The Unorthodox Grill

    When you ask the average person what they like to throw on the grill some Saturday evening, I would put good odds on hearing the ambiguously delicious burgers, and hot dogs, and steak... Oh my!  I march to the beat of a different drum stick, and the variety that can be found on my grill would surprise the eye as much as the palate.  Grilling is one of my favorite ways to impart depth of flavor and character into a dish, and can be utilized in more courses than just your entree.
    On a recent afternoon, my good friend and colleague Phil and I were given a blank check at the local Whole Foods with the simple commission, dinner.  With the weather being more beautiful than words could do justice, the decision was made to grill everything.  While each course was either grilled or featured a grilled component prominently in its flavor profile, the course that struck me as most resourceful and clever was the dessert; Goat Cheese with a Trio of Grilled Fruits, Local Honey and Strawberries, Sage Flowers, Pistachios, and Candied Fennel.  The combination of the cheese course with dessert resulted in a fascinating marriage of sweet and savory, bright with sharp and contrasting flavors.  It had a simple elegance to it, just fruit and cheese and honey.  Simple.

The flavors that developed on this plate were incredibly complex and harmonious.  Inspiration came from time restrictions on the dinner this plate followed.  In an effort to provide both a chees course and dessert, I combined them.  Several elements of the plate struck me as needing particular attention;  the fruit and the cheese.  As the goal of the meal was to grill as much as possible, larger, heartier produce would be essential.  Secondly, the cheese would have to be assertive to pair with the aggressive flavors of the grill, but alas, must still be able to be slightly sweetened to have a more traditional dessert profile.  Most readily available at the time was goat cheese.  Appealing not only for its richness, but for its acidity, which would balance nicely with the honey and fennel syrup.  Similarly the acid would brighten the fruit and equalize the effects if the grill.

This dish surpassed my wildest expectations, and proves to be a great option for the food-cost-conscious cooks among us.  I have since, adapted it in a variety of platings, several different cheeses, and even for breakfast (fruit curds, edible flowers, and light pastries lend to the best breakfast preparations.)

Salt & Vinegar Crepes with Creme Fraîche and Caviar

          I am rarely nostalgic, but this amuse I developed was based on one of my favorite food memories from my externship at the Broadmoor Hotel.  We had on the menu, a $400 Osetra Caviar Tasting featuring 3 caviars (1/2 oz each) served with various accoutrements which changed from time to time.  One evening we had a gentleman from Texas meander into the kitchen, this being out of the ordinary in and of itself.  He proceeded to order the Caviar tasting to be delivered with room service, but he asked that all of the starches (caramelized brioche, house water crackers) and asked instead that a bag of Lay’s Salt& Vinegar potato chips be delivered.

          It should go without saying that the others and I that worked in the kitchen were intrigued by this, and I am sure that it showed on our faces.  The gentleman laughed, and said that if we were unsure of how it would taste, that we should try the caviar with the chips ourselves, and proceeded to order a second tasting to be left in the kitchen for the cooks to try with a bag of salt & vinegar chips.

          In hindsight, it should have occurred to me that the pairing would be tasty, as the properties of both salt and vinegar lend to the enhancement of flavor natural flavor profiles.  Suffice it to say caviar with salt and vinegar chips has no taken a special place in my heart… or stomach as the place may be.

          While at Blue Ginger, I decided to adapt this fond food memory into an amuse bouche.  In place of the chips, I opted for a more Asian approach with the use of a pancake, or crepe as it more closely resembles in the west. The incorporation of citrus ponzu and gingered sea salt made the crepe pop with bold flavors, and was an incredible vessel for the caviar.  It also allows for some playing with texture.  The crepe maintains a soft texture, but if allowed to cook in a little extra fat, on higher heat, the crepe will develop a crispy skin which will last for several minutes if one decides to make and present al a minute, or can be easily pre made and heated in a steamer to order.  The important thing to remember is that you should never skimp on the caviar… happiness is good caviar!

Salt & Vinegar Crepes with Crème Fraîche and Caviar

Yield: 15-20 Crepes

Eggs                               5 each

Milk                               1 ½ Cup

Citrus Ponzu              ½ Cup

Rice Flour                    1 Pint

Ginger                           1 Finger

Course Sea Salt          1 Cup

Crème Fraîche           as needed

Osetra Caviar              2 oz

1.     Peel and grate the ginger, and place in a square of cheese cloth.  Drain the juice and mix with the sea salt, allow to rest on sheet pan with parchment paper overnight in a oven with ONLY the pilot light on.

