Sassy Southern Cooking with a French Twist

holly herrick

The Big Williamsburg Move

From the Lowcountry to the Rolling Hills of Williamsburg, Virginia

When I moved to Charleston, SC in 2000 all the way from Jackson, WY, I didn’t see it coming. It was love at first sight with me and that beautiful, historic, soulful old city, and within minutes (it seemed), I was driving across the country with my dog Waco and my (former) husband Greg to set up a new home and life there.  I spent twenty very happy and wonderful  years there, growing further in love and deeper in my knowledge of the city. I watched (and tasted) her restaurant scene grow from adolescence to super star adulthood and had the pleasure to write about much of it, as well as teach and write nine cookbooks from that home base, enveloped by so many wonderful friends and an overflowing, endless cup of kindnesses.

For me, my usual maximum length of time to stay interested in anyplace and many things is seven years. This was the time’s-up-span for my love of yoga, tennis, Jackson, WY, and even (sadly) my marriage. Still, I thought I might stay in Charleston forever. But the winds of change started blowing in my heart and mind a few years ago, and like a waning love affair, it took over and delivered me to my new home, Williamsbug, VA in July.  When I “met” Charleston, charming expressions like “I was over-served last night” spoken in that half drawl, have Brit-speak unique to real Charlestonian’s were commonplace and most people knew the difference between a Lowcountry shrimp and an imposter. She’s still there and I love her but it’s different and I needed to get to higher, quieter ground that’s closer to the country roots of my New England childhood, but still firmly rooted in history and the South.

As when I moved to Charleston, I know virtually no one in Williamsburg, except my dear friend Michael who drove my dog Rocky, and two cats Sid and Mr. Purrfect, their respective crates, and everything we could cram into my Juke Nissan one month ago to my new house, eight long hours away. Michael’s certainly earned his wings in Heaven for that kind gesture, at the very least. I’ve spent that month making it a home and making some wonderful new friends and am ready to start really digging in getting to know Williamsburg, specifically her Colonial foodways, culinary distinctions, history, her people and her places. I will continue developing recipes, teaching cooking classes, writing cookbooks and some new genres, and conducting culinary tours. I plan to add seasonal dinners to my “menu” of offerings, but need a little time to fully update the website, so bear with me for a few more days, possibly a week or so on that.    Similarly, all the contact info for my social media, YELP and Google accounts.

In the meantime, I’ve been enjoying some exceptional peaches, cantaloupes, and butter beans from farmer Hermon (with an “o”) Smith’s farm stand just down the winding road from my house.  The peaches are mostly from SC, NC and GA and I’ve been eating two of the sweet, tangy, juicy delights daily with a splash of cream. The butter beans are local and as far as I can tell are slightly more mineral in flavor and a tad sweeter than their Lowcountry cousins. It must be related to the terroir. They’re delicious here, as there, stewed with ham hock and finished with butter and fresh basil – from my new pot outside my new (old) door. And, the cantaloupes, sweeter than honey. They make me understand better why they say Virginia is for lovers.

But, to really make it feel like home, I needed to make a favored summer staple in my new kitchen, a BLT prepared with beefy tomatoes from Hermon’s stand and Duke’s mayo. That sealed the deal! Rocky enjoyed a few crumbs and now we’re officially home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s a great recipe using cantaloupes in the late summer, when days are still hot and beg for something cool, refreshing, fruity, and seasonal. It’s from The French Cooks – Soups & Stews and remains one of my favorite summer soup recipes. From my Williamsburg kitchen to yours.

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Hot southern summers cry out for the cool, sweetness of melon. I can’t see or taste cantaloupe without thinking of many afternoons I spent in France supping with friends on the smaller, sweeter varietals they serve there, often wrapped in Jambon de Bayonne and served with a cool, bubbly glass of Blanquette de Limoux.

This sparkling cantaloupe soup brings these luscious flavors together, and gets blessed with a dash of cream, which recalls a kind of grown-up ice cream float, minus all the calories and with the peppery pluck of fresh basil and ground black pepper. I substitute the more easily found prosciutto (dry-cured ham found in the deli section) and brut Champagne for the Blanquette. The soup is not cooked, so if you’re not comfortable with a bit of alcohol in the soup, substitute sparkling cider. Refrigerate the soup thoroughly for an hour or up to three hours (any longers and the bubbles will lose their luster)  and serve in shallow bowls. Garnish the center of the plate with the basil and prosciutto and finish with a drizzle of black pepper.  This presentation gives a pretty French touch while putting the perfect finishing touches on this fabulous soup’s flavor package.

