Le Brie Fondue Gourmet Stuffed Potato 

Le Brie Fondue Gourmet Stuffed Potato 

Source:
Gide Merriman
Formerly of - The French Lunchbox at Chicago French Market
Chicago, IL

Yield: 20

Ingredients:

Ingredients: Pomme Purée

Ingredients: Brie Mornay with Chicken and Ham

Ingredients: Assembly

Directions:

Directions: Pomme Purée

  1. Preheat convection oven to 400°F.
  2. Bake the potatoes until completely cooked, about 1 1/2 hours.
  3. Cut an oval out of the top of each potato. Scrape the inside of the potatoes out with a spoon and reserve the hollowed-out potato skins. Combine the potato flesh with the butter, milk, cream, salt and pepper in a large bowl and mash with a potato masher until the mixture is smooth, adding more milk and cream and adjusting the seasoning if necessary.
  4. Fill piping bags with the pomme purée and tie off the large opening of the bags with butcher's twine. Keep hot and reserve.

Directions: Brie Mornay with Chicken and Ham

  1. Preheat convection oven to 420°F.
  2. Rinse the chicken breasts and pat dry. Place them in a large mixing bowl and toss with the olive oil, herbes de Provence, white pepper and salt.
  3. Place the chicken in an even layer on sheet trays and cook in the oven until the internal temperature reaches 165°F, about 30 minutes.
  4. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes, then cut the chicken into a medium dice.
  5. In an 8-quart stockpot over low heat, sweat the diced onions with a teaspoon of butter and a pinch of salt until they’re translucent and have no bite, about 10 minutes. Add the milk and onion pique to the pot and steep over low heat until infused, stirring constantly to ensure that the milk doesn’t scorch, about 30 minutes.
  6. Meanwhile, in another saucepan, melt 1 1/2 pounds butter over low heat, then whisk in the flour.
  7. Cook on low heat, stirring constantly, until the roux has a nutty aroma, about 10 minutes.
  8. Refrigerate the roux until it's cold.
  9. Incorporate small amounts of the cold roux into the steeped milk, whisking constantly over low heat. When the béchamel is the desired thickness, turn off the heat.
  10. Dice the Brie cheese and incorporate a little at a time into the béchamel, whisking constantly.
  11. Once the Brie is fully incorporated, strain the béchamel through a chinois. Add the diced chicken and ham and stir to combine. Keep hot and reserve.

Directions: Assembly

  1. Julienne the spinach, taking care to avoid large stems. Toss the spinach with a little olive oil and season with salt.
  2. Reheat the reserved potato skins in a hot oven. Pipe the potato purée into the bottom of the potato skins, creating an even layer about 1/2 inch thick.
  3.  Add 6 ounces of the Mornay mixture (including chicken and ham) to each potato. Place a generous amount of the spinach salad on top, then pipe another layer of potato purée over the spinach, forming the purée into tall mounds.
  4. Garnish with chives and serve.