A TASTE OF NEW YORK
Featured Recipies
Kuma Inn
(7 E. 54th St., btw Madison & Fifth aves.,
1-212-688-1999)
Umi Nom
(433 Dekalb Ave., btw Classon Ave. & Taaffe Pl., Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, 1-718-789-8806)
Ingredients
Skirt Steak - 2 pcs., 8 oz. ea.
Canola Oil - 2 tbl.
Salt and pepper to taste
Onions, sliced - 1 cup
Kalamansi juice - 2 tbl. (O.k. to substitute with lemon or lime)
Soy Sauce - 2 oz.
Preparation
Heat shaved Parmesan in a 9-in. skillet. Let it melt and dry out until it turns into a sheet. Carefully place Parmesan sheet over an inverted mug and allow to cool and harden. Fill Parmesan cup with round melon balls and serve beside slices of prosciutto di Parma.
Recipe adapted from Daniel Boulud's Café Boulud Cookbook (Scribner, 1999)
By Daniel Boulud and Dorie Greenspan
Daniel(60 E. 65th St., btw Park & Madison Ave., 1-212-288-0033)
Ingredients
3 bottles dry red wine
8 short ribs, trimmed of excess fat
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt
1 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed
Flour for dredging
10 cloves garlic, peeled
8 large shallots, peeled, trimmed and split
2 medium carrots, peeled, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths
2 stalks celery, peeled, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths
1 medium leek, white and light green parts only, trimmed, coarsely chopped, washed and dried
6 sprigs parsley
2 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 quarts unsalted beef stock or store-bought low-sodium beef broth
Freshly ground white pepper
Preparation
1) Pour the wine into a large saucepan set over medium heat. When the wine is hot, carefully set it aflame, let the flames die out, then increase the heat so that the wine boils; allow it to boil until it cooks down by half. Remove from the heat.
2) Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350° F.
3) Warm the oil in a Dutch oven or large casserole over medium-high heat. Season the ribs all over with salt and crushed pepper. Dust half the ribs with about 1 tablespoon flour and then, when the oil is hot, slip the ribs into the pot and sear 4 to 5 minutes on a side, until the ribs are well browned. Transfer the browned ribs to a plate, dust the remaining ribs with flour, and sear in the same manner. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pot, lower the heat under the pot to medium, and toss in the vegetables and herbs. Brown the vegetables lightly, for 5 to 7 minutes, then stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute to blend.
4) Add the reduced wine, browned ribs and stock to the pot. Bring to the boil, cover the pot closely, and slide it into the oven to braise 2.5 hours, or until the ribs are tender enough to be easily pierced with a fork. Every 30 minutes or so, lift the lid and skim and discard whatever fat may have bubbled up to the surface. (Not only can you make this a day in advance, it's best to make the recipe up to this point, cool and chill the ribs and stock in the pan, and, on the next day, scrape off the fat. Rewarm before continuing.)
5) Carefully (the tender meat falls apart easily) transfer the meat to a heated serving platter with raised rims and keep warm. Boil the pan liquids until they thicken and reduce to approximately 1 quart. Season with salt and pepper and pass through a fine-mesh strainer; discard the solids. (The ribs and sauce can be made a few days ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Reheat gently, basting frequently, on top of the stove or in a 350o F oven.)
To serve: Pour the sauce over the meat.
Serves 8 Time: 45 minutes, plus 4 hours for resting
Consulting Chef Pichet OngVillage Tart
(86 Kenmare St., 1-212-226-4980)
Tart Dough
1 cup butter, room temperature
1/3 cup confectioner's sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
2 cups AP flour
1 cup almond flour
Preparation
1) In bowl of mixer, paddle together butter, sugar, salt, zest and vanilla until combined.
2) Add eggs and beat for one minute, scraping the bowl once half way through to ensure even mixing.
3) Add flour and mix the dough on low speed until combined. Remove dough from bowl onto a clean work surface and divide dough into 2 pieces. Wrap each piece with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
4) Butter an 8-in. tart ring (1/2-in. high) with soft butter and place ring on a flat sheet pan lined with parchment paper. On a lightly floured work surface, roll one of the pastry pieces out to about 1/8-in. thick and 12-in. wide, rotating the circle a quarter-turn with each roll. Lightly flour the surface of the dough and loosely roll the dough around the rolling pin. Unroll the dough into the tart ring and press the edges up along the sides, trimming off any excess. Place tart shell sheet pan, wrap with plastic and store in refrigerator to let the dough rest.
5) Wrap and freeze the other piece for another tart.
6) In a preheated 325-degree oven, blind bake the frozen tart shell using a fitted packet of beans to weigh it down until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
Caramel Filling
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 tablespoon lemon
1 cup cream
2 tablespoons crème fraiche
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
Preparation
1) In a pot, stir together sugar, corn syrup, lemon juice, and 1/4 cup hot water to make wet sand. Bring pot to heat, and cook until dark caramel, 233 degrees.
2) Gradually and carefully stream in cream to stop the caramel. Whisk mixture until emulsified into a smooth and homogenous texture. Whisk in salt, vanilla extract, crème fraiche and butter and set aside to cool for about 15 minutes until it thickens up a bit, whisking occasionally to ensure emulsification.
