From Episode 103: Kasey's Menu

Serves 4

Ingredients:
16 baby Yukon Gold or red-skinned potatoes (skins on), scrubbed
8 baby zucchini, halved lengthwise
1 bunch thin asparagus, trimmed
1 bunch broccolini
2 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced into rounds
1 3/4 to 2 pounds/800 to 900 g Raclette cheese, cut into 1/3-inch-/1-cm-thick square slabs
4 ounces/110 g thinly sliced Black Forest ham
1 small jar gherkins, drained
1 small jar cocktail onions, drained
1 loaf crusty French bread, sliced
3 tablespoons/45 g butter, melted
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Paprika

Method:

To prepare the accoutrements:

Boil the potatoes in a large pot of boiling salted water for about 15 minutes or until they're just tender. Drain the water from the potatoes and allow the potatoes to cool slightly. Cut the potatoes in half and transfer them to a platter.  

Arrange the baby zucchini, asparagus, broccolini and tomato slices on the platter alongside the potatoes. Place the cheese and prosciutto on another platter. Place the gherkins and onions in small bowls. Place the bread in a basket.

To cook and serve:

Place the raclette grill in the middle of the dinner table. Preheat the raclette grill according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Brush the top griddle of the raclette grill lightly with some butter. Cook some of the potatoes, zucchini, asparagus and broccolini on the top griddle until they are golden brown and crisp tender, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

Transfer the grilled vegetables to plates. Repeat with the remaining butter, vegetables, salt and pepper. Meanwhile, have each dinner guest place a slice of cheese onto their individual cheese tray, topping it with a slice of tomato or grilled vegetables, if desired, and slide it under the broiler of the raclette grill for about 5 minutes or until the cheese melts, bubbles convincingly and is brown around the edges. While the cheese melts, this is a good time to eat a few slices of ham and some gherkins.

Have the dinner guests remove their trays from under the broiler and spoon the melted cheese onto the grilled potatoes on their plates, sprinkle with paprika and pepper, and eat with the grilled vegetables and accoutrements.
Since it takes about 5 minutes or so for each slice of cheese to cook, it's a good idea to put a new slice of cheese under the broiler as soon as you've scraped the last one onto your potatoes. That way you can keep them coming.

Serves 6

Ingredients:

For the caramel:

1 cup/200 g granulated sugar
¼ cup/60 ml water
For the crème custard:
1 1/3 cups/300 ml whipping cream
1 1/3 cups/300 ml whole milk
1/2 cup/100 g granulated sugar
2 teaspoons/about 5 g espresso coffee powder
3 large whole eggs
3 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon/about 4 ml vanilla extract
Fresh raspberries, for garnish

Method:

To make the caramel:

Position the oven rack in the center of the oven, and preheat the oven to 275°F/135ºC. Set six 6-ounce/175-ml ramekins in a roasting pan. Combine the sugar and water in a heavy based medium sized saucepan. Gently stir over a medium to high heat until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes.

Boil without stirring until the syrup turns a deep golden brown color, occasionally brushing down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent the sugar crystals from forming, and swirling the pan, about 4 minutes. Once the sugar has dissolved and turns into a liquid, it will begin to color gradually.

When the sugar becomes golden brown remove the saucepan from the heat. Immediately pour the caramel evenly into the bottom of the six ramekins, dividing equally. Set aside. The caramel will harden as it cools.

To make the crème custard:

Meanwhile, combine the cream, milk, sugar and espresso powder in another heavy based medium sized saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar and espresso powder dissolve, then remove from the heat and cool slightly, about 5 minutes.

Whisk the eggs, egg yolks and vanilla in a large bowl to blend. Once the milk mixture has cooled slightly, gradually whisk it into the egg mixture.  Strain the custard mixture through a sieve and into a 4-cup/1 liter measuring cup.

Pour the custard mixture over the caramel in the ramekins, dividing equally. Transfer the roasting pan to the oven. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up sides of the ramekins.

Bake until the outer 1-inch/2.5-cm perimeters of the custards are softly set but the centers are still loose, about 1 hour (the custard will firm up after it is refrigerated).

To test whether the crème caramels are ready, push a small knife into the center of one of the dishes, and if the caramel rises out of the hole made by the knife, then they are ready.

Remove the roasting pan from the oven then remove the crème caramels from the roasting pan. Refrigerate the crème caramels until cold, at least 2 hours. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Refrigerating the crème caramels overnight allows time for the caramel to dissolve and form a thin sauce when the custards are inverted.

To serve the crème caramels:

When ready to serve the crème caramels, run a small sharp knife around the sides of the ramekins to loosen the custards from the ramekins. Working with one crème caramel at a time, place a plate atop the crème caramel; invert the crème caramel onto the plate.

Shake gently to release the crème caramel from the dish (you will hear it being released and fall onto the plate). Carefully remove the dish, allowing the caramel syrup to run over the crème caramel. Garnish with the fresh raspberries and serve.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups/300 ml whole milk
1/3 cup/80 ml amaretto (almond flavored liqueur)
2 tablespoons/25 g granulated sugar
4 ounces/115 g dark chocolate (bittersweet or semisweet), chopped
4 large scoops vanilla Swiss almond ice cream
3/4 cup/190 ml whipping cream

Method:

To make the hot chocolate:

Pour the milk, amaretto and sugar into a medium sized saucepan and place over a medium heat until the milk comes to a near simmer, stirring until the sugar dissolves.

Place the chopped chocolate in a bowl. While the milk is heating up and before it comes to a near simmer, set the bowl of chopped chocolate over the saucepan of milk, stirring until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Whisk the melted chocolate into the milk mixture to blend, and keep warm.

To serve the floats:

Whisk the whipping cream in a large bowl until soft peaks form. Place one scoop of ice cream in each of four tall coffee glasses. Pour the hot chocolate mixture over the ice cream and top with the whipped cream. Serve immediately with long soda fountain or iced tea spoons.