With a short bow and small flourish, I present my dishes:
** Chilled Savory Apple Soup**
The tart Granny Smith apples are used in this rich, creamy cold soup. A mixture of gently stewed vegetables are brightened by the addition of the tart fruit. It is garnished with a fried apple chip.
Roast Pheasant Breast with Apple & Wild Rice Stuffing, and Calvados Pan Sauce
Golden Delicious Apples enrich and sweeten the Wild Rice Stuffing, which is topped with a few thin slices of Roast Pheasant Breast. Calvados, the famous French apple brandy is used to make a fragrant pan sauce to tie the stuffing and pheasant together.
** Baby Rack of Lamb with Apple Chutney**
Small and tender lamb, redolent with the scent of rosemary, is served with this vibrant chutney. Sweet Winesap Apples, red onions, golden raisins, and red wine highlight the lamb, making this the perfect accompaniment.
** Arugula Salad, Roasted Apple **
A simple arugula salad is very lightly dressed with an apple cider vinaigrette, and is accompanied by a roasted Pink Lady apple half, shaved Parmesan cheese, and a small, fried cinnamon churro.
** Apple-Ginger Tart Brulee **
A fan of bruleed apple slices covers a dense, creamy ginger custard, filled in a flaky, buttery tart shell. The gentle bite of the ginger is tempered by the sweetness of the apples. A vanilla sauce drizzled on the plate adds a new dimension to the dish.
** Recipes **
Chilled Savory Apple Soup
2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and rough chopped
1 Fennel bulb, rough chop
1 Large potato, peeled and chopped
1 White onion, chopped
1 Carrot, peeled and chopped
1 Celery stalk, chopped
2 – 3 stems thyme
3 cups chicken stock (or enough to cover vegetables)
½ cup cream
Salt & White pepper (to taste)
1 apple, peeled
Oil for deep-frying
Sweat all vegetables except for potato in vegetable oil
Add potato, cover with stock, add thyme stems
Simmer until vegetables are tender
Remove thyme stems
Puree soup through blender until smooth
Strain through fine-mesh strainer or chinois, and then add cream.
Pour into bowl with ice bath to chill.
Season with salt and pepper.
Serve in cool soup plates.
For Apple Chips:
Using a mandolin or electric slicer, slice apple cross-wise into paper-thin slices.
Flash-fry in hot oil.
Drain on paper towel.
- Roast Pheasant with Wild Rice & Apple stuffing, Calvados Pan Sauce*
1 whole Pheasant
Butter
Salt & Pepper
1 cup Wild Rice
4 cups water
3 ounces apple wood smoked bacon
¼ cup shallots, minced
2 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, medium dice
¼ cup chopped pecans
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
Salt & Pepper to taste
½ cup pan drippings from pheasant
1 tablespoon shallots, minced
¼ Calvados
Rinse pheasant under cold water and check to remove pin feathers, etc, and pat dry.
Rub generously with softened butter, and season skin and inside cavity.
Roast at 400 degrees until internal temperature reads 160.
Let bird rest under loose foil for 10 minutes. Save all pan drippings.
Slice as needed.
For stuffing:
Boil water, add wild rice. Return to boil, then reduce heat to simmer.
Cover tightly, and let simmer for about 25 minutes, or until rice is tender.
While rice is cooking, in saucepan, render bacon
Gently sweat shallots and apples until fork tender.
When rice is finished, add shallots and apples
Toss in pecans and sage
Season to taste.
Place in buttered casserole dish, cover with foil
Bake with pheasant for 10-15 minutes, until flavors meld.
For sauce:
Using a spoonful of fat from pan drippings, sweat shallots.
Strain off rest of fat from drippings, use juices for sauce
Add juices to shallots, and bring to boil
Add Calvados, return to boil, and simmer until sauce has thickened.
Strain through Chinois and reheat when ready to use.
