Tuna Sashimi Roll with Truffle
Ponzu
Chef
Jody Denton, Lulu and Azie, San Francisco, CA
Adapted by StarChefs
"This one certainly works for
my wife and me! There's something about the truffles
and the tuna and the soy together that just does it for
both of us. I should call it the cupid roll." -Chef
Jody Denton
2 Japanese cucumbers (thin skinned
and seedless)
1 ripe but firm avocado
8 shiso leaves (Shiso or perilla is relative of mint and basil. Use
mint if you can't find it.)
8 large basil leaves
1 tray radish sprouts
1/2 pound sashimi-quality tuna, cut into 5-inch x 1-inch strips
Using a sharp Japanese knife or
vegetable sheeting machine, cut the ends off of the cucumber
leaving about 5 inches in overall length. Peel. Then,
cut around the total length of the cucumber to create
a long, very thin sheet of cucumber.
Cut a length of cucumber sheet about
8 inches long. Lay the sheet out on a sushi-rolling mat.
Place 2 shiso leaves and 2 basil leaves across the width
of the cucumber sheet, about 2 inches from the bottom
end of the sheet.
Place two wedges of avocado on top
of the leaves, across the width of the cucumber. Lay
two small bunches of radish sprouts next to the avocado
with the tops extending beyond the edge of the cucumber
on both sides. Lay one of the strips of tuna down on
top of the radish sprouts. Roll the bottom edge of the
cucumber up and over the tuna and avocado. Pull back
toward the bottom to tighten the roll. Carefully roll
forward while gently pulling back to keep the roll tight,
all the way to the end of the cucumber.
Using a sharp Japanese knife, slice
the roll in half cross-wise and then slice each half
into 3 equal pieces. Arrange on a plate and top with
Truffle Ponzu Sauce.
Truffle Ponzu Sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons truffle oil
1 Tablespoon lime juice
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 Tablespoon shredded, dried bonito flakes
1 inch-square piece of dried kelp
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
2 teaspoons chopped black winter truffles
Whisk all ingredients together and serve immediately
Jumbo
Lump Crab Cakes with Carrot Butter Sauce
Chef Michael Schwartz, Atlantic-Bar Harbor, FL
Adapted by StarChefs
Ingredients:
1 pound jumbo lump crab meat
¼ pound butter
¼ cup heavy cream
3 Tablespoons shallots, minced
2 Tablespoons "panko" Japanese bread crumbs (7 halves of
Saltine crackers may be substituted)
1 teaspoon mustard powder
Pinch cayenne pepper
Scallion tops, chopped
Flour
Egg
Bread crumbs
Vegetable oil
Carrot butter sauce:
3 large carrots, sliced
¼ cup heavy cream
1 pound butter
Water
Sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
To prepare crab cakes: Sweat shallots
in butter and add cream.
Combine crab meat, panko (or Saltines),
mustard, cayenne, and scallions in a bowl and fold in
butter mixture. Let set in refrigerator. Form into 8
cakes. Whisk eggs; dust cakes lightly in flour, dip in
eggs, and coat with bread crumbs. Pan fry the cakes in
a generous amount of vegetable oil over medium heat for
a few minutes on each side until golden brown.
To prepare carrot butter sauce:
Place carrots in a saucepan; add water until just covered,
and add sugar, salt and pepper. Cook until soft.
Drain a little water off and add
cream. Heat until cream is slightly thick and whisk in
butter. Blend until smooth - add water if too thick.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Recommended wine pairing: Regnard
Chablis "Grand Regnard," France 1999
Grilled
Hudson Valley Foie Gras with Spicy Lobster Toast and
Roasted Pineapple Vinaigrette
Chef Michael Taus, Zealous, Chicago, IL
Adapted by StarChefs
Ingredients:
1 cup peeled and cored pineapple,
chopped
1 teaspoon lemongrass. finely chopped
1 teaspoon ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon cilantro, chopped
¼ cup brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon chipotle chile purée
1 teaspoon tamari
¼ cup pure olive oil
1 Tablespoon virgin sesame oil
To prepare vinaigrette:
Sauté pineapple,lemongrass,
ginger and garlic in sesame oil until caramelized. Add
brown sugar, olive oil, chipotle purée, cilantro
and tamari and sauté until incorporated. Purée
mixture in blender until smooth, pass through a sieve,
cool and refrigerate.
Lobster Mousse:
½ pound lobster meat, chopped
¼ pound salmon fillet, skinned, boned and chopped
1 teaspoon lemongrass, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ginger, peeled and finely chopped
½ clove garlic, finely chopped
¼ cup heavy cream
1 whole, large egg
1 teaspoon tamari
¼ teaspoon chipotle chile purée
¼ teaspoon paprika
1 ounce virgin sesame oil
To prepare mousse:
Lightly sauté lemongrass, ginger and garlic in sesame oil
and let cool. Add all ingredients, except cream, to a food processor
and lightly purée until smooth. Slowly and steadily add the
cream. Place mousse in a container and set aside.
