One-Hour French Cooking with Charlie:

Recipes from the PLAYTE Kitchen Demo

Welcome to the recipe collection from our One-Hour French Dinner Party on with “Charlie” at PLAYTE Kitchen. For this special demo and hands-on experience, we prepared a classic French-inspired menu while showcasing the performance and versatility of Copper’s Charlie Induction Range. Designed for precision, responsiveness, and beautifully intuitive cooking, the Charlie range allowed us to move seamlessly from searing and simmering our one-hour coq au vin to preparing airy cheesy gougères and delicate French crepes with strawberries and melted chocolate. These recipes not only celebrate the timeless flavors of French cuisine, but also demonstrate how induction cooking can make entertaining faster, more efficient, and more enjoyable at home. Whether you joined us in the kitchen or are recreating the menu for your own gathering, we hope this collection inspires you to cook with confidence, gather around the table, and experience the joy of French cooking on induction.

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Gougères

Light and airy gruyere cheese puffs - Makes 18-24

INGREDIENTS:

  • ½ cup water

  • ½ cup milk

  • ½ cup unsalted butter

  • 1 tsp salt

  • ¼ tsp sugar

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

  • 4 eggs

  • 4 oz gruyere cheese, finely shredded

PROCEDURE:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

  2. Heat the water, milk, butter, salt and sugar in a medium saucepan until the mixture just comes to a boil and the butter melts.

  3. Add the flour all at once and reduce the heat. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon or silicon spatula until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan and begins to form a ball.

  4. Place the dough in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium speed with the paddle attachment. Once the dough has cooled some, but is still very warm to the touch, add the eggs one at a time, beating each egg completely into the dough before adding the next egg (all four eggs may not be necessary). The mixture is at the correct texture when the batter is no longer lumpy, as a satiny sheen, and falls from the paddle and creates a v-shape in the dough. Add gruyere cheese and mix until blended well.

  5. Line a baking sheet with anon-stick baking mat or parchment paper.

  6. Fill a piping bag with a plain tip and pipe out desired shapes. Have a small bowl of water near to dampen a finger tip, and press down the peak of each puff.

  7. Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 350°F and bake for another 15 minutes, or until golden brown and completely dry so puffs don’t deflate.

  8. Remove from the oven and leave the puffs in a warm, draft-free place to cool to room temperature.

One-Hour Coq au Vin

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

  • 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs

  • kosher salt and black pepper

  • ⅓ cup all purpose flour

  • 3 ounces salt pork, pancetta, or bacon, small diced

  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

  • 3 tablespoons salted butter

  • 1 yellow onion, small diced

  • 4 cloves garlic, minced

  • 2 small shallots, minced

  • 2 small carrots, small diced

  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste

  • 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, cleaned and quarted

  • ½ cup brandy (optional)

  • 1 cup chicken bone broth

  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme

  • chopped parsley or chives, for garnish (optional)

PROCEDURE:

  1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Place the flour in a shallow bowl. Dredge the chicken through the flour and toss to coat.

  2. Arrange the salt pork in a dutch over or a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Cook until crispy all over, about 5 minutes. Remove from the skillet.

  3. In the same pan, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and the chicken. Sear on both sides until golden, 3-5 minutes per side. Add 1 tablespoon butter and allow the butter to brown around the chicken, about 2 minutes. Remove the chicken from the skillet.

  4. Add the onions, shallots, garlic, carrots, and mushrooms. Cook 5 minutes or fragrant. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter, tomato paste, thyme, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, until the mushrooms and tomato paste have caramelized.

  5. Add the brandy and wine, then the broth. Simmer for 10 minutes, then slide the chicken into the sauce. Cook another 10-15 minutes, until the chicken is warmed and the sauce has thickened. If the sauce is too soupy, add 1-2 additional tablespoons of flour kneaded into 1 tablespoon of butter. Remove from the heat. Top with crispy salt pork and fresh herbs, if desired.

Serve with buttered egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or roasted potatoes.

French Crepes

Makes 8-10 crepes

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 large eggs

  • 1 ¼ cups whole milk

  • 1 cup flour

  • 1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter or vegetable oil, plus more for cooking3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

  • Pinch kosher salt

  • 1 tablespoon sugar, if making sweet crepes

  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh herbs, such as parsley, tarragon, chervil, or chives (optional; for savory crepes)

PROCEDURE:

  1. For the Batter: Combine eggs, milk, flour, melted butter or oil, salt, and sugar (if using) in a blender. Start blender on low speed and increase to high. Blend until smooth, about 10 seconds. Add herbs (if using) and pulse to combine. (Alternatively, you can combine the ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk vigorously until smooth.)

  2. To Cook: Heat a 10-inch nonstick pan or crepe pan over medium heat for 2 minutes. Lightly grease with oil or butter, using a paper towel to wipe out the excess.

  3. Hold the pan's handle in one hand and pour in 3 to 4 tablespoons (45 to 60ml) batter, swirling and tilting pan immediately to spread batter in a thin, even layer over bottom of pan.

  4. Let cook until top looks dry, about 20 seconds. Using a thin metal or nylon spatula, lift one edge of crepe. Grab that edge with the fingers of both hands and flip crepe. Cook on second side for 10 seconds, then transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining batter. Fill crepes as desired.