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Galette des Rois

Galette des Rois

galette 4

For the last few years we have adopted the tradition of Galette des Rois and subsequently have hosted a few parties at our petit apartment.  In the beginning, we chose to purchase the galette from a local boulangerie which usually comes with a crown and a bottle of cider (a nice package deal).  However, this year I decided that I wanted make the galette myself and thus started my research.  This is the hybrid recipe I came up with:

Pate Feuilletée

500 grams of flour

325 grams of butter

50 grams of butter

250 grams of water

10 grams of salt

Melt 50 grams of butter then cool.  Mix the flour and salt in a bowl then make a well in the center and add the water and melted butter.  Mix with a spatula until it forms a smooth ball then smash and wrap in plastic.  Rest for 30 minutes.

Form the butter into a square using two sheets of plastic film.  Remove the dough from the plastic and score with an X.  Gently pull each of the four sides of the X and roll each with a rolling pin to make a +.

galette 1

Place the butter in the middle then fold each flap over the butter brushing off the flour on the bottom so that the dough seals.  Roll the dough long then fold in 3 times to make a rectangle, brushing off the flour each time and then repeat the rolling & folding process once more.

galette 5

Mark the dough with two finger indentions, wrap with film and rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour.  Repeat the rolling and folding two more times and mark the dough with 4 finger indentions.  Rewrap and rest for 1 hour in the refrigerator.  Roll two last times and rewrap and rest for 30 minutes.  Now time to make the crème d’amandes.

Crème d’Amandes

150 grams of butter

75 grams of praline

75 grams of toasted ground hazelnuts

150 grams of sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 teaspoon of whisky

1 fève (small object, usually ceramic/porcelain to hide in the galette filling)

Syrup

50 grams of sugar

50 grams of water

1 teaspoon whisky

Mash the butter with a spatula until smooth then mix in the butter.  Mix in the eggs one by one until completely incorporated and finish by adding the whisky.  Roll the dough out and cut out two circles, size depends on how big of a galette you want to make (with this recipe, plan on having dough and filling leftover – you could use it to make another galette or something else of your choosing for example mini savory or sweet tarts).  Place the first ring of dough onto your baking pan and pipe the crème d’amandes into the center of the dough in a couple layers then drape the second piece over the filling.  With the back of a knife mark the edges of the galette then mark your desired design on the top.  Puncture with a couple holds and refrigerate overnight for at least 6 hours.

To bake, brush the top of the galette with an egg wash and bake at 200 degrees Celsius/392 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes then another 30 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius/355 degrees Fahrenheit.  If the galette begins to brown too much place a piece of aluminum over the top and finish the baking time.  Once finished, remove from the oven and brush with the syrup and rest to cool before cutting and serving.  This galette can be eaten cold, but it is best served warm in my opinion. Bon appetite!

 

 
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Posted by on February 16, 2018 in Dessert

 

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Whipped White Chocolate Mousse

Buche de Noel

Whipped chocolate ganache has been something that I have been using for a while, but it has always been a very thick and decadent product.  I have been working on making it lighter and to not taste as rich so as to be able to increase its versatility.

For my brunch I have been doing a whipped panna cotta which reminded me of my whipped chocolate ganache and so I started working on mixing the two.  I ended up taking the milk from the panna cotta, reduced the amount of gelatin, and then added that hot mixture to white chocolate.  Then I added my flavorings to the cream and whipped it to stiff peaks and then folded that into the cooled chocolate panna cotta.

From here you could use it immediately or let it cool and mix later.  For my Bûche de Noël I added matcha and orange flower water and the aerated texture that is created after it sets in the fridge worked great to imitate the bark of a tree.

 

Light White Chocolate Mousse

500 grams milk

15 grams of gelatin

900 grams white chocolate

1 liter of cream

Vanilla and flavors to taste

 

 
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Posted by on January 1, 2018 in Dessert

 

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The New Parmentier!

parmentier

The newest creations in the kitchen have been some changes to classics. What better dish to start with than my favorite!  With the late fall and winter here, I decided to work with one of my favorite vegetables for the season which is the beautiful sunchoke (topinambour in  French).  This vegetable pureed and fried into chips have equally flavorful results.  Here I have combined this puree with a mix of sautéed mushroom and duck confit with a little teriyaki and jus.  One of my favorite spices right now is the togarashi spice, which works very well with the combination of all these flavors.  Give it a try, it is a pretty simple dish and will be a pleasant surprise. 

 
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Posted by on February 4, 2017 in Main Dishes (Plats)

 

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Parmentier

I have fallen in love with a lot of classic French dishes.  I really enjoy putting my California twist on them.

Today my post is of a very simple comforting dish called Parmentier.  The classic dish is made up of leftover beef stew and mashed potatoes.  It is also sometimes made with duck.

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I decided to add orange zest to the potatoes for a fresh flavor.  After I put the potatoes it in a bowl (spread even throughout), I topped with breadcrumbs mixed with melted butter.  I gratined it until the breadcrumbs were toasted.

Next I mixed the confit duck with tomato, a little honey and sweet chili sauce and simmered it with a little broth until it reduced to a ragout.

For the garniture, I roasted some root vegetables, sprinkled them with sesame seeds and a little rocket arugula.

It really is an easy and delicious dinner idea for anytime of the year.

Enjoy!

 
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Posted by on January 28, 2015 in Main Dishes (Plats)

 

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Didn’t I tell you? I moved to Paris!

Didn’t I tell you?  I moved to Paris!

It has been awhile since my last post in February.  I wanted to fill you in on what I’ve been doing.  Last February, I accepted a position as Head Chef of FR/AME restaurant in Paris, France.  I somehow convinced my wife to make the big move and we made the journey across the world to our new home in Paris.  I moved there in March and she joined me later in May.

When I arrived in late March, I had a lot of work ahead of me.  There were numerous tastings, the kitchen and restaurant were still in the process of renovation, there were interviews to conduct, etc.

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The restaurant opened on April 10, 2014.

FR/AME’s concept is California cuisine with a French twist.  The very name of the restaurant itself is a combination of France and America.  The restaurant is located within the Hotel Pullman Paris Tour Eiffel which, as you can guess by the name, is very close to the Eiffel Tower.  The following picture was taken from the 10th floor banquet space we have in the hotel.

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Our restaurant is very unique because we have our own garden on the rooftop next to the restaurant and while the garden doesn’t supply all of our produce, we do use items from there to garnish and create special dishes.  The following pictures show the garden at the beginning and as it has grown.  We also have six chickens and bees!

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20140429_084705 20140429_084910  20140927_115147-EFFECTS FRAME garden

Here are a few pictures of dishes that are on the menu as of today.  I recently changed the menu to reflect our fall flavors.

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I feel so lucky and am excited to be in this new role.  If you find yourself in Paris, please pay us a visit and let us know how you like the food.

You can check out FR/AME’s Facebook page and their website for more details.

https://www.facebook.com/framebrasserie

http://www.framebrasserie.fr/

The restaurant was also recently featured in Marie Claire Maison:

http://www.marieclairemaison.com/,frame-la-brasserie-californienne,515353.asp

 
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Posted by on October 22, 2014 in Big Move, New Restaurant, Paris

 

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