Mother’s Day Menu: Make-Ahead Goat Cheese and Chive Soufflés, Bistro Chicken with Mushrooms, and a Rhubarb Cobbler
Let’s celebrate Mom with a special menu!
Tick Tock. Time marches on.
I just heard something alarming. * By the time you’re eighteen years old, you will have already spent 90% of the time with your parents for your entire life. As a mother, I realize that the reverse is also true. In other words (sob) by the time your kids leave home, you’ve spent most of your wad. Let’s hope you used it wisely.
Once that ship sails, the only remaining choice is to make a conscious effort to build in special time with them. It doesn’t happen automatically anymore; you need to plan it. Kids, hug your mothers! Mothers, hug your kids! And people everywhere, let’s all remember to appreciate and connect to those near and dear.
Enough schmaltz! Let’s talk about the food. Mom deserves the best, and this menu is sure to please her.
Make Ahead Goat Cheese and Chive Soufflés
Soufflés are magical! Delicate, puffed, cheesy little rounds that arrive at the table in a pool of cream sprinkled with pretty chives. They’re not quite filling enough to constitute a complete meal, but you can serve them as a first course with a more substantial dish (such as Bistro Chicken.) For brunch, supplement them with steamed asparagus, a crisp salad with sliced pears or apples, and warm baguettes with butter and jam (for example.) A glass of bubbly wouldn’t be amiss.
Whipping up a soufflé may seem daunting, but bear with me here. These are make-ahead beauties! For traditional savory soufflés, you make a thick béchamel sauce, stir in egg yolks and cheese, fold in fluffy whites, and bake. The only glitch is getting that soufflé in and out of the oven in a timely way and to the table without breaking a sweat. With these soufflés you’ll assemble and bake them twice. After the first bake, let them cool turn them out of their ramekins. Refrigerate for one hour or up to two days. (Seriously) When you’re ready to serve them, bake them again sprinkled with Parmesan and a healthy dose of cream. You don’t have to tell Mom your secret, just bask in the pride and appreciation she’ll express when these luscious golden soufflés come to the table.
Make-Ahead Goat Cheese and Chive Soufflés Recipe
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS
Butter, for the ramekins
1 cup whole milk
5 tablespoons finely sliced chives
8 ounces goat cheese
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 large eggs, separated
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan
METHOD
1. In the microwave in a Pyrex measuring cup, heat the milk and 3 tablespoons of the chives for 90 seconds, or until hot. Or heat in a saucepan until small bubbles form around the edges. Remove and set aside to infuse the milk with the chives.
2. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter 6 (four-ounce) ramekins. Place 6 small chunks of goat cheese, about the size of a rounded teaspoon, in the center of each ramekin. Place them in a 9 -by 13-inch roasting pan or Pyrex baking dish.
3. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and whisk constantly for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk and chives. Cook, whisking constantly, for 2 minutes, or until the mixture bubbles and is thick and smooth. Remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in the remaining goat cheese in walnut-size pieces, stirring until the mixture is smooth. Transfer to a large bowl. Whisk in the egg yolks and parsley.
4. In an electric mixer with the whisk attachment on medium-high speed, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. They should be firm yet still creamy, not dry. With a rubber spatula, stir one-third of the whites into the cheese mixture to lighten it. Gently fold in the remaining whites.
5. Divide the mixture evenly among the six ramekins. Pull the middle oven rack out a few inches and set the baking pan on it. Pour in enough hot tap water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Gently slide the rack into the oven. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the tops of soufflés are puffed, lightly browned, and springy when you press a finger gently on top.
6. Using tongs, remove the souffles from the water bath and set them on a rack to cool completely. They will deflate, but don’t worry, they’ll perk up again on their second turn in the oven. Pour off the water from the baking dish and wipe it dry.
7. When the souffles are cool, run a thin knife around the edge of a ramekin and invert it onto the palm of your hand. Set it, right side up, in the baking dish. Repeat with remaining souffles. Refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap, for 1 or up to 48 hours.
8. About 30 minutes before you want to serve the soufflés, heat the oven to 375 degrees. Pour the cream over the top and sides of the soufflés. Sprinkle the top of each soufflé with grated Parmesan. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they are puffed and golden.
9. Use a thin spatula to remove the soufflés from the pan and set each on a plate or in a shallow bowl. Spoon the cream alongside the soufflés and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons chives. Serve immediately.
