Creme Brulee Three Ways. Classic, Chocolate & Lemon Curd Brulee....

Prep  Time : 15 Minutes

Cooking Time : Classic Brulee 45 Minutes

                      Chocolate & Lemon Curd 1hr 20 minutes 

Cooling Time : 2 hours 

         

Classic Creme Brulee  

Chocolate Creme Brulee 

Lemon Curd Creme Brulee

One of my favorite desserts to have when I go out to eat is Creme Brulee. In fact when it's done right I will go back to get the same thing over and over again, the problem is it's not always done right. I have had Brulee that has a scrambled egg consistency, which is a sign that you have added the eggs too quickly to the heated cream and have scrambled them as a result. When it's made to perfection Brulee is well worth the price, it's also a dessert that can be made with relative ease but it does require patience. When I make it at home I try to make it worth my while by making a few variations.

One The Menu Today: Creme Brulee Three Ways... Classic, Chocolate & Lemon Curd

Vanilla Sugar : Make by adding split & scraped
vanilla beans to sugar

Classic Dry Ingredients : 1 cup Vanilla Sugar & 1 Vanilla Bean.

Chocolate Dry: 1 cup Vanilla Sugar, 1 Vanilla Bean
& 1/2 cup Chocolate Powder

Lemon Curd Dry: 1 tsp Lemon Zest, 1 cup Sugar & 1 Vanilla Bean

Wet Ingredients Classic & Chocolate: 6 Egg Yolks,
1 Qt Heavy Cream & 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Wet Ingredients Lemon Curd:1 tsp Vanilla Extract, 6 Egg Yolks,
1 Qt Heavy Cream & 3 Tbs Lemon Curd

Tools : Mixing Bowl, Wire Whisk, Measuring Cup, Hand Held Torch
& 8 oz. Ramekins. 

Recipe : After Preheating oven to 350 Start off by cutting
the vanilla bean in half and scraping out the seeds.  

Scrape into Vanilla beans into 1 Qt of Heavy Cream, whisk
and place in sauce pot on medium heat.  

Bring Heavy Cream & Vanilla To a boil, remove from heat
& allow to steep for 15 minutes. 

Add 6 eggs yolks and 1/2 cup of sugar to a mixing bowl. 

Whip to combine. 

Continue until incorporated and a light yellow color and then
 slowly add the heated cream (this avoids scrambling
 the eggs) after removing the vanilla bean
and reserving to make more
vanilla sugar.

For the Chocolate simply add the 1/2 cup of chocolate
powder to the cream mixture as it is heating and
follow the recipe for the classic. 

For the lemon curd add the 3 Tbs of lemon curd to the heavy
cream as it is  heating and follow the recipe for the classic. 

Place mixture into 8 oz ramekins & into an oven preheated to 335.
 The Classic Brulee will take 45-50 minutes.
The Chocolate & Lemon Curd will
take 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Pictured Above Left To Right: Lemon Curd, Chocolate & Classic
Remove from the oven and place in refrigerator
for 2 hours to cool. 

Allow dessert  to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, add

enough vanilla sugar to cover. 

Use a propane torch to caramelize the sugar. 

Lemon Curd: Garnish with lemon & fresh mint. 

Classic: Garnish with berries and fresh mint. 

Chocolate: Add sugar, berries & fresh mint. 

Quick Tip - I like chilled Brulee so I place it back in the refrigerator for 30 minutes once caramelized and before serving. 

Not Your Grandma's Grits... Saffron-Cheese Grits, Scallops, Rapini & Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes

No disrespect to your Granny and her grits but this is not that type of party. Honestly speaking, we all have a GrandMa that can throw down in the kitchen so I say that opening statement "tongue in cheek" only. In fact my GrandMa would have probably told me to kick rocks in updating a classic but eventually she would have tried them and loved them. Not saying she'd make them, but she'd certainly have me do them for her from time to time. In this application I wanted to pull them away from breakfast, add a bit of sultriness and see what came of it all. What I found was a treasure in deed. 

On The Menu

On The Menu Today: Saffron-Cheese Grits, Rapini, Heirloom Tomatoes & Seared Scallops.. 

Chicken Demi 

Prep Time: N/A

Cooking Time: 20 Minutes

Stove Temp: High then Simmer.  

Ingredients: 1 tsp Rice Vinegar, 2 Tbs Rice Wine, 16 oz Chicken Stock
1 Bay Leaf 

Process : Add bay leaf to the chicken stock and bring to a rolling boil.
Once reduced by 3/4 remove the bay leaf and add the wine & vinegar.
Reduce by half once again to make a thick Demi Glaze. 

