Gourmet Southern Surf & Turf: Blue Cornmeal Fried Oyster, White Truffle Aioli, Steak Tartare

Challenge #4: Picture Perfect

Challenge Prompt: Sure, you can take a pretty picture. But your task here is to go above and beyond and use photography to create a step-by-step, instructional photo tutorial. It could be anything from how to bone a chicken to how to make your favorite recipe, but your photos need to guide the reader through the steps.

If I was a betting man, I’d say that you’re more likely to find a pearl in an oyster than an oyster lover who shucks their own mollusks. These slurp-sized aphrodisiacs are enjoyed on the halfshell all over the globe but very rarely consumed in your own home. Whether it’s the intimidating, calcerious shell or the fear of losing a digit, oysters remain as the leading restaurant-only delicacy. For this photography challenge, I chose to exemplify how simple shucking an oyster can be. Purists believe that an oyster is best when eaten raw, and I wholeheartedly agree, but how creative is that? It was a cold and rainy day in Boston, so I put on my thinking cap and transported myself to the South. I envisioned a backwards Surf & Turf where the oyster is deep fried and the turf was served raw. Below is the step-by-step,  photo tutorial for how to pop those shells open.

Keep your oysters on a bed of ice at all times. Remember, they’re alive and they should be served that way. If a shell is cracked, opened, or will not open, that means that the oyster is dead and is not safe to eat.

You don’t know where your oysters have been! Scrub them with a wire brush or firm kitchen brush to remove dirt and scum that hides in the crevices.

Prepare your oyster to be shucked. Professionals only need 2.7 seconds on average but the rest of us need to take our time. Dry off the oyster and place it cup side down.

Have the right tools. An oyster knife and your favorite bottle of Champagne will do the trick.

Firmly grasp the oyster in your weak hand and hold on tight. I recommend holding it with a thick kitchen towel, glove, or anything else that will stop a blade from penetrating your palm.

Wedge the tip of your oyster knife into the natural hinge and apply force as needed.

Once you’ve broken the seal, turn the knife as though you were turning a key in a lock. This will prop open the shell and allow you to peel back the lid.

Using the knife, gently disconnect the abductor muscle on the top of the shell.

Slide the blade along the bottom of the shell and carefully free the oyster from the other side.

Without spilling the oyster “liquor”, clean out any chipped pieces of shell or dirt from the inside.

 A few drops of lemon and right down the hatch!

After sucking down about a dozen, I attempted to turn a traditional Po’ Boy ingredient wealthy in one succulent bite. I dried each oyster off with paper towels (because oil and water still aren’t friends) and dredged them in blue corn meal, egg wash, and another generous helping of blue cornmeal. 

The violet color of the flour was enhanced as the oysters got crispy. I served each fried oyster on top of a giant dollop of homemade white truffle aioli. My forearm was stiff from whisking but I still managed to pipe the creamy, aromatic sauce back into the natural shell. 

Since the surf was fried, I decided to serve the turf raw. I made a classic steak tartare with a beautiful piece of prime, top round.

This cut is flavorful, but not too lean or fatty, making it an ideal candidate for tartare. I diced it as small as I possibly could, quickly transferring the baby pieces to an iced down, metal bowl. To the bowl I added sliced chives, diced cornichons, Worchestire Sauce, Tabasco, Dijon mustard, and a squirt of the white truffle aioli.

This naked garnish adorned the crispy oyster and gave it an exciting contrast in texture.

It was a big mouthful but it was totally worth it. The nutty, blue cornmeal popped as the briny, oyster juice spread across your palate. The raw steak was delicate and rich, yet quite refreshing.

The culmination of the massive bite ended with a sensory orgasm per white truffle fumes jetting into your nostrils. The only proper beverage to cut through the creamy aioli and fried oysters was bubbles.

 I popped a bottle of NV Taittinger Champagne, which was lighter bodied yet complex. The nose was floral and had notes of buttered toast and white peach puree. Despite the deep, concentrated apple and orange blossom flavors, the finish was rather soft and delicate. Siobhan and I spent the night hunched over the kitchen counter, tossing back these amazing creations, and clinking our Champagne flutes together after each and every one. After a night of shucking, five fingers on each hand was definitely something to celebrate. Cheers!

Challenge #3: Luxury Dinner Party

Challenge Prompt: Celebrate! You’ve made it this far, and the next challenge is to hold a party for your friends and family (at least four guests, you can include yourself in the 4 person count). Whether you’re an experienced host or an entertaining newbie, get creative and host a luxurious dinner party where your guests will discover new tastes and exotic flavors. Share your hosting secrets with readers, like how to cook for a crowd, plan a menu, or involve guests in the prep. And don’t forget to document the party with pictures including one of your Project Food Blog Menu.

