While talking during the day on Wednesday, T mentioned the possibility of doing another restaurant weekend. So as the conversation turned to what dishes we would serve for another restaurant weekend, we had so many ideas that we decided to spend Friday cooking tasting portions of a number of dishes we wanted to consider for restaurant weekend. And then we also decided to try out another idea T's been wanting to play with: a reverse potluck. This would involve party guests bringing an ingredient and T and I being charged with preparing a dish with that ingredient. I was on board with both ideas so we decided that Thursday night we'd go shopping for the ingredients we'd need for the dishes we wanted to try and then Friday morning, around 11-ish, we'd start cooking. The only rule was: no recipes allowed. We could use recipes but only if we were modifying them enough to make them completely our own.
I'm going to avoid a long introduction about planning the dishes and shopping and just get right to the food since, between the dishes we planned and the ingredients people brought, we had 15 dishes between 11 a.m. and 11 p.m. So without further ado, I'll get straight to the recap. I've put down as much info about the preparation and ingredients in T's dishes as I can recall but with two of us working on multiple dishes at the same time I'm sure there's stuff I missed. However, I've tried to give detailed info about my dishes and hopefully T can go into more detail about his preparations over at his blog.
Course #1 Lemonfish and Halibut Sashimi (Tahir)
This dish involved T preparing 4 thin slices of halibut and lemonfish each with a different flavoring: olive oil, Hawaiian Alaea sea salt, truffle oil, alder wood smoked salt. The halibut made a rich and buttery sashimi while the lemonfish was a bit dense. But the simple preparation let the flavors of the fish shine through.
Course #2: Mussels (Tahir)
T prepared these mussels by steaming them in a divine sauce of white wine, sriracha sauce, pineapple, ginger, and garlic. The sauce gave the mussels a great flavor that was sweet, hot, savory, and addictive.
Course #3: Bacon-wrapped Scallops with Chile Garlic Sauce and Chilled Pea Soup (Alyse)
The scallops were marinated in garlic, serrano chiles, olive oil, and chili powder. Then I wrapped them with bacon and seared them in bacon fat on each side until they were browned, removed them from the pan and placed them in the oven to finish cooking. In the pan I added the olive oil, chiles, and garlic I had reserved from the marinade and a bottle of pomegranate wheat beer and let the mixture reduce until it had formed a glaze-like sauce. I spooned it over the finished scallops and sprinkled on some chopped cilantro.
For the pea soup, I modified a Daniel Boulud recipe for a chilled savory pea soup. His version called for bacon, garlic, leeks, celery, cream, rosemary and a mixture of green peas, pea shoots, sugar snap peas, and snow peas. I modified my version to use green peas and sugar snaps, leeks, fennel, a bit of white wine, cream, and fresh mint. The refreshing and cool soup had a vibrant green color and a smooth taste that balanced well against the spicy scallops.
Course #4: Fruit and Cheese Trio (Alyse)
For the pea soup, I modified a Daniel Boulud recipe for a chilled savory pea soup. His version called for bacon, garlic, leeks, celery, cream, rosemary and a mixture of green peas, pea shoots, sugar snap peas, and snow peas. I modified my version to use green peas and sugar snaps, leeks, fennel, a bit of white wine, cream, and fresh mint. The refreshing and cool soup had a vibrant green color and a smooth taste that balanced well against the spicy scallops.
Course #4: Fruit and Cheese Trio (Alyse)
This plate was about variations on a theme. I decided to pair three different sliced fruits each with a different cheese and sauce. At the top of the plate is a slice of goat brie topped with sliced nectarine and a champagne honey vinaigrette. The bottom right is a slice of Gorgonzola with pears that were poached in tawny port and star anise with a glaze made by reducing the port. The bottom left (and my personal favorite) is rounds of fresh chevre topped with sliced strawberries and a balsamic reduction. The tangy balsamic and sweet strawberries combined to make the fresh chevre taste like sweet whipped cream.
Course #5: Yellow Bell Pepper Soup with Poached Spicy Prawns (Tahir)
This dish was a sweet and savory soup made from roasted yellow bell pepper that was topped with prawns that had been spiced with mixture of Thai-influenced spices and garnished with cilantro. I wish I could remember the spices on the prawns but sadly I cannot. The combination of sweet and hot was delicious though.
