Gruyere With Pear Confit Food

PEAR GRUYERE PIE

Steps:

• Place flour, cheese, sugar and salt in a food processor; pulse until blended. Add butter; pulse until butter is the size of peas. While pulsing, add just enough ice water to form moist crumbs. Divide dough in half. Shape each into a disk; wrap and refrigerate 1 hour or overnight., In a large saucepan, combine water, wine, sugar, cinnamon stick, vanilla and spices; bring to a boil. Add pears to poaching liquid. Cook, uncovered, 10-15 minutes or until tender., Using a slotted spoon, remove pears and cool slightly. Refrigerate until cooled; discard cinnamon stick. Meanwhile, return poaching liquid to a boil. Cook 12-15 minutes or until liquid is reduced to 3/4 cup. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and water until smooth; stir into reduced liquid. Return to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Pour into a 1-cup measuring cup. Cool slightly; refrigerate until chilled., Preheat oven to 400°. On a well-floured surface, roll 1 dough portion to a 1/8-in.-thick circle; transfer to a 9-in. pie plate. Trim crust to 1/2 in. beyond rim of plate; flute edge. Add pear filling; pour syrup over pears. Roll remaining dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle. Cut decorative cutouts from remaining crust and arrange over filling; re-roll scraps as needed. Brush crust with egg. Place pie on a baking sheet., Bake 30-40 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cover edge with foil during the last 15 minutes to prevent overbrowning if necessary. Cool on a wire rack. If desired, serve with ice cream.

PEAR AND GRUYERE OMELET

Steps:

• Melt 3 tablespoon of the butter in sauté pan.
• Sauté pear slices until just turning soft.
• Beat together eggs, cream or milk, and salt & pepper until blended but not frothy.
• Melt remaining butter in omelet pan over high heat until foam begins to recede but before beginning to color.
• Pour in egg mixture into omelet pan, stirring lightly, but allowing it to set on the bottom.
• Top half of the omelet with sautéed pears and cheese.
• With spatula, fold other half over pears and cook until cheese begins to melt. Slide omelet out of pan onto a heated plate.
• Serve.

GRUYERE ROLLS WITH PECAN-CHILE SALSA

Steps:

• Preheat a medium heavy skillet. Add the pecans, chiles and garlic, toasting on all sides until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Remove the outer peel from the garlic and remove the stems from the chiles. Transfer the pecans, garlic, chiles and1/3 cup water to a blender and blend until smooth. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Place the tortillas on a work surface and top with 4 slices of cheese, 4 slices of pear and then drizzle with about 2 teaspoons of honey per tortilla.
• Fold in the sides of the tortilla over the filling and roll up to fully enclose. Secure with 2 toothpicks to prevent it from opening while baking and brush with vegetable oil.
• Place the rolls on a greased baking sheet and bake until tortillas are crunchy, about 35 minutes. Let the rolls cool enough to handle, about 5 minutes. Cut into thirds and serve warm or at room temperature with the pecan-chile salsa.

RED SNAPPER BRAISED WITH ROSEMARY, NEW POTATOES, AND GARLIC CONFIT

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Make the potatoes: Heat the oil in an ovenproof 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Add the potatoes and cook, stirring, until soft, about 10 minutes. (The potatoes shouldn't brown.) Add the onion, rosemary, and thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, covered, until the onions soften, about 5 minutes. Transfer the potatoes to bowl and set aside. (The potatoes may be made up to 3 days in advance and refrigerated.)
• Make the snapper: Heat the oil in the ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Arrange the potatoes in 4 thick mounds in the skillet and scatter the garlic and rosemary around them.
• Season the snapper with salt and pepper. Place 1 fillet on top of each mound. Add the wine, bring to a boil, and cook until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Pour in the clam broth. Bring to a boil, cover, and braise in the oven until the snapper is barely opaque in the center, about 7 to 8 minutes.
• Using a slotted spatula, transfer the potato mounds topped with the snapper to the center of 4 warmed dinner plates. Return the skillet to high heat and boil until lightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, olives and parsley and cook for 15 seconds. Taste for balance, adding some olive oil or more clam broth, if desired. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon half the sauce over the fish fillets and pour the rest into a warmed sauce boat. Serve immediately, garnished with the lemon slices, with the sauce passed on the side.

CHICKEN CONFIT

Steps:

• Lay the leg portions on a platter, skin side down. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the kosher salt and black pepper. Place the garlic cloves, bay leaves, and sprigs of thyme on each of 2 leg portions. Lay the remaining 2 leg portions, flesh to flesh, on top. Put the reserved fat from the chicken in the bottom of a glass or plastic container. Top with the sandwiched leg portions. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt. Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
• Remove the chicken from the refrigerator. Remove the garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and chicken fat and reserve. Rinse the chicken with cool water, rubbing off some of the salt and pepper. Pat dry with paper towels.
• Put the reserved garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and chicken fat in the bottom of an enameled cast iron pot. Sprinkle evenly with the peppercorns and salt. Lay the chicken on top, skin side down. Add the olive oil. Cover and bake for 12 to 14 hours, or until the meat pulls away from the bone.
• Remove the chicken from the fat. Strain the fat and reserve. Pick the meat from the bones and place it in a stoneware container. Cover the meat with some of the strained fat so that there is a 1/4-inch layer of fat on top. The chicken confit can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
• The excess oil can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and used like butter for cooking. The tinge of chicken taste in the oil is wonderful and I use the oil to roast potatoes, cook green beans, and pan-fry veal.

TURKEY CONFIT

Steps:

• Place the salt and all the herbs into a food processor and process until the salt is pure green. Set aside.
• Place the turkey breasts on a wire rack above a sheet pan and place in the refrigerator to dry for 3 hours. Take out and rub the salt all over the turkey breasts. Return to the refrigerator for another 2 hours. Take out and rinse all the salt off in cold running water. Place back on a clean rack on a sheet pan and let sit overnight in the refrigerator.
• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
• Take the turkey out and place, skin side up, in a deep hotel pan. Cover the turkey completely in the duck fat. Roast in the oven for 3 hours. When it comes out, let it sit for 1 hour to cool off. Serve.