Be my Valentine: Triple Coeur à la Crème & Strawberry Coulis!

It was decades ago when I first read about coeur à la crème in my culinary bible, that is, Fannie Farmer Cookbook. I then became determined to find porcelain heart-shaped molds used in this classic dessert. Wherever The Calm One and I would find our itinerant selves, I went hunting for them to no avail as they were patiently waiting for me in a tiny, crammed-with-goods, British china shop in Gloucester. The Calm One might have decided not to accept the job offer in that town, but I did not reject the pair of dusty molds which the proprietor happily scrambled to find.

The strawberry coulis was made with berries frozen from our potager's summer harvest

But then there were always reasons why I couldn't make it despite having the molds such as I couldn't find cheesecloth or cream cheese which used to be hard to find in France or safe eggs or red berries, at least not all at the same time. Slow-forward many a year and c'est parti/let's begin! Though some may say that this triple coeur à la crème is sufficient to trigger a triple-bypass heart surgery, I am not one of them.

Substitution City

• Instead of the special molds, use a yogurt container reduced in height with holes punched in on the bottom. Just a double coeur would be possible, but it still will look and taste wonderful.
• Instead of cheesecloth, use a square of a well worn, thin dish towel or thick paper towels
• Instead of fresh berries, use frozen, after they are thawed of course
• Instead of regular eggs, get organic ones

Voila! Most people should be able to try their hand at this luscious dessert.

Ingredients
(enough for 2 heart-shaped special molds and some extra for experimenting. Recipe can be doubled.)

• Cream cheese, 118 ml/4 fluid ounces
• Cream, heavy, 118 ml/4 fluid ounces
• Sugar, 1 T
• Egg white, free-range, 1
• Strawberries, frozen or fresh, 473 ml/16 fluid ounces
• Powdered sugar (icing, confectioner's), to taste
• Lemon juice, fresh, to taste

The night before, prepare the molds. Gather the ingredients.

Stir the cream into the cream cheese with a fork.

Beat the mixture until it is smooth and thick which should take several minutes.

Using a balloon attachment on a processor or stick mixer, whip the egg white until stiff. (I separate the white from the yolk by cracking the egg into a clean hand and letting the white drip through my fingers into a bowl.) Fold in (placing a spoon under the mixture, bring it on itself, turn the bowl a quarter turn, and repeat) one half of the whites and the sugar until well blended.

Repeat with the remaining egg white and sugar. It will be an airy mass

Rinse out the molds, but do not dry them. Line with small pieces of paper towel and press down to moisten them. If needed, wet the towels with a moistened finger. The more neatly they fit inside the interior of the molds, the better will the finished coeur look.

Working in layers, smooth down the mixture with each addition with a small spoon to ensure solidity. Pack the filling flush with the top edge of the molds.

Put the molds in a covered dish and place in the fridge overnight. If using frozen berries, thaw in the fridge.

About a tablespoon of liquid oozed out from the molds, making the coeur's texture lighter though more compact

The next day, either in a blender/processor or via a stick mixer, puree the strawberries.

Work them in a sieve, with a bowl underneath to catch the juices.

Add lemon juice and powdered sugar to taste. Stir well. Let the coulis settle down for a few minutes so it will become a clear, brighter red.

Using a small brush poached from my water colour kit, I painted free hand the outline of a heart with the coulis. A cutout could be used instead:  fold a square of paper toweling in half, trace a semi-heart, cut out, and unfold. Place the template on the plate and paint around it.

Spooning a small amount of coulis onto the centre of a serving plate, I worked the sauce cleanly out to the template edges and repeated the process as needed to complete the outline. The coulis needs to be fairly thin so not only does it stay put but also not to cause displacement when the coeur is positioned. Extra sauce can be served on the side which I did in abundance!

The plate needs to have a flat diameter large enough for the coeur to be amply surrounded by the coulis. If the heart shape does not come out well, then a thicker circular pool of coulis can be done, perhaps on a smaller plate.

Tipping a mold onto my palm, the coeur neatly slipped out, and I carefully lifted off the wet paper towel.  Gingerly supporting the coeur with my fingers, it was placed off-centre with care onto the coulis. I first outlined an off-centre small heart with a tooth pick/skewer, and then carved it out with a teaspoon. The little heart was filled with coulis. I practiced all these steps with a test round.

The coeur à la crème turned out so stupendous that I decided nothing could be more wonderful than sitting on our sofa, spooning this buoyant cloud of creaminess dappled with tart/sweet coulis into my mouth all day long, day after day, for all eternity. Heavenly, my word!

À la prochaine!

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Butternut Squash Gözleme & Fennel Dipping Sauce

An Australian G+ friend recently mentioned gözleme in his stream and having never encountered this less puffy and more conveniently prepared, Middle Eastern version of calzone, I was intrigued. This filled, grilled, and yeasted flat bread is gorgeous Turkish street food. Instead of serving it with ayran, a refreshing yogurt drink, I opted for a thicker dip, replacing the traditional mint with fennel.

