Mushroom Napoleon Recipes

PHILIPPE BOULOT'S WHIPPED-POTATO-AND-WILD-MUSHROOM NAPOLEON

Steps:

• Peel three of the potatoes, cut them in small chunks and place them in a saucepan with cold water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook the potatoes until they are tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and pass the potatoes through a food mill or a ricer.
• In the same pan, heat the milk; add the butter and the cooked potatoes and mix over medium heat. Remove from the heat and add the herbs. Set aside, covered.
• Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet. Add the mushrooms and saute over medium heat until tender, about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain off any excess oil and mix the mushrooms with the potatoes. Season the potato mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
• Scrub the remaining potato. Cut it into very thin slices lengthwise, either with a mandoline or food processor or by hand. You should have 18 slices. Pat them dry on paper towels.
• Heat the oil for deep-frying in a skillet or a wok until very hot. Fry the potato slices a few at a time, turning them once, until golden, about 1 minute per side. Drain on paper towels.
• Shortly before serving, preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Place the fried potato slices on a baking sheet and reheat for 5 to 8 minutes. Meanwhile, reheat the mashed potato mixture.
• To assemble, spread some of the potato puree on each of six plates, top with a slice of fried potato, then repeat twice more, making three layers of mashed potato and three of fried, ending with the fried potato.

PORTOBELLO NAPOLEON

Steps:

• Slice the portobellos into 3 pieces each, grill and keep warm. Heat garlic in 1-ounce olive oil. Add beans and season with salt and pepper. In a separate pan, heat the olive oil and saute the chard. Season and grill the tomatoes, reserve warm. Set rice in the center of the plate. Top with mushroom, red tomato, chard, portobello, yellow tomato, chard, portobello. Surround with the beans and top with Parmesan.

VEGETABLE NAPOLEON WITH GRILLED PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM AND TOMATO BASIL BISQUE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Melt butter in a large skillet over low heat. Add onion, celery, and bell pepper and saute until they begin to soften. While they are cooking, cut fresh tomatoes in half, squeeze out seeds. Stir the fresh tomatoes into the skillet along with tomato paste and diced canned tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and simmer partially covered to integrate flavors, about 5 minutes. Add stock and cook for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Season portobello mushrooms with salt and pepper and brush with olive oil. Place on baking sheet in oven for 10 minutes.
• Remove pan of tomato mixture from heat, stir in cream and season with salt and pepper, to taste. While the mushrooms are in the oven, puree sauce in batches in food processor. Remove mushrooms from oven and let cool.
• To assemble napoleon, place a portobello on serving plate. Top with 1 slice of cheese followed by a slice of tomato, then another slice of cheese, another tomato slice and the second portobello on the top layer. Ladle warm sauce over the vegetable napoleon and finish with a basil sprig, for garnish.

POTATO AND WILD MUSHROOM NAPOLEONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Brush 4 large baking sheets well with oil. Arrange the potato slices in one layer on the sheets. Brush with the remaining oil, and top with another baking sheet to prevent curling and bake until golden, 30 to 35 minutes, switching the sheets halfway through baking.
• Transfer with a spatula to cooling racks. Sprinkle with the Essence and salt, and set aside.
• In a large, heavy skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until soft and most of the mushroom liquid is evaporated, about 8 minutes.
• Add the stock, cream, and thyme, and simmer until the liquid has reduced by 50 percent in volume, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the truffle oil. Place 2 potato slices on each of 4 serving plates. Spoon a generous tablespoon of mushroom filling on top, topped with a teaspoon of grated cheese. Continue layering the napoleon so that you have 3 layers of potatoes and 3 layers of mushrooms in all, ending with mushrooms on top. Garnish the top of each napoleon with a sprinkle of cheese and 3 slices of truffle, if desired. Arrange the chives around the outer edge of the plate and serve.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Brush 4 large baking sheets well with oil. Arrange the potato slices in one layer on the sheets. Brush with the remaining oil, and top with another baking sheet to prevent curling and bake until golden, 30 to 35 minutes, switching the sheets halfway through baking.
• Transfer with a spatula to cooling racks. Sprinkle with the Essence and salt, and set aside.
• In a large, heavy skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until soft and most of the mushroom liquid is evaporated, about 8 minutes.
• Add the stock, cream, and thyme, and simmer until the liquid has reduced by 50 percent in volume, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the truffle oil. Place 2 potato slices on each of 4 serving plates. Spoon a generous tablespoon of mushroom filling on top, topped with a teaspoon of grated cheese. Continue layering the napoleon so that you have 3 layers of potatoes and 3 layers of mushrooms in all, ending with mushrooms on top. Garnish the top of each napoleon with a sprinkle of cheese and 3 slices of truffle, if desired. Arrange the chives around the outer edge of the plate and serve.
• Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.
• Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch. Published by William and Morrow, 1993.
• Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.
• Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch. Published by William and Morrow, 1993.

ROASTED VEGETABLE NAPOLEONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F. and brush 2 baking sheets with some of the olive oil.
• Arrange as many vegetables as possible in one layer on sheets. Brush vegetables with some remaining oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast vegetables in middle and lower thirds of oven, switching positions of sheets in oven half way through roasting, until just tender and lightly browned, 10-15 minutes. Transfer vegetables as roasted to a tray, arranging them in one layer. Roast remaining vegetables in same manner. Vegetables may be roasted 1 day ahead, cooled completely, and chilled, layered between sheets of plastic wrap on trays and covered. Bring vegetables to room temperature before proceeding.
• In a small bowl stir together ricotta, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Put 1 eggplant slice on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Spread 1 tablespoon of ricotta mixture over eggplant. Cover ricotta mixture with 2 potato slices and layer with 2 zucchini slices, 1 onion slice, 1 mozzarella slice, 2 to 3 tomato slices, 2 zucchini slices, and 1 onion slice. Spread 1 tablespoon ricotta mixture over onion and top with 1 eggplant slice. Make 5 more napoleons using remaining vegetables, ricotta mixture, and mozzarella in same manner.
• Insert a metal or wooden skewer through center of each napoleon to make a hole from top to bottom. Trim rosemary sprigs to 1-inch taller than napoleons and remove bottom leaves from each sprig, leaving about 1-inch of leaves around top. Insert 1 sprig into each napoleon and bake in middle of oven 5 minutes, or until mozzarella is melted and vegetables are heated through.