It's Good Though…

Yield: 4 to 6 Servings

Scott Nowell

Plain or with added protein, fried rice can make a nice meal by itself or used as a side. So many options. Experiment and find out what you like. Use care with the soy and salt, so it isn’t too salty. You can skip the dark soy sauce if you want a lighter colored finished dish.

Sauce pre-mix:

• 2TBS hot water
• 2tsp honey
• 2tsp sesame oil
• 2tsp Shaoxing wine (or dry cooking sherry)
• 2TBS soy sauce
• 2tsp dark soy sauce (skip for lighter colored dish)
• ¼-½tsp white pepper

Protein:

• ½-1lb protein: large shrimp, raw, de-shelled, pork, beef or chicken sliced thin, char siu, bacon or mix
  
• 2-4eggs, scrambled

Rice & vegetables:

• 4-5cups cooked rice
• 2cups cooked vegetables, broccoli, carrots, etc.
• ½cup bean sprouts, optional
• ½cup snow or sugar snap pea pods, trimmed and sliced on the diagonal, optional
• 1medium onion chopped
• 3-4green onions (scallions), white and green sections separated, white chopped into 3/8” rings, green into ¾” pieces
• 2-4TBS oil, divided
• 1tsp sugar
• 2tsp soy sauce
• 2tsp oyster sauce or 1 tsp sesame oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Mise, Mise, Mise, get your mise together! This means me! This happens so fast, that you must get everything prepped and measured before cooking starts.

Sauce premix:
Start by combining the hot water, honey, sesame oil, Shaoxing wine (if using), soy sauce, dark soy sauce (if using), and white pepper in a small bowl. This is the sauce that you’ll be adding to the rice, and it’s much easier to have it combined and ready to go before you start cooking.

Stir fry protein & onion:
With the wok over medium heat, add a TBS of oil and eggs. Scramble until just set. Remove to bowl, set aside.
With the wok over medium heat, add a TBS of oil and stir-fry the onions and white part of the scallions until translucent and then stir in the protein. Stir-fry until chicken or pork are cooked through. If using shrimp, stir-fry for a couple minutes and remove to a bowl. Add 2 TBS of oil and the rice and stir-fry until heated through.

Add sauce:

Add the premix sauce and salt and mix with a scooping motion until the rice is evenly coated with sauce. You will have to break up any remaining clumps of rice with the spatula as best as possible, but no need to be obsessive. The rice should be hot by this time.

Toss in your bean sprouts, pea pods, scrambled eggs and return shrimp (if using). Mix thoroughly for another minute or two and serve, topped with green part of the scallions!

Yield: 2 to 3 Servings

Adapted from Sue & Gambo

For Chicken

• 4oz sliced chicken
• 1pinch of salt
• 1tsp sesame seed oil
• ½egg white
• 1TBS corn starch
• 4TBS of oil

Main dish

• 4oz baby shrimp
• 4oz BBQ pork (See BBQ Pork / Char Sui)
  
• 2eggs
• 1cup bean sprouts
• ½cup green onions
• ½cup white onions
• 2cups cooked white rice
• 1TBS oyster sauce
• 2pinch white pepper
• 2TBS of soy sauce
• ¼cup green onions

Marinating the Meats

Marinate the chicken with salt, sesame seed oil, 1/2 egg white, corn starch and 1 tablespoon of oil

Cook the Chicken

In a wok add 1 tablespoon of oil and add the chicken and cook for on high heat until chicken is fully cooked all the way through.

Set the cooked chicken aside

Stir-Fry

Add 2 tablespoons of oil, egg, the 3 different type of meats and all of the vegetables, white rice and stir-fry

Next add the oyster sauce, white pepper, soy sauce and stir-fry

Once the fried rice is evenly mixed together, add it to a plate and place a few green onions on top.

