Monday, April 8, 2013

French Hot Dogs: Pate a Choux with Boudin Blanc, Sauteed Leeks and Homemade Mustard



Pate a Choux is the versatile French pastry dough usually used to make éclairs. This was my first attempt at making pate a choux, and I ended up kind of screwing it up. I followed Michael Ruhlman’s recipe from Ratio, which calls for 10 to 20 minutes of baking at the end. I took the éclairs/hot dog buns out of the oven at 13 minutes, only to realize they were definitely not cooked through and then they deflated. I put them back in to finish cooking, but they didn’t puff back up like I had hoped.

Pate a Choux:
8 ounces (1 cup) water
4 ounces butter (1 stick)
½ teaspoon salt
4 ounces flour (a scant cup)
4 large eggs (8 oz)

Cut the butter into pieces and add to a pan with water and salt. Bring to a simmer over high heat, reduce the heat to medium, and sift in the flour. Stir, cooking for a minute or two, until the dough forms a singular solid mass.





Remove the dough and place it in a bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat in the eggs one at a time, until incorporated.


Transfer to a pastry bag and pipe into 4 to 5 inch éclair shaped pieces on a prepared baking sheet. Bake at 425°F for 10 minutes, then drop the temperature to 350°F and bake for an additional 10 to 20 minutes.




3 tablespoons mustard seeds
¼ cup mustard powder
1.5 tablespoons white wine vinegar
¼ cup white wine (I used Vermouth)
1 teaspoon salt

Add all ingredients to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours. Add to a food processor and blend until you reach the desired consistency.

To Finish:
2 large boudin blanc sausages (mine were ~1/3 lb. each)
1 leek, washed and cut into pieces (white and light green parts only)
2 tablespoons butter
Salt

Sautee the leeks in butter over medium heat until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt. Cut the sausages into quarters and cook in a pan over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes per side.

Slice open your pate a choux/éclair, and top with sausage, leeks and mustard. 


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