Recipe: Cauliflower Panna Cotta with Caviar

Cauliflower Panna Cotta with Caviar

Adapted from The French Laundry Cookbook by Thomas Keller

Yield: 12 small or 6 large cups (see note below)

Ingredients

8 ounces cauliflower, cut into large florets and stems trimmed

2 T (1 ounce) unsalted butter

About 1 1/2 c water

1 c heavy cream

Kosher salt

1 1/3 gelatin sheets

Freshly ground black pepper

1 to 2 ounces caviar

Instructions

Cut the florets of cauliflower vertically through the stem into 1/2 inch slices. Spread the cauliflower evenly in a medium saucepan and add the butter and 1 1/2 cup water, or enough to come just to the top of the cauliflower (it should not be completely submerged). Simmer for about 30 minutes, or until liquid is almost gone and the cauliflower is tender. Add the cream and simmer for another 10 minutes to reduce the cream and completely cook the cauliflower.

Transfer the cauliflower and cream to a food processor and blend until completely smooth. Strain through a chinois (or fine mesh strainer). There should be about 1 1/2 cup of puree. Taste for salt and add to taste.

Soak 1 gelatine sheet in cold water to cover for 2 to 3 minutes to soften. It should feel very soft, with no hard sections. Squeeze the excess liquid from the gelatin and stir it into the warm cauliflower mixture until dissolved.

Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the panna cotta into the bottom of each of twelve small serving bowls or small cups and refrigerate for at least an hour to set. This can be done several hours ahead.

Remove the oysters from the liquid (reserve for another use) and strain the juice. You will need 1/4 cup of oyster juice.

Place the remaining 1/3 gelatin sheet and 2 teaspoons water in a small metal bowl set over a pan of hot water; stir constantly to dissolve the gelatin. Remove the bowl from the heat and add the oyster juice. Stir again to be sure that the gelatin and juice are completely combined. Add about 3 grinds of the peppermill.

Place the oyster jelly in the refrigerator and stir occasionally until it has thickened  to the consistency of salad oil and the bits of pepper are suspended in the liquid. Coat the tops of the chilled panna cotta with 1 teaspoon of jelly each, rotating the bowls to ensure even coating. Return to the refrigerator until set or for up to one day.

To serve, garnish the top of each panna cotta with a quenelle, or small oval scoop, of caviar.

The blog post is here

Notes

Keller includes this recipe in the "canape" section of his book. Hence he recommends serving a small amount (2 Tbsp) in a shot glass. I opted to use it as a first course, so I doubled the amount and put them into small tea cups.

Gelatin sheets can be hard to find in the grocery store, but are available mail order from Amazon.  If you can't find them, you can substitute unflavored gelatin powder. The conversion ratio between gelatin sheets and gelatin powder is a hotly debated topic. However, this is the general rule of thumb: 4 sheets = 0.25 oz pkg (or 2 1/4 - 2 1/2 teaspons) of powdered gelatin.

This is a very interesting post by David Lebovitz, which discusses how to use both.

Recipe: Chicken Stock

Chicken Stock

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Yield: about 3 quarts

Ingredients

5 pounds chicken backs, necks, wing tips or feet

2 medium carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

2 celery ribs, roughly chopped

2 medium onions, peeled and cut into quarters

1 dried bay leaf

small bunch of parsley

1 t whole black peppercorns 

Instructions 

Place chicken parts in an 8-quart stockpot. Add approximately 4 quarts of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Using a ladle, skim any impurities that rise to the surface.

Add carrots, celery, onions, bay leaf, parsley and peppercorns and reduce heat to a bare simmer. Cook, skimming surface frequently, 3 to 4 hours.

Set a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl; strain stock through sieve. Discard bones and accumulated impurities. (For ultra clear broth, line strainer with a piece of cheesecloth.) 

If using stock immediately, skim fat from surface and use as desired.

Transfer any remaining stock to an airtight container; cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours to allow fat to accumulate at the top. Lift off fat before using or storing in the freezer.

Recipe: Peanut Butter Blossoms

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Adapted from Hersey's

Yield: approximately 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients

Approximately 3 dozen Hersey Chocolate Kisses

1/2 c smooth peanut butter

1/2 shortening

1/2 c brown sugar

1/2 granulated sugar, plus additional from rolling

1 large egg

2 T milk

1 t vanilla

1 3/4 c flour

1 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 F. Remove wrappers from chocolates.

In a standing mixer, beat shortening and peanut butter until well blended. Add brown and granulated sugars and beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually beat flour mixture into the peanut butter mixture, until dough forms.

Shape dough into one inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 10-12 minutes, until lightly browned. Top each hot cookie immediately with a Hershey Kiss. (Cookie will crack around edges and chocolate kiss will become very soft.)

Remove from cookie sheet to a wire rack. Cool completely. (The chocolate kiss will re-set as the cookie cools.)

Recipe: Coconut Snowball Cookies

Coconut Snowball Cookies

Yield: about 5 dozen

Ingredients

1 c butter

2 c granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 t vanilla

1 t baking soda

2 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

5 c sifted flour

3/4 c sour cream

1 c sweetened coconut

 Colored sanding sugar and/or finely chopped walnuts for rolling

Instructions

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a small bowl.  

In a standing mixer, beat butter, granulated sugar and vanilla until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. 

Add flour mixture, alternating with sour cream, in 3 additions (beginning and ending with dry ingredients); beat well after each addition.

Add coconut, and combine well.

Transfer dough to a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Chill for several hours or overnight.

Take dough out of refrigerator approximately 20 minutes before baking. 

Preheat oven to 350 F

Use hands to roll dough into 1 inch bowls. Roll cookie dough in sanding sugar (or nuts) until completely cover. 

Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for approximately 10 minutes. Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes and then remove to wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe: Toll House Cookies

Toll House Cookies

Adapted from Nestle

Yield: about 5 dozen cookies

Ingredients

2 1/4 c all purpose flour

1 t baking soda

1 t salt 

1 c (2 sticks) butter, softened

3/4 c granulated sugar

3/4 c packed brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 c Nestle Toll House Semi Sweet Chocolate Morsels

1 c chopped nuts

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 F

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. In a standing mixer, beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts.

Drop by rounded teaspon onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes and then remove to wire rack to cool completely