If You Can Stand The Heat

Octopus Terrine with Blood Orange, Cilantro-Lime Aioli, Crispy Rice Noodle

2013-06-09T10:37:00.000-04:00

Braised Bacon, Quail Egg, Red Pepper Grits, Toasted Cashew Powder

2013-05-19T09:51:00.000-04:00

This is a dish that was served at a Chef's Table last week and was very well received. It is based on a dish that I enjoyed at 5&10 in Athens, Georgia a couple weeks ago.

The bacon was prepared by braising a slab of apple wood smoked bacon in chicken stock for six hours at 250 degrees. After the bacon chilled, it was portioned and reheated gently for service.

The toasted cashew powder was produced by toasting cashews in the oven then blending in the food processor with tapioca maltodextrin. Maltodextrin was added incrementally until the desired consistency was reached, then the cashew powder was pushed through a sieve to remove any larger particles and to lighten the end product.

The grits were the real highlight of the dish. They were made with Anson Mills grits and were finished with a puree that was produced by Chef Hannah Yerby. Hannah made the red pepper puree with roasted red bell peppers, peppadew peppers, heavy cream, shallots and srirachi. The result was a sweet, creamy and slightly tart flavor that slowly builds heat on the back of the palate.

I have never been a fan of the "breakfast for dinner" concept but I would enjoy this dish anytime!

Wagyu Hanger Steak with Beef Short Rib Croquette, Potato Puree, Cippolini Onion, Local Mushrooms, Sauce Choron

2013-04-14T10:45:00.003-04:00

Hanger Steak is one of my favorite cuts of meat because of its deep, robust flavor. The hanger steak is found in the diaphragm, attached to the last rib. It is sometimes seen on menus as a "bistro steak" and was commonly referred to as "butchers steak" since butchers would take them home for dinner before the cut rose in prominence.

This hanger steak is a product of Snake River Farms from their Wagyu program. Wagyu is a breed of cow that is genetically predispositioned to intense marbling and a high percentage of unsaturated fat. This hanger steak was cooked sous vide at 136 degrees Fahrenheit for two hours with kosher salt, black pepper, garlic, shallots and butter. Hanger steak has a texture similar to flank steak and benefits from the long, slow cooking of the sous vide process.

The beef short rib was braised, then chilled and diced. A ragout was prepared with the short rib, a reduction of the braising liquid, bacon and mirepoix. The ragout was thickened lightly with agar. The ragout was then chilled and then goat cheese and fresh rosemary was folded into it. One of the beneficial properties of agar is that it has a relatively high melting point, 140 degrees Fahrenheit. The chilled ragout was shaped into spheres then breaded and fried. The spheres hold their shape long enough for a crust to form in the fryer, the agar releases when hot and the ragout pours out of the sphere once cracked on the plate.

This week I will be traveling to Amarillo, Texas to visit the home of Certified Angus Beef. I've been using their product extensively for a couple years and I look forward to meeting the ranchers that are responsible for the product that I've been cooking and writing about so frequently.

Potato Crusted Sea Bass with Easter Egg Radishes, Lemon-Chive Butter Sauce

2013-03-24T11:18:00.000-04:00

For this dish I prepared the sea bass sous vide, cooking it against a plexiglass backing in the bag to preserve the shape. The sea bass cooked at 140 degrees Fahrenheit for twenty minutes, then it was shocked in an ice bath to stop the cooking process.

When I butchered the sea bass I reserved the scrap, which was combined with fresh shallots, heavy whipping cream, kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper in an ice cold blender to create a mousse line. The mousseline was spread then thinly over the top of the lightly cooked and chilled fish.

For the potato "crust", Idaho potatoes were sliced very thinly and then rounds were punched out. I blanched the rounds quickly, let them cool down in the refrigeratory, then pressed them into the mousseline on the fish.

For service, the fish was pan seared until a nice golden crust formed, then it was placed in a 350 degree oven very quickly just to warm through.

The "Easter Egg" were given their name for obvious reasons. These radishes were cooked sous vide at 180 degrees for 45 minutes and were bagged with butter, shallots, fresh thyme, kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper.