Yield: 4 Servings

Saveur

A mainstay at trattorias throughout Rome, this quick and elegant dish calls for just three main ingredients: veal cutlets, prosciutto, and fresh sage. Served with a simple sauce made by de-glazing the pan with Marsala, it’s slightly salty, slightly woodsy, and entirely sumptuous. Saltimbocca means “jump in the mouth”.

• 8(2-oz) veal cutlets, preferably from the veal top round
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 16–24thin slices of prosciutto
• 16–24fresh sage leaves
• ½cup flour
• 8TBS extra-virgin olive oil
• 12TBS unsalted butter
• ¼cup dry Marsala
• 1cup chicken stock

Using a meat mallet, pound the veal cutlets, one at a time, between 2 sheets of plastic wrap until each piece is about 1⁄8 inch thick. Lightly season with salt (little is needed, as prosciutto is salty) and pepper to taste.

Lay 2–3 slices of prosciutto atop each piece of veal, gently pressing prosciutto against veal to adhere. Place 2–3 sage leaves on top of the prosciutto and stitch them into the veal with toothpicks. Place the flour on a large plate. Dredge each piece of veal in the flour, shake off any excess, and set aside.

In a 12-inch skillet, heat 2 TBS of the oil and 2 TBS of the butter over medium-high. Add 2 pieces of veal and cook, turning once, until the prosciutto side is crisp and the veal side is lightly browned, about 1 minute per side. Transfer the meat to a paper towel-lined plate; drain and discard the oil and butter from the skillet. Repeat this process with more oil, butter, and the remaining meat. Remove and discard the toothpicks.

Drain and discard the oil and butter from the skillet; place over high heat. Add the Marsala; cook, scraping up browned bits, until reduced by half, 1–2 minutes. Add the stock; reduce by half, about 3 minutes. Stir in the remaining 4 TBS of butter; reduce heat to medium. Return meat to skillet; cook, turning occasionally, until sauce thickens slightly, 1–2 minutes. Transfer to a platter and serve. (Alternatively, drizzle the pan sauce over the meat and serve.)

Yield: 4 Servings

Sarah Larson / Escoffier OnLine

Talk about a luxurious dish. Veal Oscar is about as indulgent as you can get when it comes to a classic French dish. Tender veal cutlets, crab meat, blanched asparagus are smothered in a rich béarnaise sauce for a meal like you’ve never had before. Veal Oscar is the definition of fine cuisine.

Béarnaise Sauce:

• 3large egg yolks
• 3TBS Champagne or white vinegar
• 1TBS white wine
• 1TBS finely chopped shallots
• 1TBS finely chopped fresh tarragon
• 1stick of butter melted
• 1tsp lemon juice
• 2TBS water
• Salt and pepper to taste

Veal Oscar Ingredients:

• 1lb veal cutlets lb
• ¼cup all-purpose flour
• ½lb lump crab meat
• 2TBS whole butter
• ½TBS vegetable oil
• 12fresh asparagus spears
• Salt and pepper to taste

Bearnaise Sauce:

Melt stick of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat keep warm to about 125° F. In a small sauce pan combine half the vinegar, white wine, shallots, and tarragon over medium heat and reduce until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

In a sauce pan add about ½ gallon of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Place egg yolks in a metal bowl and add 2 TBS of water and 1 TBS vinegar. Cook quickly over a double boiler until yolks are lighter in color and a ribbon consistency. Remove from heat.

Slowly add the clarified butter to the yolks, whisking constantly. Add a few drops of water if the sauce becomes too thick. Add the tarragon reduction, season with salt and pepper to taste. Hold the sauce hot at 125°F for a maximum of 1.5 hours.

Veal Oscar:

Season veal cutlets with salt and pepper, dredge in flour and shake excess flour, in a large skillet add 1 TBS each butter and oil; heat over medium heat until butter melts. Add veal pieces; cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes per side. Remove the meat from the pan and set aside. Cook asparagus spears in salted boiling water until tender, about 5 minutes.

Melt the remaining butter in the same pan over medium heat, add crab to warm up.

