Spork or Foon?

Surf and Turf - Scallops with Filet Mignon, Caramelized Shallots and Grilled Corn

 

 

This is a dish that was born from the fact that I REALLY DIDNT WANT TO COOK DINNER the other night.  Jack had been out of town for a few days, I was sick (and I never get sick), and it snowed for the first time since Halloween (that sounds so weird).  

 When Jack got home, I was so thrilled to see him. I hate it when he is away, because I love him (I know, don't groan, it's gross), but I hated it even more because we had to put Remy in boarding at doggy daycare in NJ while he was gone. So it was a total family reunion. We were happy, laughing and petting Remy and Jack looked at me and goes "So what are you making for dinner?"

"I think you should cook for me tonight," I said. 

What was flowers and roses and unicorns and ponies, turned into a full on 5-year-old temper tantrum, complete with foot stomping and arms flailing (we are 30 years old, mind you). "What do you MEAN I should cook?" Jack asked incredulously, his voice getting higher and higher pitched with each syllable. 

"I mean that you never cook for me and I think you should cook for me - I'm sick!" 

"No, no, no, no, no!" Jack whined (I am not kidding). "Can't we cook together?"

"Jack, seriously, why do I always have to cook?"

"Because you're the cook!" 

"OK, but you can cook, too!"

"But I don't like cooking!" (at this point, his voice was at a high-F).

"If you don't cook, then I guess we're not eating."

I finally got him to agree on cooking and we went to the supermarket to pick up a few things. He wanted scallops and corn, so I suggested adding some filet mignon (I had some in the fridge from the day before) and other accoutrements. We got home, went into the kitchen, and I started cooking. 

Yes, you read that right. I started cooking. And it wans't even a conversation. I just started slicing the shallots, pulling out ingredients, and cooking. At least Jack hung out with me in the kitchen while I cooked. That made me happy. 

This is why I will never win these arguments. I can't help myself. I don't want anyone else to cook but me. 

Damn me!!! 

But let's talk about the dish a little - it was AMAZING. I had no idea what I was doing when I was putting it together, but it came together SO beautifully, and the addition of the filet mignon just REALLY brought this dish to another level. Sweet caramelized shallots mixed with corn, tender bay scallops, juicy filet mignon and a delicious broth just really made this dish one for the books.  

This is a perfect Valentine's day dinner that holds a core relationship lesson at its heart - I think? Something about comprimise? Selflessness? Giving back? Maybe?

I still don't get how I ended up cooking. 

SURF AND TURF - SCALLOPS WITH FILET MIGNON, CARAMELIZED SHALLOTS AND GRILLED CORN

Serves 2

1 8 oz beef tenderloin, trimmed

1/3 lb bay scallops (or if you want to splurge, diver scallops)

1 tbsp sherry

1/4 cup chicken stock

1/4 cup vegetable stock (you can just use 1/2 cup chicken or veg stock if you don't have both)

1/2 cup corn (I used canned corn (GASP! I know! But it's January!)

3 tbsp heavy cream, divided

2 shallots, sliced thin

3 tbsp butter, divided

1/4 cup diced baby bella mushrooms

2 tsp sweet paprika

chives, for garnish

1 tbsp thyme, chopped

Kosher Salt

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Heat butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Let brown (the butter will smell wonderfully nutty), but be careful not to burn it. Turn heat to medium lower and add the shallots. Cook until caramelized (this takes me about 10 minutes or so), stirring often so they do not burn. Raise heat to medium and add corn, thyme and paprika.  Cook for 2-3 minutes, until corn is warmed through, then add 2 tablespoons heavy cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside. 

In a medium skillet, heat 1 tbsp butter over medium high heat. Season tenderloin well with salt and pepper. When skillet it hot, place tenderloin on skillet and let cook to medium rare (I usually cook it between 4-6 minutes a side, depending on the size of the tenderloin. For an 8-oz, it's usually closer to 6 minutes, but trust your judgement!).  Remove from skillet and let rest. 

