Kitchen Culinaire

Herb and Mozarella Mushrooms with Garlic Toasts

Recipe adapted from Donna Hay Magazine

12 slices of baguette
Olive oil
Fine grain sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 clove of garlic, cut in half
3 tablespoon of butter
1 lb (454 g) pine mushrooms (or chanterelles or a mix of your favourites)
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
14/ cup sage leaves
1/2 lb (250 g) buffalo mozzarella, torn

Heat a grill pan over high heat. Brush the baguette slices with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Gril the bread for 2 minutes or so on each side until golden. Remove from the heat and rub the bread slices with the garlic. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a medium cast iron frying pan over high heat. Add the mushrooms, rosemary, sage leaves, salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes until golden. Top with the mozzarella and place under a pre-heated broiler for 2 to 3 minutes until melted.

Serve with the garlic toasts.

Serves 4.

Gougères

Recipe is from Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan

1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 lb (113 g) butter
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
5 large eggs, at room temperature
6 ounces (170 g) grated Gruyère

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 C). Line two baking sheets with parchment or silpats.

In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan heat the milk, water, butter and salt over high heat until it begins to boil. Add the flour in all at once and lower the heat to medium low while stirring the mixture vigorously with a wooden spoon. The mixture will come together in a smooth mass and there will be a thin coating on the bottom of the pan. Continue to stir the mixture for a minute or two to dry the dough and then place it in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.

Allow the dough to cool for a minute and then mix the dough over medium heat and add in the eggs one at a time. Ensure that each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next egg.

Once all of the eggs have been mixed in the dough should look thick and shiny. At this point, beat in the grated cheese.

Once the dough has been made it should be spooned out right away.

Using about 1 tablespoon of dough for each gougère, drop the dough from a spoon (or spoon the mixture into a piping bag and pipe out the dough into 1 tablespoon mounds) onto the lined baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each mound of dough.

Place the trays into the preheated oven and immediately reduce the temperature from 425 F (220 C) to 375 F (190 C).

Bake the puffs for 12 minutes and then rotate the trays from front to back and top to bottom. Continue to bake for another 10 to 12 minutes until the gougères are golden and puffed.

Serve warm.

Makes approximately 36 gougères.

Glazed Beet and Burrata Toasts with Watercress

Recipe is adapted from chef David Hawksworth (via Food and Wine) of Hawksworth Restaurant in my home town of Vancouver. 

3 beets (about 3/4 lb – 340 g)
1 teaspoon of olive oil
1/2 cup sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 sprig of rosemary
Fine grain sea salt
12 slices of baguette, brushed with olive oil and toasted
1/2 lb (250 g) burrata cheese, cut into 12 pieces
12 small sprigs of watercress
Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
Coarse sea salt like Maldon or Fleur de Sel for garnish

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (205 C).

Wash the beets and trim them of their roots and stems. Toss the beets with 1 teaspoon of olive oil, sprinkle with some salt and then wrap them in aluminum boil and place on a baking sheet. Place in the preheated oven and roast for 40 to 50 minutes until they are easily pierced with a sharp knife.

When the beets are done remove from the oven and allow to cool. When cool enough to handle peel the beets by slipping off the skins with your fingers and then cut them into 1/4 inch dice.

Place the beets in a medium saucepan. Add the sherry vinegar, sugar, rosemary sprig and 1/4 cup of water and bring to a boil. Cook over moderately high heat until a syrupy glaze forms, about 12 minutes. Discard the rosemary sprig and season the beets with some fine grain sea salt.

Arrange the toasted baguette slices on a platter. Top each baguette slice with a spoonful of the glazed beets, a piece of the burrata and a sprig of watercress. Sprinkle with a bit of the Maldon salt or Fleur de Sel and drizzle some extra-virgin olive oil over the top of each toast.

Serve.

Makes 12 canapés.