(Mise en place): (Serves: 8-12)
½ lb. Bacon or salt pork 1/4" dice
2 cups Waxy Potatoes (3/8” dice) or Russets ( 1/2" dice)
2 tsp. White Pepper
1 cup Brown Onion 1/4" dice
¼ cup Celery 1/4" dice
1 cup Flour
4 cups Milk
32oz. Sea Clams
32 oz. Sea Clam Juice or Clam Base
1 cup Heavy Cream
Method of attack:
(Note: if bacon is frozen your knife cuts will be better and much easier, raw bacon tears and slides around a lot).
1. Start a two-gallon pot of unsalted water to boil, cook potatoes until al dente, cool, drain, and set aside, (Note: potatoes should still have sharp sides, and not be over cooked, they will finish throughout the rest of the cooking process).
2. In an 8-quart saucepan, add bacon and render slowly the fat, you can add the pepper at this stage to start building flavors.
3. While the bacon is rendering, start heating the milk and clam juice (separately) to save time in the thickening of your chowder.
4. When bacon has browned and rendered its fat, remove bacon and set aside for garnish, leaving the fat.
5. You may puree ½ of the potatoes to thicken the chowder at this point instead using a roux. Add onions and celery, and the flour, and make a thick blonde roux. Stir to control evenness, (pay extra attention at this point and never walk away from your roux! 3-5 minutes on low heat).
6. Pour off the remaining juice from the clams and add to remaining clam juice.
7. Now add ¾ of the heated clam juice and stir until proper consistency occurs, should be pretty thick at this time, adjustment comes at the end, as this saves time, by not having to reduce to much to get the desired thickness.
8. Add potatoes and bring up heat but be careful the bottom can get a little crusty.
9. Add clams and adjust thickness with milk and clam juice
10. Adjust seasoning with right amount of pepper, and sea salt, if needed, since there is a lot of salt from bacon and clams already, be careful, you really shouldn’t have to add salt.
11. Garnish with reserved bacon bits, and oyster crackers.
Note: Goes great with any Seafood Entrée, and a Cold Samuel Adams Boston Lager.
Lobster Bisque:
(Four servings)
(Mise en place):
2 lb. Lobster bodies & Shrimp Shells
8 oz. each Celery, Onions & Carrot ¼” dice (mirepoix)
8 cloves Garlic
4 ea. Bay leaves (aromatics)
12 ea. Black Peppercorn (cracked)
4 oz. Brandy for Flambé
4 tsp. Paprika
½ tsp. Dried Thyme (spices)
1 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
4 oz. Flour (roux)
8 oz. Butter
4 oz. Tomato Paste
4 cups Fish Stock
4 cups Vegetable Stock
4 cups Cream
4 shakes Tabasco
2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce (seasonings)
4 TBS Dry Sherry
TT Salt & Pepper
12 Shrimp
8 Baguette Croutons (garnish)
A/N Chives (cut short on bias)
Method of Attack:
1.First rap lobster bodies in a kitchen towel and crack them with a mallet till they break up into manageable pieces.
2.Transfer to a 1-2 gallon saucepan along with shrimp and butter, and caramelize on high heat while stirring.
3.Add aromatics and mirepoix & sweat (till slightly tender).
4.Flambé with brandy then start adding the rest of the spices and tomato paste.
5.Add flour while stirring to cook out flour taste, a few minutes on medium heat.
6.Add stocks, bring to a boil then simmer for one hour.
7.In a good blender, blend ingredients in small batches until all is well blended, next strain through a chinoise, or other fine strainer lined with cheesecloth.
8.Transfer back to a saucepan, heat up and finish with cream add and adjust your seasonings.
9.Sauté shrimp, toast baguettes. Ladle Bisque into hot bowl, place croutons on top.
Roasted Butternut Squash & Ginger Soup with Prawns
(Serves: 8)
Mise en Place:
2 lbs. Butternut Squash
4 Shallots
1 TBS. Ginger
2 cloves Garlic
3 whole Star Anise
1 quart Chicken Stock
4 oz. Butter
Prawns (peeled, deveined tail on)
Method of Attack:
1.Roast squash, Shallots, Ginger, & Garlic, at 350 cut side down in ½” of water till fork tender.
