Couscous Custard Food

COUSCOUS CUSTARD

Steps:

• Have all ingredients ready before you begin.
• Lay out one of the kitchen towels, open the filo package, unroll and place on the towel. Cover with the second towel.
• Place a whole sheet of filo onto one of the sheet pans, brush with melted butter mixed with honey and sprinkle with pistachios.
• Repeat two more times, but on last layer sprinkle with sugar.
• Cut into six equal squares.
• Place a square into a greased muffin tin, pressing gently down to fit form, leave tips sticking up or slightly laying over.
• Bake at 375 degrees until golden and crispy, approximately 10 minutes.
• Bring the milk to a boil.
• Mix couscous, cinnamon, ginger, butter and salt together.
• Pour milk over the couscous mixture and mix to break up any lumps.
• Bring cream, sugar and vanilla to a boil.
• Combine egg yolks in a small bowl, add half of boiled cream to egg yolk mix.
• Return egg yolks to boiling cream and whisk until thickened, do not boil.
• Strain and pour into couscous mixture, stir and cool.
• Return to pot and cook to boil, remove from heat.
• Place mixture in bowl, cover with plastic and refrigerate overnight
• In a medium nonreactive saucepan, combine sugar and water, bring to a boil.
• Add quince, cinnamon, cloves and lemon juice, reduce the heat to low.
• Simmer, stirring occasionally, until fruit is tender and translucent, remove from heat, pour into bowl to cool.
• Strain quince from liquid and puree 1/4 of the quince.
• Add the puree to the left over quince and add additional poaching liquid to moisten slightly (to make it a spoonable sauce).
• To Assemble:
• Place filo dough on plate, spoon some couscous custard into the cup.
• Spoon some quince compote onto the plate, garnish with whipped cream, mint and a few berries.

HAZELNUT CUSTARDS

Steps:

• In a mortar and pestle or a food processor, pound the hazelnuts until finely ground.
• In a medium heavy saucepan, bring the cream to a boil over medium high heat (watch carefully that it does not boil over). Add the sugar and stir until it has dissolved. Stir in the hazelnuts, bring back up to the boil and remove from the heat. Cool the mixture almost to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg and the egg yolks together until evenly blended. Slowly pour the cream mixture in, stirring all the time, until absorbed. Add the Frangelico and then strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a large measuring cup with a lip, pressing hard against the mesh to extract all the flavor from the nuts. Pour the custard mixture into twelve 2 ounce ramekins and arrange them in a large roasting pan. Pour a little boiling water in the base of the pan, to come about halfway up the sides of the little custard pots. Bake on the middle rack until the custards are set in the center, about 35 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool to room temperature, then chill for at least 1 hour. Serve 2 or 3 little custards per person and, using a vegetable peeler, shave a few small curls of chocolate over the top of each.

ONION CUSTARDS

Steps:

• Halve onions from top to bottom. Resting on the cut side slice thinly into half circles. Measure out 6 cups. Melt the butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat; when foam subsides add the onions. Cover and cook, over medium low heat, until wilted, about 15 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking over medium heat, stirring often and adjusting heat so that onions brown slowly, until the onions are a dark golden brown and very tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in the chopped thyme, salt and pepper.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Select 6 (5-ounce) custard cups; brush generously with softened butter. Arrange in a 13 by 9-inch baking pan. Set a kettle of water on to boil. Combine the milk and cream in a saucepan and heat until small bubbles appear around the edges. In a large bowl whisk the eggs and egg yolks until blended. Slowly add the hot milk, whisking gently until blended. Place a strainer over a large measuring cup with a pouring spout and strain the custard. Using a tongs distribute distribute the Sauteed onions evenly among the 6 custard cups (they should be about 1/4 filled). Add the custard, distributing evenly. Run a knife through the custards so that the custard will seep through the layer of onion.
• Place the baking pan in the oven and carefully pour hot water into the pan until it is 1-inch up sides of the cups. Bake until custards are lightly browned and set, about 25 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and using a spatula and protecting your hand with a pot-holder remove the custard cups from the water to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Can be made ahead and reheated in the microwave or wrapped in foil and reheated in the oven.

SWEET COUSCOUS WITH CUSTARD

Steps:

• Custard: Bring the milk to boil in a medium saucepan. While it is heating, place the egg yolks, sugar, & a pinch of salt into a mixing bowl & beat until pale yellow & thick. Add the cornstarch & beat until smooth.
• Gradually pour the hot milk into the egg mixture, stirring continuously. Pour back into the saucepan, cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until boiling. Continue to stir vigorously until the custard is smooth, about 45 seconds.
• Remove from the heat & continue to beat vigorously for another 30 seconds. Stir in the vanilla & rose water. When cool, place a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the custard so it does not form a layer of skin. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
• Couscous: Toasted the almonds until golden brown. Chop the almonds & walnuts in a food processor. Add to the dates & raisins then set aside.
• Prepare the couscous as directed on the package (should make around 4 cups, cooked). Then stir in the butter & sugar.
• When ready to serve, spread the custard on the bottom of a 10-12 inch round serving dish. Cover the custard with half the couscous then scatter the nut mixture evenly over it. Top with the rest of the couscous & sprinkle with the ground pistachios.