cookbook | Entries tagged with dairy: butter

Ingredients:
1 cup water
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
1 cup all purpose flour
1 good pinch of salt
1 cup eggs (4 large eggs)

Directions:

Preheat oven 425F.

1. In a medium pot, bring the water and butter to a simmer on medium heat. Add the flour and with a wooden spoon or spatula, stir very quickly in one direction. Carefully watch and you'll see that the flour starts absorbing the liquid -- and a dough will form. Keep stirring to continue cooking the flour and cook off some of the water, another minute or two.

2. You can do the next step one of two ways:

Transfer the paste to the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or to a bowl if you're using a hand mixer.
If you want to mix the eggs directly into the dough in the pot, let it cool slightly, 4 or 5 minutes, or cool off the pan itself by running cold water over its base if you will be mixing the eggs in that pot. You don’t want to cook the eggs too quickly.

3. Add the salt and the eggs one at a time mixing rapidly until each is combined into the paste. The paste will go from shiny to slippery to sticky as the egg is incorporated. The pâte a choux can be cooked immediately at this point or refrigerated for up to a day until ready to use.

4. Spoon the dough into a large gallon-sized plastic bag (or piping bag.) Use your hands to squeeze dough towards the bottom corner. With kitchen shears, snip off just the tippy tip of the bag, about 1/4" of the tip. Pipe onto a baking sheet into little puffs, keeping the puffs 2-inches apart. With your finger, press down the peaks (as they can burn.) Bake at 425F for 10 minutes, then 350F for 18-30 minutes, depending on the size of your puffs.

To make gougeres (cheesy poofy puffs)

Stir in 1/2 cup finely grated gruyere cheese (or other grated hard cheese of your choice) + 1 teaspoon kosher/sea salt (1/2 teaspoon fine table salt) - I used a rasp/microplane grater to get ultra-light snowflakes of cheese so as not to weigh down the dough with heavy cheese. You can also sprinkle a bit of the cheese on top of the puffs after you've piped them.

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kate

Mario Batali
Simple Italian Food

serves 6

I first made this dish for a demonstration at a great supermarket in Short Hills, New Jersey, called Kings. Since then I've used it whenever I want to plug Coach Farm's amazing fresh goat cheese.

Filling
3 cups soft goat cheese, preferably Coach Farm
1/4 cup grated pecorino romano cheese
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 extra large egg, lightly beaten
6 scallions, thinly sliced
pinch of grated nutmeg
salt and pepper

1 recipe basic pasta dough

Sauce
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons black olive paste
4 tablespoons slivered oil-packed sundried tomatoes

1/4 cup freshly grated pecorino romano cheese

Make the filling. Combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix until well incorporated. Set aside.

Divide the pasta dough into 4 portions and roll out to a 9x12 inch rectangle on the thinnest setting of the pasta machine. Place 1 sheet of the dough on a lightly floured cutting board. Cut the sheet into thirds lengthwise, then score each length in half and in half again, yielding four 3 inch squares per length of pasta. Cover with a towel.

Place 1 1/2 teaspoons of filling onto each square. Fold opposing corners together to form a triangle, gently pressing out any air between the filling and the pasta dough. If the pasta is a little dry, moisten the edges with a little water to help them adhere. Be certain to seal the ravioli well on both flat sides or they will burst while cooking. Repeat with the remaining sheets of pasta and filling. At the halfway point, check to be sure that you've used half the filling. If not, adjust the quantity of tilling accordingly for the remaining ravioli.

Bring about 6 quarts of water to a boil and add about 2 tablespoons salt.

Make the sauce. Melt the butter with the black olive paste in a 10 inch skillet over medium heat. When it is just starting to bubble, add the tomatoes and remove from the heat.

Gently drop the ravioli into the boiling water and cook 3 to 4 minutes on a low boil, until the pasta is cooked through. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon and add to the skillet with the sauce. Simmer together for 1 minute over low heat; then sprinkle with the grated cheese and place on a warm serving platter.

kate

Mario Batali
Simple Italian Food

serves 4

Each Valentine's Day, Po offers a special menu highlighting the food and wine of Venice, perhaps the most romantic city in the world. This pasta is a consistent winner and, from what I understand, quite an aphrodisiac.

1 pound fresh lump crab meat (not pasteurized)
8 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup basic tomato sauce
1 recipe basic pasta dough, rolled out to thinnest setting on pasta machine
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Bring about 6 quarts of water to a boil and add about 2 tablespoons salt.

In a mixing bowl, stir together the crab, half the scallions, and the tomato sauce until well blended.

Cut the pasta into 4 inch squares and place 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of each square. Fold into triangles, press out any air around the filling, and press to seal the edges. Bring the points of the long side together to form a ring (or a hat) and seal between your fingers.

Drop the tortelloni in the boiling water and cook for 8 to 10 minutes at a high simmer. Meanwhile, in a 10 to 12 inch saute pan, melt the butter with the poppy seeds. Drain the cooked tortelloni carefully and gently place in the pan. Add the remaining scallions and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

kate

Mario Batali
Simple Italian Food

serves 6

The syrupy flavor of the balsamic brown butter makes it an easy sell to children and sweet tooths alike.

