Vineyard Kitchen
Recipes
Serves 8
Beignets are wonderful served warm from the fryer tucked inside a linen napkin and served on a big wooden platter or in a willow basket. Have your guests gather around the kitchen table with a glass of pinot and nibble away as they await the entrée. For a more formal presentation, make the beignets smaller and serve them with lightly dressed greens. Served either way they make a hearty appetizer. Note: For a truly decadent beignet, substitute 3 tablespoons of thinly shaved fresh or frozen black truffles for the mushrooms.
Yield: 36 small beignets
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
- 1 heaping cup grated Emmenthaler or Swiss Gruyere cheese
- 1/2 cup cooked wild mushrooms, coarsely chopped
- 1 quart expeller pressed vegetable oil for frying
1. Bring the milk, butter, cayenne and salt to a boil in a heavy bottomed saucepan. When the butter has completely melted, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the flour.
2. Place the pan back on the heat and beat the mixture with a wooden spoon until it is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Place it in a mixing bowl with a paddle attachment. Add the eggs, one by one, beating well after each addition, about 15 seconds. Add the chopped parsley, then the cheeses and mushrooms.
3. Pour the oil into a large saucepan. The oil should rise no higher than halfway up the side of the pan. If it is any higher you risk having the oil over boil the sides of the pan. Heat the oil to 375˚F. To test, drop a small piece of batter into the oil. It should dance merrily. Drop a tablespoon of batter into the oil one at a time. Be careful not to let the temperature of the oil drop too low. Each addition of dough should elicit the same amount of sizzle as the first. Adjust the heat under the pan accordingly. Fry the beignets until they are golden and puffed on one side then turn them over with a slotted spoon and repeat on the other side. Remove them from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on clean lint free or paper towels. Serve the beignets hot in a basket or on the side of a mixed green salad (optional).
Note: A small ice cream scoop can be used to scoop the batter into the hot oil. Be careful not to drop the dough into the hot oil too abruptly or you risk being spattered.
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