Grand Marnier Soufflés – Rising to the Occasion on Valentine’s Day

Presenting this gorgeous Grand Marnier soufflé to your Valentine at the end of a romantic dinner would certainly impress, but imagine actually making this while they watch.

What a golden opportunity to show off your cooking skills, and a flair for the dramatic; not to mention the countless innuendos and double entendres such a scene would afford. Afraid it won’t turn out, and you’ll completely embarrass yourself? Too bad! No guts, no glory, and by “glory” we mean…glory.

The good news is, contrary to popular belief, and many cartoons, soufflés are actually very easy to make. I hope after a few viewings of this video, and maybe a practice run or two, you’ll realize just how simple this really is. Of course, to make things a little exciting you can over-fill these like I did, which can cause some wild and unpredictably shaped soufflé tops.

I think they still look super cool, but if you stop filling a 1/4-inch from the top, they generally will rise a little straighter. Having said that, anyone who’d complain about the shape of a soufflé top has some serious issues, and should probably be asked to leave immediately.

By the way, I do have a Crème Anglaise video recipe in the works, but for now you’ll have to rely on the simple written recipe below. As I mention in the clip, this is an extremely impressive dessert “as is,” but when you pierce the top of that hot, steaming soufflé, and pour in the silky, sexy sauce…well, you saw the video. Let’s just say it’s a very nice touch.

Speaking of nice touches, if you’re still looking for that extra special Valentine’s Day dessert for your extra special Valentine, I hope you’ll put aside your fears and give this a go. You really should get lots of compliments. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 Grand Marnier Soufflés:

2 (8-oz) heat-proof ramekins, brushed inside with melted butter and coated with sugar.

Note: Mine were closer to 7-oz, which is why I overfilled them as you saw. This amount of batter should fill two 8-oz ramekins. Amounts may vary depending on volume of your eggs/meringue, so don’t be surprised if you have a little more or less.

2 large eggs, separated

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons melted butter

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cold milk

1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest

1 tablespoon Grand Marnier

1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup white sugar

powdered sugar to garnish finished souffles

View the complete souffle recipe

Crème Anglaise Sauce:

(Makes about 1 cup)

1 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup white sugar

2 large egg yolks

1 tbsp Grand Marnier

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Whisk everything together in a small, but heavy saucepan. Place over med-low heat, and cook, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula being scraped across bottom, until the mixture is hot, and thickens slightly. The mixture should not come to a simmer (but close). The temp should be around 180 degrees F. when it’s done. Remove from heat, strain to remove any over-cooked particles of egg, and let cool.  If you want, you can add some fresh orange zest to the sauce as it cools. Serve ice cold with hot soufflé.

View the complete sauce recipe

Next Up: Grand Marnier Soufflés

Searching for Answers!

Did birds that ate this bread have anything
to do with the problem? Of course not,
but I didn't have any related photos.

I’ve received a number of emails regarding problems with the search engine in the sidebar. All of a sudden it’s not returning all the correct results. I have no idea why, so I thought I’d see if any of your more technologically inclined readers may have a clue.

The search box is just the basic Google widget that comes standard with the Blogger template layout I’m using. I can’t switch over to WordPress or other platforms right now, so if that’s your suggestion, thanks, but we’re looking for solutions with the current layout.

By the way, the search box at the top left of the window in the black strip does work, but returns entire blog posts instead of detailed search results. If you have any ideas on a fix or replacement widget or code, please pass them along! Thanks!

Fish Stew – Sexy Is As Sexy Does

You often hear people describe food as “sexy,” but I’ve always believed it’s really more the occasion and company that makes a meal sexy. Put your Valentine across a candlelit table, pour a couple glasses of wine, and no matter what you serve up, sexiness will ensue.

Having said that, it certainly doesn’t hurt to hedge your bets and serve up a naturally sensuous dish like this simple, but sophisticated fish stew. This is great for you less than confident cooks, since your timing doesn’t need to be that precise. Did I mention there’d be wine around?

