Friday, March 8, 2013

Cheesy Crème Brulee

Adventures with a savory version.....

Per Nana:
If the torch doesn't work, just torch them in the broiler.  
As you can see- I almost had a catastrophe on my hands. 
 After baking the Crème Brulee on parchment in the oven, I
 realized  that the torch was out of fluid and decided to just run
 them under the broiler to finish.   I prepared two of the molds
 for Hubby and myself and put them on the cookie sheet.  

I totally forgot about the parchment paper and the fact that it 
does not broil well, as you can see. When I went to double check 
on the browning, out came the flames. Surprisingly, the only 
thing burning was the parchment.  These were really good. 
We loved them and, lucky me, I have four more to enjoy.  
I used a combination of Monterey Jack and Pecorino Romano
 cheeses because I had both in the fridge and the blend was excellent. 
 One other comment is that baking them at 200 degrees did not work 
well  for me so I turned the oven to 300.  This would make a 
fantastic appetizer  since it can be made ahead and finished as 
needed. Definitely a winner in our house.

P.S.~ for those curious about how my frozen "coeur  a la creme" fared-
 hubby and I enjoyed two from the freezer and they were wonderful.
 They freeze beautifully.
Per Tricia:
What can I say- I love Crème Brulee and now I love it in
 a savory version as well. Like Nana, I ended up using cheese 
I had on hand (shredded cheddar and parmesan) and this could be
 an amazing way for me to  clear the cheese drawer in the future.  
 My taste testers also loved this and I have to say the
 aroma in our kitchen was amazing.

 We did use the torch on one but found it to take a while so I
 put the rest under the broiler. Overall a lovely recipe.
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I am also sharing a very basic chicken recipe which, believe it or not, I got from the new bottle of Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce I bought last week for the "Chicken Diable".  It is crazy easy and crazy good. If you enjoyed the kick the Worcestershire sauce added to last week's recipe- you may want to try this. My family went nuts and I ate so much of it I will not admit to the actual quantity :)

~Savory Balsamic Chicken ~
Ingredients:

  • 6  (4 oz) boneless chicken breasts
  • 1/3 cup all purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp butter, divided
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup  (yes, this much - you better like this ingredient :) Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 1/2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
Directions:
Season chicken with salt and pepper, then dip both sides in flour. Heat one tablespoon butter and oil in large skillet, cook chicken four minutes on each side or until juices run clear (be sure internal temp reaches at least 165 degrees). Move onto serving dish. In same skillet, add remaining ingredients, bring to boil and cook 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining butter and pour over chicken.


Happy French Friday !

20 comments:

  1. This was a real treat! WOW... that parchment paper looks scary! I am so glad to hear this freezes well...I've got two left in my fridge that I will now freeze. Have a great weekend!

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  2. I turned it up to 250 but I think 300 would have been even better. Like your cheese choices.

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  3. I turned my oven up to 250 after I realized the custard wasn't setting at all - next time, I might try upping it to 300 and see how that works. I would gladly do this again, especially when I have errant chunks of cheese hiding in the fridge. It's certainly good for using those up! And I'm totally writing down that chicken recipe - I love Worcestershire, so that's right up my alley. nice job, ladies!

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  4. Wasn't this one delicious? And yours sounds extra exciting with the flames and all! :)

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  5. Oh, all that cheese just looks so good!

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  6. This was a delicious dish:) My favorite was the crispy cheese topping. Very nice job on your Cheesy Creme Brulee.

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  7. Yes - parchment and flames are not friends :-)
    This was a great dish - I agree - a great way to use up cheese bits and pieces!

    (Love the sound of that chicken)

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  8. When I read your post, I realized that I forgot to put parchment under my dishes. Of course, if I had, I'm sure I would have started a fire myself. I enjoyed this one too. And, great idea to use this one to clean out the cheese drawer. There's always something interesting in there.

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  9. Phew nana - I am glad that you are OK, and that despite your adventure, you enjoyed the brulee. Tricia, that chicken recipe sounds really good.

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  10. Nana: what a picture of the "torched" parchment paper - parchment does not take to the heat of the oven too well - happened to me more than once. But your Cheesy Crème Brûlée with the array of different cheeses looks delicious, creamy and wonderful!
    Tricia: love your crème brûlée dishes - we live so far apart but your dishes almost look like mine...what a small world this is sometimes...it makes me smile to see that we were both using almost the same "equipment". And it is wonderful to read that your family enjoyed this savory, cheesy appetizer as much as mine did (except for the very youngest) - wasn´t the smell in the kitchen amazing?!
    What a lovely job - have a great weekend!

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  11. Nana - thanks for letting us know that the couer au creme freezes well. Great tip. And also for the reminder that parchment paper and the broiler are not friends. Happy to hear that neither you nor your dinner were injured.

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  12. Prothrombin versions look good ladies! Nana it's good to know the coeur la Creme freezes so well.

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  13. I'm not sure what I just wrote! Auto correct I guess:)

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    1. No worries - we decoded to "both of your" :) I can not tell you how many times my new iphone has done the same to me. My kids just laugh.......:)

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  14. Ladies…both of your cheesy brulees look wonderfully delicious!! Nana…sorry about the burning parchment paper! I’m also glad to know the coeur a la creme freezes well…good to know! Have a great weekend, ladies!!

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  15. Both versions are making me wish I had more of these at my house!

    I'm glad that the parchment paper was the only thing burning, Nana! I just ran these under the broiler, too, and they came out nicely.

    Tricia, thanks for sharing the chicken recipe!

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  16. Both versions look delicious! I also used a combination of cheddar and Parmesan and loved the combination.

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  17. I'm glad I'm not the only one who couldn't get these to work at 200. I wish I had been smart like you and turned my oven up sooner! Glad you both enjoyed this one.

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  18. Hi, Ladies,
    It's good to hear you both love the brulee. Nana, I will try the 300 degree oven, but wanted to know if you have gas or electric. Also, is altitude an issue for your cooking? Trisha, thanks for the bonus chicken recipe! I have to make the brulee at the end of the month; I accidentally made the spinach for this week.

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  19. I missed making this, but my lentil soup is simmering on the stove right now.

    Mary just let me know that you 2 will be attending the IFBC in Seattle! John & I are going, too! I so look forward to meeting you. I'm planning a breakfast get-together for the first morning so we can all meet up. Will let you know where & when as soon as I hear back from Alice!

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