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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….
Planning a menu for an upcoming party, this recipe served as inspiration to a dinner. Sea bass, being a sweetly succulent fish, is a favorite of many. Halibut is often served in its absence, but sea bass was the fish chosen in this following recipe.
Pan roasted sea bass with butternut squash cutlet and caper vinaigrette
Carving cutlet from a butternut squash is not new in my kitchen. Butternut squash has such a meaty and sweet texture that it really can stand on its own like this. By breading the squash, it stay’s crisp on the outside and soft and creamy on the inside when cooked.
The caper vinaigrette provides needed balance to the sweetness of the squash and sea bass.
Caper vinaigrette
2 red bell peppers
Salt and pepper to taste
1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
1/4 cup capers
3 shallots, chopped fine
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped
4 anchovy fillets
Juice from 1 lemon
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Brush the peppers with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place peppers on a roasting tray and roast them for about 20 minutes, turning as they get blackened. Place peppers into a paper bag, close the bag and let it cool.
Peel and seed them. Cut into 1/8 – inch dice. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the peppers, capers, shallots, chicken stock, parsley, anchovies, lemon and remaining olive oil. Set aside.
Sea bass and butternut squash cutlets
4 8 oz sea bass fillets, skin on and scored in a crosshatch pattern
4 1/4 – inch sliced butternut squash, from the top part
1 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups Japanese breadcrumbs (panko)
2 cups olive oil, divided
Salt and pepper to taste
Dredge the butternut squash slices in the flour, dip in the egg, roll each in the breadcrumbs. Cover the bottom of a large sauté pan with olive oil and heat over moderate heat. Gently sauté the cutlets on both sides until golden brown. Place them on a platter and season with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper. Set aside.
While squash is cooking, cover the bottom of a large skillet with olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add the sea bass (skin side down) being careful not to crowd the pan.
Do not move the sea bass until the skin has begun to caramelize and crisp 6-8 minutes. Turn the fillets over and cook over low heat for another 3-4 minutes.
Place a slice of the squash on a serving plate and gently place the sea bass on top. Spoon over the caper vinaigrette and serve immediately.
Trick of the trade
Remember, when sautéing fish, do not move it when the skin is face down. Its natural sugars are caramelizing, causing the outer portion to form a crisp coating while the juices remain inside the fish.
Following is a recipe that I think is probably one of the easiest dishes to cook and also the most wine friendly to eat.
I first cooked the dish at a wine lunch in San Francisco, if I remember correctly. It would have been The B.V vineyard, one of California’s finest.
Grilled chicken breast with roasted potatoes and garlic in the husk
I like to use the cut of the chicken that chefs call an A-line chicken breast. Taken from a fairly large bird, the skin is left on and the first joint of the wing bone from the breast is also left on.
Each breast weighs 12-14 oz. Ask your butcher to do this cut for you. Because of its size, it’s almost like a steak and can be treated like one.
4 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, skin left on, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 whole heads of garlic, cloves detached, husk left on
1 cup olive oil, divided
6 sprigs fresh thyme, roughly chopped
1 sprig rosemary, roughly chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Zest from 1 lemon, grated
4 chicken breasts, A-line, washed and dried
1 cup concentrated veal stock
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, combine the potatoes, garlic, salt and pepper. Add 1/2 cup of olive oil and 2/3 of the thyme and rosemary. Gently mix. Pour into a 9-by-13 baking dish, cover with foil and roast about 30 minutes. Check for doneness with a wooden skewer. Set aside, leave oven on.
In a small bowl combine the remaining thyme, rosemary, olive oil, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Add the chicken breasts, coating generously with the marinade, for about 30 minutes.
Prepare the grill. When grill is very hot, place the breasts on the grill rack. Let the breast skin turn crispy before turning, about 3-4 minutes. Using a metal spatula, turn the breast counter-clock wise 90 degrees and repeat process (this technique results in a nice checkered grill pattern).
When crisp, flip the breast over and repeat. Keep in mind that you’re not cooking the breast through; You’re simply searing and browning them to seal in the juices.
When thoroughly browned, remove breasts from grill and place them on top of the cooked potatoes, baking for another 10 minutes so they will brown and crisp.
The breasts should be firm and quite juicy.
Arrange the potatoes on a platter and place the chicken breasts on top. Add the veal stock to the roasting pan and return to oven to deglaze for about 10 minutes, scraping off residue (glaze). Ladle sauce over chicken. Serve immediately.
I created this dish after a local food writer visited a mushroom farmer in Homestead,
Florida, and told me about her experience. What was most interesting was that he finished the sauté of his prize-winning oyster mushrooms with a small drizzle of carrot juice. It highlights the flavor with just the right touch of sweetness.
Risotto with oyster mushrooms and carrot juice
2 lbs oyster mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced 1/4 – inch thick
1/4 cup carrot juice
2 cups arborio rice
3 cups chicken stock
1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
3 fresh shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
2 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley, chopped
Preheat a medium size sauté pan to medium heat and add enough olive oil to cover the bottom. Add the garlic, shallots and the oyster mushrooms and sauté for a couple of minutes. Add the rice and allow the juices to be absorbed. Add the chicken stock about 1/3 of a cup at a time, constantly stirring, for about 15-20 minutes. When rice is done, add the carrot juice, thyme and parsley. Taste for doneness and check for seasoning, adding salt and pepper if needed.
Spoon risotto onto serving plates, sprinkle with Reggiano and serve immediately.
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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