Ravioli
1 recipe Basic Pasta Dough

Filling
2 cups cooked white beans
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 egg
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley
salt and pepper

Sauce
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley

Make the filling. Set aside 1 cup of the cooked white beans. Combine the remaining filling ingredients in a food processer and blend until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer the puree to a medium mixing bowl and stir in the reserved white beans. Season to taste.

Divide the pasta dough into 4 equal portions and roll each in a pasta machine on the thinnest setting. Lay out 1 sheet of pasta and cut into 8 pieces 3 1/2 inches square. Place 1 1/2 tablespoons of filling in the center of each square and fold in half diagonally to form a triangle. Press firmly around the edges to seal. Continue with the remaining pasta and filling; you should have 32 ravioli. These can be set aside on a baking tray, the layers separated by a dish towel, in the refrigerator for 6 hours.

Bring about 6 quarts of water to a boil and add about 2 tablespoons salt. Drop the ravioli into the water and cook just below boiling for 3 minutes.

Place the butter in a 10 to 12 inch saute pan and heat until the foam subsides and the butter begins to brown. Turn off the heat and add the balsamic vinegar (careful - it will wpatter).

Remove the ravioli from the cooking liquid with a slotted spoon or strainer and add to the ban with the butter and vinegar. Toss over medium heat and sprinkle with the grated cheese and parsley. Serve immediately.

soleta

Gordon Ramsey & Mark Sargeant
Great British Pub Food

Enjoy these adorable little pies warm or cold with piccalilli or pickled onions and a pint of ale.

makes 8

Hot water crust pastry
250g plain flour
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1 large egg
50g unsalted butter
50g lard
85ml water
1 medium egg yolk, lightly beaten with 1 tbsp water, to glaze

Filling
400g minced pork (roughly equal quantities of belly and shoulder meat)
250g sausagemeat
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tbsp chopped sage
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
5 juniper berries, ground with a pinch of salt
pinch of allspice
sea salt
black pepper

To make the pastry, sift the flour and salt into a large bowl and make a well in the middle. Crack the egg into the well and sprinkle over some of the flour. Put the butter, lard and water into a small pan and heat gently until melted, then bring to the boil. Immediately pour around the edge of the flour and quickly stir together, using a butter knife, to combine. Knead the dough lightly until smooth; it will be quite soft at this stage. Wrap in cling film and chill for at least an hour until firm.

Meanwhile, for the filling, mix all the ingredients together, seasoning well. Divide into 8 portions, about 80g each, and roll into balls. Cut off one-third of the pastry for the pie lids, re-wrap and chill. Roll out the remaining pastry on a lightly floured work surface to the thickness of a £1 coin. Using a saucer, about 11cm in diameter, as a template, cut out 8 circles. Roll out the reserved pastry to the same thickness and cut out 7cm rounds for the lids, using a pastry cutter.

To assemble each pie, places a stuffing ball in the middle of a pastry base and flatten it slightly to get a flat base and straighter sides. Put a pastry lid on top. Brush the pastry base border with egg glaze, then draw up it up around the filling to meet the lid. Curl the edge of the lid up to meet the top inside edge of the pie case and pinch together to seal. Repeat with the other pies, then crimp the edges. Chill until firm.

Preheat the oven to 190°C/Gas 5. Place the pies on a baking sheet and make a hole in the centre of each lid with a skewer. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the setting to 170°C/Gas 3. Brush the pies evenly with egg glaze and bake for a further 10 minutes until cooked. To test, insert a skewer into the centre of a pie for a few seconds; it should feel hot to the touch as you remove it. Transfer the pies to a wire rack to cool.

soleta

Gordon Ramsey & Mark Sargeant
Great British Pub Food

600g firm, waxy potatoes, such as Desirée
3 large onions
100g strong cheddar
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
20g butter, melted
sea salt
black pepper

A pan haggerty consists of potatoes, onions and cheese - simple comforting flavours you'd expect from a local bar. For a more intense flavour, use dripping from the weekend roast in place of butter. We also use gutsy, mature cheese, such as Montgomery or Westcombe cheddar from Somerset.

Peel and thinly slice the potatoes and onions, preferably using a mandoline for the potatoes. Coarsely grate the cheese and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 190°C/Gas 5. Heat the olive oil in a fairly small, ovenproof frying pan, about 20cm in diameter. Add the onions and sweat, stirring frequently, for 6-8 minutes until just softened. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Arrange a layer of potatoes over the base of the pan. Brush with some melted butter and season lightly with salt and pepper, then scatter over a thin later of onions and cheese. Repeat layering the ingredients, making sure that you end up with a layer of cheese-topped potatoes.

Put the pan over a medium-high heat and cook for 2-3 minutes until the bottom layer of potatoes is golden brown. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a small, sharp knife. The cheese topping should be golden; if not, increase the heat to 220°C/Gas 7 and bake for an extra 5 minutes or so.

Leave the pan haggerty to cool slightly for 5 minutes or so. Carefully slide it onto a warm plate, cut into slices, and serve.