3 posts tagged “cream”

The more time I spend cooking, the less time I have to write. That's life. I've been cooking a lot this week; some successes, some flops. The weather has cooled off and I was finally able to face the ham I've been hanging on to for a while, so I popped it into the slow-cooker on Tuesday morning (this was a boneless, fully cooked half ham, Maple River Brand) with a cup of white wine, a dollop of Dijon mustard, and a peeled sliced apple, then turned it on "low". I mostly ignored it the rest of the day, although I turned it a couple of times.

When we were almost ready to eat, I took out the ham and placed in on a platter and covered it with foil and then a dishtowel for insulation. I removed and discarded the apple bits from the slow-cooker, and poured the remaining liquid into a small saucepan. Then I made the following sauce:

Dijon-Gruyere Sauce for Ham or Chicken

Pan drippings from roasting or braising (in this case, the winey hammy liquid from the slow-cooker)
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper
1/4 pound Gruyere cheese, shredded

Boil drippings or pan juices down rapidly until you have about 1/3 cup. Add cream and mustard; use whisk to combine. Simmer over medium heat until it begins to thicken a little. Reduce heat to lowest setting; gradually whisk in the shredded cheese. Serve hot with the ham or chicken.

I originally found this in a Sunset book, "Country French Cooking". It was served over a roasted chicken that had been quartered, sprinkled with more Gruyere, then put under the broiler for a minute or so. We had a housemate (John) at the time who loved this dish. Years later I dug up the recipe for him so he could cook it for the young woman he was dating. He cooked it, she loved it, and they have been married now for about five years.

I had always only used the sauce on chicken, but it occurred to me this week that the flavors were perfect for ham as well. The sauce is also delicious over rice or potatoes or bread. I do have some leftover, and I plan to use some of it in the egg batter for Monte Cristo Sandwiches in a few days. We'll see how that comes out.

We've got a Saturday market here in town that runs from May to (I think) October. The first year it started, I wasn't too impressed, and in fact never bothered to go back until this spring when it opened for its tenth season. Boy, was I missing out.

The crafts don't really do it for me, but the produce and the food stalls are great fun. My favorite food vendor, so far, is the noodle stand -- can't remember the name -- selling veggie yakisoba and staffed by cheerful guys in Hawaiian shirts. And my favorite produce vendor, hands out, are the people from Rain Forest Mushrooms. They sell these lovely meaty fungi called maitake mushrooms, and I adore them. They also have shiitakes and a few other kinds.

This is what I do with the maitakes. In fact, this was last night's dinner. Garlic brings out the mushroom flavor, so don't be afraid to use a lot. And you do need plenty of salt in the sauce; remember this is going over pasta. Use the best mushrooms you can find and afford. If you are limited to supermarket choices, at least look for the little brown crimini which have more flavor than the regular while mushrooms.

Mushroom Pasta

1/2 pound (or more) flavorful mushrooms
2-3 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons crushed garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound pasta

Cut the mushrooms into slices or strips, depending on the type of 'shroom.  Melt butter in a large nonstick pan over medium heat and toss the mushrooms about. Cook for a few minutes until tender and starting to brown a little and the aroma is being released. Add the garlic and stir well; cook for a few seconds. Add cream. and salt; simmer until thickened a bit; toss with hot pasta and serve with plenty of grated Parmesan cheese.

It's 102 degrees today in the lush, green (brown) Willamette Valley, and for some reason, I was out picking berries this afternoon. On my day off. Never mind why; I've got a very persuasive friend. I did get to pet and snorgle three very fine Siamese kitties, though.

Berries call for cream, and that calls for Norwegian Cream Cake (kremkake), the Official Dessert of Summer.

Norwegian Cream Cake

4 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 plus 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon sugar
1-2 teaspoons vanilla
Fresh berries or other fruit
Liqueur or fruit juice

Butter and flour a round 8" or 9" cake pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat eggs and sugar until light and well combined (I use my KitchenAid) and then add flour and baking powder; stir until well combined. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for about 30 minutes until golden and springy. Cool for 10-15 minutes on a rack, then remove from pan and cool completely.

Assemble cake: Slice cake into two layers with serrated knife. Place the bottom layer on cake plate; sprinkle with as much liqueur as you think advisable. I recommend Chambord or Grand Marnier when using berries. Sherry is lovely as well. Use fruit juice if you must. Whip the cream and flavor with the sugar and the vanilla. Slather some on the bottom layer, then apply a layer of berries, then more cream. Add the second layer and repeat the cream and fruit. If you still have cream, spread it on the sides of the cake. Consume happily.

This is great with strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, you name it. I have made it with sliced peaches; I have made it for my brother's October birthday with apples (sliced and cooked in butter) and maple syrup. It can be carefully wrapped with plastic wrap and refrigerated for several days and just gets better.

In Norway, some potato flour is used; if you want to try this, substitute it for the 1/3 cup of all-purpose flour.