Sea Scallop with Truffled Cauliflower Puree, Crispy Mushrooms, Bacon, Butter Poached Radish and Creamer Potatoes

2013-03-03T15:17:00.000-05:00

For this dish I used the "Twice Cooked Scallop" recipe from the "Ideas in Food" cookbook by Aki Komazawa and Alexander Talbot. The scallops were brined in a .05% salt water solution for ten minutes, then cooked sous vide at 122 degrees for thirty minutes before shocking in an ice bath. The scallops were fired to order in a smoking hot cast iron skillet.

The radishes were cooked sous vide as well, with butter, shallot, thyme, kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper joining it in the bag. They cooked at 180 degrees for 45 minutes.

The petit creamer potatoes were cooked fully submerged in fat on a low flame for 45 minutes. Time will depend on the size of the potatoes. Cooking them for so long at such a low temperature develops the starch in these tiny potatoes and they become sweet, tender little delicacies. They are finished with just a fleck of sea salt.

Beef Wellington with Spinach and Caramelized Onion Puree, Local Heirloom Carrots

2013-02-14T09:32:00.003-05:00

The Beef Wellington, or the Filet de Boef en Croute, is a dish that traces it's origins back centuries to Britain, where it was named for the Duke of Wellington. The duke was a man that enjoyed beef, pate and truffles, and obviously didn't have enough patience to enjoy them separately.

The traditional preparation calls for beef tenderloin wrapped in a mushroom duxelle with foie gras pate, sometimes with a crepe wrapped around the beef to absorb moisture, then it is all wrapped in puff pastry.

For this preparation, the beef tenderloin was seasoned with kosher salt, freshly ground toasted black pepper, garlic powder, dried rosemary and thyme, then cooked sous vide for two and a half hours at 135 degrees Fahrenheit. The wrapped tenderloin was then shocked and cooled in an ice bath.

A mushroom duxelle was prepared using a mix of local mushrooms including shiitake and trumpet. The mushrooms were sauteed on high heat with clarified butter, then seasoned with kosher salt, freshly ground toasted black pepper. Freshly chopped garlic and shallots were added, as well as a knob of unsalted butter. After the butter was toasted and the shallots were translucent, the pan was deglazed with madeira, then freshly chopped parsley, thyme and chives were added to finish. After the mushroom mixture cooled, it was roughly chopped by hand.

The tenderloin was then wrapped with the mushroom duxelle, then blanched and seasoned spinach leaves, then finally a trellis cut of puff pastry was added. The puff pastry was brushed with an egg wash then allowed to sit, uncovered, in the refrigerator for a couple hours. Applying the egg wash and allowing it to sit uncovered allows for greater browning in the oven.

The wellington was then baked in a convection oven on high fan at 375 degrees for approximately fifteen minutes, until the crust was golden brown. It was then removed from the oven and brushed with clarified butter to add a sheen and allowed to sit for five minutes before slicing.

One thing to note is that the puff pastry on the bottom of the wellington was too damaged to use because of the moisture that it absorbed. When I repeat this recipe I will probably try to remove more moisture from the mushrooms, as well as possibly wrapping the beef tenderloin in crepe to wick moisture and another layer of flavor.

CAB Prime Beef Carpaccio with Petit Greens, Truffle-Sherry Vinaigrette, Roasted Garlic Aioli, Potato Crisp

2013-01-25T11:09:00.000-05:00

Sometimes a piece of beef is so well marbled that you just don't want to cook it... That was the case with the CAB Prime beef tenderloin that came in from Southern Foods.

Rather than cook it, it was wrapped into a cylinder then frozen over night. The next morning it was unwrapped, then seared quickly in a cast iron skillet in the 1600 degree broiler. It was then sliced thinly on the meat slicer and trimmed. The beef was arranged on the plate and finished with coarse sea salt, freshly ground and toasted black pepper, sliced chives and several dots of roasted garlic aioli.

The greens came from Kate at Lucky Leaf Gardens near Charlotte. They were tossed lightly with a truffle and sherry vinegar dressing.

Braised Pork Belly with Cherry Corn Bread Pudding, Braised Collard Greens

2013-01-07T14:43:00.000-05:00

This was an outstanding dish that we prepared in honor of the New Year, with collard greens and bacon as two of the traditional items that are enjoyed in hopes of achieving good fortune and health in the coming year.

The pork belly was cured with barbecue spices before cooking sous vide. It was then chilled, portioned and scored for service.

