Feeling divine with a Carol Channing and Pommes Dauphines.

Christmas is on its way and that makes me very happey’! Family, food, drinks and magic in the air, what is not to be liked about this time of the year? Over here on Undercover toad the blog, I felt inspired for a few paintings with some more bits and bobs. Celebratory drawings may be a new added section, keep tune as I attempt to implement my vision. I have been listening to a lot of Christmas songs in the atelier, as well as during the day.

Therefore make sure to get in the spirit and to read these lines in a Christmasy Nat King Cole way!

This year, I am hosting the family celebrations. Even-though we are only mid-December, I thought of trying a few of the must haves to make sure that it will all come together. Pommes Dauphines is always a nice treat for my siblings, but it is one side dish that is quite filling! And, as I am feeling quite celebratory, I needed some bubbles in the form of a Carol Channing. Now let’s get to it.

Prepping the Pommes Dauphines

To serve 4, I have used:

• 10 medium to big potatoes (roughly (500g)
• 175g of plain flour
• 75g of butter
• 3 eggs
• 30cl of milk
• Salt
• Pepper

I added on my list of “things to do”, to investigate and learn on boiling oils as I don’t have a clue. I usually purchase the “vegetable boiling oil” kind but I will have to understand the differentiating points and keep that in mind.

For the puff pastry dough, there are different recipes, some with water and some with milk. They all seem to taste pretty fine as far as I am concerned but I am not the puff pastry expert more of an enthusiast learner.

For the perfect Pommes Dauphine, you will need to prepare two elements: mashed potatoes and puff pastry dough.

1. To prepare the mashed potatoes, peel and chop the potatoes. The smaller the chopped chunks of potatoes, the fastest it cooks, something useful if you need to be quickly out of the cooking hook. Put some water to boil in a sauce pan. Once the water boils, add your potatoes. Use a knife to check on them. If they are smooth and smooch you can put them away from the heat. Drain your potatoes out of the water into a bowl, and smash them with a potato masher.
2. To prepare the puff pastry, boil the milk with the butter in a sauce pan. Once it boils, add all the flour at once and mix quickly until the dough starts to dry. Then, put the mixture in a large bowl, and add the eggs one by one while mixing vigorously with a wooden spoon. The puff pastry is ready when it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the bowl.
3. Put your oil to boil in a sauce pan. Make sure to respect all rules of safety as you proceed with this fire hazard that is quite bubbly.
4. In a bowl, mix the mashed potatoes with the puff pastry dough. Adjust the seasoning, transfer the mixture into a piping bag and you are all good to go. Then get ready for the fun activity! Pressure the dough out of the piping bag to cut chunks of 1 to 2 cm directly with a knife. Let these fall directly into the boiling oil while you watch the cooking magic unfold. Repeat the same process a dozen time making sure you are not overcrowding your sauce pan.

Do not hesitate to turn the Pommes Dauphines around while they cook. A turner in this instance will be a savior. Once they are nicely browned and floating, retrieve them and place them on some soaking paper, paper towels or towels to eliminate the extra oil. Season the Pommes Dauphine one last time, before you transfer them in your serving pan. Repeat until the piping bag is unfortunately empty!

Prepping the Carol channing cocktail

To prepare a Carol Channing cocktail you will need:

• 0.25 shot of raspberry creme
• 0.25 shot of sugar syrup
• Top up with Champagne

• A flute glass
• A measuring jigger

Fresh, sweet and bubbly, what’s more to ask for, when you have a soft spot for raspberries?

A nod to the cinema, named after the American actress, the Carol Channing was created in the eighties by Dick Bradsell, a London bartender. A few variation exist, though if I am correct, the original drink is a mix of raspberry eau-de-vie, raspberry creme and champagne.

In a flute glass, pour 0.25 shot of raspberry crème and 0.25 shot of sugar syrup, add a few raspberries (if it is of your liking) and top up with champagne.

You are now all set to party and don’t forget to enjoy some movie!

If you have missed last week recipe, it is over here if you want to go and check it: Hot Grog cocktail and carrot cake.