Side Dish's

A few seasonal side dish's, I have photos to post in a bit. Romensco: Sautee Shallot and Garlic Confit, maybe 2 to 3 pieces. Then add floweretes (raw) and cook for 20 seconds. Finish with Salt, Pepper, 1/2'd cherry tomatoes, julieened smoked red peppers. Kale: Sesame OIl, salt, pepper and dates. Heat the 4 previous and then ad kale, which has been cleaned and cut into desired shapes. Finish with Miso Sauce and sesame seeds. Squash: We are using butternut now but any will do. The sqaush are previously peeled and roasted. To finish dish, using slab bacon, cut a bit into cubes a bit smaller than your squash. When rendered add squash, sage butter and maple syrup. Topping for Roasted Chicken: This is a cold "salad" with maybe only 1 tsp or so added to the top of each dish. Olive Oil, confit garlic, chickpeas, salt, pepper, olives and lemon peel confit. The olives used now are green but any will do, as long as they are seeded and sliced. Cauliflower: Shallot, Chickpea, Caper, salt and pepper, sautted and then add curried roasted cauliflower flowerets and some torn cilantro at the very end. The cauliflower is cooked previously, again, broken into flowerets of desired size, tossed of with oil, curry powder, salt, pepper and sugar. Roast in hot oven for 10 minutes rotating pan until just cooked through. Chicken Spice: Chili Flake, Bay Leaves, Salt and Pepper, Smoked Paprika. Grind seperatly in spice grinder. This spice mix is used to season the 1/2 roasted chicken served durring dinner services.

Caramelized Onions (my recipe)

20 to 25 Yellow spanish onions, peeled and juliened 1/2 lb soft butter 1/2 cup Olive oil Cook the onions in the butter and oil with sugar, salt and pepper slowly for 8 to 10 hours in a heavy bottomed rondo continually stirring with a wodden spoon. Once the onions are the color and consistency you want finish with 2 tsp red wine vinegar or as I prefer, sherry vinegar. Let drain in perferated pan, cool on rack and use accordingly. These can be used for lot's of dishs but mainly used in the breakfast potatoes to be listed here shortly.

Ilena Vanilla Bean Ice Cream Base

12 egg yolks 11 oz sugar 3 cups milk 3 cups cream 2 vanilla beans, scraped. In a double boiler add egg yolks, sugar and milk along with vanilla and wisk until softened and pale in coloer. Cook to 175 degrees wisking the entire time so eggs to not cook beyond. Remove from heat, slowly temper in the cream and cool on ice bath.

Apple Squash Butter

1 gallon of Apple juice reduced to almost syrup consistency. You can add cinnamon, cloves, ect, even a few peppercorns. While reduction is working allow 3 lbs of butter to soften. Place butter into kitchen aid and whip until soft, adding the cooled reduction, sea salt and whatever other ingredients you want to use. This is what we are using as one of the three butters going to all tables right now.

Sweet Biscuts for Brunch

6 cup AP flour, 2 TB Baking powder, 2 TB Sugar, 2 tsp Salt, 3 tsp Vinegar 1 1/2 cups butter 2 cups Milk Sift dry together. Cut in butter. Make well, add vinegar and milk, bring together and then roll out to 1 inch thick. Cut and bake at 430 degrees for 10 to 13 minutes. Do not over mix. Also, once you've add'd your milk and vinear, you may roll into a ball and place in refrigerator for 40 minutes to solidify a bit.

Waffle's

10 eggs 9 cup milk 1 2/3 cup Blended Oil 10 cups AP Flour 5 TB Baking Powder 1 2/3 cup Sugar 1 tsp salt 1/2 vanilla bean scraped. Cook at setting 4.5 for exactly 4 minutes. You must make sure to brush with either clarified butter or non stick of some sort. To make batter: Mix wet ingredients Mix dry ingredients Gently fold in together, DO NOT OVER MIX, the batter should be a bit lumpy. Make fresh before service. The above makes 20 waffles.

Bun Recipe

3 cups warm milk 1 1/2 cup of soft butter 3/4 cup sugar 6 eggs 4 1/2tsp Salt 12 cup AP Flour 5 tsp Instant Dry Yeast Bloom together the warm milk, sugar and yeast. Add egg and softened butter in hobart mixer with dough hook. Slowly add flour and salt and mix for 5 to 8 minutes on low speed. To Cook: Portion into 85 gram buns, 15 per sheet tray (Large). Let rise 1 to 2 hours covered with oiled plastic wrap so that it does not stick. Bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees and rotate for another 10 until evenly browned again. This is done in our oven number (4). Recipe makes 40 bun's

Focaccia Bread

2oz Instant Dry Yeast 2 1/2 cups warm water (Mix and Bloom for a few minutes) 11 lbs AP Flour 1/3 cup salt 1/4 cup sugar 8 cups water 1 cup honey 1 1/2 cups olive oil We can cut this in 1/2's after being made, 1/2 to be baked today, the other covered in cooler until tomorrow. This recipe will make 2 full sheet trays (4 1/2's) After yeast and water are together, add flour, salt, sugar, the remaining water, honey and finally olive oil. (This recipe is very basic and can have herbs and or any other ingredients added) Once dough is finished in hobart, place out onto the correct amount of sheet trays with parchment paper and olive oil. You will have to press the dough out once or twice while it rises which takes 1 to 2 hours maximum. Before cooking brush or spray with more olive oil, black pepper and sea salt. 475 degree in our oven number (3) for 15 min, then turn for another 15 minutes, and once again until evenly browned on the top. Let cool on racks before cutting.

