Originating in Bologna, Italy, Bolognese sauce refers to an Italian meat based sauce, with a minimal amount of tomato. Bologna is within the region of Emilia-Romagna in Italy, the native home of classic culinary ingredients such as Parmigiano-Reggiano, delicious Balsamic vinegar, Mortadella, and Prosciutto di Parma. Italy, as you know, is a country that takes their food very seriously, and the Accademia Italiana della Cucina, which is the Italian Gastronomic Society, has strict requirements on what dishes can be classified as Bolognese. Their strict ingredient requirements are confined to to beef, pancetta, onions, carrots, celery, tomato paste, meat broth, red wine, and as an option, milk or cream, although traditonal Bolognese dishes frequently include ground pork or ground veal. Here in this video, our beloved chef Mario Batali shares his technique for Ragu Bolognese, a meal close to his Italian roots. This classic Italian pasta dish is simple and requires minimal prep time, but will require an hour and a half of cooking time, and having made it more than once, we can honestly say that it is worthy of every minute. Absolutely give this recipe a try, you will not regret it.
Ah a bit late here, but we couldn’t miss showing you this demonstration of Chef Shannon Shaffer’s Inaugural lunch with the UK’s Guardian correspondent Daniel Nasaw. Chef Shannon prepares a sample of the uber rich seafood stew with Maine lobster, shrimp, and scallops, served in a creamy vermouth cream sauce with a golden puff pastry crust. Check it out here!
Sorry Manhattan style, your thin tomatoey broth just can’t satisfy our wintertime hearty comfort food cravings, New England wins our hearts every time. And here’s a bit of clam chowder trivia for you: in 1939, the state of Maine introduced a law to ban the addition of tomatoes to chowder, considering the act to be a rude gesture against the original legendary recipe!
Chef and fromager Tood Jasmin shares his favorite recipe for a rich classic New England style clam chowder in this video. The recipe can be found here. We recommend skipping the diner style hexagon crackers and serving it up with a nice warm buttered baguette. Enjoy!
We have breakfast on the brain as usual! This is most likely the coolest, most unique, gorgeous breakfast item we’ve ever seen, and is on our agenda for next weekend! Created by Executive Chef Pierre Landet of Cercle Rouge restaurant in Tribeca, a soft boiled egg is coated in textural layers, flour, pork sausage,flour again, beaten egg, and panko bread crumbs. He fries the egg (in a fryer, but a large pot may be used at home), and serves it with a tomato pancetta sauce and garnishes it with fried basil. Check out the video from Real Meals Tv, and view the recipe here.
On a completely unrelated sidenote, I wanted to let you know about fun restaurant review contest! Kang from London Eater is the master of ceremonies, and he’s giving away £ 50 (or about $75 US) for a restaurant review, which his readers will vote on! The contest ends on Valentines Day, read more about it here.
Bacon heaven! Watch as Chef Leanne Wong prepares Chef Tre Wilcox’s winning dish from season 3 of Bravo Tv’s Top Chef. This decadent meal is bacon wrapped shrimp over grilled corn and cheddar grits with a chipotle tomato sauce.
While you’re on a bacon kick, also feel free to watch chef Eric Ripert prepare bacon wrapped figs!
18 pc black tiger shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2T Kosher salt
9 bacon slices
2t cracked black pepper
Grapeseed oil for searing
For the Grits:
2qt chicken stock
1qt milk
1/4 stick unsalted butter
1qt instant grits
2 cups grilled corn kernels
1 cup poblano peppers, small diced
2 cups aged white cheddar cheese
3T chopped cilantro
2T Kosher salt
2T cracked black pepper
For the Chipotle-Tomato Butter:
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
2T chopped garlic
3 Roma tomatoes, chopped
3T chipotle peppers (in Adobo)
1t black peppercorns
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 lemon, juiced
2t Kosher salt
Wrap each shrimp with a half piece of bacon. Season with salt and pepper. Sear each shrimp in grapeseed oil till crispy on both sides.
