Recipes for Final Project pt.10

Fish Tacos


10ea   Tilapia fillets
4ea   Eggs
4c     Panko
1/2c  Toasted Sesame Seeds
1/2c  Poppy Seeds
10ea Flour Tortillas


Pico De Gallo



1 1/2c Tomato Concasse
1/4c Diced Red Onion
1tbsp Diced Jalapenos
1tbsp Minced Garlic
2ea Limes, juiced
1ea Lime (cut into segments)
2tbsp Cilantro


-Mix all ingredients of Pico together and let rest
-seperate fillets into 2 segments each
-mix panko, sesame seeds and poppy seeds
-standard breading procedure for the fish
-pan fry fish until golden brown
-place fish in tortillas and top with Pico

Recipes for Final Project pt.9

Korean Crab Cakes



1/4 cup Mayonnaise 
2 tbsp fresh Chopped Cilantro
1 tbsp Minced Ginger
2 tsp Fish Sauce
6 ounce can Crabmeat
3 ounces Chopped Shrimp 
½ cup Crushed Ritz Crackers (plus more for breading) 
Salt 
Pepper 
1½ tbsp Peanut Oil




-Whisk together first four ingredients
-Fold in crab meat, shrimp, and crushed crackers
-S&P to taste
-form into patties and roll in crushed crackers
-fry in peanut oil
-serve on bed of curly endive with tartar sauce 

Recipes for Final Project pt.8

Fish Stew Cups


1tbsp    Olive Oil
2ea       Shallots
1/4ea    Red Bell Pepper
1tbs      Chopped Celery
1tsp      Saffron
1ea       Chili de Arbol
1/2ea    Orange Zest
1ea       Garlic Clove
2 1/2c   Chicken Stock
10oz     Halibut Fillet
3oz       Scallops
3oz       Cooked Shrimp
1/3c      Mayonnaise
2tsp      Minced Garlic

-combine mayo and garlic set aside
-sweat shallots, red pepper and celery until softened
-add saffron, diced chili, minced garlic clove, orange zest, heat until scented
-add chicken stock, bring to boil then reduce to simmer
-add halibut until almost cooked through, the scallops and finally cooked shrimp
-remove from heat and strain out fish, put liquid and aromatics into blender and blend
-add mayo a bit at a time until soup is thickened
-arrange fish into deep plates and serve with cups of the broth

Recipes for Final Project pt.7

This is the next of the hot dishes

Vietnamese Shrimp Spring Rolls


10ea     Rice Paper Wrappers
10oz     Peeled, Deveined Shrimp
13oz     Coconut Milk

1/2c      Mint Leaves
1/2c      Cilantro Leaves
1/2c      Thai Basil Leaves
1c          Finely Shredded Green Cabbage
1c          Bean Sprouts
1c          Cucumber, Deseeded Julienne
1c          Carrot, Julienne


Dipping Sauce


1/2c      Lime Juice
1/4c      Honey
3tbs     Fish Sauce
1tbs     Rice Vinegar
1tbs     Chili Garlic Paste
1tbs     Cilantro, Chopped


-Soak rice paper wrappers until hydrated
-Simmer shrimp in coconut milk until cooked through
-toss together rest of the ingredients with shrimp
-pack filling into the bottom 3rd of each wrapper and roll into a spring roll
-press wrapper shut and steam until ingredients are warm
-combine all the ingredients for the dipping sauce 
-plate and serve

Recipes for Final Project pt.6

This next dish is for the kids menu

Roast Beef and Prosciutto Wraps with Mellon Ribbons


15ea   Slices of Roast Beef
5ea     Thin Slices of Prosciutto
1/2ea  Cantaloupe
1/2ea  Honeydew

-Take a channel knife and cut long ribbons out of the two melons
-Warp the melon ribbons with A slice of roast beef
-tear each slice of prosciutto into 3rds
-tie each wrap with a piece of prosciutto

Recipes for Final Project pt.5

I didn't want to do any straight up Sushi or Shasimi, but this is the one thats closest to traditional Asian raw fish dishes.

