Sole, Green Pea Pesto, Baby Yukon Potatoes, & Spring Salad with Lemon Honey Vinaigrette

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Prep Time:  30 mins    Cook Time:  30 mins    Serves:  2

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With warmer temperatures and the return of Daylight Savings, Spring has officially returned.  Sole is a delightfully light and delicate fish that fits perfectly into this Spring recipe with a sweet and mild flavor.   Sole fillets can be very thin and fragile so it is important to handle them carefully and cook them quickly in a hot pan to avoid overcooking.  

The cucumber and carrots can be shredded with a box grater or cut into a very thin julienne, whichever you are more comfortable with.  If you have the knife control and skill, you might get better results with a julienne.  If you are pressed for time or just not confident enough to make such small cuts, shredding them is perfectly fine.  

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ingredients:

• 2 6-oz Sole fillets
• 1 cup fresh English sugar peas
• 8 Baby Yukon potatoes
• ¼ cup shredded carrots
• ¼ cup shredded cucumber
• ½ cup basil; chiffonade
• ½ cup mint; chiffonade
• ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice; divided
• 2 tbsp honey
• ½ shallot; chopped fine
• 2 cloves garlic; chopped fine
• ¾ cup + 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• ⅓ cup chicken stock
• Salt & Pepper to taste

method:

Place baby Yukons in a small  sauce pot and enough water to just cover the potatoes.  Salt the water heavily and bring the water up to a low simmer.  Simmer the potatoes until fork tender, about 15 minutes and then remove from the water.  Let potatoes dry on a wire rack before slicing them in ¼” rounds.  Set aside.

Place chicken stock in a small sauce pot and set over medium heat.  Blanch peas in stock until tender then strain, reserving the stock.  Add the peas, half the of the basil and mint and 1 clove of minced garlic to a food processor.  With the motor running add  stock gradually until  smooth.  Add in butter and process until melted.  

Add shallots and garlic to a pan with teaspoon of olive oil and set over medium heat.  Cook shallots and garlic until garlic has begun to brown and shallots are translucent.  Add in white wine vinegar and reduce.  Once vinegar, garlic and shallots  have reduced to a thin syrup remove pan from heat.  Add lemon juice, honey, and reduced shallots and garlic to a blender.  With the motor running, gradually drizzle in olive oil to emulsify.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.  

Place a saute pan over medium heat and add 2 tbsp vegetable oil.  Place potatoes flesh side down in pan.  Cook 2-3 minutes until brown, then flip.  Cook additional 2-3 minutes on opposite side before removing potatoes from pan with a slotted spoon and draining on a paper towel.

Return pan to medium high heat and add reserved vegetable oil.  Season Sole fillets with salt and pepper.  When the pan and oil are very hot, add the sole fillets.  Cook 4-5 minutes before flipping and cooking an additional 4-5 minutes.  

Toss shredded carrot and cucumber along with reserved basil and mint in vinaigrette.  Season lightly with salt and pepper.  Plate pea green puree with potatoes, serve Sole over potatoes and top with salad.

Pappardelle, Pancetta, Sugar Peas, & Fried Sage, with Shallot White Wine Sauce

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Prep Time:  30 min    Cook Time:  15 min    Serves:  2

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Spring has begun it’s slow but inevitable conquest of winter.  While that victory may come a little slower in New England, I can’t help but get excited about some of my favorite spring ingredients. This pasta has a light sauce to feature the freshness of the components, but is also hearty enough to get you through those cold early spring nights.   

The pancetta should be rendered slowly under low heat to get all the fat out and achieve a nice, crisp texture.  Reserving the rendered fat provides a flavorful base to build your sauce from.  Make sure to also reserve some of the pasta water to add additional flavor, and a bit of texture to the sauce as well.  

The pasta should be cooked al dente, and finished in the pan with the rest of your ingredients in the sauce.  Finishing the pasta in the sauce not only allows flavor to soak in, but it also releases some of the the starch from the pasta as well.  This makes the pasta “stand-up” on the plate and makes the dish more cohesive, not just lose ingredients tossed together.  

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ingredients:

• 4 oz dried pappardelle
• 1 cup pancetta; chopped
• 1 cup English sweet peas; picked and rinsed
• 1/2 shallot; finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic; finely chopped
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano cheese; shaved
• 1/4 cup fresh sage; chopped + 6 whole leaves
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp butter

method:

Place a pan with olive oil over medium heat.  Add the pancetta and lower to medium-low heat, allowing the pancetta to render slowly.  Once all the fat has rendered and the pancetta has crisped, remove from the pan and place on a paper towel lined plate to drain.  Reserve the rendered fat.

Add the shallots and garlic to the pan with the pancetta fat and cook over medium heat, stirring often.  When the garlic has started to brown and the shallots turn translucent, turn off the heat to avoid a flame-up and add your wine.  Turn the heat back up to medium and reduce the wine until there is about 2 tbsp left in the pan.  Take the sauce off the heat and set aside.

Add vegetable oil to a pan and set over medium heat.  Test the temperature of the oil with one of the whole sage leaves.  The oil should be hot enough to fry the leaf without totally burning it. Too cold and the oil will soak into the leaf and make it soggy.  When the oil has come up to temperature add the rest of your leaves and fry quickly, removing from the oil with a slotted spoon and placing on paper towels to drain.  

Meanwhile fill a large pot with water and salt heavily.  Your pasta water should be almost as salty as sea water.  Place the pot over high heat and bring to a boil before adding the pappardelle.   Cook the pasta until al dente before removing from the pot and adding to your shallots, garlic and wine.  Reserve some of the pasta water and add to the sauce pan as well, enough to just cover the pasta.  Return the sauce pan to medium heat, adding peas, and fresh sage.  Cook pasta in sauce, adding more reserved water if necessary, until the sauce thickens and coats pasta evenly.  Add in your reserved pancetta and butter, tossing to mix.  Plate your pasta, crumbling fried sage over the top and garnishing with shaved Pecorino Romano.

Roast Duck Breast, Beets 2-Ways, Parsnip Puree, Grapefruit Suprêmes, Tarragon, Mint, & Duck Fat Vinaigrette

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Prep Time:  40 mins    Cook Time: 1½ hour    Serves:  2

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Duck is one of the first things I ate that made me realize that food could be something to be elevated.  From the perspective of the uninitiated, duck seems foreign and a bit odd. With flesh more like a steak than other poultry, learning to prepare and cook duck does have a bit of a curve to it.  However, the uniqueness of well prepared duck lends a decadence and refinement that is hard to match.  

This recipe seems to have a lot going on with it and may come off as a lot to handle at once.  Approaching it step by step, and moving through it in sequence will simplify it for you.  Don’t worry about taking your time as you go.  With the exception of the duck breast, all the other components are meant to be served at or near room temperature to get their full flavor.

The culinary term suprȇme refers to the best part of an ingredient.  When referring to citrus, it means segments of the citrus fruit free of any pith or peel.  Doing this does require a bit of practice with your knife work, but is one of the fundamental culinary skills to master.  There are several video tutorials on the internet that illustrate the technique much better than I could deliver in words here without getting too in depth.  

