Gourmet Valentine's Day Brunch-in-Bed
What better way to start Valentine's Day than with brunch -- in bed?
On "The Early Show Wednesday, four-star chef Eric Ripert, and his team from the posh Le Bernardin, made a simple, yet delicious gourmet breakfast in bed. He prepared a gourmet version of scrambled eggs.
Pastry chef Michael Laiskonis, a genius in his own right, whipped up blueberry financier cakes and warm chocolate cake, and Aldo Sohm, the world's best sommelier, rounded it all out with an inexpensive Spanish Cava sparkling wine that pairs with the rest of the meal.
RECIPES:
Scrambled Eggs
Serves 2
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup sugar, to serve the eggs on
4 eggs
Fine sea salt and white pepper
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 tablespoon sliced chives
Special Equipment:
Sanitized nail scissors
2 small tea or espresso spoons
METHOD:
Put a pot of water on to boil.
Turn one of the eggs so that it is on its side, horizontally. Using the sanitized nail scissors cut an oval opening out of the side of the egg. Retain the base of the egg shell, discard the top piece. Pour the egg into a bowl. Complete this for 3 of the eggs. The 4th egg you can simply crack into the bowl.
Add salt and pepper and whisk gently.
Drop the opened eggshells into the boiling water. Keep in water for 1 minute in order to sanitize. Arrange three piles of sugar on a rectangular plate. Place the empty eggshells on top of the sugar.
Heat a pan over medium-high heat, add the butter and when hot, pour the egg mixture in. Add the heavy cream and whisk continuously.
Cook until the eggs are still slightly runny. Equally fill each empty eggshell with the cooked eggs and top each one with the sliced chives. Serve immediately.
Potatoes Rosti
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound potatoes, washed
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons canola oil
Fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper
METHOD:
Preheat oven to 400°. Bake the potatoes on a try until tender, about 30-40 minutes.
Refrigerate the baked potatoes until cold or overnight.
Peel and shred the potatoes on box shredder and lightly season salt and pepper.
Heat a 10-inch non-stick pan with half the butter and oil. When the butter starts to bubble, add the potatoes into the pan and spread them evenly, patting down the sides.
Reduce the heat to medium low and cook the rosti until golden brown about 10-12 minutes. Slide the rosti out of the pan onto a plate and add the remaining butter and oil to the hot pan. Gently invert the rosti in the pan and continue cooking for another 10-12 minutes until golden brown.
When the rosti is cooked, slid the rosti out onto a cutting board, slice into wedges and serve hot.
Warm Chocolate Cake
Yield: approx. 6 servings
INGREDIENTS:
4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
1 tablespoon corn starch
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 whole large eggs
2 large egg yolks
Unsalted butter, softened
Confectioner's sugar, as needed
METHOD:
1. Over a double boiler, or in a microwave, melt chocolate and butter.
2. Meanwhile, sift together sugar and cornstarch. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, and egg yolks.
3. Remove melted chocolate mixture from heat and whisk in dry ingredients. Then whisk in the beaten eggs. Transfer the mixture to a container and allow to chill in the refrigerator. This mixture may be prepared up to 3 days in advance of serving.
4. Preheat a convection oven to 325º F. Brush the insides of 6 ceramic cups with unsalted butter, and dust with granulated sugar, shaking to remove excess. Divide the cake batter between each of the cups and arrange on a sturdy baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes until set, but still semi-liquid. Carefully remove from the oven, and dust with confectioner's sugar. Serve immediately.
Blueberry Financier
Yield: 12-24 small cakes, dependant upon size
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
10 tablespoons almond flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons confectioner's sugar
4 egg whites
Blueberries, fresh or frozen, to taste
METHOD:
1. In a heavy saucepan, gently cook butter to a light brown whisking occasionally. Strain through a fine mesh sieve and reserve warm.
2. Meanwhile, combine dry ingredients.
3. In a large mixing bowl, manually whip egg whites just until frothy and yellow color dissipates. Whisk in almond flour mixture.
4. Slowly whisk in warm brown butter, stirring until fully incorporated. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.
5. Using a small scoop, spoon, or pastry bag, transfer the mixture to prepared molds or muffin tins. Drop a few blueberries into the portioned batter and bake in an oven pre-heated to 325°F for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Aldo's Wine Choice
Cava, Reserva, Augusti Torello Mata, Spain 05' - $22