Recipes

Lake Erie Pickerel and Purdy’s Caviar, Wild Rice, Red cylinder beets, Broccolini, Preserved Pear - Truffle Froth

Wild Rice

4 portions

1 cup wild rice
2 cups chicken stock
1 inch piece of carrot
1 wedge of white onion
1 wedge of fennel
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper

Add all ingredients to pot and bring to boil, taste liquid for seasoning. Turn down to a simmer and cover for 30 min or until tender. Remove all vegetables and bay leaf, then cool the rice


Red cylinder beets

4 portions

4 cylinder beets
1 wedge onion
1 wedge fennel
1 inch piece of carrot
500ml cranberry juice
1 sprig rosemary
2 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
4 peppercorns
salt to taste

Add all ingredients into one pot, bring to a boil, then simmer. Beets are cooked when a knife will pierce the beet and remove itself with no effort. Strain beet from liquid and while still warm remove the skin.


Broccolini (any green vegetable)

4 portions

4 pc broccolini trimmed
1 liter water
1 liter ice bath
salt

Bring water to a boil and add salt to taste. When water is at a rapid boil add broccolini, remove after 20 seconds and submerge in ice bath to shock. Remove from ice bath and place in refrigerator for service.


Preserved Pear

4 portions

4 Bosc pears peeled and cored
1/3 weight of pears of sugar
water

Create thin simple syrup by mixing sugar and water in a pot and reducing down to a thicker than water consistency. Add pears and cook until tender, then remove and place in jar and pour syrup over. Fill to the top of jar and place an air tight sealed cover on top, then cool in fridge.


Preserved Pears - Truffle Foam

4 portions

1 preserved pear
1 cup port
½ cup heavy cream
1 shallot
1 clove garlic
1 bay leaf
1 sprig thyme
1 tbs truffle oil
salt and pepper

Sweat chopped shallot and garlic in oil, add diced pear. Deglaze pan with port and reduce to a ¼ cup and add cream and herbs. Cook for 3 minutes and blend then strain through a fine mesh strainer. Blend in truffle oil for service.


Putting It All Together:

Lake Erie Pickerel and Purdy’s Caviar
Wild Rice, Red cylinder beets, Broccolini,
Preserved Pear - Truffle Froth

4 portions

1 shallot minced
1 clove garlic minced
2 cups wild rice
4 pc cylinder beet
4 pc broccolini
½ cup preserved pear and truffle froth
2 tbs of butter
8-2.5oz pc of pickerel
4 tsp Purdy’s caviar
¼ olive oil
¾ cup chicken stock
salt and pepper


In an oiled hot pan, place seasoned pickerel skin side down and place in oven to finish and put sauce on to get warm.

In second pan, sweat shallots and garlic, add 1 tbs of butter then ¼ cup of stock and rice.

In a third pan, add 1 tbs butter, ¼ cup of stock and the cylinder beets (left whole).

In final pan, add 1 tbs butter, ¼ cup stock and the broccolini.

Season everything when it is brought to temperature and begin to plate. Remove fish from oven after 5 min or when flesh is firm to touch. Begin to plate how you wish - remember to finish with caviar and to blend the sauce with a hand blender.

Ziti pasta with Rapini (Broccoli Rabe) and Anchovies

Ingredients:

4 cloves garlic, smashed

2 ounces extravirgin olive oil

Anchovies packed in salt

Kosher salt

Crushed red pepper flakes

Rapini (Broccoli Rabe)

Parmesan cheese

Toasted breadcrumbs

Ziti pasta

Instructions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the ziti pasta and cook for about 8 minutes until al dente.

Bring another large pot of water to a boil. Add rapini and cook for 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add garlic and cook until browned. Add anchovies, salt, hot pepper.

Drain pasta and rapini together and add to the skillet and toss well to coat with sauce. Plate Ziti gently and garnish with parmesean cheese and toasted breadcrumbs. Serve immediately.

Recipe courtesy of Steve Martorano

Steak Diane

Ingredients:

2 filets mignon 8 oz butterflied
1/2 cup each of sliced white mushroom, crimini mushroom, shitake mushroom and oyster mushroom
1 medium size shallot or 1 tablespoon full chopped
1 clove of garlic
1 table spoon extra virgin olive oil
1 shot glass of cognac or brandy
1/2 cup of veal demi glace or a full cup of beef broth (low sodium)
1/4 cup of heavy cream
1 table spoon of unsalted butter
1/2 tea spoon of fresh thyme
1 table spoon of fresh chopped parsley

Salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Instructions:

In a sauté pan relatively hot, sear the filets with a table spoon of olive oil to get a nice caramelization in order to seal the juices. Turn the filets to repeat the process on the other side. Lower the heat to cook the meat at the desired temperature.
In the meantime, remove the stems of the shitake mushrooms and then slice all the mushrooms.
Thinly chop the shallots, garlic and parsley separately.
When the meat is done, remove it from the heat and let it rest on a plate while making the sauce.
In the same pan, add the butter, then the mushrooms and sauté until slightly golden. Then deglaze w/ the cognac or brandy. Be careful as the alcohol will ignite near flames. Immediately after, add the  veal demi glace or beef broth. If using beef broth, let reduce by 3/4 before adding the cream. Add the thyme and the cream . Let simmer for 2 minutes before adding the chopped garlic, parsley.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Top the filets with the sauce and serve.

Bon appetit.