When cooking the duck, it is important to cook it slowly so all the fat from the skin fully renders.  If the pan is too hot, the skin will begin to burn before the fat has all cooked out, and you will have a cap of unpalatable fat just under the skin.  You will have to drain some of the fat from the pan as you cook, save all of this.  Duck fat is culinary gold and has many, many applications as an instant flavor enhancer.  

As mentioned earlier, the flesh of duck breast is much more similar to that of filet mignon than other poultry.  Serving temperatures match those of a steak ranging from medium rare to well done.  However it is strongly suggested, much like a filet, to serve duck at medium rare to avoid overcooking.  Cook the duck in the pan til about 115° before moving to the oven and taking it to 125°. Let it rest on a wire rack or paper towel for 5-10 mins.  This should give you a nice rosy medium rare.   

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INGREDIENTS:

• 1 whole duck breast
• ground nutmeg
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2-3 large ruby grapefruit; 1 reserved for suprȇmes, 1-2 juiced
• ¼ cup fresh picked tarragon leaves
• ¼ cup fresh picked mint leaves

steamed red beets

• 3 medium sized red beets; scrubbed and stems removed
• ½ cup water
• ¼ cup reserved fresh grapefruit juice
• ¼ brandy
• 2 tbsp honey
• 4 fresh tarragon sprigs
• 4 fresh mint sprigs

pickled golden beets

• 2 medium sized golden beets; scrubbed and slice very thin on a mandolin
• ½ cup white wine vinegar
• ¼ cup reserved fresh grapefruit juice
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 2 sprigs fresh tarragon
• 2 sprigs fresh mint

parsnip puree

• 1 large parsnip; peeled and chopped into 1” pieces
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• salt and pepper to taste

duck fat vinaigrette  

• 1 shallots; finely chopped
• 1 golden beet; finely chopped
• ¼ cup brandy
• ¼ cup reserved steaming liquid
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• ¼ cup reserved fresh grapefruit juice
• ¼ cup reserved duck fat
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

METHOD:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Toss  the red beets in oil in a 13” x 9”  baking pan and season with salt and pepper.  Add water, brandy, grapefruit juice, honey, tarragon and mint.  Cover the pan tightly with foil to allow steam to build up, and roast beets until fork tender, 60–75 minutes. Remove the beets from the oven and cool on a wire rack, reserving ¼ cup of the steaming liquid.  To remove the skins, drop each beat in a bowl of cold water and gently brush off skin.  Halve or quarter once skins are removed.

Using a sharp knife, score the skin of the duck breasts in crisscross pattern.  It’s best to do this when the duck has been held in the fridge for a while and is still quite cold.  Placing the cuts becomes more difficult with the breast and skin at room temperature. Be careful, and work slowly so you cut the skin only; do not cut through the meat.  Space the cuts 1 inch apart. Sprinkle duck breasts on both sides with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.  Return the duck to the fridge to hold until you’re ready.

Place the yellow beets in a mixing bowl.  Combine vinegar, sugar, and grapefruit juice in a small saucepan. Bring up to a boil and cook until sugar completely dissolves. Remove from heat; stir in mint, tarragon, and coriander seeds. Pour vinegar mixture over beets; cover and chill.

Place finely diced shallots and beets in a sauté pan along with 1 tbsp of vegetable over medium-high heat.  Cook until shallots become fragrant and turn translucent.  Turn off all flames on your cook top and add  brandy to the pan.  Keeping the pan at a distance, use a stick lighter or kitchen match to ignite the brandy.  Return the pan to low heat, allowing the brandy to burn off and reduce.  Add in reserved steaming liquid and vinegar and reduce, stirring occasionally, until liquid has almost completely reduced to a thin syrup.  

Place parsnips in a medium saucepan with vegetable stock and set over medium-high heat.  Bring the pan up to a low boil and simmer until parsnips are tender, about 10-12 minutes.  Drain the parsnips reserving ½ cup of the vegetable stock.  Place parsnips in a blender or food processor and run on high, drizzling in reserved vegetable stock until a very smooth puree develops.  Add butter and mix until fully incorporated.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add duck breasts, skin side down.  Reduce heat to medium and cook slowly, stopping occasionally to drain off  and reserve rendered fat. Cook until skin is crisp and golden, about 10-12 minutes. Turn duck breasts over and just “kiss” with the fat for about 30 seconds. Turn the duck breasts skin side down again and place the pan in the oven and cook for  about 3 minutes longer for medium-rare. Remove from heat and let duck rest 5 minutes.

Add reduced shallots and beets along with ¼ cup grapefruit juice to mixing bowl.  Whisk in ¼ cup of reserved duck fat along with ½ cup extra virgin olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper and lightly dress the picked tarragon and mint leaves.

Thinly slice duck crosswise.   Plate parsnip puree and arrange duck, along with red beets, on top of puree. Garnish with grapefruit suprêmes, pickled golden beets, and dressed tarragon and mint leaves.

Stuffed Pork Loin with Dates & Golden Raisins, Salad of Arugula, Fennel & Blood Orange, with Blood Orange Gastrique

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Prep Time:  1 hour    Cook Time:  30 min    Serves: 4

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Pork loin is a fantastic protein for its versatility.  It’s also cheap, which is arguably a better quality.  This dish however, is luxurious and would be at home on any fine dining menu. Serve this to impress guests at a dinner party, or as a treat for a weekend dinner with the family.

A note on cooking pork.  Until quite recently, it had been suggested to cook your pork all the way through to 165 degrees.  Anyone who has had a dry pork loin before will know this is overdone.  To the joy of chefs everywhere -who had been insisting on the change for years - recommended temperature has been lowered to 145 degrees.  Since a stuffed roast pork loin is relatively large, resting the pork like a steak will allow it to come up to temperature gradually without risk of overcooking.  I recommend cooking your pork to an internal temperature between 135-140 degrees in  the oven, and allowing it to  rest and finish off the heat   This will produce pork with a slight rose-hue in the middle, but it is most definitely done.  The pork will be far more tender, juicy and flavorful at this temperature, rather than tough and dry.

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ingredients:

• 1 2-3lb pork loin roast - butterflied
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil

stuffing

• ½ cup chopped seedless dates
• ¼ cup golden raisins
• ¼ cup chopped walnuts
• 1 large shallot - finely chopped
• 5 cloves garlic - minced
• 3 tbsp butter
• salt & pepper to taste

salad

• 2 cups baby arugula
• 1 large fennel bulb - sliced thin on mandolin, leaves reserved
• 2 large blood oranges - skin and pith removed, cut into segments
• ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• gastrique
• ½ cup fresh blood orange juice
• ¼ cup sherry vinegar
• ¼ orange blossom honey
• 3 tbsp chicken stock

method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Melt butter in large sauté pan over medium heat.  When the butter has melted, add in the shallots and garlic.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic has browned and shallots have become translucent, about 2 minutes.  Add dates, raisins, and walnuts to the pan and stir to incorporate all ingredients thoroughly.  Season lightly with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until walnuts start to brown and stuffing has become fragrant.  Remove stuffing from heat and add mix to a bowl and set aside.