Course #6: Red Wine Braised Beef Short Ribs (Alyse)
Course #5: Yellow Bell Pepper Soup with Poached Spicy Prawns (Tahir)
Course #6: Red Wine Braised Beef Short Ribs (Alyse)
For this dish I patted the short ribs with a spice mixture of salt, black pepper, ground red pepper, ground allspice, ground green peppercorns, and coriander. Then I dredged them in flour and seared them in hot oil on the stove until they were browned on all sides. Next, I removed the short ribs and in the same pan sautéed a mixture of carrots, onions, leeks, thyme, and bay until the vegetables were starting to soften. In went one can of beef stock, two cups of red wine, and then I let the ribs braise in a 300 degree oven for about 3 hours. After that I removed the ribs, strained the sauce (reserving the carrots from the vegetable mix) into a pan. I skimmed the fat and reduced the sauce by about half. To serve I placed the carrots and ribs in a bowl, spooned the sauce over, and garnished with chopped parsley. The ribs were super tender, if a little fatty, and the carrots were delicious. Next time I'll skim more fat from the sauce and add more red wine and let the sauce reduce more to develop a more glaze-like consistency. Still, this was a comforting dish that would be great for a cold winter day.
Course #7: Fried Lemonfish with Peach Aioli (Tahir)
Tahir breaded hunks of the lemonfish in panko and a mixture of spices then deep fried them golden brown. They were served with a peach aioli made from egg, peach, and oil. Deep frying the lemonfish made it lighter and it had a juicy and meaty taste. The sweet peach aioli and the crispy fish were a refreshing combination. I actually think I may prefer fried lemonfish over other more traditional options like cod.
Course #8: Baked Halibut with Sautéed Beet Greens and Salad of Watercress and Heirloom Tomato (Tahir)
For this dish, the fish was dusted with spices, and placed in a parchment pouch with olive oil and fresh tarragon and baked in the oven until done. It was placed atop beet greens (from the beets Jazmin brought) and that had been sautéed in some oil and soy sauce. They were served with a salad of diced heirloom tomato tossed with watercress, olive oil, salt, and pepper. The salty, umami taste of the greets went well with the meaty and spicy halibut. The tomato and watercress salad was a refreshing accompaniment.
Course #9: Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Salad (Alyse)
For this course, I took the beets Jazmin brought and roasted them with olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme. Once they were done, I let them cool and tossed with crumbled chevre, champagne honey vinaigrette, black pepper, and chopped tarragon. The result was taste that was a mixture of sweet, earthy, spicy, creamy, and tangy. A very simple salad with a really complex taste.
Course #10: Spicy Stuffed Eggplant with Gorgonzola and Spinach (Alyse)
Both Jazmin and Taylor brought eggplant so T and I decided we would each do one eggplant dish. For mine, I cut an eggplant in half and drizzled the top with olive oil and salt and roasted it in a 375 -degree oven until it started to collapse and the flesh was soft. Meanwhile, I sautéed diced tomatoes and lots of garlic in olive oil then added chopped spinach, salt, and pepper. Once the eggplant was done roasting, I scooped out the eggplant flesh and combined it in the skillet with the tomato and spinach mixture. I let it cook until the eggplant had softened a bit more and taken on a bit more color and then placed the mixture in a bowl. There I added crumbled Gorgonzola, grated parmigiano reggiano, and red pepper flakes. I stirred to combine and then scooped the mixture back into the eggplant halves and topped with panko breadcrumbs and baked until the breadcrumbs just started to turn golden brown. This dish came out creamy, spicy, and rich. It was great on it's own and I would definitely make it again using smaller Japanese eggplants to create individual sized portions.
Course #11: Sous-vide Duck Breast with Orange Jus (Tahir)
For this dish, T spiced the duck breast and placed them in a pot of water to cook. Meanwhile, he created an orange jus that was reduced and plated alongside the duck breasts. The duck was delicious when it first came out but he took the blowtorch to the second duck breast to crisp the fat a bit more. With the crisp fat, the savory meat, and the sweet orange jus, this dish was elegant and rich.
Course #12: Slow-cooked Whiskey Short Ribs with Pineapple, Tomatoes, and Jalapeno (Tahir)
So T and I had discussed doing short ribs, however, we apparently had some miscommunication in Whole Foods because both of us got short ribs at the meat counter and so we ended up deciding that we'd each do our own version of them. I did the oven-braised red wine version that we had for course #6 and T did this version in the crock pot. They cooked for over 4 hours in a mixture of whiskey, pineapple, jalapeno, tomato, kaffir lime leaves and spices. Once they came out they were incredibly tender with a taste that was sweet and hot and smooth. Definitely an interesting and flavorful take on classic slow-cooked short ribs.
