Warm Leek Salad with Avocado
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Cooking time: 75 minutes for menu 45 to eating starter Cooking schedule: see below for "menu" instructions |
Proper salad season is long past but there are a few winter salads to keep us happy until spring. With all of the wonderful mushrooms at the market I had to take advantage and make the classic Duxelles or Mushroom Sauce. Once again, with a vegetable first course, a vegetable sauce and both tomatoes and onions in the potatoes, I have not made an additional vegetable.
Warm Leek Salad Time: 15 minutes
Leeks belong to the onion family but are much milder. They are used a lot in French cooking and are often seen as a first course. Paired with the Avocado I couldn't resist making this lovely salad.
2 large or 3 medium leeks
2 slices bacon
3 cups chicken stock
1 small, ripe avocado
Vinaigrette
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbs Balsamic vinegar
2 tbs olive oil
Fry bacon until crisp. Remove, drain on paper towels and set aside. Cut root end off leeks. Cut tops leaving 2 - 3 inches (5 - 7.5cm) of pale green. You should have 6 - 7 inches (15 - 17.5cm) of leek. Cut leeks in half the long way and discard outer leaves. Rinse under cool running water fanning the layers a bit to get out any remaining sand. Heat chicken stock in large skillet to a simmer. Lay leeks in a row in the simmering broth. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Cut the avocado in half, remove pit. Remove avocado halves from skin and slice. Fan slices out on two plates. Uncover and remove leeks with a tongs, draining and trying to keep them together. You won't be able to but do the best you can. Divide the leeks and arrange next to avocado slices. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the top, sprinkle with the crumbled bacon and serve. Reserve chicken stock for use all week - it can also be frozen
Vinaigrette
Whisk together mustard and vinegar. Slowly drizzle in olive oil, whisking constantly. Vinaigrette will be thick and creamy.
Veal Chops Duxelles Time: 35 minutes
Fall is the perfect time to make the classic Duxelles or minced mushrooms sauce. With shallots, a bit of wine and tomato, this is an excellent sauce to serve with veal chops. We'll finish it later in the week with chicken breasts
2 veal chops, about 1" (2.5 cm) thick
1 tsp olive oil
Duxelles Sauce
4 - 5 shallots, depending on slice, about 3/4 cup total
4 oz mushrooms, wild or not, try for something flavorful
2 tbs butter
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup beef stock
1 tbs tomato paste
2 tsp parsley
1 tsp rosemary
2 tsp cornstarch (maizena, corn flour) dissolved in 1 tbs white wine or water
For the sauce: Finely chop the shallots and mushrooms. Heat the butter in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat until bubbly. Add the shallots and mushrooms and sauté, until golden brown, 6 - 8 minutes. Add the white wine and scrape up any brown bits. Reduce wine almost completely. Add beef stock, tomato paste and herbs. Stir well, bring to a simmer. Dissolve cornstarch in wine. Stir cornstarch mixture into sauce until thickened. (You may not need all of it.) Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
For the chops: In nonstick skillet large enough to hold both chops heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add chops and brown, about 3 minutes per side. Cover pan, remove from heat and let rest for a few minutes, until done to your preference, 2 - 3 minutes more for pink in the center. Remove chops to a small platter, spoon half the sauce over and serve. Save the other half of the sauce for Monday.
Potato-Tomato Gratin Time: 75 minutes (60 minutes baking time)
We are planning for leftovers with this gratin. I normally use Gruyère in potato gratins but I decided to use something stronger with the sage and tomatoes. Use what ever cheese you like - a sharp cheddar could be good, or Muenster. And, Yes, tomatoes do work well with potatoes!
4 - 5 potatoes, 20 - 24 oz total (650gr)
1 large onion or 2 smaller onions, 12oz total (350gr) if you have a 'half' from Friday use it here
2 - 3 tomatoes, 12 - 14oz total (350-425bg)
2 cloves garlic
1 tbs olive oil
3 - 4 oz strong cheese of choice, I used Tomme shredded or cut into small
pieces
1 tbs dried sage
1/4
cup chicken stock
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Thinly slice the onions and garlic. Heat oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté until tender and just starting to brown. Remove from heat and set aside. With a sharp knife thinly slice the potatoes or use a mandolin (if you think this is a musical instrument, you don't have one. If you want to check them out try Williams-Sonoma.) Slice the tomatoes as thin as the potatoes (you should get 8 - 10 slices per tomato). In a glass baking dish just large enough to hold ingredients (I use an 8" X 11" (20 X 27.5cm) oval baking dish) lay 1/3rd of the potatoes. Spread half of the sautéed onions over the potatoes. Add a layer of tomatoes, touching but not overlapping. Spread half of the cheese on the tomatoes and sprinkle with half of the sage. Repeat once. Top with remaining 1/3 of the potatoes. Pour the stock over all, sprinkle with Parmesan, cover with foil and bake at 425F (220C) for 40 minutes. Remove foil, reduce heat to 400F (200C) and continue baking another 20 minutes. Remove from oven, let rest 5 - 10 minutes, then serve.
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Cooking Schedule: 1 1/4 for menu |
Dissolve cornstarch in wine |
Cooking for Two? Or more?
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