Parmesan Baskets: filling and molding advice

[Gifted Gourmet]

Parmesan baskets are something I have yet to try. This seems like an optimal time to learn more about them.

What kinds of fillings work well? Does the filling have to be dry so it won't soften the "basket"? All I have read about are goat cheese fillings .. what else works?

Baking: parchment? Sil Pat?

How about different ways to mold them when they come out of the oven? Large ones? Small ones? Lacy ones?

Advice on adding ingredients to the pre-baked parmesan? Herbs?

Storing: how to, how long will they remain crisp?

[fifi]

Isn't it odd how the ethers converge in the universe and all things become clear? (Well . . . Not exactly clear.) I was just thinking about this as I was thinking about Thanksgiving.

A few years ago, I actually tried this. Of course, I had no idea what I was doing. I was working on getting four of them to serve some sauted shrimp as a starter. I actually prepared 6 to use 2 as practice. I used the Sil-Pat in my half sheet pan. I think the oven was pretty hot but I don't remember the temperature. I was actually making cornucopias or something like that instead of baskets. Looking around for something cone shaped to wrap them around, I found a bottle with about the right shape. I used fairly coarsely grated cheese and left them lacy. The big fight was keeping them all warm for their turn on the bottle. Now I have learned that you can get little tin molds pretty inexpensively but I forget where. I think they are the thingies that are used to shape tuilles or something. (I am not a baker.)

The darn things actually came out pretty good and were a lot of fun. I laid them down on the plate and kind of had the shrimp and other ingredients spilling out. They didn't suffer from getting limp and yukky because it was a fairly dry filling. I can see how that could get tricky if you tried to assemble ahead of time.

I am looking forward to hearing here from folks who actually know what they are doing. These things are really fun, taste good, and look spectacular.

[little ms foodie]

we make larger baskets and fill them with salad, for these we use a small non stick skillet on the stove top, very hot, and as soon as the coarsly grated cheese gets a light golden brown we slide it out over an upside small bowl or large ramekin.

The small ones I've found it easiest to use spice jars or shot glasses, Thomas Keller recommends egg cartons but i've found it hard to get them pressed down well as they are so hot!

In the oven we do them on silpat and the temp is about 375-425F

We always do a goat cheese filling for the small ones.

I also like them left as chips and put onto a bowl of soup

[Malawry]

The trick with these, as with any sort of tuile, is shaping them at the precise moment they are shapable. I always bake on a Silpat. When they come out of the oven, poke every couple of seconds with a thin, small offset spatula. The moment you can slide the spatula underneath without ripping the cheese, lift it off and place it on whatever form you're using (upside-down ramekins, bowls, spice jars, cornet molds, whatever) and press with your fingers to encourage the proper shape. You'll have to grit your teeth 'cause they'll be HOT. If you wait too long and some of the cheese hardens too much to form (it will be brittle), return to the oven for a few seconds to resoften.

I quickly got to the point where I could shape 6-8 tuiles hot out of the oven before they got too cold and brittle, but if you're new to this I recommend only baking 2 or 3 at a time. Have another Silpatted sheet pan ready to go in the oven when you take the first pan out, they'll be done by the time you've shaped all the tuiles off the first pan.

[Gifted Gourmet]

I knew I had come to the right place in asking about this!

Thanks!!!

[fifi]

Ah ha! An expert shows up.

I have two half sheet pans and Sil-Pats. Why didn't I think about that and do fewer at a time? Duh!

A long time ago, I found a supplier that had the forms. As I recall, they had the forms for cones, baskets, flat wavy things and I forget what else. Unfortunately I can't find it now. Suggestions?

[Malawry]

Sur La Table sells a lot of these sorts of things.

JB Prince sells some cool molds, too.

But in all honesty, I've always just used stuff around the house. Mostly ramekins and small bowls turned upside down for little cups. Or draping over a rolling pin to get the classic French tuile (roof tile, like a Pringle) shape. We made tiny tuiles to hold a small scoop of ice cream atop a dessert at one restaurant where I worked--those were shaped on upside-down mini ramekins that we used to send people ketchup or sauce on the side (you know the little black ones you see in most restaurants). I've never needed a cornet-shape, and that's the only one I'm sure you'd need a special mold for.

[rooftop1000]

I always made them on a flat top griddle at work...it kind of freaks people out that you can fry cheese. A good dry cheddar works also...I usually used a coffee cup to drape them.

t

[rgruby]

We used non-stick pans. When the cheese was ready, we quickly stuck the pan in a bucket, sink, whatever, of ice water, for a second or less, then quickly took a spatula or bare hands and draped them over a ramekin.

I'm guessing using the ice water is not real good for the pans, but it may help if your having trouble getting the cheese to release.

We kept them, stacked a few high, for two or three days.

I've never tried the Silpat method.

Cheers,

Geoff Ruby

[Malawry]

Rooftop, there's a place called Shady Glen in Manchester, CT that makes burgers and grilled cheese sandwiches with crisped griddled cheese hanging off the sides. I think you can even get an order of plain griddled cheese there. Plus they have good ice cream. Anyway, these are not hard to make if your griddle is well-seasoned, and sometimes when I worked with a griddle I would fry a piece of provolone as a snack. At home, though, I find the Silpat works best.

[rooftop1000]

Does anyone else remember an old commercial for nonstick pans where they panfried a big old pile of grated cheese???

or is this some lingering mental disturbance from my youth?

tracey

[Gifted Gourmet]

Does anyone else remember an old commercial for nonstick pans where they panfried a big old pile of grated cheese???

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I do! But it wasn't for anything so lovely as a parmesan basket .. rather it was to illustrate the nonstick surface of the frying pan ... you are not crazy but have an excellent memory!

[M.X.Hassett]

I use a brioche mold for shaping(small single serving size). I find that it makes a very nice shape. Another trick I use is keep a few brioche molds hot in a side oven or a hotwater bath. Using the warm brioch mold will give you some extra time before the cheese becomes to brittle.