Sparkling Cantaloupe Soup with Prosciutto and Basil

(Makes 6 to 8 servings)

1/2 large, ripe cantaloupe, halved, seeded and peeled cut into 1/4″ cubes (about 4 cups)

2/3 cup brut Champagne (or substitute non-alcoholic sparkling cider)

1/2 cup whole cream (do not substitute with another reduced fat cream)

Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Zest of 1 lime

Garnish:

8 slices prosciutto, trimmed and cut into thin strips

1 tablespoon fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

You’ll need a food processor or blender; I find the latter yields a frothier, smoother soup. After that, it goes fast! Prep the cantaloupe. To remove the outer rind, it’s easiest to cut the melon into several slices (usually about 4 to 6). Then, using a sharp, medium chef’s knife, slice along the bottom to remove the rind. Cut the melon into cubes. Place in the blender with the Champagne and cream. Pulse a few times and then blend until smooth and frothy.

Pour out into a medium sized bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the lime zest. Cover with plastic wrap and chill thoroughly for one hour in the refrigerator. Meanwhile, prep the garnish and toss the prosciutto, basil and oil together in a small bowl.

To serve, ladle the soup into shallow bowls. Top with a dollop of the garnish set up in the middle of the bowl. Dust with a sprinkle of ground black pepper. (Note: Taste the soup after it has chilled.  The colder temperature may “numb” your previous seasoning. Adjust salt and pepper as needed).

Bon appetit!

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Easy Bake Creamsicle Cream Puffs For Mother’s Day

Sweet, Nostalgic Treats to Spoil Mom on Her Big Day

With the daily onslaught of National-this and National-that days for everything from hot dogs to pets, it’s easy to get a case of celebration fatigue. Don’t get me wrong, I love hot dogs and pets, but in my book, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are HUGE. After all, we all have one of each, even though some of us never knew them or in an increasing number of cases among my friends, they have passed on.

I’m very lucky, I knew both of my wonderful parents, they’re still living, and I have been blessed to have several “extra” mothers in my lives, mothers of my close friends, who helped me feel safe, loved, and nurtured. And, lucky for me, they all loved to cook and were great at it and sharing their goodness with me and my friends. Two of these dear women, Mrs. Unger and Mrs. Neale, passed in recent weeks. Another, Mrs. Kimmel, likely has, as well, but I long since lost touch with my childhood friend Cathy, to whom she was mother. I wrote about her recently in a piece I have not yet published, and since Mother’s Day is approaching, and since much of this could be said about my own mother and my cherished extra mothers, I’m sharing some of it here:

“Petite, pretty, and just slightly plump, Mrs. Kimmel wore her hair in perfectly coiffed, tumbling curls, like Marilyn Monroe’s in ‘Some Like it Hot,’ and often wore a floral dress that looked like it was cut from the giant magnolia blossoms on 1930’s-era wallpaper. When she was in the kitchen (which seemed like all the time), she wore a frilly, chiffon apron over her dress, tied with a crisp bow around her waist. Like Cathy, she work dark pink cat eye glasses that set off her pale blue eyes and corn silk blonde hair.

Her kitchen, the entire Kimmel household in fact, had a very distinct and persistent aroma that forty years later, I can still remember. It was a cross between maple syrup, browned butter, baking bread, and very, very remotely, moth balls. The source of the latter remains a mystery, but as for the food aromas, that’s a cinch. Mrs. Kimmel, a native of Mobile, AL, excelled in cooking all things Southern.  In her country, New England kitchen, I experienced my first White Lily Flour baked biscuits, slathered with butter. Also, crunchy, black walnut-dusted waffles cooked on a folded-top waffle iron and drizzled with warm sorghum molasses, golden, thick-crusted fried chicken fresh from her ancient cast-iron skillet, and green beans from her garden cooked in a pressure cooker.