Using a deep saucepot combine chicken stock and milk. Bring to a simmer, add butter, and allow time for it to dissolve. Slowly whisk in grits a little at a time. When grits begin to thicken, lower heat. Switch to a spatula and fold in the rest of the ingredients. Adjust for addition seasonings if needed. If grits are too thick, add more chicken stock or milk.
In a saucepot, sauté onions and garlic over medium heat. Next, add tomatoes, chipotle peppers and peppercorns. Continue to cook for another three minutes. Deglaze with chicken stock and lower heat. Cook for 5 minutes then place in a blender; blend till smooth. Place liquid back in saucepot and over low heat mount with butter, whisking in a little at a time. Add cilantro and season with lemon juice and salt. Turn off heat and allow 5 minutes to steep cilantro. Strain through fine mesh strainer and reserve warm till time to serve.
Place small amount of grits in the center of a large plate. Drizzle sauce around grits. Place three pieces of shrimp around grits, and serve.
Here’s an afterthought: bacon has hit the big time lately, achieving hipster status. Bacon bourbons and vodka, bacon ice cream, bacon popcorn, and even bacon bloggers, are just a few of the bacon candidates adoring the spotlight. Dan Phillips, CEO of the Bacon of the Month Club, says “Bacon is the chocolate of the new millennium”. We all agree that bacon is delicious, but, what do you think of this bacon bonanza? Overplayed or well deserved? Let us know in the comments!
In Italian, affogato literally means “drowned”. In the culinary world, an affogato refers to a desert topped with espresso, which may be ice cream, but is typically either vanilla bean or bitter chocolate gelato. Originally from Milan, this warm and cold treat is basically an ice cream sundae for adults. Giada makes a unique gingerbread flavored affogato in this video, perfect for a Christmas Eve dessert. And you may be pleased with the espresso buzz as you wrap presents late into the night!
Here is the recipe courtesy of The Food Network:
Syrup:
Espresso: (We admit to being true coffee snobs, and strongly recommend making espresso the traditional way, instead of instant.)
* 1/2 cup boiling water
* 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
* 1 to 2 tablespoons hazelnut liqueur (recommended: Frangelico), optional
* 1 pint vanilla gelato or ice cream
Directions
For the syrup: In a small saucepan, combine the water, sugar, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved. Take the pan off the heat and allow the syrup to cool, about 20 minutes. Remove the ginger, cinnamon, and cloves and discard.
Espresso: In a 1 cup glass measuring cup, whisk together the boiling water, espresso powder, and liqueur, if using, until the powder is dissolved.
Scoop the gelato into 4 dessert bowls or glasses. Pour 1/4 cup of the syrup and 2 tablespoons espresso over each. Serve immediately.
Jacques Pépin is truly one of our favorite chefs of all time. Author of 25 cookbooks and host of over 300 cooking shows on public television, his elegant recipes and detailed instructions command a deep level of respect from both home cooks and culinary experts throughout the world.
In this video from Food & Wine magazine, Jacques and his daughter Claudine prepare a 10 minute recipe of cured salmon gravlax pizza, a quick and delicious appetizer that would bring holiday cheer to your Christmas party with minimal effort!
What is gravlax you ask? Scandinavian in origin, gravlax literally translates to “salmon dug into the ground”. In the middle ages, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian and Estonian fisherman had a special technique to cure their freshly caught salmon. They salted it and fermented it (to preserve the fish) by burying it into the sand for several days. Modern preparation of gravlax is much simpler, thinly sliced salmon is simply cured with a dry rub of salt, sugar, and often dill.
Jacques Pépin’s recipe for salmon gravlax pizza calls for the following ingredients: thinly sliced raw salmon, kosher salt, pepper, brown sugar, sour cream, horseradish, a cooked thin pizza crust (you may use a frozen pizza dough to prepare this), thinly sliced red onion, black olives, capers, and basil.
