Part 2 (1/2)

As any experienced chef would know, bleu cheese brings out the sweet taste of figs like no other ingredient. Thus, Mrs. Patmore would bake these delicious hors d'oeuvres that are simultaneously sweet and tart. Eaters beware, however: Nothing is as tart as the Crawley sense of humor!

YIELDS 46 SERVINGS For Pastry 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed For Walnut Crunch 2 tablespoons honey 2 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons unsalted b.u.t.ter 12 teaspoon cinnamon 14 teaspoon kosher salt 1 tablespoon heavy cream 14 cup toasted walnuts, chopped For Figs 23 cup sugar 1 tablespoon lukewarm water 1 teaspoon kosher salt 12 fresh figs, halved lengthwise and stems removed 14 cup unsalted b.u.t.ter 12 cup sweet port 6 ounces Stilton blue cheese, crumbled, room temperature Honey to taste Preheat oven to 350F.

Roll out puff pastry sheet on a clean, lightly floured surface. Place puff pastry sheet in a well-greased baking pan and then place another sheet pan on top of puff pastry to prevent it from rising too much.

Bake puff pastry in preheated oven (with sheet pan still on top) for 58 minutes or until beginning to turn golden. Remove and set aside.

To make walnut crunch: In a medium-sized skillet, stir honey, sugar, b.u.t.ter, cinnamon, and salt over medium heat until b.u.t.ter melts. Cook mixture until it boils and reaches a deep golden brown, about 35 minutes. Stir in cream, followed by walnuts. Cook for an additional 2 minutes, then pour out over a sheet of heavy foil. Let cool completely, then chop walnut crunch into small pieces.

To prepare figs: Mix sugar, water, and salt in a heavy skillet over medium heat until sugar is evenly moist, adding more water if needed. Cook mixture until sugar turns golden, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Place figs cut-side down in sugar mixture. Cook figs until they begin to release juice. Immediately add b.u.t.ter, swirling skillet to melt. Remove from heat and add port. Let figs marinate in port mixture for 510 minutes before removing figs to a plate to cool. Once again bring syrup to a boil, whisking until smooth. Cool completely.

Using a 2- to 3-inch pastry cutter, cut out rounds of semi-baked puff pastry. Divide walnut mixture among rounds, then top with fig halves, cut-side up.

Bake tartlets in preheated oven (still at 350F) for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.

Artfully arrange cheese on top of tartlets, followed by the sweet port syrup. Drizzle with honey and serve.

Suggested Pairings If you choose to serve this dish as a dessert rather than as an appetizer, try pairing these pastries with a delicious yet full-bodied dessert wine such as a Riesling, Moscato, or Chianti. Be careful, however, Moscato can be an especially sweet wine, and, depending on the brand, can easily overpower, rather than complement, the bleu cheese.

Chapter 2.

FIRST AND SECOND COURSES: SOUPS AND FISH.

Prior to the advent of the Service a la Russe used at Downton Abbey, guests would enter the dining room to find their soup already placed on their a.s.signed plates. Once eaten, the soup bowls would be removed and quickly replaced with fish and then basically a full meal in an attempt to prepare the appet.i.te for the roast. However, with Service a la Russe, the soups and other dishes were served one after the other by Thomas and William in courses and not in large meals. In fact, two soups - one thick, one clear - would be offered, and it would be up to guests to decide which one - or both - they wanted to try. Offer one or many of the soups in this chapter at your next dinner party and see who wants what!

Velvety Cream of Mushroom Soup

What makes Mrs. Patmore's cream of mushroom soup so irresistible is its luxurious, velvety texture, which, after reading the famous and highly esteemed master chef Escoffier's treatise on French cooking, Mrs. Patmore would know could only be established by forming a delicious veloute - a mixture of a b.u.t.ter-flour roux with chicken stock - as the base.

YIELDS 46 SERVINGS For Veloutee 6 cups chicken stock 2 tablespoons unsalted b.u.t.ter 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour For Soup 14 cup unsalted b.u.t.ter 1 pound crimini or porcini mushrooms 2 shallots, minced 1 teaspoon kosher salt 12 teaspoon saffron 1 tablespoon brandy 3 egg yolks 12 cup heavy cream 1 teaspoon kosher salt 12 teaspoon white pepper In a medium-sized pot, heat chicken stock to a light simmer.