She could cook anything, and I loved her and Cathy even more for it. In the cold, snowy New England winters, Mrs. Kimmel mixed clean, country snow with sugar, cream, and vanilla extract and served it in bowls for an after-school snack. It the fall, it was hot chocolate chip cookies fresh from the oven. Late summers were spent canning. Throughout the winter her blackberry jams and bread and butter pickles were staples on her kitchen table, which she lined with a plastic, red and white gingham table cloth, the combination casting a flow of eternal summer and warmth upon the entire space, and my early childhood.”

When I started thinking about a recipe to share for you to consider sharing on Mother’s Day, I thought of cream puffs, made from choux pastry.  Like a good, loving mother, it has sturdy, tough walls, indifferent to spoiled or brat behavior, and a tender, airy, delicate interior, like a kind, maternal heart. Also, you have to beat the heck out of the pastry to get it to react that way once it’s in the oven, not unlike the trials and travails I know me and my siblings railed against my mother, not even knowing we were doing it.  The creamsicle flavors of cream and orange are perfect for spring, and remind me of Mrs. Kimmel’s retro flair and childhood ice cream pops. On a practical note, “choux” is easy to prepare and can be prepped ahead and even frozen (then thawed) before filling. This recipe comes from my cookbook The French Cook – Cream Puffs and Eclairs (Gibbs Smith, 2013).

Creamsicle Cream Puffs from The French Cook – Cream Puffs and Eclairs – are the perfect way to spoil Mom this coming Mother’s Day, or any day. Photograph by Alexandra DeFurio.

Creamsicle Cream Puffs

(Yields 24 to 30 petite cream puffs)

For the choux pastry:

1 cup water

3/4 stick unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1/2 cup bread flour

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt

4 large eggs, room temperature, beaten together

Egg wash: 1 egg yolk, splash of water, pinch of salt, blended together

Preheat oven to 425F. Line two half-sheet baking pans with silicon mats or parchment paper. Measure all the ingredients and have them ready before starting to prepare the dough.

In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the water and butter together of medium-high heat, stirring once or twice to help the butter melt. Once melted, reduce the heat to medium.

Sift together the two flours and salt over a medium bowl. Add the sifted dry ingredients all at once to the water mixture, and set the bowl nearby. Stir the dough vigorously with a wooden spoon to bring it together. Continue stirring, less vigorously, until the pastry pulls away from the sides of the pan and forms a uniform ball. Turn the pastry into the reserved bowl and let it sit for about 1 minute. Add half of the remaining egg mixture and continue to stir until the pastry is uniform and glossy, about 1 minute. Repeat with the remaining egg mixture.

While the pastry is still warm, pipe or plop into 1 – 2 inch size balls on the prepared baking sheets, leaving space between them to expand. Brush the top of each pastry with a light coating of egg wash, being careful not to let the egg wash drip down the sides of the pan.

Bake until puffy and golden brown, about twenty five minutes. Do not open the oven door until they’re done or very near done. They should feel light in your palm and sound hollow when done.  Set aside to cool. (Note: Once cool, they can be stored in the freezer for several months in an air-tight container. This makes them perfect for instant entertaining, as well as Mother’s Day. Thaw at room temp before filling).

For the filling:

3 tablespoons fresh orange juice (do not substitute concentrate)

1 cup cold whipping cream

Zest of 1 orange, finely chopped (about 1 teaspoon)

1/4 teaspoon orange extract

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup powdered sugar

Reserved reduced orange juice

For the royal icing:

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon orange extract

2 tablespoons heavy cream

Orange-colored granulated sugar

To prepare the filling, in a small saucepan, reduce the orange juice to 1 teaspoon over high heat, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn out into a small bowl and refrigerate to cool. In a large, cold bowl, combine the remaining filling ingredients, including the cooled teaspoon of orange juice. Using a blender, blend on medium speed until the cream is whipped to firm peaks.

Prepare the royal icing by stirring together the ingredients in a small bowl until smooth and incorporated. To fill the choux, cut each in half horizontally. Plop a heaping teaspoon of the cream filling in the center of each. Replace the respective “caps,” trying not to press down too firmly on the filling. Glaze each lightly with the royal icing using your fingertip or the back of a teaspoon. Top with a pinch of the orange sugar. Freeze for at least 30 minutes to set the cream.