Salmon Gravlax Pizza
Chef Jacques Pepin
For the gravlax:
½ pound skinless boneless salmon fillet
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 ½ teaspoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
A little oil
For the pizza:
1 flour tortilla
Olive oil
¼ cup sour cream
1 tablespoon horseradish, homemade or store-bought
¼ cup red onion, sliced very thin
6 black oil-cured olives, pitted and cut into pieces
7 or 8 fresh basil leaves
Fleur de sel, for garnish
Directions
For the gravlax, cut the salmon into 8 thin slices, and arrange them in a single layer on a flat plate or platter. Mix together the kosher salt, light brown sugar, and freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle half of this mixture evenly over the salmon slices, turn the slices over, and sprinkle with the remaining seasoning mixture. Spread a thin coating of oil on the slices, just enough to make the salmon shiny, and press a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the salmon. Refrigerate to cure; it will be ready in an hour or less, although you can leave it overnight or even up to a day. (We are using only 4 slices of gravlax on our pizza. Make a second pizza, or enjoy the leftover gravlax with cucumber and/or sliced onion and buttered black bread.)
Preheat the oven to 500°F. Precook the tortilla for this pizza. Coat the tortilla with olive oil, using about ½ teaspoon on each side. Place the oiled tortilla on a cookie sheet and, to prevent it from curling up and bubbling in the oven without the weight of toppings to hold it down, place a rack or cake stand upside down directly on top of the tortilla. The rack will hold it flat as it cooks. Bake for about 5 minutes to brown the tortilla nicely and make it crisp. Let cool before continuing.
When the tortilla is cool, coat with the sour cream, and then spread on the horseradish. (My friend Claude has enormous and pungent horseradish in his garden that he peels, grates, and puts in a jar with a little vinegar, salt, and water.) Arrange 4 slices of gravlax on top, so the salmon covers most of the surface, although it’s attractive if a little sour cream shows through here and there. Sprinkle the sliced red onion on top, and then scatter the olives over the surface. Finally, coarsely tear the basil leaves into pieces, and top the pizza with the basil. Cut the pizza into 8 pieces. Sprinkle with fleur de sel.
Fully obsessed with Season 5 of Bravo’s Top Chef, tonight we became equally fully obsessed with Fabio’s “Spherical Olives”. What are they and what gives them their outside shell and liquid center? After a quick visit with Google, we found this video from the genius chemist and chef Ferran Adria from El Bulli restaurant in Spain, where he demonstrates to Mark Bittman his special science using a recipe of calcium + alginate to create the magical olives.
Chef Fabio Viviani recreated these mysterious gems in his Top Chef winning beef carpaccio recipe, and Lee Anne from the French Culinary Institute in NYC shows us his technique in this video.
We also found an interesting post here from the chefs at the Ideas in Food blog, where they discuss encapsulation, play with chemicals, and create yogurt orbs. Is this type of food preparation natural? Not really. Is it fun and incredibly creative? Absolutely!
Beef Tenderloin Carpaccio with Arugula, Roasted Pine Nuts, Aged Parmesan Cheese, Spherical Kalamata Olives and Aged Balsamic Vinegar
Chef Fabio Viviani
Prep Time: About 2 hours
Serves: 3-4
Directions:Beef Tenderloin Carpaccio:
1. Slice the meat.
2. Display and season the arugula, shaved cheese, toast the pine nuts.
Kalamata Olives:
1. Mix first three ingredients together, let rest for three hours.
2. Mix water and algimate together, let rest for 3 hours.
3. Scoop first mixture into second mixture.
4. Let rest 3 minutes.
Note: Xanthan gum is not strictly necessary, but it can be used as a thickener. You can also use a thicker puree and it will work as well. Without the gum you will have to keep the olive in the solution for longer, around 5-6 minutes.
1 lb. tenderloin.
