Culinary Discovery:
A Christmas Tour, Continued
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Oliebollen
1 package yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 cup warm water
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups warm milk
3 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped apples
4 cups flour
1 tablespoon salt vegetable oil for frying
Dissolve yeast and sugar in water; let stand in warm place for 20 minutes. Combine eggs, milk, corn syrup, raisins, apples, and yeast mixture in large bowl. Stir until combined. Add flour and salt into mixture. Mix well for 2-3 minutes. Test the dough to see if it will fall into a lump when dropped from a spoon. If it does not fall off the spoon easily then add a little bit more milk. Oil a bowl and place the dough in it and cover with a kitchen towel. Set aside in a warm place and let rise for 2 hours. Heat a large pot filled with vegetable oil to 375 F. Drop the dough by teaspoons hot oil. Fry until golden brown. Top with powdered sugar while still warm.
Apple Charlotte
If you don't have a charlotte mold, any round, flat-bottomed two-quart casserole can be used in its place.
3/4 cup unsalted
butter, softened
6 pounds tart apples, peeled, cored, thinly sliced
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons lavender
3 tablespoons Calvados
1 loaf thin-sliced white bread
Melt 5 tablespoons of the butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add apple slices, lemon juice, vanilla bean and scrapings, sugar, lavender and brandy. Cook until apples break down and become a chunky applesauce, about 20 minutes. Continue cooking, uncovered, over low heat until mixture is stiff enough to hold its shape when you press a spoon into it, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Remove and discard vanilla bean. Let sauce cool and refrigerate until cold. (The sauce can be prepared several days before the charlotte is assembled.)
Heat oven to 425 F. Trim crusts from bread and discard. Cut the bread in half. Place 4 slices of bread together in a square, and place a 7-inch charlotte mold on top. Trace shape of mold onto break with knife tip, and cut it to fit in bottom of mold. Butter on both sides and fit into mold. Reserve at least 4 slices for the top; cut remaining slices in half lengthwise. They should be about the same height as the mold. Butter rectangles on both sides and fit them against walls of mold, overlapping. Fill with apple mixture. Cut reserved bread to fit top of mold; butter, fit into place. Chill 15 minutes. Bake until bread is golden, 30 to 40 minutes. To unmold set a serving platter on top of the charlotte and turn upside down. Let rest for 30 minutes. Then turn again until the mold is upright once more and run a knife between bread and the mold, then turn upside down so the charlotte will release slowly. Unmold and serve with crème anglaise. Serve 8.
Creme Anglaise
6 large egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
2 cups half and half
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
Whisk egg and cup sugar in medium bowl until combined. Place half and half and heavy cream in a medium saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean and add bean. Bring mixture to simmer over medium heat then remove from heat. Gradually whisk hot cream mixture into yolk mixture. Return custard to saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until custard thickens, about 12 minutes without boiling. Discard vanilla bean. Cover and refrigerate until cold. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead; keep refrigerated.) Makes about 2 cups.
Alsatian Venison
Serves 4
1/2 pound egg noodles
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 pounds venison loins
salt and pepper
1 1/2 cup Pinot Noir wine
2 tablespoons grainy mustard
2 tablespoons walnut oil
1 tablespoon peppercorns
1 teaspoon ginger
1 shallot, finely minced
1 cup chicken or veal stock
1/2 cup of cream
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon of red currant jelly
1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
Add the 1/2 cup of wine and mustard to a large dish and stir. Salt and pepper the loin, place in the wine and roll loin around. Marinate for 1 to 3 hours in the refrigerator.
Bring water to a boil and add salt and noodles. Cook the egg noodles until al dente. Strain. Place back into the pot, add butter and stir around until distributed.
Remove loin from marinade and pat dry with a paper towel. Heat oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Sear the loin on all sides, about 5 minutes in total. The cooking time will vary with the thickness of the loin; it should be pink in the center. Remove from pan and wrap with tin foil and let rest ten minutes; it will continue to cook. Return the pan to the stove, add the rest of the wine, peppercorns, ginger, shallot and stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and add cream; let simmer until reduced by almost half. Strain. Add cinnamon, jelly, and vinegar. Re-warm slightly.
Slice the loin into thin slices. Place on top of noodles. Pour sauce over the top.
Note: Venison is the main game of Northern Alsace. Many meat and fish dishes are served over egg noodles in both Alsace and Lorraine. Currant jelly is a staple in the Bar-le-Duc region of Lorraine.