Veal Sweet Breads with Radishes, Grapes, Local Greens, AppleCider-Roasted Shallot Vinaigrette

2012-12-20T17:33:00.001-05:00

This was an interesting dish prepared for a Chefs Table recently, combining the sweet and meaty flavor of sweet breads with a tart salad, peppery radishes and sweet, peeled grapes.

I've previously covered sweet breads extensively, it's one of my favorite preparations.

The local "Easter Egg" radishes were prepared by vacuum sealing them in a bag with butter, salt, pepper, shallots and thyme, then cooking sous vide at 180 degrees for 45 minutes.

Winter Wonderland

2012-12-10T10:51:00.001-05:00

The club was transformed into a Winter Wonderland for our holiday party with the help of Travis Dale of Artisan Ice Sculptures. Travis' website can be found here: http://www.artisanicesculptures.com/

This is one of my favorite events of the year, as each sous chef is given the autonomy to create their own menus for their stations. The result is seven unique and outstanding stations throughout the building.

Duck Confit Ravioli with Roasted Apple-Sweet Potato Puree, BourbonGastrique, Tart Apple

2012-11-21T14:11:00.001-05:00

This is a great dish to sit down to after coming in from the cold of North Carolina in November. It consisted of ravioli with a filling of duck confit ragout, a puree of roasted apple and sweet potatoes finished with cream and was garnished with tart apples, creme fraiche and a bourbon and apple cider gastrique.

The filling for the raviolis were prepared as follows:

The duck legs and thighs were allowed to air dry for 45 minutes in a cooler. Combine two cups of kosher salt with two tablespoons of fresh black pepper, three teaspoons of minced shallot, one teaspoon of grated orange zest, four bay leaves and ten sprigs of fresh thyme.

The duck thighs should be liberally seasoned with the mix and allowed to cure for four hours. Then rinse the mixture off the duck and allow to air dry in the cooler for another thirty minutes. Sear the duck legs in a hot pan, skin side down first, then flip the duck when it has a nice crust and has browned. Place the duck in a single layer in a hotel pan and cover with duck fat, adding fresh thyme, bay leaves and black peppercorns. Roast at 225 degrees until the duck reaches an internal temperature of 180 degrees.

Remove from the oven and allow the pan to cool. Remove the legs from fat, then remove the skin from the thigh and legs, then remove meat from thigh and leg bones. Make sure not to leave any tendons with the meat.

Lightly shred the meat and reserve in the cooler. The next day, poke a hole in the cooled, solid duck fat and allow the duck stock to drain into another container and reserve.

Mince one half cup of fresh shallots, finely chop one half bunch of flat leaf parsley, finely chop one teaspoon of fresh thyme, finely chop one half teaspoon of fresh rosemary. Melt four ounces of duck fat in a large warm saute pan and add shallots. Deglaze with six ounces of port wine, then add thyme and rosemary and reduce the port by two thirds. Add twelve ounces of heavy cream and begin reducing over medium-high heat. Add the shredded duck confit to cream and continue reducting until cream begins to thicken. Add four ounces of demiglaze and continue to reduce. Add one half of a wheel of boursin cheese and stir in the parsley. Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

2012 International Culinary Olympics Archive is Complete!

2012-10-16T08:55:00.003-04:00

The 2012 International Culinary Olympics have come to a close and the archive on this site is complete. It is available by clicking the tab at the top of the page, or by clicking this link. The list of medal winners may not be comprehensive, please contact me at kscottcraig@msn.com if your name has been omitted. Thank you again to everyone that supported all the competitors in Germany and from home, and thank you very much to our very gracious hosts in Erfurt.

International Culinary Olympics update

2012-10-09T23:17:00.001-04:00

Many of us are scheduled to leave Germany today, unfortunately before the closing ceremonies. Today the standings will be revealed for all of the nations and first, second and third rankings will be awarded on stage. Updates can be found at acfchefs.org, and you can also follow along on Twitter with #acf4gold.

This has been a truly unique and unforgettable experience that I cannot wait to repeat in four years. Thank you to everyone that came from the US to support us, that cheered is on from home, and our gracious hosts here in Germany.

Here are a couple more pics from the last couple days, I look forward to posting them all when I return next week.