Assembly
1/16 teaspoon maldon salt
1) Place baked tart shell on flat work surface. Once caramel is cooled slightly, pour mixture into the tart shell just until the top of shell. Sprinkle maldon salt very lightly all over the top of tart.
2) Let sit until cooled to room temperature before serving.
Courtesy Chef Sandy IngberGrand Central Oyster Bar & Restaurant
(Grand Central Terminal, lower level, E. 42nd St. & Vanderbilt Ave.,
1-212-490-6650)
Ingredients
8 ounces small dry Sea Scallops, side muscle removed
8 ounces jumbo lump crabmeat, shells removed
1# Linguini Fini, cooked, rinsed
4 ounces imported Procuitto, julienne
2 ounces petite peas, cooked
1/2 cup steamed broccoli rabe, cut into 2" pieces and washed
4 large white mushroom, medium diced
3 tablespoons salted butter
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 egg yolks
1 pint heavy cream
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup of grated Reggiano Parmesan or to taste
Preparation
Melt butter over medium heat in a large sauté pan.
Add the Sea Scallops and cook for 3 minutes.
Add the mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook 1 minute.
Add the Procuitto and cook 1 minute.
Add the broccoli rabe.
Add the pasta, crabmeat, parsley, cheese and the peas and toss well.
In a stainless steel bowl, mix the liaison of egg yolks and heavy cream.
Season with salt and pepper.
Add the liaison and bring to one boil.
Recheck seasoning and add more cheese if necessary.
Serve immediately.
Created by Bar Master Richard Boccato
San Rocco
(39 W. 24th St., btw Fifth & Sixth aves., 212-255-4655)
Ingredients
1 oz. Bourbon
1 oz. Amaro CioCiaro
3/4 oz. Lemon Juice
3/4 oz. Simple Syrup
2 Blood Orange Wedges
Preparation
Muddle blood oranges, lemon juice and simple syrup. Add bourbon and CioCiaro. Shake with a small piece of ice and strain over crushed ice in a rocks glass. Top with more crushed ice and garnish with a blood orange slice.
The Oak Bar at The Plaza
Chef Eric Hara
(10 Central Park So., 1-212-758-7777)
Ingredients
1 cup unpopped popcorn
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon truffle oil
2 teaspoons butter, melted
2 teaspoons grated Asiago
1 teaspoon grated truffles
Salt & pepper to taste
Preparation
1) Pop the popcorn in a pot with hot canola oil. Set aside in a bowl.
2) Add the melted butter, truffle oil, Asiago, salt and pepper and toss.
3) Slice truffles on top and serve.
Executive Chef Ben PollingerOceana Restaurant
(1221 Sixth Ave., 1-212-759-5941)
Pompano
4 fillets pompano
2 small baby taro roots
Split the pompano fillets in half lengthwise, removing the pinbones
Slice taro thinly on slicer.
Lay out a sheet of plastic wrap.
Shingle the taro slices in three lines. Lay one half of a pompano fillet down then top with another half turned in the opposite direction.
Wrap the fish in plastic totally covering it in taro. Slice off the two ends.
Season with salt and pepper.
Sauté in canola oil until crispy and brown on the outside.
Finish cooking in a 350 F degree oven for 5 minutes.
Remove from oven, add rice cake to pan ( recipe below) and baste with melted butter.
Rice Cake
Place 8 ounces basmati rice in a cheesecloth pouch.
Boil in salted water for 30 minutes. Remove, cool, then cut into rectangles.
Vegetables
1 Tbs canola oil
6 pieces baby bok choy, cut in half
1 Tbs butter
1 tsp shallots, minced
1 tsp ginger, minced
1 tsp chilies, sliced
1 tsp kokum julienne
4 pieces Chinese long beans, cut in one inch pieces, blanched and shocked
1/2 Cup raw peanuts, boiled in salted water until cooked through
2 ounces chicken stock
1 Tbs cilantro chiffonade
1 Tbs Thai basil chiffonade
1 Tbs chives, minced
Heat oil.
Stir fry bok choy. Season with salt and pepper.
Add butter, shallots, ginger, chilies and kokum.
Sweat aromatics briefly. Add beans and peanuts.
Add chicken stock and cover pan.
Cook 30 seconds. Finish with herbs.
Sauce
1 Tbs canola oil
1 tsp red mustard seeds
1 sprig curry leaves, julienne
1 inch piece of ginger, julienne
1 clove garlic, sliced
1 shallot, sliced
1/2 long green chili, sliced
1 tsp coriander, ground medium fine
1 tsp cumin, ground medium fine
1/2 tsp black cumin, ground medium fine
1.5 Cups fish fumet
1.75 Cups coconut milk
1/2 Cup cilantro puree, made by blending blanched cilantro with a little water.
Heat oil, pop mustard seeds and bloom curry leaves
Sweat ginger, garlic, shallots and chili with no color.
Bloom ground spices.
Add fumet, season with salt and simmer 15 minutes until flavor comes together.
Whisk in coconut milk. Bring to simmer 5 minutes being careful not to boil.
Finish sauce base with cilantro puree off the heat.
Plating
Place rice cake down on left side of plate. Top with pompano and garnish with micro cilantro.
Place beans and peanuts on right side of plate, top with bok choy.
Place sauce in a small saucepot and at the table place sauce down center of plate.