Tempura Batter:
2 cups peeled and cored pineapple,
chopped
2 teaspoons lemongrass, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons cilantro, chopped
¼ cup brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon chipotle chile purée
2 teaspoons tamari
¼ cup pure olive oil
2 Tablespoons virgin sesame oil
To prepare batter:
Blend all ingredients together and set aside.
Assembly:
Pineapple vinaigrette
Lobster mousse
Tempura batter
4 1 ½ ounce slices of foie gras
4 small slices of brioche bread
1 bunch of chervil
1 teaspoon five spice powder
¼ cup flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Pan of canola oil for frying (oil should be 375 degrees)
To prepare foie gras and lobster toast:
Blend five spice powder, flour and a pinch of salt and pepper together.
Lightly flour both sides of foie gras slices. Sear foie gras pieces
on both sides over medium-high heat, until browned. Spread lobster
mousse on one side of each brioche, dip completely in tempura batter
and fry in canola oil until golden brown. Drain brioche slices on
paper towel and cut each into two triangles.
To serve:
Spoon pineapple vinaigrette in a
circle on four plates. Place two lobster toast triangles
crisscrossed over each other. Place a seared foie gras
slice on top of toasts and garnish with chervil.
Passion
Fruit Soup
Patrice Caillot, Executive Pastry
Chef
Le Cirque and Circo, Bellagio, Las Vegas, Nevada 702-693-8150
Adapted by StarChefs
1 cup plus 1 teaspoon of sugar
1 cup frozen passion fruit puree
2 oranges, peeled, pith removed, and sectioned
2 passion fruits, about 4 tablespoons fresh passion-fruit pulp and
seeds
1 mango, peeled, flesh scooped into balls
4 sage leaves
1 egg white, lightly whipped
1/2 cup fruit sorbet
Mix together 1 cup of water, 1
cup of sugar, and 1 cup of frozen passion-fruit puree
in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove pan from heat
and allow soup to cool. Pour soup into a pitcher and
cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until chilled (1
hour or overnight).
Brush unblemished fresh sage leaves
with a very thin coat of egg white. Dip leaves in the
remaining sugar. Place leaves in single layer on a parchment-
lined sheet pan. Dry overnight or for several days.
Decoratively arrange the mango balls
and orange sections among four shallow soup plates. Scatter
the passion fruit and seeds over the mango and orange.
Divide the chilled soup among the
four soup plates. Place a small spoonful of fruit sorbet
in the middle of each soup plate. Top with a crystallized
sage leave.
Goat
Cheese & Artichoke Ravioli, Red Beet-Dijon Jus
Chef Cyril Renaud of Fleur de Sel – New York, NY
Adapted by StarChefs
Ingredients:
2 large globe artichokes
2 lemons
½ cup all purpose flour
8-ounce log of Montrachet goat cheese
4 ounces spreadable goat cheese
½ bunch of basil chiffonade
10 wonton skins
4 large red beets, peeled and juiced
Dijon mustard
Micro greens, for garnish
Salt and pepper, to taste
Method:
Using a serrated knife, cut the outer leaves off artichokes. Cut
off the stems and any of the dark green outer skin. Place in large
bowl of cold water with the juice of 1 lemon.
In a 6-quart stock pot, whisk together
4 quarts of water with flour. Add juice of other lemon.
Bring to simmer with the artichokes. Cook until tender.
Shock cooked artichokes in ice water. Drain and dry.
Scoop out the choke. Chop edible flesh into fine dice.
Reserve until needed.
In a food processor, add goat cheeses
and salt and pepper. Mix until creamy consistency. Transfer
to a small bowl. Fold in the artichoke & basil. Place
in fridge until firm.
To make the raviolis, place 1 teaspoon
of filling in middle of the wonton skin. Fold skin into
a triangle and seal the raviolis by touching the corners
with water. Make 5 raviolis per person. Place on tray
dusted with flour. Refrigerate until needed.
Reduce beet juice by half, whisk
in Dijon mustard to taste. Pass through fine mesh strainer
and reserve. Cook ravioli in a pot of salted boiling
water; drain.
Spoon beet-Dijon jus onto plate.
Place 5 raviolis on each plate and garnish with micro
greens.
Rabbit
Confit Cannelloni with Sweet English Peas, Morel Mushrooms
and Black Winter Truffle Sauce
Chef Willis Loughhead, Biscaya Grill, Ritz-Carlton, Coconut Grove-Miami,
FL
Adapted by StarChefs
Ingredients:
1 whole Rabbit
1 bottle white wine
4 cloves garlic
4 shallots
1 pound Cippiolini onions
1 pound white domestic mushrooms, sliced
1 cup water
1 pound dried morel mushrooms
1 pound fresh English peas, shucked
2 Tablespoons whole unsalted butter
8 Fresh square pasta sheets
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste
Black truffle sauce:
4 large canned black truffles
16 ounces chicken stock
2 cups red wine
2 tablespoons butter
Maldon sea salt to taste
Garnish:
Fresh basil
Fresh chervil
Fresh Italian parsley
Fresh sage
Maldon sea salt to taste
Method:
To prepare rabbit confit cannellonni:
Salt the rabbit and place it in a small heavy braising
pan with oil. Sear until golden brown on all sides. Add
the onions and garlic and caramelize.