Course #13: Fried Eggplant with Mozzarella and Heirloom Tomato (Tahir)
This was the second of the two eggplant dishes. I cut one of the eggplants into large slices and salted them to remove the bitter juices. Then T breaded them and deep fried them. He then topped them with mozzarella and baked them in the oven until the mozzarella melted and turned golden brown. The final garnish was a topping of chopped heirloom tomatoes. The fried eggplant was rich and buttery and with the creamy cheese and fruity tomatoes - this dish is one that I would love to order at any bar after a few drinks.
Course #14: Mango Gazpacho (Tahir)
So, into every life some rain must fall. And into every 15-course tasting meal some smoked paprika must fall. And by "some" smoked paprika I mean "A LOT" of smoked paprika. T started this mango gazpacho by blending mango, jalapeno, ice, cilantro and smoked paprika. Unfortunately, the smoked paprika was a bit heavy and ended up making the first batch a bit overwhelming. However, he added in some jicama and that mellowed things out a bit. This ended up being a fruity and very spicy soup that would be good in a small portion. Although the paprika was overwhelming, the mango and jicama play well together and could definitely work as the base for another cold soup attempt.
Course #15: Vanilla Ice Cream with Blueberry Compote and Strawberry Rhubarb Compote (Alyse)
Course #7: Fried Lemonfish with Peach Aioli (Tahir)
Tahir breaded hunks of the lemonfish in panko and a mixture of spices then deep fried them golden brown. They were served with a peach aioli made from egg, peach, and oil. Deep frying the lemonfish made it lighter and it had a juicy and meaty taste. The sweet peach aioli and the crispy fish were a refreshing combination. I actually think I may prefer fried lemonfish over other more traditional options like cod.
Course #8: Baked Halibut with Sautéed Beet Greens and Salad of Watercress and Heirloom Tomato (Tahir)
For this dish, the fish was dusted with spices, and placed in a parchment pouch with olive oil and fresh tarragon and baked in the oven until done. It was placed atop beet greens (from the beets Jazmin brought) and that had been sautéed in some oil and soy sauce. They were served with a salad of diced heirloom tomato tossed with watercress, olive oil, salt, and pepper. The salty, umami taste of the greets went well with the meaty and spicy halibut. The tomato and watercress salad was a refreshing accompaniment.
Course #9: Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Salad (Alyse)
For this course, I took the beets Jazmin brought and roasted them with olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme. Once they were done, I let them cool and tossed with crumbled chevre, champagne honey vinaigrette, black pepper, and chopped tarragon. The result was taste that was a mixture of sweet, earthy, spicy, creamy, and tangy. A very simple salad with a really complex taste.
Course #10: Spicy Stuffed Eggplant with Gorgonzola and Spinach (Alyse)
Both Jazmin and Taylor brought eggplant so T and I decided we would each do one eggplant dish. For mine, I cut an eggplant in half and drizzled the top with olive oil and salt and roasted it in a 375 -degree oven until it started to collapse and the flesh was soft. Meanwhile, I sautéed diced tomatoes and lots of garlic in olive oil then added chopped spinach, salt, and pepper. Once the eggplant was done roasting, I scooped out the eggplant flesh and combined it in the skillet with the tomato and spinach mixture. I let it cook until the eggplant had softened a bit more and taken on a bit more color and then placed the mixture in a bowl. There I added crumbled Gorgonzola, grated parmigiano reggiano, and red pepper flakes. I stirred to combine and then scooped the mixture back into the eggplant halves and topped with panko breadcrumbs and baked until the breadcrumbs just started to turn golden brown. This dish came out creamy, spicy, and rich. It was great on it's own and I would definitely make it again using smaller Japanese eggplants to create individual sized portions.
Course #11: Sous-vide Duck Breast with Orange Jus (Tahir)
For this dish, T spiced the duck breast and placed them in a pot of water to cook. Meanwhile, he created an orange jus that was reduced and plated alongside the duck breasts. The duck was delicious when it first came out but he took the blowtorch to the second duck breast to crisp the fat a bit more. With the crisp fat, the savory meat, and the sweet orange jus, this dish was elegant and rich.
Course #12: Slow-cooked Whiskey Short Ribs with Pineapple, Tomatoes, and Jalapeno (Tahir)
So T and I had discussed doing short ribs, however, we apparently had some miscommunication in Whole Foods because both of us got short ribs at the meat counter and so we ended up deciding that we'd each do our own version of them. I did the oven-braised red wine version that we had for course #6 and T did this version in the crock pot. They cooked for over 4 hours in a mixture of whiskey, pineapple, jalapeno, tomato, kaffir lime leaves and spices. Once they came out they were incredibly tender with a taste that was sweet and hot and smooth. Definitely an interesting and flavorful take on classic slow-cooked short ribs.