4 oz. parmesan, aged 5 years
6 balsamic vinegar, aged 6 years
8 oz. arugula
8 oz. pine nuts
olive oil
salt and pepper
kalamata olives
Colorful, warm, hearty, vegetarian and simple, Mark Bittman‘s artichokes provençal is a strong contender for the perfect holiday appetizer. In this video, Bittman shares his special recipe of braised baby artichokes, garlic, black olives, thyme, and small tomatoes garnished with parsley. Serve it with slices of warm buttered baguette, and prepare yourself for praise!
Our series of holiday appetizer videos are designed to help your winter party be the smash of the season! Serving a variety of gourmet appetizers will ensure you please the pickiest Christmas party epicures, and we love this video featuring Italian chef Mateo from Academia Barilla whipping up a decadent yet simple Italian eggplant and prosciutto starter. Check it out!
Rolled eggplant with prosciutto and pecorino cheese
Chef Mateo Carboni
Serves 4
1 eggplant,
12 slices ham (prosciutto)
3 oz Academia Barilla Pecorino Gran Cru (an Italian sheeps milk cheese)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
chives to taste
salt to taste
Preparation
30 minutes preparation
First slice the eggplants, then spread some extra virgin olive oil on both sides of each slice before grilling them for two minutes max on a pre-heated grill.
While the eggplant slices are still hot off the grill, sprinkle some grated Pecorino cheeses, then pair the slice with a slice of Prosciutto di Parma, and carefully roll them together, using chives to secure each roll, adding a final touch of flavor and presentation.
A 9 hour drive in the Colorado mountains is a humbling experience. On the way home, driving through intermittent snowstorms, icy roads, and several “almost” accidents, thanks were given, once again. Thankful that the little Mazda in front of us swerved off to the right on the ice. Thankful that the rock split the windshield towards the bottom , not affecting visibility. Thankful for our sweet, silly, family. And thankful that, after all is said and done, the drive was worth it. Wandering off in thought from the sleepy ipod audiobook, our thoughts turned to warm comfort food, in particular, soup, served with an equally comforting piece of baguette. What do we still have at home? What could we create? The beauty of soup is that all that is required is a creative mind and a few ingredients, it’s like art in a pot!
Tonight we chose pea soup with our baguette, and to stir your creative visions we bring you this video from chef Jason Hill, serving up a piping hot classic split pea recipe. Ingredients include: 1 lb of dried split peas, half an onion, 2 carrots, 2 celery stalks, 2 cloves of garlic, bacon, a bay leaf, chicken stock or bullion mixed with water, and whatever your inventive mind desires to add. You could substitute ham for the bacon, or easily make the soup vegetarian by omitting the meat.
Lately videos from “The Icelandic Chef” have been appearing in the food video world. Set with a backdrop of the breathtaking coast of Iceland, his videos feature him collecting his own food wearing chunky wool, and preparing it outside of his scenic RV camping spot on the shore. Who is this vagabond culinary expert? Is he really a chef? Savory Tv had to know! It turns out his name is as exotic as his image, Volundur Snaer Volundarson, and he is otherwise known as “Chef Worly”. He was raised in northern Iceland, and is quite the seasoned chef indeed. He has also authored a book entitled “Delicious Iceland: Tales of Unique Northern Delicacies”, which the publisher describes as “a glorious culinary and cultural tour”. You can read more about Chef Worly and his award winning book on his professional site here, and visit his blog for original recipes here.
This video features the Icelandic Chef whipping up a simple but delicious looking recipe of steamed mussels with light beer, ginger, red onion, jalapeno, sweet red pepper, tomato, butter, cream, and thyme.
Hostess Marlie from Chic Tv and Chef Patrick Vaccariello from Gold Street restaurant in NYC team up in this video and show us how to prepare a mac and cheese dish that is anything but ordinary. Chef Patrick’s transformation features brie, shitake mushrooms, shallots and white truffle oil, and the final result is a delicious gourmet treat, worthy of every extra minute on the treadmill!
