Emmental and Gruyere Fondue
Ingredients:
- 250g (or approximately 1/2 lb.) Emmental cheese, grated
- 250g (or approximately 1/2 lb.) Gruyere cheese, grated
- 1+ 1/2 cups dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons Kirsch
- 1 clove garlic, halved lengthways
- cubed French bread, for dipping
Directions:
- Use the cut clove of garlic to rub the insides of a large saucepan/ pot.
- Pour dry white wine into the saucepan and simmer it over a medium heat.
- In a small bowl, blend the cornstarch and the Kirsch.
- A little at a time, add in the Gruyere and Emmental cheeses to the saucepan and stir CONSTANTLY. DO NOT ALLOW CHEESE AND WINE TO BOIL!!! When the cheese has just melted, gradually stir in the cornstarch & Kirsch mixture. When stirring a cheese fondue, it is best to stir in zigzags or figure-8s, rather than circles, so that the cheese doesn’t form a ball.
- Allow fondue to simmer, still constantly stirring, for 5 minutes or until fondue has started to thicken.
- Carefully pour the fondue from the saucepan into your fondue pot, with the flame beneath set to medium.
- Enjoy your Emmental & Gruyere fondue with cubes of crusty French bread!
Swiss Salad
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup Chardonnay or similar dry white wine
- 3 tablespoons cold water
- 1/4 lb. arugula or watercress
- 1 lb. gruyere cheese, in very thin strips
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 4 chopped shallots
- 3 tablespoons corn oil
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- Salt and black pepper
Directions:
- Marinade the cheese in the wine and water for thirty minutes at room temperature.
- Stir the vinegar, mustard, shallots, corn oil, and parsley together and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour this vinaigrette over the cheese mixture and stir.
- Toss with salad greens and add some extra black pepper, then serve.
Zopf
Ingredients:
- 3 1/2 C. white bread flour
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 (.25 oz.) pkg. active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 Tablespoons butter or margarine, soft
- 1 1/3 C warm milk
- 1 egg yolk, diluted with 1 Tablespoon water
Directions:
- In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm milk. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. Add the egg yolk, butter, salt and 2 cups of bread flour; stir well to combine. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces and roll each piece into a 14 inch long cylinder. Braid the pieces together and place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
- In a small bowl, beat together egg white and water. Brush risen loaf with egg wash and bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25, until golden.
Red Wine Braised Beef Brisket and Pretzel Dumplings
Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 pounds beef brisket, fat trimmed to 1/4 inch
- 2 cups dry red wine
- 1 cup red wine vinegar
- 4 juniper berries, smashed
- 2 teaspoons white peppercorns
- 2 carrots, finely diced
- 1 celery rib, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 4 large onions, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 tart apples, finely chopped, plus 1/2 tart apple, peeled and chopped, for garnish (optional)
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon chopped thyme
- 3/4 cup chicken stock or low-sodium broth
- Pretzel Dumplings
Directions:
- In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the beef brisket with the red wine, red wine vinegar, juniper berries, white peppercorns, carrots, celery, garlic and 1 of the onions. Close the bag, pressing out any air and refrigerate the brisket overnight or for up to 2 days.
- Preheat the oven to 275°. Strain the marinade, discarding the solids. Pat the brisket dry. In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat the oil. Season the brisket with salt and pepper and cook over moderate heat until browned all over, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the brisket to a large plate. Add the remaining 3 onions and the 2 finely chopped apples to the casserole and cook over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until softened, about 7 minutes.
- Return the brisket to the casserole and add the raisins, bay leaf, thyme and the strained marinade. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Cover and braise in the oven for about 3 hours, until the meat is very tender; turn the brisket halfway through cooking.
- Carefully transfer the brisket to a plate; cover and keep warm. Strain the cooking liquid into a heatproof measuring cup, pressing down on the solids. Wipe out the casserole and add the cooking liquid and chicken stock. Boil over moderately high heat until reduced by half, about 20 minutes. Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Thinly slice the brisket across the grain and garnish with the chopped apple. Serve with the sauce and Pretzel Dumplings.
MAKE AHEAD
The brisket can be refrigerated in the sauce, whole or sliced, for up to 2 days. Rewarm in the oven.
Pretzel Dumplings
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 3 large soft pretzels (about 2 ounces each), cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup minced onion
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Directions:
- In a saucepan, heat the milk just until simmering. Remove from the heat and add the pretzels. Cover and let stand until softened, about 30 minutes. Strain the pretzels, pressing to remove as much milk as possible. Transfer the pretzels to a bowl.
- Meanwhile, in a small skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 7 minutes. Scrape the onion into the bowl with the pretzels and add the parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool slightly, then stir in the egg.
- Set a 14-inch-long sheet of plastic wrap on a work surface. Spoon the dumpling mixture on top and wrap the plastic around the mixture, shaping it into a 6-by-2-inch log. Tie the ends. Wrap the dumpling again in the plastic and tie the ends again.