2. Next remove all skins & husks & place these ingredients together and puree in blender.
3. Return to pot with remaining ingredients until desired consistency & seasoning is achieved.
4.Serve hot in soup bowl placed on charger, (a plate underneath).
Avocado Peekytoe Crab Cakes:
(Four servings)
4 oz. Peekytoe Crab meat
¼ oz. egg beaten
2 tbs mayonnaise
1 tsp. chopped parsley
¼ tsp scallions finely chopped
1 tbs white bread crumbs
1 tsp lemon juice
¼ avocado
Method of attack:
1.Drain crabmeat and pick over for any bits of shell. Lightly combine all ingredients, except for breadcrumbs and season to taste with salt & pepper.
2.Gently fold in enough breadcrumbs so that the mixture just holds shape.
3.Divide into 8 portions and form into cakes.
4.Sprinkle the crab cakes with breadcrumbs and sauté over
medium heat using clarified butter * until golden brown on both sides.
5.Reserve to a warm platter.
(*Clarified butter is prepared by melting butter over low heat...removing the top foam and the milky bottom liquid. This allows the butter to sustain a higher cooking temperature).
Red Pepper Aioli
1 Red bell pepper (roasted, skinned and seeded)
2 Egg yolks
1 cup Canola oil
4 cloves Garlic (minced)
1 Lemon ( juiced)
1 tsp Dijon style mustard
tt s&p
Method of attack:
1.Using a food processor or blender, combine the egg yolk, mustard and garlic. Puree 1 minute.
2. Slowly drizzle in the oil and then the lemon juice.
3.Add the roasted pepper and puree until smooth. Correct seasoning with
salt & pepper.
(Serves: 8)
2 cups dried black turtle beans, soaked
1 strip bacon, diced
1 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced green pepper
1 tablespoon minced jalapeno or chili pepper
2 tablespoons Caribbean jerk seasoning blend
freshly ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
6 cups low-sodium canned chicken or vegetable broth
salt to taste
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, for garnish
8 lime wedges, for garnish
4 tablespoons non-fat sour cream, for garnish
Method of attack:
1. Drain the beans and set aside.
2. Cook the bacon in a 4-quart pot over low-medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the onion, celery, green pepper, jalapeño pepper and jerk seasoning, season lightly with black pepper and cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
3. Add the beans and broth and bring to a boil quickly over high heat.
4. Lower the heat and simmer until the beans are completely tender, about 30 to 40 minutes.
5. Remove and discard the bay leaf, puree half of the soup in a blender and then add it to the rest of the soup.
6. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm.
7. Serve the soup in warm bowls and garnish with cilantro, limes and a dollop of sour cream.
NOTE: Do not add salt until the beans are fully cooked, for salt will prevent them from becoming soft.
Caribbean Calaloo:
1 bunch fresh spinach, chopped
2 ounces salt pork, chopped
8 ounces coconut milk
5 cups water
1 lg. onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces chopped okra
8 ounces crab meat
Method of attack:
1. Place first 6 ingredients in a large stew pot and simmer until the salt pork is tender.
2. Then add the okra and crab meat.
3. Simmer for 5 minutes and season with salt and pepper till tender.
French Cuisine:
BOEUF BOURGUIGNON
3.5 lbs beef meat silverside, chuck, neck
3.5 oz lardoons
2 onions
2 carrots
1 oz plain flour
2 oz butter
2 fl oz oil
2 crushed garlic cloves
1 1/2 bottles red burgundy
1 bouquet garni
s&p tt
Method Of Attack:
Prepare and cut the meat in regular pieces; peel the carrots and onions and cut into thin slices.
In a casserole, heat the butter and oil and brown the lardoons, the meat pieces, then add
the carrots and the onions. When browned, spread with the flour and cover with the wine.
Add the crushed garlic and the bouquet garni; season with salt & pepper.
Cover and simmer for 2 to 3 hours (this time will depend on the choice of the meat and the size of the pieces; prick the meat with a fork to test if it is cooked enough).
When cooked, if the sauce is too liquid, take the meat and herbs out, then reduce it for a few minutes. Serve.
Ingredients:
7 oz veal sweetbreads
3.5 oz veal quenelles
3.5 oz mushrooms
1 garlic clove
1 oz butter for the sauce "financière”
1 pint+liquid cooking juice from the sweetbreads + mushrooms juice
2 oz. butter
2 oz plain flour
2 Tbs Madera
s&p tt
Method of attack:
For the court bouillon: 1 carrot, 1 onion, 1/2 glass of dry white wine / thyme /
1 bay leaf (+water)
Place the sweetbreads in a cold court bouillon and bring it to simmer; simmer for 10 minutes.
