Not long ago, the restaurant kitchen was a place of mystery. Now, chefs are mortals and their recipes are fair game for cooks looking for a dinner party show-stopper.
This year there are so many worthy chef-written books that I’ve compiled a list of nine to supplement recommendations that appeared Wednesday in the Good Eating section. But first, a sampling of recipes.
SUZY CROFTON’S GRILLED ATLANTIC SALMON WITH MORELS AND PANCETTA
Four servings
1 pound fresh morel mushrooms or 1/4 pound dried
2 shallots, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
10 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1 cup dry sherry or Madeira
4 pieces (6 ounces each) salmon fillets, skin removed
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
16 green onions (or ramps, in season), cut into 1/4-inch pieces
4 generous tablespoons cubed and trimmed pancetta
1. Soak fresh morels in cold water for 15 minutes; dried ones until reconstituted. Drain, pat dry and trim stems. Cut larger mushrooms in half.
2. Heat oven to 500 degrees. Saute shallots and garlic in 2 tablespoons butter over low heat until soft. Add morels, turn up heat and cook 1 minute. Add sherry and reduce by half.
3. Whisk in remaining butter, working on and off the heat, until it is emulsified.
4. Heat a grill or ridged grill pan. Brush salmon fillets with oil and season with salt and pepper. Transfer salmon to a large pan and cook in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes.
5. Heat a medium-size, heavy frying pan over high heat. Add a few tablespoons olive oil. Add green onions and pancetta. Cook briefly, shaking the pan to prevent frying. Add morel mixture and mix. Season lightly.
6. Place a salmon fillet in the center of a warm dinner plate. Spoon morel mixture over the top and around the sides.
–Adapted from “Women of Taste”
ALFRED PORTALE’S LEMON BASIL PASTA
Six to eight appetizer portions or four main-course servings
1/2 cup whipping cream
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus more if needed
1 small garlic clove, finely minced
Coarse salt, freshly ground white pepper and cayenne to taste
1 pound fresh or dried linguine or tagliarini
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, plus whole fresh leaves, for garnish
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh chives
1. In a medium saucepan, bring cream to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, to make a creamy sauce. Whisk in lemon juice and garlic. Taste, and season with salt, white pepper and cayenne.
2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the linguine and cook until al dente, 2 to 3 minutes for fresh, 8 to 10 minutes for dried. Drain well. Return to the warm pot.
3. Add the warm sauce, chopped basil and chives. Toss well. Taste the sauce to check for an authoritative tang. Season with more lemon juice, salt, white pepper and cayenne as needed.
4. Using a carving fork with two long, straight tines, spear a serving of pasta onto the bottom tine. Place the pasta-entwined fork over a plate, and invert the fork, letting the pasta slide off into a neat stack. Repeat with the remaining pasta. Garnish with the whole basil leaves and serve immediately. Note: For a variation on the basil, use 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh tarragon and garnish with whole tarragon sprigs.
–From “Alfred Portale’s Gotham Bar and Grill Cookbook”
JEAN-PIERRE BREHIERS YELLOWTAIL SNAPPER WITH MANGO-TEQUILA SAUCE
Four servings
4 snapper fillets (6 ounces each), skinned
1 cup cornmeal
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 shallots, chopped fine
3 tablespoons tarragon wine vinegar
1/4 cup tequila
1 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup orange juice concentrate
1 1/2 cups diced mangoes
2 tablespoons snipped fresh chives
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Dip each fish fillet in the cornmeal and dust off excess.
2. In an oven-proof saute pan large enough to hold the fillets without crowding, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the snapper and saute for 1 minute. Turn fillet over, then transfer the pan to the oven, and bake the fish for 4 to 5 minutes. The fish should then be opaque, not translucent.
3. While the fish is baking, in a medium saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sweat the shallots and when translucent, add the vinegar. Let reduce until almost dry. Add the tequila and let reduce by half. Stir in the stock, orange juice concentrate and mangoes. Let simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Pour into blender and process until very smooth. Add the chives and adjust the seasoning.
5. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of sauce onto each dinner plate and set the cooked fish in the center. For a beautiful presentation, decorate with diced mango, or with purple basil and chives.
–Adapted from “Incredible Cuisine”
