Chocolate Pecan Pie Attempt by the Yens

We started out with making the crust. From experience, we have found that our pie dough recipe sometimes ends up flaky and deliciously buttery and sometimes it ends up tough and hard to bite into. So, we decided to experiment and try a version of the Cook’s Illustrated Pie Dough recipe. Since they use shortening in their recipe which we don’t like to use, we decided to stick with the Gourmet Pastry Dough recipe with one exception. Vodka. We’ve learned a clever trick that Cook’s Illustrated has taught us which was to use half water and half vodka in the dough. This allows you to get the moisture you need initially to roll out the dough yet not adding too much water content which will result in a tough crust. The alcohol will eventually evaporate, thus, never intruding in on flavor.

As stated earlier, we followed the Gourmet Pastry Dough recipe except for the ice water part where we had a little dipping bowl of half water and half vodka with a couple cubes of ice. When it came to adding the tablespoons of water, we carefully added a tablespoon one at a time until the dough held together nicely. Then we gathered the dough together and made a disc. Wrapped that in saran wrap and refrigerated for at least 1 hour.

Next, the filling. We started out toasting the pecans. I've toasted a lot of nuts in my life and have made the mistake of burning the nuts too many times. This time I was careful to watch the nuts in the oven. As they started to smell toasted and look toasted, I pulled them out.

For the chocolate, we used the Trader Joe's 72% Cacao Pound Plus Belgium Chocolate. Since we had a digital scale which really comes in handy at times, we weighed approximately 4 oz of chocolate.

I've learned another trick from one of my good pastry chef friends. In order to avoid getting any water near the melted chocolate which causes the melted chocolate to seize, you can just melt the shaving in a bowl in the microwave. For this, I just tossed all of the shaving in a ceramic bowl and microwaved on high for 1 minute. Then I stirred the partially melted chocolate until all of the shavings were fully melted.

For the rest of the ingredients, we just piled them in a bowl and vigorously stirred the wet ingredients.

Next, we rolled out the dough which was at a great consistency- not too sticky or dry.

Then trimmed the sides, poured in the chocolate, pecans, and filling. We brushed the sides with an egg wash and then popped the pie into the oven for 60 minutes. In the end, I think 60 minutes was just a bit too long. The filling was okay but a bit on the dry side. I think 50 minutes would be just perfect. Next time, I would also chopped up the pecans into smaller pieces. Half of a pecan is too big for easy pie cutting.

Bittersweet Chocolate Pecan Pie

Bittersweet Chocolate Pecan Pie

Serves8

• Active time:40 min
• Start to finish:3 hr (includes making pastry)

November 2007

Here we’ve taken pecan pie above and beyond its usual corn-syrupy incarnation. A layer of bittersweet chocolate adds richness to the dessert while simultaneously balancing its sweetness. And an abundance of pecans makes for a supremely satisfying filling.

• 1 (3 1/2- to 4-oz) fine-quality 60%- to 70%-cacao bittersweet chocolate bar, finely chopped
• Pastry dough
• 2 cups pecan halves (7 oz), toasted and cooled
• 3 large eggs
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup dark corn syrup

• Accompaniment:

  lightly sweetened whipped cream

• Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle.
• Melt chocolate in a metal bowl set over barely simmering water, stirring. Remove from heat.
• Roll out dough into a 13-inch round on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin. Fit into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim excess dough, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Fold overhang under and press against rim of pie plate, then crimp decoratively.
• Spread chocolate in bottom of pie shell with back of spoon and let it set, then cover with pecans.
• Whisk together eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a bowl, then whisk in corn syrup and pour over pecans.
• Bake pie until filling is puffed and crust is golden, 50 to 60 minutes. (If pie is browning too fast after 30 minutes, loosely cover with foil.) Cool pie on a rack to warm or room temperature. Serve with whipped cream.

Cooks’ note: Pie can be baked 1 day ahead and chilled, uncovered, until cool, then covered. Reheat in a 350°F oven until warm, about 10 minutes.


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Pastry Dough

Makesenough for 1 (9-inch) single-crust pie or 1 (9- to 11-inch) tart shell

• Active time:10 min
• Start to finish:1 1/4 hr

November 2007

Basic is best when it comes to piecrust. There’s no need to fiddle with this multipurpose flaky pastry.

