Strata & Olive Oil Loaves
Some of the greatest recipes are built on necessity. There is a great art in the re-purposing and utilization of every bit of an ingredient. If you think about some of the most familiar of French recipes, you'll notice their particular adeptness for clearing out their pantries. Just to utilize stale bread, for example, they make "French" toast, croutons, and croque monsieur, to name just a few. At Cherbourg, we participate in this great tradition by making strata.
Strata has been a dear part of my life long before bakery days. I used to make a strata every Christmas morning for my family. My refrigerator would always be full of odds and ends - spare herbs, scores of cheeses, and leftover bread. Together with whatever vegetable or meats I could muster, it wouldn't be long before a warm, cheesy egg dish was in the oven, just in time for the pattering of little feet from upstairs. And once the floor was covered in wrapping paper, I was pulling the strata out of the oven, ready to enjoy.
When I opened the retail space on Drexel Ave., my family made me promise that strata would be on the menu. Once I perfected the recipe for the olive oil mini loaf, the first pan of Cherbourg strata wasn't far behind. Strata, named for the layered nature of the Earth's crust, consists of layering bread, cheese, herbs, and chopped vegetables or meat. And you don’t necessarily have to go on an extra trip to the store to buy new ingredients. Scour your refrigerator and pantry for ingredients that work together. Half-used jar of sun-dried tomatoes or kalamata olives? Half a log of goat cheese? Stray onion or bell pepper? Have fun experimenting. This one is a definite crowd-pleaser.
Note: I've included the recipe for our olive oil mini-loaves, which are the base of our strata. Make them yourself if you have the time or come in and pick them up at Cherbourg, we make them every day.
Olive Oil Loaves
Ingredients:
1 C. milk
2 tsp yeast
1 tsp sugar
3 ozs room temperature butter
2 1/3 C flour
2 tsp salt
3 eggs
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 C- 1/3 C milk
Directions:
Heat 1 C. milk in oven or on the stovetop to 114 – 118° F.
Stir 2 tsp yeast and 1 tsp. sugar to warm milk using a small whisk. Proof the yeast (it should double in size) – approx. 10 minutes.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and salt.
In a separate bowl, cream butter. Add 1/3 C. flour.
Add 1 egg and 3 Tbsp olive oil and combine.
Add 1 C flour, add the yeast/milk mixture and beat well.
Mix in the final 2 eggs and 3 Tbsp. olive oil.
Finish with the final 1 C Flour(all things begin and end with flour.) Batter should be smooth and silky)
Add in 1/4 C- 1/3 C milk so that that texture is a bit thin, like a pancake batter.
Cover and let rise for at least 1 hour.
Grease mini loaf pan with olive oil. Fill 7/8 to the top with batter.
Bake at 400° F for 17-20 minutes until golden.
Strata
Ingredients:
3-4 Mini Loaves - roughly torn or chopped
2 1/2 Cups of mixed chopped herbs (ie: Italian parsley, basil, green onion)
1 Cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes or roasted red pepper
8 ozs. goat cheese
10- 12 ozs. shredded mozzarella or fontina cheese
1 1/2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
7 Eggs
2 Cups Milk
Directions:
Lay down a layer of torn Mini Loaves (see example above), then cheese, then herbs, then loaves, then cheese, then herbs again.
Repeat this process 2-3 times depending on the depth of your pan.
Finish with a very light layer of cheese & torn bread. ( should be lacy)
After this, make the egg wash and pour over the pan until contents are just submerged, but not swimming.
Cover and let soak for a minimum of 2 hours.
Bake at 350º for 35-40 minutes.
Strata Egg Wash Directions
Add the 1 1/2 Tbsps of Dijon Mustard to a medium bowl
Add each egg into the bowl one at a time, whisking well between each.
Slowly add 2 cups of milk in a stream and whisk well until the mixture is frothy.