemons aren’t common in America, most people didn’t even know what I was talking about. And Ras el hanout, well, in Arabic that means “top of the shop”. It’s basically a spice blend that is whatever the spice shop considers good–there isn’t even a set recipe! I’ll have to try to seek out some specialty shops in the future (I did try).

I do try to be as authentic as I can when I cook, but sometimes you just have to work with what you have. You can still easily find many other spices and herbs to bring the dish close to the original. Saffron, for example, is used in my version. Not all recipes call for it, but it does add a rich aroma and color to the dish. You can get a similar ruddy-yellow color using a bit of turmeric, but it won’t have the aroma. Cumin, coriander, lemon zest, garlic, paprika, ginger, parsley, and a bit of mint rounded out the rest of the spices and herbs I used. But it wasn’t just those that contributed to the flavors of the final dish. I already mentioned that some versions can seem like a ratatouille because of the heavy inclusion of vegetables, but that’s not all there is to it. The ingredients move beyond the realm of vegetables and into fruits to give a mild sweetness to the dish. I used dried apricots, but I have seen raisins, dates, prunes, and other things added to the dish. The sweetness can even be boosted with the inclusion of honey.

Close up of the tajine

Ingredients
Serves 10. Recipe can be halved.
4 lbs chicken legs and thighs
1 lb (2ish) onion, cut into wedges
8 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsps grated lemon zest
1 tbsp coriander
2 tsp paprika
1.5 tsp cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 cup mint, chopped
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1 1/2 lbs (about 6) carrot, cut into at least 1/2 by 1 inch chunks
4 or 5 vine ripened tomatoes, cut into about 1/2 inch thickness
2 lbs potatoes, cut into about 1/2 inch thickness
pinch saffron
2 tbsps lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey
1 red pepper, sliced
2 zucchini, sliced about 1/2 inch thick
1/2 dried apricots fruits
chicken broth
almonds

Directions
1. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add half of the chicken and saute until golden, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a temporary bowl. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
2. Add onions and a splash more of oil to the now empty pot. Saute onions over medium heat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, lemon zest, coriander, paprika, cumin, turmeric, ginger, parsley, mint. Mix well and saute for 3 minutes more. Transfer to a temporary bowl (you can use the same bowl as the chicken).
3. Meanwhile, heat about a 1/2 to 1 cup of chicken broth and add the saffron to it. Let that rest.
4. Add the carrots to the bottom of the pot, then the potatoes, chicken, tomatoes, red pepper, onions, apricots, lemon juice, and honey.
5. Add that broth to the pot and enough broth to make 2 cups of liquid in the pot. It’s OK if the liquid doesn’t cover all the ingredients (but it should cover the carrots, potatoes, and chicken to begin).
6. Cover and cook over medium to medium low heat for 30 minutes. Add the zucchini after 15 minutes. During the cooking, monitor the liquid lever to make sure there is always a bit of liquid in there. This should reduce to a super flavorful sauce (but it won’t thicken).
7. Serve garnished with some slivered almonds. Alternatively, this dish can actually benefit by some rest. The flavors will mingle and improve as the dish rests. I normally make this earlier in the day (or even the day before). Simply reheat on low for 10-15 minutes, until it’s heated through.

Like Tuesday’s lamb appetizers, I wanted something that I could serve without having to spend half the dinner party in the kitchen while my friends were eating. A tajine has a few things going for it to help with this. The biggest thing is that the flavors actually improve with a day of rest. So if you have to, you can actually make this a day or two in advance and just keep it in the fridge. All you have to do is heat it gently over med-low heat.

The flavors actually improve as the flavors have time to mingle and macerate. I think I mentioned that it was awesome. Did I? It is awesome.

Bite sized awesome.