Bon appetit!

Wishing you and your Mother, extra mother, memories and families a beautiful Mother’s Day. This column is dedicated to my mother, Mrs. Neale, Mrs. Unger, and Mrs. Kimmel. God bless you all!

Holly

 

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Leon’s Oyster Shop’s Lovin’ Spoonful

Whole Grain Spoon Salad Recipe for Perfection “Saladified”

Leon’s Fine Poultry & Oyster Shop  is one of those delightfully capricious and delicious dining destinations where favorites are immediately established and thus hard to deviate from, no matter how hard one tries.  Because everything is magnificent at this Bohemian, New Orleans-inspired chic, dressed-up Upper King Street dive, it’s tempting to try it all, but many (myself included) let the ultra-crisp, spicy made-to-order fried chicken, broiled oysters or somewhere-between-a-donut-or-savory-corn-studded-hush puppy stand in their way.  It’s a similar story at Little Jack’s Tavern (owned by the same small, meticulous restaurant group) down the street, where their sultry burger perfection stampedes all other menu priority inclinations out of the way  upon the mere thought of it.

Don’t let yourself make this mistake, though. Salads shine brightly at Leon’s (and Little Jack’s), and Leon’s Executive Chef Ben BcLean’s Whole Grain Spoon Salad is a prime example. As I wrote in The New Charleston Chef’s Table Cookbook (May, 2018, Globe Pequot Press):

“Much of the credit to the stellar consistency at the restaurant has to go to McLean, a Clemson, South Carolina native and former accounting student, his heart and soul eventually landed him at Cordon Bleu (Pittsburgh), a five-year stint at Peninsula Grill, as a line cook in Leon’s early months, and now, as the king of the whole culinary shebang.

His substantive, yet still vegan, light and healthy whole grain spoon salad strikes the balance he strives for (and attains) in contrast to some of Leon’s less figure-friendly dishes. ‘It’s still filling and approachable, and fills the niche as a substantive, healthy side for people that might also be drawn to the fried chicken,’ says McLean. He describes it as a mixed green salad you can get after as a side and eat with a spoon. I describe it as simply delicious and absolutely the ideal dish to create for a large, easy get together among friends.”

Leon’s Whole Grain Spoon Salad

(Serves 4 to 6)

Fresh as spring, this salad is dressed with oodles of fresh herbs and bright sweet and savory flavors. It is also deceptively easy to make.

For the barley:

1 cup pearled barley

Water to cover (see directions)

2 tablespoons kosher or sea salt

For the salad:

1/2 cup dried currants

1/2 cup finely chopped toasted pecans

1/4 cup shaved or grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup diced red radish

1/4 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

2 tablespoons finely chopped chives

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

2 tablespoons finely chopped celery leaves

Dress and season to taste with:

Extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, kosher or sea salt, freshly ground black pepper

Begin by preparing the barley. Rinse under cold water while agitating until the water runs clear and transfer to a 4-quart pot. Add enough cold water to cover the barley by about 3 times the volume. Add the salt, and set on medium-high heat. Once barley begins to boil, turn down to medium-low, and let simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the barley is soft (yet still chewy), drain in a strainer small enough to hold all of the grains. Rinse barley under cold water to minimize starch and cool on a sheet pan.

While the barley is cooling, assemble and cut the remaining ingredients. Add currants, pecans, cheese, radish, and tomatoes to the barley in a large mixing bowl. Once these ingredients are mixed, add the herbs and celery leaves and begin to dress the salad with the oil and lemon juice. Finally, season to taste with salt and pepper. (Note: The barley can be prepared ahead and reserved separately. Combine the remaining salad ingredients within a few hours of service and serve at room temperature.)

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As always, happy cooking and bon appetit! It’s hard to believe The New Charleston Chef’s Table released a year ago in May. Time flies, but it’s still available almost everywhere and on Amazon. If you decide to add one to your collection, be sure to send me a note and I’ll get a signed bookplate your way. I hope you’re enjoying these beautiful early days of spring.