Bang-On Roulet from the United States, competing the in the live vegetable carving competition

Early Autumn Pheasant Platter for Eight

Sugar sculpture of Queen Elizabeth

International Culinary Olympics update

2012-10-09T07:48:00.001-04:00

It's the last day here at the International Culinary Olympics in Erfurt, Germany, and it has been a long week for many of us. The United States has had an outstanding showing here in Germany, with the following American chefs scoring medals:
Doug Ganhs, gold medal
Brian Beland CMC, gold medal
Woojay Poynter, gold medal
Alan Neace, bronze medal
Mark Brown, bronze medal
Modie Moore, bronze medal
Gabriel Vera, bronze medal and diploma
Sarah Rougeau, silver medal
John Miller, gold medal
Shawn Loving, bronze medal
Stafford DeCambra, Gold medal, silver medal

On a personal note, I'm proud to say that I was fortunate enough to win a gold medal yesterday in Category A and it could not have been done without the help of the following folks: Mark Brown, Travis Dale, Joachim Buchner, Reimond Pitz and my support team here of Lydia Ross, Drew Hostetler, and my wife Leah Craig. Thank you guys so much for all of your help!

The following are some pictures of some of the unbelievable food displays and centerpieces here at the 2012 IKA International Culinary Olympics.

2012 IKA International Culinary Olympics Day 1

2012-10-06T19:14:00.001-04:00

The 2012 IKA Culinary Olympics kicked off last night with the opening ceremonies here in Erfurt, Germany at the Messa. Dignitaries on hand to open the competition included the mayor of Erfurt, the Prime Minister of Thurangia, and the President of the World Association of Chefs Societies.

All participating nations walked in the Parade of Nations, and it was said that 1,500 chefs from over 50 nations would be preparing over 10,000 menus within the next five days.

Messe Erfurt, the home of the 2012 International Culinary Olympics in Erfurt, Thurangia

United States National Team during the Parade of Nations, Opening Ceremony

Today was day one of the massive competition. The United States garnered many medals today, including the following:

United States Regional Team-Silver
Art Institute Regional Team-Silver
Stafford DeCambra-Gold
John Miller-Gold
Gabriel Vera-Bronze

Here are some of the photos from the phenomenal display created by the United States Regional Team.

By the way, sorry if the photos are in a strange order. Blogger is way more difficult to use than it should be when in a foreign country. Once I return, I intend to create a separate archive with detailed photos and menus.

Black Bean and Chipotle Terrine, Roasted Corn Salad, Crispy Peppadew Pepper, Petit Greens, Jalapeno-Lime Aioli

2012-09-01T23:21:00.000-04:00

This was a dish created for the Chef's Table in the kitchen and is a rough draft of a dish that will be prepared for the International Culinary Olympics in Erfurt, Germany in October.

The corn salad consisted of fresh corn, blanched then blistered quickly on the grill before being shaved off the cob. A small dice of red and green peppers and red onion were added, along with chopped cilantro. A few drops of salad oil and lime juice, along with kosher salt, finished the simple, fresh salad.

Peppadew peppers are sweet and mildly hot. They are processed to remove the seeds and are pickled before bottling. This peppadew was stuffed with queso fresco before breading twice with flour, egg wash and a fine panko breading. It was fried quickly and served warm on the plate.

The salad of petit greens was supplied by Lucky Leaf Gardens and was tossed with a very light and acidic red wine vinaigrette before serving. A spot of jalapeno-lime aioli lent some richness to balance the dish.

Bacon and Foie Gras Soup Dumplings

2012-08-01T00:29:00.001-04:00

This recipe was based on a popular dish from the restaurant Annisa in New York City by Chef Anito Lo. It is based on the traditional soup dumplings that are featured prominently on Chinese menus as dim sum and has been slightly upgraded here with the addition of seared foie gras and Pacotized foie gras mousse.

The Bacon Broth and Pacotized Foie Gras Dumplings have a molten “soup” core that explodes when you take a bite. The seared foie gras adds a decadent richness that off sets the briny flavor of the soup. The reduction on the plate adds a combination of bitter vinegar and the deep, sweet flavor of eel sauce that contrasts the other elements of the dish. Sliced scallions provide some needed crunch and bright, fresh flavor.