Strain the sweetbreads and take their small skin away.
In a non-stick pan, fry the sliced mushrooms with the garlic (crushed) and 1 oz butter.
Sauce: melt the butter and pour the flour all at once on it. Mix well, then add slowly the hot liquid (1 pint). Simmer 5 minutes while turning constantly and add salt & pepper. Turn the flame off then add the Madère.
Cube the sweetbread and thickly slice the quenelles; add them to the sauce with the mushrooms as well, turn very gently and fill your "bouchées" puff pastries.
Ingredients for 4:
4 veal chops
1 lb chanterelle mushrooms
3 Tbs sour cream
1 oz butter
1 shallot
1 Tbs oil
1 tsp paprika
s&p tt
Method of attack:
Clean the girolles, mushrooms (preferably do not wash them).
In a casserole, melt 1/3 of the butter with the oil and brown the chops on both sides; then add salt and pepper, turn the flame down, cover, and let cook for 6 minutes. Meanwhile, peel and mince the shallot; melt 1/3 of the butter and gently fry the shallot in it.
When well soft, spread with the paprika, mix with a wooden spoon and add the sour cream.
Simmer for 5 minutes.
In another pan, fry the girolles into the left butter. Turn the flame down then
let the girolles cook for 5 minutes; add salt and pepper. Then top with the cream sauce and mix very carefully.
Display the chops on a (heated) plate then top with the girolle and cream sauce.
Serve right away with fresh pasta (tagliatelle type).
Noix de Veau au Gruyère
(Tenderloin of veal with Gruyère cheese)
Ingredients for 6 people:
2.5 lbs joint of veal tenderloin
12 thin slices of Gruyère cheese or (Swiss cheese)
12 thin slices of French bacon or (smoked loin of pork)
1 cup dry white wine
a few knobs of butter
s&p tt
Method of attack:
(The tenderloin must be prepared a few hours before baking).
Cut the tenderloin into slices of at least 3/4" thick but without going down to the base (slices must not get totally untied from each other); if you plan to do it yourself, make sure you have a good Chef knife.
Into each slot, slide a slice of cheese and a slice of bacon and tie it up then wrap it up into tinfoil. Leave in fridge for a few hours or over night.
Next, take the foil away, then put the veal in an oven dish, drizzle with the wine, and add salt and pepper and a few knobs (2-3 TBS.), of butter on top.
Bake the tenderloin in a pre-heated oven at 350°F for 90 minutes, (if it gets too brown, cover with a tinfoil); baste regularly.
STEAK AU POIVRE
(Faux-filet au Poivre - Sirloin Steak or Fillet Mignon with Pepper)
4 4-5 oz. sirloin steak or fillet mignon
2 fl oz cognac
4 Tsp sour cream
4 oz crushed peppercorns
2 Tsp olive oil
knobs butter
salt tt
Method of attack:
1. Drag the steaks into the peppercorns and fry in the oil and butter (in a non-stick pan). French way is to cook it rare to medium rare (about 5 minutes).
2.Get them out from the pan and keep in a covered hot plate during the time you prepare the sauce (don't turn flame off).
3.Deglaze the pan with the cognac and flambé it (you need to pour the cognac in the pan, let it get hot, then tip the pan up and put a flame near the alcohol, with care! wait for the flame to stop by itself, it just takes a few seconds).
4.Add the cream to the pan and mix everything together strain and top the steaks with the sauce, add salt, and serve right away with boiled (peeled & seasoned) potatoes, vegetables & garnish
(Serves 1 each)
1 - 6 oz ½- 1” Fillet Mignon
¼ oz Mushrooms Duxelle
1 - tbs Shallot(brunoise)
2 tsp Fois Gras
3 – Julienne Red bell Pepper (julienne)
3 - Asparagus
tt S&P
As/Needed Caul Fat
Method of attack:
1 Pound out Fillets to ¼” thickness
2. Duxelle : Finely chop mushrooms or use food processor then sautee with butter until dry...
set aside to dry further.
