{IHCC} Potluck with Pepin’s Maple Baked Sweet Potatoes

We only have two more weeks with Jacques Pepin and I still have plenty of recipes of his I want to make. So while I usually use other chef’s recipes for the PL I needed this one for Pepin.

I love Sweet Potatoes and this is the beginning of the season and they are starting to cure and gain sweetness. I am always looking for new ways to cook them. This one was perfect since the oven was on anyway.

4 medium sweet potatoes (3 pounds), peeled and sliced 1 1/2 inch thick
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/3 cup water

Peel and slice the sweet potatoes into 1″ slices. Place potato slices in water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cook until just tender
Place in a casserole dish and dot each slice with butter.
Drizzle maple sugar over potatoes and then sprinkle with water.
Bake 15 minutes at 400 degrees. Turn the slices over and bake an additional 25 minutes until tender and slightly browned. Original Recipe

I made about 1/4th of the recipe just for me. Easy. Sweet. Tasty. Definitely a repeat.

Other dishes in the Potluck this week? Visit with I Heart Cooking Clubs.

 

{IHCC} “Reveille-toi” – Breakfast!

I had breakfast with Jacques Pepin this morning. Okay, not really WITH him but I did enjoy his Oeufs Cocotte (Eggs in Ramekins) for BREAKFAST. And in case you hadn’t guessed, this week’s theme for I Heart Cooking Clubs is BREAKFAST!

It was simple and perfect.

2 1/2 teaspoons unsalted butter
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 large fresh eggs, preferably from free-range organic chickens
4 slices white bread (4 ounces)

Butter the insides of 4 small molds or ramekins with butter, ( or spray with buttery oil.
sprinkle the inside of each with the salt and pepper.
Break one egg into each mold.
Bring about 1/2 inch of water to a boil in a medium deep skillet. Place the molds in the water. Cover them with a lid.
Cook for about 4 minutes, until the whites are set but the yolks are still soft
inside.

Whle the eggs are cooking, toast the bread, and spread each slice with butter.
Trim off the crusts, cut each slice into three or four thin rectangular strips, and serve with the molded eggs.

To serve, Pepin says to run the blade of a sharp knife around the edge of the mold and unmold onto the plate/bread.

Pepin suggests that in the bottom of the mold, before you add the egg, you could add:

A tablespoon of cooked peas, or
2 teaspoons of minced herbs and courtons to each mold, or
4 round croutons (cut from the toast?), or
Chopped ham.
I think chopped bacon would be good, too.
I added about 1 tablespoon of shredded cheese.




The recipe is on page 456 of Pepin’s Jacques Pepin’s Table

Check with other members of IHCC and see what they had for Breakfast.

 

{IHCC) The Incredible Egg

Making omelettes can be easy. Or it can be hard. I have tried several different techniques over the years. Some work. Some don’t. But sometimes it’s not about the technique, its about how the omelette turns out. It’s easy to over cook an egg so that it is dry. This one isn’t

Somewhat misshapen yes, but dry…no!

This is Pepin’s omelette. Creamy on the inside. Lightly, very lightly cooked on the outside. Perfect!

Pepin’s Classic French Omelette

3 large eggs, preferably organic
A dash of salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons unsalted butter
Chopped chives, for garnish

Using a fork, beat the eggs, salt and pepper in a bowl until thoroughly mixed. The strings, when held up, should be short, not long and thick.

Heat butter in an 8-inch, nonstick skillet until hot and the foaming has subsided. Pour the egg mixture into the center of the pan and cook over medium heat, allowing the eggs to set and curl at the edges. Then, with the tines of your fork, stir the eggs so the runny part fills the areas between the set curds. When most of the eggs are set but still slightly liquid inside, the omelet is ready.

Fold the omelet in half. The outside should have a nice brown color. Invert onto a plate, garnish with chives and serve immediately.

It took me several tries to get the creamy inside. I am still working on the only lightly browned outside. I don’t plan to give up.

These were good with the chopped chives mixed in. Simple. Quick.

This week’s theme for I Heart Cooing Clubs was EGGS Did the other members go simple like I did, or did they cook up something fancy? Go check it out.