Goat Cheese With Shallot Cassis Marmalade Food

THYME-SCENTED GOAT CHEESE WITH PROSCIUTTO AND SHALLOTS

Steps:

• 1. In small skillet heat oil over medium-high heat. Add shallots. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until browned. Add vinegar. Cook, uncovered, about 30 seconds or until slightly reduced. Set aside.
• 2. In small bowl combine goat cheese, milk, thyme, salt and pepper. Stir until soft and creamy.
• 3. Place one folded piece of prosciutto on each Keebler® Town House® Original cracker. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of goat cheese mixture on each. Top each with some of the shallot mixture.

SHALLOT TATINS WITH GOAT'S CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to fan 90C/conventional 110C/gas ¼. Halve the plum tomatoes lengthways and place, cut-side up, in a small shallow roasting tin. Trickle over 2-3 tablespoons of the oil, then scatter with the thyme leaves and some seasoning. Roast for about 45 minutes until the tomatoes soften a little, but still hold a good shape. Remove and cool, spooning over some of the roasting juices.
• While the tomatoes are roasting, blanch the shallots in boiling water for half a minute or so, then drain and cool under cold running water. Peel off the skins and trim the root ends. Also peel off any tough inner skins and cut any larger shallots in half so they are all roughly the same size.
• Heat all but 1 tbsp of the remaining oil in a large frying pan and toss in the shallots, stirring to coat in the oil. Sauté over a medium heat for 15-20 minutes or until they become tender and begin to turn mid-golden in colour. Add the rosemary, season and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
• Sprinkle the sugar and 2 tbsp water into a smaller frying pan and leave to stand for about 3 minutes. Put the pan over a low heat, shaking occasionally to mix the melting sugar and stirring gently. When all the sugar has dissolved, turn up the heat and cook to mid-golden brown.
• Remove from the heat and mix in first the butter and then the vinegar. Take care as this might spit a bit - you should be left with a nice syrup. Toss in the shallots and tomatoes and stir lightly to coat.
• Now stand eight 150ml ramekins on a metal baking sheet. Drain the shallots and tomatoes in a colander, saving the syrup, then divide them between the ramekins and set aside to cool.
• Cut the pastry into 4 oblong pieces on a lightly floured board. Roll out each one very thinly, then cut out two 9-10cm discs from each piece (the discs should be about 1cm larger than the diameter of the ramekins). Pick each piece up and press the edges gently between your fingertips to make the pastry thinner. Do not prick. Lay a pastry disc on top of each ramekin, then tuck the edges of the pastry down inside, between the tomatoes and shallots and the sides of the dishes, using the handle of a teaspoon to help. Press down lightly. (The tarts can now be chilled for up to 24 hours until ready to bake.)
• Preheat the oven to fan 200C/conventional 220C/gas 7. Bake for about 18-20 minutes until the pastry tops are crisp and mid-brown. Remove and cool for 5 minutes (the sugar will be very hot otherwise). Meanwhile, gently reheat the reserved syrup from the tomatoes and shallots with the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil.
• Loosen the pastry edges with a small knife and carefully upend each ramekin on to a small plate. Cut the goat's cheese into 8 thin slices (discarding the rind ends), dipping your knife into a cup of hot water in between each slice. Put one slice on top of each tatin, drizzle over the warm syrup and garnish with little basil leaves. Serve warm.

GOAT'S CHEESE, SHALLOT AND LEEK TART - A BIT OF A FRENCH TART!

Steps:

