Taleggio in Brioche with Sautéed Vegetables and Pea Sauce
Chef Mindy Segal of Hot Chocolate – Chicago, IL
Adapted by StarChefs

Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients:

Pea Sauce:
• ¼ onion, roughly chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 quart vegetable stock
• 1 quart raw peas
  
  
Sponge:
• ¾ cup warm milk
• 1/8 cup dry yeast
• 3 eggs
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups flour
  
  Brioche:
• 2 ½ pounds all-purpose flour
• 1 ¼ cups sugar
• 1/8 cup salt
• 10 eggs
• Sponge
• 2 ounces honey
• 1 pound soft butter
• 1 wheel Taleggio cheese
• Egg wash
  
  Vegetables:
• 1 pound chanterelles, roughly chopped
• 1 pound baby squash, roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
For Pea Sauce:
Sweat the onion and garlic in a saucepot until soft. Add the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Add the peas, simmering until peas are just cooked, about 3-5 minutes. Place mixture in a blender and puree until smooth. Strain through a fine mesh chinoise. Add salt and pepper, and immediately cool down in an ice bath to protect the color.

For Sponge:
In a large bowl, whisk together milk, yeast, eggs, and all-purpose flour. Cover the mixture with the remaining 2 cups of flour and let sit for about 20 minutes in a warm place.

For Brioche:
Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl with a dough hook. Combine on medium speed and add eggs, sponge, and honey. Mix until incorporated on medium speed and continue to mix for an additional 2 minutes. Slowly add the soft butter, allowing it to incorporate. Pull dough out, place in a bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. When dough has risen, uncover the bowl and punch the dough down with your fist to get the air out. Cover the dough once again, place in the cooler, and let it rise overnight.

Preheat oven to 400° F. Sprinkle a touch of flour over a flat, dry surface and place dough in the center. With a rolling pin, roll out the dough to ¼-inch thickness. Cut the dough into 6-inch by 6-inch squares. Cut the wheel of Taleggio into 2 ½-ounce blocks. Place cheese blocks in the center of brioche squares. Brush the dough with egg wash and fold the corners up to meet each other at the center, making sure the block of cheese is completely covered and the brioche is sealed . Bake the brioche squares in oven for 10 minutes, or until the outside is golden brown and soft to the touch.

For Vegetables:
Heat olive oil in a sauté pan and add chanterelles and squash. Sauté until light caramelization occurs. Remove from heat. Add salt and pepper to taste.

To Assemble and Serve:
Place the sautéed vegetables in the center of the plate. Drizzle pea sauce around the vegetables. Place the Taleggio in brioche on top of the vegetables in the center of the plate and sprinkle with fresh minced parsley, if desired.