Shallot Custard Recipes

CHARD AND CARAMELIZED SHALLOT NOODLE KUGEL

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a 2-quart oval baking dish with olive oil. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add enough salt so that the water tastes like the sea. Add the noodles and cook 2 minutes less than the package directions. The noodles should be firm-tender. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, and then drain the noodles. Let the noodles and pasta water cool slightly. In a large bowl whisk the eggs with the broth and pasta water until smooth. Add the noodles and nutmeg and stir to combine. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, without stirring, until the edges are browned, about 5 minutes. Stir the shallots and continue to cook, stirring, until well browned. Add the chard stems, garlic 1/2 teaspoons salt and pepper to taste. Cook until the stems are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chard leaves and a splash of water and cook until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, cool slightly and then stir in the dill.
• Add the chard mixture to the noodles and season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and drizzle with the remaining tablespoon olive oil. Place the baking dish in a large roasting pan and add enough water so it comes up the side of the pan about one-third of the way.
• Carefully transfer to the oven and bake until the center is set, about 1 hour 20 minutes, tenting the kugel with foil when the noodles are golden brown and crisp. Let stand at least 5 minutes. Garnish with dill. Serve hot or at room temperature.

CARAMELIZED SHALLOTS

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a 12-inch ovenproof saute pan, add the shallots and sugar, and toss to coat. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the shallots start to brown. Add the vinegar, salt, and pepper and toss well.
• Place the saute pan in the oven and roast for 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the size of the shallots, until they are tender. Season to taste, sprinkle with parsley, and serve hot.

SHALLOT-MUSHROOM QUICHE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly flour a rolling pin and work surface and roll out dough to a 12-inch round. Place in a 9-inch pie plate, fold overhang under, and crimp edge. Place a sheet of parchment paper over dough and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until edge is dry and light golden, about 20 minutes. Remove parchment and weights.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high. Add shallots, season with salt and pepper, and cook until light golden, 8 to 10 minutes. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and cream. Add shallots, mushrooms, and cheese and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Whisk to combine, pour into crust, and bake until center of quiche is just set, 40 to 45 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

SHALLOT CRèME BRûLéE

Steps:

• Crème Brûlée
• Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
• In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine cream, shallots and salt. Heat cream until it is very hot but not boiling, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and strain.
• In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks, then slowly whisk in hot cream.
• Pour mixture into 6 shallow crème brûlée dishes and place in a shallow baking dish. Pour boiling water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the dishes. Bake until the custards are set when gently shaken, about 30 to 40 minutes.
• Remove custards from water bath, cool to room temperature and refrigerate until firm.
• When ready to serve, dust each dish with sugar and using a hand held torch caramelize for a minute or so until golden brown. Top with chili clementine glazed salmon and watercress salad.
• Salad
• Place fish in a large shallow baking dish.
• In a small bowl, combine clementine juice and zest, chipotle, honey, soya sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Pour over fish to marinate. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C).
• Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Season the salmon with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 8 to 12 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily when tested with the tip of a knife.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss watercress, clementine segments, radish, cucumbers, gherkins with enough vinaigrette (recipe below) to lightly coat the ingredients. Add salmon at the last moment before serving and season well with salt and pepper. Top crème brûlée with salad and serve.
• Lemon Herb Vinaigrette
• In a medium bowl, whisk together lemon juice, vinegar, Dijon mustard, shallots and salt.
• Add oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified. Add chopped herbs and stir until fully incorporated.
• Makes: 2 cups (250 mL). Refrigerate leftover vinaigrette.

SHORTCUT SHALLOT AND LEEK QUICHE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F with racks in upper and lower thirds and a rimmed baking sheet on lower rack.
• Toss shallots, leek, oil, and ½ teaspoon salt on a separate rimmed baking sheet. Bake on upper rack until mixture is golden brown in spots, 15 to 18 minutes, tossing halfway through.
• Meanwhile, roll pastry sheet into an 11-inch square. Drape over a 9-inch pie dish; press to fit inside dish. Poke holes all over bottom with a fork. Whisk 1 egg in a small bowl; brush over pastry edges. Fold pastry corners over (just to the lip of the dish); press to seal and brush with more beaten egg. Place a large piece of parchment paper on dough and fill with pie weights. Place on preheated baking sheet and bake until light golden around edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove parchment and weights and continue baking until bottom is golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Press down puffed areas with the back of a spoon. Immediately brush bottom and sides with remaining beaten egg. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F.
• Whisk cheese, half-and-half, pepper, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt and 4 eggs in a large bowl. Stir in shallot mixture. Pour into crust and cover edges with foil. Bake on lower rack until just set, about 30 minutes. Top with chives.

