Blue Cheese Souffles With Grape Syrup On Fig And Walnut Brioche Recipes

BLUE CHEESE SOUFFLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare 4 (8-ounce) ramekins or a 1 1/2 -quart souffle dish by greasing with softened butter and coating with Parmesan.
• Make a thick bechamel sauce base by melting 3 tablespoons butter over low-medium heat in a thick-bottomed saucepan. Just as the foam subsides, add the flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or whisk to prevent lumps. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes to coat the flour and remove the starchy taste, do not allow to brown. Add the hot milk to the roux and continue to whisk until the mixture is smoothly thickened. Remove from heat. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time. Season with salt, pepper, and mustard. Stir in the cheese and incorporated evenly. Chill while preparing the egg whites.
• In a separate clean bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar just until they hold soft peaks. Fold 1/3 of the beaten whites into the bechamel mixture to lighten it. Then gently fold in the rest. Pour into the prepared ramekins or souffle dish and place on a cookie sheet. Bake on the middle rack for about 25 minutes. The souffle is done when it has puffed over the rim, the outside is golden and the center giggles slightly. Take care not to over bake. Serve with Dried Figs in Simple Syrup, brioche, and bitter greens.
• Combine water, orange juice and zest, cinnamon, brown sugar, and vanilla in a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Add the figs and cook until reconstituted, about 10 minutes.

WALNUT AND BLUE CHEESE GRAPES

Steps:

• Line a small baking sheet or baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.
• In a food processor, blend together the cream cheese, blue cheese, and heavy cream until smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add the grapes and stir until coated with the cheese mixture.
• In another small bowl, mix together the walnuts, sugar, and parsley.
• Using a fork, transfer the grapes, one at a time, to the walnut mixture and, using clean hands, gently roll in the mixture until coated. Place the grapes on the prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours and serve.
• Cook's Note: To toast the walnuts, arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 6 to 8 minutes until lightly toasted. Cool completely before using.

BLUE CHEESE SOUFFLES WITH GRAPE SYRUP ON FIG AND WALNUT BRIOCHE

Steps:

• Make brioche dough:
• Stir together water, yeast, and 1 tablespoon sugar in a small bowl until sugar is dissolved, then let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn't foam, discard and start over with new yeast.)
• Stir together flour, salt, and 1 tablespoon sugar in bowl of mixer. Add yeast mixture and eggs and beat at medium speed until combined. Add butter and beat until dough is smooth and silky, 5 to 8 minutes. (Dough will be very soft and sticky.) Add figs and nuts and mix until combined. Sprinkle remaining tablespoon sugar over dough, then cover bowl with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel and let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until almost doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.
• Butter and flour loaf pan, knocking out excess flour. Stir dough with a wooden spoon to release air, then spread evenly in loaf pan. Cover pan loosely with plastic wrap and kitchen towel and let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until it almost fills pan (dough will not rise above top of pan), 1 to 1 1/2 hours more.
• Make grape syrup while dough rises:
• Boil juice and wine in a 2- to 3-quart saucepan over moderately high heat until syrupy and reduced to about 1/2 cup, about 30 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
• Bake brioche:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F.
• Bake until golden brown and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Turn brioche out onto a rack, then turn right side up and cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Make soufflés and assemble dish:
• Keep oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.
• Brush molds with melted butter (1 tablespoon) and coat with nuts, knocking out excess.
• Bring milk and remaining 2 tablespoons butter to a boil in a 1-quart heavy saucepan. Whisk in flour until smooth and return to a boil over moderate heat. Remove from heat and vigorously whisk 1 minute, then whisk into yolks in a large bowl.
• Beat whites in another bowl with an electric mixer until they just hold stiff peaks.
• Stir half of cheese into yolk mixture and fold in one third of whites to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly. Divide among molds and bake in a water bath until puffed and browned, about 30 minutes. Remove molds from water bath and cool on a rack 5 minutes.
• While soufflés are cooling, cut 3 (1/2-inch-thick) slices from brioche loaf, then halve each slice for a total of 6 (2-inch) squares. Reserve remainder of loaf for another use.
• Run a thin knife around edge of molds to loosen soufflés. Divide brioche squares among 6 plates and drizzle with some grape syrup, then top each with a soufflé. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and serve immediately.