Lay butterflied pork loin out on your cutting board and season heavily with salt and pepper.   Lay a thin layer of stuffing over the entirety of the pork loin and, beginning at one end, slowly roll up the loin into a tight cylinder and lay seam side down.  Using kitchen twine, tie the roast securely in 1” intervals.  Season the outside heavily with salt and pepper and set aside.

Heat a large skillet with 3 tbsp vegetable over high heat.  When the pan and oil are hot, sear all sides of the loin until golden brown.  Remove the pork loin from the pan.  Place pork on a lined baking sheet, and roast in the oven  for approximately 20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 135-140 degrees.   Remove from oven and let rest 10-15 mins.

Meanwhile, place a small sauce pot over low heat and add honey, vinegar, and blood orange juice.  Allow juice and vinegar to reduce over low heat until the mixture thickens and coats a spoon, about 15 minutes.  Add chicken stock and reduce again, another 3-4 minutes.  Remove gastrique from heat and allow to cool to room temperature before serving.  Assemble salad of arugula, fennel, and blood orange in a large mixing bowl and toss with olive oil.  Season lightly with salt and pepper.  Slice pork loin diagonally on a bias and serve alongside salad, drizzling salad and pork  with gastrique.  Garnish with fennel leaves.

Pan Roasted Salmon, Red Quinoa Pilaf with Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Sautéed Spinach, & Brown Butter Vinaigrette

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Prep Time:  30 min    Cook Time:  40 min    Serves:  2

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Cooking fish can be a bit intimidating.  A beautiful fish filet can go from perfectly cooked to overdone in a snap, and leave you with something dry and unpalatable.  However, once you get the timing down you will be producing flavorful dishes with tender, flaky flesh and a perfect crisp crust.   Salmon, due to its higher fat content and darker flesh, is more forgiving than white fish to cook. You can actually take temperature on a piece of salmon and cook it much like a steak from medium-rare to well done.  For this recipe I will be cooking the salmon to medium, but if you like your fish a little more well done, just add a couple more minutes in the oven.  To save yourself some time and effort, ask your fish provider to remove the skin for you. They should be more than happy to accommodate your request and it saves you a step in your preparation. 

Quinoa often carries a reputation as a bland health food, but this pilaf is hearty with lots of bold flavor. The sweet potatoes and onions balance nicely off the slight bitterness of the spinach.  Quinoa, like most grains, cooks at a proportion of 1:2 grain to liquid.  Always rinse your quinoa in cold water before cooking to remove excess starch and add in your onion, spinach and sweet potatoes at the very end of cooking.

When preparing the brown butter vinaigrette, be careful not to scorch the milk solids in the butter.  Cook the butter over medium heat.  At first the butter will foam up before the milk solids separate and settle to the bottom of the pan.  At this point, watch the color of the solids closely as they shift from a light golden hue to a darker brown color.  Brown butter smells heavenly and carries a complex nutty flavor that adds a depth and intricacy to anything it’s added to. 

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INGREDIENTS:

• 8 oz salmon fillets; skin off
• 1 large sweet potato; peeled and cut into 1” cubes
• 2 ½  cups raw spinach; separated. 2 cups whole, ½ cup chiffonade
• ½ cup fresh basil; chiffonade (fine ribbon cut)
• ¼ cup smoked almonds; chopped
• 4 cloves garlic; minced
• ½ large yellow onion
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil; separated
• 1 cup red quinoa
• 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 6 oz unsalted butter
• 6 tbsp sherry vinegar
• 6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp chopped shallot
• 1 tbsp brown mustard
• salt & pepper to taste

METHOD:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Season both sides of your salmon liberally with salt and pepper and set aside.  Add your cubed sweet potatoes to a bowl and drizzle with 1 tbsp of the vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper.  Toss the the sweet potatoes to evenly coat and spread out on a lined baking tray.  Place the sweet potatoes in the oven for 20 minutes and then set aside, they should be fork tender at this point. 

Meanwhile, place quinoa and vegetable stock into a medium sauce pot and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until all the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes.  The grains should appear soft and translucent, and the germ ring will be visible along the outside edge of the grain.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a medium sauté pan and add garlic.  Allow the garlic to slightly color and become fragrant before adding your onions.  Cook onions until they become tender and translucent, about 5 minutes, then add 2 cups spinach.  Toss the spinach in the pan and cook lightly, seasoning with salt and pepper.  Allow the spinach to begin to wilt before removing everything from the pan and incorporating into the quinoa.  Cover and set aside.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until browned but not burned, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and reserve.  In a blender, combine the vinegar, olive oil, shallot and mustard. Blend until smooth. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the reserved butter and blend until thickened. Season to taste and set aside at room temperature until ready to serve.

Place a sauté pan over medium high heat and add the remaining tbsp of oil.  Allow the pan to become very hot, with light wisps of smoke coming off before placing the salmon gently into the pan.  Immediately put the pan in the oven and cook for 8 minutes, allowing for extra time for more well done fish.  When you are ready to serve, dress the chiffonade basil, spinach, and chopped almonds with the vinaigrette and serve the small salad atop the salmon.

Poached Pears, Lavender Earl Grey Mascarpone, Honey Graham 'Earth', & Candied Honey Chip

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Prep Time:  20 min    Cook Time:  1 hour    Serves:  2

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This is a perfect dessert for a winter dinner party, elegant but not too rich.  Early grey tea, honey, and lavender marry together well and play off the tanginess of the mascarpone, which  adds a luxurious texture.  The prep and assembly for this is also refreshingly simple, and the components can be made a day ahead of time to give you one less thing to worry about when entertaining guests. The only thing to watch for when making this is the honey chip.  Use a silicone baking mat or parchment paper on a baking tray and monitor closely to ensure you don’t burn the sugar.  

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INGREDIENTS:

• 2 ripe (but still firm) bosc pears; peeled, halved, and cored
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup strong earl grey tea
• 6 tbsp honey
• 4 sprigs fresh lavender
• ½ cup mascarpone cheese
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp blackstrap rum
• 4 honey graham crackers

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Soak pears in water and 1 tsp of lemon juice to keep from browning.  Combine white wine, tea, honey, vanilla extract, lavender, and remaining tsp of lemon juice in a medium sauce pot over medium heat.  Stir mixture until the honey dissolves and gently add pears to poaching liquid cut side down.  Lower heat to medium-low and simmer until pears become very tender; about 30 minutes. Flip the pears over about halfway through to ensure they poach evenly.

Meanwhile, put the graham crackers in a food processor and run until they become powdered, set aside for later.  

Once the pears have finished remove from the poaching liquid and drain on a wire rack.  Cool the pears in the fridge.  Bring the poaching liquid back up to a low boil and reduce to about ¾ cup.  Reserve ¼ cup of the syrup.  Drizzle a small amount of the syrup onto a parchment or silicone mat lined baking tray and place in the oven.  Monitor the syrup in the oven closely, once it begins to bubble and brown slightly at the edges, remove the tray from the oven and place to the side to cool.  