Tuna Carpaccio with Avocado and Wasabi






1.5lbs  Tuna Steaks
2.5tbs  Chili Garlic Paste
2tsp     Minced Ginger
3tbsp   Soy Sauce
1/4c     Olive Oil
4ea      Avocado, Sliced
2.5tbs  Wasabi paste




-Slice the tuna very thinly
-combine the chili paste, ginger, soy sauce, and oil
-toss tuna in marinade
-arrange avocado slices across 5 plates
-arrange tuna on top of avocado
-mix wasabi with reserved marinade and spoon around plate

Recipes for Final Project pt.4

This next one is a tribute to my Italian ancestry.

Sea Bass Crudo with Lemon-Mint Pesto


This next dish is intended to capture the experience of eating delicious food beach-side. I intended this one to be buffet style but it can be broken down to small plates as well.


Pesto:


1.5c   Fresh Mint
1ea    Lemon Juiced and Zested
1/4c  Toasted Pine Nuts
3ea    Garlic Cloves
2/3c   EVOO


1lb    Sea Bass Filet (cut very thinly, shasimi style)
3ea   Lemons Juiced
EVOO




-For the pest:  Combine first four ingredients in food processor, adding olive oil as needed to form a smooth paste
-Drizzle Olive oil on plate and arrange sea bass
-Drizzle lemon juice and extra Olive Oil over fish
-Place small amount of pesto on each piece of fish

Recipes for Final Project pt.3

Another cold dish and hot dish for this Friday.

Lobster and Melon Ball Salad


This one is a bit off the beaten path.  I wanted to do lobster but drop the cost of the dish down and make it visually stunning


3ea       Live Lobsters, broken down to torsos, claws and tails
1lb       Mirepoix, small dice
15ea    Cantaloupe Balls
15ea    Honeydew  Balls
6ea      Limes, Juiced
2ea      Grapefruit, Juiced
5tbs    Water
1tsp    Tomato Paste
3tbs    Lemon Juice
5tsp    Powdered Gelatin


Basil Chiffonade to Garnish




-combine the 3 lobster torsos and the mirepoix to make a lobster stock
-steam the tails and claws until cooked through and set aside to chill
-marinate the melon balls in the lime and grapefruit juice until flavorful
-combine 1 and 2/3c of the lobster stock, the water, the tomato paste, the lemon juice and the gelatin
-place 3ea of each type of melon ball into a ring mold and pour the gelatin around them 2/3rds of the way, chill until set
-remove the shells from the claws and tails and slice the tails into 1/2in rounds
-place one of the cooked claws and a half of a tail onto each salad
-garnish with basil

Recipes for Final Project pt.2

Next up on the recipe docket is

Malaysian Crab Curry in Bib Lettuce Cups


This next recipe is the one I am most excited to taste for myself.  I've been really enjoying curries recently as it seems almost unfair to have so much delicious spices in one dish.  Maintaining the tropical theme of the menu, this curry is inspired by a Malaysian Coconut fish curry.


6ea     Live Blue Crabs
-or-
10oz   Lump Crab Meat
4tbs    Ghee
1ea     Red Onion (chopped)
5ea     Garlic
1in      Ginger (sliced)
3tbs    Malaysian Fish Curry Powder
1tbs    Chili Powder
2tsp    Turmeric Powder
1-2tbs Water
13oz   Coconut Milk
3c       Shellfish Stock
-or-
3c       Water
8ea     Curry Leaves
1ea     Lime (juiced)

3/4lb   Cooked Jasmine Rice
10ea   Bib Lettuce Leaves

-prepare crab (wash and split in half with cleaver if using whole crabs, or pick through and rinse crab meat)
-mash together red onion, garlic and ginger until paste-like in consistency
-mix together Curry Powder, Chili Powder, Turmeric Powder and Water until smooth paste forms
-heat ghee in pot until very hot
-stir-fry aromatic paste until translucent
-add curry paste and stir-fry until aromatic and toasted
-add coconut milk, stock (or water), and curry leaves and adjust seasonings
-bring to boil and reduce to simmer
-reduce until cream-like in consistency
-add crabs (or crab meat) and lime juice and mix until coated
-cook until crabs color or until crab meat is warm
-remove crab from heat and let rest in curry until flavors meld
-strain curry and reduce to thicken

