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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….
Duck Confit Hash and Fried Egg
Serves 4
Years ago at Speedo 690, my first job in San Francisco, Jeremiah Tower, the overlooked, but truly legendary chef who put Chez Panisse on the map before anyone had ever heard of Alice Waters, decided that a brunch needed to be added to the menu. The best pancakes and waffles were created, but the challenge of a good hash had to be tackled. We decided that duck was the direction we would take this humble diner staple. There was already duck confit on the menu, so we were already halfway there. We would confit our own duck legs rather than buy them, and while not a difficult task, it is a process that requires attention, care and knowhow. Today, duck confit can be easily found in virtually any market, though it used to be considered quite exotic. But if you have leftovers from a roasted duck, pick the bones and use those.
Ingredients:
• 1 cup picked cooked/confit duck meat (shredded and roughly diced)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 cup of boiled potatoes (I like Yukon Gold) cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1 scallion, sliced thinly
• 1/8 cup roughly chopped parsley
• 1 stick butter
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
• small pinch of Cayenne pepper
• 1 cup of Panko breadcrumbs
In a pan saute the chopped onions in half the butter, add the garlic and ginger,
add the duck meat along with the rest of the ingredients, mix the mixture well, let the ingredients “find” each other, with the back of a spoon smash it all together to a chunky pasty consistency.
Transfer the mix to a bowl and refrigerate.
Divide the mix into 4 servings, mold the in a large ring mold to the size of an ice hockey puck, and place them in the breadcrumbs, press them into the crumbs.
In a cast iron pan melt the rest of the butter, let it froth a little, place the hash cakes into the butter and let them gently brown and reheat, once golden brown, flip them and finish on the reverse side [remember, all the ingredients are already cooked]…Remove from pan and set aside.
In a different pan, heat a splash of olive oil, crack 4 eggs into small ramekins, let the heat in the pan get a bit more than medium hot, lay down each egg in each corner, be careful, oil is hot, let the whites create a little crackle and pop, they will crispen a little, let them fry until done, place an egg on top of each duck hash and serve.
Spinach Soup with Poached Egg
Serves 4
I grew up with this soup. My mother would often make this dish for my father on Fridays when he would arrive home late after a long day at work. The rest of us had already eaten.
I introduced the soup at a lunch menu I cooked at Stars in San Francisco. At the time I had the privilege of working with Hung, a lovely man from China who knew how to work a set of cleavers as if he were playing a set of drums. What made the soup special that day was that Hung chopped the blanched spinach leaves tirelessly instead of blending them, in fact he chopped them into a fine paste which allowed the spinach to “paste” naturally, versus a blender that will tear the fibers in the leaves apart, which can result in bitter flavors. Although a blender is, of course, an option to make this soup, ultimately it is best if chopped by hand.
The soup is best made in the fall when the spinach is dark and full of flavor. When blanching the spinach make sure that the leaves are cooked.
Think of the soup as a 2 step process. Step 1: The spinach. Step 2: The veloute.
1 – 1.5 lbs of fresh spinach, stems removed
Blanch the spinach in lightly salted boiling water, making sure the spinach is cooked. Remove spinach and cool immediately in an ice bath. Drain spinach and pat very dry. Chop into a paste with Chinese cleavers (if you have them) or a large chef knife. Feel free to pretend you’re a drummer in your favorite rock band! Set aside. If you prefer not to play the drums, use a blender and blend until smooth, adding a little chicken stock if needed to get the blender going.
The Veloute (Soup):
• 1/2 stick of butter
• 1/2 cup of flour
• 1 – 1.5 qt of chicken stock
• 1 onion, cut into quarters
• 1 bayleaf
• freshly grated nutmeg
• 10 whole white or black peppercorns
• salt to taste
• lemon juice (optional)
Melt the butter in a medium pot. Stir in flour. Cook the flour in the butter a minute, add the chicken stock while stirring to prevent lumps from forming and flour from burning. Add onion, bay leaf, peppercorns and nutmeg, and reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes. Salt to taste.
Strain soup into a new pot, bring back to a light simmer, add the spinach paste and stir the soup, adjusting the flavor with salt and/or a small squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
Serve immediately with the poached egg in the middle.
4 eggs
To Poach an egg
Start with a large pot with three inches of water, a generous seasoning of salt and a Bouquet Garni. Let the water simmer for a few minutes, then remove the bouquet garni.
Add a splash of apple cider vinegar, and bring the pot to a gentle simmer.
Five minutes before serving, crack the eggs one at a time into a 4-oz ladle and gently lay ech into the poaching liquid — do not allow them to touch each other — stir/whirl the water gently, to help shape the eggs.
Poach for 2 1/2 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon.
Mississippi Mud Cake
Serves 8
I had literally just gotten off the plane when I first met Mississippi Mud Cake,
I was bored on a scheduled day off, but had been asked to work a private event,
Guests were late and i was bored.
My chef saw the look on my face, and gave me the recipe.. “Make this” he said,
I started measuring.. It seemed easy at first… But the outcome was far from “Muddy” , more gooey and doughy…Chef said, “Do it again,” and I did..
I was overthinking the recipe.. No, in fact I was not thinking at all , because I did not read the recipe before I started cooking.
Therefore, I urge you to make one of the best chocolate cakes ever, but, take a minute, read the recipe and do exactly as it reads..
I later added 2 & 2 together.. Mississippi Swamp and Mississippi Mud = Mississippi Mud Cake..
Ingredients:
• 2 cups of freshly brewed strong American coffee
• 1 cup good Bourbon whiskey
• 3 cups of sugar
• 3 cups of all purpose flour ( sifted )
• 2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
• 3 sticks of butter, cut into small pieces
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 4 whole eggs
• 1/2 tsp salt
In a large bowl combine hot coffee, bourbon, sugar and chocolate chips.
Place over a double boiler, mix with a whisk making sure that sugar and chocolate has melted ( dissolved ).
Whisk in / stir the butter a little at the time.
Sift flour, baking soda and salt onto a sheet tray.
In a separate bowl crack the eggs, set aside.
Remove the large bowl from the double boiler and add 1/2 of the flour mixture and mix with a whisk.
Add the eggs and mix… Then add the remaining 1/2 of the flour mixture and mix thoroughly into the batter..
Pour the batter into a buttered and sugared bundt pan, and bake for 45 – 60 minutes @ 300 F. In the middle of an oven on convection mode if available…
It’s a hard cake to check for doneness, because of it’s desired “muddy” texture.
But a crisp top with crips and sugary edges is a good sign that the cake is done.
I’m also a big fan of testing the cake with a wooden skewer to see the “mud” texture and feel the temperature on my lips… Which should feel hot at 300 F.
Remove cake from oven when done, and let rest inside the bundt pan at room temperature about 6-8 hours..
Flip out the cake and cut into wedges and serve ..
Serve with fresh whipped whip cream, chocolate ganache or ice cream
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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