Text 21023, 108 rader
Skriven 2009-02-17 23:24:00 av JIM WELLER (1:123/140)
     Kommentar till en text av ALLEN PRUNTY
Ärende: Re: Tastes
==================
-=> Quoting Allen Prunty to Sean Dennis <=-

 AP> Now if you want something heavenly on a cracker there is a monastery
 AP> not far from here where the monks make the cheese..  Now that stuff is
 AP> as close to heaven a I probably will be allowed to get.

Where is here? And which monastery?

Something cheesy...

MMMMM-----Meal-Master - formatted by MMCONV  2.10

     Title: French Onion Pastina With Parmesan Crisps
Categories: Pasta, Cheese
  Servings: 4

      2 TB olive oil
      1 lb onions, very finely sliced
      1 ts flour
  3 1/2 c  beef stock
    1/4 ts dried thyme
    1/2 lb acini di pepe or other very
        sm pasta (orzo, stelle, seme di
           melone)
    1/4 c  shredded Parmesan
           Salt and freshly ground
           black pepper
           Parmesan crisps (recipe
           follows)

There's a sort of magic in caramelizing an onion; it doesn't seem
possible that all that sugar is hiding inside the sulfurous bulb.
And it's that surprising sweetness that makes French onion soup one
of the most comforting foods I know. 

While I'm always soothed by French onion soup, I'm rarely left full,
and I've long plotted to somehow bulk it up. But filling up on
baguette seems unimaginative, and simply throwing some cooked
noodles into the pot, as you might do with a chicken soup, doesn't
feel like a coherent dish. So I've devised what you might call a
mock risotto, in which acini di pepe (a pastina, or little pasta,
named for its peppercorn shape) is cooked directly in the soup,
absorbing all of its sweet, oniony flavor. As with risotto, any
unabsorbed liquid is thickened by the starch to form an almost
creamy sauce. But, unlike risotto, there's no stirring or
incremental ladling of stock.

It wouldn't be French onion soup without the cheese, so I stir some
grated Parmesan into the finished pastina and top it with a Parmesan
crisp. The crisp is a fussy, and optional, extra, but little
flourishes like this one always make me feel better about cooking
well on the cheap.

With every effort you make to chop the onions finely and evenly,
they'll caramelize exponentially faster. Be patient, too, once
they're in the pan; full caramelization is what gives both color and
flavor to this dish, and pale onions make for a bland end product. 

Cook onions in oil in a large, deep saucepan, stirring occasionally,
until onions are very soft and a deep brown color, 25-30 minutes. As
the onions cook down, they may start to stick to the bottom of the
pan; whenever this happens, deglaze with a small quantity of cold
water, scraping with wooden spoon to dissolve brown bits.

Remove about 1/4 of onions from pan, reserving for garnish. Season
with salt and pepper and cover to keep warm.

Sprinkle flour over the onions in the pot, stirring to incorporate.
Add beef stock and dried thyme and bring to a boil. Lower to a
simmer, adjust seasoning, and add pasta. Cover pan and simmer,
depending on type of pasta, for 6-9 minutes, or until pasta is al
dente and most of the liquid is absorbed. Stir once or twice during
cooking to prevent sticking.

Remove pasta from heat and stir in shredded Parmesan. Adjust
seasoning if necessary. To serve, top with reserved onions and
Parmesan crisp.

Parmesan Crisps

Heat a nonstick pan over medium-low heat. Sprinkle a small handful
(about 1 1/2 tablespoons) of grated Parmesan into the pan to form a
circle about 3 inches in diameter. Cook until cheese is somewhat
melted and beginning to take on color, 1-2 minutes. Using a spatula,
gently loosen the cheese and flip, cooking for an additional 30
seconds.

Place on paper towels to cool, or, for a curved shape, immediately
drape over a rolling pin or other cylindrical surface.

Posted by Michele Humes

From: Serious Eats
 
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Cheers

YK Jim


... Spam is loved in some parts of the world.  But then so is lutefisk.

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