Blue Cheese in French Bleu - Gorgonzola & Walnut Souffle

As shown in the previous recipe, regarding the Bell Pepper Tart, though French White/Bisque/Bleu and Classic Black are AWESOME in the oven, sometimes it just takes a Cornflower to bring it all together.

This time, however, it's not just the P-2 1/2-B saucepan assisting in the quest for deliciousness, but a P-35-B Broil and Bake Tray with a couple of Grab-Its (P-150-B) thrown in for good measure.  Though this may seem like a Dream Team of CorningWare, one more player must be added.   There are still 7 egg whites that need to be whipped to stiff peaks, so a rather large bowl is necessary...  Copper aside, I can think of no better Egg White whipping receptacle than a 444 or 404 Pyrex 4 quart Opal Bowl.

Sometimes you just gotta get by with a little help from your friends.

Gorgonzola and Walnut Souffle

3 TB unsalted Butter, plus a little more for the souffle dish
1/4 cup All-Purpose Flour, plus more for the souffle dish
4 large Eggs, Separated
3 large Egg Whites, in addition to the 4 above (Save the yolks for making Lemon Curd)
1 cups Whole Milk
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
5 oz Gorgonzola, crumbled
1/4 cup finely chopped Walnuts

Corning Ware 1.5 liter (1 1/2 quart) French White/Bisque/Bleu or Classic Black Souffle Dish (F-5-B)
Corning Ware 2 1/2 quart Saucepan (P-2 1/2-B) or 3 quart (A-3-B)
Pyrex 4 quart Opal Bowl (444 or 404)
optional - 2 Grab-it Bowls (P-150-B)
optional - 1 Corningware 4 oz Ramekin (no model number) or F-16-B Ramekin (though a little big)
optional - Corning Ware Broil and Bake Tray (P-35-B)

Begin by buttering the Souffle dish and coating it with flour, then place in the refrigerator while you prepare the actual souffle.

Separate the first 4 Eggs, placing the Yolks in one of the Grab-its (P-150-B) and the Whites in another (P-150-B), then separate the remaining 3 Eggs, placing the Yolks in a separate 4 oz Ramekin for later use, and adding the 3 Whites to the 4 Whites already in the P-150-B Grab-it Bowl (you should have 4 Yolks and 7 Whites)

Cover the Whites and set them aside for later and cover the 3 Egg Yolks in the 4 oz Ramekin with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for later use. (There is Lemon Curd in the future)

Lightly beat the 4 Egg Yolks in the P-150-B with a fork and set aside.

Place the P-2 1/2-B Saucepan over medium flame and add the 3 TB unsalted Butter.

Once it has melted and begun to foam, add the Flour and begin whisking, cooking for 1 minute.

Whisk in the Whole Milk.

Bring to a boil, whisking constantly, then continue cooking for 1 minute.

Remove the P-2 1/2-B from the flame and stir in the Salt and Pepper.

Take a spoonful of the sauce and whisk it into the Yolks to condition them.

Add the conditioned Yolks to the sauce and whisk to combine.

Add the crumbled Gorgonzola and the chopped Walnuts, stirring to combine, then set aside.

Pour the Egg Whites into a clean 4 quart Pyrex Bowl (444 or 404) and add the Cream of Tarter.

Whisk the Egg Whites until they form stiff peaks.

Add 1/3 of the Whites to the sauce mixture in the P-2 1/2-B and stir them in to lighten the sauce.

Pour the lightened sauce mixture into the Pyrex Bowl (444 or 404) containing the remaining whipped Whites.

Fold everything together until homogeneous and no streaks of Egg White are left.

Remove the prepared Souffle dish (F-5-B) from the refrigerator and pour the "Batter" into the dish.

optional - Place the Souffle dish (F-5-B) on a Broil and Bake Tray (P-35-B) just to make sure there are no spills and to prevent the bottom from over browning.

