Mission: Cook! (5 page)
Ideally
you can make the red pepper coulis the day before or earlier in the day of the dinner.
Place the peppers in a roasting pan and roast in a preheated 450-degree oven, checking every 15 minutes and turning them with tongs until the skin is fully wrinkled and charred black.
Put the charred peppers into a bowl filled with a couple of inches of ice water. Once they are cooled, you can use your fingers to quickly slip off and discard the skins of the peppers whilst they are in the water. Immediately transfer the stillwarm peppers to a plate, then peel away any remnants of the charred skins. You will be left with beautifully cooked red peppers with a wonderful color.
In the blender, combine the peppers with the shallot, garlic, V-8 juice, and balsamic vinegar. Blend these until a smooth consistency is achieved, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
(If the coulis looks too “wet,” you could tighten the mix by returning it to a pan and adding cornstarch until it reaches a thicker, smoother consistency.)
If necessary, strain the sauce so there are absolutely no lumps present and set aside.
About
1 hour before the dinner, you can make the grits as follows: In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, bring the milk and stock to a boil, quickly lower the heat to a simmer, and whisk in the grits. Keep stirring until the mixture becomes smooth; add the cheeses, and allow them to fully blend in with the grits before you taste and season, to account for the saltiness of the cheeses. Cover the pot and set the burner on very low whilst the grits mixture cooks for 20 minutes. Remove from the burner; it will hold its heat for a while and is easy to reheat when you need it.
To
make the Creole-style red snapper, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Wash the fish and pat it dry. Place all of the dried spices and the salt together in a plastic bag, place the fish in the bag, and coat the fish with the spices, pressing firmly to adhere the spices to the fish. Shake the excess spices from the fish.
In a large, nonstick sauté pan, add some grapeseed oil, and when it begins to smoke, place the fish in the pan, skin side up, and cook for a couple of minutes until golden brown. Flip and finish in the oven for a further 2 to 3 minutes, and remove it to rest for 5 to 8 minutes. (Please
don't
overcook the fish. When you touch the flesh and it springs back, it is done! Remember, it will continue to cook after you remove it from the oven.)
PRESENTATION
To plate this dish I would use a large bowl. Begin by placing some of the grits in the middle, then position the fish on top and drizzle the coulis around the fish. Garnish liberally with the scallions.
SERVES 6
FOR THE SWEET CORN AND POTATO HASH
½ cup grapeseed oil
1 large red onion, diced
2 freshly chopped garlic cloves
½ pound fresh corn kernels, about 2 ears (Do not use canned cornâit becomes gummy. Frozen fresh corn can be used, however.)
1 pound (about 4 medium) diced potatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tomato (centers removed), diced
3 ounces Boursin cheese or goat cheese
¼ cup chopped fresh chives
FOR THE MERLOT REDUCTION
3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 tablespoon (1 to 2 cloves) chopped fresh garlic
2 finely diced shallots, or
1 white onion, finely diced
Any meat trimmings from the beef
½ 750-mL bottle of nice Merlot
½ pint (1 cup) strong beef stock or demi-glace
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter
FOR THE BLACKENING SEASONING
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon curry powder
1 tablespoon ground fennel seed
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon onion powder
FOR THE BEEF
Six 4-ounce beef tenderloins (filets mignon)
1
/
8
cup grapeseed oil
FOR THE RED CARROT AND ASPARAGUS GARNISH
1
/
8
cup grapeseed oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
12 asparagus stalks
3 red carrots, peeled and cut
lengthwise
into quarters
Six fresh sage leaves
EQUIPMENT
A 3- or 4-inch-diameter circular pastry cutter
This was the main course at the charity Oscars party held by Children Uniting Nations.
We will begin with the items that take the longestâlike the hash and the sauceâsince, as chefs, we prepare in advance. So please remember, so can you!
The
hash can be prepared the day before and simply reheated when needed.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
In a large skillet, add ¼ cup oil and get the pan warm (over medium-low heat) on the stovetop. Add the onion, garlic, and corn kernels. Sauté together until the corn feels cooked to the bite, about 5 minutes. Then, set aside.
In a large bowl, toss the diced potatoes with the remaining ¼ cup oil and season them with salt and pepper to taste.
It is important that the potatoes are very dry
(place the potatoes on paper towels to absorb moisture),
and that they get a nice even coating of oil.
Place them onto a large roasting tray.
Top the potatoes with the sautéed corn and onion mixture, and place in the oven to cook. This should take 30 to 45 minutes at 375 degrees (some ovens may need longer than others).
Just before serving, mix in the diced tomatoes and chopped chives, and crumble the goat cheese.
If you have prepared this dish in advance, please reserve the tomatoes and goat cheese until the last minute, after you have reheated the hash.
Adjust the seasoning (using salt and pepper as needed). Keep in a warm place until needed.
