Local Ramps from Catskills and Soft Shells from down south. We use the ramps on a lot of different dish's, and besides using them fresh, over the next couple of weeks we will be pickling a lot of them for use later on in the summer when they are not around anymore.
We worked with 20 dozen soft shells that came in to the restaurant today. Same prep as last week, tartare sauce and baby frisee. Also, nice baby vegetables are here, lot's of foie gras prep (today we cleaned, marinated and poached the torcheons. tomorrow we will finish off the gastrique of strawberry) for mothers day on sunday and, Wild Atlantic King Salmon with Leeks and Citrus Bur Blanc. Really wonderful fish, very easy to over cook, and is horid when it is. So, MR on all orders! For the sauce we used some of the fish fumet for extra flavor. Leeks are an idea of Kellers, we probably will change this one up for tomorrow night service.
New Duck dish with confit of Porcini mushrooms and baby bok choy. Sauce is a duck gastrique with blood oranges. Also new Tuna dish tonight. Friday we bought a whole baby tuna from our friends at Gotham and this was one of the specials we ran. Pickled ramps, wild mushrooms, lemon zest, reduced sherry vinegar.
Soft Shells are back in season here in the city. We worked with them all week and will continue to use these lovely creatures over the course of the next month and a half. Tonight served with Tartare Sauce and Frisee. The tartare is made from Lime Aoili, boiled egg yolks/whites, cornichons, capers and parsley. Frisee salad with Red Pepper Relish and Mache. The crab's are cleaned and then fried in tempura batter. I love fried soft shell crabs with tartare sauce.
Roasted Baby Beet Salad with Goat Cheese, Filberts, Mache, Walnut and Sherry Vinaigrette.
Wild Stripped Bass Tartare with Ginger, Arugula and Tomatoes. We used a ginger oil combined with jalapeno, mint and lemon juice to marinate the bass. Salad on top is dressed with Mache, Frisee and an aoili made from Harissa and fresh Lemon.
Roasted Sea Scallops with Sunchoke and Lemon. We made the Sunchoke three ways. Puree, Chip and Sauce with White Truffle, sauteed watercress and mache.
Wild Bass with Bok Choy and Carrots. We infused 1/2 the carrot's glazed with cardamom and sugar with Lecithin. The other half went through the vita prep.
Roasted Cod with Smoked Cauliflower, Arugula and Truffles. We smoked the cauliflower on very low heat to retain color, puree'd in vita prep and seasoned. Veal jus reduced with black truffle peelings and thyme for the sauce.
New Loup Prep. Shaved Fennel, Tomato Confit, Fennel Pollen and Fonds. Meyer Lemon, Olive Oil and Fleur de Sel. Probably going to be our new spring bass prep.
Braised Veal Breast with Crispy Polenta. This week we worked with veal breast in a different way. Off the bone, pressed and cut into rounds on top of crisp polenta. 6 cups stock, 5 cups water, chive, butter and marscapone. Sauteed' leeks with champagne.
Striped Bass with Idaho Potatoes and Scallions. Dressing is fresh tarragon, meyer lemon juice and zest, green peppercorns, olive oil and honey.
Braised Veal Breast with Baby Bok Choy and Thyme. Instead of braising and breaking down the breast we decided to roll with it whole. Going to do the same tonight. The veal is braised in thyme, white wine, apple juice, veal stock and mire poix. Baby Bok Choy, Idaho potatoes and fresh thyme.
Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras with Fennel, Grapefruit and Brioche. We had some nice ruby red grapfruit and wanted to pair that with foie gras. Half of the grapfruit's were juiced and then reduced with champagne vinegar and sugar, emulisified with butter to flatten out the bitterness. The other half were made into supremes and rind. The dish is flavored with fennel pollen, zest of grapefruit and fleur de sel.
New Salmon Tartare Prep. Cucumbers marinated in sesame oil and siracha. Salmon is seasoned with fresh lemon, soy, honey, dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Seaweed salad and crispy Idaho potatoes.
We use a lot of scallops at the restaurant. Every week we try to come up with several new ideas, but recently I have been always comming back to this dish. The celery root works very well with both scallops and caviar. In the past we have done this with a pineapple puree, but since it's winter time we will stick with the citrus fruits. Seared Sea Scallops with Celery Root, Meyer Lemons, Fennel and Caviar. Remoulade of Aoili, Lemon, Mustard and Champagne Vinegar. Salad of Celery hearts, Dill and Chervil.