New Charleston Chefs Table book cover

Fondly, Holly

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A Farewell to Greatness

Hominy Grill Bids Adieu

After a quarter century at the helm of Charleston’s culinary scene, Hominy Grill will serve its last platter of shrimp & grits and final slice of freshly whipped cream-topped buttermilk pie next week. For many, including me, it’s a very sad day, but in many ways a very understandable one.   Chef Robert Stehling, arguably one of Charleston’s most talented chefs, is also arguably one of her most humble chefs in a world where bravado and ego often stir their way into a muddled soup. He’s mastered and consistently delivered the perfect balance between the most important ingredients in any kitchen: using the freshest local produce and goods, clean technique, and restraint. That’s why things that may seem simple, say a chocolate pudding or a biscuit, become ethereal in his hands. Stehling’s biscuits, made fresh over and over every morning, are more like flaky, crunchy, layered southern scones than their oft served sweet, cake-like counterparts. They beg for butter, lots of it, and the fresh preserves presented in little ceramic pots on the paper-lined tables daily, blackberry please! Ask any chef worth his/her salt the most difficult meal to serve (in this case, all day long) and they’ll tell you it is breakfast. Eggs, unless they’re served in a custard or a cake, don’t do well served cold.

When I first encountered and fell in love with “The Hominy,” in 2000, it was still the little neighborhood restaurant in the medical district largely undiscovered by the world outside of Charleston.  A kind of Charleston Cheers, one frequently saw neighbors or the priest from the Episcopal church around the corner or doctors in scrubs.  The food was just as delicious then. In time, Stehling would get recognized with national press and a long-overdue James Beard Award in 2008.  Dinner service was scratched and replaced with breakfast and lunch, and wisely, breakfast all day. The space was enlarged and by now the masses gathered and hovering daily were served delicious cocktails bobbing with fresh herbs and ingenuity while they awaited their seat at the Hominy holy grail. Still, Stehling was nearly always there, in the kitchen, sprinkling his magic dust, long after having reached the success where many another chef might leave the trench work to others.  And, the food is still as remarkable as ever.

I felt compelled to drive by the other day after Hominy Grill’s imminent April 28 closure was made public. It was about 9:30 a.m. on a Wednesday. My heart ached for a quieter time, days not so long ago where I may be able to slip in and get a seat without a wait, without a lot of fanfare. Just a simple supper of buttery, mellow squash casserole or sweet/acidic tomato pie chased with the most authentic cup of she-crab soup in Charleston, perhaps the entire Lowcountry. But, it was not to be.  The crowds were already there and I decided to drive on by.

Stehling, in his sage, quiet way, pointed out in an exit interview that everything has a beginning, a middle, and an end.  As much as the crowds must have pleased, for an artist such as him, they must have been something of a drain. The masses that came to eat a celebrated Big Nasty, just so they could say they did it, as opposed to really settling in and savoring it. One wonders if some missed the pure love in the food here, the artistry, the perfect freshness of the ingredients.    Surely, most did not. I will miss Hominy Grill, but wish Stehling, his staff, and his family a future filled with wonder, joy and some welcome and well-deserved relaxation.  For indeed, every ending affords a new beginning.

Hominy Grill’s celebrated, silky, Buttermilk Pie.

 

Master Chef Robert Stehling, the magic behind Hominy Grill’s greatness.

 

 

 

Hominy Grill’s Shrimp & Grits were always made with plump, local, briny shrimp and coarse ground grits. Best in town. Bar none.

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Roasted Chicken – The Feast That Keeps on Giving – Part II

Divine Chicken Divan

Last week, I roasted one 6-pound, $7 chicken and created 4 separate dishes and 16 meals, beginning with the roasted chicken, the ensuing stock, a Chicken and Dumpling Soup made from the stock  a luscious Chicken Divan casserole, and four substantial chicken sandwiches enhanced with a homemade Nutty Whole Grain Bread. That’s going the distance in the economical and no waste cooking department, which was, and for the long-haul is, my most intense cooking ambition these days. Along with keeping things delicious, of course.

