Mille Feuille Food

MILLE FEUILLE (NAPOLEON PASTRY SHEETS)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with a silicone sheet.
• Separate dough at the seams into 4 squares and place on prepared baking sheet. Score the dough all over with the tines of a fork to prevent it from rising too much when baking. Lightly sprinkle dough sheets with white granulated sugar.
• Cover with a sheet of parchment paper and 3 sheets of aluminum foil. Nest another baking sheet on top to apply some pressure to the dough while it bakes.
• Bake in preheated oven 15 minutes; remove top pan and foil and gently peel off the parchment paper. Return pan to oven and bake until pastry is beautifully browned, 10 to 15 minutes. (Optionally, you can bake about 7 minutes after uncovering, then flip sheets over and bake until brown on the other side, another 7 minutes.)
• Transfer to cooling rack and cool completely before cutting.
• Square the sheets by trimming uneven edges off sheets using a sharp serrated knife with light sawing motion to keep the pastry from breaking. Cut each rectangle crosswise into 3 equal smaller rectangles. Use 3 small rectangles per pastry.

MILLE-FEUILLE NABE

Steps:

• Lay a large cabbage leaf on a work surface, curve-side up, and cover with pork belly slices. If the slices are long, 2 slices should be enough. Don't worry about covering every bit of the cabbage (see Cook's Note).
• Lay another large cabbage leaf on top of the pork, curve-side up, and cover with pork belly slices. Repeat the process 4 more times to form 1 stack of 6 cabbage leaves layered with pork.
• Make more stacks of 6 leaves layered with pork until you've used up all the pork. If you run out of larger leaves, piece together smaller leaves of cabbage as needed and stack with the remaining pork. Reserve any remaining smaller pieces of cabbage in case they are needed to pack the center of the pot.
• Carefully cut each stack crosswise into 3 equal sections, gently holding the layers together as you cut.
• Working one section at a time, place the section cut-side up and bottom-side out against the side of a 10-inch-wide, 6-quart Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot. Place another section right next to the first in the same manner. Repeat, packing the sections tightly (see Cook's Note), until the circle is complete.
• Continue arranging the sections in the pot, packing them tightly, until full. Place the reserved smaller cabbage leaves in any empty spaces in the center, trimming them as needed.
• Whisk the dashi, soy sauce and salt in a large bowl until the salt dissolves and pour into the pot. Cover and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook until the pork belly is cooked through and the cabbage is just tender, skimming off any foam and impurities, 6 to 10 minutes. Gently stir in the sake if using.
• Pour 1/4 cup of ponzu sauce into 4 or 6 small bowls (depending on the number of diners) and top each one with the scallions. Serve the nabe in shallow bowls and sprinkle with shichimi togarashi if using. Alternatively, set the pot on the table and allow everyone to help themselves.
• Combine the kombu with 6 cups cold water in a medium saucepan and let steep for about 30 minutes. (Skip this step if you are short on time though it lend a deeper flavor.) Heat over medium heat until the water comes to a near boil, about 10 minutes. Discard the kombu.
• Sprinkle the katsuobushi evenly over the water and bring to a boil over high heat. Immediately remove from the heat and let steep without stirring for about 10 minutes.
• Pour the dashi through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl. Do not press down on the katsuobushi which can make the dashi cloudy and/or bitter.
• Dashi is best used the day it is made but can be cooled and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

MARVELOUS MILLE-FEUILLE

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with parchment or a baking mat.
• Unfold the pastry, roll it to a 12-by-15-inch rectangle and cut into three 12-by-5-inch rectangles. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Prick the pastry and chill for 10 minutes in the freezer or 20 in the fridge.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Dust the pastry with powdered sugar (this will ensure the pastry caramelizes when cooked). Bake until golden brown and risen, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool on a wire rack for about 15 minutes.
• In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the powdered sugar, mascarpone, cream and vanilla seeds and whisk until soft peaks form. Add the raspberry liqueur and lemon zest and turn on the mixer for 10 seconds to combine the ingredients.
• To assemble: Place a dab of the whipped cream on the serving plate to anchor the mille-feuille. Place one piece of pastry onto the plate glaze-side down. Spoon over half of the whipped cream, smoothing out the top. Arrange half of the fresh raspberries on top of the cream in rows, then top with another sheet of pastry, again glaze-side down. Top the second sheet of pastry with the remaining cream and raspberries. Add the last piece of pastry glaze-side up and liberally dust with powdered sugar.

