Roquefort Napoleon Recipes

HERBED MASHED POTATOES WITH ROQUEFORT

Steps:

• Place the potatoes in lightly salted cold water to cover. Boil until their centers can be pierced easily with a knife, about 12 to 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes.
• In a medium-sized saucepan, scald the milk and cream. Add the butter and continue cooking until the butter melts.
• Place a ricer over a large saute pan and push the potatoes through the ricer.
• Place the pan with the potatoes over medium heat and, stirring with a wooden spoon, gradually pour in the scalded milk. Mix until the potatoes are smooth and creamy.
• Fold in the herbs and seasonings.
• Serve on warm places and sprinkle with Roquefort cheese.

ROQUEFORT NAPOLEON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Line a 12-by-18-inch baking pan with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry to a thickness of one-eighth inch, approximately the size of the baking sheet. Sprinkle the parchment lightly with water and place the rolled pastry on the sheet. Poke the dough with a fork all over. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden. When baked, remove the pastry with the parchment to a wire rack and allow to cool.
• Using the paddle of a mixing machine, blend three-quarters of a pound of Roquefort with the cream cheese until smooth. Fold in the mascarpone and port. Set aside. Crumble the remaining Roquefort and set aside.
• Using a sharp serrated knife, cut the pastry crosswise into six equal strips, each about 2 inches by 10 inches.
• Peel the pear and slice into one-quarter-inch thin "sheets."
• Using a long metal spatula, coat one strip of pastry with a thin layer of the cheese mixture. Place a single layer of pears over the cheese and coat the pears with more cheese mixture. Place another strip on top and coat with the cheese mixture. Sprinkle with crumbled Roquefort and coat with more cheese mixture; cover with a final strip of pastry. Repeat once more with the remaining pastry strips and set aside. (Extra cheese mixture can be used as a spread on crackers.)
• In a small bowl, whisk the creme fraiche with the heavy cream and set aside. Lightly dust the top surfaces of the pastry with paprika through the mesh of a fine sieve. Dip the tines of a fork into the cream mixture and rapidly drizzle the cream over the top. Sprinkle with the chopped walnuts. Cut into one-inch widths for hors d'oeuvres or into six triangles as a first course or cheese course.

MINIATURE ROQUEFORT NAPOLEONS

Steps:

• On a lightly floured surface, working with 1 half of the pastry at a time, roll out the pastry to form 16- by 12-inch rectangles and transfer each rectangle to a baking sheet. On 1 of the baking sheet draw 2 shallow crosswise lines with a blunt knife, dividing the sheet into thirds, and sprinkle the walnuts over two thirds of the pastry sheet. Cover each pastry sheet directly with the buttered bottom surface of another baking sheet to weight it. Bake the pastry sheets in a preheated 400°F.oven for 5 minutes, remove the baking sheet weights, and with a fork prick the pastry sheet all over. Return the baking sheet weights to the pastry sheets for 10 minutes more, and remove the baking sheet weights. Prick the pastry sheets again, switch the baking sheets in the oven so the pastry sheets bake evenly, and bake the pastry sheets for 7 to 10 minutes more, or until they are crisp and golden. While the pastry sheets are still warm, with a pastry wheel cut each sheet crosswise into sixteen 1-inch strips and cut the strips into sixths, making ninety-six 2-by 1-inch rectangles per sheet. The pastry rectangles may be made 1 day in advance and kept, covered with plastic wrap, on the baking sheets.
• In a bowl with an electric mixer beat together the Roquefort, the cream cheese, the lemon juice, the white pepper, and salt to taste until the mixture is creamy and smooth. The filling may be made 2 days in advance and kept covered and chilled. Let the filling return to room temperature before spreading it.
• Spread a thin layer of the filling on each of the rectangles without walnuts. To assemble each napoleon stack 2 Roquefort-topped layers and top them with a walnut topped layer.

ROQUEFORT-ROLLED GRAPES

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with waxed paper.
• Add the cream cheese, Roquefort and heavy cream to a medium bowl. Using an electric hand mixer, mix to combine. Put the pecans in a shallow baking dish.
• Drop the grapes about 3 at a time into the cheese mixture and cover the grapes completely with it. Roll in the chopped pecans and place on the prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.

RITZ-CARLTON ROQUEFORT DRESSING

Steps:

• In a bowl, whisk together all ingredients except Roquefort until smooth and then stir in Roquefort and salt and pepper to taste.
• Refrigerate.

STEAKS WITH ROQUEFORT SAUCE

Steps:

• Melt the butter and heat the oil in a skillet over high heat. Season steaks with salt and pepper, and quickly sear on both sides. Reduce heat to medium, and continue cooking steaks 5 minutes on each side, or to desired doneness. Remove from skillet and keep warm.
• Pour brandy into the skillet and stir to loosen browned bits from bottom. Stir in cream, and return to a boil. Cook and stir until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Mix cheese into the sauce until melted. Pour over the steaks to serve. Garnish steaks with parsley.