A Jab at Jell-O - Ouefs en Gelees

There is a saying...  "Real men don't eat quiche."

This little tidbit of supposed wisdom has never made sense to me.  I have always assumed it was coined by someone with certain amount of prejudice.   After all, quiche is nothing more than scrambled eggs (albeit with cream) that have been baked in a pastry shell in the oven.  In essence, it is a scrambled egg pie.

News Flash!! Guys like pie.

With Chicken pot pie, Shepherds pie and Apple pie usually being the top picks by men the world over.

That being taken into account, scrambled egg pie (quiche) usually contains some form of meat... Not always, but I would say over 50% of the time the recipes include things like Sausage, Bacon, Ham, Clams or any combination of the a fore mentioned delights of the carnivore's diet. 

News Flash!!   Guys like meat.

Especially those having been preserved via copious quantities of nitrates & nitrites. (Oh yea!)

Thus, following this thought process, I am sure you can understand my confusion over the somewhat ludicrous statement that "Real men don't eat quiche"

There is, however, a "food" that I believe would have been a better fit in the "Real men don't eat...." concept.

Aspic!

This is where my own prejudices come into play.  I, personally, have never been overly fond of Jell-O or other gelatin based desserts.  Not even as a child attending Church potlucks.  I always avoided the pink and green CoolWhip/Jell-O salads along with the three tiered gleaming red mound with grapes suspended in the center... and don't get me started on the proverbial Lime Jell-O Marshmallow Cottage Cheese Surprise... (shudder)  If I am not going to eat sweetened fruit flavored Jell-O then why; Oh WHY would I want to eat meat flavored Jell-O?

Yes, it' sort of tastes like meat, and I DO like meat; but it's not really "meat".  It's more of a "delicate suggestion" of meat; the very essence of bridge parties, tea parties and "luncheon"; not lunch, not brunch... luncheon.  What the heck is a luncheon?  I am not really sure, but obviously there ain't no meat bein' served.

Be that as it may...  Real men face their fears head on.

Thus, after much soul searching, I resigned myself to face my own fear of said aspic by biting the bullet and making Ouefs en Gelee, which is a fancy French way of saying "Eggs suspended in meat flavored Jell-O" (it sounds more appetizing in French)  So, armed with a little left over consommé, a little fortitude and a tweeked Laura Calder recipe, the Gelatinous Journey began.

Ouefs en Gelees

2 Large Eggs, boiled or poached
1 3/4 cups Chicken Consommé (you can use stock, Laura Calder did on her show)
1 TB Unflavored Gelatin
1 TB Armagnac or Cognac
Fresh Tarragon leaves

Place 2 eggs (I did 4 cause I wanted to make a little egg salad too) in a saucepan and cover with cold water.

Place over medium flame and bring to a boil.

Remove from the heat and cover; allowing the eggs to sit for 20 minutes. Then drain and refrigerate.

This is why I held back a little of the consommé I made the other night.

Sprinkle gelatin over the consommé and allow it to bloom for 10 minutes. (I should have just done it in the saucepan)

Pour the consommé/gelatin mixture in a saucepan and set over medium low heat.

Add Cognac and stir the mixture until you can no longer see any gelatin granules (the mixture will be clear again)

Spoon a thin layer of gelatin into 4 ramekins and refrigerate them until it becomes slightly tacky but not completely set, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel your boiled eggs.

and cut them in half.

When the gelatin is partially set, remove the ramekins from the refrigerator and lay tarragon leaves in the "bottom" (remember, the bottom will be the top when they are unmolded, so lay the leaves vein side up)

Place 1 half of a boiled egg in each ramekin, over the tarragon, yolk side down.

Divide the remaining consommé/gelatin mixture between the ramekins, pouring gently over the backside of the egg half.

Return to the refrigerator for 45 minutes to 1 hour until completely set.
Run a small knife or small frosting spatula around the edge of the ramekin and unmold onto a bed of greens.

Serve.

On the whole, it really wasn't THAT bad.  I have always loved egg and tarragon together, and the aspic had really delicate chicken/cognac flavor.  It's a texture thing though.  I mean, it didn't kill me to eat it.  I made it, so I ate it.  But it's not something I am going to be salivating for, any time soon.  My Aunt and Mother, however, were unequivocally enraptured.  LOL

So I reiterate....  Real men don't eat aspic.  But, for the record, one should at least be brave enough to try it.   LOL

Mangia!!
~~

Chanterelle, My Belle...

You and pasta go together well,
My Chanterelle.

Ah, Chanterelle Mushrooms.... the scent of apricots, forest floor, and black pepper waft through the kitchen, making my mouth water as I try to prepare dinner.

The Chanterelle is an important mushroom here in western Oregon, for there aren't a lot of sunny days here.  Especially some the Fall.  Thus we all tend to run a little low in vitamin D.  Granted most milk is artificially fortified with it, but it's a minuscule amount and there are those of use who do not drink milk.  When ones diet is lacking in copious amounts of "moo juice" and the sun spends most of its time hiding behind cumulonimbus, we turn to other sources of the elusive "Sun Vitamin".  Enter the Chanterelle....  with up to 2500 IU per 100 grams of weight. 

This is an important consideration, since Vitamin D production in the skin only occurs when the UV factor is above a 3.  Why is Vitamin D so important?  That is a good question, considering that this fat soluble substance isn't really even a vitamin.

