Sweet Cheese Quenelles with Stewed Plums and Port Wine Sorbet
Traditional Austrian dumplings are transformed into quenelles coated with butter-browned crumbs and served on a bed of stewed plums. Port wine sorbet is a lovely accompaniment, although vanilla ice cream would also be delicious.
Ingredients
- Port Wine Sorbet
- Sugar - 1 cup
- Water - 1-1/3 cups
- Zest of 1/2 lemon, in large pieces
- Clove - 1
- Lemon Juice - 1 teaspoon
- Egg Whites - 3
- Sugar
- Port wine - 3/4 cup
- Sweet Cheese Quenelles
- Unsalted Butter - 2 tablespoons, softened
- Salt to taste
- Confectioner's Sugar - 1/3 cup
- Egg Yolks - 2
- Whole Egg - 1
- White Bread Crumbs - 1 cup, fine
- Farmer's Cheese - 1 pound, softened
- Stewed Plums
- Black plums - 14, halved and pitted
- Sugar - 1/3 cup
- Cinnamon - 1 stick
- Zest of 1 lemon, cut in large strips
- Zest of 1/2 orange, cut in large strips
- Unsalted Butter - 1/3 cup
- White Bread Crumbs - 2 cups, fine
- Confectioner's Sugar - 1/3 cup
- Mint sprigs - 4
Instructions
To prepare the sorbet: Combine the sugar, water, zest, and clove in a saucepan and heat to 175 F. Strain out the zest and clove; stir in the lemon juice. Beat the egg whites until foamy; sprinkle with the tablespoon of sugar and continue beating to stiff peaks. With the machine running, beat in the hot syrup in a small steady stream. Cool to room temperature. Place in an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's directions. When the sorbet begins to freeze, stir in the Port wine. Finish freezing. Store in a sealed container in the freezer.
To prepare the quenelles: Place a large metal bowl over a pan of boiling water. Gently whisk the butter and salt in the bowl until the salt has dissolved. Whisk in the sugar. Whisk in the egg yolks, then the whole egg. Remove from heat and fold in the bread crumbs and cheese to form a dough. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
To prepare the plums: Place the ingredients in a large saucepan or pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and stew until the plums fall apart, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir gently to blend; although the plums will be falling apart, you should still be able to distinguish pieces. Set aside.
To cook the quenelles: Melt the butter in a large skillet and add the bread crumbs and sugar; stir together over medium heat until the crumbs are browned. Set the pan on a work surface. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a full boil. Using two tablespoons, form quenelles (oval shapes) of the dough and drop into the boiling water. When the quenelles float to the surface, remove with a slotted spoon and roll in the browned bread crumbs to coat. Do not crowd the pan as you cook; cook the quenelles in batches if necessary.
To serve: Mound warm stewed plums in the center of each serving plate. Place three quenelles on each; in the fourth position, place one quenelle of sorbet. Garnish each center with a mint sprig.
