Salmon Burger with Spicy Chipotle Aioli
Everyday at the restaurant I filet salmon for service and I always have left over salmon scraps. The salmon is incredibly fresh (we get shipments every morning from our fish vender) and it’s a shame to just throw it away. But unlike other white fish (halibut, mahi, sea bass, snapper), which can be used to make fish stock, served in chowders, etc., salmon has a very distinct flavor and overpowers the stock and so you need to come up with other ways to use the fish. And there is no better way than to create a Big, Juicy, Fresh, and Healthy Salmon Burger! I could eat these all day!
To start, medium dice the salmon and the add to a food processor and pulse until you obtain a ground beef consistency. Finely dice red and yellow bell peppers, scallions, tarragon and basil (you can also add dill and red onions—whatever flavors you want) and mix well. Add whisked whole eggs, salt and pepper and just enough panko bread crumbs to absorb the extra moisture to hold the salmon cakes together. To determine if the flavors are perfect, cook a small burger first and then portion the salmon into 6–7oz balls and then roll in panko again. Using a large cookie cutter, press the salmon mixture into the mold and place on parchment paper and chill until ready to use.
Pan sear the salmon cakes on medium high heat and either finish on the stove or in the oven. Serve on warm, crusty kaiser rolls with shredded lettuce, sliced tomatoes, housemade tartare sauce (gherkins, capers, red onion, garlic, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper) and spicy Chipotle aioli. Serve with a fresh field greens salad with tomatoes, dressed in a light lemon vinaigrette, and you’ve got an incredible, healthy and delicious lunch! Enjoy!
Pork Tenderloin with Peruvian Purple Potatoes
We have these gorgeous Peruvian Purple Potatoes at the restaurant and so I couldn’t pass up using them for a special last week and so I paired them with Pan Seared Pork Tenderloin and Brandy Sage Cream. The purple color of the potato was so intense prior to adding cream that I almost hesitated doing so. However, the dish came out beautiful and incredibly flavorful. The whole grain mustard smashed potatoes offers a sharp contrast to the brandy sage cream and all the flavors work perfectly with the pork tenderloin.
For the potatoes I boiled them until fork tender, strained them really well and mashed lightly with a fork—leaving large pieces intact. I then added a mixture of hot heavy cream and melted butter for a smooth consistency and then folded in minced green onion, parsley, whole grain mustard and salt and pepper to taste. For the brandy sage cream sauce, I sauteed onion and garlic until soft, deglazed with brandy, reduced, added a bunch of fresh sage leaves and heavy cream. I simmered the cream until it thickened slightly and to combine all of the flavors, which I then blended the mixture really well and finished with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!
Scallops with Charred-Tomato and Bacon Vinaigrette
The weather has been really beautiful, sunny and warm in the Bay Area the past couple of days and so I wanted to make a dish that was light, but full of robust flavors. So I decided to make Pan-Seared Sea Scallops, served on a bed of Blue Lake and Yellow Wax Beans, Herb-Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, Toy-Box Tomatoes, dressed in a Charred-Tomato, Basil and Applewood Smoked Bacon Vinaigrette. Potatoes, Tomatoes and Bacon are a perfect match for the sweet scallops and the beans provide great color and a nice crisp texture.
To make the vinaigrette, small dice applewood smoked bacon and cook slowly rendering fat until bacon is crispy. Pour off some of the fat and reserve for later use. Then deglaze the pan with Pale Dry Sherry and a good quality Aged Sherry Vinegar. Reduce almost to a syrup and pour bacon and syrup into a bowl. Add salt, pepper, a small amount of sugar, and minced basil, stir and set aside. Meanwhile, take the same pan that you cooked the bacon in and add the reserved bacon fat. Heat the pan until it’s hot and then add sliced cherry tomatoes and cook for about two minutes until tomatoes are charred but still hold their shape. Add tomatoes to the bacon mixture, along with additional Sherry Vinegar. Stir in canola oil (don’t whisk—you don’t want to break up the tomatoes) into the mixture until you have a nice consistency. Taste and add additional salt, vinegar or oil, if necessary. Serve vinaigrette at room temperature.
