Archive for the ‘Baking’ Category
Salmon Soufflé Cassarole
This recipe has been in my family since I found it while trying to cook something other than hamburgers and hot dogs in college. Whipping eggs with a french wisk instead of mixer to me is always best. Make certain your kitchen accessories include the wisk.
Ingredients:
1 large can salmon
1 can mushroom soup condensed
1 cup soft breadcrumbs
1 TBS. minced onions (more if desire)
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. tobasco sauce (being in Southern CA and married to a Latina-1 would suggest 1/2 tsp. good chile sauce)
1/4 cup mayonaise
4 eggs separated
Preheat oven to 325 degrees C. Drain salmon,and debone if necessary. Blend 1/2 can mushroom soup with the salmon(a purest would use a mushroom white sauce). Add breadcrumbs, onion, tobasco/hot sauce, mayonaise, a little salt and pepper, and egg yolks. Beat egg whites stiff with your wisk from your kitchen accessories. Then fold the egg whites into the ingredients. Place in a 1 1/2 quart baking dish and bake for 35-40 minutes. /Dilute remaining soup with water or milk and heat. Pour the sauce over the soufflé if desired before serving.With souffles, always serve immediately or they will go flat. Enloy.
Another Creole French or Cajun Roux, The White Butter Roux
In looking for neat articles I came across the topic of Cajun Roux. This is a thickening paste basically but browned before use and used for thickening Creole French and Cajun food recipes. This web site I found takes it a wonderful step further than most. Use a heavy frying pan. Either a stainless steel pan with multi element clad bottom or traditional cast iron will work equally well.
“What I love about cooking is that after a hard day, there is something comforting about the fact that if you melt butter and add flour and then hot stock, it will get thick! It’s a sure thing in a world where nothing else is sure, it’s a certainty, the stock will thicken!”
Nora Ephron
Stocks may be thickened by means of reductions, eggs, butter, vegetable purees, cream, foie gras, various starches and even blood. In classical French cuisine, the roux is the primary thickening agent. Equal parts of butter and flour are well blended over heat to create a roux. This process may produce rouxs of different colors and thickening capabilities depending on the cook’s need. In Cajun and Creole cuisine, the roux has been raised to a new dimension never before experienced in other forms of cooking.
Butter, lard, peanut oil, bacon fat and even duck fat have been used in combination with flour to produce as many taste and color variations as there are cooks in South Louisiana. In classical cuisine, the brown roux is used for brown sauce, the blonde roux for veloutes and the white roux is used for bechamels. In Creole cuisine, a brown roux is made from butter or bacon fat and is used to thicken gumbos and stews requiring a light touch. The Cajuns, on the other hand, are the originators of the most unique rouxs in modern cookery.
The Cajun dark brown roux is best made with vegetable oil, although in the past, it was thought imperative that only animal fat be used. The flour and oil are cooked together until the roux reaches a caramel color. This roux has less thickening power. Thus, the thickening capabilities of the dark roux are diminished. The dark brown roux is the secret to traditional Cajun food because of the richness and depth it adds to the dish. Butter is used in classical and Creole rouxs, however, the Cajuns use only vegetable oil or lard to produce their lighter colored roux. Tan in appearance, these light rouxs are used primarily with vegetables and light meat dishes.
Nothing in Cajun country has a greater aroma than a light brown roux simmering with onions, celery, bell pepper and garlic. On many occasions growing up in South Louisiana, my hunger was satisfied with a touch of this vegetable seasoned roux spread on a piece of French Bread. Certain gumbos are further thickened, in Bayou country, with either okra or file powder.
Considering the variations in cooking time and fats or oils, the number of different roux possibilities are infinite. I(Jay Mawhinney) will attempt to delineate six such rouxs, three used in classical cuisine, one used in Creole cooking and two that are strictly Cajun. I’m going to split the recipe’s up into individual blogs so recipe stands out. I think this is a cool thickening tool for Creole and Cajun base french cooking.
THE WHITE BUTTER ROUX
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
In a heavy bottom sauté pan, like stainless steel multi element pans, melt butter over medium high heat. Proceed exactly as in the blonde roux recipe, however, only cook until the flour and butter are well blended and bubbly. Do not brown. This classical style roux is popular in Creole cooking and will thicken three cups of stock to a sauce consistency.
Credit to http://www.jfolse.com/fr_rouxs.htm
Copyright © 2007 Chef John Folse & Company.
2517 South Philippe Ave. • Gonzales, LA 70737 • (225) 644-6000 • FAX (225) 644-1295
Another Creole French or Cajun Roux The Brown Roux
In looking for neat articles I came across the topic of Cajun Roux. This is a thickening paste basically but browned before use and used for thickening Creole French and Cajun food recipes. This web site I found takes it a wonderful step further than most. Use a heavy frying pan to prepare. You can use stainless steel pans with multi element stainless clad bottoms or the traditional cast iron. They both work, but the multi element stainless steel pans heat evenly with no hot spots.