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 to 5 tablespoons ice water

• Equipment:

  a pastry or bench scraper

• Blend together flour, butter, and salt in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) just until mixture resembles coarse meal with some small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps. Drizzle 3 tablespoons ice water evenly over mixture and gently stir with a fork (or pulse) until incorporated.
• Squeeze a small handful of dough: If it doesn’t hold together, add more ice water, 1/2 tablespoon at a time, stirring (or pulsing) until incorporated. Do not overwork dough, or pastry will be tough.
• Turn out dough onto a work surface. Divide dough into 4 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather all dough together with pastry scraper. Press into a ball, then flatten into a 5-inch disk.
• Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 1 hour.

Cooks’ notes:

• If you’re making two desserts that call for this pastry dough, you can make a double batch.
• Pastry dough can be chilled up to 2 days or frozen, wrapped well, up to 3 months.

P&J's Oysters Rockefeller

"As I ate the oysters with their strong taste of the sea and their faint metallic taste that the cold white wine washed away, leaving only the sea taste and the succulent texture, and as I drank their cold liquid from each shell and washed it down with the crisp taste of the wine, I lost the empty feeling and began to be happy and to make plans."

— Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast

P&J Oyster Company was present at the creation of many legendary dishes of New Orleans' Creole cuisine. One such is the most famous oyster dish of them all – Oysters Rockefeller, invented in the 1880s at Antoine's by the restaurant's proprietor, Jules Alciatore. The appetizer was considered so rich that it had to be named after the richest man of the day, John D. Rockefeller. Al Sunseri of P&J has his own way with Oysters Rockefeller. While his grandfather, Alfred, was a close friend of the Alciatore family, the secret recipe was never divulged.

Suggested Pairing: Blanc de blanc Champagne

...and this is for lagniappe, because we can't very well have a New Orleans night without the official cocktail of NOLA – the Sazerac. We'll be preparing it as a bonus, paired with raw oysters as an accompaniment.

Serving Size: 12 appetizers / 6 main-course servings

• 48 shucked fresh oysters, with bottom shells reserved
• The juices ("liquor") from the oysters
• 2 (10-ounce) packages frozen spinach, thawed
  
• 1 bunch green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 celery stalks, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1/4 head iceberg lettuce, cut into medium chunks
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
• 1 cup grated Pecorino-Romano cheese
• 1/2 cup Italian-style bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup anisette liqueur, such as Herbsaint or Pernod
• Juice from 1 lemon
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preparation Notes:

• The most practical approach to preparing oysters on the half-shell, whether they're to be served cold or hot, is to assemble a "tray" in advance that can be used to cook them or serve them – or both. Spread a 3/4-inch bed of rock salt evenly onto a large rimmed platter or baking pan. Firmly set the shells into the salt. This not only stabilizes the shells so that they won't tip, but the salt also helps retain both heat and cold. Cover the tray with plastic wrap and store at room temperature; or, if the oysters are to be served cold, chill the tray in the refrigerator before serving.
• Create both mixes in advance in separate bags, and place them in the refrigerator until ready to bake. On serving day, go to the fishmonger, get him to shuck some oysters for you (or master the art yourself!) and hook you up with crushed ice or rock salt. At home, distribute the two mixes on top and bake.
  

Preparation:
Prepare a sufficient number of half-shell trays to hold 48 oyster bottom shells, as described above, using oven-proof baking pans or rimmed baking sheets. Set aside.

Strain the oysters over a bowl to remove grit and to separate them from the liquor. Set the oysters and the liquor aside.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

Squeeze as much water as possible from the thawed spinach and chop it finely.

In a food processor, pulse the green onions, celery, and lettuce until finely chopped.

In a large saucepan, heat the butter over medium-low heat. Add and sauté the chopped vegetables and spinach for about 10 minutes, stirring. Stir in the cheese and bread crumbs. (The mixture will be very thick.)

In a separate saucepan, poach the oysters in their liquor over medium-low heat until their edges just begin to curl, 3 to 4 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the oysters from the saucepan to a bowl and discard the poaching liquid.

Place one oyster on each of the bottom shells on the prepared half-shell tray(s) and cover each with a spoonful of the sauce. Bake until the oysters are bubbly and the topping begins to brown, about 10 minutes. Remove the oysters from the oven and sprinkle a dash of Herbsaint and a few drops of lemon juice on top of each. Serve immediately.

