Tartiflette au fromage Kenogami ( Dauphinoise, scalloped potatoes )

What is Tartiflette you ask? Tartiflette is a French dish from the Savoie region. It is made with potatoes, reblochon cheese ( soft brie like cheese), cream, and lardons ( fatback, salted pork etc), and it is divine ;) For most Americans this is called scalloped potatoes, it is also similar to potatoes a la  Dauphinoise.

This dish is very simple, as most classic French dishes are and goes well with side salads and freshly sliced garden tomatoes, cucumbers and even avocados.  

Note: The cheese I used in this recipe is Kenogami cheese, a soft cheese made with unpasturized milk from the northern region of Quebec where I live, however a traditional Tartiflette is made with Reblochon cheese ( pictured below), that can easily be substituted for Brie Camembert, or other soft cheeses.
Also the lardons mentioned in the recipe can be fatback ( thick fleshy bacon ), pancetta, salted pork or regular bacon.

This recipe is written in stone, feel free to improvise with smoked salmon, blue cheese, etc...make it your own! Bon apétit!


First time I have put instructions directly on my step by step pictures...I spent a couple of hours editing them, I hope they come across clearly!! Feedback is appreciated!

Before we start, here is the example of Reblochon or soft cheese ;)

French Crêpes

French Crêpes are thin and delicate, delectable and oh so versatile. Perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner and can be sweet or savory. This morning I made them for the kids and we ate them quite simply, with maple syrup and powdered sugar ( the kids like it with powdered sugar lol). I personally prefer to eat them with a wonderful caramel sauce I learned to make in a restaurant I once worked at years ago. I'll try to get that recipe up here soon. In addition to eating them with the caramel sauce I like to also eat them with Camembert brie neatly tucked into the folds of a crêpe ( or two, lol), and then completed with a drizzling of caramel sauce...it is so decadent and satisfactory...I guarantee you will make it more than once. 
As for the savory aspects of crêpes, you can add herbs and spices into the batter to compliment any fillings or garnishments. Ham and cheese filled crêpes with a classic white sauce ( bechamel ), proscuitto and roasted asparagus rolled up or neatly folded into a crêpe and accompanied by a Hollandaise sauce, or even Pizza stuffed crêpes...there are so many possibilities! 
One last way to serve them is as a dessert. Rolled up loosely and filled with whipped cream and topped with a fruit sauce such as strawberries, blueberries..etc. Even more tempting is to fill the crêpe with fresh strawberries and cream, roll it up and top with a caramel or chocolate sauce ;) Are you salivating yet? 


French Crêpes
     Yields 30-40 crêpes

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt ( if making savory crêpes add more salt to taste )
1/3 cup sugar ( for slightly sweetened crêpes, omit if making a savory or neutral recipe)
3 Eggs
3-5 cups of milk ( 2% or higher for better taste...however they are good with low fat milk as well )
1/2 cup melted butter
Non-stick pan
Thin plastic ( heat resistant ) spatula


Directions:

1 Mix all dry ingredients together in a large bowl with a whisk.
2 Whisk the eggs and three cups only of the milk. Slowly whisk in the melted butter.
3 Start adding the dry ingredients to the wet, all the whisking to fully incorporate. Once all the dry ingredients have been added you should have a thick batter.
5 The consistency you want to achieve is thin and syrupy. Add the rest of the milk 1/2 a cup at a time until this consistency is achieved. You may or may not need all of the milk listed in the recipe...and it is possible you may need a smidgen more. If there are any lumps, you can always pass the batter through a blender or use an immersion blender.
6 Time for cooking: Using a non-stick pan on medium heat ( you may still need cooking spray, although not for every crêpe only every other 3-4 crêpes)
I use a 2 oz ladle and it gives me the perfect crêpe size. Ladle the batter into the center of the pan...you want a thin crêpe, so tilt the pan counter-clockwise or clockwise ( depending on whichever you are best comfortable doing ), and slowly spread the batter so that it spreads the batter into a larger circle than initially ladled. This may take some practice...but we all know the first crêpes or pancakes don't turn out as pretty anyway ;)

7 You want to start to loosen the edges of the crêpes when the edges are all cooked and the batter is 3/4 cooked in the middle. So, start by sliding your spatula all the way around the edges of the crêpe to loosen the edges and then slide under the middle to completely loosen it. Flip over...but be careful not to rip the crêpe. 
    Here is a picture of what that looks like.

This is a picture of the crêpe flipped...not too dark not too light. This picture also lets you see how I took the original ladle of batter and spread it around by tilting the pan and rotating it counter-clockwise. This makes the crêpe's circumference bigger and makes for a thinner crêpe ;)

Once the crêpe has been flipped cook for 30 seconds to 45 seconds longer and it should slide right out of the pan.

Here is a picture of the underside all beautifully speckled.

You can roll them up and stack them or you can fold them in half and then fold them in half again which will give you a pretty little triangle ;) Enjoy!!

The Ultimate Asian Noodle Salad

This is such a versatile recipe and very appetizing to look at...I make it quite often at work and it's always a great seller. It can be eaten cold or hot. I'd also like to mention that it is quite inexpensive to make ;) You can make this with any type of meat, fish, seafood or even vegetarian. For this particular version I used shrimp which just adds more the allure! Alright,let's get started! This is a two-fer recipe, which means you get two awesome recipes in one ;) The first part of my recipe is the Asian sauce which is super versatile. It is great as a vinaigrette, stir-fry sauce, fried rice seasoning, marinade...get what I mean ;) I like to keep a batch on hand so that I can make quick meals.
 

Asian Sauce
Yields 1 1/4-1 1/2 cups sauce

 1/3 cup sweet chili sauce ( in Asian section of grocery store)
4 tbsps soy sauce
4 tbsps rice vinegar
2 tbsps sugar 1 tbsp sesame seed oil
2 tbsps vegetable oil 1 clove of garlic, minced or 1 tsp of garlic paste 1 tbsp chopped cilantro ( optional)
1 tbsp minced ginger ( fresh or pickled)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Whisk by hand or emulsify using a hand held immersion blender, all of the ingredients above. Set aside.


  Noodle Salad
 Yields 4 moderate servings
 *Note that this salad can be made with whatever vegetables you have on hand, those vegetables listed in my recipe are my suggestions only.

 1 Package vermicelli rice noodles ( soaked in hot water until they soften) 2 cups bean sprouts 1 red bell pepper, sliced julienne style
1 carrot sliced into thin julienne strips
4-5 green onion stalks chopped 1-2 pounds of shrimp, preferably without the tail
2 tbsp sesame seed oil
2 tbsp vegetable oil Asian Sauce recipe

 Directions:
Soak the noodles in enough hot water to cover the noodles and let sit until the noodles are softened. Depending on the brand of noodles you use this could take 5-25 minutes. The thinner the noodle the quicker it softens.
While the noodles are soaking, heat up 1 tbsp of sesame seed oil and 1 tbsp of vegetable oil and lightly saute on medium-high all the vegetables for 2 minutes. Remove the vegetables and set aside. Saute the shrimp on medium-high with 1 tbsp of sesame seed oil and 1 tbsp of vegetable oil until they are pink. Remove and add to the vegetables.
Drain the noodles and using a pair of kitchen scissors, cut the noodles up a bit so that they are easier to work with. Saute the noodles on medium-high for 2 minutes with 1/2 cup of the Asian sauce.
Add in all the vegetables and shrimp and incorporate. Take off the heat and add the rest of the sauce, incorporate well and serve hot or let it cool and refrigerate to serve cold.