Here’s the original post for the roast for easy reference:

Roasted Chicken – The Feast That Keeps on Giving

It was cold last week and like most of us in the snowy, Northern Hemisphere, I was in the mood for some soothing, creamy, savory comfort food.  Chicken Divan, something a Facebook friend aptly described as ‘legacy fare,’ came to mind. Named after the restaurant where it was created in the Chatham Hotel in New York City, divan is a French word meaning ‘meeting place’ or ‘grand hall.’ In addition to being descriptive, like all French words, it sounds prettier than many English words and its base is a mother sauce, a Bechamel turned cheesy, also known as a Mornay sauce. Classically, it’s prepared with broccoli and mushrooms, but I kept broccoli out of the equation (mostly because I didn’t have any to use) and beefed up the mushroom ratio with dried porcini macerated in warm, dry vermouth which was later added to the Mornay. The end result was stunning and doubles as brunch (I served it to friends as such with a side of roasted asparagus), lunch, dinner or a midnight snack.

A word on bread crumbs and mushroom feet:

Unless you are one of the rare few that seldom has a nub of baguette or left-over bread hanging around, there is no reason to ever buy bread crumbs at the grocery. Store the bread bits and pieces in the freezer and crumble them in the food processor as you’re ready to use them, as in the topping for this casserole. Same goes for most types of cheeses (except soft cheeses), which I freeze and use in forgiving dishes such as a casserole or omelet frequently. In cooking school, we were taught not to use the feet of mushrooms in dishes, except in stock, but I disagree. Except for some very tough mushroom types, such as shitake, they are perfectly palatable. With all mushrooms (except morels which are another story), clean them simply by rubbing them down with a damp paper towel or clean kitchen towel to remove excess dirt.

Divine Chicken Divan

Divine Chicken Divan

(Makes 10 generous portions)

1 ounce dried wild porcini

1/2 cup extra dry white vermouth

3/4 cup chicken stock (from roasted chicken – see link above – or best quality commercial chicken stock)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

8 ounces, or 2 1/2 cups crimini mushrooms, halved and thinly sliced, feet-on

1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the Mornay:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose

2 cups whole milk

Reserved strained liquid from the porcini mushrooms

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

2 cups grated Gruyere cheese

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Compiling the casserole:

Shredded meat from the 1 chicken breast and one leg/thigh from the roasted chicken, skin and bones removed – approximately three cups

5 scallions, finely chopped

1 1/4 bread crumbs

2 tablespoons butter, halved

Preheat the oven to 400F.  Place the porcini, vermouth, and chicken stock in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to a simmer, cook 3 minutes and set aside, at least 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat two tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, stir to coat, and cook over medium low heat until softened, 5 minutes. Add the chopped crimini, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir to coat and saute until softened, five minutes. Set aside. Meanwhile, strain the liquid from the porcini through a coffee filter into a small bowl and set aside. Coarsely chop the porcini and add to the mushrooms in the saute pan and set aside.

Prepare the Mornay.  Melt the two tablespoons butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add the flour and stir to combine with a wooden spoon. Cook 1 minute, or until blond and barely bubbling. Add the milk, reserved strained porcini liquid, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer over medium low heat. Cook, stirring, five minutes or until thickened. Season with the nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Remove from the heat and stir in the Gruyere and Parmesan cheeses until melted.

To compile the casserole, use 1 tablespoon of the butter to rub down the sides and edges of a 4-quart casserole dish.  Arrange the shredded chicken meat on the bottom. Scatter with the chopped scallions and reserved mushrooms in the saute pan. Pour the warm Mornay sauce evenly over the top. Separately, melt remaining tablespoon of butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the bread crumbs and toast lightly, stirring to coat. Top the casserole evenly with the browned bread crumbs.  Bake 30 to 40 minutes until golden, fragrant and bubbling. (Note: Can prepare/compile ahead, refrigerate overnight, and bake just before serving. Also, reheats well in oven or microwave after baked).

Happy cooking! Look for the Nutty Whole Grain Bread and Chicken and Dumpling Soup recipe next week. In the meantime, please remember to keep this upcoming cookbook writing retreat and Folly Beach spring wellness vacation in mind and by all means, tell  your friends about it. We still have spots open. Beckie and I would love to see you there! It’s going to be delicious, fun, and educational.

Cracking the Cookbook Code. Writing, Cooking, Marketing, Photography + Wellness Retreat

 

 

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