Our friend Chef Niall Harbison from Ifoods Tv has a perfect moist roasted turkey recipe, just in time for the holidays! Niall’s recipe includes a delicious stuffing, made with cognac, port, chestnuts, and apples, and he shows us his technique for roasting a 6 lb turkey with vegetables. He finishes the turkey with a savory dressing made from homemade stock. We have been lusting for it just from viewing the video, and with Niall’s culinary expertise this recipe is guaranteed to be a winner! The recipe can be viewed here, and the stock recipe for the gravy is here.
You can do it, really you can, and it’s not that difficult. If you never cooked a turkey in the past, or perhaps had a subpar turkey experience, this year is different. Chef Scott from Le Petit Chateau guides you through the basics in this easy to follow video recipe for roasting the perfect Thanksgiving turkey.
First, brine the turkey. Why brine? Because it adds moisture and flavor to your turkey. Wikipedia has a great explanation of the chemistry here. Mix 2 cups of salt mixed with 2 gallons of hot or boiling water (or an appropriate ratio, 1 cup of salt per gallon of water), making sure the salt is completely dissolved. Let the salt water mixture cool and soak your turkey in the mixture using a large soup stock pot or a large roasting pan, making sure the entire bird is covered. Let the turkey soak for 1 hour per pound of turkey, in the refrigerator. You will to do this the night before Thanksgiving. On Thanksgiving day: Before you are ready to roast, discard the salt water, rinse and dry the turkey. If you wish to try a fancier version of brining, chef Scott has a special version using sugar and bourbon found in this video.
The rest is easy.
You will need, in addition to the brined turkey: onions, carrots, thyme, oil, butter, salt, pepper, and trussing string.
Into your roasting pan, add onions, and carrots, celery, and tyme, place the turkey on top of the veggies and herbs, twine the turkey per chef Scott’s instructions, brush it with an oil and butter mixture, add salt, pepper, and 2 inches of water to the bottom of the pan. Cook as directed for the weight of your bird, basting every hour or so. Check the temperature on the back of the breast with a simple meat thermometer, Scott chooses 155 as the perfect temperature before pulling it out of the oven, as the meat will continue to cook even after it is out of the oven. If you are a directions follower, simply follow the directions per pound for your bird. Dinner is served, take a bow, and relax!
Nothing pipes up a chilly fall morning more than breakfast in bed! We love this decadent video and recipe from Chef Michael Harris of Red Roze Catering, featuring strawberry Grand Marnier crepes topped with whipped cream and a vanilla bean. The delicious morning aroma of this sweet breakfast cooking surely will wake up sleeping beauty immediately!
“How do they taste? They taste like more.”
H.L. Mencken
INGREDIENTS
For the Strawberries Grand Marnier Liqueur:
15 fresh strawberries, quartered
6 oz sugar
1 shot of Grand Marnier
For the Crepe Batter:
2 cups of flour
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of milk
1/4 cup of lukewarm water
2 eggs
Butter or non-stick cooking spray, and use a good nonstick pan for the crepes.
Preparation
1. Pour sugar over strawberries, mix with Grand Marnier and let sit for 15 minutes.
2. Mix crêpe batter ingredients in a mixing bowl. Batter should be smooth, be sure to remove any lumps.
3. Heat non-stick pan over medium-high heat, use butter to coat pan surface.
4. Pour enough batter to cover the bottom of the pan using a ladle or measuring cup, starting at the center. Cook until golden brown on the bottom and then flip with spatula.
5. Fill crepe center with some strawberries while the crepe is cooking.
6. Add Grand Marnier and flambé until liqueur cooks out and there is no longer a flame. Serve crêpes topped with ripe strawberries and whipped cream.
Cranberries really are given a bad rap. Memories of the canned version at Thanksgiving, reminiscent of jello are partially to blame, and sadly, this side dish has been discarded from many a modern Thanksgiving holiday.