A bit of lemon juice squeezed on the gözleme is a nice accompaniment 

My choice of filling and dip was influenced by items found in our potager (fennel, sorrel), root cellar (butternut squash, onion), cupboard (pistachios), and fridge (crème fraîche) and my focus on keeping the taste more Middle Eastern than not.

Ingredients
(makes 32 two-inch gözleme. Any dough/filling not used can be frozen or the recipe could be halved)

• Butternut squash, roasted, pureed, 500 gms/16 fluid ounces (about 1 medium whole squash)
• Onion, 1 small, thinly sliced
• Pistachios, shelled, finely minced, 1 to 2 T
• Sorrel, fresh, a small handful
• Olive oil, 90 ml/3 fluid ounces
• Flour, white, 415 gms/24 fluid ounces
• Yeast, dried, 1 heaping tsp
• Sugar, 1 tsp
• Water, tepid, 275-300 ml/9-10 fluid ounces (depending on the age of flour, fresher requires more fluid)
• Crème fraîche or very thick yogurt, 235 ml/8 fluid ounces
• Fennel, fresh, 1 heaping T
• Garlic, 1 clove, pressed
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Lemon slices

Yes, that is Parmesan in the upper right hand corner, but it is not an ingredient. Don't ask!

How to roast butternut squash is covered here.

While the squash is baking, prepare the dough. Making a well, add the yeast, sugar, and a pinch of salt (a pinch is the amount of salt remaining between your thumb and forefinger once you make the pinch).

Pour on the tepid water which needs to feel lukewarm when tested on the inner part of your wrist. Mix well with a wooden spoon.

Knead dough about ten minutes until it is smooth. If a stand mixer is available just put the ingredients in the mixer's bowl and choose the paddle attachment for kneading. Make sure that the dough is not sticky at all, adding flour if necessary. Put the ball on a lightly oiled plate, cover with a clean, moistened tea cloth/dish towel and place in a warm place (over a heating pad, in a very low oven, over a radiator) until roughly doubled in bulk which should take about thirty minutes.

Scoop out the squash and using a stick mixer or a potato masher/fork puree the flesh.

Moderately carmelise the onions in a small amount of oil for about fifteen minutes. Towards the end, toss in the chiffonade of sorrel (stack washed leaves, trim off the stem end of the pile, roll starting from one side until you have a fat cigar shape, and slice thinly). Stir for a half-minute or until it becomes grey and mushy. It practically evaporates, but does leave behind a nice, lemony accent.

Stir the onion mixture into the squash and toss in the pistachios. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

With a back of a spoon, roughly divide the filling into eight parts.

For the dipping sauce mix together the crème fraîche, fennel, and pressed garlic. Add enough salt to give it a zing.

Briefly knead by hand the dough to get a firm ball, adding flour if it is still sticky. Divide it into eight equal parts. I weighed mine but feel free to eye-ball the approximate size. I won't tell anyone! Dust your work area lightly with flour and roll out into an one-eighth thick circle about six inches in diameter.

The filling is more thickly smeared than it is piled on.

Fold the top edge smack towards the center point of the dough circle and the filling. The goal is to completely encase the stuffing. Follow with a side.

Do the same with the bottom edge.

Finishing up with the remaining side edge, the filling will be nicely enveloped. Lightly press down with your hands to tighten up folds. Repeat with the rest of the dough. Preheat a heavy-bottomed skillet (seasoned cast iron works well) over a medium flame for several minutes.

Coat one surface of the pastry packet well with olive oil.

Flip the oil-coated side of one pastry onto the hot skillet and cook for about three minutes. Apply olive oil onto the top, turning it over to cook for another three minutes. If you want to serve all of them at the same time, keep the already cooked ones warm in a low oven and finish pan-grilling the rest.

Gözleme also resembles stuffed Indian paratha.

Cut each large square into four smaller ones with a sharp knife/pizza cutter. Served hot, the stuffed flat bread was satisfyingly comforting as only fresh bread can be, a bit chewy, a bit gooey, and really lovely! The piquant dip and lemon slices were a nice foil to the filling's nutty sweetness.

The two uncut sides allow you to pick up a square fairly cleanly so it is great finger food

À la prochaine!

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Marinated Roast Loin of Pork with Mushroom Gravy...and smashed potatoes redux

Though the French are fond of simmering pork in milk which ensures moist tenderness, sometimes only roasted pork will satisfy a certain appetite. Since loin pork roasts that come my way usually lack a thick, top layer of fat which would act as a self-basting source, I do two things to keep it from becoming a dry husk of its former succulent self: 1) marinading with olive oil, garlic, thyme, and sage overnight and 2) roasting first at a higher temperature and then halfway through lowering the heat. Tucking some chopped onions and carrots under the meat adds flavour to the gravy while including the liquid from soaking dried Boletus edulis cèpes increases the amount.