Deglaze pan with sherry, scraping up all of the bits from the bottom.  Add stocks and 1 tbsp heavy cream and let come to a simmer.  Add chopped mushrooms and reduce slightly. Cook until mushrooms are tender (about 5 minutes). Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside. 

Dry the scallops using a paper towel. Heat 1 tbsp butter in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add scallops and cook until just cooked through, about 2 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To Assemble:

Spoon 1-2 tbsp broth in the middle of the dish. Top with 1/3 cup corn/shallot mixture. Slice tenderloin and place 1/2 of sliced tenderloin atop the corn. Top with scallops. Sprinkle with diced chives. Repeat with other dish. Serve Immediately.

Sea Urchin (Uni) Pasta

I LOVE UNI. 

Love it. Can drink it with a straw. I know it really freaks some people out, but honestly NOMNOMNOM to Uni.

Jack and I hae been talking about making this dish ever since we saw Anthony Bourdain eat it on No Reservations in the Food Porn episode. Sexy Eric Ripert, Chef extraordinaire of Le Bernadin created this dish that actually isn't on the menu and apparently costs a fortune. 

Since that day, Jack and I swore that we would find Uni and make an uni pasta. A few weeks back, we dined at Marea, a phenomenal seafood restaurant in Manhattan helmed by Chef Michael White, who also had a sea urchin pasta. It may be the single best plate of pasta I have ever eaten. 

The next day, we were online looking for Sea Urchin. Luckily, Citerally, the supermarket around the corner from our apartment, sold it. In we went, and man, did we give those fishmongers (love that word) a run for their money. We had NO IDEA what actually was in those spiny little shells. They told us "Four or five strips of uni." OK, but what's a strip? How much does it weigh. We were informed that each only weight about 1/2 an ounce. 

So we bought 20. Wiped them clean. That's how we do it. 

I was so excited to open up the pretty box they put them in to find this. 

 I was tempted to eat it straight, but I refrained. Jack found a video in Italian of a woman making Uni pasta, so I just followed her directions. Saute lots of garlic, add parsley, add uni, serve. 

Done and done. 

The sauce was rich and creamy and delicious. We topped it with some grilled jumbo shrimp (I wish I could call them prawns. It sounds so much more elegant.) and enjoyed our pasta. 

I must say, though, that I smacked my head and realized how much of an idiot I am, because I have the Le Bernadin cookbook with the recipe for Eric Ripert's Sea Urchin pasta. 

Looks like it's back to the store to wipe them out of urchin once again. 

Sea Urchin Pasta with Grilled Shrimp

serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons shallots, minced (about 2)
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup of dry white wine
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 4 ounces sea urchin (12 to 18 whole urchins)
• 1/2 cup butter, cut into chunks
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 pound large shrimp
• 1 box bucatini (or other thick pasta)

Directions

Set water in a pot over medium high heat to boil. Sprinkle water with salt. When boiling, cook the pasta to al dente (follow cooking time recommendation on package)

In a 9-inch saute pan over medium-high heat sweat shallots, garlic, hot pepper and oregano in the olive oil. About 2 minutes, until limp. Add wine and chicken stock, reduce this by half. Add sea urchin, cooking for 30 seconds. Whisk in butter, chunk at a time, breaking up urchins as you mix. Add parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Add lobster at the last minute. Toss in sauce, and the pour over bucatini. Toss with spaghetti. 

Steamed Sole with Butternut Squash Sauce and Rock Shrimp

Happy New Year!  To start the New Year off right, let's start off with a healthy recipe, shall we?

After all of the holiday indulgences, it's time to lighten up with this incredible, so-good-I-can't-believe-it-doesn't-have-cream-or-butter dish.  Harold Dieterle, the winner of Top Chef Season 1 actually won the 1st Top Chef Challenge ever.  The challenge of the episode, titled "Who Deserves to Be Here", was to basically cook a fantastic meal to serve to your peers.  Harold won with this dish - a steamed Thai Snapper atop braised Brussel sprout leaves and a butternut squash puree topped with chanterelle mushrooms and rock shrimp.

