A dessert course this week, sort of a change from what we have been working on lately. The recipe called for mango and figs, both of which I happen to like...since it is not fig season, I had to rely on Mission Figs, but I will try the recipe again during fig season and use the fresh ones. The Le Cordon Bleu at Home book is a gem. I can't say enough about how well written this cookbook is and how easy it is to follow the steps and come out with a very nice dish. This recipe was so easy and yet when I finished, it felt like I had accomplished something very fancy and definitely a step up from the norm. I made half of the recipe for the sauce and used a third of the fruit combination, I think...it's hard to tell with mango as this was a large one, so I might have had a full half of the fruit also. I wasn't sure if we would like it, and it would be just Mark and I eating it as the liqueur in it wasn't something for the younger guys. It's a good thing I only made half. It's a good thing I told Mark it was available, or I might, just might, have eaten the whole thing! Seriously. Nothing boring after two bites with this dessert, nothing at all. The fruit is marinated in 2 teaspoons of cherry liqueur (sub had to happen as cherry liqueur in the green glass bottle with the red bits and straw around it is $40 for a small bottle, and if one is not certain they are even going to enjoy a recipe, probably not happening here, so I subbed Chambord, raspberry liqueur, instead as I already had it...for future reference however, I would splurge on the cherry just to see what that is like because I can see making this again, and again, and again...but only if there are plenty of others who guarantee they will be around to help eat it...I can't be trusted with this alone!). I wasn't certain if the mission figs were going to work out, but they did, the soaking brought out a nice flavor and it was enjoyable. The sabayon sauce goes together easily, this was a sweetened version with powdered sugar, egg yolk, more of the Chambord, and some white wine, beaten until frothy and thick over a simmering pot of water. Walking on the edge with that bit, but no scrambled egg in sight at the end, so I was very happy. Sauce draped over the fruit, fruit and sauce under the broiler (don't take your eyes off it for a minute as it browns quickly), and into the mouth...OMW is this stuff great! I love fruit, so the combination of fruit and sauce was ideal. I know I say this all the time, but buy the book and start cooking! This recipe alone is worth the price of the book (I know, I say that almost every week, too). The recipe prepared for this week's assignment for Whisk Wednesdays is from Class 24, Part 1: Gratin de Fruits au Marasquin (Fruit Gratin with Maraschino Liqueur). It can be found in the cookbook Le Cordon Bleu at Home on page 376.
If you would like to see how the other Whisk Wednesday members fared in this class, click here, and then on the Whisk Wednesdays connect to individual bloggers, or better yet, come and join us! Shari has the ingredients posted on her site at the click, so while we can't post the recipe instructions, you can at least look at the ingredients, and I bet you can figure out a lot of it from there.
Class 25: Menu #2 (Make in one session, if you can, between May 19 and May 26)
• Salade de Foies de Volailles Tiedes (Salad of Warm Sautéed Chicken Livers) pages 306-307 (Post Wednesday, May 27, 2009)
• Longe de Porc aux Pruneaux (Roast Pork Loin with Prunes) and Mousseline de Céleri Rave (Creamed Celery Root Purée) pages 122-123 (Post Wednesday, June 3, 2009)
• Savarin aux Kiwis et aux Fraises (Rum Savarin with Kiwis and Strawberries) pages 409-410 (Post Wednesday, June 10, 2009)