Add the mascarpone, sugar, and rum to a large bowl of a stand mixer and whisk.  Add in the reserved ¼ cup syrup and whisk on high until peaks form.  Place the mascarpone in the fridge to set.  Reserve the remaining syrup to drizzle over the pears once you are ready to serve.  

Pan Seared Diver Scallops, Fried Leeks, with Sauce Verte, & Pistachio Gremolata

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Prep Time:  35 mins    Cook Time:  5 mins    Serves:  2

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Scallops are a luxurious seafood that when cooked properly yield a soft texture and subtle, sweet flavor.  Searing scallops without overcooking can take a bit of practice, but once you have mastered the technique they will be one of you your favorite items to cook for their versatility.  Like all proteins, getting a good sear on scallops requires a few steps.  Scallops should be rinsed, patted dry, and allowed to come up to room temperature before searing in a very hot pan.  The time in the pan won’t be much, merely a minute or so each side.  You will be able to see them caramelize at the edges, indicating it is time to flip.  Due to their short cooking time, it is possible for you to complete all other items in the recipe and get them on the plate before turning your complete attention to cooking the scallops.  

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INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb fresh diver scallops
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 cup leeks; thinly sliced into 2” segments
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 ½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley; divided
• ½ cup chopped chervil leaves
• ½ cup chopped chives
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped; divided
• 1 shallot, peeled and chopped
• ½ teaspoon chopped anchovy
• ¼ cup capers
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup + 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup finely chopped toasted pistachios
• 1 lemon; juiced and zested
• Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
• Salt & Pepper to taste

METHOD:

    Place a high sided pan over medium heat along with the vegetable oil and allow to come up to temperature.  To prepare the leeks, cut the white and pale green part off of the stem. Cut the leeks in half lengthwise and wash thoroughly (try to keep each half in tact).  Thinly slice the leeks into even pieces, about 2" -inches long. Dry thoroughly.  Test the oil with a few pieces to make sure the oil is the correct temperature and not too hot or cold.  Using a slotted spoon, lower the leeks into the oil. Fry them for about 1 to 2 minutes, just until they turn golden. Be careful of any splattering oil. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel to drain.
    In a blender, combine  1 cup parsley, chervil, chives, 2 cloves garlic, shallot, anchovy, capers and lemon juice. Pulse to puree. With the motor running, very slowly drizzle in 1 cup of the olive oil until it is thoroughly incorporated. Transfer to a bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
    Combine the reserved parsley and garlic along with the pistachios, lemon, and red pepper in a small bowl; let stand 15 minutes to allow flavors to develop.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.
    Remove the small side muscle from the scallops, rinse with cold water and thoroughly pat dry.  Place a large saute pan over high heat with reserved tbsp olive oil and butter.  Season both sides of the scallops liberally with salt and pepper and wait for the pan to come up to temperature.  When the pan is hot (thin wisps of smoke should be coming off the pan), gently add the scallops one at a time to the pan, making sure they are not touching each other.  Move quickly and ensure they have even contact with the pan.  Cook for one minute, looking for browning at the edges, then flip.  The scallops should have a 1/4-inch golden crust on each side while still being translucent in the center

Braised Beef Short Ribs, Sweet Carrot Puree, Pan Roasted Baby Potatoes, Button Mushrooms, & Seared Onions

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Prep Time:  40 min    Cook Time:  2 ½ hrs    Serves:  2

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Winter weather and colder temperatures call for a hearty braise.  This recipe may seem daunting, but fortunately most of the work is done in the oven. Developing the flavors gradually will help ensure you have a robust dish with decadent texture. Trust me; it’ll be well worth it in the end.

To begin, sear the ribs on high heat in a large pan on all sides. Sautéing the carrots, celery and onions in the leftover drippings will produce caramelization and build the deep flavors that a good braise delivers. 

When preparing the carrots, cut them into equal size slices and simmer in water with sugar and salt.  Cook the carrots until they are extremely tender, and reserve the liquid used to simmer them to make your puree.  Gradually add the reserved liquid as you process the carrots so you don’t accidentally add too much.  

The mushrooms are cooked twice; once in the oven to remove excess water, and then finished in a pan with butter when you’re ready to serve.  It’s important to cook them this way, as simply placing them in the pan first will result in soggy mushrooms that have steamed in their own liquid.

Cook the onions quickly in butter over med-high heat.  You want to cook them fast with higher heat and let them retain some texture while still picking up some flavor from the pan.  

When the ribs are finished, strain the solids out of the braising liquid and reduce until thickened for use as a sauce.  You may need to skim the liquid to remove some excess fat.  Simply remove the thin translucent layer of fat that will accumulate on top with a ladle and allow the liquid to reduce until it coats a spoon.  Stir in a small knob of cold butter to finish the sauce off the heat.

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INGREDIENTS:

● 1 lb bone in beef short ribs

● 48 oz beef stock

● 1 cup  Amber ale

● 2 celery stalks, cut into ¼” slices

● 7  medium carrots, peeled and divided (2 cut into ¼” slices, 5 cut into 1/2 “ rounds)

● 1 ½  yellow onion, divided (1 rough chopped, ½ sliced into ¼” crescents)

● 2 cup button mushrooms, chopped

● 2 oz bacon

● 6 baby yukon potatoes

● 6 oz chives, divided (4 oz whole, 2 oz chopped fine)

● 4 oz thyme, whole

● 4 cloves garlic, minced

● 2  tbs olive oil

● 4 tbs vegetable oil, divided

● 4 tbs butter, divided

● 3 cups water

● ¼ cup granulated sugar

● salt and pepper to taste

● flat leaf parsley for garnish

method:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Place a large pan over high heat with 2 tbsp vegetable oil. While the pan is heating, season all sides of your short ribs liberally with salt and pepper.  When the pan has come up to temperature, begin searing the short ribs for 1 minute on each side.  When all sides have been seared, remove the short ribs from the pan and set aside.  

Remove any used oil from the pan. Reduce to medium heat and add in remaining 2 tbs of vegetable oil, garlic and rough chopped onions, stirring occasionally.  Cook for 2 minutes before adding in the celery and carrots.  Allow carrots and celery to begin to brown before pouring in the beer. Begin stirring with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to remove any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Continue stirring to allow the beer to reduce and evaporate before returning the short ribs to the pan. Once in the pan, pour in enough stock to almost cover them leaving only the very top of the short rib exposed.  Add in the whole chives, thyme, and bacon and bring to a boil. Put on the  lid and place   in the oven for two hours. 

Coat the chopped mushrooms evenly with 2 tbsp of olive oil before spacing them apart on a lined sheet tray. Roast in the oven for 15-20 mins to remove any excess moisture and then set aside.  

Combine the remaining carrots with the water, sugar, and a liberal pinch of salt in a small sauce pot.  Set the pot over medium heat and bring up to a simmer, allowing the carrots to cook until very tender.  Strain off the carrots, reserving a ¼ cup of the liquid.  Add carrots to a blender and begin blending on low, gradually easing towards high to avoid splatter.  Carefully pour in reserved liquid in stages, pureeing the carrots until very smooth.  Season with salt (to taste) and set aside. 