STRAWBERRY MILLE FEUILLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 220C (425F).
• Roll out pastry to a thin rectangle and cut into 3 even sections.
• Place rectangles onto baking sheets and prick all over with a fork.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Cool on a wire rack.
• When cold trim the edges with a very sharp knife. Reserve the trimmings.
• Cut half of the strawberries in half and reserve for decorating the top.
• Slice the remaining strawberries.
• Whip the cream until stiff and stir through the sugar and vanilla. Fold in the sliced strawberries.
• Place a pastry slice on a serving plate and spread with half of the cream mixture. Lay another slice on top and spread with the remaining cream. Place the third slice on top.
• Put the redcurrant jelly and 2 Tblspn water in a small saucepan and heat gently until the jelly is liquid.
• Brush the top pastry slice with some of the jelly and arrange the halved strawberries on top. Brush with the remaining jelly.
• Crush the reserved pastry trimmings and press onto the sides of the slice with the blade of a knife.

MILLE - FEUILLE

Steps:

• Put the eggs, vanilla sugar and the flour in a bowl and add a little milk from the 300ml and mix until smooth. Put the rest of the milk in a saucepan and almost bring it to the boil. When done pour it to the egg mixture and mix well. Wash the saucepan and return the egg mixture to the pan and cook over a gentle heat for 15-20 minutes or until thickened.
• Put the cream into a bowl and cover it with cling film gently press it over the surface to prevent skin from forming. Leave it to cool.
• Sprinkle some flour on a flat surface and roll the pastry . Cut it in 3 10X30cm rectangles, pierce the pastry with a fork and bake them at 220 C /425C/gas 7 in a baking tray with greaseproof paper for 10-15 minutes or until crisp and golden.
• When they are ready take them out of the oven and let them cool.
• In the mean time make the icing, put the sugar with 2 tbsp of water in a bowl and mix everything together, spread over one of the rectangles and leave it to set.
• Take a second pastry rectangle and spread the raspberry jam and the whipped cream.
• Put the third rectangle on top of the whipped cream and spread the creme patissiere.
• Top with the iced pastry rectangle. Cut it in 2-3 cm stripes. Chill the mille-feuille in the fridge until ready to serve.

SMOKED SALMON MILLE-FEUILLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400ºF.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Thaw puff pastry according to pkg directions.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1 pastry sheet from the center until it's 1/2" wider on all sides.
• Whisk together egg, water, and the 1 T dill; brush onto rolled pastry sheet.
• Using 1 1/2 inch round cutter, cut pastry into rounds - transfer rounds to prepared baking sheet. (Puff pastry shrinks as it bakes, so use a cutter one size larger than you want for the finished mille-feuille.).
• Bake until pastry is golden, 15 minutes, remove from oven and cool on baking sheet on a rack.
• Repeat rolling, brushing, cutting and baking with second sheet of puff pastry.
• BEFORE they cool completely, split each one into a top and a bottom.
• Combine cream cheese, capers (if using), the 2 T dill, crushed red pepper flakes (if using) or white pepper (if using) & zest for filling in a bowl until well blended.
• Mince (smoked salmon) or flake (hot-smoked salmon) salmon, gently stir into the cream cheese mixture.
• Transfer filling to a resealable plastic bag; snip of a corner of the bag to form a 1/2-inch opening.
• *For efficient fillling, line the puffs in rows with their "lids" next to them, then pipe them assembly-line style.
• Squeeze a mound about (1 teaspoon) of filling onto the "bottoms" of the baked pastry halves; top with remaining pastry halves.
• MAKE AHEAD:
• **Make filling up to 2 days ahead and store it in the bag you'll use for piping; bring to room temp before using.
• ***Wait until a few hours before serving to bake the puffs. so they stay crisp.
• ****Fill the puffs just before guests arrive.