Lobster Ravioli with Truffle Sauce

 

Today’s post is definitely more complicated and time consuming than what I usually present here. PLEASE DONT GET SCARED OFF.  In the video I’ll show you how to make the raviolis themselves, how to cook them, and then finish the sauce. The video was filmed by my friend Collin Siemer who was visiting from London. I first met Collin when I did five episodes of the Chef du Jour show on Food Network back in 2000. Collin was the producer for those shows and we have remained great friends ever since. So I thought it would be fun to have him jump in and recreate one of the dishes I did on that show. Thank you Collin!!

I am presenting the recipe as I make it in the restaurant where I have lots of hands to help with labor. For those of you that want to recreate that dish you have the template. But I bet most of you will take some shorcuts to make it more manageable. You can find my suggestions below the recipe.

And even if you dont want to make your own raviolis you MUST try making the sauce – it would be great with even the most basic store-bought raviolis! One more suggestion: Try involving your dinner guests in the making of the raviolis. It can be a great pre-dinner group activity for your guests. And it’s relatively unmessy if you use the gyoza skins because you dont need flour all over your workbench.

The recipe is on the Food Network website and there is a link to that page in the section of my blog titled “Links to My Recipes on the Web”. But I am reposting it below so you can refer to the original recipe when deciding which substitutions to make.

 

 

Raviolis of Maine Lobster with White Truffle Sauce

 Yield – about 32 raviolis which can serve 8 as an appetizer or 6 as a main course

 
 
Filling:
2 live lobsters, 1 pound each
1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon

Lobster Stock:
Lobster shells from above
1 carrot
1 stalk celery
1 small onion, peeled
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, peeled
Water to cover
Truffle Sauce:
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup chicken stock
2 cups heavy cream
2 ounces white truffle butter
Dash lemon juice
Dash hot pepper sauce
Dash Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Egg wash:
1 egg white, lightly beaten
Pasta:
4 sheets fresh pasta, 18 inches by 24 inches
or 1 package wonton wrappersor gyozo skins

Garnish:
Sauteed shrimp (optional)
1 tablespoon chives, chopped
 
Method:
To Cook the Lobsters and Make the Lobster Stock:
Boil lobsters in lightly salted boiling water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove and cool in cold water. Remove meat from shells and chop into small diced pieces, set aside. Rinse the lobster bodies (from above) under running water to remove the green tomalley. Combine with the vegetables, tomato paste, and garlic in a small stock pot. Cover with cold water (just enough to cover shells and vegetables). Bring to a boil, then simmer for 2 hours. When done, strain, then reduce over medium high heat until thick and dark (watch it carefully, as you get near the end). You should have about 1/2 cup liquid. Set aside.
To Make the Truffle Sauce:
While the stock is reducing, prepare the truffle sauce. Heat the wine and chicken stock together. Bring to a boil, then reduce until almost dry (about 1/4 cup). Add heavy cream, reduce by 1/2 then add the truffle butter with a whisk until well incorporated. Finish with a dash of lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce and salt and pepper. Keep warm until ready to use.
Filling:
Combine the chopped lobster meat, the tarragon and the reduced lobster stock. Mix well, add salt and pepper to taste.
To Make the Raviolis:
Blend together the egg yolk and milk for the eggwash. Lay out the pasta sheets and brush with the egg white. If using the fresh pasta sheets divide the lobster filling evenly into 32 parts and place it onto the sheets in rows 6 inches long by 3 inches wide, to make 32 pieces. If using the gyoza skins do the same procedure one by one. Cut with a round or scalloped edge cutter and place on a tray covered with parchment paper and dusted with cornmeal. Pinch the edges of the ravioli together to seal them well or you can use a ravioli tray to make them. You can make the raviolis ahead of time and freeze them, or use them fresh.