Next:
3. Mix Shallots with fois gras & spread onto fillet& top with Duxelle
Align peppers & asparagus.
4.roll up into a roulade then...
Roll up with caul fat, seal edges well.
5.Grill or sauté then cut on bias for presentation,
6.sauce with Demi-glas.
Presentation:
Pipe Pommes Puree w/ roasted garlic & Parmesan Reggiano onto center of plate
Fan out Roulade around potatoes in semi-circle.
Place Honey Glazed Baby Carrots & Baby zucchinis fanned out and arranged,
about the perimiter of nice plateware. Sauce & Garnish*.
Remember there are five components to a French Style Plating :( Protein, Starch, Vegetable, Sauce, & Garnish*).
Remember: *(Garnish should be an herb or spice, that is used in any of the ingredients of the main entree).
Egg Rolls:
INGREDIENTS: Wrap
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 large egg
1-tsp salt
1/2-cup ice water
Cornstarch for stacking (just sprinkle so they don't stick
Method Of Attack:
Sift the flour into a large bowl.
Lightly beat the egg with the salt. Stir in 1/4 cup of water. Add the egg and the ice water to the flour. Stir in as much of the remaining 1/4 cup of water as needed to form a sticky batter.
Turn the dough out onto lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
Cover the dough and let rest for at least 30 minutes. Knead the dough briefly, and then cut in half.
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll each half into a cylinder. Lightly score so that you have 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece out into a 3 1/2-inch square.
Stack the wrappers while you are preparing the remainder, covering with a damp cloth so that they don't dry out. If necessary, lightly dust the wrappers with flour or cornstarch to prevent them from sticking together. Use immediately, or refrigerate or freeze in a plastic bag until ready to use.
Tips:
Wash the vegetables you are going to use in the filling ahead of time - this gives them time to drain and helps prevent a soggy filling.
Don't use previously cooked meat such as leftovers in the egg roll fillings - they taste better with the fresh juice from the meat. (The one exception is barbecued pork).
If, after stir-frying, there seems to be too much juice from the vegetables, drain some of it out. (You don't need too much gravy in egg rolls).
Check the seasoning, both before adding the gravy to the stir-fried filling and before wrapping. Adjust as desired.
Another tip to help prevent soggy egg rolls - while wrapping, prop the bowl containing the filling in a tipped position so that the juice is concentrated at the bottom and the filling you are using is not too soggy.
After wrapping the egg rolls, deep-fry them within thirty minutes. Otherwise the juice will seep out and they will be dry.
When deep-frying egg rolls, slide each one carefully into the side of the wok, one at a time. This will help keep the hot oil from splattering.
Drain the oil from the egg rolls after deep-frying, placing them on a cooking sheet lined with paper towels. (If you have a deep-frying rack or something similar to use to drain the egg rolls before placing them on the paper towels, that's even better.)
Never stack the egg rolls on top of each other, either before or after deep-frying.
If not eating the deep-fried egg rolls right away, don't cover them or reheat them in the oven.
You can freeze deep-fried egg rolls. Wait until they are cold, and wrap in aluminum foil and place in a plastic bag in the freezer - this will keep them moist.
Filling Ingredients:
2 T. peanut oil
3 -4 cups shredded cabbage
3 green onions, sliced crosswise thinly
1 T. soy sauce
1 tsp. brown sugar
1 cup cooked chopped meat and/or shrimp
Or:
1-package egg roll wrappers (4 1/2" by 5 1/2")
Filling:
1 lb. fresh pork (or barbecued pork)
1 medium onion (sliced)
2 stalks celery, cut diagonally
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
6 water chestnuts, sliced
1/2 pound suey choy (Napa Cabbage), sliced thinly, 1 inch lengthwise
2 green onions, diced
1-lb. fresh bean sprouts
Pork Seasoning:
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. oyster sauce
tt salt and pepper
pinch cornstarch
Gravy:
4 TBS water
1-TBS cornstarch
1/2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp oyster sauce
2 TBS cornstarch mixed with
2 tsp. cold water*
2 TBS oil for stir-frying
2 - 4 cups oil for deep-frying
salt, pepper, accent (if desired) to taste
Or:
Cabbage
Celery
Carrots
Bok Choy
Water Chestnuts
Bamboo Shoots
Ginger
Chinese 5 Spice
Green Onions
Chinese Seasonings
Sesame oil