madbaker | Catching up.

I missed a few weeks of Resolution Recipes, for various and sundry reasons. I do not apologize for this.
But anyway, here's last week's. This week's is already done; I just have to finalize the recipe before posting.

This week's Resolution Recipe: Parmesan Baskets

1 1/2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese

Heat a griddle over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the cheese in a circle, not too thickly - you want a lacy effect. When it browns, carefully lift with a large spatula and place onto a glass. Mold it into a basket, let cool, and serve with something contrasting inside. (I used salad with red peppers.)

What worked: It was pretty. And tasty (mmm, fried cheese). And artsy, see below.

What didn't: It would have worked better if I had teflon gloves - the cheese is still molten when you pull it off, so I wasn't able to mold it as nicely as I would have wished.

Also, frying Parmesan like that accentuates the salt. The salad helped, but the smoked brined scallops wrapped in house-cured bacon didn't. They were awfully good, though.

From a presentation standpoint, this would have been better on a colored plate, or a thin bed of greens. The white plate reinforced the yellow/beigeness of the meal.

Will I make it again? Not any time soon, but it's a relatively easy plating pretty.