To Finish the Dish:
Cook the raviolis in boiling, lightly salted water, about 3-5 minutes if using fresh pasta, less if using wonton or gyoza wrappers, until pasta is al dente. While the pasta is cooking saute your shrimp if using. When pasta is done drain and toss with the truffle sauce, serve in bowls, and garnish with optional shrimp and a sprinkle of chopped chives. Parmesan cheese is not recommended for this dish as it interferes with the flavor of the sauce.
Substitutions and Short Cuts:
You can fill these raviolis with any shellfish you like - seared scallops, sauteed shrimp, crayfish are all good additions or substitutions (or use chopped broiled fish, or chopped sauteed mushrooms, or whatever else you can think of). Just be sure to chop them finely and moisten them with stock or a thick liquid.
If you dont want to make lobster stock you can substitute tomato sauce or reduced fish stock thickened with a little tomato paste. or you could use melted butter to moisten the filling.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Filed under Appetizers, Lobster, Pastas, Raviolis

Almost Everything You Need To Know To Make Great Brownies

 

 

I have a deep-rooted biological need for chocolate at 3 pm on a daily basis. I think that recognizing that this is beyond my control makes it much easier to swallow (sorry – I couldn’t resist that one – uhoh I think that’s a pun on a pun – dangerous territory for sure!!)

Anyway, I think this comes from my father’s side of the family since as a kid I remember him hitting the chocolate about this time of day like clockwork. He was happy with a handful of chocolate chips or some other simple form of chocolate. But I prefer something with a little more “there” there. And probably my favorite way to indulge my chocolate requirement is a great brownie.

After much research I have found that brownie greatness is pretty subjective. Fudgy texture, cakey texture, sweetness, nuts or no-nuts, other additional ingredients, shiny top, crunchy top – these are all variations that come into play in brownies and everyone has their own favorites.

So my goal here is to show you how to achieve the brownie you want – which I hope you will be eternally grateful for (or just buy my cookbook when it comes out – either way I’ll be happy).

My version of a perfect brownie is one that is fudgy and slighty chewy, not too sweet, with a thin shiny crust on top – no nuts or anything else added in. So that’s the recipe I will start with. Then I will give you a more cakey brownie recipe which uses a different mixing technique called the “creaming” method.

As ususal I am giving you the recipes in ratio format and in traditional format. The ratio format should make it easier to remember the recipe. It should also help you understand the proportions needed to achieve a particular result.

 

Fudgy and Chewy Brownies:

Yield of “Suggested Amounts” is about 16 brownies

Ratio Amount               Suggested Amounts                        Ingredient

By Weight

     1 Part                               8 ozs                                Chocolate, Bittersweet,

                                                                                     Cut into small pieces

     1 Part                               8 ozs                                Sugar, Granulated

    1/2 Part                            4 ozs                                Butter, Unsalted

    1/2 Part                            4 ozs (2)                           Eggs, Extra Large, lightly beaten

    1/4 -1/2 Part                   2 – 4 ozs                          Flour, All Purpose, sifted

                                                                                     (less flour will give fudgier texture)

       x                                    2 tsp.                               Vanilla Extract, Pure

       x                                    1/4 tsp                             Salt

       x                                    1/4 tsp                             Baking Powder (optional if you want

                                                                                      a sightly less fudgy texture)

 

Method:

Preheat oven to 350F

Melt chocolate, sugar, and butter in a mixing bowl set over (but not touching) a pan of simmering water until fully melted but not too hot. Remove from heat and whisk in eggs, salt, and vanilla extract. Then blend in flour gently (don’t overmix).

Pour batter into a 9″ square greased baking pan (glass or aluminum). You can line the pan with parchment paper (which needs to be buttered also) for easier removal after baking.

Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out almost clean (if it’s clean the brownies are overbaked).

Let cool slightly then remove brownies from pan and cool on a cooling rack. Cut into desired shapes after cooling (if you can wait that long – I know I can’t!!)