We say give chutney a chance! What is chutney, exactly? Originating in India, chutney is typically defined as a sweet and spicy condiment made of fruits or vegetables, vinegar, sugar and spices. Chutney can be made with mango, apricots, tomatoes or coconut, and spiced with spices such as nutmeg, coriander, or mint, just to name a few of the thousands of ingredient variations. Typically made fresh in India, the type of chutney that is made depends on the ingredients in the local harvest, and they were often not cooked, but infused in the hot Indian sun for several days until the desired flavor and texture were reached. This method is known to still prevail in today’s Indian kitchens that do not have stoves.
Recently we’ve discovered a delightful Indian Chef by the name of Sanjay Thumma, who is quite the celebrity in India. Thousands of his recipes and videos can be found on his site here, and we especially love his version of cranberry chutney in this video.
Cranberry Chutney
INGREDIENTS:
1 pint of fresh cranberries
3 to 4 chopped green chillies
2″ piece of ginger sliced
2 cloves of garlic chopped (optional)
3 to 4 sprigs of green coriander finely chopped
1-2 tbsp of jaggery or sugar (this is an unrefined cane sugar common in India, you may substitute with brown sugar.)
1 tsp of cumin seeds
Salt to taste
1 tbsp of oil
DIRECTIONS:- Heat some oil in the pan and add cumin seeds. When they crackle, add the sliced ginger
and chopped garlic. Then add the cranberries and green chillies.
Let it cook on medium heat until they are completely cooked and cranberries are softer. Now add the chopped coriander.
Cover the pan with a lid and let it cook. Add some water in between as needed.
Add the salt to taste and the jaggery (or brown sugar) to taste.
When completely cooked put the mixture in the blender and blend it to fine paste.
Also be sure to see our other posted cranberry chutney recipe from Chef Chef Suvir Saran of Dévi restaurant in NYC.
Also spotted in the blogosphere: a delicious cranberry apple chutney recipe here, from Think Inside The Icebox. The famous food blogger Orangette has a cranberry, ginger, and dried cherries version found here, which received rave comment reviews. Whichever recipe you choose, cranberry chutney will be a shining star on your table served as a side dish, over turkey slices, or over warm bread.
Central Italy: Le Marche, Lazio, Umbria, and Tuscany, 4 regions of delicious Italian food history. Here the summers are hot and long, and home to Italian delights such as the grain farro, the spice saffron, chestnuts, white beans, and truffles, and the world’s finest olive oils.
And here we find the origins, and fables, of Bruschetta.
The most common bruschetta legend is that olives harvested in November and December were taken to the local central Italian mill for pressing, the mill having a burning fireplace. The presenters to the mill brought local Italian bread, grilled it on the fireplace and rubbed it with garlic. The toasty bread served as a canvas to test, and to show off their prized oils.
Or a less romantic story is from “The Dictionary of Italian Food and Drink” by writer John Mariani, stating “”Bruschetta. Toasted bread, often rubbed with garlic and drizzled with olive oil. Also schiena d’asino, soma d’aj in the south, and fettunta in Tuscany. Bruschetta has always been a way to salvage bread that was going stale by adding oil and seasonings. Sometimes the bread is entirely immersed in oil, but usually the oil is poured on the top after the bread is rubbed with a garlic clove. In recent years adding toppings, particularly chopped onions and tomatoes, has become popular in restaurants.”
Rumors and legends aside, Bruschetta wins our heart. Tuscan Chef Gabriele Corcos with his beautiful wife Debi Mazar have won our heart as well, with their delicious video version of Bruschetta with a surprising twist!
Check out all of their delicious recipes and fall in love with them here, at Under The Tuscan Gun.
