4 Easy Ways To Get Creative With Your Toast...With A Crunch!
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Toast is great for anytime of the day. It’s easy, delicious and invites creativity when it comes to toppings.
Pickles are one of my go-to condiments in the kitchen. Much like hot sauce, I tend to put that sh*t on everything. But what I love more than pickles are cornichons! The French call them cornichons while we in North America know them as gherkins. Now if you're reading this and thinking to yourself "Ew, I'm not a pickle fan!", well I hope you've discovered a cornichon. These tiny French pickles are adorable, absolutely delicious and packed with health benefits.
Fun Fact: These tiny little cucumbers pack a nutritional punch! They are low in calories, fat, and sugar. Maille’s cornichons carry an impressive amount of vitamin K, iron, folate, calcium, vitamin A and potassium. The health benefits with these little guys is endless.
For those of you that aren't familar with cornichons, they are about the size of your pinky finger, about an inch and half in length. They're nubby and bumpy, tart and crunchy. Occasionally sweet, these scrumptious little pickles are great on a cheese and charcuterie board, chopped up in deviled eggs, or my go-to...toast!
This month, I've teamed up with my favourite condiment company, Maille. Maille is a brand of mustards, cornichons, stoneware, salad dressings, kitchen gifts and oils which originated from a small-town in France known as Marseille. I came across their products last summer at Taste of Toronto. Since then their wide variety of drool-worthy mustard concoctions and delicious cornichons have been a staple in my kitchen.
Using bread as my canvas, I elevated a few classic recipes on toast featuring four varieties of their cornichons: Original, Mild and Sweet, Caramelized Onion and Extra Hot Cayenne Chili Pepper. Say good-bye to boring toasts because it's time to elevate your toast game from boring to brilliant with these quick, easy and tasty recipes!
Gather your ingredients and let's begin!
Boiled Egg + Cayenne Chilli Pepper Cornichons
Beet Hummus +
Caramelized Onions Cornichons
Chicken Salad + Mild & Sweet Cornichons
Open-Faced Grilled Cheese + Original Cornichons
Boiled Egg + Cayenne Chili Pepper Cornichons
The Payoff
Toast slice of bread under the broiler in the oven or in the toaster and drizzle with olive oil.
Place a cold egg in a saucepan and fill with cold water, covering the egg by an inch.
Set the pan over high heat and bring the water to a boil, uncovered. The water should come to a full, rolling boil.
As soon as the water comes to a boil, remove the pan from heat and cover the pan. Don't forget about the pan on the stove and let the eggs boil for too long or they will over cook!
Leave the eggs in the covered pan for 15 minutes to acheive perfect hard-boiled eggs.
Cool, peel and slice hard-boiled egg along with 2-3 pieces of Maille cornichons with cayenne chili peppers.
Layer eggs on toast with Maille cornichons with cayenne chili peppers. Season with salt + pepper to taste and a dash of chili powder for that extra kick (if you like it spicy!).
Serve.
Ingredients
walnut raisin bread, toasted
1 hard boiled egg, sliced
2-3 Maille cornichons with cayenne chili peppers, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
chili powder (optional)
extra virgin olive oil
Beet Hummus + Caramelized Onion Cornichons
The Payoff
Toast slice of bread under the broiler in the oven or in the toaster and drizzle with olive oil.
In a food processor, add the canned beets (save a few for garnish), chick peas, Maille caramelized onion cornichons, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper as well as the cornichon juice. Blend the mixture.
Check the consistency of the hummus and add 1 or 2 tablespoon(s) of olive oil.
Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more salt, lemon juice, or olive oil if needed. If it’s too thick, add a bit more cornichon juice.
Spoon hummus on a piece of toast with some sliced beets, feta and fresh herbs.
Serve.
Ingredients
walnut raisin bread, toasted
1 can whole cooked beets
1 can (1 3/4 cup) cooked chickpeas, mostly drained
1/2 cup Maille caramelized onion cornichons
zest of 1 large lemon
juice of 1/2 a large lemon
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp cornichon juice
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 heaping tbsp tahini
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
fresh herbs for garnish (optional)
feta
Chicken Salad + Mild & Sweet Cornichons
The Payoff
In a mixing bowl, toss the sliced chicken breast, radishes, and Maille mild and sweet cornichons. In a small bowl, whisk the truffle aioli or mayonnaise and champagne vinegar together. Add the mixture to the larger bowl and toss the ingredients together so that everything is evenly coated.
Season mixture with salt, pepper and finely chopped fresh chives to taste.
Scoop chicken salad on a piece of toast and garnish with fresh chives.
Serve.
Ingredients
walnut raisin bread, toasted
2- 3 cups roasted chicken, sliced
2 eggs
1 cup radishes, julienned
1/2 cup Maille mild and sweet cornichons, chopped
2 tablespoons Champagne or white wine vinegar
1/2 cup truffle aioli or mayonnaise
1/4 cup finely chopped chives
olive oil (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
Open-Faced Grilled Cheese + Original Cornichons
The Payoff
Toast slice of bread under the broiler in the oven with a thick slice of swiss cheese and a sprig of sage until melted.
Top toast with sun-dried tomatoes and sliced Maille original cornichons.
Serve.
Ingredients
walnut raisin bread, toasted
1 block swiss cheese
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
2-3 Maille original cornichons with, sliced
fresh sage leaves
salt and pepper to taste
Get Inspired!
To celebrate the launch of Maille's four varieties of cornichons, click the coupon to redeem $2.00 off when you make a purchase! The coupon is valid at any store in Canada.