I liked the idea of lahmacun, but wanted to change a few things so I could serve it as an appetizer and tie in a few more Moroccan flavors. Why Moroccan? Well, you’ll see the details of the main course on Thursday. So how did I change up the lahmacun? I made bite sized portions and classed it up with a Greek yogurt and harissa mixture. That’s another word that you may not know, “harissa”. It’s essentially a hot chili sauce common to the north of Africa. Recipes and heat levels vary, but you can buy it pre-made (I did).

This was really good though. I mixed a combination pine nuts, mint, some caramelized shallots, and coriander with ground lamb. I toasted some pita then baked some of the lamb mixture on each bit of bread. The Greek yogurt was mixed with more mint and a dollop of the harissa. To serve, I put some of the yogurt on each pita and a little more harissa with a tiny sprig on mint. They tasted even better than they looked.

Make this. You'll like it.

Ingredients
20 mini pitas (cut in half to make 40 rounds) -or- pita bread cut into wedges (the rounds bake more evenly, use those if you can find them)
1/2 cup mint (cut up), plus more for garnish
1.5 tbsp caramelized shallot (made from one shallot, minced) (onion would also work)
1 tsp ground coriander
2 tbsp pine nuts
1 egg
2/3 lb ground lamb
1 cup greek yogurt
2 tsp harissa, plus more for garnish

Directions
1. Caramelize the shallots. You should be starting with 2 to 3 tbsp of minced shallot, they will reduce in volume as they cook. Set your smallest skillet over low heat and add a bit of olive oil. Cook until they become golden brown and tasty, about 10-15 minutes. If needed, add water as they cook to prevent them from drying out and burning. This can be left largely unattended and can be made ahead.
2. Preheat the oven to 425F. Brush both sides of each bit of pita bread with olive oil and bake for 8-10 minutes on a cookie sheet, until lightly toasted.
3. In a bowl, combine the egg, shallots, coriander, pine nuts, and half the mint. Mix in the lamb.
4. In another bowl, mix the Greek yogurt, rest of the mint, and the harissa.
5. Put a rounded tsp of the lamb on each toasted pita. Bake for 8 minutes.
6. Top with the yogurt mixture and a little bit of harissa. Add a tiny bit of mint for garnish if desired (it spruces them up :) ). I also sprinkled a few more pine nuts on them as well.

As I was making this for a dinner party, I wanted to be able to make this ahead and enjoy the company of my friends. You can make all of this earlier in the day and stop at the end of step 5. Just loosely cover the cookie sheet with foil and set aside. Reheat for at least 5 minutes in a 425F oven, then continue with step 6.

Jean Pierre Coffe

He’s known for a few things. Mostly for being a pretty staunch defender of traditional cooking with regional, seasonal product. He hosted a radio show for 10 years called “Ça se bouffe pas, ça se mange” which roughly translates to “It’s not gobbled, it’s eaten.” He’s kind of a character; He generally has a bit of bawdiness in his manner and his food descriptions. He even threw processed meat at a TV presenter once. Kind of a crazy guy. But he does make good food.

Enough about French chef's, here is the souffle!

But back to the soufflé: I could do much worse than picking a French chef as a resource for a cheese soufflé recipe. I looked around and compared a few recipes. Authentic French recipes can be difficult as they tend to be very vague about proportions and measurements. Often times it feels as the author is even afraid to get terribly precise with some measurements, “a spoonful of this, a pinch of that,” whereas other times in the same recipe they specify exactly 125 grams of butter. I’ve converted the vague sections of his recipe to numbers for those interested.

I was feeling a bit bold when I attempted this too. I decided to invite some friends over to witness my first attempt at a soufflé. I’m reckless like that. Caution to the wind and all.

So when they finally came over, I had the mis en place set up. All my eggs in one basket, butter measured, cheese grated, the ramekin buttered and kept in the fridge.

Mis en place... some more French for you.

