Sautéed Shrimp over Field Peas with Grilled Corn off the Cob, Warm Crispy Bacon, And Sweet Corn Sauce

Corn Sauce

Shuck Corn, Then cut the Cob into one inch pieces.  Take half of a yellow onion and cut into one inch pieces.  Put corn cob & onions in a medium pot with 4 cups of water and simmer over medium-low heat for 75-90 minutes in order to create a corn stock.  Strain corn stock and add ½ cup of heavy cream.  Reduce until it naturally thickens over medium-low heat and season to taste.

Grilled Corn off the Cob

Shuck 1 ear of corn and blanch in lightly salted water for 20 minutes over medium-low heat.  Then place on a grill to char each side.  Then shuck long strips off the cob.  Reheat in melted whole butter and season to taste.

Warm Crispy Bacon

Place 3 pieces of raw bacon in a 400 degree oven for 10-15 minutes until crispy.

Field Peas

Take one cup of fresh field peas and blanch in lightly salted water for 20-25 minutes until soft.  Strain, cool, and reheat in melted whole butter and season to taste

Shrimp

Take 9-10 pieces of peeled and deveined medium shrimp and sauté in 1 ounce of oil and 1 ounce of whole butter over medium-high heat with 1 TBSP minced shallot or onion, and 1 TSP minced garlic.  Season to taste and cook for 3-4 minutes

Plating

Place warmed field peas on the plate first.  Then garnish with grilled corn and crispy bacon.  How shingle the shrimp on top of peas, corn and bacon.  Now lace the completed dish with corn sauce.

Pan Seared Snapper

Ingredients

• 3 Tablespoons clarified butter
• 2 (5 to 6 ounce ) pieces fresh, boneless skinless snapper

Procedure:

Season both sides of the fish with salt and pepper. Sear bone side of the snapper first, over medium heat, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Turn fish over, complete the searing process. Finish in oven at 400 degrees until fish is flaky and cooked thru, 4-6 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish.

Hummingbird Cake

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 1 (8-oz.) can crushed pineapple in juice, undrained (such as Crushed Pineapple in Pineapple Juice)
• 2 cups chopped ripe bananas (about 3 bananas)
• 1 cup chopped pecans, toasted • Vegetable shortening

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 2(8-0z.) pkg.s cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup salted butter or margarine, softened
• 2(16-0z.) pkg.s powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• Additional Ingredient:
  • 3/4 cup pecan halves, toasted

Procedure:

Prepare the Cake Layers: Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon in a large bowl; add eggs and oil, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in vanilla, pineapple, bananas, and toasted pecans. Divide batter evenly among 3 well-greased(with shortening) and floured 9-inch round cake pans.

Bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely, about 1 hour.

Prepare the Cream Cheese Frosting: Beat cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer on medium low speed until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Increase speed to medium high, and beat until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.

Assemble Cake: Place 1 Cake Layer on a serving platter; spread top with 1 cup of the frosting. Top with second layer, and spread with 1 cup frosting. Top with third layer, and spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Arrange pecan halves on top of cake.

Seared Duck Breast over Yukon Gold Puree with Red Wine Sauce & Roasted Vegetables – 2 Portions

2-(6-7 oz) Duck Breasts)

Season both sides of duck breasts lightly with Salt & Pepper.  Now place the skin side down in a pre-heated Sautee pan over medium-high heat.  The natural fat will render off the Duck into the pan, so you may not need additional oil.  Sear until the duck skin is very crispy, about 3-4 minutes, then turn to sear the opposite side of the duck breast until Golden brown for about 2 minutes.  Place duck on a wire rack on a sheet pan and bake in the oven at 400 degrees until the Duck is cooked medium inside about 10-13 minutes.  Let the duck rest for 5 minutes, then slice 5 medallions per breast when it is time to plate.

Red Wine Sauce:

Reduce ¼-1/2 Cup of Red wine with 1 TSP of minced shallots over medium heat until halfway reduced.  Now add 4-5 ozs of your favorite brown sauce to the red wine.  I prefer Demi-Glace for my brown Sauce.  Simmer and season to taste

Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes

Peel and cut 8-12 oz of potatoes and simmer in lightly salted water for about 20 minutes until extra soft.  Strain and add about 2-3 ozs of heavy cream with 2-3 ozs of whole butter whisked together.  Add to potatoes and mash.  Season to taste with salt.  Place in a disposable pastry bag for plating.

Roasted Vegetables

Toss oil and seasonings lightly in cauliflower, yellow squash, carrots and asparagus.  Place the vegetables separately on a pan sprayed sheet pan and roast at 425 degrees for 10-20 minutes.  Depending on the vegetable.  Now toss the cooked vegetables in a little melted butter and season to taste.

Plating

Now pipe the heated mashed potatoes on the center of the plate.  Add the heated Duck Breast medallions next to the potatoes, half on and half off.

Now plate the cooked heated vegetables around the potatoes and the Duck.

Lastly, drizzle the red wine sauce over and around the Duck Breast.

