Elle's New England Kitchen

I think that's my longest post title ever! It's time again for That Cookbook Thing II, and this one's a winner!

Don't forget to check out what the TCT II members did with the recipe:
Kittie at Kittens in the Kitchen
Mike at Mel's Diner
Ruth at Once Upon a Feast
Sara at I Like to Cook
Mary at The Sour Dough
Deborah at What's in My kitchen?
Shaun at Winter Skies, Kitchen Aglow


So, after the Sauce au Cari which was quite bland, I decided to play around with this recipe, and I'm SO glad I did! After chatting with my Bratty friends, I settled on these changes:



1) I upped the onions from 1/2 cup to a whole onion, which was 1 1/2 cups. And I let them get nice and brown and slightly caramelized.

2) I increased the ham from 1/2 cup to 1 1/2 cups.

3) Increased the garlic from 1/2 clove (why just 1/2?) to 2.

4) Along with the fresh chives, I added 2 good pinches of dried tarragon, and a healthy pinch of nutmeg.

5) I didn't use Swiss cheese, but used Edam, and increased the amount from 2/3 cup to 1 cup.

6) I used half and half instead of whipping cream. Oh! I also increased the eggs from 4 to 5, and the half and half from 4 TB to 5. I even thought afterwards, that it could have used a bit more egg, so maybe I'll go with 6 next time.

Also, a couple more changes:

I baked the whole thing in the pan that I sauteed the onions and ham in, pouring the rest right over them, and popping it in the oven. I thought (hoped) there was enough oil left in the bottom to prevent sticking. There was almost enough, hehe. It stuck a little, but was still so delicious! Next time, and there will be a next time--I'll pour it all into a greased separate baking dish first.

I tried to get a couple of good photos, but it was 7:00 pm and rainy when I finished, so no good light. Plus, we were so hungry by this time, that getting a photo of an actual slice was impossible, since we were inhaling it.

I almost forgot--I'm submitting this to The Potato Ho Down! if you love potatoes--and who doesn't--be sure to check out the August round-up!



Here's the recipe, with my changes.

What is That Cookbook Thing II? TCT II is a group started by Mike of Mel's Diner. I was invited to join a few weeks ago and was thrilled. What are we doing? We are trying out recipes from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle, and Simone Beck. How could I say no to that? It was an excuse to buy another cookbook, and something I probably wouldn't have done one my own.

Other members of the group, along with Mike mentioned above, are:

Sara
Mary
Ruth
Deborah
Mary
Shaun
Kittie

The first recipe they did was Soupe Gratinee des Trois Gourmandes (Onion Soup Gratineed deLuxe). Bummer that I missed that one, because it got a great reception. This time around, The Benevolent Tyrant (that's his self-appointed title, hehe), Mike, told us we'd be trying out Sauce au Cari, or Light Curry Sauce. It's definitely an easy one to start with. I'll bet most of you have everything on hand to make it!

Will you like it? That is the question. It smells amazing. It looks gorgeous. The taste? Not for me, unfortunately. It's...sort of bland. I'm sure it could be great, if Julia was in my kitchen, making it for me. At least I know it's not just me. I wasn't the only one in TCT II that didn't care for it. But here it is, just the same...

Easy ingredients: onion, butter, curry powder, flour, whipping cream, salt and pepper, lemon juice, a bit more butter and parsley to finish. Simple procedure: saute onion and butter over low heat, add curry powder, then flour, add stock, simmer and add cream, season to taste with s & p and lemon juice.


This just in! After the sauce sat for a while, we tried our chicken (skinless, boneless thighs, baked simply with salt, pepper, garlic and lemon juice) dipped in the sauce. It really was much better after it had a chance to sit for about 30 minutes. I'm glad my husband decided to try it after he got up from his nap! Would I make it again? Not sure, but at least it wasn't a total waste of time. We shredded our chicken, and had it with brown rice, and the curry sauce.

Next up is Rapee Morvandelle - a gratin of shredded potatoes with ham, eggs & onions. Looking forward to it, very much!

Thanks, Mike, for the invite to the group, and to all the group members for the nice welcome! Be sure to check out the other member's blogs for their takes on it!