-arrange 2 lettuce leaves in a bowl put scoop of rice in middle and spoon over crab curry, dish can be eater with utensils or rolled like a wrap

Recipes for Final Project pt.1

Welcome back for part two of my final project post.  On this post, and for the following 4 posts, I'll be throwing around some ideas for the recipes hopefully to have them finalized for the final post.  Today will be the 2 recipes I plan on doing for my final production.


Scallop Ceviche in Chili-Mango Granita (serves 5)


The idea for this one was "inspired" (read: pilfered) from the Fire and Ice Ceviche at Ola restaurant and the acclaimed chef Douglas Rodriguez.  I wanted to use a scallop as the protein because I like the texture and feel the less fishy taste is better suited to a broader rage of palates.  For the flavor profile I wanted it to be reminiscent of the super delicious chili-lime mangoes on a stick that are street food in Mexico, Belize and other Central American countries.




Ceviche


10ea    Sea Scallops (fresh as possible)
6ea      Limes (juice and zest)
2ea      Orange (juice and zest)
2ea      Lemon (juice and zest)
2tbs    Sugarcane Juice
-or-
1tbs    Honey
2/3ts   Coriander
2/3ts   Ground Ginger
1/4ts   Cayenne (or to taste wussy)
2ea     Chili de Arbol (seeded and brunoised)
2ea     Serrano  Chiles (seeded and brunoised)


Granita


3ea   Ripe Mangoes (pit removed and chopped)
2tbs Mint leaves (fine chiffonade)
1c     Sugar Cane Juice
-or-
1c     Water
1tbs  Sugar




-Prepare the Granita first
-blend all ingredients into food processor until smooth, pour into wide, shallow pan
-as soon as it begins to set (30mins-1hour) rake with tines of a fork to break up ice crystals, continue until about the same consistency as rock salt


-Prepare the Ceviche
-toss scallops in feezer to firm for 5 mins
-using extremely sharp knife slice into 1/2in rounds
-lay flat on non-reactive sheet pan
-whisk together the rest of the ingredients, excluding the chilies
-pour over scallops roughly
-allow to 'cook' in cooler until opaque (2-3hrs)


-form grantia into small mounds on 5 plates
-arrange scallop slices onto mounds
-garnish and serve

Prep for Final Project

For my Appetizers and Hors d'oeuvres class I have to compose a ten course menu of five cold, five hot dishes for a function of my choosing.  For the function itself I was inspired by my eldest cousin's upcoming destinations wedding to the Bahamas.  The faux event will be a beach front wedding and the dishes will be inspired by fresh seafood and tropical locales.  The attendees will be of an upper-class background and no stranger to complex flavor profiles.  There will be children in attendance and as such there will be one hot and one cold appetizer that will be just for them.  I haven't decided whether to include a drink menu, but I can't see it being a bad idea because it would give the kids more options to enjoy.  The menu will be for a seated reception where there will be dancing and drinking so the plates will be fairly small or one or two bite hors d'oeuvres.

Here's the short menu but it's subject to change

Cold

• Scallop Ceviche with Mango Granita
• Cold Lobster and Tropical Fruit Salad
• Sea Bass with Lemon-Mint Pesto
• Carpaccio of Tuna with Avocados and Wasabi
• Prosciutto and Roast Beef  Roll-ups with Melon Ribbons

Hot

• Crab Coconut Curry in Bib Lettuce Wraps
• Vietnamese Shrimp Spring Rolls
• Mini Bouillabaisse Cups
• Korean Crab Cakes
• Fun Sized Fish Tacos

BUTTERFINGER® Cheese Cake

My roommate Dave brought home from work a case of butterfinger candy bars.  A case.  For those unschooled on confectionery debauchery thats 36 full-sized butterfingers.  Because my mind tends to just accept these things and roll with them, the first thing I thought of would be a Butterfinger Cheese Cake.

