Food Award Tips and Recipes

Check out these killer, quick-and-easy recipes—plus cooking tips—from our Food Award-winning chefs.

Les Moules Marinieres from Chevalier's Philippe Chevalier

1 lbs mussels for 2 persons
rinse mussels in cold water
add 1 tablespoon butter to deep pot, when melted:
add 1 tablespoon diced shallot
add 3 peeled and chopped garlic cloves
add 2 slices lemon
sautee until butter bubbles, not browns
add mussels
add 2 ozs white wine
add 3 oz heavy creme
when mussles open, they are ready:
add 2 tablespoon chopped italian parsley
salt and pepper to taste

{TIP}
To reduce "crying" when preparing shallots let them sit in warm water for 5-10 minutes. This makes them easier to peel and reduces the tears.

Milk Braised Lamb from Corso's Rodrigo da Silva
(serves 4)

2 lbs boneless lamb shoulder
2 cups whole milk
6 cups beef or chicken stock
2 whole yellow onions, diced
1 carrot, diced
2 celery sticks, diced
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1/2 bunch of thyme, chopped
2 tbs. olive oil
salt & pepper

Cut the lamb into 2 to 3 inch cubes. Heat the olive oil in a stock pot. Add meat and lightly brown. Once browned, remove the meat from the pot and add the vegetables. Cook the vegetables, stirring occasionally until they are soft. Add the garlic and thyme and stir mixture for two minutes. Add the stock and the milk; bring to a boil. Add the meat to the mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for two hours at low heat, until the meat is tender.

This dish goes great with grains such as barley or farro.

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Once the meat is cooked, the milk will be curdled. Some restaurants serve the dish as is, but if you want a smooth sauce you can remove the liquid and blend it. This will emulsify the liquid and restore its thick consistency.

Cappelli D'angelo al Limone courtesy of Incontro's Gianni Bartoletti
(Angel Hair with Lemon)
(Serves 4)

20z. (50g) unsalted butter
3 tbls. double cream, with a little milk if necessary
Finely grated rind and juice of 1/2 lemon
1 lb. (450g) fresh Capelli d'angelo
2 oz. (50g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Sprigs of Parsley

Gently melt the butter and then, over very low heat, stir in the cream and the lemon rind.
In a seperate pan cook the pasta for just under 1 minute or until al dente then drain, and add it to the sauce. Sprinkle with lemon juice and Parmesan cheese, and add salt and pepper to taste. Toss well and distribute on a warm plate.
Garnish each serving with a sprig of parsley.

{TIP}

To quickly remove strong odors from your hands such as, onions, garlic, fish, etc … take a little baking soda and warm water and gently wash your hands.

Roast Pork Loin from Esin's Curtis & Esin deCarion 

1 boneless 3-4 pounds pork loin
Brine:
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ cup kosher salt
8 cups water
1 tsp. whole black peppercorn
½ tsp. juniper berries
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp. fresh rosemary leaves
1 star anise

Combine all of the brining ingredients in a sauce pan. Bring it to a boil over medium heat. Let brine completely cool. Place pork loin in a pan big enough to hold brine. Pour cooled brine over pork loin. Refrigerate it for 24 hours.  
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Pull the pork loin out of brine, pat dry. Place the meat in a roasting pan, fat side up and place in the oven. Roast about 20 minutes. Turn down the temperature to 350 degrees and continue roasting until instant-read temperature reads 140 degrees, about 40 minutes. Transfer meat to a cutting board and let it rest about 10 minutes before slicing. Serve it your favorite sauce such as fruit chutney, jalapeno jelly or whole grain mustard sauce.

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We like brining our pork chops in this manner to get much juicier and more flavorful results at the restaurant.
Brining is a process similar to marinating in which meat is soaked in a salt, sugar, water solution that has been infused with herbs and spices for a period of time. Brining helps with the flavor, tenderness and juiciness.

Involtini di Pepperoni from Prima's Peter Chastain
(Roasted Sweet Peppers with Capers, Anchovies, Pine Nuts & Sultanas in Garlic Sauce)
(Serves 6)

3 red sweet peppers
3 yellow sweet peppers
½ cup breadcrumbs from good country bread
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
5 anchovy filets (Recca brand preferred, packed in olive oil)
6 cloves of California-grown garlic/germ removed
1 sprig of rosemary
1 dry, hot chile such as Arabol/seeds removed (optional)
2 tablespoons of capers
¼ cup of sultanas (white seedless raisins)
3 tablespoons of pine nuts
Chopped mint to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Pre-heat the oven to 500 degrees.  Place the peppers on the middle rack.  Put a cookie sheet underneath them to catch any dripping.  Roast approximately 20 minutes until the skin is charred.  Remove into a bowl and cover with a towel until cool.  Peel the skins off and remove the seeds.  Cut into 2-1/2 inch segments, season with salt and pepper and set aside.
2. Slice garlic as thinly as possible.  Combine with anchovies, rosemary, and ¼ cup olive oil in a small sauté pan.  (Add also the hot chili if using.)  Over slow heat, cook until garlic begins to turn golden and anchovies dissolve.
3. Add capers, pine nuts, and sultanas and increase heat until the capers ‘flower’.  Add breadcrumbs, toast to golden, and remove from heat.
4. Roll peppers in this mixture until completely coated.  Sprinkle with chopped mint.  Arrange on a platter or plate individually.
5. Serve at room temperature.  This recipe may be done a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator.   Allow it to warm up to room temperature before serving and it will be delicious.  Some people also prefer a splash of balsamic vinegar or a squeeze of fresh lemon prior to serving.