The cooking came together very quickly. Make a quick white roux, add hot milk, then yolks and cheese. Beat the whites and fold those in. Pour into the ramekin and bake. Fairly quick and straightforward when all was said and done. Just the agonizing wait to see if the soufflé would souffle. The wait was made easier with a few drinks and 30 minutes of trying to distract myself watching RiffTrax with my friends later came the moment of truth. What do you think?
Not bad, eh? I was very happy. Like a big fluffy cheese quiche. I served it with a salad and basic vinegrette. My friends were pretty impressed. Not a bad dinner for a Tuesday night.

A quick note though, because this is a very eggy dish, try to get some good eggs. I again got some super fresh, organic, free-range eggs from my local guy. This batch came from the same place as the duck eggs from a couple weeks ago, Box Turtle Meadow Farm. I plan to try this recipe again with duck eggs to see if it makes a difference. I’ll let you know how it goes!

Soufflé
This can probably feed 6 people, but the four of us didn’t have much trouble polishing it off. In parenthesis are the actual measurements of the original recipe given in metric and the conversion.
8 eggs (room temp)
2 cups milk (1/2 liter = 2c .9oz)
125 grams butter ( = 4.4 ounces = 8.2 Tbsp) Measure by weight if you can.
2 to 3 Tbsp butter for the ramekin
125 grams flour ( = 4.4 ounces = 1 cup) Measure by weight if you can.
125 grams cheese, gruyère ( = 4.4 ounces = 1 cup) Measure by weight if you can.
1 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper (white pepper, if you have it)

Directions
The directions are a bit long, but there isn’t anything that I found to be complicated. Give it a shot! It will surprise you
1. Preheat the oven to 430F (220C, it’s French, remember).
2. Melt 2 or 3 tablespoons of butter, brush bottom and sides of a large ramekin. Refrigerate the ramekin for about 10 minutes and brush with butter again. Keep in the fridge until ready to use.
3. Heat the milk, salt, and pepper in a pot over medium-high heat until it comes to a simmer.
4. While the milk is heating, add the butter to a large pot over medium heat. Once melted, dump in all the flour and whisk until it is well integrated. Allow to cook, whisking continuously for 30-60 seconds. Do not let this brown. A white roux has much less flavor but much more thickening power. Today, we want the thickening power.
5. Add the milk all at once and whisk continuously. The combined mixture will thicken almost immediately. It should feel like you are stirring a pile of glue (but taste better). Remove from heat.
6. To this, add the the egg yolks (already beaten together) and the the cheese. Mix thoroughly then cover to keep warm.
7. Beat the egg white until they come together and start to get a little bit foamy. Add the 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar, then continue to beat until glossy and firm (mid to stiff peaks).
8. Add about 1/4 of the whites to the milk and cheese mixture. Mix to combine. Add the rest, about a quarter at a time, folding the two together gently. They should be combined, but don’t worry about small pockets of egg white. Don’t stir everything like a batter, you want to gently incorporate everything.
9. Bake for 30 minutes. Do NOT open the oven door during the first 20 minutes–it will let the heat out and may prematurely deflate the souffle. Check the souffle (through the oven door window if you have one), if the top is browning too quickly, toss a sheet of aluminum foil loosely over the top.

It isn’t! If nobody questions Tyler Florence, Ina Garten, Emeril, and over 335,000 Google hits, you don’t get to question me when I do it! And you certainly can’t be surprised by my combination when cheddar cheese and apple pie shows up in chain restaurants.

Pear and Goat Cheese Triangles

Besides, my approach was more subtle than cheddar and apple pie. I wanted to make little appetizers of crisp phyllo dough around a pear, blue cheese and honey mixture. Fold these into triangles, then bake until the phyllo begins to brown and the cheese melts. You’ll be left with a very tasty appetizer. I have to say, I even impressed myself.

If you have never worked with phyllo dough before, it can seem to be a little intimidating. The dough is very thin and can dry easily. Don’t worry though, a gentle hand and some plastic wrap to cover any unused dough is the best solution. Work on a large counter with enough space so the dough can remain flat. Any dough not immediately in use should be covered to prevent to becoming brittle and hard to work with.