Bistro Chicken Breasts with Mushrooms
I had these chicken breasts in a petit Paris bistro. I’d love to tell you where and when, but I really can hardly remember the last meal I had, let alone where I ate in Paris. Luckily when I came home, I immediately set about replicating the dish. Voila! Preserved in the written word if not in the memory bank. This is a quick dish to pull together. If not for a special meal, then for a weeknight when you want something a little extra but don’t have extra time. Brown boneless chicken breasts quickly in a skillet to keep them from drying out and let them finish cooking in the oven. A thermometer is your secret weapon to keep them from overcooking; it should register about 160 to 165 degrees when inserted into the thickest part of the breast. (You want to aim for 165 degrees, but if you take them out a little sooner and tent them with foil, they’ll come up to the correct temperature.) Once you have the chicken out of the pan, cook the mushrooms and make the sauce in the same skillet to soak up all the meaty flavors. Your chicken will be ready at about the same time as the mushrooms.
Bistro Chicken with Mushrooms Recipe
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (1 1/2 to 2 pounds)
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup flour
2 ounces pancetta or thick-cut bacon, cut into small dice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound button, cremini or shiitake mushrooms or a combination, sliced
1/2 cup white wine
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (for garnish)
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Have on hand a baking sheet or heatproof platter.
2. Sprinkle the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Spread the flour on a plate and dredge the chicken lightly in it, shaking off the excess.
3. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the pancetta or bacon, stirring often, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until golden. Transfer to a plate.
4. Turn the heat to medium-high and add the oil to the pan. Add the chicken breasts to the pan but don’t crowd them (do this in batches if necessary). Cook for about 2 minutes on a side, or until browned. Transfer to the baking sheet and place in the oven. Let cook in the oven for 8 to 12 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken registers 160 to 165 degrees.
5. Meanwhile, add the mushrooms to the skillet and sear them without moving them for about 1 minute. Add a tablespoon or 2 of the wine to the mushrooms and scrape the bottom of the pan with a flat wooden spoon to deglaze it. Continue to cook the mushrooms for 3 to 4 minutes, or until they are golden. Add the remaining wine, lemon juice and rosemary to the pan. Continue to cook until much of the wine evaporates, leaving some liquid in the pan for a sauce. Stir in the pancetta. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if you like.
6. Remove the chicken from the oven. Transfer the breasts to a platter and spoon the mushrooms and their juices over the top. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Rhubarb Cobbler
I just can’t get enough rhubarb. Hello spring! Hello summer! It’s pretty and pink and juicy and tart. As if that wasn’t enough, a cobbler of any kind announces that summer will indeed follow spring, and the dreariness of winter is safely behind us. When you cook rhubarb briefly in a large skillet in a little sugar syrup, it retains its rosy color instead of washing away in a profusion of juice and turning a drab ginger brown. The buttery biscuit topping is a cinch to make in the food processor and the result is a tangy, saucy dessert with a light and flaky topping to relish now and in the next few months. You can also skip the biscuits and serve the rhubarb with cream and small cookies. But why? Why would you do that? Get out your baking dish, celebrate, and don’t spare the cream.
Rhubarb Cobbler Recipe
Serves 6
BISCUITS
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 cup buttermilk
Extra buttermilk (for brushing)
Extra sugar (for sprinkling)
1. Have on hand a 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Line a quarter sheet pan or small tray with parchment paper. Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and butter until the butter is in pea-size pieces. Remove the cover, drizzle with the buttermilk, and pulse again just until large clumps form.
3. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and press it together. Divide it into 6 pieces and shape each into a flat disk that is about 1/2-inch thick and 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Place them on the parchment-lined tray and refrigerate while you make the filling.
COBBLER
1 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon finely grated orange rind
Juice of 1 large orange
2 pounds rhubarb, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 7 cups)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 pint heavy cream (for serving)
METHOD
1. In a wide, non-reactive skillet over medium-high heat, stir the sugar, salt, orange rind, and orange juice until it comes to a boil. Boil, stirring constantly, for 1 minute to dissolve the sugar.
2. Add the rhubarb to the pan, raise the heat to high. Cook the rhubarb, stirring often, for 3 to 4 minutes until it begins to soften but the pieces remain intact. Transfer to the baking dish.
3. Brush the biscuits with buttermilk and arrange them on top of the baking dish, leaving space in between. Sprinkle generously with sugar and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the biscuits are golden and the rhubarb is bubbly. Cool for at least 20 minutes before serving with cream on the side.
So give Mom a hug, make her a beautiful meal, and relish the time you have in this life to be together. It’s precious.
*I’m a podcast junkie. On my walks and in the car, I always have something playing over the airwaves to inspire me. If you’re in the habit and want to hear more about prioritizing your time with loved ones, tune into The Mel Robbin’s Podcast. You’ll be glad you did, and so will your mother.
Until next time,
XXOO
Sally
Thanks for reading, sharing, and subscribing. And if you enjoyed this post, please click on the little ❤️ below ⬇️. Thanks again for being here!