 

Light and Cakey Brownies

Ratio Amount               Suggested Amounts               Ingredient

By Volume

1 Part                               1 cup (2 sticks)              Butter, Unsalted, Softened

1 Part                               1 cup                             Sugar, Granulated

1 Part                               1 cup                             Cocoa Powder

1 Part                               1 cup (4)                        Eggs, Extra Large, lightly beaten

1 Part                               1 cup                             Flour, All Purpose

   x                                   1 tsp                             Vanilla Extract

   x                                   1 tsp                             Baking Powder

   x                                   1/4 tsp                         Salt

 

Method:

Preheat oven to 350F

Cream butter and sugar in an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, salt, and vanilla and blend until combined. Add flour (sifted with baking powder) and mix gently by hand until just combined (don’t overmix).

Pour batter into a 9″ square greased baking pan (glass or aluminum). You can line the pan with parchment paper (which needs to be buttered also) for easier removal after baking.

Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let cool slightly then remove brownies from pan and cool on a cooling rack. Cut into desired shapes after cooling.

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Filed under Baked Goods, Brownies, Dessert, Pastry Basics, Ratio Recipes

Fresh Herb Oils and Tuna Tartare

Fresh Herb Oils can add a professional flourish to many dishes. They are quite different from herb-infused oils. Here, the herbs are pureed with the oil, resulting in a very intense herb flavor and a beautiful emerald green color. I usually use one herb at a time in these recipes to keep the flavors clean. But feel free to try combining different herbs together to create new combinations. Try using herb oil in a vinaigrette or as a marinade, or try drizzling some over grilled fish or chicken breast. Herb oils are handy cold-pantry staples as they keep well in the refirgerator for a few weeks. Chive Oil is my favorite.

I’ll start with the Basic Ratio Formula, then give you a full recipe for Chive Oil, then a recipe for Tuna Tartare.

Basic Ratio by Volume:

2 Parts Fresh herbs such as basil, chives, tarragon, parsley, dill

1 Part Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt to taste

 

Chive Oil:     Yield: 1 cup

Ingredients:

2/3 cup Fresh Chives, lightly packed

1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Pinch Salt

 

Method:

Wash Chives and pat dry with a towel. Cut into 1-2″ pieces.

Puree in blender with olive oil and salt. Optional: Strain through fine mesh strainer.

 

Now here’s a recipe using your freshly made Chive Oil. It makes a great dinner appetizer or lunch main course. Of course when serving raw fish you need to buy the best quality sushi-grade tuna you can find. I also love serving this tartare on potato chips as an hors d’oeuvre for a cocktail party. In this recipe the chips are a garnish that your guests can use to pile the tartare onto. Either way – it’s really delicious and easy to make.

Blue-Fin Tuna Tartare     Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. Sushi-grade BlueFin tuna, cut in2 1/4″ cubes or smaller

4T Chive Oil

2T Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Shallot, finely chopped

1 T. Chives, finely chopped

1 t Lemon zest, grated

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

32 Potato Chips (best-quality store-bought, or homemade waffle chips)

Optional garnish; Baby salad greens

 

Method:

Mix tuna with half the chive oil, olive oil, shallot, chive, lemon zest, salt and pepper in a small mixing bowl.

Divide evenly onto four appetizer plates in a pleasing shape (I use a 3″ ring mold).

Place 8 potato chips standing upright into the tartare. garnish with a few leaves of baby salad greens if desired, and drizzle the remaining chive oil around inside edge of each plate.

 

ENJOY!!!

 

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Filed under Appetizers, Cold Sauces, Dressings, Condiments, Fish and Seafood, Fresh Herb Oil, Ratio Recipes

Mixed Berry Gratin with Champagne Sabayon

 

 

 

This is one of my favorite desserts at Cafe du Soleil – it’s so light that it makes the perfect ending to a big meal. This same sabayon technique can be used for savory dishes. You would just make the Champagne sabayon described below, omitting the sugar in both the sabayon and in the whipped cream. And I usually add a little finely chopped shallots in with the yolks and Champagne. Spread over steamed asparagus (or lump crabmeat and asparagus), sprinkled with a little grated Parmesan cheese and browned under the broiler, it makes a very professional looking (and great tasting) appetizer.

