Aug
17
2015
0
Peach-Poppy Emulsion
By jacob burton
A sweet summer emulsion that we used for a grilled quail and peach salad dish.
A sweet summer emulsion that we used for a grilled quail and peach salad dish.
A refreshing and simple summer dish to be served at the height of melon season.
This Melon-Mint "Pesto" was originally developed for a summer short rib dish that was served with seared watermelon and pickled rind. It was a fun play on fruit and beef, and people really enjoyed the preparation. To be completely honest though, this sauce was so specific to this dish, I'm not sure I would ever put it with anything else or even make it again for that matter.
Standard recipe for herb simple syrup that can be used for cocktails, desserts or flavor extractions for savory dishes. This recipe will work with fresh herbs, including mint, basil, oregano, parsley, thyme, etc.
This sauce was originally developed for a summer salmon dish that was paired with some slow roasted vegetables. Garlic-thyme emulsion goes well with fish, roasted vegetables and poultry such as chicken breast and squab.
Classic fish stock recipe.
Court Bouillon is a classical broth used for poaching fish, sea food or vegetables. It usually contains onions, cloves, mirepoix and a bouquet garni. White wine, lemon juice, and vinegar are commonly added.
A refreshing vinaigrette inspired by Japanese flavors, this cilantro vinaigrette goes great with any number of lettuce greens or vegetables.
Basic recipe for chicken stock.
This simple syrup was originally developed as a component in a pan sauce that I served with duck. See recipe notes for more information on the duck dish.
This Black Berry Preserve recipe was originally developed as a garnish for a summer pork chop dish. It has a nice savory touch and isn't overly sweet. Use this black berry preserve for pork, duck, seared foie gras and game such as elk.
Mashed potatoes are classic comfort food 101. To the untrained eye they can appear deceivingly simple, but the best mashed potatoes require proper technique, a decent fat to potato ratio, and being aware of common snares that trip up the uninitiated along the way. By the time you're done watching the above video and reading through this article, you'll be able to whip up a great batch of mashed potatoes every time, whether you're creating a simple Sunday Super, or bringing the thunder on Thanksgiving.
Oven roasted potatoes are one of my favorite, go-to side dishes when cooking at home. In this particular technique, we first blanch the potatoes using a cold water start (just like we would with any other root vegetable) and then roast in a hot oven until golden brown.
Here's a quick video that demonstrates how to fry herb leafs in the microwave. When done with a tender leaf like basil, it will become flat and translucent which gives the leaf a cool effect.
In this video, I demonstrate the technique of covered saute and glazing that can be universally applied to most produce, especially root vegetables such as carrots, onions, parsnips and radishes. To demonstrate the glazing technique, we take a trip down "Classic Flavor Lane," using minced ginger, carrots and turmeric as our main flavor profiles.
Heirloom tomatoes are a special crop that I look forward to every year. Unlike other common supermarket tomatoes that have had their flavor bred out of them (not to mention they're usually picked green and forced ripened using ethylene gas), heirlooms are true, unique strains of tomatoes that haven't been messed with. Each variety of heirloom tomato has it's own unique color, flavor and shape, just like nature intended. And did I mention that they're absolutely delicious and about to hit their peak?
Sauce vierge is one of my all time favorite sauces. The word "vierge" is French for "virgin," meaning that the ingredients in a vierge are not cooked. This is the sauce that we use for our heirloom tomato caprese, which I will demonstrate in an upcoming video.
In a previous video, we went over how to make a basic version of creamy polenta. In this video, we take the leftover creamy polenta, let it set in a mold overnight, slice and pan fry. The fried polenta cake is then topped with a simple caprese that makes a great summer dish that's perfect for a quick lunch on a sunny patio.
This video will take you through the process that we use to sous vide a rack of lamb at Stella. The nice thing about this process is we cook the lamb rack a second time in a reduced pan sauce which infuses both the lamb and the sauce with an amazing flavor.
Flavor infused oils are a great way to add colorful contrasts and interesting tastes to a dish, especially as a last minute garnish. When making your own oils infused with the essence of a fresh green herb, you'll be walking a fine line between extracting the most flavor and color, and completely breaking down the chlorophyll molecules which will give an off taste and appearance.