Jellied Bacon Broth Filling:

-2 cups bacon stock

-2 cups chicken stock

-1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

-1 slice of fresh ginger

-1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

-1 piece of star anise

-1/4 cup of gelatin

Pacotized Foie Gras Mousse:

-1 lobe of grade B foie gras, cleaned and deveined

-Kosher salt, as needed

-Freshly toasted and ground white pepper, as needed

Vinegar Reduction:

-1 cup balsamic vinegar

-1 cup Bansankan eel coating sauce

Dumplings:

-36 wonton skins

-2 egg yolks

-1 tablespoon of cornstarch

-1 teaspoon of water

-12 ounces of grade A foie gras, sliced into 12 portions

-1 tablespoon of unsalted butter

For Garnish:

-1 ounce of fresh, thinly sliced scallions

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients for the Bacon Broth Filling, minus the gelatin, in a small sauce pan and simmer on low heat for twenty minutes. Strain the broth through a chinois, then add the gelatin to the warm broth and stir lightly until the gelatin is fully incorporated. Let the broth sit, covered, for thirty minutes to allow the gelatin to bloom. Reheat the broth over a double boiler to melt the gelatin, then strain into a shallow ½ hotel pan and place in the refrigerator. The broth should chill and harden within an hour, and can be sliced into ½ inch cubes.

For the foie gras mousse, season the grade B foie gras liberally with salt and pepper and allow to sit in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, cryovac the foie gras and cook in an immersion circulator at 250 degrees Fahrenheit until the foie gras begins to melt and is warm through the center. Place the foie gras, still packaged, into an ice bath until it has chilled fully. Pacotize the foie gras twice to create the a mousse, then cryovac again to remove any air. Refrigerate the packaged mousse for several hours until solid, then dice into ½ inch cubes.

To prepare the dumplings an egg wash will be needed. Combine the egg yolk, water and cornstarch in a small bowl and mix thoroughly. To assemble the dumplings, brush the wonton skins with eggwash then place a cube of foie gras mousse and a cube of jellied soup in the center of each wonton. Fold the wrapper over and carefully press out any air surrounding the filling. The wontons can be sealed either with the back of a fork or by crimping the edges. At this point the dumplings can be frozen for further use if desired, there is no need to thaw before boiling.

To prepare the sauce, combine the eel sauce and balsamic vinegar and reduce by one third. The sauce should just reach nappe.

For service:

Drop the dumplings into simmering water for about two minutes; the wonton skins will change from white to opaque and you will be able to see the filling become liquid. Toss the dumplings with whole butter and season as needed with salt and pepper. Season the portioned grade A foie gras with salt and pepper and sear very briefly on high heat without any fat added to the pan. The slices of foie gras can then be cut into thirds. Drizzle the plate with the reduction, place the dumplings on the reduction, top with the sliced foie gras and garnish with the scallion after refreshing it quickly in ice water.

Duck Terrine with Dried Fruit and Candied Walnut, Beets, Apple, Pumpernickel Crumble, Blueberry Puree, Micro Swiss Chard

2012-07-15T08:32:00.002-04:00

This appetizer featured varying textures as well as complimentary and contrasting flavors which resulted in a dish that remained interesting from start to finish, finding different combinations with each bite.

The pumpernickel crumble was prepared using Pepperidge Farm pumpernickel bread. The slice bread was fried until crispy, then allowed to dry out further in a very low oven. It was patted dry with a towel before going into a food processor. The resulting crumble was lightly seasoned with kosher salt. The result of frying the pumpernickel was interesting, eliminating some of the bitterness of the bread and leaving the deep, rich flavor.

The beet fluid gel was prepared by pureeing a roasted red beet in the blender, adding just a little water, honey, kosher salt, ground white pepper and just a touch of xantham gum. It was placed on the plate and then pushed across the plate using a pastry comb to create the texture.

The duck terrine was prepared by applying a dry cure to the duck breast, and letting it cure overnight. The duck breasts were rinsed and patted dry in the morning, then butterflied and trimmed with the skin removed. It was sprinkled with Activa RM, a protein coagulant, and then chopped raisins, cranberries and candied walnut were placed down the middle of the butterflied breasts. The breast was placed on plastic wrapped and then wrapped tightly into a cylinder and tied off. They were poached in the immersion circulator at 132 degrees Fahrenheit for one hour to cook, then chilled in an ice bath before slicing.