Enjoy!
Carrot and Ginger Puree
I know what you’re thinking—carrot soup? But trust me—it’s really good! Carrots are very sweet and tender this time of year and the fresh ginger adds a little heat to balance out the sweetness of the carrots. The color of the soup is also amazing and you can either serve the soup hot or cold.
You can roast the carrots and caramelize to sweeten their flavor even further, but I prefer to slowly simmer the carrots with celery, onions, fresh ginger, sparkling apple cider and water so that I retain the vivid color of the carrots. I also finish with a small amount of cream to smooth out the texture and pass through a china cap/strainer to remove any fibers. I finished the soup with deep fried shredded carrots, sea salt and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. You can also garnish with lemon creme fraiche and chervil which adds a nice contrasting color. Enjoy!
Pork Tenderloin with Chorizo Jambalaya
The General Manager of our restaurant is from the South and so I thought that it would be great to make Louisiana Jambalaya. I served mine with Pan Seared Pork Tenderloin, Braised Greens with Applewood Smoked Bacon and Candied Pecans with Bourbon Whiskey Sauce. This dish is all about pork (three different types used throughout the dish) and lots of spicy flavors, balanced by the sweet candied pecans and a rich savory sauce.
Jambalaya is so versatile and so easy to make—you can add any combination of meat/sausage, poultry or shellfish. I used Spanish Chorizo instead of Adouille sausage in my version. Just saute red and green onions, bell peppers, jalapeno and garlic until soft and then add lots of different herbs and spices such as, oregano, bay leaf, cayenne, cumin, dry mustard, paprika, salt and black pepper. Add tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, rice and diced meat or shellfish. Finally, add rich chicken stock or veal stock, and cover and simmer on low for about an hour until all liquid is absorbed.
To make the Bourbon Whiskey Sauce, saute onions, celery, and carrots until deeply caramelized. Add minced garlic, cumin, oregano, thyme and tomato paste and deglaze with bourbon whiskey. Slowly reduce until almost all liquid is absorbed and then add rich veal stock. Bring to a boil and simmer on low for a couple of hours until the stock has reduced to a smooth sauce. Strain through a chinois and season with salt, pepper and finish with brown sugar.
For the braised greens I used a mixture of kale, collard greens, mustard greens, swiss chard and radicchio. Slowly cook smoked bacon until fat is rendered, deglaze with apple cider, red wine vinegar and honey and add greens and cook slowly until greens are wilted and liquid is absorbed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Finally, to make candied pecans, blanch pecans in boiling water for about 30 seconds, drain and toss in a combination of sugar and brown sugar. Season with a small amount of salt and bake in a 325 degree oven for about 10 minutes until sugar is caramelized and pecans are golden brown. Remove sheet pan from oven and cool completely.
Enjoy!
French Onion Soup
I love French Onion soup—but it takes a long time to make—especially if you do it right. I caramelized the onions slowly for two hours before adding all the other ingredients and then simmered the soup for at least another hour to blend all of the flavors—not to mention how long it took to slice the onions! But it was worth crying over, because the soup came out very sweet, flavorful, full-bodied, with a deep chestnut color.
I used three different types of onions for the soup; Sweet Maui Onions, Spanish Onions and Red Onions. But you can also add shallots and leeks and make a five onion soup if you prefer. I added lots of fresh chopped thyme, minced garlic and deglazed with ruby port and pale dry sherry. For the stock, I used a combination of dark chicken stock and veal stock. To finish the soup, I grilled Italian filione bread with olive oil, salt and pepper and cut it into cubes (much easier to eat than using a whole slice of crostini) and topped the soup with a combination of shredded Swiss and Parmesan cheese. Place the soup bowl under the salamander or broiler for a few minutes to melt the cheese and top with fresh chopped chives and parsley. It’s awesome!