I made this dish a few years back (please click here and laugh at the photo) and forgot how good it was.  I revisted it a little bit - changing out the snapper for sole (whenever I get snapper, it is filled with bones. I'm not sure why. I'm not a fishmonger (I love that word, I use it whenever I get the chance), actually found Rock Shrimp (and WOW are they flavorful), and omitted the chanterelle mushrooms, which I can never find fresh. 

This dish is a snap (get it? snap? Snapper?... Anyone?) to throw together and it is so incredibly satisfying. When I say that you won't believe that it is healthy, I'm not kidding. The sauce is rich and thick and bursting with the rich, sweet flavor of butternut squash. 

Steamed Sole adapted from Top Chef Season 1: Episode One

Serves 4

4 fillets Lemon Sole

Sauce:
1 butternut squash
1 cup chicken broth
2 piece garlic
2 shallots

 Vegetables:

1 cup brussels sprouts leaves
2  oz. rock Shrimp
2 teaspoon chives 
2 teaspoon parsley

Extra Virgin Olive Oil 

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste.

Directions:

Skin and dice butternut squash for 15 minutes at 375°. 

Sweat garlic and shallots in 1 tbsp olive oil over medium-low heat while butternut squash is roasting. When squash is done, add squash meat. Cover with chicken stock and simmer 10 minutes. Let cool and then transfer to a blender and blend until smooth.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Peel brussel sprout leaves (from fresh brussel sprouts) from bulbs. Sweat leaves in 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium low heat until golden brown, add shrimp. Cook 2 minutes. Add parsley and chives.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Season sole with salt and pepper.  Steam sole for 5 minutes. 

The World's Most Amazing Shrimp Burgers

 

(These burgers are actually titled "Puerto Vallarta Shrimp Burgers", but I don't know why. I don't know anything about Puerto Vallarta, except for the fact that they used to give away a trip to Puerto Vallarta on, like, every episode of Wheel of Fortune in the 80s and 90s. )

I love using sensationalistic titles like this. And using words like "sensationalistic". Is that a real word? Who knows. But I like it. Holla.

I like to workout and eat healthy. I like to change up my workouts. Elliptical. Spin class. Run a few miles. I love cardio.  But what I hate is doing weights.  So I find Jillian Michael's 30 day shred to be perfect for me.  I do a 40 minute cardio workout, and then come home and do Jillian's 20 minute circuit training. 

But a wrench is always thrown in my plan, as I have two obstacles that stop me from maximizing this workout. 

Their names are Jack and Remy.

As soon as I lay down my purple yoga mat and turn my back to prep the DVD player, Remy makes herself comfortable right on my mat and then looks at me like I am the one bothering HER when I ask her to get up. And forget about getting on the ground to do abs.  As soon as my back hits the floor, she takes it as an excuse to lick my face as if it was slathered with peanut butter.

And then there is Jack, who often wants to read the newspaper on the couch while I am working out and gives the play by play of what is going on. Say Jillian says something like, "I want you to feel like you are going to die," Jack then needs to say, "Wow, she's a bit crazy, no?"  Or he willl just spontaneously jump up next to me and mock my movement and say in a bouncy, mocking tone "And one! And two! OK! Work it out! Oh yeah! We're working!" causing me to feign mock anger when all I want to do is burst out laughing. 

So, when I feel like I haven't gotten the best workout, I can still rest assured that I can eat these burgers and not feel guilty. I can't even explain how good these burgers are. Seriously. UGH. I love them.  Shrimp is pureed and then mixed with spicy jalapeno peppers, cilantro, and garlic, and then studded with bits of whole strimp, and finally topped with a creamy avocado aioli with just the right amount of heat. Eat them on a bun, or, they are seriously just as satisfying sandwiched between two crisp pieces of Boston lettuce. Just do it.

You know you want it!