Nope, it's a secosteroid hormone.  I am not going to get in the full metabolism that is necessary to create the "Active" form your body actually uses, but suffice it to say that it is the most active hormone in the body.  Active D is responsible for unlocking the binding sites on the human genome (there are 2,700 sites) as well as controlling the calcium level in your blood.  There has even been research into your own cells' ability to utilize D in fighting some 17 types of cancer.  Pretty darned impressive I'd say. 

Sadly, if you are not out in the sun absorbing UVB for at least 30 minutes a day, then you are deficient in D.  You can take a supplement, but most are sorely lacking in the amount of viable D that one needs.  Thus, most of us are running around with a significant shortage of this vital vitamin (5,000 IU per day).  To get enough, per day, from milk, you would have to imbibe somewhere around 50 glasses and most multi-vitamins would require the consumption of up to 10 pills before you have replenished your D stores. 

All that being said, there are other ways of getting D into your system, especially in the winter.  For in the temperate climates the Chanterelle mushroom is available from September to April.  AWESOME! 

So with that I present to you a dish that is High in D as well as C & potassium.  Granted, this is a little high in fat, but I am on a roll with the Mascarpone sauces.  This is a variation of the Spinach Mascarpone pasta that I made a week ago.  Earthy & spicy chanterelles and shallots, sauted in olive oil, deglaced with white wine, a touch of chicken stock to round out the flavors... a delicate hint of tarragon (cause mushrooms + cream + tarragon = bliss) all bound together with, that ever so unctuous, Mascarpone with a touch of Parmigiano-Reggiano.  It's heaven on a plate.

Torchiette with Chanterelle Mascarpone Cream

10-12 oz Chanterelle Mushrooms
3 TB Olive oil
2 medium Shallots, minced
1/2 cup White Wine (I chose Pinot Gris)
1 tsp fresh Tarragon, chopped fine (just a pinch if using dried) 
1/2 cup Chicken Stock
Black Pepper, freshly ground
8 oz Mascarpone
1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano
optional fresh Chives
optional shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano

Clean the Chanterelles, then dry them with a paper towel.
Slice off the very bottoms; I usually leave the smaller ones whole and slice the larger ones in half.

Place a large stock pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil for the pasta, I like Torchiette (little torches) for this, cause the shape kind of reflects that of the mushrooms.

 

Meanwhile, heat Olive Oil in a saute pan over medium heat.

When hot, add the minced shallots and sweat until soft.

Add the Chanterelle mushrooms and cook until they begin to soften. (They don't throw off water the way button mushrooms do)

Deglace the pan with 1/2 cup of White wine.

Stir in the tarragon. (It releases more flavor in acids like the wine)

Continue cooking until the wine has evaporated, then add the Chicken Stock.

Cook until the chicken stock has reduced by half and thickened slightly.

Remove from the heat, and stir in the Mascarpone, to create a nice cream sauce.

Season with Black Pepper.

Drain the pasta and place in a warm bowl.

Pour the mushroom mixture over the pasta and toss to coat evenly.

Add the Parmigiano-Reggiano and toss again until incorporated.

 

Serve with clipped chives (kitchen sheers are excellent for this) and shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano.

 

Mangia!!
~~

"Creamed" Spinach Pasta - Spaghettini with Mascarpone and Spinach

This is one of those recipes that created itself when I was emptying out the refrigerator.  LOL

It's a quick and simple way to use a whole lotta fresh spinach. In my case, it's before it has a chance to wilt.  I went a little crazy the last time I was at the grocery store and bought just a little bit too much.  One can only eat so much spinach salad.  oops!

The key to this dish is the ability to make a sauce very quickly by combining 3 ready made ingredients...  Parmigiano-Reggiano, Pasta Water, and either Mascarpone or Cream Cheese; depending on which one is in your refrigerator.

Yep, it really is that simple.  Of course your gonna need a couple of other things, like some long pasta (I like Spaghettini) and the a fore mentioned spinach.  I always have a shallots lying around, so I throw those in as well.  I like shallots, cause it kind of saves on chopping time... It's like Sweet Onion and Garlic all rolled into one papery bundle of goodness.  This particular time, I had some green onions lying around as well, but they are not really necessary to the deliciousness of this creamy spinach pasta dish.

"Creamed" Spinach Pasta

Printable Recipe
10 oz Baby Spinach
1 TB Olive oil
1 Shallot
1 bunch Green Onion (scallions), sliced (white and light green parts)
1 TB Fresh Tarragon, chopped (or 3/4 tsp dried)
1 lb Spaghettini
3/4 cup of the pasta cooking water
8 Oz Mascarpone
1/2 cup (2 oz) Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated (plus extra for serving)
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper

Place a large stock pot full of water over high flame to bring it to a boil.
Meanwhile, roughly chop the spinach and toss it into a large pasta bowl.

In a small skillet, heat the olive oil over medium flame.

When the oil is hot, add the shallot and saute about 1 minute.

Add the green onion and tarragon, sauteing about 1 minute more.

Remove from heat and dump on top of the spinach in the pasta bowl.

When the water in the stock pot is boiling, salt it really quick, then drop the pasta.

Cook according to package directions.... Spaghettini usually takes about 6-7 minutes.
Using tongs, remove the pasta from the water and into the pasta bowl to help wilt the spinach.

Dip out 3/4 cup of the hot starchy pasta water with a Pyrex pitcher and pour over the spaghettini. (the starch in the water will help bind the sauce together)

Toss this all together a couple times.

Spoon the Mascarpone (or Cream Cheese) over the pasta and toss again.

Once the Mascarpone has melted and become distributed through the pasta, add the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and toss again until it melts as well.

Season with Salt and Pepper if necessary and serve with Shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano on the side.

Delicioso!

Mangia!!
~~