Napoleon Of Saint Pierre Recipes

NAPOLEON

Steps:

• Make puff pastry strips: Lightly flour a clean work surface. Using a rolling pin, gently roll out dough into a 16-by-18-inch rectangle about 1/8 inch thick, being careful not to press too hard around the edges. Using a pastry wheel or sharp knife, cut rectangle crosswise into thirds, with each strip 6 by 16 inches. Transfer to a baking sheet; dock, or pierce, the dough all over with a fork. Cover with plastic wrap; place in refrigerator 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Transfer to oven; bake until strips are puffed and golden all over, about 14 minutes. Set a baking sheet directly on pastry strips, and continue baking until pastry is cooked through and well browned, about 6 minutes. Remove top baking sheet; bake 4 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Using a serrated knife, trim each to 4 1/4 by 12 inches.
• Make the glaze: In a small saucepan, bring heavy cream just to a boil. Place dark chocolate in a bowl, and pour hot cream over chocolate; whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is combined. Whisk in corn syrup. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl.
• Place white chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk until chocolate is melted, and remove from heat. Let cool.
• Using an offset spatula, spread dark chocolate glaze over one side of the flattest puff pastry strip, making sure to coat entire surface. Place white chocolate in a piping cone; pipe thin lines 3/4 inch apart across width of chocolate-coated strip. To create the distinctive flourish, gently drag the tip of a paring knife or a skewer lengthwise through both coatings, in lines perpendicular to the white chocolate lines. Begin at one of the short ends, and make each line 3/4 inch apart. Alternate the direction each time.
• Place one of the unglazed puff pastry strips on a serving tray. Spread half the pastry cream over the top, leaving a 1/2-inch border all around. Top with remaining unglazed pastry strip; press down gently, and repeat with remaining pastry cream. Top with glazed pastry strip. Transfer to refrigerator, and chill 30 minutes uncovered. Using a long serrated knife, cut into six pieces, and serve.

NAPOLEON OF SAINT PIERRE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Peel the potatoes and trim each into a long, cylindrical shape. Using a mandoline or a good kitchen slicer, cut the potatoes into paper-thin disks.
• Brush a cookie sheet with melted butter and arrange the potatoes, overlapping them by about a third, to create squares of potatoes. Press down firmly on the potatoes to help them stick together. Make 8 potato squares. Drizzle them with the remaining butter and season with salt and pepper. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are golden brown. Carefully lift off the pan with a spatula. Set aside.
• Lower the oven to 200 degrees.
• Fill a bowl with water and ice and set aside. Core the tomatoes and score the underside with an "X." Bring a pot of water to the boil and add the tomatoes, cooking for 5 seconds. Remove the tomatoes and immediately place in the bowl of ice water. Remove and peel the tomatoes. Place the tomato skins on a cookie sheet.
• Bake the tomato skins until brittle, about 20 minutes. Remove and roughly chop the dried peels. Reserve.
• Raise the oven to 250 degrees. Slice the peeled tomatoes in half crosswise and remove the seeds. Place the tomato halves cut side down on a pan lined with aluminum foil. Drizzle with 3 teaspoons of virgin olive oil, the crushed garlic and 2 sprigs of thyme. Season with salt and pepper.
• Bake the tomatoes for 2 hours.
• Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette by whisking together 1/3 cup of olive oil, the lemon juice, juniper berries, tarragon leaves, 2 sprigs of thyme, salt and pepper to taste and the dried tomato skins. Set aside.
• Season the fish with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. In a saute pan, melt the butter and add the fillets, cooking two to three minutes on each side. Remove and set aside.
• Season the steamed spinach with salt and pepper to taste.
• Place the vinaigrette in a small pot and heat until just warmed. Assemble the dish by placing some spinach on a plate, a tomato half on top, then a fish fillet and one crisp potato square. Repeat layering. Repeat with other plates. Drizzle with vinaigrette around the perimeter of the plate.