Shrimp Burgers - Adapted from Chef Marcela

Ingredients

• For the shrimp burgers:
• 1 pound medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
• 1 jalapeno pepper, stemmed, seeded and diced
• 2 tablespoons chopped white onion
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• Whole wheat rolls, split in half
• 2 plum tomatoes, sliced
• 6 boston lettuce leaves (or any lettuce you'd like :)) lettuce leaves
• For the avocado aioli:
• 1 Haas avocado, halved, seeded and peeled
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 medium garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preparation

To make the shrimp burgers:Divide the shrimp in half. Coarsely chop one half and set aside. Put remaining half in a food processor and grind to a coarse puree. Add egg, cilantro and garlic to processor. Process until smooth. Sprinkle mixture with breadcrumbs and process again. Transfer contents of food processor to a large bowl. Add coarsely chopped shrimp, jalapeno and onion. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Mix well. Chill for 15 minutes. Form patties or "burgers" and set aside.

Heat oil in a heavy skillet. When very hot, fry the shrimp burgers until golden, about 3 minutes per side, depending on thickness. Drain on paper towels.

To make the avocado aioli:Scoop the avocado pulp into the bowl of a food processor. Add the mayonnaise, lime juice, garlic cloves, jalapeno, cilantro, salt and pepper. Process until smooth. Check and adjust seasoning.

To assemble:Serve shrimp burgers on buns, topped with a dollop of avocado aioli, sliced tomato and lettuce.

Serving Size

Yield: 6 servings; prep time: 20 minutes; cook time: 6 to 8 minutes

 

 

Soba Noodles with Grilled Shrimp

 
 

I've become newly obsessed with spinning. Not in-a-circle-with-my-arms-outstreched-until-I-feel-like-I-want-to-vomit spinning, but actual spin class.  

I was a spinning newbie up until a few weeks ago. Then, I walked into this new state-of-the-art spin studio down in Chelsea.  I walked sheepishly to the counter and asked how to register.  The pretty girl behind the counter handed me a waiver and a pair of shoes with metal clumps on the bottom.

Now, I am always wary when I have to sign something that says, "We are not responsible for your death." Especially when all I am doing is riding a stationary bike. But seriously, I thought, what are these metal things? 

I walk into the spin studio and see women on their bikes, spinning furiously (class hadn't started yet) and chatting away with one another.  I found my way to my bike and began to examine.  The pedals were tiny little magnetic bars. OK.  So these attach to my feet. 

Um?

I got on the bike and tried to attach my feet to the medal bars.  Of course, I slipped right off, knocking off the little meter showing the Torq and Resistance. CLANG! CRASH!

Great.  I'm that girl right now. I thought to myself, as I sheepishly tried to get back on. After I finally was able to keep my balance on the seat, I struggled with attaching my feet to the medal bars.  Finally, I heard the click and suddenly, I was locked in.  No way out now. 

Now, I am a workout nut. I love working out. I love athletic challenges.  So I. Loved. Spinning.  I didn't want to stop.  The studio has a Torq Board where you can see your position against all of the other spinners in the class on a large screen in the front of the room.  Some people call that torture.  I call that... well, I guess it is torture. I didn't sign up for it and was glad that I didn't. 

Class was over and it was time to stretch.  The instructor told us to unlock our feet (such an odd statement).  Of course, I did not know how to do that.  I pressed the red release knob and of course, nothing.  I struggled and pulled but my feet were stuck.

This sucks. I'm totally that girl.

I gave up and just pulled my feet out of my shoes, falling forcefully backwards as I released myself.  Luckily, I was in the back row. I stretched and ran out before the lights went on, just to save face.

I went back the next day.  Some may call me a masochist.  But I loved it. 

In the March 2010 Issue of Food and Wine Magazine, Editor-In-Chief Dana Cowin stated that she wanted to redirect the focus of the recipes in F&W to feature healthier recipes.  

I'm down for some healthy recipes. It energizes me when I get stuck on my spin bike. 

So I tried the cover recipe from the magazine.  Soba noodles, tossed with a tamari-soy sauce sauce,topped with lime marinated shrimp and sprinkled with pan-fried garlic and shallots, cilantro and scallions. 

Easy enough.

It was quick to make and smelled delicious.  But I was a bit disappointed with it.  I found the sauce to be very salty on the already salty soba noodles. Sure, I loved the crisp garlic and shallots, the lime flavored cilantro (and I never like cilantro) and the scallions.  And the lime shrimp were incredible.  But I wasn't crazy about the dish.

