August 16, 2007

The tradition of FRESCO by Scotto® recipes for your very own kitchen continues here at Secret Sauce!

Now, it's Anthony Scotto of the Scotto Family's turn to share his favorite recipe, Pistachio Crusted Sea Bass with Salsa Verde and Roasted Artichokes:

Procedure: Sea Bass

• Season the fish with salt and pepper
• Brush one side of each fillet with the mustard, then lightly coat that side with pistachios.
• Lay the fillets on a baking sheet, coated side up, and bake for 6 to 7 minutes, or until golden brown.

Procedure: Roasted Baby Artichokes

• Cut artichokes in half and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.
• Place on a baking tray and roast at 400°F for 30-40 minutes or until golden and tender.

Procedure: Salsa Verde (Makes 1 cup):

• Finely chop the herbs, garlic, capers and anchovies and place in a bowl.
• Whisking well, drizzle in the vinegar, then the oil. Flavor with mustard, salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Store, covered, in the refrigerator.

To Assemble:

• For each serving, place some of the artichokes in the center of the plate, top with a fillet of sea bass and garnish with salsa verde.

Yields 6 servings.

Anthony, Jr. was born in the borough of Brooklyn. He attended Packer Institure, Adelphi Academy, St Paul’s and Wagner College.

Anthony, Jr. is the Chief Operating Officer of Fresco by Scotto®. He runs the front of the house as well as the kitchen staff. He is passionate about his wines and has created an award wining wine list at Fresco.

Anthony, Jr. began his career at Le Perigord Restaurant then joined the Sheraton Hotel in New York City as Banquet Manager and held the position for seven years. Anthony opened the first California franchise for Bobby Rubino's Restaurant in San Francisco. He then moved to Los Angeles, California and opened Bar One Nightclub.

Mom begged Anthony to come home to New York City and Fresco by Scotto® was born. Anthony lives in New York City with his wife and two children.

Visit The Scottos on the web @ frescobyscotto.com

Secret Sauce Rewind:

• Elaina Scotto's Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Fresh Spring Berries
• John Scotto's Spring Salad with Baby Spinach, Peas, Mint & Warm Goat's Cheese Crostini

August 9, 2007

Michael Laiskonis, Executive Pastry Chef, Le Bernardin, excels in revitalizing classic desserts by experimenting with contrasting textures, temperatures, and unexpected ingredients in a quest for new flavor sensations.

Chef Laiskonis dishes on his latest sweet-tooth pairing, Sweet Butternut Squash Soup with Cinnamon Beignets:

Autumn is perhaps my favorite season, not only for the distinct and dramatic changes in color and the briskness of the air, but also for the products it brings. Growing up in Michigan, both were plentiful, and both lend themselves well to simple “comfort” cooking.

Here, I’ve paired tiny cinnamon beignets, or donuts (an obligatory accompaniment to the freshly pressed apple cider I enjoyed as a child), with another Autumn staple, butternut squash. The hardy squash is transformed into a warm, silky soup lightly sweetened and scented with cinnamon, clove, and vanilla--a perfect ending to any bountiful meal, or perhaps as a warming snack on a chilly Autumn afternoon!

Get ready for the fall season with this delicious dish:

Procedure: Sweet Butternut Squash Soup

• Combine the squash, orange juice, water, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and clove in a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and allow to gently simmer for 20 minutes, or until squash is tender.
• Remove the vanilla bean, cinnamon stick, and clove; purée the mixture and strain through a fine mesh sieve, then return to the sauce pan. Add the cream and season to taste with the salt and, if desired, additional sugar.
• Reheat the soup and divide among 6 small bowls or cups. If desired, top the soup with a dollop of steamed milk or lightly whipped cream.

Procedure: Cinnamon Beignets

• Prepare to fry the beignets by heating oil to 375º F. Combine the sugar and cinnamon and reserve.
• In a medium saucepan, bring the water, milk, butter and salt to a boil; stir in flour. Stir vigorously over low heat until mixture forms a ball, about 1 minute; remove from heat.
• Transfer flour mixture to bowl of electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the eggs one at a time until mixture is homogeneous.
• Transfer mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a medium plain tip. Carefully pipe 2-inch strips of dough into hot oil. Fry until golden brown, turning once, about 2 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels. Roll beignets in sugar and cinnamon mixture. Serve immediately with the warm butternut squash soup.

Michael Laiskonis was recognized as the James Beard Foundation’s Outstanding Pastry Chef in 2007, recipient of Bon Appétit magazine’s prestigious 2004 American Food & Entertaining Award and Starchefs.com acknowledged him as one its Rising Stars in 2006.

Twice named one of the “10 Best Pastry Chefs in America” (2002, 2003) by Pastry Art and Design, Laiskonis has received accolades from luminaries such as Patricia Wells in the International Herald Tribune, and has been noted by The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Quarterly Review of Wines, Forbes, Food & Wine, Gourmet, and Details, as well as in leading industry publications such as Art Culinaire, Food Arts and Chocolatier.

Visit Chef Michael Laiskonis on the web @ le-bernardin.com.

August 2, 2007

Edward Brown, Executive Chef of the forthcoming eighty one, served as executive chef of The Sea Grill for almost 14 years.

