I have returned to teaching recently and seeing students grasp and apply culinary techniques has made me contemplate my own culinary journey.
From early experiments I think it took Mom and Dad 10 years to find all the last remnants of the egg I tried to hard boil in the microwave. (Note: It doesn’t work and shell fragments take on a whole new meaning.) Hot strawberry soup has never again been attempted.
My first foray at blackening a steak yielded a tasty dinner interrupted by the providence of the fire department. Bread pudding is still part of my repertoire, but the bourbon sauce has been refined and no longer risks a possible D.U.I. The gastronomic gaffes have grown fewer and farther between, on the other hand, that’s the price of experimentation.
With education and work experience the decision making has become sounder. So it has been fun watching students discover new flavors, techniques, and ingredients and the inevitable over-use of those items. Every chef goes through phases in their career. Becoming a chef is a lifelong journey. New food products and trends are constantly entering and exiting the restaurant marketplace, and age-old ingredients have been “discovered” for the first time and embraced with youthful exuberance. My many phases, a lot of chefs are blessed with a few more obsessive-compulsive genes than most people, include cream and butter, exotic mushrooms, foie gras, infused oils, exotic game meats, obscure (in this country at least) cheeses (more obsession than phase).
The cream and butter obsession is natural to most kitchen novices. Once you discover that “fat is flavor,” the tendency is to fall into the “if a little is good, a lot must be better trap,” and soon every dish is loaded with butter and topped with a cream sauce. As your customer base starts to disappear in an epidemic of cardio-combustion, you adjust your style.
The earthy flavor of mushrooms and the fact that they pair well with most foods make them a frequent vehicle for reckless cooking.
But as your knowledge and skills age like fine wine, your pairings and combinations gain depth and character. You become more judicious in applying the tools of the trade.
Some dishes and pairings age with you; there are still dishes that I continue to make with little or few changes. Many of these dishes were inspired by family friends or places in which I lived. This month try these recipes that I hope have aged as well or better than me and my cuisine vitae.
Until next month, bon appétit.
Growing up in New Jersey, my love of sweet corn started at a farm down the road, which has recently become an over-55 housing development, and my culinary training in Providence inspired this crab and corn chowder which, as of late, has morphed into sweet corn and crab bisque but take a look at the original.
Crab and Corn Chowder
Ingredients
- 4 Celery ribs medium, diced
- 1 Onion medium, diced
- 3 Ounces diced fatback/salt pork or bacon
- 3 Cloves garlic minced
- 6 Ears corn husked and scraped off cob reserve cobs
- 8 Ounces butter
- 2 Tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1 Quart chicken stock
- 1 Pint heavy cream plus 2 quarts milk
- Simmer corn cobs in milk and cream to make corn milk
- 1 Cup white wine optional
- 6 ounces jumbo lump crabmeat
- Black pepper
- Kosher salt to taste
- Pinch old bay
- 2 Medium potatoes diced
Instructions
- Render fatback. Remove meat. Add celery, onions. Sweat over medium heat, 3-4 minutes. Add corn and garlic. Deglaze with wine reduce until almost dry.
- Add ¾ cup flour. Stir well to incorporate slowly. Add in chicken stock, whisking constantly to avoid lumping. Add corn-milk mixture. Add diced potatoes and spices. Simmer until potatoes are tender. Adjust thickness. Add crabmeat. Enjoy.
Rack of lamb with gorgonzola crust
Ingredients
- 1 Lamb rack
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 Ounces gorgonzola
- 1 Cup Panko bread crumbs
- 1 Ounce melted butter
Lamb Sauce
- 1 tablespoon shallows
- 1 cup red wine
- 2 cups veal stock
Rosemary polenta
- 1 Cup polenta
- 3 Cups chicken stock
- 2 Ounces butter
- 2 Tablespoons chopped rosemary
- Salt as needed
- ¼ cup asiago cheese
Instructions
Lamb
- Season lamb rack. Sear 34 minutes, each side, over med-high heat.
- Mix gorgonzola, butter, panko and chopped parsley. Spread over lamb rack pressing to adhere. Place in 350-degree oven cook until desired doneness, approximately 25 minutes for medium (thickness of lamb and fat to lean ratio will affect cooking time). Let meat rest 5 minutes slice and serve.
Lamb sauce
- In pan that lamb was seared, return to high heat. Sauté 1 tablespoon chopped shallots. Add 1 cup red wine. Reduce to ¼ cup. Add 2 cups veal stock. Reduce until sauce coats back of spoon. (Merlot works well with lamb and reduce over low heat) Adjust seasoning.
Rosemary polenta
- Bring stock and butter to simmer. Whisk in polenta. Reduce heat to low cook until tender. Add rosemary and cheese for a little more richness. Add 2 tablespoons heavy cream. Serve with lamb
Chocolate cherry bread pudding
Ingredients
- 6 Cups cubed bread
- 1 Cup dark cherries roughly chopped
- 6 Eggs plus 1yolk
- 2 Cups cream
- 2 Cups milk
- 1 Cup suga
- 1 Vanilla bean
- 1 Cup bittersweet chocolate Ghirardelli or valhron
- 2 Tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Heat milk and cream (do not boil). Split, scrape and steep vanilla bean.
- Beat sugar and eggs. Temper in cream.
- In a separate bowl, toss cherries, bread, and chocolate. Toss with the cream mix.
- Let stand 10 minutes, then pour into buttered casserole dish.
- Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour in a 350-degree oven.
- Cool slightly. Serve warm with ice cream or crème anglaise.