Place a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat and add in 1 tbsp butter.  Place the reserved onions into the pan and season lightly with salt.  Allow the onions to cook until they soften and start to brown, tossing occasionally.  Reserve the onions once they have finished.

Place potatoes in a medium sauce pot and cover with water.  Season the water heavily with salt and set the potatoes over medium heat to simmer until fork tender.  Remove the potatoes from the water and slice in half.  

Once the short ribs are fork tender, remove from the pan and strain off the solids in the liquid.  Return the liquid and short ribs back to the pan and reduce over medium high heat.  

Finish the mushrooms and potatoes while the braising liquid is reducing. Place a medium sized pan over medium heat and melt 1 tbsp of butter. Place the potatoes cut-side down into the pan.  Cook for two minutes on each side until golden brown, remove from pan, and set aside.

Return pan to high heat, along with 1 tbsp of butter. Add the mushrooms and allow to brown, tossing occasionally. Once browned, incorporate the chopped chives and potatoes and season with salt and pepper to taste.  .  

Once the braising liquid has reduced to the point where it will coat a spoon, remove the short ribs.  Add remaining 1 tbsp of butter and stir to emulsify.  Serve the short ribs, potatoes, and mushroom over the carrot puree spooning the reduced sauce on top. Finish by garnishing with whole parsley and the browned onions. Enjoy!

Mushroom Risotto with Shiitake Mushrooms & Asparagus Tips

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Prep Time:  1 hour    Cook Time:  40 min    Serves:  4

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Risotto is an amazing dish.  Like all great food, properly preparing risotto requires attention and love.  You can't just walk away from risotto and come back to it later, you need to be there to develop texture and flavor.  Similarly, the mushrooms and asparagus in this recipe are given their own special treatment before bringing everything together, but this also pays off in texture and flavor.  

I only used the tops of the asparagus and sauteed them quickly over medium high heat.  Roasting the mushrooms in the oven first will help to remove excess water, so that when they are finished by sauteing in butter they crisp up and sear instead of just steaming.  Don't add the mushrooms and asparagus until the risotto is finished cooking and you have already added the cheese and butter.  If it becomes too tight, add a little more stock to develop more of a sauce.  Finish with fresh chives and shaved Parmesan and a drizzle of olive or truffle oil.

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ingredients:

• 2/3 cup Arborio rice (or similar risotto rice)
• 3 cups unsalted chicken stock
• 1 cup asparagus tips
• 12 oz shiitake mushrooms (or hen or the woods, Porcini, oyster, morels, etc...)
• 2 oz fresh chives, finely chopped
• 1/2 shallot, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup shaved Parmesan
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 6 tbsp butter (divided)
• 2 tbsp olive oil (divided)
• salt and pepper to taste
• olive oil or truffle oil for garnish

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Wipe the mushrooms down with a damp cloth to remove any  lose dirt.  Toss the mushrooms with 1 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl to coat.  Spread mushrooms out on a lined sheet pan and place in oven for 20 minutes. Remove once done and set aside to dry.

Slice the tops off 1 pound of asparagus to yield approximately 1 cup.  Make sure to cut the tips into appropriate sized pieces, about 1/2".  Heat  2 tbsp butter in a medium saute pan over medium high heat and add the asparagus.  Season lightly with salt and pepper and toss, cooking until just tender then set aside.

Return to your mushrooms.  Heat 2 tbsp butter in a medium saute pan  over medium high heat and add your mushrooms, tossing and cooking until browned.  Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat. Chop into 1/4" slices. 

Prepare shallots and garlic and heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat.  Add shallots and garlic, cooking until the shallots become translucent and the garlic becomes aromatic.  Add the risotto rice to the pan and cook for one minute, stirring constantly.  Pour in the wine and continue stirring, letting the wine evaporate completely.  Once the wine has evaporated, begin to ladle in the chicken stock.  Continue stirring constantly as the stock evaporates and you continue to add more one ladle at a time.  It is important to stir the rice as this constant motion is what develops the starches that creates the creaminess in risotto.  Continue stirring and adding stock until the rice reaches an al dente texture (tender but still slightly firm to the bite).  Add in the cheese and finish with butter and the chopped chives.  Toss in asparagus and mushrooms, adding more stock if the rice becomes too tight and needs more sauce.  Plate and garnish with a drizzle of olive or truffle oil.

A Better Chicken Dinner Part 1: Pan Roasted Chicken Breast with Cranberry Chutney, Savory Onions, & Jus

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Prep Time: 40 min    Cook Time:  20 min    Serves:  2

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Chicken is the workhorse of the american dinner menu.  A go to. A staple.  Chicken is a fantastic and versatile protein but it often suffers from an image problem as a boring, bland and unimaginative dish.   With the A Better Chicken Dinner series, I  hope to change that perception with a dose of creativity and basic technique.  Because the weather has turned colder, this dish has plenty of big hearty flavors and indulgent textures.   This would go well with some hearty mashed potatoes or some oven roasted root vegetables to play off the sweetness of the chutney and onions.

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PREPARATION:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a medium sauce pot, pour 28 oz of chicken stock and set over medium heat to reduce.  Reserve the remaining half cup of stock.  

Remove the top and bottom of the onion and give it a medium dice.  Put a saute pan over med-low heat and add the tbs of vegetable oil and onions, salting liberally.  Allow the onions to cook down slowly as you finish the rest of your preparation, occasionally returning to the pan and deglazing with the remaining chicken stock as the onions stick to the pan.  Cook until tender and translucent.

For the chutney, cook shallots in oil in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened. Stir in remaining ingredients. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until berries just pop, 10 to 12 minutes, then pulse in a food processor to achieve desired texture.

Season both sides of the chicken liberally with salt and pepper.  Place a large saute pan over high heat and add a tablespoon of oil.  Make sure the oil and pan are sufficiently heated to make sure the chicken doesn't stick to the pan (look for slight wisps of smoke coming off the pan).  Place the pan in a preheated oven, turning after 5 minutes.  Remove chicken from oven after 10 minutes or once internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Remove chicken from pan and reserve pan with drippings. 

Return to the reducing stock. Pour stock into the reserved chicken pan and use a wooden spoon to incorporate any drippings and continue to reduce over medium high heat until stock has thickened and will coat a spoon. Add the butter to the stock and reduce heat to keep to the sauce from breaking.  Season lightly with salt and pepper to taste, 

ingredients:

CHICKEN & ONIONS

• 2 (6 oz) chicken breast filet
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 1 (32 oz) carton unsalted chicken stock
• 2 tbs coarse chopped parsley (for garnish)
• 2 tbs vegetable oil
• 1 tbs unsalted butter
• salt & pepper to taste

CRANBERRY CHUTNEY

• 5 shallots (6 oz), coarsely chopped
• 1 1/2 tbs vegetable oil
• 1 (12-oz) bag fresh or frozen cranberries
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1/2 tsp salt
• /2 tsp black pepper

New England Surf & Turf: Filet Medallion, Sweet Corn Succotash, & Lobster Tail with Cherry Tomatoes

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Prep Time: 45 min    Cook Time:    20 min    Serves:  2

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The sweetness of the lobster tail and cherry tomatoes compliments and balances the savory intensity of a perfectly grilled steak.  To ensure a good sear and crust on the steak, season liberally with salt and pepper and let it sit at room temperature for a half hour before grilling.  Depending of your desired temperature (I would suggest a medium-rare or medium, any additional cooking will degrade the texture of the steak, which is really what you're paying for in a filet),  set your grill to high or medium-high and baste the steak with melted butter.  This will cause the grill to flare and make a bit of a mess, but the quality of the sear you get from this technique is second to none.  Pull the steak off the heat 10-8 degrees before it reaches desired temperature and let it rest for 10 mins before eating.  