Summer Vegetable Salad, Petit Greens, Potato Crisp

2012-06-21T12:45:00.000-04:00

Some great local products come together for this salad, which included haricot verts, heirloom carrots prepared sous vide, pickled radish, golden beets, pea tendrils and petit greens from Lucky Leaf Garden tossed with a honey-thyme vinaigrette and served in a potato basket for added texture.

The potato basket can be a bit tedious but is a great way to bring a salad off the plate and add crunch to a dish. I use a turning slicer to slice Idaho potatoes, then wrap the potato around the end of a zucchini. I hold the zucchini in a deep fryer at 350 degrees until the potatoes reach a nice golden brown, then remove and let sit for about a minute. Once it has cooled a bit, the potato can be turned and gently removed from the zucchini before seasoning and holding for service.

Caramelized Onion Croquette, Steak Tartare with Quail Egg, Wild Mushroom Terrine, Ramp Puree

2012-05-21T09:34:00.000-04:00

This dish paired a warm caramelized onion croquette with a puree of Spring ramp, Prime Angus tartare, sunny side-up quail egg, wild mushroom and beef consomme terrine and pea tendrils from Lucky Leaf Gardens.

The croquette was prepared by making a caramelized onion risotto and then chilling it down before shaping small two ounce portions into cylinders. The chilled risotto can be piped with a pastry bag then sliced into cylinders to prepare large batches quickly. It was then double-breaded with flour, egg wash and a combination of panko breadcrumb and Wondra flour before frying and finishing with kosher salt.

The steak tartare consisted of freshly ground Prime Angus tenderloin scrap, mixed with minced red onion, salad oil, chopped capers, finely minced anchovy, dijon mustard, kosher salt and toasted and ground black pepper.

The following excerpt is reprinted from May 23rd, 2011:
Legend has it that steak tartare originated with the nomadic Tatar people of Central Asia, who rode on horseback and seldom had the time to cook their beef. It is said that rather than mincing their steak, they placed it under their saddles as they rode to tenderize it. The version that we have come to know was first served in the early 20th Century in France and was called Steak a l'Americaine by Escoffier. The key difference between Escoffier's preparation and the one we've come to know is that the classical preparation was served with tartar sauce rather than egg, probably how we've come to know it as "Steak Tartare".

Herb Crusted Lamb Loin, Braised Lamb Shank Ragout, Heirloom Carrot, Compressed Creamer Potatoes

2012-05-14T13:41:00.000-04:00

This dish was prepared using some of Spring's best offerings: Lamb loin with braised lamb shank and speckled butter bean ragout, heirloom carrot, ramp puree, field mache and compressed creamer potatoes.

The lamb loin was boned and cleaned, then seasoned liberally with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper before wrapping it into a cylinder in plastic wrap. It was then placed in cryovac before cooking sous vide at 131 degrees Fahrenheit for an hour and fifteen minutes. It was then taken out of plastic wrap, brushed lightly with dijon mustard and rolled in herbed bread crumb before serving. The herb crust was prepared by pulsing fried spinach leaves, panko bread crumbs and fresh herbs in a food processor.

The creamer potatoes were prepared by poaching slowly in duck fat for about a half hour until cooked through. The starchy potatoes take on a very sweet flavor once prepared. The potatoes were then mashed by hand and seasoned with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper before adding freshly minced shallot and fresh herbs. The potatoes were then vacuum sealed in a cryovac bag and rolled flat with a rolling pin. They were allowed to sit in refrigeration overnight before opening and portioning. The individual cakes are seared in a saute pan before serving.

Duo of Shrimp with Horseradish Panna Cotta, Spicy Tomato Gastrique, Savory Cracker, Micro Greens

2012-04-23T00:20:00.000-04:00

This dish was a duo of shrimp, with one preparation traditionally poached and the other preparation of shrimp compressed and prepared sous vide.

For the poached shrimp I used 21/25 tail off black tiger shrimp, with a poaching liquid of water, lemon juice, white wine and Old Bay seasoning. Bring the water just barely to a simmer, when wisps of steam begin rising from the top. If the water is too warm then the shrimp can easily overcook, becoming tough and unpalatable.

Once the shrimp are dropped in, wait for them to curl and for the flesh to transform from translucent to opaque. To stop the cooking process I place the shrimp in refrigeration, uncovered. I find that placing them into an ice bath to stop the cooking process washes away the flavorful seasoning of the court bouillion.

