Ben's Portfolio

Lamb Rack

with risotto barley corn cake, okra, carrots, and reduction sauce

Wine: Ahh...for the love of Pinot.  French not sturdy enough for this one, choose and American from the cool coast - Sonoma coast preferable.

Yield: Varies

Ingredients:

For the lamb marinade-

Method:
Combine all ingredients to taste.  Add the lamb and marinate.

Next »

For the lamb-

Method:
Combine all the herbs and coat the lamb.  Sear to desired doneness.  Reserve.

For the vegetables-

Method:
Rewarm the vegetables in the butter, season and reserve.

« Previous     Next »

For the barley, corn and risotto cakes-

Method:
Standard risotto method.  When the risotto is done fold in the corn and barley.  Risotto should be very stiff.  Form into cakes.  Sear each cake on both sides.  Reserve.

For the reduction sauce-

Method:
Combine the pinot and beef stock and reduce to syrup.  Add in the Worchester.

« Previous     Next »

For plate up:
Spoon some of the sauce into the center of the plate.  Place a risotto cake in the center of the sauce.  Place the vegetables around the plate.  Slice the lamb rack in half and lean on the risotto cake.

« Previous

King Crab

stuffed baby bell peppers with roasted tomato, crayfish, watercress, quail egg, corn sauce and crayfish emulsion

Wine: Champagne is a revelation here but almost any other white will suit. Go ahead and Gucci a champagne though - you are truly worth it!

Yield: Varies

Ingredients:

For the baby bell peppers-

Method:
Sweat the shallots and garlic in the butter.  Add the king crab.  Add cream and reduce au sec.  Add the parsley, lemon juice and seasonings.  Fold mixture into baby bell peppers.  Reheat in over for pick up.

Next »

For the roasted tomato-

Method:
Roast the tomatoes with thyme, olive oil and salt and pepper.  Combine all the other ingredients and place inside tomatoes about half-way through roasted until heated through.

« Previous     Next »

For the corn sauce:

Method:
Combine the husks and the mirepoix and barley cover with water.  Simmer for 45 minutes.  Strain.  Add the corn to the stock and cook.  When corn is cooked add cream, butter and s&p.  Puree in a blender adding just enough water to make mixture turn.  Strain.

For the crayfish emulsion-

Basically the same as the lobster stock above, sans the bacon.  Add cream to get mixture to appropriate consistency.  Froth to order using a stick blender.

Sauté the crayfish and quail egg to order.  Stack all things up to finish dish.

« Previous

Scallops Stanley

with tasso and sautéed bananas

Wine: Crossing cultures a Barolo will work here.  If you don't think such "fusion" is PC then go to America for a hard and tannic Cabernet.

Yield: 1 plate

Ingredients:

Method:
Season the scallops and sauté with the clarified butter.  Remove from pan and keep warm.  Sauté the banana and tasso together, adding more butter if necessary.  Sauté the mushrooms and spinach together.  Combine the beef glace with the horseradish and whip in the butter until emulsified.  Season.

Red Pepper Flan

with red pepper cognac emulsion, blacked prawns and blackened butter sauce, baby carrots, garnished with red pepper brunoise, chives and bacon

Wine: Don't worry about the cognac!  It cooks off.  A burgundy or off the beaten path red good here.  Don't go for flavors that are too big - they will overwhelm the flan.

Yield: Varies

Ingredients:

For the red pepper flan-

Method:
Combine all and mix.  Bake in a water bath in a slow oven until set.

Next »

For the red pepper cognac emulsion-

Method:
Sauté the red peppers in half the butter.  Deglaze with the cognac and reduce au sec.  Add the mirepoix and sachet and enough water to just barley cover the vegetables.  Simmer for 30 minutes.  Strain.  Add the cream and butter.  Season.  Reduce to desire consistency.  Add a few drops more of cognac.  Froth to order.

For the blacked prawns-

Method:
Combine the butter and black pepper.  Place the prawns on the bottom of a pan and top with the black pepper butter.  Season.  Place in oven. Cook until shrimp are done.  Remove shrimp, reserve butter.

« Previous     Next »

For the baby carrots and garnish-

Method:
Reheat the carrots in the butter and season.  Combine all the other parts.

For plate up:  place the flan in the middle of the plate.  Spoon some of the black pepper sauce around and place both shrimp on either side of the plate.  Place the carrots on the plate next to the shrimp.  Top flan with a quenelle of red pepper garnish.  Froth the cognac sauce and spoon around shrimp.

« Previous

Warm Fruit Salad

with hearts of palm, telicherry pepper and rutabaga puree

Wine: A Zin is just divine. A Malbec works and a Merlot would satisfy.

Yield: one order

Ingredients:

Method:
Pass the rutabaga through a food mill along with the cream and butter.  Season. Make one quenelle of the resulting puree.

Heat the butter in a pan.  Sauté the fruit until desired doneness is reached. Season.

Place the puree in the middle of the plate and spoon the fruit salad around.