But the next day. Oh, the next day was different. The flavors mellowed.  The sauce became a subtle coating to the tender noodles.  The lime flavor of the shrimp was even more pronounced.  Definitely a winner.  A nice, healthy winner.

Click here for the recipe.

Top Chef with Teanna - Season Six, Episode 9, Part 2 - Pressed Chicken with Calamari Noodles

I have to keep this one short and sweet - Jack and I are moving (AGAIN) this week to our permanent apartment! 

Here is the winning restaurant wars dish from restaurant Revolt(ing). Michael Voltaggio made a Pressed Chicken with Calamari Noodles.

Let's talk about the brilliance that is Michael Voltaggio. Michael is so brilliant, that in this past Wednesday's episode, his dish prompted Natalie Portman to ask "Who is his dealer and is he accepting new clients?" Toby Young is kicking himself for not thinking of something so witty. 

But that is an episode that I will discuss with next week's dish. And there is a lot to discuss... like the uncomfortable innuendos that were being thrown around the table about a prick. It was... odd.

Here's what I changed:  You know with any Voltaggio dish, you're going to be doing some crazy stuff.  Like putting frozen calamari steaks through a meat press.  I couldn't find calamari steaks, so I just got the largest pieces of calamari that I could find and cut them into noodles with a pairing knife.  No freezing required. Secondly, I do not have an immersion circulator, so I just poached the chicken in 2 cups of chicken stock, extra garlic and thyme, and added a lemon slice to really bring out the flavor.  I then followed the rest of the instructions for the chicken by pressing a large frying pan on top of them and then crisping the skin when they were ready to serve.

The broth was delicious and reminded me a lot of the Cardamom Tomato broth that Kevin and Jennifer made in a previous episode.  Michael's broth wasn't as sweet, as there was no sugar, but the sweet, licorice flavor of fennel and the citrusy lemongrass added the perfect flavor profile to this dish. 

Although the recipe is challenging, it is definitely adaptable to the home kitchen if you put your mind to it.  Click herehttp://www.bravotv.com/foodies/recipes/pressed-chicken-with-calamari-noodles-tomato-confit-and-fennel-salad for the recipe. 

Oh, and here is a real picture of the other dish that Kevin and Jennifer made a few weeks back.  I had to replace the crappy iPhone photo.

Smoked Salmon "Tartare" on New Potato Slices

In the latest and final installment of "The Appetizer Diaries", I present to you Salmon "Tartare" on new potato slices. 

Originally, I wanted to make Thomas Keller's Salmon Tartare Cornets.  I knew they would be a lot of work, but that the payoff would be totally worth it. Unfortunately, I couldn't find sashimi grade salmon anywhere, so I needed a new salmon recipe.  So I scrambled and found this recipe way back in the Archives of Gourmet Magazine, June 1995.  

1995! My first year of high school! The year of Windows 95 (Thanks Bill Gates), the announcement of the upcoming new DVD technology, the first computer generated film: Toy Story, a pre-crazy Mel Gibson in blue face paint as Braveheart, the end of the MLB Baseball strike, the song that would never get out of your head: "I'll Be There for You" by the Rembrandts (better known as the "Friends" theme song), and apparently, fake salmon tartare.  

But let me tell you something.  Apparently 1995 got something right, because this dish is amazing.  This dish is a textural delight. Slightly firm potato slices are topped with a creamy mixture of diced smoked salmon mixed with creme fraiche with crunchy diced red onion and chives thrown in.  These flew off the trays.  Best of all... these are ready in 10 minutes. Holla! 

The Thomas Keller dish would have been a lot of work for a great payoff and these were a small amount of work for a great payoff. So I think it worked out just fine.

Smoked Salmon Tartare on New Potatoes adapted from Gourmet Magazine

Yield: Makes 24 hors d'oeuvres 

6 red potatoes, 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter (about 3/4 pound)

For "tartare"

1/4 pound smoked salmon, chopped fine

2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup creme fraiche (use sour cream if you do not have creme fraiche) 

Slice potatoes into twenty-four 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Boil potato slices, covered, until tender, about 10 minutes, and cool completely. Potato slices may be steamed 1 day ahead and kept in a sealed plastic bag, chilled. Bring potato slices to room temperature before proceeding with recipe.