Enjoy Your Meal! Quack, Quack

Sautéed Chicken Breast “Chardonnay”

Ingredients

• 4 Chicken supremes
• 1 ½ ounces Clarified butter
• As needed Flour
• Salt/Pepper to taste
• 2 ounces Shallot, minced
• 12 ounces Mushrooms; washed, sliced ¼ inch (.6 cm) thick
• ½ cup (4 ounces) White wine (Chardonnay)
• ¾ cup (6 ounces) Chicken stock
• ¾ cup (6 ounces) Heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon Parsley, chopped

Procedure:

Assemble all ingredients and equipment needed to prepare the recipe.
Preheat the sauté pan over medium heat. Add the clarified butter, and heat until it shimmers.
While the pan and butter are heating, dry the chicken with paper towels, season with salt and pepper, dredge them in flour, and shake off the excess.
Place the chicken breast in the pan presentation (skin) side down and cook until golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes; turn and evenly brown the other side, about 3 to 5 additional minutes.
Remove to a baking pan and finish cooking in the oven at 350°F(176°C) for about 5 to 7 minutes.

Remove excess fat from the sauté pan, and over medium heat add the shallots, and mushrooms, and sauté them for 3-5 minutes, until the mushrooms have released their liquid and they are tender. Do not brown the shallots.

Deglaze the pan with white wine and over medium heat, reduce the wine by half. Add the chicken stock and reduce by half.

Add heavy cream and reduce sauce until the sauce coats the back of a spoon (nappe); season with salt and pepper to taste.
When ready to serve, add the parsley to the sauce. If needed, heat the chicken breast through in the sauce over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes.

Shrimp and Avocado Toast with Roasted Corn and Tomato 

Ingredients

• 1 leaf Crusty Italian Bread (sliced)
• ½ lb. Carolina Shrimp (Peeled and deveined)
• 1 Large Hass Avocado
• ¼ cup Red Onion (fine diced)
• 1 ear Sweet Corn (shucked and boiled for 4 minutes)
• 1 pint Cherry Tomatoes
• 1 tbsp. Fresh Cilantro (chopped) *save a little for garnish
• 1 tbsp. good Olive Oil
• 1 Whole Lemon (juiced and divided in 2 equal parts)
• 2 tbsp. White Wine
• Salt and Pepper
• Paprika

Procedure:

Turn burner on to medium-high. While pan is heating, toss shrimp in a little olive oil, add salt and pepper and paprika.  Toss shrimp in the hot pan and arrange so not touching each other.  Cook 1-2 minutes or until they are nicely seared (do not stir until the first side has good color). 

Deglace pan with white wine, remove from heat once wine has reduced.

In a bowl, mash the avocado, ½ the lemon juice and a ¼ tsp of salt and pepper together. Set aside in refrigerator. 

Char the corn on gas burner or with a torch.  Allow to cool and remove kernels from cob into a bowl.  Quarter the cherry tomatoes and add to the corn. Add red onion, cilantro, the other half of the lemon juice, tsp. olive oil and salt and pepper (to taste).  Chop the cooked shrimp and add to the mix. 

Toast your bread slices. 

Spread the avocado mixture on your toasts and add the shrimp, tomato, and corn salad on top.

Garnish with cilantro. Enjoy!

Quail and foi gras

Serves 1

Ingredients

• 4 confit quail legs 
• 2 Oz foi gras 
• 2 oz bacon jam 
• 2oz potatoes diced
• 2 oz butternut squash diced
• 1 oz butternut puree 

Procedure:

In med high sauté pan add oil add foi gras and sear each side for 1 min then set aside. Add potatoes and squash stir and cook for 5 mins add bacon jam stir and cook for 1 min.  Put butternut purée on plate, then foi gras, place quail legs on top then squash and potatoes around. 

Mediterranean Shrimp aka Shrimp of the Gods

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1lb shrimp
• 1 Tomato diced
• 1 shallot diced
• 3 cloves garlic minced 
• 1 cup fresh spinach chopped
• 1/2 cup greek olives
• 1/2 cup feta cheese
• 1/2 lemon
• Olive oil
•  3 tbl Butter
• Fresh dill chopped
• 1/4 tsp chili flakes
• Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

Season shrimp with salt and pepper and set aside.  
Preheat a sauté pan on medium heat then add oil to cost pan.
Add shallots and garlic. Sauté for about 2 minutes.
Add tomatoes, olives and chili flakes. Stir and cook for 2 mins.
Add shrimp and squeeze lemon, cook until pink.
Add spinach and cheese. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
Transfer to plates and top with fresh dill. 

Serve with crusty bread

Peach Mixture

Ingredients

• 3 cup     Peeled and Sliced Peaches
• 1 Tbsp   Butter 
• 2 Tbsp   Brown Sugar
• 1 Tbsp   Vanilla Extract
• 1 tsp      Salt
• ¼ cup    Bourbon

Procedure:

Place Tbsp of butter and sliced peaches in a medium high heat pan. Gently move peaches around until butter is fully melted and peaches are coated. Add brown sugar, vanilla, and salt. Stir gently again until sugar begins to dissolve. About one minute. Carefully add bourbon. *This will cause a very small flame in the pan*. Shake pan gently to ease the flame and let bourbon incorporate. Reduce heat to low simmer and let liquid reduce by half. Remove from heat and let cool while you make the cobbler batter. 

Coble Batter

Ingredients

• 1 cup     All Purpose Flower
• 1 cup     Sugar
• 1 cup     Whole Milk
• ½ cup    Melted Butter (1 stick)
• 1 tsp      Baking Powder

Procedure:

Combine all ingredients and whisk together until smooth and free of lumps.

Pour peach mixture into a greased 8×8 baking pan. Smooth mixture evenly to all edges. Slowly pour batter over mixture. Be sure to cover evenly and to all the edges. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until center in stiff only slightly shakes. Serve warm or cold. Refrigerate leftover cobbler covered for 3-5 days.