2.     Beat the eggs and milk together, add the vinegar and the flour and combine quickly with a whisk.

3.     Rest for 1 hour under refrigeration

4.     Mix gently with spoon and pour into a hot non stick crepe pan that has been liberally seasoned with butter

Shrimp and Wasabi Sausage with Wasabi Emulsion & Chive Puree
Yield: 2 - 8 inch Sausages

Sausage
2#                  Shrimp (16-20)
1/4#               Shrimp (51-60)
4 Tbls             Fresh Grated Wasabi
2 ea                Eggs
As Needed     Heavy Cream
As Needed     Salt
2 tsp               Yuzu
1/2#                Unsalted Butter

1. Small dice the butter and place it in the freezer until completely frozen, ideally the day before.
2. Poach the 51/60 shrimp in  court Boullion until 90% cooked.  Shock and dry completely.  Cut into three or four small pieces.
3. Place butter cubes, 16/20 shrimp, eggs, yuzu, and salt into a RobotCoup and puree to smooth, adding the heavy cream as the mixture purees.
4. Transfer to a metal bowl and fold in the wasabi and season with salt as needed.
5. Fold in the chopped 51/60 shrimp and allow the mixture to rest under refrigeration for 1 hour.
6. Using the plastic wrap casing method, portion the mousse into two lengths of wrap.  Place in an Immersion circulater preheated to 172.5* F.  Cook for 15 - 20 minutes or until firm to the touch.  Shock and reserve under refrigeration for at least 2 hours prior to cutting.

Wasabi Emulsion

Yield: 1 1/2 Pints

6 oz               Fresh Grated Wasabi

1 ea               Medium Shallot

1 1/2 Tbls      Dijon Mustard

1/2 C             Mirin

Shot               Rice Wine Vinegar

Pinch             Kosher Salt

As Needed   Canola Oil

1. Combine all ingredients less the oil in a VitaMix and puree to smooth, stream oil in until it reaches a thick nappe.  Season and chill.

Chive Puree

4 ea             Bunches Chives
As Needed  Chicken Stock

1. Blanch Chives in boiling salted water and shock.
2. Puree with enough chicken stock until smooth.

Soinger Superbowl Food

With the big game right around the corner, everyone is planning what to serve up during half time.  I tried to stick with classic dishes with new and exciting flavor profiles to show off some skill and good taste.  BBQ and wings are quintessential big game fare, and a good sandwich goes a long way too.  These were easy to make, and even easier to put together the day of the game, so that you can spend more time watching what matters and less time sweating in the kitchen.

Slow Roasted BBQ Pork Spare Ribs

with Coca~Cola BBQ Sauce

Yield - 1 Rack of Ribs

Ribs
1/4 Cup Onion Powder
1/4 Cup Garlic Powder
2 Tbls Chipotle Powder
15 Each Bay Leaf
1/4 Cup Kosher Salt
1/4 Cup Cumin
4 Tbls Oregano
1 Rack Pork Spare Ribs

Coca Cola BBQ Sauce
1 Can Coca Cola
3-4 Tbls White Wine Vinegar
1 Each Yellow Onion
4 Cloves Garlic
1/4 Cup Molasses
1/2 Cup Ketchup
To Taste Kosher Salt
2 Tbls Cumin
1 Tbls Chipotle Powder
2 Tbls Onion Powder
2 Tbls Garlic Powder

1.) Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
2.) Combine all of the spices in a spice grinder or coffee grinder and pulse until a course powder.  Rub Liberally on the ribs and place in a roasting pan, covered with aluminum foil.  Place in oven and roast for 4 to 6 hours.
3.) Small dice the yellow onion and mince the garlic.  Sweat over a medium heat in a sauce pot until translucent.
4.) Add the spices and stir until combined.  Allow to cook until aromatic.  Add the wet ingredients and stir to combine.
5.) Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 1 hour.
6.) When ribs are 1 hour from being done, brush several tablespoons of sauce on the ribs and allow to finish cooking.

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Peanut Butter & Jelly Chicken Wings

Yield - 1 Dozen

1 Dozen Chicken Wings and Drumettes

Thai Peanut- Chili Sauce

1/2 Cup Peanut Butter

1/2 Cup Mae Ploy Sweet Chili Sauce

1-2 Tbls Sriracha Chili Sauce

Water as Needed

Chopped Peanuts for Garnish

Chopped Chives for Garnish

1.) Combine the peanut butter, chili sauces and mix to combine.  Adjust the consistency with water if needed to make a pourable smooth sauce. Reserve.