Make "tartare":

In a bowl stir together "tartare" ingredients and salt and pepper to taste.

To assemble hors d'oeuvres:

Brush tops of potato slices with lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Top each slice with a heaping 1/2 teaspoon "tartare".

Top Chef with Teanna: Season 6, Episode 1 - Arctic Char with Turnip Salsa Verde

Welcome, chefs, to Season 6 of Top Chef with Teanna.

For those of you who have been following my "show", you may say to yourself, "But she hasn't even finished cooking through Season 1!"  And you are right, my perceptive friend.  You are very right.

I mentioned in my first post that I would pause at the point in which the new season aired and would start cooking the winning dishes of the current season.  I will continue my posts and finish out Season 1, but for now, the new season will take up this Wednesday slot.

SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

So let's get started, shall we?  We are introduced to a whole new crop of tattooed, faux-hawked culinary wonders who all get to live in a gorgeous Vegas mansion complete with swimming pool and slide (we later get to see a somewhat zaftig (I'm trying to be nice here) cheftestant slide down head first into the pool). We meet the chefs, which include a several chefs from Atlanta, one from Philly who has studied under my favorite Frenchman, Eric Ripert, a New Yorker (only one???), a chef from Jersey, and a chef from France who has a penchant for wearing red napkins as a neck accessory, to name a few. Note: I have googled this and it is called a "neckerchief".  The frenchman will now be my new obsession of the season, a la Stephen Aspirino of Season 1. Lets hope his sound bites are as catchy as his neckerchief is trendy.

The chefs are introduced to Padma Lakshimi, the stunning goddess of Bravo TV and Burger King and Tom Colicchio, god of gorgeous blue eyes and skeptical smiles that speak a thousand words.  The chefs are told that their first quickfire challenge will be a relay that consists of four stages:  shuck 15 clams, peel 30 prawns, clean five lobsters, and butcher two chops from a prime rib.  In true Vegas fashion, the contestants draw chips from a bag, and their corresponding chip will determine their teams (except for the gold chip, chosen by Robin, which not only allowed her to sit out of the challenge, but also gave her immunity for the first elimination).  The blue team, consisting of Mattin and his neckerchief, Bryan, Jennifer, and Jesse eked out a win against the black team, despite Mike from New Jersey's apparent confusion in which he must have thought that he was at a NJ Devil's game and not in the Top Chef kitchen, which would be the only excuse for his excessive battle shouts. Unfortunately, the red team finished dead last. I think Preeti may still be trying to shuck her first clam. 

But the quickfire does not stop there.  The chefs of the winning team are then told that they must make a dish out of their corresponding leg of the relay. The winner of the challenge would win $15,000. Jen, the chef from Eric Ripert's restaurant in Philadelphia, wins not only the respect of her peers, but $15,000. And she probably has touched Eric Ripert, so I am jealous of her on so many levels.

But the real challenge excites the chefs:  pick a personal vice and cook a dish that represents that vice.  We have some truly creative dishes, like Mike from the Devil's game dish of a piece of fish that looks like a bar of soap because he curses too much and a rack of lamb represented a a different Mike's attraction to unnatural female enhancements.  The losing dish was Jennifer Z's dish of Chile Relleno stuffed with Seitan. But the winning dish was by Kevin Gillespe (the slide-surfer) which represented procrastination:  Arctic char which was slowly poached to medium rare in garlic olive oil. 

This was a knock-out dish, and I have to say, I had more fun making this dish than I did any other Top Chef creation.  An UNBELIEVABLE marinade of cider vinegar, star anise, sugar, cinnamon, and whole peppercorns flavor diced shallots and turnips for a long period of time.  Smashed garlic and thyme flavors olive oil cooked at a very low temperature for 45 minutes. Basil, parsley, and tarragon are mixed to make a stellar herb puree.  A juiced cucumber is mixed with a buerre fondue (water-butter emulsion) and used to braise romaine lettuce. Cucumber and fennel bulb brunoise is them mixed with the shallot and turnip mix, then mixed with caramelized celery, and finally tossed in a bit of the herb puree. Finally, the char (I actually used turbot, as I could not find char), which is simply flavored with fennel pollen (which I did not do because I am fresh out of fennel pollen) and salt is slow-cooked in the warmed garlic and olive oil mixture and basted continually until cooked to a fine medium rare. 