“What I love about cooking is that after a hard day, there is something comforting about the fact that if you melt butter and add flour and then hot stock, it will get thick! It’s a sure thing in a world where nothing else is sure, it’s a certainty, the stock will thicken!”
Nora Ephron
Stocks may be thickened by means of reductions, eggs, butter, vegetable purees, cream, foie gras, various starches and even blood. In classical French cuisine, the roux is the primary thickening agent. Equal parts of butter and flour are well blended over heat to create a roux. This process may produce rouxs of different colors and thickening capabilities depending on the cook’s need. In Cajun and Creole cuisine, the roux has been raised to a new dimension never before experienced in other forms of cooking.
Butter, lard, peanut oil, bacon fat and even duck fat have been used in combination with flour to produce as many taste and color variations as there are cooks in South Louisiana. In classical cuisine, the brown roux is used for brown sauce, the blonde roux for veloutes and the white roux is used for bechamels. In Creole cuisine, a brown roux is made from butter or bacon fat and is used to thicken gumbos and stews requiring a light touch. The Cajuns, on the other hand, are the originators of the most unique rouxs in modern cookery.
The Cajun dark brown roux is best made with vegetable oil, although in the past, it was thought imperative that only animal fat be used. The flour and oil are cooked together until the roux reaches a caramel color. This roux has less thickening power. Thus, the thickening capabilities of the dark roux are diminished. The dark brown roux is the secret to traditional Cajun food because of the richness and depth it adds to the dish. Butter is used in classical and Creole rouxs, however, the Cajuns use only vegetable oil or lard to produce their lighter colored roux. Tan in appearance, these light rouxs are used primarily with vegetables and light meat dishes.
Nothing in Cajun country has a greater aroma than a light brown roux simmering with onions, celery, bell pepper and garlic. On many occasions growing up in South Louisiana, my hunger was satisfied with a touch of this vegetable seasoned roux spread on a piece of French Bread. Certain gumbos are further thickened, in Bayou country, with either okra or file powder.
Considering the variations in cooking time and fats or oils, the number of different roux possibilities are infinite. I(Jay Mawhinney) will attempt to delineate six such rouxs, three used in classical cuisine, one used in Creole cooking and two that are strictly Cajun. I’m going to split the recipe’s up into individual blogs so recipe stands out. I think this is a cool thickening tool for Creole and Cajun base french cooking.
THE BROWN ROUX
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
In a heavy bottom sauté pan, like stainless steel multi element pan, melt butter over medium high heat. Using a wooden roux spoon, add flour, stirring constantly until flour becomes light brown. You must continue stirring during the cooking process, as flour will tend to scorch as browning process proceeds. Should black specks appear in the roux, discard and begin again. This volume of roux will thicken three cups of stock to sauce consistency.
Credit to http://www.jfolse.com/fr_rouxs.htm
Copyright © 2007 Chef John Folse & Company.
2517 South Philippe Ave. • Gonzales, LA 70737 • (225) 644-6000 • FAX (225) 644-1295
Creole French and Cajun Roux oil-less Roux
In looking for neat articles I came across the topic of Cajun Roux. This is a thickening paste basically but browned before use and used for thickening Creole French and Cajun food recipes. This web site I found takes it a wonderful step further than most. Use heavy frying pans. Either the stainless steel pans with multi element stainless steel clad bottoms or the traditional cast iron will work. The multi element stainless steel frying pans heat more evenly with no hot spots to burn the Roux.
“What I love about cooking is that after a hard day, there is something comforting about the fact that if you melt butter and add flour and then hot stock, it will get thick! It’s a sure thing in a world where nothing else is sure, it’s a certainty, the stock will thicken!”
Nora Ephron
Stocks may be thickened by means of reductions, eggs, butter, vegetable purees, cream, foie gras, various starches and even blood. In classical French cuisine, the roux is the primary thickening agent. Equal parts of butter and flour are well blended over heat to create a roux. This process may produce rouxs of different colors and thickening capabilities depending on the cook’s need. In Cajun and Creole cuisine, the roux has been raised to a new dimension never before experienced in other forms of cooking.
Butter, lard, peanut oil, bacon fat and even duck fat have been used in combination with flour to produce as many taste and color variations as there are cooks in South Louisiana. In classical cuisine, the brown roux is used for brown sauce, the blonde roux for veloutes and the white roux is used for bechamels. In Creole cuisine, a brown roux is made from butter or bacon fat and is used to thicken gumbos and stews requiring a light touch. The Cajuns, on the other hand, are the originators of the most unique rouxs in modern cookery.
