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NEEDING SOME SUGGESTIONS

post #1 of 12
10/8/11 at 6:54am
Thread Starter 

I have a very high end client that has requested a choux paste shell to be used with lobster. Sort of like a lobster shooter but in the shell.

I want to use fresh herbs in the shell. I've already have done dill, boring.  Fennel, I liked. Thought some of you foodies are more up on the fresh herbs. Money, location of herb, no problem. Need hundreds, shipping to Greece.

TIA

Pan

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post #2 of 12
10/8/11 at 8:24am

nice pan,

 first to mind comes not fresh herbs but ground spices...chinese 5 spice, green chile powder, dried lemon or orange peel, maybe even old bay, pink peppercorn maybe...that sort of thing....must say, i do like the dill though..may be boring to you, but it's such a clean taste....especially with lobster.....can you do a variety of flavors?...that would be nice too.....or maybe you can come up with your own spice blend...that would really be special... will the puffs be bigger than the normal sized cocktail puffs, or more eclair shaped?...no reason other than curiousity...will you ship them frozen? do they need to get a bail out to pay you?!!!!!....nice gig pan...will think on it some more for you...

joey

the idea of maybe adding some type of liquor or liqueur might prove interesting.....ouzo, canton(ginger cognac), tuaca, lemoncello etc....these are just droplets...or perhaps a combo of liqueur and herb i.e. lemoncello with rosemary or dill etc...don't know how the alcohol would work/change the choux pastry, but you're the baker...sure you can figure it out!!!


Edited by durangojo - 10/8/11 at 11:12am
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post #3 of 12
10/8/11 at 11:16am

From "Culinary Artistry", Andrew Dornenburg & Karen Page, page 140:

  • basil
  • chervil
  • chives
  • cilantro
  • fennel
  • parsley
  • tarragon
  • thyme

 

go well with lobster

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post #4 of 12
10/8/11 at 11:56am
Thread Starter 

Joey,Pete,

Thanks. I just kept shooting blanks.

I'm really going for just an underflavor. I don't want to affect the flavor of the Chefs Lobster. The chef just does not want the choux taste.

I have the shell figured out. I'm baking them in a bubble silicone sheet. They are fairly consistant size and are one bite. A large marble or small pingpong ball..It took a while to perfect it. I actually have to release them almost cooked and then right back into the heat to dry the insides out and make hollow.

I used a mortor&p for the fennel, worked well.

I tried basil.nay, nay! turned black

I love the chevril idea. dry it and grind it? what do you think?

I'm salt drying some lemon peel.

 

I have this idea from potatoes I made as a kid in europe, We use to spend hours make little potato balls with scoops. We use to dip them in egg whites and roll them in various salts and baked. Hard shell, soft inside, little forked to dip the in melted butter. I'm sure they have a name here.

I was think spraying the paste when puffing and sprinkling with assorted salts. any thoughts?

 

You know this just came up and Chef needed them yesterday. TX.OU weekend, Ranger play off,. Busiest we've ever been. Not even a motel room to be had. I really appreciate your ideas. Don't hold back.

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post #5 of 12
10/8/11 at 2:02pm

pan, 

first off, do you know how the chef is preparing the lobster? i like your idea of the salt...lemon salt? not sure it would solve the choux pastry taste though. what about infusing the water...lavender, orange, some type of tea,earl grey for instance...all super subtle flavors. if i had to choose a fresh herb i would go with chives....elegant, understated, classy...kinda like audrey hepburn....lemon to me is always just so perfect that i have to repeat that entrant as well. when i made choux pastry i egg wash the tops to add a nice sheen not sure if the salt would weigh it down so they wouldn't puff up, but i really like that idea...also, i use bread flour(a la sherry yard's recipe) as it makes it just the slightest bit heartier, which you may want with lobster......anyway, just a few more thoughts rattling around.....and th ebeat goes on!

joey

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post #6 of 12
10/8/11 at 2:57pm
Thread Starter 

Joey, THANK YOU! THANK YOU!!!

OMGOSH, of course, infuse my liquid.

I've got a pot going right now. Just have to get the right concentration, reducing very little. Curious if the flavor will concentrate or disapate when

I start extracting the steam from the roux. I used some chive, lemon grass and fresh vanilla bean.

 

The Chef is flying in maine lobster runts. He butter poaches just the claws for this and a basic sauce. No over powering flavors as the lobster will be offered

with an Ouzo provided by one of the yacht owners company.

 

I've got some time but a week is like an hour when sending something out.

Thanks again, I can think straight again.

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post #7 of 12
10/8/11 at 3:37pm

pan,

one more tiny little thought....what about infusing the water with saffron threads?....i think it would be a lovely, lovely color and with the red/white of the lobster meat, stunning.....the taste as you know can be subtle as well....truly glad i could help pan....sometimes all we need is just a kickstart!

joey

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post #8 of 12
10/8/11 at 5:39pm
Thread Starter 

another good idea. I have some chefs that pair lobster with vanilla. also saffron. I've made so much choux paste today. Sophie and I are sitting here with ceviche and guacamole, spooning

them into choux watching the Rangers.

thanks again,

This last batch, the infused liquid did not impart a real noticable underflavor.

One problem is that I went with a pasturized egg product for consistancy. Had to do a little molecular stuff with that to get them hollow. I might try the saffron in the egg mixture.

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post #9 of 12
10/8/11 at 6:05pm

if you use saffron threads, it may not disolve in the eggs...think it needs some liquid to disperse.....alrighty then, tomorrow is another day...sometimes your taste buds just get dulled after so much tasting....

joey

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post #10 of 12
10/8/11 at 10:19pm
Thread Starter 

I agree, to viscus.

I ran 40 miles to get some saffron from a chef friend. I kept waiting for the Ranger game to end!. Like 5 hours.!

tomorrow.

Go Rangers!

 

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post #11 of 12
10/9/11 at 4:03pm
Thread Starter 

Joey, Pete,

Thanks again. I got a product I really like.

I ended up infusing with the lemon grass, scallions, vanilla and saffron. I had to reduce by 30%.

The taste is almost neutral. no flour, egg, etc. You do pick up the hints if you add something to it.

The go to the airport Thurs. night. to go out. This flotilla meets annually.

Thanks again.

Joey, BTW. The color make it hard to tell it choux paste.

Pan

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post #12 of 12
10/10/11 at 11:56am

pan,

i'm so glad you created something you liked which is also doable without getting more grey hairs over....right on!!! as for the saffron color, it's all ratios, as you well know, right? just curious...were all those flavorings infused in the same mix, or did you make different batches using the flavorings separately.....

joey

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