Cooking Class/Creamy Chicken Beggar's Purse/Sauce Bernaise

Today my friend, Pam and I went to a wonderful cooking class at the Mary C. O'Keefe Museum in Ocean Springs, MS.  The class is by IP(Imperial Palace) Culinary Arts Cafe.  You can have a look here: www.themaryc.org/cafe.htm.  This was so much fun and the food was delicious. The Chef was cute and the wine was great!  It was really a wonderful day.

My lovely friend Pam and Chef Jeremy Williams

Creamy Chicken Begger's Purse

9 layers phyllo sheets cut into 4" squares

1/2 cup melted butter

One bunch blanched green onion(blanch in boiling water for 20 seconds and cut the white part off)

Using a pastry brush, brush each layer of phyllo and stack one on the top o the other, then cut all 9 layers  into 4" squares.

Chicken Mushroom Leek Filling

2 Tbs leeks, diced small

2 Tbs butter

1 chicken cutlet, diced

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1/2 cup heavy cream

salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 tsp Tarragon

20 chives, for purses

pinch of creole seasoning

Preheat ocen to 350 degrees.  Saute the leeks and chicken in 1 TBS butter until translucent and cool in the frig.  Saute the mushrooms in the other tablespoon of butter.  Cook the mushrooms separate from the chicken.  When the mushrooms are cooked, fold them into the chicken along with the other ingredients.

Place about 1 TBS of chicken mixture in the middle of a square of phyllo; pull the edges up to form a begger's purse and tie with green onion that has been blanched.

Place the purses on a baking sheet and bake in oven for approx. 5 minutes.

Ready to go into the oven!

Oh I wish you could taste this! It was one of the best things I have ever tasted.  It was served on top of Sauce Bearnaise.

Sauce Bearnaise

1TBS minced shallots

2Tbs fresh Tarragon leaves, chopped, and their stalks, chopped and roughly bruised

2 TBS wine or Tarragon vinegar

1 TBS chopped chervil, optional

2TBS white wine

1 tsp peppercorns(preferably white), crushed or bruised

3 egg yolks

1TBS water

16 TBS unsalted butter, soft, cut into 1/2" dices

Salt

Freshly milled white or black pepper

1/ to 1/2 lemon , juiced

Combine vinegar, wine, shallots, black pepper, and 1 1/2 tsp tarragon in a small saucepan.       

Cook over medium heat until reduced to 1 TBS, 5-10 minutes.

Add egg yolks and 1 TBS of water to reduce vinegar mixture.

Whisk until thick and pale, about 2 minutes.

Set pan over moderately low heat and continue to whisk at reasonable speed reaching all over bottom and insides of pan, where eggs tend to overcook.

To moderate heat, frequently move pan off burner for a few seconds, then back on.

As they cook, the eggs will become frothy and increase in volume, then thicken.

When the bottom of the pan is visible in the streaks left by the whisk and the eggs are thick and smooth, remove from heat.

By spoonfuls, add soft butter, whisking constantly to incorporate each addition.

As the emulsion forms, add butter in slightly larger amounts, always whisking until fully absorbed.

Continue incorporating butter until sauce has thickened to consistency desired.

Season with salt, remaining 1 1/2 tsp chopped tarragon and if desired, pepper.

Add a few droplets of lemon juice if necessary.

Fresh Tarragon

I will be back tomorrow with the dessert, it was lovely to look at and oh so good!