by Kathy Douglas | Mar 27, 2017 | Entrees
Date night will never be the same. Impress your special loved one with our delicious poached lobster tail and creamy pasta. The Tarragon Truffle Pappardelle is served with a pea puree on the side to add in the pasta, as little or as much as you desire, for a delicious flavor combination.
INGREDIENTS
Lobster Tails
2 lobster tails
2 pounds butter, melted
Pasta
1 ½ cups cream
8 ounce box of Pappardelle
2 ounces black truffle butter
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Kosher salt
White pepper
Pea Puree
2 cups fresh spring peas
½ cup vegetable stock
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
INSTRUCTIONS
Lobster Tails
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Blanch the lobsters in boiling water for 1-1/2 minutes. Immediately add to a bowl of ice water. When cold, remove the shells from the tails – set the shells and the lobster aside in separate bowls.
To a small pot, add enough melted clarified butter to cover all the lobster tails. Add a thermometer and heat the butter to just 140 degrees. When the butter is at the correct temperature, add the lobster tails and poach in the butter for 15-20 minutes. Watch the heat and maintain the 140-degree temperature by removing the pan from the stovetop if the heat increases and replace when it reaches the proper temperature. Remove from the butter and place on a warm plate, cover with foil to keep warm.
Pasta
While the lobster tails cook, add the cream to a medium saucepan. Add the lobster shells and bring the cream to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes, strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove the shells. Keep the cream warm, discard the shells.
Heat a large pot with boiling water. Add a handful of salt and cook the pasta according to the package directions. Strain the water off the pasta.
In a large sauté pan over medium-low heat, melt the truffle butter, whisk in the cream. When combined, add the tarragon, lemon, and ¼ teaspoon salt; bring to a light simmer. Adjust the seasoning with kosher salt and white pepper. Add the pasta and stir gently to mix thoroughly.
Pea Puree
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the fresh peas and blanch for one minute. Strain off the water and add the peas to a high-speed blender. Add the stock, salt, olive oil and lemon juice; blend until very smooth. Add more salt and pepper to your taste desire. Add to a saucepan, cover, and keep warm on low on the stovetop until ready to serve.
To serve, add the pasta and top with a lobster tail. Serve the pea puree on the side.
by Kathy Douglas | Mar 20, 2017 | News & Events
Fresh Chef Experience is Celebrating our New Classes & Parties, and We Want YOU to Celebrate With Us!
We’re celebrating our new Cooking Classes & Parties! Celebrate with us by receiving a complimentary appetizer for up to six people at your Fresh Chef Experience. Book now before July 15, 2017, and schedule a Cooking Class or Party to receive this special offer.
by Kathy Douglas | Mar 20, 2017 | Desserts
Making crème brûlée is very easy. It starts with simple custard-filled ramekins baked in a water bath. You can make it ahead for your next party, then add the sweet crackly vanilla sugar top right before serving. You don’t need a kitchen torch to brûlée the top. However, we must admit, we love our kitchen torch. You can use the broiler setting in your oven; be sure to watch carefully, so your sugar doesn’t burn. You can make your vanilla sugar by adding a whole vanilla bean to 2 cups of white sugar. Store in a jar for three days, shaking daily. The longer you store the bean in the jar, the stronger the vanilla flavor.
INGREDIENTS
1 ¼ cups heavy cream
½ cup whole milk
2 ounces chopped dark chocolate
3 large egg yolks
1/3 cup vanilla sugar
1 ½ tablespoons Rivulet Pecan Liquor
Extra vanilla sugar for the topping
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 325F. Place six ramekins or Crème Brûlée Dishes on a baking sheet. Heat an electric or stovetop kettle full of water to hot.
Add the cream and milk to a large saucepan, bring to just to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the chopped chocolate; stir to melt completely.
In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks, vanilla sugar, and Rivulet Pecan Liquor together until well blended. While you continue to whisk, slowly drizzle in about ½ cup of the hot chocolate milk and cream mixture; whisk until well combined. Continuing to whisk, slowly pour in the remainder of the chocolate milk and cream mixture and whisk until thoroughly combined.
Pour the mixture evenly into the 6 ramekins. Place the ramekins into a large cake pan or roasting pan. Carefully pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake just until the crème brûlée is just set, but still a little movement in the center, approximately 40 to 45 minutes. Cool completely.
Tightly cover each baked custard with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, overnight is preferred and for up to two days. Note: Chill the custards thoroughly for the sugar to be successfully caramelized.
Sprinkle the top of each custard evenly with 1 tablespoon of vanilla sugar. Brown the caramel using a kitchen torch or the broiler in the oven. If broiling, watch carefully, so the topping doesn’t burn. Serve immediately.
by Kathy Douglas | Mar 13, 2017 | Entrees
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in style with our tasty rack of lamb. In this recipe, you baste the lamb in the sauté pan with rosemary and garlic butter, giving it a delicious seared flavor to contrast with the mint and pistachios. When it’s finished cooking, slice into single chops and serve with a green mint coulis, that’s as pretty as it is delicious, and top with pistachios.
INGREDIENTS
2 racks of lamb
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Mint Coulis, recipe below
¼ cup Pistachios, toasted and rough chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the lamb from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking. Cut the lamb racks into four bone pieces and salt each one well. Heat a cast iron skillet to very hot. Add the olive oil then add the lamb fat side down. Add the butter, rosemary, and garlic. After the butter melts, use a spoon to baste the liquid over the lamb while you sear on every side, for about 3 minutes per side. Place in the oven and roast for 15 minutes. Check the temperature; you’re looking for 135 for rare, 140 for medium-rare, or 145 for medium. If not at your desired temperature, place back in the oven for 5-minute increments until done. Remove from the oven, cover with foil, and rest for 10 minutes.
Remove from the cast iron pan and slice into chops. Serve with coulis and sprinkle toasted pistachios over the top of the lamb.
Mint Coulis
INGREDIENTS
½ cup sugar
½ cup water
1 cup mint leaves
INSTRUCTIONS
Melt the sugar in the water in a small saucepan over medium heat. When completely melted, remove from heat, and add the mint leaves. Set aside until completely cooled, then pour into a blender and process until smooth. Pour through a strainer, discard the solids, and set the coulis aside until the lamb is finished cooking.
by Kathy Douglas | Mar 13, 2017 | Breakfast
Steel-cut Irish Oatmeal is completely different than regular rolled oats. These oats are chewier and have a delicious nutty texture. In most cases, they take longer to cook, so to speed things up in this easy recipe; you soak the oats before cooking. Soaked steel cut oats not only cook faster, but they are also healthier for you. Overnight soaking in yogurt or lemon juice at room temperatures helps the vitamins and minerals from the oatmeal absorb into your body. However, we all know oatmeal is all about the toppings, so be sure to use fresh butter, cream, fruit, and toasted nuts.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup steel cut Irish Oatmeal
1 tablespoon of yogurt or fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Toppings
Butter
Cream
Fresh or dried fruit
Toasted nuts
White or brown sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
In a glass bowl, add 3 cups of warm water, the oatmeal, and yogurt or lemon juice. Stir to combine, cover and rest overnight, at least 7-8 hours. When ready to prepare, strain and rinse the oats.
In a saucepan, heat 1 cup of water and the salt on medium high to a boil. Add the soaked oatmeal to the saucepan, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until hot and creamy, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Serve warm oatmeal in bowls with fresh butter, cream, fruit and toasted nuts.
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