CHINESE-STYLE STEAMED EGGS WITH MINCED PORK AND SHALLOT

Steps:

• Slice the scallion into rounds and separate the white and green parts. the green parts will be reserved for garnishing the dish after cooking.
• If you are hand-cutting your pork, it may be helpful to put the pork into the freezer for 15 or 20 minutes so that it firms up and becomes easier to cut.
• Cut the pork into thin slices and shingle them on your cutting board.
• Cut across the slices to yield thin strips of pork.
• Turn the strips 90 degrees and slice them into a rough mince.
• Place the thinly sliced shallot into a cold sautee pan with 2 tsp of neutral oil. Turn the heat to medium-high.
• Cook the shallots over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes while constantly stirring.
• When the shallots have started to get deep brown, add the chopped garlic and the scallion whites. Cook for 20 seconds.
• Add the minced pork and break it up while cooking.
• Continue to cook the pork while stirring until it has completely cooked through and any liquid released by the pork has evaporated.
• Add 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine, 1 tbsp soy sauce, and 1/4 tsp dark soy sauce. Cook until the soy has absorbed into the pork, about 1 minute. Turn off the heat.
• Place half of the pork mixture into the bowl in which you will be steaming the eggs and reserve the other half for garnishing the finished custard.
• Add 1/2 inch of water to your steamer (or however much water is necessary for your particular steamer).
• Whisk together the 4 eggs, 2 cups stock, 1.5 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp white pepper, 1 tsp shaoxing wine, and 1/8 tsp msg.
• Strain this egg mixture into the bowl containing half of the minced pork mixture.
• If there are a lot of bubbles on top of the egg, skim them off with a spoon.
• Cover the custard bowl with a layer of plastic wrap to keep any water from dripping into the custard. Bring the water in your steamer to a rolling boil and place the custard into your steamer. Make sure the bowl is not sitting in the boiling water, it should be above the water level. Close the steamer and turn the heat down to low or medium-low.
• Cooking time will vary depending on the size of the bowl you are steaming it in. Wider, shallower bowls will cook faster than taller, narrower bowls. The custard can take anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes to steam. Start checking the custard after 15 minutes by gently shaking the bowl, the custard will jiggle like jello when it has finished cooking. If it looks loose and liquidy, it is not done cooking. When you think the custard is done, confirm by inserting a knife into the center of the custard. The knife should "cut through" the custard and come out clean when it is removed.
• Carefully remove the bowl from the steamer and garnish the custard with the scallion greens, reserved pork mixture (with any of its oil), and an optional drizzle of soy sauce. Serve with steamed rice.

CUSTARD MASTER RECIPE RECIPE

Steps:

• Heat milk and cream in saucepan over medium-low heat. Just when it boils, remove from heat. Turn on blender to lowest speed and add milk-cream mixture, then flavoring. With blender running, add egg. When thoroughly blended, season with salt and white pepper to taste and strain through fine-mesh strainer into pitcher or glass measuring cup. Set aside for several minutes, then skim foam that rises to top.
• Pour into 4 (2-ounce) custard cups. If foam or bubbles remain on top, skim them off. Place custards in large pan or glass baking dish (if using a metal pan, cover bottom with newspaper). Pour boiling water into pan so that it rises just above the level of the custards in the dishes.
• Cover dish with plastic wrap and bake at 250 degrees about 30 minutes. Check custards by removing plastic and jiggling. When just set--meaning custard will jiggle but is no longer pourable--remove from oven. Refrigerate if serving cold. Set aside until ready to serve if serving warm.

SHALLOT CUSTARD

Steps:

• Place oven rack in the middle position; preheat oven to 350°.
• Spray four 6-ounce ramekins with cooking spray.
• In a skillet, melt butter over medium heat.
• Add in shallots; stir/saute until they are nicely browned; set aside.
• In a bowl, light whisk the eggs with salt, pepper, and baking powder.
• Stir in cream and parmesan cheese; fold in shallots.
• Set the prepared ramekins in a large baking pan lined with a dish towel.
• Ladle the mixture into ramekins and place the pan on the oven rack.
• Bake for about 30 minutes or until firm to touch and slightly browned.
• Remove from oven and serve at once.