Abkhazia Walnut Lobio Recipes

Steps:

• Drain the kidney beans and place in a pot with a small amount of water. Warm over low heat.
• Chop the walnuts, onion and garlic and cook in melted butter for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Remove the beans from the stove and pour away most of the water. Mash the beans, then add the onion mixture and the chopped cilantro. Add salt to taste.

Steps:

• Trim all the fat and silver skin off the tenderloin, then rub it all over with salt and pepper.
• Add about half of the butter to a pan and melt it over medium heat. Let it foam, then add the tenderloin and sear it on all sides until it is a nice brown color.
• Remove the meat from the pan and let it cool. Now in the same skillet, add the rest of the butter and melt over high heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté until they reduce in size, but don't let them brown.
• Just before the mushrooms are done, add the garlic. Pour in the wine and cook over a medium high heat until the liquid is reduced and the mixture is almost dry. Add the thyme, salt and pepper.
• Remove the mushrooms from the heat and let them cool in a shallow pan. Then put them in a food processor and chop them until they form a rough paste. Set aside.
• Lay the puff pastry out on the work surface. You may have to use some flour to prevent sticking (you may also have to roll the dough a bit until it is the right size). Now spread the mushroom mixture in a wide strip down the center of the pastry, leaving about an inch and a half of bare pastry at each end.
• Slice the paté thinly (if using) and lay the slices down the center of the mushroom strip.
• Brush the tenderloin all over with dijon mustard.
• As gently as you can, place the tenderloin in the middle of the mushroom and paté strip and wrap the pastry over it. Seal the edges with your fingers, then brush with the egg and water mixture to ensure a good seal. Repeat with the ends (trim any excess pastry, or it won't cook all the way through).
• Now turn the wrapped meat over (carefully!) and place it in a greased pan so the seam is at the bottom. Brush the egg mixture over all the pastry, and then make three slits in the top to stop the pastry from bursting open while cooking.
• Bake at 400 degrees until the internal temperature reaches 120 degrees. Note: this temperature seems low, but once you take it out of the oven the meat will continue to cook and the temperature may climb by as much as 15 or 20 degrees. So if you want a rare or medium rare beef make sure to take it out early. Use a meat thermometer that can stay in the oven while cooking to ensure perfect results.
• The pastry should be a golden color when you take it out of the oven. Let it rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing. When you do cut into it, the juices should flow out and you can use this to make an au jus sauce to serve with it.

Steps:

• Cream together the butter and sugar, then add the condensed milk and keep blending until well mixed.
• Add the lemon juice and grated zest, then sift together the dry ingredients and add that too. Keep blending until the ingredients are well-incorporated.
• Take teaspoons of dough and roll them into balls, then place them on a greased baking sheet and flatten gently with a fork.
• Bake at about 335 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes, or until starting to brown underneath. Let cool, then dust with powdered sugar.

Steps:

• Peel the potatoes and parsnips and boil them with the garlic until all the vegetables are soft.
• Meanwhile, saute the onions until they are translucent but not brown (you want the final dish to have a creamy white color).
• When the vegetables and onions are done, mash them all together and add the cream, butter, salt and white pepper.

Steps:

• If using fromage blanc, pour it into a cheesecloth-lined stainer, set over a bowl and chill for at least 8 hours.
• Mix the prepared fromage blanc (or ricotta) with the crème fraiche (or sour cream), 3/4 cup of the Gruyere and one of the eggs. Add salt and pepper and set aside.
• Roll out the puff pastry on a floured surface. Cut into rounds about 5 inches in diameter.
• Transfer to a baking sheet lined with wax paper and prick them all over with a fork. Chill for 15 minutes or until firm.
• Beat the other egg in a small bowl and brush around the edges of each round. Drop some filling into the center of each round and pull up the edges to make a triangular shape. Take care not to let any of the filling get on the part of the pastry with the egg wash, or it won't stick well.
• Put back in the fridge and chill for at least 30 minutes (this prevents them from opening during baking).
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and bake until lightly browned (15 minutes or so). Now sprinkle with the remaining Gruyerele. Bake another 5 to 10 minutes or until the Gruyere melts and starts to brown.