Like I said, I had so. much. fun. making this dish. Honestly. And it is outstanding.  But my favorite, favorite part is the turnip salsa verde. I hate turnips and I could not stop eating this. I made two dishes - one with pork and one with turbot, and this dish worked fantastically with the pork as well. 

This is going to be a great season. 

Oh, and all of you cooks out there - you'll all be happy to know that the Top Chef website actually posts comprehensive recipes now. 

So click here and give this recipe a shot. It is totally worth it. 

Top Chef with Teanna: Season 1, Episode 8 - Wedding Bell Blues - Shrimp Toast with Scallop Mousse

Just like there is no "I" in team, there were no winners in Top Chef.

That sentence may not have made any sense, but it doesn't change the fact that this week, all of the cheftestants failed our beloved Tom Colicchio. 

This was the first time as viewers we saw the sadness and disappointment in Tom's crystal blue eyes. The cheftestants were asked to cater a commitment ceremony for Scott and Scott (yes) that would feed 100 people and consist of five courses with an Asian Flair, which included hors d'ourves that used prawns and a wedding cake for dessert, all within a $3,000 price limit. 

Oh, and the ceremony was the next day.

The remaining cheftestants would work together as a group, and the person with winning quick-fire dish would be in charge of setting the menu. Leanne won with her Shrimp Toast with Scallop Mousse.  

To make a long episode short, the chef's struggled on all accounts.  The chef's cooked through the night, which may have been their downfall. They were unorganized, the dishes were uninspired, and since none of them had any pastry experience, they decided to use a box mix.  "It is why God created Betty Crocker", Harold informed us. Yes, Harold, yes it is.

I'll never forget the moment when Tom walked into the kitchen and saw the multiple boxes of cake mix in the garbage. Tiffani explained their reasoning and Tom just smiled his pretty Tom smile and walked out of the kitchen.  Later, a guest would eat a slice of the cake that had a wedding surprise in it: an egg shell.

Overall, the guests and the judges felt that the dishes were uninspired. Tom said that he has had "better take out food from a place in NY" and a guest said "The salmon was USELESS!  I was all of a sudden at a bad convention - it might as well have been boiled chicken."

Ouch.

As per usual, Stephen spent most of his time in the front of the house, which ultimately, was the reason for his elimination from the show.  For one last time, let's take a gander at some Stephen gems from the episode:

This wedding cake had no potential whatsoever. I did not want to attach my name – even if I were to help – because, you know, mediocrity is not my game and I just didn't want to have anything to do with it.

A chef's responsibility is to delegate. He is a leader, he is a manager in the kitchen; no one took that role. No one, except for myself.

I needed to talk to some of the members of the hotel, and making sure that the EXECUTION – the foremost important part of this whole entire event – was intact.

Now that my role in this competition has finally come to an end I'm going to be a restaurateur, and that is my goal in life. I will probably influence the industry and raise the bar to a level of excellence that I don't think has been achieved yet to date in this country.

We're waiting for it, Stephen. With baited breath.

Because there were no winning dishes, I decided to cook the Quickfire winning dish - Leanne's shrimp toast.  

This was a stellar appetizer.  I baked them and then pan fried them instead of only frying them. At first bite, I wasn't sure if it was any good. But then I took another bite.  Then I grabbed another.  I had to stop myself after two, because these are addicting.  The combination of the shrimp with the salmon mousse was oustanding, and the chives, waterchesnuts, and sesame seeds provided great textural depth to the entire dish.  A definite keeper. 