Chicken Demi Glaze 

Saffron Cheese Grits  

Prep Time: N/A 

Cooking Time: 9-12 Minutes

Stove Temp: High then Simmer covered. 

Ingredients: 1/2 Cup Grits, 1 Pinch Saffron & 2 & 1/4 Cup Chicken Stock
& 4 0z Mascarpone Cheese. 

Process: Place the stock and saffron in a soup pot and bring to a boil.
Add the grits, reduce heat, cover, stir occasionally and cook for 9
to 12 minutes. Fold the Mascarpone cheese into the grits and add
salt and pepper to taste.   

Veggies  

Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Cooking Time: 7 Minutes

Stove Temp: High then Simmer 

Ingredients: Broccoli Rapini 1 Bunch, 10 Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes,
2 Cobs of Corn, 4 Cups of Water, 4 Tbs Salt, 2 Tbs Sugar, 1 Clove
of Garlic & 2 Tbs Olive Oil. 

Process: Start of by bring the water, sugar and salt to a boil. Next add the Rapini
and Corn (off the cob) for 2 minutes. Remove and place directly in ice water,
allowing to cool down for 5 minutes. Mince the garlic and add the oil to a
saute pan set on high. Lightly saute the vegetables including
the tomatoes, season and set aside for plating. 

Scallops

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cooking Time: 3-6 Minutes

Stove Temp: High

Ingredients : 2-3 Scallops PP, 1 Lime, 1 Tbs Olive Oil, 1 Tbs Butter,
Salt & Pepper to taste

Process: Add the Lime juice to the olive oil and marinate for 5-15
minutes. Pat dry with a paper towel, liberally season with salt &
pepper. Add the butter to a hot saute pan and  gently place the
scallops down in the pan. Allow the scallop to sear on one side for 3
minutes and then place scallops on the other side to cook for
an additional 2-3 minutes. 

Seared Scallop 

Plating : Add 3 dollops of Grits down on a plate and then add the
scallops on top of them. arrange the rapini around the scallops &
sprinkle the corn around the plate, adding the cherry tomatoes
and finally the heated demi glaze on top of the scallops.
Garnish with micro greens. 

Scallops On Saffron-Cheese Grits with Rapini & Heirloom Tomatoes

An Homage To Open-Mindedness Sesame Beef With Glass Noodles In Spicy Beef Broth...

Sesame Beef With Glass Noodles In Spicy Beef Broth

In my travels I have learned the importance of open-mindedness and as a result have developed an affinity with trying new things; new, meaning new to me. It's always funny to me when I am in Bangkok and I see the locals ordering hamburgers and "western" foods when I am all in for the local fare. What I am forced to remember and respect is that while "western food" is the same old same old to me; it is exotic to someone that's just not used to eating hamburgers every day. The recipe I bring to you today was prepared with two things in mind. A hope that you will keep and open mind and a prayer that you will try to make something different for you and your friends the next time you cook.

On the menu today: Sesame Beef With Glass Noodles In Spicy Beef Broth

Sesame Beef & Noodles
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cooking Time: 20 Minutes
Stove Temp: High 

Main Ingredients:  10 oz. Ribeye, 8 oz. Collard Green Medley,
1/2 Red Onion, 2 oz. Dried Shitake Mushrooms
& 3-4 Oz Cellophane Noodles & 2 Tbs Garlic

Steak Marinade: 1 Tbs Sesame Oil, 1 Tbs Mirin,
3 Tbs Soy Sauce & 1 Tbs Fish Sauce

Soup Base: 20 oz Beef Stock, 1 Tbs Corn Starch, 1 Tbs Siracha
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar, 1 Tbs Black & White Sesame Seeds
1 tsp Chili Flakes 

Noodles and Dried Mushroom Process: Start by adding both to a
 large mixing bowl and covering with boiled water. 

Cover with plastic wrap and allow to steep for at least 20 minutes. 

Start off by adding a dash of olive oil and 1 Tbs of garlic
to a heated wok and then adding the greens to cook
until wilted. 

Once wilted set aside for later use. 

Ribeye 

Process: Cut the steak into strips and marinade (above)
for 20 minutes. 

Sautee in heated wok by adding 1 Tbs Olive Oil and a dash of salt.
Cook until medium. 

Soup Base: Add all of the ingredients except for the cornstarch and
bring to a boil. 

Add 3 Tbs of soy sauce to the cornstarch to combine until silky 

Silky

Add to the soup base and cook to thicken. 

Soup/Plate Building: Start off by adding the noodles, mushrooms,
greens and the steak in the bowl. Finally, add the heated liquid
and garnish with sesame seeds, a touch of sesame oil, chili
flakes, sliced red onions & siracha. Stir and enjoy…

Garnishment