Add the butter and sauté the
mushrooms. Deglaze with white wine and add enough olive
oil to cover the rabbit ¾ of the way. Add salt,
water and pepper to the liquid. Gently simmer for about
one hour, or until the rabbit meat is falling off of
the bone.
Take the rabbit out of the liquid
and allow it to cool. Reduce the cooking liquid by 1/3
and then purée it with an immersion blender. Reconstitute
the morels and cook the peas in this liquid, then strain.
Pull all of the meat off of the rabbit and shred loosely into a mixing
bowl. Roughly chop the morels and add the peas to the rabbit. Reduce
the liquid to sauce consistency.
Add liquid to the rabbit mixture
- add enough to suspend the mixture to make a filling.
Reserve the liquid.
Place mixture on the pasta and roll to form the cannelloni. Chill
until ready to serve.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Place one
cannelloni per person in a shallow baking pan and cover
with the reserved braising liquid. Cover and place in
the oven for twenty minutes.
To prepare black truffle sauce: Combine chicken stock and red wine;
reduce to sauce consistency. Add truffles and butter and mix in a
blender. Add salt to taste.
To plate: Place cannelloni on plate and sauce with truffle sauce.
Tear the herbs, sprinkle over cannelloni, and drizzle with olive
oil. Garnish with Maldon sea salt.
Recommended wine pairing: Far Niente,
Chardonnay, Napa 2001 or Roshambo, Sauvignon Blanc, Napa
2001
Individual
Beef Wellington with Green Peppercorn Sauce
Chef/Owner James Laird, Restaurant Serenäde, Chatham , New Jersey
Adapted by StarChefs
Ingredients:
12 ounces filet mignon, cut in two pieces
1 pound assorted mushrooms
1 Tablespoon shallots, chopped
1 sheet puff pastry, refrigerated
1 head garlic, wrapped in foil and roasted
1/2 cup dry sherry
1 Tablespoon parsley, chopped
1 egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon water
Green Peppercorn Sauce
1 Tablespoon shallots, chopped
1 Tablespoon green peppercorns, crushed
¼ cup brandy
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon fresh dill, chopped
1 Tablespoon butter
<
Preheat oven to 375°F. Chop mushrooms very fine in food processor.
Sweat shallots in small amount of oil until tender. Add
mushrooms and sauté until their liquid is evaporated.
Add sherry and sauté until evaporated. Season with
salt and pepper. Add butter and parsley. Remove from heat
and cool.
Season beef with salt and pepper and sauté in hot
pan until brown on all sides. Remove and place on a plate.
Coat meat with roasted garlic.
Roll out refrigerated puff pastry until approximately
1/8-inch thin. Divide into four square pieces. Place small
amount of mushrooms in middle of each piece of pastry.
Place meat on top of mushrooms. Spoon more mushrooms around
sides of meat. Fold up pastry and crimp edges together
to close, like a "beggar's purse." Place each
piece, edges side down on paper-lined sheet tray. Brush
with egg wash.
Place in preheated oven for 17 minutes or until meat reaches
an internal temperature of 128°F.
For the Green Peppercorn Sauce, s weat shallots and green
peppercorns in butter. Deglaze with brandy and reduce by
half. Add heavy cream. Simmer for two minutes. Season with
salt and pepper, add dill.
To serve, spoon the Green Peppercorn Sauce on a plate.
Place one "beggar's purse" in the center. Drizzle
a bit more sauce on top, and garnish with dill.
Wine Suggestion
1989 Hermitage "La Chapelle", Paul Jaboulet
Adapted from Restaurant Serenäde, Chatham, New Jersey, Chef/Owner
James Laird
Chocolate
Obsession
PARK 75, Atlanta, GA
Pastry Chef David Jeffries
Adapted by StarChefs
The month of February is known for sweets so leave it to Georgia’s
only Mobil Five-Star, AAA Five-Diamond hotel to kick off its ultimate
chocolate buffet featuring made-to-order hot desserts and select
prepared treats. The following is one of many decadent treats.
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients:
1/4 cup cream
8 ounce butter
1 cup sugar
8 ounce bittersweet chocolate
1/3 cup cocoa powder
6 eggs
Preheat oven to 300° F. Combine cream, butter sugar chocolate
and cocoa powder in a bowl. Place over a pan of simmering water and
whisk all together. In a separate bowl whip eggs to a thick and pale
yellow state. Mix chocolate mixture into eggs. Pour into a buttered
and floured 8-inch cake pan. Place in a water bath and bake for 45
minutes or until toothpick comes out clean