Feta Cheescake with Port Poached Figs
I must have been born Greek in a previous lifetime. I love everything about their cuisine, especially their Feta cheese; not to mention their history, people, culture, climate, and landscape—I could go on and on… Anyway, I was off from work yesterday, but went in because this is the only time that I have to play around with dessert ideas. So I decided to make Feta Cheesecake with Kourabiedes Crust and Figs Poached in Port Wine.
Kourabiedes cookies are traditional Greek almond cookies dusted with powdered sugar which are served during festive occasions, and this is what I used to make the crust for my cheesecake. To start, roll out the Kourabiedes dough thinly and bake for about 10–15 minutes. Cool completely and then add to a food processor and pulse to a fine grain. In a bowl add your cookie crumbs and moisten with melted butter and then press into the cheesecake mold and bake for about 10 minutes until set.
Next, follow any standard cheesecake recipe, but reduce the amount of cream cheese and substitute with a good quality Greek Feta (goat or sheep milk) cheese. I recommend the ratio of feta to cream cheese to be 1 part feta to 2 parts cream cheese. I sometimes find cheesecake to be too sweet, but the feta cheese adds a really nice tang to balance out the sweetness. However, since feta is not as creamy as cream cheese, it’s really important to strain the mixture before adding it to your mold or pan prior to baking to remove any lumps.
Finally, use a good port wine and reduce slowly with vanilla bean, lemon juice and a small amount of sugar. Add sliced dried figs (or fresh when in season) and poach until soft. Plate cheesecake, drizzle with port sauce and dust with powdered sugar and enjoy. Now, if only I were eating this at an Estiatorio in Greece!
Halibut with Cilantro-Spring Onion Risotto
For today’s special I made Pan-Seared Halibut with Cilantro-Spring Onion Infused Risotto, Grilled Asparagus Tips and Tarragon Remoulade. The colors and flavors of this dish are a welcome to Spring with tender-sweet Asparagus and Spring Onions.
Remoulade is a classical French sauce that is made with mayonnaise (preferably housemade), mustard, capers, gherkins (baby pickles), herbs, anchovies (optional) and sometimes chopped hard-boiled eggs. Another great classical French sauce to accompany this dish would be Bearnaise which is a reduction of white wine vinegar, shallots and tarragon that is strained and emulsified with warm egg yolks and clarified butter. Both sauces are very rich in both texture and flavor and so a little goes a long way in finishing the dish! Enjoy!!
Sea Scallops with Red Curry Sauce
We were really busy at the restaurant today and so I didn’t have time to create a new special so I used the Lemon Grass-Coconut Risotto Cakes and Curry Sauce that I made for yesterday’s special. I made a couple of changes to the dish and it came out really flavorful and beautiful.
Instead of using Sea Bass, I used Sea Scallops, and for the green leafy component, I substituted sauteed Tatsoi, which is a small dark-green spoon-shaped leaf that has a mild mustard flavor. In addition, I added Kumquat Preserves, which are Kumquats that have been seeded and diced and cooked with white wine, orange juice, honey, and salt and pepper, until they are caramelized, sweet and have a thick syrup consistency. They add a nice balance to the spicy curry sauce and they are so good that you can eat them like candy!
Macadamia Nut Crusted Sea Bass
For todays special I made Macadamia Nut Crusted Sea Bass with Lemon Grass-Coconut Risotto Cake, Thai Red Curry Sauce, Pea Shoots with Ginger Lime Vinaigrette, and Cilantro Oil.
The flavors and textures of this dish burst in your mouth The sauce is spicy and sweet and the sea bass is buttery and moist. Partnered with the crispy-creamy risotto cake—it makes for a very nice combination. And the colors are beautiful! Enjoy!
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