Course #13: Fried Eggplant with Mozzarella and Heirloom Tomato (Tahir)
This was the second of the two eggplant dishes. I cut one of the eggplants into large slices and salted them to remove the bitter juices. Then T breaded them and deep fried them. He then topped them with mozzarella and baked them in the oven until the mozzarella melted and turned golden brown. The final garnish was a topping of chopped heirloom tomatoes. The fried eggplant was rich and buttery and with the creamy cheese and fruity tomatoes - this dish is one that I would love to order at any bar after a few drinks.
Course #14: Mango Gazpacho (Tahir)
So, into every life some rain must fall. And into every 15-course tasting meal some smoked paprika must fall. And by "some" smoked paprika I mean "A LOT" of smoked paprika. T started this mango gazpacho by blending mango, jalapeno, ice, cilantro and smoked paprika. Unfortunately, the smoked paprika was a bit heavy and ended up making the first batch a bit overwhelming. However, he added in some jicama and that mellowed things out a bit. This ended up being a fruity and very spicy soup that would be good in a small portion. Although the paprika was overwhelming, the mango and jicama play well together and could definitely work as the base for another cold soup attempt.
Course #15: Vanilla Ice Cream with Blueberry Compote and Strawberry Rhubarb Compote (Alyse)
So Andrea's contribution to the reverse potluck idea was an amazing assortment of dessert friendly goodness: rhubarb, strawberries, and blueberries (and gelatin, which was a good thought). And even more weirdly, I was the one who made it. I rarely ever make desserts. Mostly because dessert usually equals baking and I hate baking. I don't own measuring spoons and I have one measuring cup. For that reason, I generally leave the dessert to T. However, the one kind of dessert I can do pretty well is fruit + ice cream. Usually this is something simple like my mom's trick of cutting up berries and sprinkling with Grand Marnier (or orange juice) and then putting them over ice cream. Or just eating them plain. Lately I've taken to a slightly more advance approach of cooking my fruit. I've had success with simmering peaches in bourbon so I decided to try my hand at this dessert. I love strawberry and rhubarb together and figured I'd try to make something semi-patriotic as well.
In one pot I sautéed the rhubarb with a little butter until it had softened, then I added the strawberries, some sugar, a splash of balsamic vinegar, star anise, allspice, and cinnamon. I let this cook until the fruit was soft and the compote was thick. For the blueberries, I cooked them in butter, sugar, vanilla extract, star anise, allspice, and cinnamon until they started to break down and release juice. Then I added the gelatin and let the mixture cool and thicken. To serve, I plated a scoop of vanilla ice cream, some of each compote, and garnished with mint. The blueberry compote was tart and smooth from the vanilla with the subtle hints of spice. The strawberry rhubarb was tangy, sweet, and really absorbed the combination of the star anise and the allspice and had a subtly spicy taste that balanced well against all the sweetness of the fruit. Both of those are definitely keepers.
So there you have it: twelve hours, fifteen courses, no recipes, a lot of wine, and a lot of fun too. It was exhausting, but challenging and rewarding as well. Many thanks to T for the experience and lending his kitchen and to everyone else who came, ate, and brought ingredients.
In one pot I sautéed the rhubarb with a little butter until it had softened, then I added the strawberries, some sugar, a splash of balsamic vinegar, star anise, allspice, and cinnamon. I let this cook until the fruit was soft and the compote was thick. For the blueberries, I cooked them in butter, sugar, vanilla extract, star anise, allspice, and cinnamon until they started to break down and release juice. Then I added the gelatin and let the mixture cool and thicken. To serve, I plated a scoop of vanilla ice cream, some of each compote, and garnished with mint. The blueberry compote was tart and smooth from the vanilla with the subtle hints of spice. The strawberry rhubarb was tangy, sweet, and really absorbed the combination of the star anise and the allspice and had a subtly spicy taste that balanced well against all the sweetness of the fruit. Both of those are definitely keepers.
So there you have it: twelve hours, fifteen courses, no recipes, a lot of wine, and a lot of fun too. It was exhausting, but challenging and rewarding as well. Many thanks to T for the experience and lending his kitchen and to everyone else who came, ate, and brought ingredients.
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