Asparagus Sformato Food

ASPARAGUS SFORMATO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spread asparagus out in one layer. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper; mix.
• Bake in the preheated oven until asparagus is tender, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, saute pancetta in a skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Remove asparagus from the oven. Cut off asparagus tips and set aside. Puree asparagus stalks in a blender.
• Reduce oven temperature to 315 degrees F (160 degrees C). Grease a loaf pan with butter and sprinkle with 1/2 tablespoon Parmesan cheese.
• Beat eggs with an electric mixer until foamy, 3 to 5 minutes. Carefully fold in milk, remaining Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Fold in pureed asparagus. Pour mixture into the prepared loaf pan. Place asparagus tips on top in a decorative pattern.
• Bake in the preheated oven until sformato is lightly browned and starts to pull away from the edges, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven, cool for a few minutes, and serve.

ASPARAGUS AND PARMESAN PUDDINGS

Steps:

• Butter eight 3/4-cup custard cups or soufflé dishes. Coat with breadcrumbs. Cut off asparagus tips. Cook tips in large saucepan of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain; reserve tips and 1 cup cooking liquid. Coarsely chop asparagus stalks.
• Melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion; sauté until tender, about 6 minutes. Add stalks; sauté until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Add reserved asparagus cooking liquid. Cover; simmer until stalks are tender, about 12 minutes.
• Uncover; cook until liquid is absorbed, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Transfer to food processor; puree. Add Parmesan, ricotta and flour. Using on/off turns, process just until blended. Season with salt and pepper.
• Whisk eggs in bowl to blend. Add asparagus puree; whisk to blend. Stir in all but 16 asparagus tips. Divide custard among cups. Place cups in roasting pan. (Can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover; chill puddings and remaining asparagus tips.)
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Pour hot water into pan to come 1 inch up sides of cups. Bake puddings until set, about 35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes. Invert onto plates. Garnish with asparagus tips.

CAULIFLOWER SFORMATO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place a large pot of lightly salted water over high heat to bring to a boil. Cut the half head of cauliflower into quarters, removing the outer leaves and the tougher part of the stem. With a sharp knife, cut the florets into 1 inch pieces, and slice the center stalk thinly.
• Reserve a packed 3/4 cup of the florets, and add remaining florets and sliced stems to the boiling water. Boil until tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Drain well and transfer to a blender. Blend, adding 1/4 cup milk, or as needed, to make a very thick, smooth, puree. Pour into a large bowl, and set aside.
• In a small pot over medium-high heat, heat 1 cup of milk just until steaming. Season with salt to taste. Cover and turn off heat. In a second small pot over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter, and whisk in flour. Cook until thickened, whisking constantly, about 3 minutes. Add hot milk and whisk constantly to make a thick béchamel, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Fold the béchamel into the cauliflower puree. Add eggs, 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, a pinch of nutmeg, and salt to taste. In a small sauté pan over medium-high, heat remaining 1 tablespoon butter, and add 3/4 cup cauliflower florets. Sauté until tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and fold florets into béchamel mixture.
• Bring a kettle of water to a boil. Lightly coat the insides of six four-ounce ramekins with nonstick spray, and fill almost to the top with the flan mixture. Place in a baking dish and add boiling water until it reaches two-thirds up the sides of the ramekins. Cover tightly with a sheet of aluminum foil, and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover, and cook until the centers are firm yet still jiggle a little. Remove ramekins from the water and cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate overnight or up to three days.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bring a kettle of water to a boil. Meanwhile, allow ramekins to sit at room temperature until no longer chilled. Place in a baking dish and add boiling water until it reaches two-thirds up the sides of the ramekins. Cover tightly with foil, and bake until reheated, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the fonduta sauce.
• In a small pot over low heat, combine the heavy cream and Gorgonzola dolce. Stir until melted and smooth.
• To serve, remove the sformato from the water bath. Run a knife around the inside of a ramekin, and place a small plate on top. Invert, and remove the ramekin. The sformato should unmold effortlessly. Repeat with remaining ramekins. Spoon fonduta sauce over each sformato, and sprinkle the top with a little black pepper and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

WILD MUSHROOM CUSTARD WITH ASPARAGUS-TRUFFLE SAUCE

Steps:

• In a hot saute pan, add 1 tablespoon of oil and saute garlic. Add mushrooms and mix carefully. Season with salt and pepper. Deglaze with wine and reduce until nearly dry. Check for seasoning and lay mushrooms on a tray to cool completely. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and cream. Mix in cooled mushrooms and scallions. Spray 4 large ramekins with cooking spray and fill 4/5. Place in hot bain marie (boiling water up half way) and bake in oven at 300 degrees for 25 minutes or until set.
• In a 1 quart casserole, add 1 tablespoon butter and sweat onions and garlic until soft. Add water and season well. Add the asparagus and cook for only 3 to 5 minutes until soft. Add the spinach and take the casserole off of the heat. (It is imperative that this water tastes salty so that when the asparagus and spinach are added, they maintain their green color.) Immediately buzz the sauce with a hand blender and add the butter. Check for seasoning. Add the truffle oil and keep warm in a water bath.
• PLATING
• In a large pasta bowl, ladle in the asparagus sauce. Place one custard in the middle and garnish with asparagus spears, truffle oil and fresh truffle slices.

ASPARAGUS FLAN WITH CHEESE SAUCE

Steps:

• Make flan:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 325°F. Butter an 8- by 2-inch round cake pan and line bottom with a round of wax paper, then butter paper. 3Steam asparagus in a steamer set over boiling water, covered, until very tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Purée asparagus in a food processor until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. (You will have about 2 cups purée.)
• Whisk together eggs, milk, cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in a bowl, then whisk in asparagus purée.
• Pour asparagus mixture into pan and bake in a hot water bath until flan is set and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center comes out clean, 50 minutes to 1 hour.
• Transfer pan to a rack to cool slightly, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Make sauce while flan cools:
• Put all sauce ingredients in a metal bowl, then set bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Heat sauce, whisking until cheese and butter are melted, and then stirring with a wooden spoon, until sauce is slightly thickened and registers 165°F on an instant-read thermometer, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove bowl from pan.
• Run a thin knife around edge of flan to loosen, then invert a serving plate over pan and invert flan onto plate. Remove pan and discard paper. Cut flan into wedges and serve immediately with sauce.