The merlot reduction also can be prepared the night before if you want to save time. Some sauces (like this one) actually benefit from sitting overnight; it enhances their depth of flavor.
In a large saucepan, add the oil, and sauté the garlic and shallots over gentle heat until translucent. (If you have any trimmings of meat, you could add them at this time.)
Deglaze the pan with the wine, and add the beef stock and fresh herbs.
Allow this mixture to reduce. It could take 20 to 30 minutes (sometimes longer) at a rolling boil, uncovered.
You want the liquid to evaporate down to about
1
/
3
of what you started with. By reducing this liquid, you are intensifying the flavor.
Once you have reduced the liquid to the required volume, remove from the heat, whisk in the whole stick of butter, and allow to rest.
Just before plating, strain the sauce through a chinois (a conical strainer) or some cheeseclothâso you can remove all the vegetables and herbsâgiving you a smooth, silky sauce fit for a king!
Now we have the hash and the sauce done; the beef is next!
Preheat
the oven to 375 degrees.
Mix all the seasoning ingredients together; set aside and keep dry until needed.
Take the beef filets and dip just one side of the meat into the seasoning mixture.
In a heavy-bottomed, oven-safe sauté pan, add just enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan and heat on medium high heat to the smoking point.
The pan has to be hot, otherwise you will not be able to blacken the filets.
Also, start heating a medium saucepan of water to boiling so you can blanch the asparagus and carrots.
When the sauté pan is hot, place the dipped filets coated side down, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until they achieve a blackened look without being burnt (which will taste bitter). It is best to leave the filets undisturbed for the first 2 minutes (in other wordsâ¦no peeking) to allow the seasoning to integrate into the surface of the meat and prevent it from “crusting off.”
Turn the filets after the first 2 minutes or so, and when they look “blackened, not burnt,” continue the searing process on the other (unseasoned) side of the filets for another 2 to 3 minutes. Using the same pan in which you blackened them, place the steaks into the preheated oven. Cook the filets a further 6 to 8 minutes in the oven (depending on the thickness of the steaks). Remember, the times given in any recipe are relative, because only you know your oven.
Whilst the steaks are cooking in the oven, blanch the asparagus and carrots in the boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes and drain.
In another sauté pan, heat the grapeseed oil for the vegetables and add the butter. Sauté the asparagus and carrots until tender (along with the sage leaves). Discard the sage leaves after cooking.
Remove the steaks from the oven and let rest. (Remember, the meat will continue to cook for another 5 minutes as it rests.
PRESENTATION
Plating is very simple. Take the potato hash (now heated and mixed with the tomatoes and cheese) and, using a 3- to 4-inch-diameter circular pastry cutter as a mold for neat edges, fill the cutter with hash in the center of each plate. Place the filet on top of each of your “circles,” and lay the asparagus and carrots (2 lengths of each per plate) flat on the plate, and drizzle with the great aromatic Merlot sauce.
Bon appétit!
SERVES 6
FOR THE SOUFFLÃ
6 egg yolks
½ cup light corn syrup
1 cup sugar
¼ cup vanilla yogurt
1½ cups heavy cream
¼ cup Grand Marnier (you can purchase the 50-mL “airplane-sized” bottle)
1
/
8
cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about ½ of a fresh lemon)
¼ cup cocoa powder (for dusting)
FOR THE MACERATED FRUITS
¼ cup blueberries
¼ cup sliced raspberries (slicing the raspberries initiates the maceration process by causing the berries to release their natural juices)
2 tablespoons mint
½ cup raspberry sauce (ice cream topping from a jar, optional, for a sweeter taste)
EQUIPMENT
A double boiler
A sugar thermometer (candy thermometer)
Six 4-ounce soufflé dishes
Parchment paper
An electric mixer
This is best when allowed to set overnight.
PREPARATION AND COOKING TIME
About 30 minutes to prepare and cook the soufflé
At least 4 hours or overnight to allow the soufflé to set in the freezer
With
this method of soufflé making, there is no water-bath cooking as with soufflés that are unmolded, nor is there any fear of a hot soufflé falling! Also, it can be done as early as 2 days ahead.
Begin by lightly greasing six 4-ounce soufflé dishes with a little butter. Then, using parchment paper, cut 6 strips, each about 10 inches long by 2¼ inches wide. Place one of these into each soufflé dish, bringing the ends of
each paper strip together to form a circle that “lines” the edge of each dish and protrudes at least
3
/
4
inch above its rim. The butter will help hold these edgeliners in place. The idea is that you will be able to fill the dish with soufflé mix to a level
above the lip
of the container (the way we visualize soufflés), so that when the soufflé is set, the paper is removed for a beautiful presentation.
Combine the egg yolks, corn syrup, and ¼ cup of the sugar into a bowl, and stir over a double boiler. (Do not allow any water to splash into this bowl.)