BLUE CHEESE AND WALNUT SOUFFLES AND MESCLUN WITH RED PEPPER VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Make soufflés:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. and generously butter six 1/2-cup soufflé dishes or custard cups.
• In a small bowl stir together walnuts and 1/2 tablespoon flour. Coat soufflé dishes or custard cups with walnut mixture, knocking out excess.
• In a small heavy saucepan melt butter over moderately low heat and whisk in remaining 3 1/2 tablespoons flour. Cook roux, whisking constantly, 3 minutes and add milk in a stream, whisking. Bring mixture to a boil over moderate heat, whisking, and cook until thickened, about 30 seconds.
• Remove pan from heat and transfer mixture to a bowl. Cool mixture slightly. Whisk cheese, yolks, black pepper, and salt to taste into milk mixture until cheese is melted.
• In a bowl with an electric mixer beat whites until they just hold stiff peaks. Stir one third of whites into cheese mixture to lighten and fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly.
• Divide soufflé mixture among prepared soufflé dishes or cups and put in a large baking pan just large enough to hold them. Add enough hot water to pan to reach halfway up sides of soufflés dishes or cups and bake soufflés in middle of oven until puffed and golden brown, about 25 minutes. Remove pan from oven and let soufflé dishes or cups stand in pan 15 minutes. (Soufflés will fall.)
• Lightly butter a baking sheet.
• Remove soufflé dishes or cups from pan and run a knife around edge of each dish or cup, carefully lifting edge of each soufflé slightly to help release it from bottom. Invert soufflé onto hand and carefully put, top side up, onto prepared baking sheet. Soufflés may be prepared up to this point 2 days ahead and chilled, covered.
• Increase temperature to 425°F.
• Bake soufflés in middle of oven until puffed slightly and heated through, about 5 minutes.
• Make vinaigrette while soufflés are baking.
• In a bowl toss mesclun with vinaigrette and divide among 6 salad plates. Arrange soufflés among 6 salad plates. Arrange soufflés along side of mesclun and garnish with bell peppers and flowers.

MAYTAG BLUE CHEESE SOUFFLES WITH BLACK CORINTH GRAPES AND MUSCAT GRAPE REDUCTION

Steps:

• Make grape reduction:
• In a 1 1/2-quart saucepan simmer grapes in water, uncovered, 30 minutes. Pour mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Transfer liquid to cleaned pan and gently boil until reduced to about 1/2 cup. Keep sauce warm, covered. Sauce may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Reheat sauce to warm before serving.
• Make soufflés:
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Butter six 1/4-cup ramekins (2 1/2 by 1 1/4 inches) and coat with walnuts, knocking out excess walnuts.
• In another 1 1/2-quart saucepan heat milk and butter over moderate heat until butter is melted and bring to a boil. Add flour all at once and whisk vigorously until mixture returns to a boil. Transfer mixture to a bowl and whisk until it no longer emits steam. Whisk in yolk (mixture will be very stiff). Break half of Maytag Blue into small pieces and with a rubber spatula stir into flour mixture.
• In a bowl with an electric mixer beat whites until they just hold stiff peaks and whisk half of whites into cheese mixture to lighten. Add remaining whites and whisk gently until incorporated (mixture will be dense).
• Divide batter among ramekins and arrange in a roasting pan. Add enough hot water to roasting pan to reach halfway up sides of ramekins and bake soufflés in middle of oven until puffed and golden brown, about 30 minutes.
• Make brioche toasts while soufflés are baking:
• Cut six 1/2-inch-thick slices from brioches and with a 2 1/2-inch round cutter cut a round from each slice. In a 10- to 12-inch nonstick skillet heat butter over moderately high heat until foam subsides and sauté brioche rounds until golden, about 30 seconds on each side. Break remaining half Maytag Blue into chunks.
• Put a brioche toast in center of each of 6 plates. Invert soufflés, 1 at a time, onto a large plate and turn right side up. Top each brioche round with a soufflé. Spoon sauce around soufflés and arrange grapes and remaining cheese on plates.