For the second preparation of shrimp I chopped the shrimp finely before tossing it with a slurry of Activa RM. I added minced shallot, kosher salt, freshly ground white pepper and finely minced lemon zest. The mixture was then placed in cryovac to compress the shrimp and remove any excess air. After packaging in cryovac I used a heavy rolling pin to achieve a consistent thickness, then allowed the packaged shrimp to sit in refrigeration for five hours to allow the Activa to bind the proteins.

After the packaged shrimp came out of refrigeration it was cooked sous vide at 130 degrees for thirty minutes, then immersed in an ice bath to stop the cooking process.

Potato Gnocchi with Duck Confit, Spring Vegetables

2012-04-15T10:06:00.003-04:00

This dish was a saute of duck confit, potato gnocchi and fresh spring vegetables, served with shaved Parmesan-Reggiano, a medley of Italian micro greens and a red wine reduction.

For this dish I began by sauteing mushrooms and fresh pearl onions in clarified butter and seasoning with kosher salt and toasted freshly ground black pepper. The mushrooms were sauteed until they were caramelized. The pan was deglazed with sherry and was allowed to reduce until almost dry. The pan was deglazed again with veal stock and the duck confit was added as the stock was reducing, along with minced shallot and garlic.

Once the liquid was almost fully reduced, grape tomatoes and blanched asparagus were added to the fricasee for just long enough to heat through. Kosher salt and toasted, freshly ground black pepper were used to season again at the end.

Parmesan-Reggiano was grated over the preparation after plating and it was finished with fresh Italian micro greens from Lucky Leaf Gardens which included chervil, green and purple basil and fennel.
The red wine reduction was prepared by making caramel in a separate pan with granulated white sugar and a couple drops of lemon juice, then deglazing with red wine and reducing to the desired consistency.

Spring Vegetable Salad with House Ricotta, Brioche Crouton, Poached Quail Egg

2012-04-01T13:56:00.001-04:00

Spring is always one of my favorite seasons in the kitchen, with bright and fresh ingredients replacing the deep, rich flavors of winter. This salad featured some very fresh seasonal ingredients, including ramps, baby carrots, radishes and baby greens from Lucky Leaf Gardens.

The ramp greens were used to make a chimichurri for another dish and the ends were reserved for pickling. The pickled ramp on this dish was pickled with red wine vinegar, white granulated sugar, salt and pickling spices. The mixture was brought to a simmer to dissolve the sugar and bring out the flavors of the spices before cooling and pouring over the ramps. The ramps were placed in a cryovac bag with the brine for storage.

The carrots were prepared sous vide at 180 degrees Fahrenheit for an hour and fifteen minutes, with butter, ginger, vanilla bean and orange zest added to the bag before cooking.

The quail egg was poached very briefly in water with white wine vinegar, then seasoned with a couple flecks of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. The quail eggs have to be prepared "a la minute" or at the time or service because of their size and delicacy.

The brioche crouton was a large dice from a loaf of brioche that was prepared in-house. It was deep fried at 350 degrees Fahrenheit and tossed with kosher salt and grated parmesan cheese. The croutons must be allowed to drain on a paper towel for an extended amount of time to remove as much excess oil as possible.

Prime CAB New York Strip, Caramelized Onion Mashed Potatoes, Bacon-Spinach Puree

2012-03-18T21:19:00.001-04:00

For this preparation I adjusted the temperature that I normally use for preparing beef sous vide. I increased the temperature from 122 degrees Fahrenheit to 130 degrees and let the steaks cook for an hour, fifteen minutes. The New York strips were previously portioned into twelve ounce steaks before being vacuum sealed with whole butter, salt, pepper, thyme, rosemary, garlic and shallots. The packaged steaks were chilled after coming out of the immersion circulator and reheated in a cast iron skillet in a 1600 degree broiler. They were finished with whole butter and sea salt before serving.

The caramelized onion mashed potatoes were prepared by caramelizing julienned yellow onions in a saute pan over low-medium flame with clarified butter, salt and pepper. The onions have to be stirred constantly to prevent burning and require about twenty minutes to fully caramelize. They were then placed in a blender and pureed thoroughly, then the puree was placed back over a low-medium flame and reduced while again stirring constantly. The puree was added to freshly milled Idaho potatoes along with hot heavy cream, whole butter, kosher salt and white pepper.