 

 

 

Mixed Berry Gratin with Champagne Sabayon            Yield: 4 servings

 

Ingredients:

Ratio                 Weight               Volume          Ingredient

1 part                4 ozs                     (4)             Egg Yolks, XL

1 part                4 ozs                 (1/2 cup)      Champagne,       

1 Tbsp/yolk       4 Tbsp              (1/4 cup)       Sugar, Granulated

 

Add-Ins:          1 cup                 Whipped Cream (lightly sweetened)

                         2 cups               Mixed Fresh Berries

                                                   Fresh mint for garnish

 

Method:

 

1)       Fill a medium saucepan half full with water and bring to a simmer.

2)       Combine yolks, Champagne, and sugar in a medium stainless steel or heat resistant glass bowl. Whisk together for a few minutes until well blended.

3)       Place mixing bowl over simmering water (it should not touch the water) and whisk for about 10 – 15 minutes until the mixture about triples in volume. Don’t let the mixture get too hot or it will scramble the eggs (in other words if you see steam rising from the surface it’s getting too hot). The finished texture should be like lightly whipped cream.

4)       The sabayon can be served warm at this point, or chilled.

5)    When cold, fold in whipped cream and set aside. This can be made well in advance if you like and kept cold until ready to use.

6)    While the sabayon is chilling, clean berries and arrange           decoratively on four plates.

7)       When ready to serve, place plates in a 350F oven to warm for about 2 minutes. Remove from oven and spoon sabayon mixture evenly over the berries. Place plates under the broiler until sabayon is lightly browned, or use a blowtorch to brown them as you would for a Crème Brulee. Garnish with fresh mint sprigs.

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Filed under Dessert, French Regional Specialties, Pastry Basics, Ratio Recipes, Summer Desserts

Sorry For the Long Absence – I’m Back with a Pancake Recipe Variation

Hey all,

Sorry for the long absence of posting – I was away on an amazing vacation in Egypt (more on that later when I have time to post some pictures) and I have been really busy with my restaurants and catering.

 

In any event – a quick post that will give you a great new idea for pancakes. I had these at my friends Jenn and Jim’s house in Cairo – it is a Saturday morning tradition for them to make a big pancake breakfast for themselves and their 4 young kids.

Jim is in charge of the cooking duties and he does something very smart – he makes his batter the night before using yeast instead of baking powder. The pancakes from this batter have a lovely spongey texture and a slight yeast flavor, and half of the work is done the night before so all you have to do in the morning is heat up your pan or griddle and cook the pancakes. The batter can be kept overnight in the refrigerator or in a cool place in your kitchen (if you have one) and then brought back to room temperature (or used directly from the fridge) in the morning.

 

The recipe is basically the same ratio as the previous one I posted but I will give it to you again here:

 

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Yeast Pancakes

 

2 cups Milk (I use half fresh milk and half buttermilk)

2 Eggs (Extra Large)

2 cups Flour (I use half whole wheat flour and half white flour)

Leavening – 1 tsp Dry Yeast

Sweeteneing – 2 tsp Sugar

Fat – 2 ozs Butter (1/2 stick)

Plus 1 tsp Salt

Method:

Warm the milk to about 100F and add the sugar and yeast. Melt the butter and add to milk. Lightly beat the eggs in a mixing bowl and add the milk mixture, then the flour. Stir until combined then add the salt.

Cover with plastic wrap and put in refrigerator overnight or leave at room temperature for an hour to let yeast develop.

Cook as you would any other pancakes.

Serve with your favorite topping.

Makes about 12 medium sized pancakes.

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Filed under Breakfast and Brunch Dishes, Pancakes, Pastry Basics, Ratio Recipes

The Best Beurre Blanc

dartington-hall.jpg

When I was 18 I spent a year in Devon, England studying music at Dartington College of the Arts. If you are ever in that part of England you should pay a visit to this beautiful part of the UK. The college was located at Dartington Hall which is now run as a conference center and bed and breakfast. You can visit the estate without staying there. The college has apparently moved out of the estate. It has a fascinating history.