Lee Anne's "Wong's Shrimp Toast"

Scallop Mousse
 1 lb. Scallops, cleaned

1/2 lb. Butter, softened to room temperature
Salt to taste
6 Tbs. Light Soy Sauce
6 Tbs. Shaoxing Rice Wine

1.      In a food processor blend the scallops and butter with a little salt until well homogenized. The mousse should be fairly smooth, no visible chunks of shrimp or butter. Be careful not to process too long, or the shrimp will begin to cook from the friction of the blade.

2.      Once the mousse has been formed, turn the food processor back on and add in the soy sauce and shaoxing. Process until well blended.

3.      Test the seasoning of the mousse by poaching a quenelle in simmering water. Adjust seasoning to taste (i.e. more salt, white pepper, more soy, pinch of sugar). Keep mousse refrigerated, but allow to soften before folding in additional ingredients.

Shrimp Toast

Scallop Mousse recipe (above), softened
3 lb. Raw Shrimp, small dice
2 cups Waterchestnut, small dice
2 cups Scallion, thinly sliced crosswise, whites and greens
Salt and pepper
1 loaf White Bread, denser and drier, preferably
Sesame Seeds, raw
Oil for deep frying

1.     Combine the softened mousse with the shrimp, waterchestnuts, and scallion. Mix well with a spatula. Test for seasoning by poaching a quenelle.

2.     Cut the crusts off the side of the bread slices, using half of the loaf (try to use the largest square shaped pieces). Cut those pieces in half. You should have small rectangles. Allow the bread slices to dry out a little at room temperature so the bread will stiffen up.

3.     Spread about 1/4 cup of shrimp mix onto each piece of bread. Using an offset spatula, pave the mixture smooth to cover the bread, evening off corners and sides. Mixture should stand a little less than 1/2" thick on the bread. Dip the finished pieces in sesame seeds (just the top). Use the offset spatula to clean the sides again. Refrigerate until needed. The shrimp toast may be frozen also.

      

        Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Bake the toasts for 7-10 minutes, or until the shrimp turns slightly pink.  Remove from oven. 

        Preheat the deep frying oil to 350°F. Deep fry the shrimp toast in small batches until a deep golden brown and the shrimp are fully cooked, about 3 minutes. Drain on towels, season with salt, serve immediately.

The toast goes in looking like this:

And comes out like this:

Not bad.

Next Week - I have to go a bit out of order because I am moving back to NY this week (YAAAAAAAAAAY!) so I am posting a Fig Tart from the finale.  This tart was so good, it deserves six postings. I still can't stop thinking about it. 

Shrimp Enchilado

I am traveling (again) this weekend for (another) wedding, so this one will be short and sweet.

The original dish called for lobster tail and crab legs, but this soon-to-be-unemployed-and-moving-back-to-NYC-in-a-down-economy-girl was not going to spend the money on such delicacies. So shrimp it was. 

This stew, of Cuban origin, is basically seafood cooked in a mildly spicy tomato sauce.  It was to be served with rice and fried plantains, but I forgot the plantains.

The amount of traveling I have been doing has sucked out all of my brain capacity.  

This is a solid dish. A rich tomato sauce is flavored with a complex sherry wine, sweet paprika, and briny clam juice and a little bit of heat from the cayenne pepper. 

This is one of those dishes where you'll go back for seconds asking "Please, sir, can I have some more?" in your most feeble Oliver Twist voice.

Or will that just be me next month?  

Shrimp Enchilado - Adapted from Bon Appetit

Serves 4

• 1 lb uncooked shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 1 tablespoon lime juice 

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2/3 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 4 large plum tomatoes, seeded, diced
• 1 cup canned tomato purée
• 1 cup bottled clam juice
• 3/4 cup dry Sherry wine
• 2 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
•   
  

• Heat olive oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and chopped bell pepper to pot; sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add chopped garlic cloves, fresh parsley, and paprika and sauté 1 minute. Add diced tomatoes and tomato purée. Cook until juices thicken, stirring frequently, about 8 minutes. Add clam juice, dry Sherry, and bay leaf. Season to taste with salt. Add cayenne pepper. Bring mixture to boil, then shrimp and lime juice.  Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until lobster meat is cooked through and tender, about 10 minutes.   Serve with rice and fried plaintains.