In a separate pot over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons unsalted b.u.t.ter until it starts to froth. Then stir in flour. Continually stirring, allow to cook for 35 minutes over medium heat. Do not let brown.

Whisk the warm stock into the roux and let simmer for 2025 minutes, stirring frequently. It should slowly cool down by at least a third and be silky, or velvety, in appearance.

While the veloute simmers, make the mushroom base: In a saute pan over medium-heat, melt b.u.t.ter.

Finely mince the mushrooms and shallots, and add to pan. Then add 1 teaspoon salt. Simmer, covered, for several minutes or until shallots are translucent and the mushrooms lose their water.

In a very small dish, stir the saffron into the brandy, then add to mushroom base. Turn up the heat, then stir to combine. Stir until the brandy is nearly gone.

Using an immersion blender, puree the mushroom base.

Strain mushroom puree through a fine-mesh sieve, then add to veloute. Thoroughly stir together the two mixtures, then simmer for 15 minutes.

In a large bowl, beat together the egg yolks and heavy cream. Then ladle, a little at a time, some of the soup into the cream mixture. This allows you to slowly temper the eggs with the hot stock so nothing congeals. Once you have 5 ladles of soup in the cream mixture, pour it all back into the soup mixture and allow it to simmer for 10 minutes, but do not boil.

Times Gone By According to Chef Escoffier - commonly recognized as the finest master chef of the twenty-first century - veloute sauce, along with espagnole, bechamel, Hollandaise, and tomato sauces, are the so-called ”five mother sauces” of cla.s.sical cuisine. Veloute sauces are not usually used on their own, rather their ”daughter sauces,” or sauces based on their mother counterparts, are created and used.

Unsinkable Cream of Barley Soup

Though this was one of the soups served on the t.i.tanic on that infamous and tragic night, this dish would continue to be popular in Britain. As it is the death of the Earl of Grantham's heir on the t.i.tanic that causes Matthew Crawley to enter the family's lives, serving this soup would likely lead to the sharing of many memories: some good, some bad.

YIELDS 4 SERVINGS.

12 cup pearl barley 412 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth 1 tablespoon unsalted b.u.t.ter 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 4 medium shallots, minced 4 cups white mushrooms 4 stalks celery, chopped 1 tablespoon minced fresh sage 1 teaspoon sea salt 12 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 cup vermouth or dry white wine 12 cup sour cream 14 cup heavy cream 12 cup minced fresh chives In a small saucepan over high heat, bring pearl barley and 112 cups of the broth to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until tender, about 3035 minutes.

In a dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat, heat b.u.t.ter and oil. Add shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms, still stiring frequently, until they start to brown, about 10 minutes. Add celery, sage, sea salt, and pepper, and cook until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Then, sprinkle flour over vegetables and stir until flour is incorporated. Cook for about 1 minute. Mix in vermouth or white wine and cook and continue stirring until most of the alcohol has evaporated, about 12 minutes.

Pour in remaining broth and increase heat to high. Bring soup to a rolling boil, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring every 5 minutes, until the soup has thickened, about 25 minutes.

Add barley and cook, stirring occasionally, until soup is heated through, about 7 minutes. Mix in sour cream and heavy cream until thoroughly incorporated in soup. Dust with chives. Serve immediately or let chill in refrigerator overnight and then reheat to allow barley to fully soak in the flavors.

Etiquette Lessons If a garnish doesn't come on top of your soup, you're expected to garnish it yourself. With the serving spoon, spoon a portion of the garnish directly onto your soup. Place any other garnishes only on your salad or bread plate. Once finished, put the serving spoon back on the garnish's underplate. And, of course, mind your manners and do not blow on your soup to cool it.

Mushroom Barley Soup

While this soup doesn't contain cream, it's nonetheless a filling option for the clear soup offering. Mrs. Patmore would likely offer this thin yet nonetheless tasty soup on days when heavy conversation was expected, perhaps as a way to lighten the mood in the dining room.