Savory Asparagus Croissants Food

ASPARAGUS CROSTINI

Steps:

• For an easy party snack, spread fresh ricotta on toasted baguette slices, then top with thinly sliced asparagus. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil or truffle oil.

SAVORY ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• In a large skillet, bring 1/2 in. of water to a boil. Add asparagus; cover and cook for 3-4 minutes or until crisp-tender. , Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the oil, tarragon, onion powder and pepper until blended. Drain asparagus; drizzle with oil mixture and toss to coat.

SAVORY ASPARAGUS CROISSANTS

Steps:

• Spray a 9x13" baking dish with non-stick spray.
• Put croissant bottoms in baking dish.
• Sprinkle with 3/4 cup Swiss cheese.
• Top each croissant with 4 asparagus spears.
• Sprinkle with garlic salt, pepper and a little dill.
• Sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup Swiss cheese.
• In bowl, combine eggs, half and half, cayenne, mustard, nutmeg and salt; beat well.
• Dip croissant tops in egg mixture and place on top of croissants in baking dish.
• Pour remaining egg mixture over croissants.
• Top each croissant with a few white and black sesame seeds (if using).
• At this point the dish can be covered and refrigerated overnight).
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Bake croissants for 15 minutes, or until egg mixture is set (if croissant brown too quickly, loosely cover dish with foil).
• Carefully cut around croissants and lift onto warmed serving plates.

CROISSANTS

Steps:

• Put the flour, salt and sugar in a mixing bowl. Measure 300ml cold water into a jug, add the yeast and stir. Make a well in the flour and pour in the liquid. Mix, then knead on your work surface for 10 mins. Shape into a ball, put in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and chill for at least 2 hrs.
• Put the butter between 2 sheets of baking parchment. Using a rolling pin, bash and roll it into a rectangle about 20 x 15cm. Leave wrapped in the baking parchment and chill.
• Transfer the chilled dough to a floured surface and roll into a 40 x 20cm rectangle. Place the unwrapped slab of butter in the centre of the dough, so that it covers the middle third.
• Fold one side of the dough up and halfway over the butter.
• Fold the other side of the dough up and over the butter in the same way, so that the two edges of the dough meet in the centre of the butter.
• Fold the dough in half so that the point where the ends of the dough meet becomes the seam. Wrap in cling film and chill for 30 mins.
• Repeat the rolling, folding and chilling process (steps 3-6) twice more in exactly the same way - rolling the pastry while it's still folded - without adding more butter. Wrap and chill overnight.
• The next day, roll the dough out on a floured surface into a large rectangle, measuring about 60 x 30cm. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, trim the edges to neaten.
• Cut the dough in half lengthways so that you have 2 long strips, then cut each strip into 6 or 7 triangles with 2 equal sides.
• Take each triangle in turn and pull the two corners at the base to stretch and widen it.
• Starting at the base of each triangle, begin to gently roll into a croissant, being careful not to crush the dough.
• Continue rolling, making sure the tip of each triangle ends up tucked under the croissant to hold in place. If adding any fillings (see tips, below), place across the widest part of the triangle before rolling up.
• Bend the ends of the croissants inwards, then transfer to baking trays lined with baking parchment, spaced well apart. Cover with lightly oiled cling film and leave to rise for 2 hrs, or until doubled in size.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Mix the beaten egg with a pinch of salt and use to generously glaze the croissants. Bake for 15-18 mins until risen and golden brown, then cool on wire racks.

PAN-SEARED ASPARAGUS WITH CRISPY GARLIC

Steps:

• Place a paper towel-lined plate next to the stove. In a medium or large skillet, combine the garlic and olive oil over medium-low heat. Cook, shaking the skillet often, until the garlic is very light golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat, tilt it, then use a slotted spoon to transfer the garlic to the towel-lined plate, leaving the remaining oil in the skillet. Season the crispy garlic with salt.
• Return the skillet to medium-high heat. Add the asparagus, season with salt and pepper, and cook, shaking often, until bright green, crisp-tender and browned in spots, 4 to 5 minutes. Slide onto a platter, including any oil in the skillet. Top with the garlic chips and season again with salt and pepper.

ASPARAGUS, LEEK & GRUYERE TART IN TARRAGON SAVORY CUSTARD

Steps:

• Make pastry.
• Mix together flour, salt, and butter in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) until most of mixture resembles coarse meal with some small (roughly pea-size) butter lumps. Drizzle evenly with egg and gently stir with a fork (or pulse in processor) just until a dough forms.
• Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 4 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather dough into a ball, then flatten into a 5-inch disk. Chill dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 30 minutes.
• Make filling while pastry chills.
• Wash leek in a bowl of cold water, agitating water, then lift out leek and pat dry.
• Cook asparagus in a 4- to 5-quart pot of boiling salted water , uncovered, until just tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer asparagus with tongs to a bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking, then drain and pat dry. Cut off and reserve tips (leave more stalk if asparagus is thin), then thinly slice stalks crosswise. Set 6 or so pieces of the asparagus aside for decoration, if you choose to.
• Heat butter in a 10- to 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately low heat until foam subsides, then cook leek with 1/4 teaspoon salt, stirring, until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in remainder of sliced asparagus and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and quickly remove from heat.
• Finish filling and assemble and bake tart.
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F.
• Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin into an 11-inch round, then fit dough inside 10" tart pan, pressing dough against bottom edge and side of ring. Run rolling pin over top edge of ring to cut off excess dough.
• Whisk together cream, 2 eggs, tarragon, leeks and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Spoon asparagus into shell, spreading evenly, then pour cream mixture over asparagus.
• Bake tart until filling is just beginning to set but still loose on top, 20 to 25 minutes. Scatter 6 or so asparagus tips set aside earlier over top, pressing lightly if necessary to help them settle into filling, then continue to bake until custard is golden and just set but still slightly wobbly in center, about 30 minutes more (custard will continue to set as it cools).
• Cool tart on baking sheet on a rack until warm, about 30 minutes. Loosen edge with a small sharp knife, then lift off flan ring. Serve warm or at room temperature, cut into wedges.