To serve:

Arrange veal, crab and asparagus on warm serving plates; top with béarnaise sauce.

Yield: 4 Servings

Sizzle, Summer 2015

This is a professional recipe. Nothing in it is particularly difficult but it is somewhat time consuming. In a restaurant the tasks would  be divided between 3 or 4 line cooks and a chef or sous chef to do final assembly on the plate.

Rösti:

• 8oz all-purpose potatoes
• 4oz onion
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Clarified butter or lard

Asparagus:

• 20medium-size asparagus (approximately 2 bunches)
• 1oz clarified butter
• Kosher salt and white pepper, to taste

Crab meat:

• 1oz unsalted butter, split
• 1TBS shallot, fine diced
• 8oz lump crab
• Salt and white pepper, to taste
• 2oz white wine
• 2tsp tarragon, minced
• 2tsp parsley, minced
• 2tsp chervil, minced
• 2tsp chives, minced

Seared veal cutlets:

• 8(2.5 oz) veal cutlets
• 2oz flour, seasoned with kosher salt and pepper
• 3oz clarified butter, divided

Tarragon reduction:

• 2oz tarragon vinegar
• 4oz white wine
• 4TBS shallot, fine diced
• 2TBS dried tarragon leaves
• 1tsp white pepper, fresh ground
• 4TBS fresh tarragon, chopped

Béarnaise sauce:

• ¼cup white wine vinegar
• 1bay leaf
• 2sprigs fresh thyme
• 1tsp whole white peppercorns
• 2egg yolks
• 8oz clarified butter
• 1TBS Tarragon reduction

For Röstis:

In stockpot, parboil potatoes in salted water. Drain; cool. With cheese grater, coarsely grate potatoes.

Peel onion; coarsely grate. Wrap grated onion in cheesecloth, squeezing out liquid. Mix onion and potato; season with salt and pepper.

In large skillet, heat butter or lard (if using saute pan, increase amount and lower heat). Place 4-inch metal round-form cutter in pan; fill with potato/onion mixture to desired thickness. Pack down. Slowly remove cutter, twisting gently. Repeat.

Cook röstis over medium-high heat until each side is brown and crusty, approximately 10 minutes each side. Smooth edges as needed with spatula.

For asparagus:

Trim asparagus to desired length. Prepare ice bath.

In salt water, blanch asparagus for 30 seconds or until slightly tender. Place asparagus in ice bath. Keep in ice bath until ready to saute.

In saute pan, lightly saute asparagus in butter over medium to high heat. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

For crabmeat:

Heat butter in saute pan, add shallot; sweat. Add crab; season with salt and white pepper.

Deglaze with white wine; adding remaining butter, emulsify. Remove pan from heat; add tarragon, parsley, chervil and chives. Set aside.

For seared veal cutlets:

Cut/trim veal cutlets. Pound veal cutlets to ½-inch thickness; dust with seasoned flour.

Preheat large saute pan over medium to high heat, adding 1.5 oz. clarified butter.

Place dusted veal cutlets in pan. Sear until golden-brown, about 2 minutes each side. Cook in batches, if necessary. Use remaining clarified butter as needed.

Tarragon reduction:

Simmer tarragon vinegar, white wine, shallot, tarragon leaves and white pepper to au sec.

Remove from heat. Cool slightly; add fresh tarragon.

For Béarnaise sauce:

In nonreactive saucepan over medium heat, combine white wine, vinegar, bay leaf, fresh thyme and white peppercorns; reduce by half.

Strain mixture. Place 2 TBS of mixture into stainless-steel bowl; whisk in egg yolks. Place bowl over double boiler; whisk until mixture reaches ribbon stage.

Remove from boiler; whisk 20 seconds. Slowly whisk in clarified butter, emulsify. When desired consistency is reached, mix in tarragon reduction to taste.

For plating:

Place potato/onion rösti on plate.

Place veal cutlet on top of rösti.

Layer asparagus.

Layer crab meat.

Top with béarnaise sauce.