Lobster is cooked quickly to avoid a rubbery texture.  Saute over medium-high heat in butter with  the cherry tomatoes.  Add white wine and lemon juice to heighten flavor, finish with fresh herbs/ For the vegetables as well, hot and fast is the preferred cooking method.  Heat vegetable oil in a saute pan over high heat and add all the vegetables at once.  Once they begin to pick up color, add some vegetable stock to the pan and toss in a small pat of butter. The evaporating stock and butter should emulsify with a couple quick tosses of the pan. Finish with fresh chopped parsley.  

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INGREDIENTS:

Succotash

• 1 ear yellow sweet corn, cut off the cob
• 6 large asparagus spears, cut into 1/8 in pieces
• 1 large red bell pepper, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 shallot, finely diced
• 1/4 vegetable stock
• 1 tbs butter
• 2 oz fresh chopped parsley
• salt and pepper to taste

Lobster

• 2 lobster tails, removed from shells and chopped
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1/2 shallot, finely diced
• 3 tbs butter
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1 tbs fresh lemon juice
• 1 oz fresh chopped tarragon
• 1/2 oz fresh chopped parsley
• 1/2 oz fresh chopped chives
• 1/2 oz fresh chopped basil
• 1/2 oz fresh chopped English thyme

Steak

• 3 tbs butter, melted
• liberal salt and pepper

PREPARATION:

Preheat grill. Remove steak from fridge and season liberally on both sides with salt and pepper.  Allow the steak to sit out at room temperature as you prepare the rest of your ingredients.  Prepare the vegetables for the succotash. Make sure all cuts are consistent to  ensure even cooking.  Set aside.

Remove lobster meal from shells by piercing the underside of the tail with the tip of your knife and bisecting the tail lengthwise.  Remove meat and chop. Set aside.  Quarter cherry tomatoes then dice the shallot finely, setting both aside once done.

Once the ingredients for the succotash and lobster have been prepared, melt the butter for the steak.  Baste the steak and place on the grill, being mindful of any flares that jump up.  Cook 4-5 mins on each side for med-rare, adding an additional minute for medium, 2-3 for med-well, basting the other side before flipping over.  Remove the steak 8-10 degrees before desired temperature is reached to ensure it doesn't overcook (120 for medium rare, 130 for medium, 140 for med well, 150 for well done). Let the steak rest while you finish the veg and lobster.  

Heat 2 tbs vegetable oil in a large saute pan over med high heat.  Add the garlic and shallots, stirring often,and then add the corn, peppers, and asparagus.  Once the vegetables have begun to pick up some color (1-2 min) add the stock and butter, tossing as the stock evaporates to help the butter emulsify and form a light sauce.  Season and add fresh herbs. 

Plate the succotash in the middle of the plate and set steak on top.  Reserve pan used for vegetable to finish the lobster.  Return pan  to med high head and add 3 tbs butter.  Once butter is melted, add the shallots, cooking for 1-2 mins until tender.  Next, add the tomatoes and lobster, stirring frequently.  Add the wine, butter, and herbs, stirring until  the wine evaporates and creates a slightly thickened sauce. Finish with lemon juice and pinch of salt. Serve over steak

 

Chili & Tomato Egg Pasta with Squash Blossoms & Heirloom Tomatoes

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Prep Time:  10 min  Cook Time:  10 min  Serves:  2

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A lot of times, the role of a Chef is to get out the way of the ingredients, and just let them shine on their own without too much alteration.  Such is the case with this simple pasta dish.  Squash blossoms are high on my list of favorite seasonal ingredients, and as such I try not to manipulate them too much.  The heirlooms and egg pasta itself I sourced from Bishop's Orchards, a fantastic farm market in Guilford that was actually one of the first places I ever worked at.  However for the ambitious home pasta maker never fear, for we will get to pasta making soon enough.  

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preparation:

Bring a lot pot of well salted water up to a boil on high heat.  Once the water is boiling add pasta, cooking until al dente.  Strain off the pasta and reserve 4 tbs of the blanching water.  Pour olive oil into a medium sized saute pan and place over medium heat.  Add garlic and saute until fragrant, then add blossoms and tomatoes. Add the pasta and water, bring to a simmer.  Add in butter and Parmesan, tossing lightly until sauce thickens and coats pasta thoroughly.  Season to taste and garnish with chopped basil and drizzle of olive oil

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb dried chili tomato pasta 
• 8 large squash blossoms
• 1 large heirloom tomato
• 1 tbs garlic (finely chopped)
• 2 tbs fresh basil (chopped)
• 2 tbs fresh grated Parmesan
• 4 tbs reserved pasta water 
• 1 tbs butter
• 2 tbs olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

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Striped Bass with Corn & White Bean Succotash

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Prep Time:  20 min Cook Time:  15 min  Serves:  2

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This is a perfect dinner for a warm summer night when you want something savory and fulfilling but not too heavy.  Prep in the kitchen is simple and quick, so you don't need to spend an hour over a hot stove.  Everything in this dish is fresh and seasonal, ensuring bright and vibrant flavors. Pair this with a light white wine, a wheat beer, or a brisk cocktail like a Moscow mule or mint julep.  

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Light, fresh, and perfect for summer

ingredients:

• 2 half pound striped bass fillets (skin off)
• 1/2 cup fresh yellow sweet corn 
• 1/2 cup fresh English green peas
• 1 cup fresh spinach
• 1/2 cup great northern beans (rinsed and drained)
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp chives
• 1 tsp parsley
• 1/4 cup thyme
• 1/2 lemon (zested and juiced)
• 1/2 tbs garlic (finely chopped)
• 1/2 tbs shallots (finely chopped)
• 4 tbs vegetable oil
• 1 tbs butter
• 1/4 vegetable stock
• Salt and pepper to taste

PREPARATION:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Remove fish from the fridge and season both sides liberally with salt and pepper. Set aside on a small plate.  Seasoning and allowing the fish to come up to room temperature before you cook it will ensure a good sear and proper texture.  Add half the vegetable oil to a large saute pan over med-high heat.  When the oil shimmers, gently place the fish into the pan and immediately place in the oven for five minutes.  After the five minutes flip the fish and place back over medium heat, adding the butter to the pan and basting the fish until the top is crispy and brown.  Remove fish from the pan and let rest to the side tented in a piece of aluminum foil.  Pour off any used oil and return pan to medium heat adding the remaining reserved vegetable oil.  Add garlic and shallots to the pan, saute until fragrant  and then add the corn. Once the corn has started to cook add the peas and then the beans, tossing occasionally.  Finally add the spinach, tossing until it just starts to wilt.  Season with salt and pepper and lemon zest and plate the corn mixture, positioning your fish atop the succotash and reserving the pan for one final step.  Return the pan to medium heat, pour in vegetable stock and lemon juice and stir with a wooden spoon to lift the flavors off the pan.  Simmer lightly.  Toss in butter and herb mixture and lower heat, stirring sauce until thickened.  Spoon sauce lightly over fish and serve.  