{TIP}

Buy very fresh, flavorful, thick-walled peppers for this dish. Placing roasted peppers in a covered bowl until cool will enable skins to come off quickly and easily.

Pear Quesadilla from Peasant and the Pear's Rodney Worth

Pear Chutney:
¼ cup dry white wine
1-inch wedge of red onion, chopped
2 Tablespoons chopped red bell pepper
1 Tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 Bartlett pear, peeled, cored and cut into 1-inch chunks
2 Tablespoons of water, or more if needed
Red chili flakes

Quesadilla:
One 12-inch flour tortilla
Half of a D’Anjou pear, cored & cut lengthwise into ¼-inch slices
Six ¼-inch slices of Brie cheese
2 Tablespoons shredded mozzarella cheese

For the chutney:
Place all ingredients a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until pear is crisp-tender and most of the liquid has evaporated. (You may add a bit of water if liquid completely evaporates before pear is cooked.)
Transfer mixture to a blender or food processor and add the 2 Tbs of water.
Blend just until mixture comes together as a thick sauce, with ¼-inch chunks of pear, onion, & pepper. Add more water if necessary to achieve the consistency you desire. Place pear mixture in a bowl, and stir in chili flakes to taste. Let chutney cool completely before serving. Chutney can be stored in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 3 days.

For the quesadilla:
Pre-heat oven to 425°. Lay tortilla on a flat surface. Spread pear slices across bottom half of the tortilla. Lay brie across the top of the pear slices. Sprinkle mozzarella over the brie. Fold top half of the tortilla over the pear & cheese mixture. Transfer tortilla to a lightly greased or parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake until cheese melts & bubbles, about 3-5 minutes. Remove tortilla from oven, cool slightly, then cut into 6 wedges. Serve on a plate or platter with chutney on the side.

{TIP}

The most dangerous thing in the kitchen is a dull knife. A dull knife is difficult to control, and easily slips while chopping & slicing. Have your
knives professionally sharpened at least twice a year (easy reminders are before the Thanksgiving & Memorial Day holidays), and use a steel before each use to keep the edge straight."

Bouillabaisse from Wente's Arthur Wall
(serves 2)

6 ea mussels
6 ea clams
4 ea shrimp
4 ea 1 oz. whitefish pieces
4 ea scallops
2 sprigs basil (chiffonade)
1 ea lemon
1 Tbl chopped parsley

Take all fish and place into a small sauce pot, cover with 10 oz. of the bouillabaisse sauce (see recipe). Cover and cook on medium flame for 4-6 minutes until shellfish opens and the fish is cooked through. Add the herbs, squeeze of lemon and serve.
optional:
Add potatoes that have been boiled or roasted previously. Or, Serve over pasta.
optional:
Sear the scallops and shrimp creating a touch of caramelization before adding to the other fish which can already be started at the same time.

Bouillabaisse Sauce

1-2 gallons shrimp shells/lobster shells
3 ea leeks (sliced)
1 bunch celery (med. Diced)
20 ea cloves garlic (sliced)
4 ea Fennel bulb (diced)
5 ea star anise
½ cup coriander seed
1 teaspoon cardamom seed
4 T smoked paprika
2 cups tomato paste
1 btl pernod
10 lb. fish bones
1 btl white wine
2 sprigs rosemary
2 sprigs thyme
2 pinch saffron
2 ea Lemon zest
1 ea orange zest
Top off water
3 ea lemon zest
1 ea orange zest

Method:
Caramelize shrimp shells in generous amount of oil, add vegetables and continue to caramelize. Add spices and tomato paste and cook until fond is created on bottom of pot. Deglaze with pernod and reduce by half. Add fish bones and white wine and herbs with saffron. Cover pot and steam the bone until opaque. Remove lid and add water just to the top. Cook for 45 minutes, remove bone, but keeping any fish meat that has fallen off into the sauce. Add zest and puree until smooth. Pass through a fine sieve and adjust seasoning.

{TIP}

To get a slightly brothier and light result, start cooking all of the fish in olive oil in a sauce pan, creating some browning on the fish. Add 4 oz. of white wine, simmer for 1 minute and add the bouillabaisse sauce.

Seared Ahi Tuna with Persimmons and yuzu dressing from Va de Vi's Arnold Pulido 

Ingredients:
4 each  3 oz block of Ahi Tuna
2 each  ripe persimmons (sliced paper thin).
1 tblsp  Grape-seed oil
Salt & pepper

Yuzu Dressing:
2 tablespoons yuzu juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 shallot finely diced
Salt & Pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients and mix in a small bowl

Directions:
Season tuna with salt & pepper
Heat pan till hot & add grape seed oil
Sear all side of the tuna approximately five seconds on all sides & reserve
Slice each tuna block into 5 slices

Assembly:
Take four plates
Place 4 slices of persimmon per plate
Fan tuna over sliced persimmons
Spoon dressing all over tuna/persimmons

{TIP}

Whenever cooking steaks always let the meat rest for 10-15 minutes before you slice it.