You can actually do everything ahead, up until adding the fish if you want. Since the pieces will cook in between 5 and 10 minutes, when you’re ready to eat, simply bring the mixture to a boil, add the fish, and simmer until done. You can also hold the stew over very low heat for a good 15-20 minutes without major problems, in case, well, you know.

By the way, make sure you check and see if your dining partner likes fish and wine, as this would be a horrible choice if they don’t. If they do, you’re in business. Almost any type of fish or shellfish will work in this, as well as any small, cute potatoes. Just don’t forget to peel the middles, as it's kind of a big deal. I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:
2 tbsp butter

1 large leek, chopped

1/2 cup sliced shallots

1/2 tsp salt, more to taste

3/4 cup white wine

1 1/4 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup sliced fennel root

1 pound small red potatoes

cayenne to taste

1/2 cup cream

1 pound boneless fish filets

1 tbsp chopped tarragon

View the complete recipe

Cajun Chicken Ragu – An Old and Misspelled Mardi Gras Classic

Many years ago, at a small neighborhood restaurant in San Francisco, a young cook got to do his very first menu “special.” It featured pulled chicken, Cajun sausage, and peppers stewed in a rich, spicy gravy; and was served over grilled French bread. 

Not sure what to call it, the inexperienced, but handsome cook described it as a, “sort of Cajun ragout of chicken,” which made it on to the specials board as, “Cajun Chicken Ragu.”

Yes, I was that young cook, and the following recipe is pretty close to that historic dish. While I did enjoy it over the grilled bread back in the day, a gravy this awesome really deserves to be served over a big pile of rice. These are the kind of things you learn as you mature. That, and make sure you spell out your specials to the disinterested waiter writing the chalkboard.

Anyway, since I’m not going to New Orleans for Mardi Gras (I’m allergic to feathers and drunk tourists), I thought I’d dust off this old, personal favorite, which while not totally authentic, certainly celebrates those fabulous Cajun/Creole flavors.

As I mentioned in the video, this works with any kind of chicken, raw or cooked. As long as you simmer the gravy to an appropriate thickness, and make sure your meats are fully cooked, and heated through, you should be in bon shape. I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 large portions of Cajun Chicken Ragu:

6 slices of bacon, cut in 1/4-inch pieces

1 large onion, diced

2 ribs celery, diced

large pinch of salt

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1/3 cup flour

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste

1/2 tsp dried oregano

3 cups cold chicken broth

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

8 oz andouille sausage, sliced

2 or 3 cups pulled chicken meat

1/4 cup chopped green onions, plus more to garnish

*check for salt and seasoning, and adjust at the end!

View the complete recipe

Great News! The Bones Were Right!

You can see here that the bones are clearly
indicating the older "Harbaugh" would win.

If you lost money betting on the 49ers because of our chicken wing bone prediction, I have some really great news for you. Upon further review, the bones were correct! As you can see from the photo, the bones actually spelled out an “H” and a “+” symbol; and not an “SF” as we’d originally thought.

The “H” clearly indicates that a “Harbaugh” was going to be the winner, which was true, and the “+” revealed it would be older brother, John. So basically, the problem was that the bones were too accurate.

For future reference, when brothers
are coaching against each other, do
not look for the city! Live and learn.

Our original call was based on looking for a city, or team mascot; but since football’s collective consciousness was focused on this historic brother vs. brother coaching battle, we should have calibrated for that instead. My bad.

Anyway, even though you probably lost your ass because of this little misinterpretation, I’m sure just knowing that the bones’ streak of correctly predicting the Super Bowl outcome is still intact makes you feel a lot better. Plus, you can always bet double next year to make up the difference. You’re welcome!

Enjoy the Game! And, Don't Be "That Guy"

I hope you all have a great day watching the game, enjoying lots of tasty treats, and most of all, rubbing it in your skeptical friends faces when our prediction comes true, again. I'm assuming this isn't your first Super Bowl, but just in case you are new to attending SB parties, this video may help you out. Please pay special attention to the "no talking during the commercials" part, especially if there are lots of females in attendance. They have to put up with our screaming and yelling during the game, so the least we can do is shut up while they watch what they call, "the best part." Enjoy!