Fresh East Coast oysters with mignonette sauce
Ingredients:
- 20 oysters cleaned and halved
- ¼ cup chives, minced, for garnish
For the Mignonette:
- ¾ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 cup shallots, minced (about 5 medium shallots)
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice, (2 medium-sized lemons)
- ¼ tsp. kosher salt
- ½ tbsp. cracked black peppercorn
Instructions:
- In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for the mignonette. If making the say of, let this mixture rest for 20 minutes to slightly soften shallots. This vinegar mixture makes about 1¾ cups and can be made a day or two in advance.
- Note on vinegar: traditional mignonette is made with red wine vinegar; you can also use Champagne vinegar.
- To open oysters you will need oyster knife (available at any cooking store).
- Prepare your oyster platter by lining it with ice (any platter large enough to hold 20 oysters).
- Insert the oyster knife in shell opening and twist. This should do the trick.
- Place half oyster shells on ice.
- Sprinkle with chopped chives, to garnish.
- Place mignonette in a small serving bowl with a spoon. Spoon mignonette on to each oyster before consuming.
Cheateaubriand and butter poached lobster with creamed spinach and butter poached Campari tomatoe
Ingredients:
- 14 to 15 oz beef tenderloin (see notes)
- 1 ½ tbsp. olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper as required
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and season the beef liberally on all sides with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a heavy, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and sear until lightly browned on all sides, turning with tongs as needed, about 3 minutes total.
- Place the skillet in the oven and roast for 10 to 12 minutes, until an instant read thermometer registers 125°F for medium rare.
- Tent with foil and allow to rest for 20 minutes before carving.
Butter poached lobster
Ingredients:
- 2 1 ½ lb lobsters
- 1 lb. butter, cubed
- 1 cup water
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1 tsp. salt
- Ice bath, for cooling lobsters
Instructions:
- Bring a pot of water (large enough to hold lobsters) to boil.
- As soon as the water is boiling, place lobsters in the pot and cover with a lid.
- Boil lobsters for three minutes (they will turn red during this process).
- Remove from boiling water and place into the ice bath to stop the cooking process.
- When lobster has cooled, remove from ice bath and begin de-shelling: remove claws by twisting them and set a side (we will not use them in this recipe, but they will be a wonderful addition to pasta or risotto!).
- Peel tails from the shells and set the tails aside.
- Place 1 cup of water in a pot and bring to a boil.
- Slowly add a few cubes of the butter to the simmering water, whisking constantly.
- Continue adding the rest of the butter cubes until you have light, velvety sauce.
- Add lemon juice and salt.
- Place peeled lobster tails into the hot butter sauce and bring to a simmer. Cook for two minutes or until lobster is heated through. Keep warm until ready to plate.
Buttered Campari tomatoes
Ingredients:
- ½ pint Campari tomatoes, halved lengthwise
- 1 ½ tbsp. butter
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed
- 1 tbsp. fresh parsley, finely chopped
Instructions:
- Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. As soon as it begins to foam, add the tomatoes.
- Cook, continually tossing the tomatoes with a spatula, until they are softened but still hold their shape (3 to 4 minutes).
-
Season tomatoes to taste with salt and pepper, add the parsley and cook ½ minute longer. Keep warm until ready to plate.
Creamed spinach
Ingredients:
- 2 lb. baby spinach
- 1 ¼ cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (or ½ stick)
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1/8 tsp. nutmeg, freshly grated
- To taste salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.
- Place baby spinach into boiling water and cook until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Drain into a colander and rinse under cold running water until cool.
- Squeeze the spinach to remove as much moisture as possible, then coarsely chop and set aside.
- Heat milk and cream in a small saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, until warm.
- Meanwhile, place butter into another small pot and add chopped onions. Cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally until softened (about 4 minutes).
- Whisk flour into the onions and cook roux, whisking constantly, for 3 minutes.
- Add the warm milk and cream mixture in a fast stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps.
- Let this mixture simmer (continuing to whisk) until thickened – 3 to 4 minutes.
- Stir in the nutmeg, spinach, and salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring, until heated through.
Plating:
- Place heated creamed spinach on the bottom of a serving platter.
- Place chateaubriand (roasted beef tenderloin) on top of creamed spinach.
- Butter poached lobster tails will be placed on top of the chateaubriand.
- Garnish with butter poached Campari tomatoes.
Passion fruit soufflé
Ingredients for the pastry cream:
- 1 cup Milk
- 3 Egg yolks
- ½ cup Granulated sugar
- ¼ cup Flour
Ingredients for the Soufflé:
- ⅓ cup Passion fruit, puree
- 1 orange zested
- 5 egg whites
- 3 tbsp. Granulated sugar
Ingredients for the Chocolate Sauce:
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 oz. bittersweet dark chocolate, finely chopped
Instructions – Pastry Cream:
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Bring milk just to a boil.
- In a steel bowl, whisk egg yolks with sugar for about 2 minutes. Whisk in flour, then strain milk and add to egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly until mixture is smooth.
- Transfer mixture to a saucepan and cook over medium heat while constantly whisking. Continue whisking until the mixture coats the back of a spoon and softens slightly, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Remove pan from the heat and strain pastry cream through a fine mesh strainer to remove any lumps. Allow cream to cool slightly until lukewarm.
Instructions – Soufflé:
- Whisk passion fruit puree and orange zest into pastry cream.
- In a Kitchen Aid, whisk egg whites while gradually adding granulated sugar, until whites form stiff peaks (meringue).
- Fold ¼ of the meringue into pastry cream. Then, gently fold in the remaining meringue.
- Spoon soufflé mixture into buttered and sugared ramekins. Tip: run your thumb around the edge of the ramekin to ensure the soufflé rises evenly.
- Bake in a Bain Marie in the oven for 12 – 15 minutes and golden brown on top.
- Carefully remove soufflés from oven. Place each one on a plate and dust with icing sugar.
- Serve with chocolate sauce.
Instructions – Chocolate Sauce:
- In a small heavy pot, bring cream just to a boil and remove from heat.
- Place chocolate pieces in a stainless steel bowl. Pour heavy cream over chocolate, whisking until smooth.
- Refrigerate until ready to use.
- To reheat: Place over a double boiler or Bain Marie and stir occasionally until warm. If too thick, add a little milk or cream to the sauce.