There are a couple considerations when building this idea, most of which have been explored by ice cream makers to varying degrees, what should the base be made out of? I feel gram cracker would be an unwelcome addition in this case.   I feel like proportionally the best bet would be Chocolate Cookie crumbs, the darker the better to mimic the chocolate shell of the candy bar.  For the filling I feel like doing 2 layers to add some visual excitement when its cut into.  Possibly to do a traditional vanilla cheesecake filling with bits of butter finger mixed in, layered with a sweet peanut butter mousse on top to lighten the cake.  For the top I was thinking of crumbled butterfinger bars, I could do something more elaborate but it has to be light to be supported by the mousse. going to have to play around more with that idea.

Recipe and pictures to follow if successful.

-Will

The Uncertain Jungle That Is Sandwich Craft

Updated 1/31 at 2:57

This week in Apps and Hors d' Oeuvres we are discussing the art of the sandwich.  Normally represented as 2 or more slices of bread with a filling between them, the exception that proves the rule is the open-faced sandwich which is way too mind blowing to be discussed in this post.  Our assignment is to come up with a sandwich plate and 2 tea sandwich ideas.  As this is Hypothetical Cookery, the recipes below are untested so stay tuned for results and critiques.

Sandwich Plate - Blackened Chicken Salad on Cornbread Waffle

I've always liked the 'idea' of chicken and waffles but feel they should be more thoroughly combined, instead of the traditional waffles with chicken on top.

I think I'm going to blacken the chicken with a traditional Cajun spice blend and toss it in a Parmesan mayo.  For crunch I'll toss with a julienne of the Creole Holy Trinity (onions, celery, bell peppers)

Then for the bread portion cook up some lemon-jalapeño cornbread waffles.

Recipe and pictures of the success or failure will follow

::UPDATE::

The Cajun chicken and waffle sandwich was a moderate success.

The bulk of the waffle was hard to accommodate when it came to plating. maybe splitting it horizontally and grilling or pan frying the cut side would help make the salad stand out more.  The taste was there, still needs some tweaking.

Also- I need film for my camera so expect crappy cell phone pictures until I can run that errand

Blackened chicken salad with jalapeno- lemon cornbread waffles

4ea Skinless chicken breasts
3tbsp Vegetable oil
1ea Green Bell Pepper, julienne
1ea Onion, julienne
2ea Celery stalks, julienne
5oz Parmesan Mayo (recipe follows)
5tbsp Cajun seasoning blend (recipe follows)
4ea Jalapeno-lemon cornbread waffles (recipe follows)


-Parmensan Mayo


4oz fresh mayo
1oz Parmesan cheese, grated
TT Salt, Pepper


-Cajun Seasoning


1tbsp salt
2tsp paprika
2tsp onion powder
2tsp sugar
2tsp black pepper
1tsp white pepper
1tsp cayenne pepper
1tsp ground oregano


-Jalapeno-lemon cornbread waffles


1 ½c   cornmeal
½c   all-purpose flour
2 ½tsp   baking powder
2tbsp   sugar
¾tsp   salt
1ea   large egg
1 ½c   milk
¼c   butter, melted
1ea Zest  and juice of lemon
1ea seeded diced jalapeno


Jalapeno-lemon cornbread waffles

• Sift first 5 ingredients together
• Combine egg, milk and mix into dry
• Stir to incorporate jalapeno and juice and zest of lemon
• Bake until crisp

Blackend chicken salad

• Preheat oven to 350
• Get oil close to smoke in skillet
• Coat chicken in Cajun seasoning
• Sear chicken until dark on both sides
• Remove to oven until cooked through
• Rest until cool, chop
• Toss with parmesan mayo and julienne vegetables
• Assemble sandwich