Pear and Goat Cheese Trianlges

Be sure to wrap it completely around the filling or the cheese will ooze out onto the parchment paper as it bakes–I had a few leaks the first time I made this. In the end I found the best method was to use a double-wide strip and fold the dough over itself before folding into triangles (like little paper footballs). See here (here for video) for some folding tips, it’s not difficult. You don’t have to tuck the dough into the last bit as you would with paper, simply use a tiny bit of water to stick it to itself.

Pear and Blue Cheese Triangles

Ingredients
A note about the quantity of cheese and pear: Once the pear is peeled, seeded, and diced, you should have about equal parts by weight of pear to cheese.
7 oz blue cheese
about 2 pears (about 7 oz) peeled, seeded, and diced
1 1/2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp honey
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp Chinese five-spice
phyllo dough

Directions
1. In a small pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the diced pear and cook until it begins to become tender, 2-3 minutes. Add the honey, cumin, and Chinese five-spice and cook for 3-4 more minutes, stirring often, until the pear is very soft. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Can be refrigerated overnight.
2. In a medium bowl, crumble/smush the cheese. Fold in the cooled pear mixture. Preheat the oven to 400F.
3. Cut a sheet of phyllo dough in half lengthwise. Cover the rest of the dough with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying. Depending on the width of the phyllo dough (and the size you wish to make your appetizers) you will have some leeway with how wide to cut the dough. Put about a heaping tablespoon of the pear-cheese mixture near the bottom corner of the strip. Fold the strip in half down the length of it. Then fold the dough diagonally into triangles (see the links above). Once you get to the end, wet your finger in some water, then trace your finger around the last bit of dough to moisten it. Fold this over the top of the rest and it should stick to itself.
4. Place each triangle onto a parchment lined baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Bake (without the plastic wrap) for 6-8 minutes, or until the dough browns and becomes crispy.

Pear and goat cheese trianlges.

Because I thought it was ridiculous to only cook turkey once a year, I made a turkey a couple weeks ago.  I followed my previous method, and with an overnight brine the turkey was amazing.  And instead of taking the turkey carcass and throwing it in the trash, I dumped it in my stock pot.  Three hours later and I had delicious tasting turkey stock!  The next day I added a couple ingredients and voilà, a soup that was not only delicious, but it helped me turn some of my leftovers into a delicious hot dish.  So hopefully you will see this in time and save your leftover turkey.  With a little bit of effort you can get some extra mileage out of your bird.

Ingredients:
1 Turkey Carcass with some meat still on it (from a 12-14 pound turkey)
2 Cups Leftover Turkey Meat
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Medium Onions, Sliced
2 Large Carrots, Sliced (About 1 Cup)
2 Celery Ribs, Sliced (About 1 1/2 Cups)
1/2 Cup Dried Noodles (Or more if you like)
2 Tablespoons Chopped Parsley

Directions:
1. Break up the carcass, taking the wings off, and then ripping the ribs off of the backbone.  Put the wings, skin, and body into a stock pot.  Add cold water to cover everything by 3 inches.
2. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer.  Simmer uncovered for 3-4 hours, skimming off any froth as you go.
3. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely uncovered (Do not cover until cooled because it can make the stock taste sour).  And then refrigerate overnight (at least 8 hours).
4. Take the pot from the fridge and pull off any fat from the top (it will be hard).  Then heat the pot for about 15 minutes until hot, and then dump through a colander sitting in a pot.  Save the stock and discard the used up solids.  Season the stock with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Heat the olive oil in a 3-4 quart stock pot over medium high heat and add the carrots, onions, and celery.  Cook for about 15 minutes and then add the stock and simmer for about 15 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
6. Add the noodles and simmer until the noodles are soft, about 15 minutes.  Add the turkey and heat through.
7. Divvy the soup into bowls and add the parsley for garnish.  Enjoy!