Place the P-35-B in the preheated oven on the bottom rack and bake for 30-35 minutes.

Remove from the oven and serve immediately. (Souffle always begin to sink after the first 3 minutes out of the oven so speed of serving is crucial)

Where is your CorningWare??
~~

Classic Dishes in Classic Black - Pommes de Terre au Dauphinoise (Scalloped Potatoes the Dauphine Way)

Like most, I suffer from seasonal food cravings.  It's frigid and wet and nasty outside, so I want food that sticks to my ribs.  Food that makes me feel all warm and snugly inside.  Usually this entails massive quantities of fat calories.  This dish is no exception to the rule...  Think of it as complete and utter fat drenched potato Nirvana.

It's OK.  You can justify consuming this dish with relish for two reasons.  One; it is a classic dish made in Dauphine France.  One should always be well acquainted with the classics; be they literary or culinary.  Two, while you can just as easily prepare this dish in a Corningware French White, French Bisque or French Bleu 1.8 liter (F-6-B) casserole, if you are worried about the potential caloric intake from consuming said Potato Nirvana, I would highly recommend the Classic Black (aka: French Black).

Why, you ask?  The Classic Black dish has the magickal effect of lowering the fat content of this dish.  After all, we all know that black is slimming. (That's my story and I'm sticking to it.)

Pommes de Terre au Dauphinoise

(Scalloped Potatoes Baked in Cream and Nutmeg)

2 cups Heavy Cream; divided
2 lbs Russet Potatoes (although Yukon's work well also)
3 TB unsalted Butter; divided
2 Cloves of Garlic; divided
Kosher Salt or Fleur de Sel
White Pepper; finely ground
Freshly grated Nutmeg

Corningware French White/Bisque/Bleu/Classic Black 1.8 Liter Casserole (F-6-B)
~optional~ Pyrex Opal 2 1/2 quart Cinderella Bowl (#443)

Preheat the oven to 325F Degrees and peel the Potatoes (DO NOT rinse).

Pour 1 1/2 cups Heavy Cream in a Large bowl. (Pyrex 2 1/2 quart #443 works nicely)

Place a mandolin over the bowl of Cream and begin slicing the potatoes, letting them fall into the bowl of Cream. (use the guard please... fingers must remain intact for the next step)

Give the Potatoes a good tossing in the Heavy Cream to make sure they are well coated. (this will prevent browning)

Cut 1 of the cloves of garlic in 1/2 and rub the inside of the Classic Black 1.8 liter Casserole dish (F-6-B).

Then rub the dish down with 1 TB of the Butter.

Mince the remaining 1 1/2 cloves finely.

Sprinkle the minced garlic over the bottom of the 1.8 liter Casserole (F-6-B)

Begin layering in a circle around the edge of the pan, slightly overlapping the previous potato slice. Once the outer ring is complete, simply fill in the middle with more overlapped slices.

Sprinkle the layer with Salt, White Pepper and freshly grated Nutmeg.

Repeat the last 2 steps, two more times, but layer the potato slices in the opposite direction giving you 3 layers of potatoes.

(No more than 3 layers or it will take them way too long to cook)

Carefully pour the starchy cream from the bowl over the potatoes.

The level may not be quite high enough. You want the potatoes to be just barely covered, so you may have to add another 1/2 cup of heavy cream (I usually have to)

Dot the top layer with 2 TB Cultured Butter.

Bake for at least 50 minutes. (1 hour if using French White/Bisque/Bleu... Classic Black absorbs more heat and cooks slightly faster than regular white Corningware)

See what I mean about making sure there is enough room in the dish.... Nice and bubbly!

Check to see if the potatoes are tender, using a knife;

If not, bake for an additional 10-15 minutes (Low and slow is the key to keeping the resulting cream sauce from separating)

Remove the casserole dish from the oven and allow to set for 10 minutes.

Serve and consume with wild abandon!

Where is your Corningware!!
~~