BRUSCHETTA WITH SAUSAGE, BRIE CHEESE AND FRESH HERBS
Gabriele Corcos – Under The Tuscan Gun
Serves: 6
Prep Time: 5
Cooking Time: 15 min. for the sausage sauce + 5 min. in the broiler
Ingredients
6 slices of bread
2 pork sausages (mild or hot according to taste)
¼ Lb of Brie Cheese (or other semi-soft cheese)
¼ Red Onion
1 Handful of Rosemary
1 Handful of Sage
½ Glass of White Wine
Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper
How to:
-getting ready-
Chop the Onion finely and rinse the herbs thoroughly. Chop the sage finely.
Slice the bread.
Pop the wine open and start sipping!
Cooking your dish
Open the Sausages and sauté the meat with the onion in a tablespoon of olive oil for about 5 minutes in a medium sized non stick pan, until the meat starts browning.
Add the half glass of wine, the rosemary and the sage.
Cook for about 5-7 minutes, until the wine has been completely absorbed, take off the fire and set aside.
Toast your bread on a fire grill, in a toaster or on the barbecue; do not use a sandwich press, otherwise you will make crackers.
Note: the correct pronunciation of bruschetta is “broo-sketta”. If the video was not clear enough, here is a sample sound clip from an Italian female that should help you say it the right way:
Autumn has arrived in full swing and we find ourselves betraying our favorite summer foods like a wicked adulteress. We’ve been ditching salads, ignoring the barbecue, and even walking away from one of our best friends, sushi. Instead, our fickle appetites have found a new love, warm and hearty comfort foods. This week our new love is soup, and today, we have a crush on French onion soup.
Made of beef broth, onions, croutons, and cheese, this ancient soup has enjoyed a rebirth beginning in the 1960’s when French food came into vogue in America (I believe we were late to the party!).
Where did it come from? Although onions have always been a staple among poverty stricken diners since ancient Roman times, ironically French onion soup was presumed to have been invented by French royalty, King Louis the XV. The story is that, in his hunting lodge, alone with only onions, butter, and champagne (poor thing), he created the world’s first French Onion Soup.
Overrated, too popular, too trendy, so over. Such are the harsh words brought up by creme brulee, or crème brûlée properly written in French.
Au contraire says Savory Tv! Besides the fact that we are hopeless romantics and love this creme brulee screenshot from the film Amelie , here are our reasons:
Creme brulee is a classic, perfect, delicious french dessert. So classic, in fact, that it dates back to the year 1691, when the recipe was first displayed in the cookbook by François Massialot. François was a talented Parisian chef who cooked for several members of the French royal circle. Translated to “burnt cream” in French, creme brulee’s rich vanilla custard contrasts beautifully with it’s crispy caramelized topping, making it a perfect ending for your meal. And here’s the best part, you now have an excuse to buy a Crème Brûlée Torch!
Choose a classic recipe such as this one from Canadian Chef Michael Smith, or mix it up with a creative version using butternut squash as shown in this video and recipe by our friend Chef John Mitzewich. Either way your friends will adore you. As they should.
Caramel Crème Brûlée
Chef Michael Smith
* 1 cup plus 6 tbsp of sugar
* 1/2 cup of water
* 2 cups of milk
* 1 cup of 35% whipping cream
* 1 tablespoon vanilla
* pinch of salt
* 8 egg yolks
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Make a caramel with 1 cup of sugar and the water by placing them in a large saucepot and bringing to a boil without stirring. The sugar will dissolve and begin to bubble. Let it boil for about 5 minutes, watching carefully as the water boils off and it begins to turn yellow. Gently swirl until the sugar turns an even golden. Take it off of the heat before it gets brown. Quickly pour the milk and cream into the caramel along with the vanilla and salt and whisk until incorporated.
3. Whisk eggs and then slowly pour the caramel mixture into them, a little at a time, whisking constantly.
4. Pour into 6 ramekins or crème brulee dishes and bake in a hot water bath in the oven for 30 minutes, or until edges are set and centre is slightly jiggly.
5. Just prior to serving, sprinkle with the remaining sugar and caramelize with a blowtorch.