- Baby Lamb Racks with Apple Chutney*
2 baby racks of lamb, frenched
¼ cup (or more as needed) Dijon-style mustard
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
Salt & pepper
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Winesap apples, peeled, cored, and med. Dice
1 red onion, medium dice
½ cup golden raisins
1 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
½ cup red wine
2 stems thyme
Salt & pepper to taste
Lamb racks:
Toss breadcrumbs with herbs and seasoning.
Smear Dijon mustard on meat
Lightly coat with breading mixture
Roast at 375, until internal temperature reads at 125 (for medium-rare—any farther and it’s overdone, IMHO)
Chutney:
On low heat, melt butter. Add red onions, and cook until glossy.
Add rest of ingredients, and simmer slowly until excess liquid has evaporated and chutney has reached a jam-like consistency. Remove thyme stems.
- Arugula Salad, Roasted Apple*
1 oz. Shaved Parmesan
1 ½ cups washed Arugula
½ Pink Lady apple, with core removed (keep peel on)
butter as needed
2 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon ground coriander seed
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
1 cup milk
¼ lb. butter
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
5 eggs
Hot oil for deep-frying
Cinnamon Sugar as needed
Prepare dressing by whisking together vinegar, mustard, and seasonings. Slowly add oil while whisking constantly to incorporate.
In ovenproof sauté pan, melt butter on med-high heat
Place apple flesh-side down. Fry until edges become brown.
Place pan into hot (400 degree) oven until apple has become tender.
For Churros:
Bring milk, butter, sugar, and salt to boil.
Add flour all at once, and stir quickly until dough forms a ball.
Using a stand mixer, beat dough with paddle attachment until steam stops
Add eggs one at a time until batter is very elastic
Fill pastry bag with large star tip with batter
Pipe a 6” piece directly into hot oil
When brown, dip into cinnamon sugar and serve immediately
In small bowl, add a tablespoon of dressing, and toss arugula.
On plate, place pieces of shaved parmesan, and top with arugula.
Place apple off to side.
Top with warm churro
Apple-Ginger Tart Brulee
Tart Dough:
1 3/4 sticks (3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon salt
1 large whole egg
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice or water
Cut butter into 1/2-inch cubes. In a bowl whisk together flour, sugar, and salt to taste. With your fingertips or a pastry blender blend together flour mixture and butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. In a small bowl with a fork lightly beat together whole egg, yolk, vanilla, and lemon juice and stir into flour mixture. Toss mixture with fork until egg mixture is absorbed. With your hands gently knead mixture in bowl until it comes together and forms a dough. Turn dough out onto a very lightly floured surface and knead 4 or 5 times. Form dough into a disk. Chill dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
Ginger Pastry Cream:
8 egg yolks
1 ½ cups whole milk
½ cup sugar
1” peeled ginger root section, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 oz. Cold butter
Add chopped ginger to milk, and heat to a gentle boil in saucepan
Beat yolks with sugar.
Temper hot milk into yolk mixture, add vanilla
Cook on medium heat until thick
Strain through chinois into bowl while still hot, add butter and whisk until incorporated.
Apples:
Peel, core, and ¼” slice apples
In saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon butter
Gently sauté apples until just tender, add ¼ teaspoon of ground cardamom.
Remove from heat and let cool.
Assemble:
Using individual tart shells (appx. 4-5” diameter), Line and blind bake shells until golden. Fill with ginger pastry cream to top of shell. Fan 5-6 slices of cooked apple on top of cream. Sprinkle top of tart generously with sugar. With blow torch, caramelize sugar to medium brown. Serve immediately with Vanilla Sauce.
Vanilla Sauce:
6 large egg yolks
6 tablespoons sugar
2 cups whole milk
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
Whisk egg yolks and sugar in medium bowl until well blended, about 2 minutes. Bring milk and vanilla bean to boil in heavy medium saucepan; gradually whisk into yolk mixture. Return custard to saucepan and stir over medium heat until custard thickens and leaves path on back of spoon when finger is drawn across, about 4 minutes (do not boil). Transfer to bowl. Cover and refrigerate until cold. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.)