Raspberry & Onion Marmalade

1 Pint Red Raspberries

2 Each Small Yellow Onions

4 Tbls White Wine Vinegar

Water as Needed

Kosher Salt to taste

1.) Small dice the onion and sweat in a small sauce pot until translucent.  Add the raspberries and vinegar and bring to a simmer.  Cook for 30 minutes, adding water when moisture has depleted.  Season with salt to taste.

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BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich

Yield - 4 Sandwiches

Pulled Pork

1 Bone In Pork Shoulder/ Picnic Roast

1 Cup BBQ Dry Rub (from ribs)

2 Cups Coca Cola BBQ Sauce (from ribs)

1.) Liberally rub the pork shoulder in the BBQ spice rub, and roast for 2 hours.

2.) After cooling, pull the meat from the bone using two forks to give the "pulled" look, toss with BBQ sauce and serve with cole slaw between two slices of your favorite toasted bread.

Cole Slaw

1 Head Green Cabbage

1 Cup Mayonnaise

1 Tbls Sriracha Chili Sauce

1-2 Tsp Celery Salt

1 Tbls Dijon Mustard

1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder

1/4 Tsp Paprika

1 Sprig Fresh Thyme

Dash Worcestershire Sauce

1.) Shred the Cabbage into thin strips and reserve

2.) Combine the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly.  Toss with cabbage and allow to sit overnight before using.

Previous Restaurant Desserts

These are some desserts I cooked throughout school and in the various restaurants I have worked in

Poached Pear and Marzipan Tart

with Sauce Melba

Poached Pear and Almond Soup

Roasted Mission Figs and Hazelnuts

Tasting of Pears

Poached Sekle Pear, Pear Wonton, Bartlet Chip, and Spiced Pear Ice Cream Roulade

Tiramisu Terrine

Pain au Chocolate

with Toasted Almonds

Concord Grape Layer Cake

Opera Torte

Pate Choux Swan

Lemon Curd Cake

This is one of my banquet favorites.  It is easy to make, holds and freezes very well and, can be made in almost any shape you can imagine and has a light a fluffy texture that melts in your mouth.  I used meyer lemons as they were in season, but any fruit that can be juiced can be used, though i find the high acid of citrus to help cut the sweetness of the sugar and the cloying of the butter and cream.

Lemon Curd Cake
Yield: 2# Light Curd

Light Lemon Curd
9oz Butter
9oz Superfine (6X) Sugar
9oz Lemon Juice
2/3oz Lemon Zest
9oz Egg Yolks

1 Cup Heavy Cream

1. Over medium heat, bring a pot of water to a boil and reduce to a simmer.  Place a glass or metal bowl over the pot to form a double boiler.
2. Whip the heavy cream to soft peaks and reserve in the refrigerator to finish the curd.
3. While double boiler is coming to temperature, dice 1/2 of your butter into 1/2 inch cubes and refrigerate.
3. While you are whisking, put the remaining 1/2 of the butter, the remaining 1/2 of the sugar, and the lemon juice in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
4. Add your egg yolks and 1/2 of the sugar to the double boiler and add a few tablespoons of the lemon juice mixture into it at a time, stirring to incorporate before the next addition (a process called tempering).
5.  When all of the ingredients are combined, continue stirring the curd until it has thickened to a heavy nappe, or when you can run your finger across the back of a wooden spoon and the line through the curd does not go away, about the consistency of a light pudding.
6. Remove from the heat and stir in the cubed butter a few cubes at a time, fully melting between each addition.  Cool over an ice bath stirring occasionally to keep a skin from forming on the top of the custard.  When cooled to room temperature, fold in the whipped cream and refrigerate for 30 minutes to stabilize.
7. fill you molds and layer with thin layers of chiffon cake or even shortbread cookies.  Place your molds in the freezer for two hours or indefinitely.  remove from the molds and plate, allow to defrost before serving.

Pan Roasted Atlantic Salmon with Heirloom Carrots and Wild Mushrooms

Russo's Market in Waltham is a great place to find some killer produce at super prices.  I utilized some delicious local heirloom carrots for this one.  I also featured baby Brussels sprouts, which turned out to be sweet as candy and tender as freshly baked bread, and tied it together with pommes puree and sauteed wild mushrooms. This dish boomed with color and even though it had more mise en place than you might expect, each of the flavors was distinct and bright.  though the salmon was meant to be the focal point of this plate, the vegetables ended up stealing the show, and what is more important, it was remarkably healthy.