Chocolate Blood Cremeux And Chichachurros Recipes

Steps:

• 1/2 cup whole pistachios
• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• Salt
• 1 1/2 cups Concord grapes (with seeds)
• 1 bunch fresh tarragon, divided
• 1 1/2 cups Fantasy grapes (seedless)
• 1 1/2 cups Red Flame grapes (seedless)
• 2 heads Chioggia radicchio
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Zinfandel Vinaigrette, recipe follows
• Wedge young Pecorino, for garnish
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Toss the pistachios in 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt. Toast in the oven until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Set aside to cool
• Heat 2 medium saute pans over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to each. To one of the pans add the Concord grapes and half the tarragon. To the other pan add the Fantasy and Red Flame grapes and the remaining tarragon. Blister the skins for 2 to 3 minutes for the Concord grapes and 3 to 4 minutes for the Fantasy and Red Flame grapes. Once blistered, place the grapes on a sheet pan to cool.
• Split the head of the radicchio and remove the core. Slice the head into 1/4-inch ribbons and place in a mixing bowl.
• Once the grapes are cool, toss them in the bowl with the radicchio and pistachios, season with salt and black pepper, and then dress with the Zinfandel Vinaigrette and mix gently.
• To serve: Place on a large platter to share family style or divide the salad among 6 to 8 plates. With a vegetable peeler, shave the Pecorino over the salad and finish with a grind of black pepper.
• Pour the vinegar into a mixing bowl and then gradually whisk in the oils. Once the oils are incorporated, season with salt and pepper. To help with the final balance, squeeze in a bit of lemon juice.

Steps:

• Churros: 8 cups vegetable or olive oil 1 cup water 1/2 cup margarine or butter 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup all-purpose flour 3 eggs 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional
• Hot Chocolate: 4 ounces dark chocolate 2 cups milk 1 tablespoon cornstarch 4 tablespoons sugar
• Heat the oil in a deep frying pan to 360 degrees F.
• To make the churro dough, heat the water, margarine, and salt to a rolling boil in a 3-quart saucepan. Add the flour and stir vigorously over low heat until mixture forms a ball, approximately 1 minute and remove from heat. Beat eggs until smooth and add to the saucepan while stirring the mixture.
• Spoon the mixture into a piping bag with a star tip. Squeeze 4-inch strips of dough into the hot oil. Fry 3 or 4 strips at a time until golden brown, turning once, about 2 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels. Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and roll the churros in the sugar mixture. Set aside until ready to serve.
• To prepare the hot chocolate for dipping, place the chocolate and half the milk in a saucepan over very low heat and cook, stirring, until the chocolate has melted. Dissolve the cornstarch in the remaining milk and whisk into the chocolate with the sugar. Cook on low heat, whisking constantly until the chocolate thickens, approximately 5 minutes. Remove and whisk until smooth. Pour chocolate into cups and serve with churros.

Steps:

• Sponge: In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in lukewarm water and stir in the flour. Allow the mixture to sit until quite bubbly, about 30 minutes.
• Mix together the white flour, rye flour and salt in a bowl. Stir 1 cup of this mixture and 1 cup of cold water into the sponge. Mix thoroughly and allow to sit another 30 minutes.
• Add the whole-wheat flour, chestnut flour and the olive oil. Knead the dough either by hand or in an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix until the dough is soft and elastic, about 5 minutes. You may need to add a little more flour if the dough is too wet, but you want a soft, slightly sticky dough. Very soft, moist dough makes the best crust!
• Put the dough in a large bowl, cover with a towel and allow it to rest in a warm place until it has doubled in size, about 2 hours. If you are making the dough a day before, put the bowl in the refrigerator and let rise slowly overnight.
• To cook the doughboys, preheat a deep-fryer or heavy-bottomed pot, with enough oil to come halfway up the sides of the pot, to 375 degrees F.
• Be sure to use a frying thermometer to be accurate. Pull the dough into odd shapes that look like elephant ears, then drop them into the fryer, in batches, and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip them over with a chop stick and cook the other side until golden brown, a few more minutes. Repeat the process until all of the dough is used. Arrange them on a serving platter and serve with jam, maple syrup, and powdered sugar. Sit down, get coffee and eat.
• Cook's Note: The dough usually made a day before using.