The Cajun dark brown roux is best made with vegetable oil, although in the past, it was thought imperative that only animal fat be used. The flour and oil are cooked together until the roux reaches a caramel color. This roux has less thickening power. Thus, the thickening capabilities of the dark roux are diminished. The dark brown roux is the secret to traditional Cajun food because of the richness and depth it adds to the dish. Butter is used in classical and Creole rouxs, however, the Cajuns use only vegetable oil or lard to produce their lighter colored roux. Tan in appearance, these light rouxs are used primarily with vegetables and light meat dishes.
Nothing in Cajun country has a greater aroma than a light brown roux simmering with onions, celery, bell pepper and garlic. On many occasions growing up in South Louisiana, my hunger was satisfied with a touch of this vegetable seasoned roux spread on a piece of French Bread. Certain gumbos are further thickened, in Bayou country, with either okra or file powder.
Considering the variations in cooking time and fats or oils, the number of different roux possibilities are infinite. I (Jay Mawhinney) will attempt to delineate six such rouxs, three used in classical cuisine, one used in Creole cooking and two that are strictly Cajun. I’m going to split the recipe’s up into individual blogs so recipe stands out. I think this is a cool thickening tool for Creole and Cajun base french cooking.
Oil-Less Roux
2 cups all purpose flour
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spread flour evenly across the bottom of a 15-inch cast iron skillet or stainless steel multi element pan. Bake, stirring occasionally, for approximately 1 hour. Make sure to stir well around the edges of the skillet so flour does not scorch. Cook flour until light or dark color is achieved, depending on use. The roux will become darker when liquid is added. When desired color is reached, cool on a large cookie sheet, stirring occasionally. Store in a sealed jar for future use. 1 cup of oil-less roux will thicken 1 ½ quarts of stock to a proper gumbo consistency.
NOTE: I recommend oil-less roux manufactured and sold by Bruce Foods and Savoie’s. Bruce Foods is located in New Iberia, Louisiana (318) 365-8101 and Savoie’s is located in Opelousas, Louisiana (318) 942-7241.
8 Servings
Calories: 114
Total Fat: 0
Saturated Fat: 0
% Calories from Fat: 0%
Cholesterol: 0
Sodium: 1mg
Carbohydrate: 24mg
Fiber: 1gm
Protein: 3 gm
THE BROWN ROUX
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
In a heavy bottom sauté pan, melt butter over medium high heat. Using a wooden roux spoon, add flour, stirring constantly until flour becomes light brown. You must continue stirring during the cooking process, as flour will tend to scorch as browning process proceeds. Should black specks appear in the roux, discard and begin again. This volume of roux will thicken three cups of stock to sauce consistency.
Credit to http://www.jfolse.com/fr_rouxs.htm
Copyright © 2007 Chef John Folse & Company.
2517 South Philippe Ave. • Gonzales, LA 70737 • (225) 644-6000 • FAX (225) 644-1295
About Scottish Bannock and a recipe
I was perusing the web for article material when I saw several blogs about Scottish Bannock. Being of Scottish heritage they caught my attention although the grammar and spelling made it a little hard to decifer. I googled for Scottish Bannock and found some delicious recipes. The Scottish as well as the Irish (the rest of me that isn’t Scottish) and pretty much all of the British Isles have countless soda breads, scones, muffins etc. and this is one delicious example of these tasty treats.
I got the recipe form http://www.rampantscotland.com/recipes/
Traditional Scottish Recipes
- Oatcakes/Bannocks
Oatcakes are a very traditional part of the Scottish diet. They were cooked on a griddle (a flat iron pan placed over the fire) but nowadays a heavy good quality frying pan is used.
——————————————————————————–
Ingredients
4 oz (125g) medium oatmeal
2 teaspoons melted fat (bacon fat, if available)
2 pinches of bicarbonate of soda
Pinch of salt
3/4 tablespoons hot water
Additional oatmeal for kneading
Method
Mix the oatmeal, salt and bicarbonate and pour in the melted fat into the centre of the mixture. Stir well, using a porridge stick if you have one and add enough water to make into a stiff paste. Cover a surface in oatmeal and turn the mixture onto this. Work quickly as the paste is difficult to work if it cools. Divide into two and roll one half into a ball and knead with hands covered in oatmeal to stop it sticking. Roll out to around quarter inch thick. Put a plate which is slightly smaller than the size of your pan over the flattened mixture and cut round to leave a circular oatcake. Cut into quarters (also called farls) and place in a heated pan which has been lightly greased. Cook for about 3 minutes until the edges curl slightly, turn, and cook the other side. Get ready with another oatcake while the first is being cooked.
An alternative method of cooking is to bake them in an oven at Gas5/375F/190C for about 30 minutes or until brown at the edges. The quantities above will be enough for two bannocks about the size of a dessert plate. If you want more, do them in batches rather than making larger quantities of mixture. Store in a tin and reheat in a moderate oven when required.