Author: Heidi Lee (Page 46 of 96)

Heidi has a new friend and his name is Kelly Fletcher.  Kelly is the Executive Chef at one of my favorite spots in town–“House of Tricks“.  We met formally (or rather, very informally) when I hosted the ‘Challenge to the Chefs’ at the Scottsdale Culinary Festival last April.  While soup wasn’t on the menu that day, he prepared a recipe especially for us and the “Biblical Proportion Dust Storm” that rampaged through Phoenix last week.  

Grilled Corn Vichyssoise with Habub Corn Dust and Ancho Powder

Ingredients:

• 5 ears of summer corn (shucked and silked)
• 3 leeks julienned (white part only, washed thuroghly)
• 2 med. yellow onion julienned
• 2 Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into 1″ cubes
• 8 cloves minced garlic cloves
• 2 T. sherry vinegar
• 1/2 lb unsalted butter

1. Grill the ears of corn until a few of the kernels have taken color on every side of the cob. Remove from the grill and allow to cool to the touch.
2. With a serrated knife remove the kernels from the cobs and place the cobs in a med. stock pot and add water to cover the cobs by a few inches, bring to a boil and reduce heat and simmer over low heat for 20~30 minutes. Reserve kernels for later..  Meanwhile in a seperate pot melt 4 oz. of butter over medium heat and add the onions, leeks, garlic and corn kernels and sweat for 4-5 minutes or until the onions are transluscent.
3. To this pot you can now add your potatoes and prepared corn stock from the previous pot, discarding the cobs, they won’t be needed any longer. Bring the soup to a boil and reduce to a medium heat and simmer until the potatoes are easily pierced with a knife.
4. When your potatoes are ready use a slotted spoon to place about 1/3 of the soup solids into a blender and add enough of the soup liquid to cover then add 4 oz. of cold butter, place the lid on and tightly hold in place while you buzz the soup to the desired consistency. Pour the soup into a large bowl and the continue this process until you have blended all of the solids and the soup is the consistency you want. Fold the sherry vinegar in and add salt and white pepper to taste.. place the bowl into the fridge and chill over night. Adjust the thickness with a touch of milk the next day if the soup is to thick.
5. Prepare your favorite cornbread recipe and allow it to cool all day so that you can crumble it into a fine powder.. use this to garnish your chilled vichyssoise with a touch of ancho chili powder and snipped chive.

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Comfort food at its’ best! Seems like the perfect thing to whip up for game day! GO CARDS!!! I LOVE MY JOB!

Ingredients:

• Vegetable Oil
• 2 lbs. Pork, cut small
• 2 lbs. Tomatillos, roasted and pureed
• 2 lbs. Poblano Peppers, roasted, cleaned, and diced
• 2 each Onions, medium, diced
• 4 each Garlic cloves, minced
• 1 qt Pork Stock or Water
• Shredded Cabbage, Oregano, Diced Onion, Radish (for garnish)

1. In a large stockpot, over medium heat, add a small amount of vegetable oil. Add diced pork and season with a generous amount of kosher salt.
2. When pork starts to become caramelized in color, add onions and continue to sauté. When onions and pork are caramelized, add garlic and roasted peppers; sauté for 1 minute. Add roasted tomatillos, season with salt and pepper and add stock or water. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer for 1.5 hours.
3. Garnish with shredded cabbage, oregano, diced onion and radish.

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Back in the day, “The Brooklyn” was one of  my top spots for the 5:00 O’Clock pop with friends.  In fact, I liked it so much that I make it a point to stop in every time I come to the city.  The oysters – check, the happy hour – check – the service – check, the vibe ~ DOUBLE CHECK.  Long before I gave much thought to the back of the house, I could name every bartender in the joint.  Whether or not they remembered mine is fodder for another day… Now, lucky me, I know the Executive Chef, too!  Blair King joins me on the show today and was kind enough to share his Pacific Northwest Bouillabaisse.  Not only a taste of Seattle, but a bonus from The Brooklyn. 

Ingredients:

• 2 oz.    Olive oil
• 2 oz.    Chorizo, fresh
• 1T.    Garlic, minced
• 1T.    Fennel bulb, diced
• 10 ea.    Penn Cove Mussels
• 10 ea.    Treasure Cove Clams
• 3 oz.     Alaskan King Salmon 1/2 in. cubed
• 3 oz.    Alaskan Halibut 1/2 in. cubed
• 1 oz.    Columbia River Sturgeon, 1/2 in. cubed
• 6 ea.    Prawns, 41-50 count
• Fennel-Saffron-Tomato Nage (recipe follows)
•  1 ear    Roasted corn, removed from ear
•  1 oz.    Oven dried tomatoes
• 1/4 c     Spinach, fresh
• 2 oz.    Butter, unsalted, cubed
• Pinch    Sea salt, to taste
• 3 oz.    Crab Risotto

1. Brown chorizo in sauté pan over medium heat.
2. Add garlic and fennel and sweat for 1 min. Add all seafood and toss to coat.
3. Add nage, oven-dried tomatoes, and roasted corn. Cover and simmer for approximately 5 minutes until all shellfish are open.
4. Remove bouillabaisse from heat. Fold in butter and spinach; season with sea salt.
5. Pour into heated bowl and garnish with a Dungeness crab risotto.

Fennel-Saffron-Tomato Nage

Ingredients:

2 T     Fennel seed, toasted
2T     Coriander seed, toasted
3     Bulbs Shallots, rough cut
1 Lb     Fennel Bulb, quartered
2 #    Heirloom tomatoes
4 oz    Tomato Paste
4 oz     Garlic Cloves
2 c     Pinot Gris
4 c     Clam Nectar
8each     Saffron Threads

Roast shallots, fennel bulb, tomatoes, garlic, celery in 350 degree oven for one hour until soft but not charred.  Deglaze roasting pan with pinot gris.  Combine with remaining ingredients in stock pot. Add water to cover vegetables and bring to boil.  Reduce heat to simmer until nage is half of its original volume.  Strain and reserve for Bouillabaisse assembly.

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