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Six Hour Ribs

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Prep Time: 20 min  Cook Time:  Approx. 6 hours   Serves:  5-6

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Nothing and I mean nothing is more satisfying than biting into perfectly cooked ribs you smoked yourself.  The time and effort required is matched every bit by the tender and flavorful meat, the caramelized bark, and the ever elusive smoke ring marking your good work.  This recipe is less daunting than the name eludes, requiring mostly that you just monitor the temperature and occasionally give the ribs a little love. If you happen to place your smoker next to a pool, as I have done here, then so much the better.

They are worth the time...trust me.

 I created a makeshift smoker here that worked alarmingly well out of a classic Weber charcoal grill.  The configuration can be seen here, but if you have your own trusted method feel free to deploy it in place of my technique. The key elements remain the same; gentle heat, long cooking time, and a source of humidity. 

Low and slow is the key to any successful barbecue. The swirling smoke, low temperature and slow cooking time allow for the muscle and connected tissue to break down from the gentle heat and yield that classic barbecue texture and robust smoky flavor.  Adding a source of humidity, such as a pan of simmering water, ensures the environment doesn’t become too arid and end up pulling moisture from the ribs.

Another point of note is to soak your desired wood chips for at least a half hour before hand to make them last longer and give off a more flavorful smoke.  Happy smoking!

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ingredients:

Ribs

• 2 large racks pork ribs

Sauce

• 1 cup bourbon
• 1 cup ketchup
• 4 tbs apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbs Worcestershire sauce 
• 2 tbs spicy brown mustard
• 3 tbs brown sugar
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Wet Rub

• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup paprika
• 3 tbs kosher salt
• 3 tbs black pepper
• 1 tbs garlic powder
• 1 tbs cayenne 
• 1 tbs thyme (picked & chopped)
• 1 tbs oregano (chopped)
• 1/2 tbs crushed red pepper
• 1/2 tbs chili powder
• 1/2 tbs garlic powder
• 1/2 cup beer 
• 2 tbs apple cider vinegar 

preparation:

A proper smoke ring is a tell-tale sign of properly done barbecue 

Mix all ingredients for the wet rub in a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine.  place your ribs meat side down on a cutting board and using a pairing knife or a small chef's knife score along the back of each rib to loosen the membrane.  Clean the membrane off the back as much as you can.  Line a sheet tray with a large piece of plastic wrap and place the ribs on top of the plastic.  Apply the wet rub liberally to both sides of the ribs and then wrap in the plastic wrap.  Place in the fridge for an hour or up to a day.  The longer the rub is allowed to sit on the ribs, the greater flavor it will impart and the more it will assist in the cooking process.

For the sauce, add the bourbon to a medium sized pot over med-high heat.  Once the bourbon starts to simmer, remove from heat and ignite using a long match or lighter to burn off the alcohol.  return the pot to the heat and allow the flames to die down.  It's important to always have a lid close by to cover the pot and smother the flame should the fire ever start to get out of control. 

When the flames die down reduce the heat to med-low and reduce the bourbon by half.  Add the remaining components and whisk to combine, reducing the heat to low.  Allow sauce to simmer until it coats a spoon, then remove from heat and allow it to cool.  

Once your ribs have sat and your sauce is prepared, light and configure your smoker.  The ideal temperature to keep these ribs at is 225, so once you are dialed in at that heat place the ribs meat side down on the grate and close the lid.  Continue to monitor the temperature, adjusting vents and adding coals and wood chips as needed to ensure the environment stays stable and consistent.  Half-way through the cooking time, flip the ribs over and coat them with the sauce.  Continue to add a coat of sauce to the ribs every 20 mins.  The ribs are done when the meat begins to pull away from the tips and the meat pulls apart in your fingers.  Allow the ribs to sit for 10-15 mins before cutting and serving.

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Chocolate Caramel Sea Salt Cake

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Prep Time:  30 min  Cook Time:  25-30 min  Total Time: 2 hours  Servings:  10  

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Even though it's beach season it's hard to resist a recipe like this.  Decadent yet not too dense, this sweet & salty desert is perfect with an ice cold glass of milk.  If you are of the school of thought that the main purpose of cake is to serve as a vehicle for frosting, feel free to double the recipe and pile on as much as you like.  The flaky crystals in coarse seat salt or maldon salt are a perfect textural touch for a garnish

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Ingredients:

Cake

• Non-stick vegetable oil spray
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/4 cups mayonnaise (non low fat)
• 1 tbl vanilla extract

Frosting & Assembly

• 12 oz bittersweet chocolate; chopped
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tbl light corn syrup
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 1/2 cup (2 sticks) butter (room temp)
• 1 tbl flaky sea salt (like maldon salt)
• Extra virgin olive oil; for drizzle (optional)

Preparation:

Equipment

• 3 8" cake pans
• Parchment paper

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Coat cake pans with non-stick spray; place parchment in bottom of pans and spray again.  Make sure to coat the sides of the pans as well.  Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl.  Set whisked ingredients aside.

In an electric mixer, beat together eggs and sugar on high speed until light and the mixture has doubled in volume; about 4-5 minutes.  Add mayonnaise and vanilla and mix until just combined.    Dropping the mixer to low speed, slowly start batching in the dry ingredients in 3rds. Alternate the 3 batches of dry ingredients with 2 additions of  1 1/3 cup lukewarm water.  Once incorporated evenly divide batter into pans.  Rotate pans halfway through baking, 25-30 mins, or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Let pans cool 20 minutes before attempting to remove the cakes.  

Put 12 oz bittersweet chocolate in a mixing bowl while sugar, corn syrup, and a 1/4 cup water come to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Stir until sugar is dissolved.  Boil mixture, swirling pan occasionally making sure to scrape down the sides until mixture turns a deep amber.  Remove from heat and mix in cream (the mixture will bubble vigorously).  Return to medium heat and stir until smooth, about two minutes.  Pour caramel over chocolate and stir until mixture is smooth. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat chocolate on medium speed gradually adding butter.  Frosting should thicken and smooth out after about 1 minute.  Chill frosting until firm enough to spread, 20-25 minutes.

Frost each layer of the cake, sprinkling sea salt in-between the layers and garnishing on the top and sides as well.    You may garnish each slice with a sprinkling of salt and drizzle of olive oil if desired.  

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Pan Roasted Arctic Char with Fettuccine, Summer Squash, & Romesco

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Prep Time:  20 min  Cook Time:  10 min  Serves: 4

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Summer brings many great things.  One of my favorites is cooking with the slew of fresh seasonal ingredients available and putting together a beautiful dinner to enjoy outside.  This recipe is perfect for the patio, and would pair very well with a medium bodied white wine.