Fried Chicken

chickin wing idea

I've posted lots of "wings" exspecially the asian ones with hoison and chili. Last week when I did them, after a light smoke I had them confit'd in duck fat till very soft. Let them cool down so they are managable and then to the plancha under a brick. Awesome, blows the baked ones away. Never again!!

Images of restaurant

Myself, the small kitchen and the bottles of Jameson each table brings as "tradition". Needless to say after 20 or 30 bottles a night, a dish needs to be composed to use "some" because it can't be all drank every night...

Thai "Soup"

soup in a petri dish. This is chef's version of a Thai soup made with kappa and iota carrageenan to create a smooth gel texture. The tiny mushrooms were half pickeled half poached. Also pickled basil seeds that resemble caviar.

Salmon Roe

Salmon Roe with Lavander and "Fritters". A salmon "broth" base topped with Roe and Lavender Foam we made out of Lavander Oil. Several fritters on the side for a bit of texture.

this is the base dish for the salmon entree. wasnt able to get a photo of finished plate but this is it without the fish. the salmon is cooked sous vide at 114 and dropped into bath as soon as order comes in. the plate has a candied crapefruit, some black toasted seaweed and a grapefruit jus. when the salmon comes out of the sous vide it is flaked and placed in three spots on the plate. then on top of the fish is a grapefruit supreme salad made of supreme's. chives, olive oil and a touch of sugar water.

Foie gras dish, Apricot and Brioche

More Tagliatelle Prep

More images of Tagliatelle dish. You can see the apples and broth of them, celery leaves, fresh black truffle off microplane.

Celery Root Tagliatelle

. Celery Root "Tagliatelle" served with Apples and Truffle

Orange Lavendar Vinaigrette and Corriander Crust for Tuna Loin

This is the dressing I am thinking of using on the Tuna dish later on this week.
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup honey
2TB Fresh orange juice
1TB lavander leaves
1tsp dry mustard
1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Blend all ingredients together except for the olive oil. Once all are mixed well, slowly all the olive oil while whisking or using blender on low/medium setting being careful to not make the mixture to hot or the emulsification will break/seperate.
For the Corriander Crust:
4TB Corriander seeds
2TB White Peppercorns
Coarse Sea Salt
Toast the corriander seeds and peppercorns until fragrant. Cool and grind in spice grinder. Add salt to taiste.

Blackberry Duck Glaze and Truffled Honey Glaze

1 cup of Fresh or frozen Blackberries
2TB Hoison Sauce
3TB Vermouth
Place all in a heavy bottom pot and reduce to conistency.
For the Truffled Honey Glaze:
1 bottle nice honey with a neutral flavor.
2 to 3TB Chopped Black Winter Truffles
1/2tsp Black truffle oil
Combine all ingredients in bowl and mix together with a wisk. This glaze does not need to be cooked and is ready to be brushed onto proteins as soon as it's been put together. Though it is nice to let the mixture sit for a day or two, the flavors come together much nicer if you have the time.

Pickled Asian Pear Migonette Recipe

2 Asian Pears peeled and diced small (brunoise)
6 TB Sugar
2 1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 cup Rice Vinegar
1 cup Hot Water from the tap
Once the pears have been cut into desired size mix with all remaining ingredients which will be hot from the water. This is fine and will help to bring in more flavor quickly to help from the pear turning brown. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or until chilled. Place a small amount, 1/2 tsp on top of each shucked oyster and serve immediatly.

More Ideas for upcomming taisting...

Would like to do something with beef, was thinking possibly a hanger steak and also a slow cooked poached/fried egg. The egg dish generally I do with with frisee and bacon vinaigrette but this time I was thinking something more along the lines of serving the egg either with Asparagus or on top of seared Wagyu Beef "Sukiyaki Style".
For the Egg:
Cook in a water bath completly covering the eggs at 140 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes. You can do the in the alto sham and that's how we've always done them, but also can do them on the stove top if you have a thermometer to place in the water and keep an eye on them. Once the eggs are cooked we place them in a water bath to chill them down. Once they are cool enough to work with they are cracked and placed in small ramekins where they will be dredged in seasoned flour, dipped in whipped eggs and finally into a mix of panko that has been spiced. Gently fry them in hot oil at 325 for 2 minutes or less, just until crispy and golden brown, season immediatly when they come out. Be care to not over cook them, the egg should be runny on the inside and when broken on the plate become part of the dressing or sauce that is always exciting.
For the Hanger Steak idea I had thought about making it into one of the large plates and serve it Ssam style, with different dipping sauces and bib lettuce. The steak needs to be marinated in red wine for several hours before being seasoned and seared on a very hot grill. Cook 4 to 5 minutes until medium rare and remove from grill. Let rest for at LEAST five minutes if not longer before slicing thin biased cuts.