- Bring a saucepan of water to a simmer. Add the wrapped dough and weight it down with a heavy lid. Cover and simmer over low heat until the dumpling is firm, about 25 minutes. Carefully transfer the dumpling to a work surface and let cool. Unwrap it and cut into six 1-inch-thick slices.
- Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a large nonstick skillet. Add the pretzel dumplings and cook over high heat, turning once, until browned and crisp, about 5 minutes. Serve right away.
MAKE AHEAD
The unsliced cooked dumpling can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.
Sweet-and-sour cabbage
Ingredients:
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup diced red onion
- 1 medium white onion, diced
- 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into small dice
- 1 large red cabbage, about 3 pounds, cored and sliced thin
- 2/3 cup dried cherries
- 1 1/2 cups dry red wine
- 2 whole cloves
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/8 cup apple cider vinegar
- Freshly squeezed juice of 1/2 lemon
Directions:
- In a Dutch oven or large skillet fitted with a lid, melt the butter over medium heat.
- Add the onions and apples and sauté until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the cabbage, cherries, red wine, cloves, brown sugar, and bay leaf, stirring to combine.
- Increase the heat to medium high and bring to a boil.
- Cover the pan, reduce the heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.
- Remove the bay leaf and stir in the cider vinegar and lemon juice. Cook for 1 minute.
- To serve, place a cup of cabbage on each plate and top with 3 slices of brisket. Spoon sauce over the meat and serve with 3 pretzel dumplings on the side.
Rosti Potatoes – Serves 8
Ingredients:
- 3 pounds large Yukon gold potatoes (about 7)
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Directions:
- Cover potatoes generously with well-salted cold water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer potatoes, partially covered, until they are just barely tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Transfer potatoes to a colander using a slotted spoon, rinse under cold water to stop the cooking, and dry.
- Chill potatoes on a plate, uncovered, at least 8 hours.
- Peel potatoes and coarsely grate into a large bowl. Add thyme, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper, then drizzle with 2 tablespoons butter and toss mixture well.
- Heat oven to 375°F with rack in middle.
- Heat oil and 1 tablespoon butter in skillet over medium-high heat until foam subsides, then add potato mixture and tamp it down firmly in skillet with a rubber spatula, smoothing the top.
- Reduce heat to medium and cook potato cake, covered with a lid, until edges begin to turn golden, about 5 minutes.
- Remove lid, then bake potato cake, uncovered, 10 minutes.
- Brush top of potato cake with remaining 2 tablespoons butter.
- Turn on broiler and broil potato cake, 4 to 5 inches from heat, until golden brown, 3 to 7 minutes.
- Remove skillet from oven carefully (wear oven mitts!). Run the rubber spatula around the edge of the cake to loosen it from the skillet.
- Invert a large round heat-proof plate over skillet and invert potato cake onto plate.
- Cut into wedges and serve.
Cooks’ Note:
- Potato cake can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, then wrap—still on the plate—in wax paper followed by foil, and chill. To reheat potato cake, remove foil and paper and bake in a 350°F oven until heated through, about 20 minutes.
Chocolate-Raspberry Swiss Roll Cake
Ingredients:
- 5 large eggs, separated
- 1/2 cup plus granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup cake flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam
- 1/2 lb. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- raspberries, for garnish
Directions:
- CAKE: Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter a 10-by-15-inch jelly roll pan and line it with parchment paper, then butter the paper. In a medium bowl, beat the egg yolks with 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar and the vanilla until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape the mixture into the bowl and fold in the flour.
- In a clean bowl using a clean whisk, beat the egg whites with the salt at medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 1/4 cup of granulated sugar and beat until the whites are glossy. Using a rubber spatula, fold the whites into the yolk mixture until no streaks remain. Quickly fold in the melted butter. Spread the batter in the pan. Bake in the lower third of the oven for 20 minutes, or until golden and puffy. Let cool in the pan on a rack.
- Run the blade of a knife around the edge of the cake pan. Dust the cake with the confectioners’ sugar and cover with a sheet of plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel. Top with a cutting board and, holding both the board and pan, invert the cake. Rap the board against the table, then remove the pan and carefully peel off the paper.
- FILLING: In a large bowl, whip the cream with the granulated sugar, vanilla and salt to stiff peaks. Using an offset metal spatula, spread the raspberry jam on the cake. Spread the whipped cream evenly over the jam. Begin rolling up the cake from the long side, as tightly as possible, using the kitchen towel and plastic wrap to help shape the roll. Wrap the roll tightly in the plastic and transfer to a baking sheet. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or, preferably, overnight.
- CHOCOLATE GLAZE: Put the chocolate in a bowl. In a saucepan, stir the cream, milk and sugar over moderate heat just until the sugar is dissolved. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate; let stand until the chocolate is melted, 3 minutes. Whisk until smooth, then whisk in the butter and let cool slightly.
- Discard the plastic wrap and transfer the cake to a rack. Pour half of the chocolate glaze all over the top and sides and spread it evenly with an offset spatula. Spread the remaining glaze all over the cake and refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours. Garnish the top with raspberries. Transfer the cake to a plate.