I am constantly being asked for information about where to dine and recipes for ethnic foods. I was delighted to find some wonderful French and Italian Recipes collected by Arie Crown Hebrew Day School Moms in Skokie, Illinois and published by Wimmer Press, entitled “Crowning Elegance, A Kosher Culinary Experience”.
I was intrigued by ‘Vol-Au-Vent’, a puff pastry shell that resembles a pot with a lid, originally created by a famous chef in France. It makes an impressive centerpiece that works well filled with a double recipe of Italian Chicken. It serves eight.
You will need:
A pound box of puff pastry sheets
l egg beaten
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
Prepare a parchment lined (15x10-inch) jelly-roll pan
Prepare a dome shaped ball of aluminum foil 6-inches across by 3-inches high
On a lightly floured work surface roll out dough to form 2 (10-inch) squares
Place one pastry square on prepared pan. Place foil ball in the center of square. Using a pastry brush and water, brush edges of pastry not covered with foil.
Place second pastry square on top of foil. Press firmly around edges of dough enclosing foil ball. Dough will stretch slightly because of domed shape of foil . Air will remain around foil ball.
Use a 9-inch cake pan or flan ring to mark a 9-inch diameter circle. Using a sharp knife cut out circle.
Set trimmings aside, brush dough with water.
With the point of a knife, mark a 5-inch diameter circle in the center of the top of dough to mark lid.
Cut strips from trimmings place above and below lid marking for strength and decoration. Brush vol-au-vent with egg wash. Using small cookie cutters or a knife, cut pretty leaves or other shapes from trimmings and place in a decorative fashion on pastry.
Decorate base edge of dough as one would edge a pie crust. Alternately use the back of a knife to create a decorative edge by pushing in every ½ inch.
Pierce a hole in the center of the lid to allow steam to escape.
Bake in a preheated oven for 30 minutes or until crisp and brown.
Let cool 10 minutes. Cut off lid. Squeeze ball of foil to make it smaller in order to fit through hole without disturbing opening. Remove foil. Gently place Italian chicken inside and serve. Preparation time is 30 minutes with cooking time of 30 minutes.
RECIPE for ITALIAN CHICKEN Serves 4
Stovetop cooking makes for chicken that is fork tender. With very little attention and minimal preparation this is an excellent choice for a weeknight meal. The Arie Crown Hebrew Day School Moms suggest fancying it up for a Holiday meal by doubling the recipe and placing it into a Vol-Au-Vent.
3 tablespoons olive oil 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 clove garlic, chopped 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 medium red bell pepper, diced ½ teaspoon salt
1 medium onion chopped ½ teaspoon black pepper
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut ¼ chili powder
into 1-inch cubes 1 tablespoon sugar
½ cup dry white wine
In a large skillet over medium-high flame, heat oil. Add garlic. Red pepper and onion. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken and wine, cook for an additional 5 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Add tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, chili powder and sugar. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Preparation time is 10 minutes with cooking time of 50 minutes. A Whit Zinfandel Wine is suggested.
These recipes are French and Italian in origin and have been adapted for Kosher cooking and cover 400-plus pages in a very attractive hard covered illustrated book. The ethnic influences for world travelers include Asian, American, Creole, Greek, Israeli, Latin, Mexican, Moroccan, Persian, Szechwan, Syrian, Thai, French and Italian. I was also impressed by the rating of ability required by the chefs for the preparation of the meals.
Next week it is back on the road to the Grenadine Islands.
Copyright by Marcia Abramson
