Private Event August 9
Spinach Stuffed Chicken
Balsamic Roasted Vegetables
Fresh Pasta with Browned Butter Sage Sauce
Creme Brule
Fresh Pasta Dough
Yeild: 2 servings
1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon sea salt
Making fresh pasta dough is fun and very easy. Traditionally, the dough is mixed directly on a board or counter but it is acceptable to begin the dough in a bowl to limit the cleanup. Laminate counter tops are fine for kneading dough but natural or engineered stone is best as it is non-porous and maintains constant temperature, especially important when working with yeast doughs.
In a bowl or on a countertop, combine the salt and flour. Using your fingers, create a well in the center of the mound, being sure that the well’s walls are equally thick and high. In a separate container, combine eggs and olive oil. Scramble eggs with a fork to incorporate oil.
Add 1/3 of egg/oil mixture to center of well. Using a swirling motion, pull flour from inner walls of well into eggs and mix until it forms a thick paste. If working on a countertop, be careful not to break through the walls of the well as egg will run out over the work surface. When center is no longer runny, add half of remaining egg mixture and stir to paste. Add remaining liquid and repeat. Continue to mix until fork is no longer effective and then turn dough out onto work surface.
Knead dough by flattening, folding it in half and pressing hard with the palm of your hand. Rotate 90’ and repeat over and over until dough is a consistent color (no patches of flour or egg mixture) and begins to feel springy. Pasta dough should be visibly bumpy but soft and smooth to the touch. To test, press a finger into dough. The depression made by your finger should spring back almost entirely. Flatten dough into a disk 1 ½ inches thick, wrap with saran and place in cooler to rest for 20-30 minutes or until finger divot does not bounce back. This means that the gluten that was excited in the kneading process has relaxed and the dough is ready to be rolled and cut.
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Brown Butter and Sage Sauce
yeild: 2 servings
4 oz unsalted butter, cut in ½ inch cubes
1 tablespoon fresh sage leaves, chopped
½ tablespoon sherry vinegar
Fine sea salt and ground black pepper
Melt butter is a medium skillet at medium-low heat. When butter melts and foam subsides, increase heat to medium. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until butter begins to brown and takes on a light brown color and nutty aroma. Add sage and vinegar.
Spinach and Feta Stuffed Chicken
Ingredients
2 Halal chicken breast
Stuffing
1/2 package frozen spinach
1 tbsp green onion, diced
1/4 tbsp dill
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup feta
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
Seasoning
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp onion powder
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
Directions
For the stuffing, squeeze the liquid from 1 pack of Sno-Pac spinach and pat dry with paper towels. Mix in a bowl with green onion, dill, garlic, feta, and ricotta cheese.
For the chicken, lay out Halal chicken and pound flat, place a scoop of stuffing on the center of the breast and roll together and seal, tying closed with butcher’s twine. OR lay out chicken breast and butterfly, fill the space with stuffing and press closed to seal.
For the seasoning, mix oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika and season both sides of the chicken.
Oil a pan over medium heat and cook chicken breast until all sides are golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and place on a baking sheet and bake in the oven at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, until cooked thoroughly
Roasted Vegetables with Garlic and Balsamic
yield: 2 servings
10-12 oz assorted vegetables ( broccoli, cauliflower, red onion, zucchini or sweet potato)
4 garlic cloves, quartered
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fine balsamic vinegar
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Pinch of ground black pepper or more if preferred
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
In a medium mixing bowl, toss vegetables with garlic, oil, balsamic vinegar salt and pepper until coated. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and roast at 400 until vegetable start to brown. Remove from oven and serve immediately.
Classic Crème Brûlée
yield: 8 servings
4 cups heavy whipping cream
8 large egg yolks
½ cup sugar
2 tablespoons real vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
½ teaspoon lemon zest
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Granulated sugar for Brûlée crust
Preheat oven to 325 degrees
In a small mixing bowl, add egg yolks and beat well, whisking until yolks turn a pale yellow color.
In a Medium saucepan, combine sugar and cream and heat on medium until mixture is approximately 170-180 degrees but do not boil. When steam begins to rise and small bubbles begin to form around the rim of the pan, turn off heat. Move bowl of yolks up against saucepan to limit spillage. Scoop 4 oz of hot liquid with a ladle and drizzle it into yolks while whisking it in. Add another ladle full being sure to whisk as it is poured to prevent eggs from cooking, gradually increasing speed. Repeat until ¾ of liquid has been added and bottom of bowl is hot. Return egg and cream mixture to saucepan and whisk to combine.
Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring cup. Pour 4oz into each ramekin and set in roasting pan. Top off each ramekin with remaining custard. Fill roasting pan with 1 inch hot water around ramekins and place on oven rack in upper 1/3 of oven. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until custard is firm but jiggles when shaken. Remove from water bath and set on cooling rack for 15 minutes, then transfer to cooler to chill.
Sprinkle top of each baked custard with granulated sugar and using a torch, broil sugar until medium brown and bubbling. Let stand 3 minutes for candy crust to harden and serve.
