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Dear reader…
The following recipes are from years of putting pen to paper, or today, fingertips on a keyboard (1-2 at a time). The recipes are not just a matter of measuring, but also small anecdotes of where, when and why they were cooked. Not all recipes are invented by me, but dishes that were cooked with care, and a passion for the trade. Many of the recipes to follow have seasonal inspirations, as well as daily challenges from awesome people like yourself who were craving a specific dish.
Enjoy….
Green Garlic Soup with Fava Beans
Serves 4
Green garlic is a fantastic product when available which is in the spring before the garlic starts scaping. It’s easy to mistake for green onion or spring onions. Many farmers will sell them as they thin out their garlic plants, allowing the remaining plants to grow larger and more freely. Green garlic is much more mild in flavor than regular garlic. So I like to add a few more mature garlic cloves as well.
The garnish of fava beans makes this dish, which is great on and around spring and Easter season. Braised lamb shanks would be a great second course with this soup.
Ingredients:
● 24 green garlic stems, white part only, cut into 1-inch pieces
● 2 leeks, white part only, cut into 1-inch pieces
● 1 diced onion
● 10 cloves of garlic, smashed
● 1 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled
● 1 bouquet garni*
● 1.5 qt. rich chicken stock
● 1.5 cups heavy cream
● 1 stick butter
Melt the butter in a pot, add the onion, garlic, leeks and green garlic, and let simmer for 2 minutes. Add the potatoes, chicken stock and bouquet garni. Allow the soup to simmer for 30 minutes until potatoes are cooked. Using an immersion or regular blender, puree the soup, then force the soup thru a chinois*. Bring the soup to simmer, then stir in the heavy cream.
Garnish:
● 1 cup of cooked fresh fava beans (or frozen if fresh is not available)
● 1 bunch of garlic chives, cut thinly ACROSS
● EVOO drizzle
● Fresh black pepper
Warm the fava beans in a little of the soup, just to remove the chill of the cooked beans. Divide the heated fava beans among four soup bowls. Ladle the hot soup into bowls. Sprinkle the garlic chives into each and drizzle with EVOO, finishing with a few turns of fresh black pepper.
Sauteed Celeriac, Brown Butter and Forest Mushrooms
Serves 4
I think it’s appropriate to mention vegetable dishes when Riesling is the choice of drink. I especially like earthy and rich flavors in vegetable only dishes. I use butter in the dish, but if you want to make it a vegan dish, use olive oil instead of butter.
The Celeriac:
● 1 celeriac root/bulb
● bouquet garni*
● 1 cup mirepoix* of carrots, onion and celery
● 1 cup white wine
● 1 stick of butter
● zest from 1 lemon
● 1 oz sherry vinegar
Start a court bouillon* with water, wine, bouquet garni and vegetables.
Scrub the celery with a rough brush, under running cold water, making sure all dirt and grime has been removed. Cut four slices 1/2-inch thick, cooking them gently in the court bouillon for 5-6 minutes until tender, then remove from the bouillon and pat them dry.
In a sauté pan, melt the butter, let it froth and become light brown, place the celiac inside the pan, let the celeriac brown lightly, flip them. Do not burn the butter.
Once cooked/browned on both sides, place them each on serving plates, deglaze the pan with sherry vinegar, lemon zest and 1/2 cup of court bouillon. Set aside.
The mushrooms:
I chose the word forest for the mushrooms, only because all mushrooms will qualify for this dish. In the fall when they start to flourish many varieties become available, and I like porcinis/cepes, cremini, chanterelles, morels and oyster, which are fairly small mushrooms that will cook after 3-4 minutes in a pan.
● 1 stick of butter
● 1 finely chopped shallot
● 1 lbs fresh mushrooms of your choice, or a mix
● 1/4 cup chiffonade* of celery leaves
● Salt and fresh black pepper
Clean and pat dry the mushrooms, then cut into bite-size pieces if needed (remember they will shrink 20 percent after cooking). In a sauté pan, melt the butter, let it froth and become light brown, add the mushrooms, and sauté until cooked, about 4-5 minutes. Remove them from the pan, and add them into a small mixing bowl, with the raw shallot, celery greens, and salt and pepper to taste.
Spoon the mushroom mixture onto the celeriac slices. Spoon the butter sauce from the sauteed celeriac on top of the mushrooms.
Steak au “Poivre”
Serves 4
This was a dish featured on the menu when I served my apprenticeship. It took a while before upper echelon permitted me to actually cook the steak/beef.
Preparing the pepper paste for the dish was apprentice work, tedious and boring, but in my mind important.
Recipes will use cracked black pepper for the dish, but I remain in favor of a pickled green peppercorn paste. They are bought in a small can. Opened, brine poured off, peppercorn placed on a cutting board and smushed/smeared/crushed with a knife into a paste, then mixed with softened butter, to create a spread for the steak, I have added cracked black pepper to this paste on numerous occasions, but I remain in favor of the more “clean” version of the “crust”.
It can be debated if a “Filet Mignon” is the right choice of protein, or should it be a New York strip steak. I vote for the latter, simply because the “pepper crust” will stay tasty and not burned because the protein is “thinner” versus thicker, demanding more cooking time.
The best part of the Au Poivre dish is the flambéing and the mushrooms smothering the dish.
Ingredients:
● 4 oz of pickled green peppercorn
● 2 sticks of butter, softened ( 8 oz )
Drain the pickle juice from the can, place the peppercorn in a bowl/cutting board or pestle, combine it with the softened butter to make a paste, season with a bit of salt if you think needed.
● 4 New York strip steaks, 16 oz each
● 3 cups of quartered cremini mushrooms
● 1/2 cup good cognac
● 1/2 cup whipping cream
● 1 cup rich veal stock (demi glaze)
● salt and black pepper
Preheat 2 x 12-14 inch cast iron pans to a medium to hot temperature.
Place the steak on a surface [before cooking] then smear on the pepper mixture/butter on each side.
Lay them gently into the hot skillet, let the pepper mixture brown, do not let it burn, just brown and create a nice/pleasant crust onto the steak, flip the steak once a proper sear has been achieved, and repeat the process on the other side.
Once browned, remove steaks. Pan should be “happy” and ready for the cremini mushrooms; add them and let them sauté for 4-5minutes, let them become succulent. Place the steaks on top of them, add the cognac to the pan, let the pan “catch fire” to burn off the alcohol, but let the pan with mushrooms and meat simmer for a minute.
Keep flipping the steak to let the juice travel, add the demi glace along with the cream, let it cook/reduce for a minute or 2. Remove the steaks, flipping them, finish the sauce and adjust the flavor with salt and pepper.
I hope I have inspired you to have a bit of fun, maybe challenge a dusty pot and pan to return to the stove. Otherwise, call 305-663-2100 for reservations.
Jan Jorgensen, Two Chefs Restaurant
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