 Nicely browned with a thin crackling and redolent of herbs, this roast looks, smells, and tastes delicious

Recipe for mashed potatoes is here

MARINADE (for a roast weighing about a kilogram)

Olive oil, extra virgin, around 4 tsps
Herbs, fresh (I used equal proportions of thyme and sage from our potager), 1 T
Garlic, 2 cloves, pressed
Salt

PORK ROAST
4 generous servings

Loin of pork, boneless, about 1 kg/2.2 pounds in weight
Onion, 1 small, finely chopped, about 2 T
Carrot, 1 small, finely chopped, about 2 T

GRAVY

Cèpes, a small handful
Liquid from soaking cèpes, 16 fluid ounces/455 ml
Drippings from the pork roast, 2 T (if not sufficient, melt enough butter)
Flour, white, 2 T
Carrot & onions roasted underneath the roast
Cream, 1 T
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

The night before make the marinade. Mix the minced herbs, pressed garlic, and olive oil together to get a gloppy paste.

Using your fingers, rub the paste all over the roast--top, bottom, front, back, and sides. Dust the top of the pork lightly with salt. Choose an oven pan that is not much bigger than the roast (to prevent drippings from evaporating/scorching). Cover well with plastic wrap or your fridge will reek from garlic. Reserve overnight.

The next day, preheat oven to 425 degrees F/218 degrees C. Instructions for soaking cèpes are here. Finely chop the carrots and onions and place under the pork, making sure that the veggies are covered by the meat.  If they stray outside the protective cover of the roast they will get carbonised. Put the roast in the oven. 

After about forty-five minutes, lower temperature to 350 degrees F/177 degrees C.  Following about forty minutes, test by piercing the meat and checking the juice which should have a slight tinge of pink (See related post at the end for more information on safely roasting pork without overcooking). Put roast on a warm plate and place a large enough bowl over it to keep it warm while the gravy is prepared. Slice just before serving, making sure any juice that oozes out is added to the gravy.

Transfer the drippings and the veggies (discarding any that got burnt) from the roasting pan into a small saucepan. Add butter if necessary as to get two tablespoons of fat. Stir in two tablespoons of flour to the hot fat and cook for about a minute. Pour slowly, stirring all the while, the liquid from soaking the cèpes. Add the chopped mushrooms. Mix smooth with a hand-held blender. Simmer for a few minutes until thickened. Add the cream and salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Any leftover pork slices can be frozen. Freezing the surplus gravy separately allows a gentle way of reheating the pork: bring the gravy to a simmer first and then add the meat. Within a minute or two, the slices will be ready to serve without much additional cooking which could lessen its tenderness.

A slice or so of roasted pork was reserved to add to stir fry brown rice (recipe is here). I sauteed thinly sliced pork in hot oil briefly, for about a minute.

Reserve them on a plate while finishing the fried rice, tossing in the pork towards the end of cooking.

Our harvest from the previous season is slowly and surely diminishing. The last of the taters went into a skillet of smashed potatoes (recipe is here). Remember to discard any potatoes that have a greenish tint since the skins will be eaten. Omitting onions and mild chili peppers, I used a mix of minced fresh fennel, thyme, rosemary, and sage from our potager. The herbs along with chopped garlic were added after the potatoes were flipped over and close to the end of cooking so as to keep those ingredients from becoming burnt. With freshly grated Parmesan sprinkled over them, this is fast becoming my favourite comfort food.

Fifty percent of the potatoes we eat annually are homegrown!

Our cache of frozen strawberries won't last until this season's harvest, but happily there's enough to last for a few more months. The Calm One makes weekly crepes, and this time we stuffed them with whipped cream and our juicy berries. We then topped them with icing sugar. Pas trop mal!

Eating these delicious berries spurred me to tidy the strawberry beds in anticipation of the harvest starting in late spring. This is the time to order bare-rooted strawberries for late winter/early spring planting. Remember that they are adaptable to growing in pots/barrels and around shrubs because of their pretty flowers, attractive foliage, and gorgeous fruit.

The front end has been weeded and the strawberry plants mounded up to their crowns

The mild, wet winter has encouraged very early sprouting of the rhubarb.

The same weather has allowed the broccoli to stay alive though it is technically mid-winter. Unfortunately the harvest is very light anyway because I just could not keep on top of the ravenous appetite of slugs. Mild, rainy weather does have its disadvantages.

The only flowering is happening on the winter heather.

I have discovered where Elmo the cat lives. Recently, I was returning home from my daily walk and when I was several houses from ours, Mr. Elmoface trotted out from chez lui to greet me. He then followed me to my front door, came in, had a brief rest on the living room rug, meowed plaintively, and hypnotized me to give him a butter pellet and a splash of cream. Then off he went. I got to wonder how many other households are on his feeding itinerary as he is one persuasive feline.

Now tell me those eyes are not mesmerizing! 

À la prochaine!

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Season's Greetings...and a Cuban hot chocolate recipe

The Calm One and I wish you all a very merry holiday. Be with loved ones, take care, and have fun!

I hope I will finally get around to making Vanessa's fantastic caramelo hot chocolate during the holidays. Her recipe is here.

Regular posting will resume in the new year. Bonnes fêtes!