• You will need a 7½ inch (19 cm) diameter fluted quiche tin with a removable base, 1¼ inches (3 cm) deep, very lightly buttered, and a small, solid baking sheet.
• Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 5, 375°F (190°C) and pop the baking sheet in to pre-heat on the centre shelf.
• Now prepare the leeks. First, take the tough green ends off & discard them; leave some of the lighter green & then make a vertical split about halfway down the centre of each one and clean them by running them under the cold-water tap while you fan out the layers - this will rid them of any hidden dust and grit. Then slice them in half lengthways and chop into ½-inch (1 cm) slices.
• Next, in a medium-sized frying pan, melt the butter over a gentle heat and add the leeks, shallots and some salt. Give it all a good stir and let them cook gently, without a lid, for 10-15 minutes or until the juice runs out of them. Then you need to transfer them to a sieve set over a bowl to drain off the excess juice. Place a saucer with a weight on top of them to press out every drop.
• Roll it out into a circle on a lightly floured surface. As you roll, give it quarter turns to keep the round shape and roll it as thinly as possible. Now transfer it, rolling it over the pin, to the tin. Press it lightly and firmly over the base and sides of the tin, easing any overlapping pastry back down to the sides, as it is important not to stretch it. Now trim the edges and press the pastry up about ¼ inch (5 mm) above the rim of the tin all round, and then prick the base all over with a fork.
• After that, paint some of the beaten egg for the filling over the base and sides. Now place the tin on the baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the pastry is crisp and golden. Check halfway through the cooking time to make sure that the pastry is not rising up in the centre. If it is, just prick it a couple of times and press it back down with your hands.
• While the pastry case is pre-baking, crumble the goats' cheese with your hands, and then gently combine it with the leeks & shallots in the sieve. Now, in a jug, mix the beaten eggs with the crème fraîche or double cream, seasoning with just a little salt (there is some already in the leeks) and a good grinding of freshly milled black pepper.
• As soon as the pastry case is ready, remove it from the oven; arrange the leeks, shallots and cheese all over the base. Pour the cream and egg mixture over the top of the cheese, shallots & leeks, then put the tart back on the baking sheet with the oven shelf half pulled out, then gently slide the shelf back in and bake the tart for 30-35 minutes, until it's firm in the centre and the surface has turned a lovely golden brown.
• Next, remove it from the oven and allow it to settle for 10 minutes before serving. These 10 minutes is important, as it will be much easier to cut into portions. The best way to remove the tart from the tin is to ease the edges from the sides of the tin with a small knife, then place it on an upturned jar or tin, which will allow you to carefully ease the sides away.
• Next slide a palette knife or wide fish slice underneath and ease the tart on to a plate or board ready to serve, or simply cut it into portions straight from the tin base.
• Serve for picnics, light lunch with mixed salad and baked potatoes or as finger food for a buffet.

BEET, APPLE AND GOAT CHEESE SALAD WITH ORANGE SHALLOT DRESSING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Roast the beets by placing them on a sheet of aluminum foil. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap the foil around the beets and place onto a baking sheet. Bake for 60 minutes or until the beets are tender. Cool.
• Peel the beets and slice into thin strips.
• Cut the apples into thin slices.
• Place the lettuce into a large salad bowl. Toss in the beets and apples.
• Whisk together the shallots, orange juice, red wine vinegar and sugar in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Drizzle the salad dressing over the salad and toss until the leaves are just moistened. Top with crumbled goat cheese and serve.

GOAT CHEESE TARTLETS WITH CARAMELIZED SHALLOTS

Steps:

• Make the Pate Brisee: Combine the flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor; pulse for 5 seconds.
• Add the butter pieces, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
• In a slow, steady stream, add 6 tablespoons of ice water through the feed tube. Pulse until the mixture holds together when squeezed.
• Divide dough into two equal balls.
• Flatten each ball into a disk, and cover with plastic wrap.
• Chill at least 1 hour.
• Set twelve 4-inch bottomless tartlet (flan) rings or twelve 4-inch tartlet pans with removable bottoms on two parchment-lined baking sheets.
• Lightly flour a clean working surface. Roll Pate Brisee to a 1/8-inch thickness.
• Cut out twelve 5-inch diameter circles, and fit into tartlet rings.
• Using a fork, prick pastry all over; chill until firm, at least 15 minutes.
• Heat oven to 375 degrees.
• Line shells with aluminum foil; fill with dry beans or pie weights.
• Transfer baking sheets to oven; bake shells 12 minutes, rotating once during baking.
• Remove beans and foil.
• Continue baking until slightly golden, 7 to 9 minutes.
• Remove baking sheets from oven; transfer to a wire rack.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees.
• Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add shallots and sugar; season with salt and pepper.
• Cook, stirring frequently, until shallots are very tender and have deeply caramelized, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Remove from heat; set aside. Place goat c heese in bowl of a food processor; puree until very smooth.
• Add heavy and sour creams; process until well combined.
• Transfer to a medium bowl.
• Stir in thyme and parsley; season with pepper.
• Spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons filling into each shell, filling to within 1/8-inch from top.
• Arrange 1 heaping teaspoon reserved shallots on top of each tartlet. Transfer baking sheets to oven; bake tartlets until filling has set, 13 to 15 min utes, rotating once. Transfer sheets to a wire rack to cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
• Remove rings.
• Sprinkle remaining parsley over tartlets.
• To serve, place tartlets on plates.
• Garnish each plate with frisee.