Where did the year go? I know it's a cliché, but clichés are based on reality...and the reality is that the older we get...the faster the years seem to fly!
Our New Year's Eve was simple and quiet... We prefer to do an appetizer type meal rather than a full-on dinner...but I have to say, the dessert was spectacular!
Paté de Foie de Volaille avec Madeira on Toast Points
Plainly speaking, it is chicken liver paté with Madeira. This is a simple, easy recipe, but delicious paté.
1 large onion, sliced or chopped
about 1 Tablespoon butter
1 pound chicken livers, coarsely chopped
1/4 Madeira (or dry Sherry)
Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
1 or 2 heads roasted garlic
1 or 2 (8 ounce) blocks cream cheese (depends on how smooth you prefer the paté. I used only 1 for this version)
Enough slices of bread for each person, crusts trimmed, cut in fourths and then small triangles and then toasted, or make it easier on yourself and use Melba Toast
Sauté the onion in small amount butter to translucent. Add the chopped chicken livers and sauté until livers are done, adding a bit (about 1/4 cup) of Madeira or dry Sherry to finish cooking. A touch of salt and fresh ground pepper, cover and continue cooking until all signs of pink disappear.
Meanwhile start roasting 1 - 2 heads of garlic with a bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
In food processor: Process the blocks of cream cheese and add the chicken liver mixture. Squeeze the roasted garlic into the mix and process smooth.
You can add a bit of plain gelatin (a full Knox packet for 1 pound of livers) to the sherry before mixing it in, to give it a bit more body, but I never do.
YIELD: A lot! Recipe can be halved or doubled
SOURCE: The original recipe with Sherry was mine. A long time ago, my friend Andie suggested using Madeira after she tried it and another friend came up with the 'fancier' name 'Paté of Chicken Livers with Madeira' in French.
Swiss Fondue
1 clove garlic, halved
8 fluid ounces dry white wine
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 cups grated Gruyère cheese
2 cups grated Emmental cheese
1 teaspoon cornstarch
Rub the inside of the fondue pot with cut clove of garlic.
Pour in wine and lemon juice and heat gently until bubbling.
Reduce the heat to low, and gradually stir in grated cheeses, then continue to heat until cheeses melt, stirring frequently.
This stage can take a looooong time.
In a small bowl, blend cornflour smoothly with a bit of wine, then stir into cheese mixture and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes until mixture is thick and smooth, stirring frequently.
Do not allow fondue to boil.
Serve with fresh baked bread chunks...I like to serve it with sliced apples and mushrooms
...and the dessert...that took a little bit more effort, but the results...oh, my! The original idea came from this post for Stuffed Pears in Puff Pastry I found on Facebook...but I decided to give the recipe a twist of my own...
Red Wine Poached Pears Stuffed with Custard & Wrapped in Puff Pastry
Prepare one pear per person. Follow the instructions in the video and recipe in the link above for peeling and paring the pears. Poach in the wine mixture. My poaching liquid was a bit different than the one in the original recipe.
For the poaching liquid:
2 1/2 cup Merlot
1/2 cup water
1 stick cinnamon
1 vanilla bean
3 allspice leaves (crushed) (*)
1 sprig rosemary, about 4 inches long (*)
2 slices Meyer lemon (*)
1 cup sugar
plus 1 more cup for thickening syrup after pears are poached
(*) If you don't have fresh allspice leaves, use several allspice seeds, but the leaves give it a real punch. The addition of rosemary to my version was a nice surprise. If you have no Meyer lemons, use any lemons you might have available.
I poached the peeled and cored pears in this for 18 minutes. After I took the pears out, I also took the cinnamon, vanilla bean, lemon slices, allspice leaves and rosemary sprig out, then added 1 more cup sugar and cooked down to syrup consistency. Cool.
Meantime, while the pears are cooling, make the custard. I used less milk than the recipe called for so that the custard would be rich and thick. Use whatever custard recipe you prefer, but use half the amount of milk called for.
Preheat oven to 400 F. Follow the original recipe for adding filling of choice, and for wrapping with the puff pastry. Bake the wrapped pears for 20 - 25 minutes or until golden.
Cool for a few minutes, plate and dribble with the thickened wine syrup.
Serve all of the above with plenty of bubbly...!