Recipe Source:
The P&J Oyster Cookbook, by Kit Wohl and the Sunseri Family

Recommended Reading:

• Oyster Selection & Storage Tips (About.com)
• Oyster Cooking Tips (About.com)
  
• What was really in the originally recipe...? (Lindaraxa's Garden)
• Suggested Wine Pairings with Regional Oyster Varietals (Novus Vinum)

Crawfish Etouffee -- A Louisianna Classic

Recipe serves 8-12 people

Ingredients:
2 lbs crawfish tail meat
(Group 1)
1 stick of butter (1/4 cup)
1 cup onions, finely chopped
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
1/2 cup green bell peppers, finely chopped
1/2 cup red bell peppers, finely chopped
1/2 cup tomatoes, coarsely chopped
2 bay leaves
2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped (more, if you like)

2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 cup flour
1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped
1 oz. sherry
1 cup green onions, sliced
8 cups seafood/shrimp stock [can substitute 4 cups of chicken broth with 4 cups of water]
Salt
Pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preparation:
Melt butter in pan over medium heat, without browning.

Add Group 1 to butter and sautee for 5-7 minutes over medium-high heat.

Add flour to create white rue. Mix until well-combined and cooks away rawness of flour (approximately 1 minute). Then, add crawfish meat and tomato paste, stirring constantly over medium-high heat. Slowly add stock, about 1 cup at a time, stirring between each pour. Stir until you have a thick, sauce-like consistency. (You might not use all the stock.) Then, bring to a boil and let simmer. Add stock, as necessary to maintain consistency (similar to thick clam chowder) and simmer for about 30 minutes.

Salt, pepper and cayenne to taste.

Add sherry, parsley and green onions over medium heat for about 5 minutes.

Serve with rice and Tobasco sauce.

Recipe by ScooterSMcGee on YouTube video

Tip: As with most Cajun/Creole food, etouffee is better cooked, cooled and reheated so flavors can merry.

Note: About half of the recipes we read include some Worcestshire Sauce, thyme, and/or lemon juice. We will experiment with the original recipe and may add these for round 2.
If you REALLY want wonderful flavor and make more of this dish from scratch, here is a shrimp stock recipe that sounds like it will add more complexity to the dish.

Shrimp Stock Recipe (provided by nolacuisine.com)
The Shells and tails from 2 lb. of Shrimp
1/2 Cup chopped Onion
1/4 Cup chopped Celery
2 Garlic Cloves
1 Lemon sliced
2 Fresh Bay Leaves
3 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
1 tsp. Black Peppercorns




Add all ingredients to a 2 qt. saucepan. Cover this with cold water, it should be about 6-8 Cups Cups. You’ll need 1 1/2 Cups for the Etouffee. Bring almost to a boil, reduce the heat to a low simmer. Simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour. Strain.

Tip: When adding fresh Thyme to a simmered dish like this, I always bundle the Thyme tightly with butchers twine. The leaves will remove themselves while cooking, and you will get all of the flavor from the stems. When ready to serve just remove the bundle of stems along with your bay leaves.

First Dinner (Theme: French Bistro)

The first dinner went great. Here are the photos...

Mussels and Pate with a French Baguette

Course 1 (Light/was Course 2 but since it was hot, we started with this first):

Louis Roederer Champagne paired with the Mussels.

Mussels with slices of bread to soak up the sauce.

Pate with bread awaits.

Mussels.

A toast to friends and food...and wine (and champagne)...and...

Pate. Some of us love pate too much.

Seared Scallops in a Lemon Butter Sauce over Belgian Endives

Course 2 (Light/was Course 1):

Scallops.

Wine Pairing: Side Yard Rielsing

Excellent colors.

Herbed Steak Frites in a Mustard-Wine Sauce

Course 3 (Main):

Fries served on top.

Wine Pairing: James Cole Malbec.

Fries on the side.

Lemon Tart (Sabayon method) with a Blood Orange Sorbet and Candied Orange Peels

Course 4 (Dessert):

The whole tart! Looks very French!

Fabulicious tart with sorbet.

Inniskillin Sparkling Ice Wine paired with dessert.

An excellent way to end the dinner!

New Orleans Iced Coffee

Sunday afternoon, John and I went to Fraiche Yogurt in Palo Alto for some yogurt and Blue Bottle coffee. One thing we noticed was New Orleans Iced Coffee! Since it was warm (and John can't resist anything from New Orleans), he gave it a try. Very good alternative (not quite the same, but I am biased) to Vietnamese coffee. If you don't always have condensed milk on hand, they make it with drip coffee, simple syrup and whole milk! Just wanted to share that with y'all. Real recipe to post to follow in a few days...

Our First Dinner - French Bistro

Our first dinner - French Bistro theme - I felt was a huge success. We certainly set the bar high for our first get-together. Looking back at our guiding principles, I definitely think I learned some new techniques (damn you sabayon), enjoyed good food and company, and had fun along the way. Thanks to everyone for making our first dinner memorable. Here's to more good times, extraordinary food, and lively discussions. Bon appetite!