 Being a close cousin to Salmon, Arctic Char has recently been offered as an alternative, with similar flesh and color and the mildly sweet freshwater taste of trout. The delicate texture and sweetness of the fish is an excellent compliment to the smokiness of the romesco sauce.  The pan must be very hot when you add the fish to ensure it doesn't stick and you get a proper sear.  If you prefer your fish more well done, make sure to allow for more time in the oven when cooking.  

If you have a julienne attachment on your mandolin now may be the time to break it out.  If the squash is not cut consistently and at the proper size, it won't cook evenly.  Sauteing the squash lightly and tossing with the fettuccine provides a refreshing crispness and balances out the velvety texture of the pasta.  

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Ingredients:

• 4 6 oz Arctic Char fillets; skin on
• 3 oz flat leaf parsley; chopped
• 16 oz fettuccine
• 4 oz grated Parmesan 
• 1 tbl crushed red pepper
• 1 clove garlic; finely chopped
• 2 yellow summer squash; julienne
• 1 zucchini;  julienne
• 2 oz olive oil
• 3 oz vegetable oil
• 1 tbl butter
• salt & pepper

Romesco Sauce

• 3 large red bell peppers
• 1/2 cup tomato puree
• 2 tbl sherry vinnegar
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds; toasted
• 1 clove garlic; crushed
• 2 oz parsley; chopped
• 2 oz basil; chopped
• 2 oz oregano; chopped
• 1 tsp paprika 
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a saute pan over medium heat, toast the slivered almonds until lightly browned.  Set Aside. Place the bell peppers on a grill over high heat, rotating every few minutes, until charred on all sides.  If you do not have a grill available, toss the peppers lightly in oil and roast in the oven for twenty mins. Once the peppers are done add them to a food processor along with the tomato puree, almonds, vinegar, herbs, spices, and garlic.  Process until finely chopped.  Slowly drizzle in the 1/2 cup olive oil with the processor running until smooth.  Set sauce aside.

Bring a pot of salted water up to boil and add the pasta.  Stir the pasta occasionally, checking after 3-4 minutes.  The pasta should be cooked al dente, tender but still firm when bitten.  Poor the pasta into a colander reserving a couple table spoons of the water.

Place a large pan over medium heat and add the  2  oz of olive oil, adding in the chopped garlic and red pepper flakes as well.  Saute until lightly brown and fragrant.  Add the squash and toss, cooking until tender.  Add the reserved pasta, water and butter.  Cook until the butter full melts and toss to coat.  Reserve to the side

Place a large saute pan over high heat and add the vegetable oil.  When you see light wisps of smoke rise from the pan, add the fish.  Carefully place the fish into the pan by holding it vertically and slowly lowering, allowing it to roll away from you.  This ensures no oil will splash back.  Cook the fish over high heat for one minute before placing in a preheated oven.  Cook for five minutes and remove from oven.  Gently turn fish over and lightly baste with the oil left in the pan. Remove fish from pan and allow to drain on paper towels or wire rack.  

Plate the pasta and sprinkle with the  grated Parmesan.  Place the fish on top of the pasta.  Serve with a dollop of romesco and garnish with chopped parsley.

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Red Chile Braised Chicken Soft Tacos, with Pickled Red Onion & Grilled Corn Salad

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Prep Time: 20 min    Cook Time: 2 hours    Serves: 4

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Truly excellent tacos are one of the things that my wife and I miss most since leaving Los Angeles.  The hunt for the little hole-in-the-wall, family owned establishments that were so often the purveyors of said excellent tacos has yielded little fruit in my native nutmeg state.  Though flush with a truly staggering amount of world class pizza joints, the taco has eluded the culinary taste makers in Connecticut since forever.  So, as is so often necessary when pursuing your passions, I took matters in my own hands. 

Mexican food done properly requires a fair amount of coaxing of flavors and patience to develop the richness and complexity native to the cuisine.  This recipe takes about two hours to put together, but after your first bite you will know it was time well spent.  

Technique for this dish is fairly simple, requiring attention mostly during the searing of the chicken and sautéing the garlic and onion.  Proper heat and fat in the pan should ensure a good sear and excellent caramelization on the chicken; helping to develop the rich flavor required for this dish.

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Preparation:

Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees.  Heat a large pan with the 2 tbls oil over med-high heat.  It is important that there is enough oil in the pan in order to effectively sear the chicken.  While the pan is warming, liberally season both sides of the chicken with the salt, pepper, red pepper, paprika, and chili powder.  When the oil shimmers the pan is hot enough for the chicken.  Sear the chicken on each side, remove from pan and hold to the side.  

Add the chopped garlic and onion, stirring with a wooden spoon to remove any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.  Saute over medium heat util the mixture is browned and the onion starts to turn translucent.  Poor in chicken stock to    de-glaze the pan.  Allow the stock to come up to a simmer before adding the chile sauce, and then the reserved chicken breast, making sure they are almost completely submerged in the sauce.  Cover the pan and place in preheated oven, and set a timer for two hours.

Ingredients:

Chicken

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 8 oz chicken stock
• 2 8 oz cans red chile sauce 
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 2 tbls vegetable oil
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 2 tsp paprika 
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 package corn tortillas

Grilled Corn Salad

• 2 ears large yellow sweet corn; un-shucked
• 1 16 oz can black beans
• 8 oz chopped cilantro
• 2 tbl fresh lime juice
• 6 oz jalapeno peppers; thinly sliced rings
• 10 oz crumbled cotija or goat cheese

Pickled Red Onions

Red Chile Sauce

• 1 lage red onion; sliced
• 1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp granulated sugar
• 1/2 jalepeno pepper
• 4 oz cilantro; whole stem and leaf
• 3 oz coriander seeds
• 2 oz fresh lime juice

Pickled Red Onions

While the chicken is cooking, warm your grill for the corn.  By leaving the outer leaves on and placing the corn on the upper warming rack, you can slowly steam it.  This technique ensures the corn is fully cooked while also allowing for a final char on the grill.   Simply place the corn on the upper rack in the grill and progressively peel off the leaves as they char.  Once all the leaves are off, char the corn directly on the grill over high heat.  Remove the corn and using a chef's knife, slice the kernels off and reserve in a medium sized bowl.  Drain the black beans in a colander and add to the corn.  Add the lime juice and chopped cilantro.  Season with salt and pepper and hold to the side.

For the pickled red onions, chop off the ends and cut in half, slicing the onion into thin half moons.  Place the onions in a large mason jar along with the whole cilantro, half jalapeno, and coriander seeds and hold to the side.  Pour the vinegar and lime juice in a small pot, adding the salt and sugar and heat over medium/low heat until the salt and sugar dissolve.  Pour the vinegar into the jar with the onions and allow them to sit for thirty mins before using.

To assemble, warm the tortillas either in the oven or in a skillet with a small amount of oil. Add the chicken and corn salad, topping with the cotija or goat cheese and garnishing with the jalapeno rings and pickled onions.

Recipe by David Ferguson

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