Esquire magazine called The Sea Grill “one of the best restaurants in the world” and Brown “perhaps the most impressive talent in his field." Brown’s repertoire includes a menu of modern American dishes–not just seafood–where only the finest ingredients and most exacting techniques will be showcased in mid-fall of 2007 at eighty one.

Here, Chef Ed Brown shares his recipe for Sweet Pea Soup, deliciously described as, ". . .So easy, so refreshing and that touch of mint really makes it sparkle."

Procedure:

• In a medium non-reactive soup pot over medium flame, heat Olive Oil
• Add Onion and Garlic, sweat without color until soft, approx. 3-5 minutes
• Add stock, boil then simmer 3 minutes
• Add Peas, bring to boil, simmer 4-6 minutes until peas are tender
• Pour entire contents into high-speed blender, process 1 minute
• Add raw Pea Leaves, process 1 minute, then add ice, S&P, process 2 more minutes
• Remove to a non-reactive container and chill. Serve cold.

Optional:

• Garnish with crème fraîche and a steamed pea pod on the “halfshell”
• Garnish with Fresh Crabmeat and freshly torn Mint leaves
• Drizzle with Mint Oil before Serving

After 14 years at The Sea Grill and a total of 14 stars from The New York Times (Marie Michelle, Tropica, JUdson Grill, Sea Grill), Chef Edward Brown has embarked on the exciting journey towards opening his own restaurant.

Located on the upper west side–a burgeoning dining destination–eighty one will feature a menu of much more than just fish. Tapping into his global culinary training, Chef Brown will offer a menu of modern American items in a space designed by Chris Smith of CMS Designs (Dylan Prime, Nobu, NYC; Buddakan, Phila). His extraordinary talent will be given a stage on which to shine and his commitment to the culinary landscape of New York City will continue.

Overseeing the dining room and the restaurant’s beverage program will be Nick Mautone, former Managing Partner of Gramercy Tavern and consultant to many of the city’s great restaurants, as well as author of Raising The Bar.

In addition to the numerous culinary excerpts penned in cookbooks, Brown authored The Modern Seafood Cook, a comprehensive cookbook describing how to buy, handle and prepare seafood and fish throughout the year.

Visit Chef Ed Brown on the web @ 81nyc.com.

August 1, 2007

Eric Ripert, Executive Chef & Co-Owner of Le Bernardin, has firmly established himself as one of New York City’s—and the nation’s—top chefs. He has published two cookbooks, including A Return to Cooking (2002), selected by Newsweek as one of their best gift books of the season.

Warm Peekytoe-Maryland Lump "Crab Cake", says Chef Ripert, ". . .was inspired by a traditional East Coast favorite, but I decided to have fun and play with the idea and include traditional French ingredients such as crème fraîche and Dijon mustard."

Try this top chef's favorite at home tonight. Here's how:

Procedure:

• To make the Dijon mustard emulsion, gently heat the crème fraîche in a small pot.
Whisk in the Dijon mustard and season to taste with salt and pepper. Reserve on the side.

• For the "crab cake," first make a beurre monté by bringing the water to a boil and whisking in the butter.
• Whisk in the crème fraîche and chives.
• Season to taste with lemon juice, salt, pepper and Espelette.
• Keep the sauce on the side to heat the crabmeat in when ready to serve.

• To prepare the cauliflower, remove the florets (with a little bit of stem) from the ½ head of cauliflower, trying to keep the florets in larger pieces.
• Carefully slice, almost shave, the florets very thin on a Japanese mandolin; the slices should be less than 1/8-inch thick (16-20 slices are needed total).

• When ready to serve, warm the crab-heating sauce.
• Add the crab meat and gently heat it in the sauce; season to taste.
• Reheat the mustard emulsion.
• Carefully arrange the crab in the center of each small bowl, Peekytoe on the bottom and lump on the top.
• Garnish each "crab cake" with 4-5 cauliflower shavings, layering them around and against the crab and placing one on top of each "crab cake."
• Place two micro celery sprouts on top of each cauliflower shaving; sprinkle a little Maldon sea salt on top.
Serve the Dijon mustard emulsion on the side and pour around the crab tableside.

Serves 4.

Eric Ripert is grateful for his early exposure to two cuisines—he was born in Antibes, France, then moved as a young child to Andorra, just over the Spanish border.

In 1995, at just 29-years old, Ripert earned his first four-star rating from The New York Times. Two year later, GQ named Le Bernardin the best restaurant in America.

In 1998, the James Beard Foundation named Le Bernardin “Outstanding Restaurant of the Year” and Eric Ripert “Top Chef in New York City,” and in 1999 they received the “Outstanding Service Award.”

In 2003, the Beard Foundation named Ripert “Outstanding Chef in the United States” and in January 2005, Bon Appetit declared Ripert’s Butter-Poached Lobster with Tarragon and Champagne its “Dish of the Year.” Later that year, for the fourth-consecutive time, Le Bernardin earned The New York Times’ highest rating of four stars, becoming the only venue to maintain this superior status for this length of time, without ever dropping a star.

Le Bernardin earned the top, three-star honor in the Michelin Guide’s 2005 New York debut and has been praised by Zagat reviewers as serving the “Best Food” in New York City for the past six consecutive years.

Visit Chef Eric Ripert on the web @ le-bernardin.com.