Ideas for 22nd Febuary

There has to be:
2 hot small plates
2 cold small plates
2 hot large plates
All the dish's have to fit into the idea of the restaurant, this is what is so far.
For the small hot:
Chicken Wings with Pickled Red Thai Chili's, Soy and Scallions
Truffled Honey Glazed Duck Breast with Orange Supreme and Bok Choy or Blackberry Hoison Glazed Duck Breast with Cummin Braised Carrot Puree
For the small cold:
Oysters with Asian Pear Mignonette
Ceviche or Tartar
Sea Scallops or Fluke with Buttermilk, Soy and Poppy seeds

For the large hot:
Corriander Crusted Tuna Loin with Orange and Lavander Vinaigrette
Asian Risotto with Shrimp, Basil, Shiso and Yuzu
White Asparagus with Foig Gras, Tripple Creme St. Andre Cheese and Custard baked in Puff Pastry

Maybe also as a starter:
Idaho Potato Chips with Shichimi Spice (Chinese 7 spice)
For the 7 Spice:
2TB Black Peppercorns
1TB Dried Orange Peel
1TB Ground Red Chili
2tsp flaked Nori
2tsp Black Sesame Seed
2tsp White Poppy Seeds
2tsp Minced Garlic
Combine all and grind in coffee or spice grinder.

Chicken Wings

First the sauce:
1 quart Mirin reduced by 2/3rd.
2 TB roasted garlic

Tara base (3/4 cup sake, 1 and 1/3 cup mirin, 3 TB sugar, 1 1/3 cup shoyu)
For the Tara cook the sake and mirin together, reducing then add sugar and cook some more. Add Chicken wings with the Shoyu and cook for 10 minutes.

For the other option:
Reduce the Mirin with the garlic until amber in color and add Tara. Again reduce to desired consistency.

Along with the sauce you will need:
Pickled red chilie's, (red) sliced very thin, removing as many seeds as possible.
Scallions, sliced thin on just a small bias.
The chicken wings, broken down into three parts, discard the tips, leaving the drumstick and "upper part connecting to breast" are to be smoked at a very low temperature. Once they have been smoked and the sauce is done, chill both.
For service, take 7 to 8 wings and place on hot plancha. Press with a heavy block, the idea is to get enough color on them to help overcome the smoke. Once they are cooked through and have the desired appearance, place in a sautee pan with the sauce that has been heated and toss quickly, just before platting add fresh scallions and chili's.
So this recipe really is two different ones, one using the amber colored reduction of Mirin, scallions and chili's. The other using the Tare as the liquid. When I've done the recipe before I always used the first method, using the tare just at the end of the mirin and garlic reduction for consistency and flavor.

Ginger Emulsion

This is the sauce for Hamachi that can be lightly seared or served raw.
2 TB Ketchup
1 tsp Reduced Balsamic Vinegar
1 tsp Soy Sauce
1/3 qt fresh tomato water
Fresh Ginger juice to finish

In a small heavy bottomed pot reduce the ketchup so that most of the liquid is gone, being careful to not over cook it. This is just to remove some of the natural water and provide the base for the sauce. Once the ketchup is reduced add 1tsp Balsamic and reduce to sec. Add soy sauce and do the same until sec. Once complete emulsify 1/2lb fresh unsalted butter over low heat. Once all the butter has been added, use the tomato water to gain the dessired consistency and finally finish with fresh ginger juice. Once the ginger has been added, DO NOT cook or reduce any more. Salt and Pepper if desired. We used to froth the emulsion right before platting to make a "cloud" or foam from the sauce which we then placed right on top of the sliced hamachi so that there wouldnt be a sauce running all over the plate. Depending on what your going for, refined or natural either way works great.

Dashi "Sauce"

1 qt Dashi Broth
1 TB Truffle Pate
Slurry with Kuzu
Bring to boil, simmer a few moments and remove from heat.
This is the standard, with the dashi containing Kelp, Bonito flakes, Soy Sauce, Evian Water and Mirin (japanese wine).
This recipe works very well with Cod and Baby Vegetables. The kuzu could be replaced with corn starch if not available but not recomended as the kuzu keeps the liquid clear and clean rather than cloudy and chalky.
Also called "Truffled Dashi".