Foreign Éclairs (24 page)

¾ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, divided

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice

⅓ cup firmly packed brown sugar

½ cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped

2 medium red apples, cored and coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (or grapeseed oil)

4 ½- to 1-inch-thick boneless pork chops (approximately 6 ounces each)

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

Combine ¼ teaspoon of the pumpkin pie spice with the orange juice, brown sugar, walnuts, Gorgonzola, and apple. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add in the remaining ½ teaspoon
of pumpkin pie spice and stir to combine. Season pork lightly on both sides with salt and pepper and add to skillet. Cook until golden brown, about 6 to 8 minutes, then flip and cook until done, another 6 to 8 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chops).

Transfer chops to serving platter. Spoon salsa over them. Allow the chops to rest a couple of minutes before serving.

Yield: four servings

  GRILLED SPICY CHICKEN BREASTS  

1 clove garlic, smashed (or minced)

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon chili powder

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

8 boneless, skinless chicken breast fillets (approximately 4 ounces each), trimmed of all fat

In a small bowl, make marinade by mixing together garlic, cilantro, lime juice, oil, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Whisk to combine thoroughly. Set aside.

Wipe down chicken with a damp paper towel and place in a shallow glass dish. Add marinade, turning chicken over several times to coat thoroughly. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours, flipping chicken occasionally to keep well coated.

Twenty minutes before cooking, remove chicken from refrigerator to allow it to come to room temperature. Preheat grill to 350°F and cook chicken 4 to 6 minutes, then flip and cook another 4 to 6 minutes or until thoroughly cooked through.

Serve with long-grain and wild rice and fresh fruit.

Note: This makes excellent leftovers, especially in pita sandwiches. It also works very well as the basis for chicken fajitas.

Yield: four servings

  CHOCOLATE ÉCLAIRS  

FILLING:

2 cups milk (whole, 2 percent, and 1 percent will all work fine)

½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise

6 egg yolks

⅔ cup sugar

¼ cup cornstarch

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, chilled

PASTRY:

1 cup water

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

½ teaspoon salt

1 ½ teaspoons sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

3 eggs, plus 1 extra, if needed

EGG WASH:

1 egg

1 ½ teaspoons water

CHOCOLATE GLAZE:

½ cup heavy cream

4 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Filling: In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and vanilla bean to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and set aside to infuse for 15 minutes. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the cornstarch and whisk vigorously until no lumps remain. Whisk in ¼ cup of the hot milk mixture until incorporated, then whisk in the remaining hot milk mixture, reserving the saucepan. Pour the mixture through a strainer back into the saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until thickened
and slowly boiling. Remove from the heat and add in the butter, stirring until well combined. Let cool slightly. Cover with plastic wrap, lightly pressing the plastic against the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Chill at least 2 hours or until ready to serve. The custard can be made up to 24 hours in advance. Refrigerate until 1 hour before using.

Pastry: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a Silpat and set aside.

In a large saucepan, bring the water, butter, salt, and sugar to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. When it boils, remove from heat and add all the flour at once, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon for 30 to 60 seconds or until all the flour is incorporated. Return to the heat and cook, stirring, for an additional 30 seconds. Scrape the mixture into a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or use a hand mixer) and mix at medium speed. With the mixer running, add 3 eggs, one at a time. Stop mixing after each addition to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix until the dough is smooth and glossy and the eggs are completely incorporated. The dough should be thick, but should fall slowly and steadily from the beaters when you lift them out of the bowl. If the dough is still clinging to the beaters, add the remaining 1 egg and mix until incorporated.

Using a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip, pipe fat lengths of dough (about the size and shape of a jumbo hot dog) onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving 2 inches of space between each. You should have 8 to 10 pastries.

Egg Wash: In a bowl, whisk the egg and water together. Brush the surface of each éclair with the egg wash. Use your fingers
to smooth out any bumps or points of dough that remain on the surface. Bake 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375°F and continue to bake for an additional 25 minutes or until puffed and light golden brown. Don’t open the oven door too often during the baking. When done, remove from oven and allow pastries to cool on the baking sheet. Fit a medium-size plain pastry tip over your index finger and use it to make a hole in the end of each éclair (or just use your fingertip). Using a pastry bag fitted with a medium-size plain tip, gently pipe the prepared custard into the éclairs, using just enough to fill the inside (don’t overstuff them).

Glaze: In a small saucepan, heat the cream over medium heat just until it boils. Remove from heat. Put the chocolate in a medium bowl, then pour the hot cream over the chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Set aside and keep warm. (The glaze can be made up to 2 days in advance. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use, and rewarm in a microwave or over hot water when ready to use.)

Dip the tops of the éclairs in the warm chocolate glaze and set on a sheet pan. Chill, uncovered, at least 1 hour, to set the glaze. Serve chilled.

Yield: 8-10 pastries

  
CHOCOLATE MOUSSE DESSERT SHOOTER  

4 Double Stuf Oreos

1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin

1 tablespoon very cold water

2 tablespoons boiling water

½ cup sugar

¼ cup Hershey’s cocoa

1 cup heavy cream, very cold

1 teaspoon vanilla

¼ cup chopped pecans, toasted

1 can Reddi-Whip or 2 cups homemade whipped cream

5 fresh, whole strawberries, sliced in half lengthwise

Place a small mixing bowl into the freezer for a minimum of thirty minutes.

Crush the Oreos. Line the bottoms of 9 small wineglasses or jiggers (2 to 3 ounce glasses work best). Set aside.

Make the mousse: Sprinkle gelatin over cold water in a small bowl; stir and let stand 1 minute to soften. Add boiling water; stir until gelatin is completely dissolved (mixture must be clear). Set aside. Stir together sugar and cocoa in a small chilled mixing bowl; add heavy cream and vanilla. Beat at a medium speed until stiff peaks form; pour in gelatin mixture and beat until well blended.

Pipe the mousse into the glasses. Add a layer of toasted pecan pieces.

When ready to serve, pipe the whipped cream onto the pecan pieces (or, if using Reddi-Whip, just add), garnish with a strawberry half, and serve.

Makes 9
servings