 

Dartington Hall Homepage

Dartington College of Arts Homepage

Dartington Hall on Wikipedia

 My family had a long history at Dartington. My fathers’ mother taught piano there at the grade school, my mother was a voice student at the college, and it was there that my parents met. So it was an amazing experience for me to be there for a year before going to cooking school at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. I took lessons in oboe, voice, and classical guitar. I sang in the choir in the amazing Great Hall, and I took music theory classes and the like. All of this is a prelude to the story of my spring break trip of that year abroad. While my fellow students were partying hard I took my trusty moped and hopped the Channel ferry to France arriving in Roscoff, Brittany. I cut a diagonal swath through France (I’ve never calculated the distance but boy was my ass sore!) ending up in the Alps. From there I took a night train to Rome arriving on Good Friday. Not being a very religious person I was oblivious to the ramifications this holiday had on accommodations in Rome!! I finally managed to find a shared room in a pensione through the help of a guide at the train station who amazingly did not rip me off.  But I digress…… The point is, while I was traveling through France I was finally tasting all the exciting and fabulous flavors of French cooking firsthand. I had read about many of these dishes and tried to cook some of them at home from Julia Child’s books. But here was the REAL DEAL. Being a student I was on a very tight budget. I stayed at Youth Hostels whenever possible and I chose restaurants mostly based on their low priced menu. But when I got to Lyons (which was the first big city I had come upon – I saved Paris for later) I had trouble finding a restaurant that met my budget. So I wandered around and finally found a place that had a main course listed for 28 Francs or so. That was about $6.00 then (1980) which seemed a little low, but I actually didn’t even know what the item was. Well it turned out to be a Daurade and it was served with the most delicious sauce I had ever tasted (even better than hollandaise which was my favorite up to that point). I figured out when I got to cooking school that it had been a beurre blanc (white butter sauce). And I learned how to make it for myself!!The funny ending to the story is that the Daurade actually cost me about 128 Francs (they must have left off the 1 on the menu in front). After recovering from the sticker shock (I could have gotten several full meals elsewhere for the price of that one fish), I figured, Well it was worth every Franc!  So here is a basic recipe for Beurre Blanc.Make it. Memorize it. It seems rich but you don’t need a lot on your plate.It lends itself to many variations of flavorings. Change the wine, change the vinegar, add herbs, add purees, do what you want with it.  

Beurre Blanc – White Butter Sauce – Yield about 1 cup sauce which will serve 4-6 as an accompaniment to grilled fish.

 Reduction:

½ cup White Wine                                                       

½ cup White Wine Vinegar                                   

½ cup   Shallots, Peeled and Chopped              

 

½ # Butter, Unsalted,                                                               

the best you can afford                                                 

 

Seasonongs:

Salt and Pepper to taste           

Method:

                                               

Combine wine, vinegar, and shallots in small saucepan, bring to boil, reduce until almost dry. Cut butter into small cubes, whisk into reduction off heat a few pieces at a time. Season to taste

 

Heavy Cream can be used as a stabilizer if you need to hold the sauce for a time before serving. I like the purity of the sauce without it. For ½ # butter you would use about 2 Tbsp. cream, add it to the reduction, bring to a boil, then add the butter as above.

  

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Filed under French Regional Specialties, Ratio Recipes, Sauces

Basic Muffin and Pancake Recipes

I made some breakfast muffins the other day and while looking over the recipe I had an Aha!! moment (even after 25 years of cooking professionally I still get those once in a while). I realized that the recipe for muffins that I was reading was almost exactly the same as my recipe for pancakes.

 

I like to base my recipes on a uniform amount of flour so that I can see how different baked goods resemble each other. I usually start with 2 cups of flour (which is a nice friendly amount) and go from there. So if I am trying a new recipe I will often convert it to this amount first. After doing this with the muffin recipe that I wanted to try I saw that the ingredients and technique for a good basic muffin were essentially the same as those for pancakes but with half the liquid, and more butter (depending on your pancake recipe). So I thought I would present these two recipes for you so you can see for yourself.

 

My idea of a good muffin, by the way, is one that is tender, not too sweet, and is light and moist. A good muffin will pack in enough healthy ingredients to give you a good start to the day, in a super-convenient, eat on the run format.  Most commercially made muffins are either cupcakes-minus-the-frosting or dry-as-cardboard low-fat monstrosities that even the tallest grande coffee will have a hard time moistening. And it’s so easy to make your own muffins at home once a week and freeze them so that you have a good nutritious breakfast ready when you want it.

Basic Muffin Recipe: (Yield 12 medium sized muffins) 

Dry Ingredients:

 

2 cups (10 ozs.)  Flour – I use ½ Whole Wheat and ½ All Purpose (for most accurate measuring weigh flour)

3 tsp.  Baking Powder

1 tsp. Salt

Spices as desired

 

 

 

Wet Ingredients:

 

2 Eggs, Extra Large

1 cup (8 ozs.) Milk, Whole or 2%

½ cup (4 ozs.) Vegetable Oil

½ cup (4 ozs.) Sugar

 

Add-Ins:

1 – 2 cups of fresh or dried fruits, nuts, oats, bran, grated vegetables (i.e. carrots, zucchini), chocolate chips, etc. Moisture content of these items varies so you may need to experiment with quantities.

 

Method:

Preheat oven to 350F.

1) Weigh flour, then mix with remaining dry ingredients. Sift these together either with a sifter, or by putting them in the food processor for a few minutes (both techniques will aerate the flour which is the goal here).

2) Whisk eggs and sugar together in a small bowl, then add oil and milk.

3) Add wet ingredients to dry and mix together gently to just combine – do not over-mix batter. Fold in any additional ingredients. Fill muffin cups (sprayed with nonstick spray) with batter.

4) Bake for about 25-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

  

Basic Pancake Recipe: (Yields about 12 Medium Pancakes)

Dry Ingredients:

2 cups (10 ozs.) Flour – All Purpose (or ½ Whole Wheat and ½ All Purpose)

2 tsp.  Baking Powder = 1 tsp. per cup flour

1 tsp. Salt

 

Wet Ingredients:

2 Eggs, Extra Large = 1 egg per cup flour

2 cups (16 ozs.) Milk, Whole or 2% = 1 cup milk per cup flour

4 Tbsp. (2 ozs.) Butter, melted

4 Tbsp. (2 ozs.) Sugar

 

Add-Ins:

1 cup of fresh fruits, chocolate chips, cottage cheese, etc.

Butter or non-stick spray for griddle

 

Method:

1)      Preheat electric griddle or frying pan (I prefer cast iron for even heat).

2)      Prepare batter in same manner as for muffins, blending dry and wet ingredients separately then combining until just mixed.

3)      If possible let batter rest for 30 – 60 minutes. The pancakes will be noticeably fluffier and more tender if you allow this resting time.

4)      Spread a small dab of butter over surface of griddle (or spray with cooking spray) and ladle batter onto griddle. Let cook until bubbles appear throughout the surface, then flip over and cook the other side. Serve with your preferred topping.

 

Now just a few words about why I consider these recipes to be so similar.

 

1)      They use the same method of mixing the batter.

2)      The ingredients are virtually the same but the quantities differ. The main difference is that the muffins use ½ as much liquid resulting in a thicker batter. Some recipes do bake pancake batter in the oven (think baked apple pancakes) but that requires a baking dish to contain the batter.

3)      Muffins use a little more leavening since the batter is thicker.

4)      Muffins sometimes use more fat (in this case oil since we’re trying to be healthy in the morning) since they are baked rather than on a griddle with additional fat, and they use more sugar since they usually aren’t smothered in maple syrup. But remember sugar is always adjustable based on your taste so use less if you want.

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Filed under Breakfast and Brunch Dishes, Doughs, Muffins, Pancakes, Pastry Basics, Ratio Recipes