 The second that I entered this Foodbuzz competition I put a star next to this challenge. Entertaining is my forte and Challenge #3 was right in my wheelhouse, ready to get smashed out of the park. Hosting friends and family over exquisite food and wine is my idea of heaven (being first time home owners makes it that much more special). I informally invited two couples over for a luxurious feast, long before I actually planned the menu, or even had any clue as to what to serve. What do you feed a bunch of corporate, steakhouse junkies in order to introduce them to new tastes and exotic flavors?  Then it hit me. Whenever I cook dinner, the entire dish is always centered around a protein, with the vegetables playing the role of supporting actor. A perfect way for me to challenge myself would be to create a luxurious, strictly vegetarian menu for a bunch of hungry carnivores. All week, I spent planning the menu, coming up with crazy ideas in my head in the middle of the night. On numerous occasions I frantically ripped the comforter off the bed and ran to the kitchen to jot down some notes. My goal was to create a vegetarian journey, celebrating the arrival of Fall vegetables in a crescendo of richness, and paired with wine, of course. Three courses turned into five, and five quickly turned into seven before I had to shut myself off. The menu was finalized and I had three days to start prepping for my formal dinner party. I must say, that the best advice that I have ever received is from my future mother-in-law, clearly an entertaining professional. She told me that the most important thing to do when throwing a dinner party is to set the table two days ahead of time. The appearance of the dining room and the table is the first impression that the guests get, setting the tone for the entire night. As long as the presentation is festive and luxurious, the cooking will then follow suit. That being said, I tracked down some ivory colored pumpkins, an array cheerful marigolds, and some rustic twine that I used to tie up our Irish linens. Cooking with an immaculately set table in the background was like climbing into a made bed at night… something about it just feels perfect! With a grueling seven course degustation menu ahead of me, prepping certain dishes ahead of time was a necessity. I spent the past couple of nights in the kitchen, making soup, roasting vegetables, rolling puff pastry, and straining sauces to silky consistencies. By the time my guests arrived, my trashcan and dishwasher was empty, Sinatra softly defined audible luxury in the background, and I was ready to show off. My friends looked confused, yet excited, walking into the same condo they were in a week before, drinking cheap beer and screaming at the Patriot’s defense while spraying a mouthful of potato chips. Everything was different. It was luxurious. 

Luxurious Celebration of Autumn’s Harvest

 Amuse-Bouche

Gorgonzola Stuffed Figs with Three Hour Bosc Pear Sauce

 Fall Vegetable Soup

Crème Fraiche, Cumin, Cilantro Oil

 Nickel & Nickel Dolce Late Harvest

 Roasted Beet Salad

Goat Cheese, Raspberries, Thyme

2008 Merlin Cherrier Sancerre

 Broccoli Tempura

Homemade Black Bean & Garlic Sauce, Sesame, Carrot-Chipotle Syrup

2007 Trimbach Gewurztraminer

 Farro Salad

Roasted Brussel Sprouts, Caramelized Fennel, Fresh Herbs

2008   Antonio Caggiano Fiano de Avellino “Bechar”

 Roasted Wild Mushrooms

Poached Araucana Egg, Truffle Oil, Rosemary

2007 C.O.S Cerasuolo di Vittoria

 Moroccan Spiced Carrot Wellington

Cauliflower Puree, Wild Mushroom Broth, Orange Zest

2008 Tikal Patriota Malbec-Bonarda

 Pumpkin Ice Cream Sandwiches

Salted Caramel, Candy Corn

The starting lineup.

An amuse-bouche is something that a chef brings to his or her diners as soon as they sit down to excite their tastebuds. One flavorful bite is all it takes to say, ” I mean business”. I peeled and cored four Bosc pears and rendered them down in a Le Creuset for over three hours. The low heat, gently rendered the sweet juices and the natural sugars broke down, creating a unique sauce. A pinch of cinnamon gave this modern applesauce its final touch. I stuffed some fresh, Black Mission Figs with a dollop of creamy Gorgonzola and roasted them in the oven. As soon as the flesh softened and the cheese started to ooze, I plated each half in a spoonful of the Bosc pear sauce. The bite size combination of sweet, rich and pungent brought tears to my friends’ eyes like a beautiful rendition of the Star Spangled Banner.

The first course that I made was a creamy soup, full of fall vegetables, but inspired by Southwestern flavors. I started off by roasting three different types of squash, pumpkins, and turnips. The bundle of vegetables was then added to my sauteed onions and aromatic cumin before I covered it with vegetable stock and let it simmer away. After all the flavors came together, I took the boat motor to the pot and pureed everything together. Instead of finishing the soup with heavy cream, I used a can of coconut milk and the juice of three limes to really bring out all of the other flavors. I ladled the soup into individual bowls and plated them with a dollop of creme fraiche and homemade cilantro oil. Since I don’t play by the rules, I paired my first course with a dessert wine. The Nickel & Nickel Dolce is only produced when a natural mold called Botrytris Cinerea attacks the grapes on the vine. The noble rot is then harvested and fermented, creating a rich, syrupy dessert wine. The viscous honey and spice flavors paired perfectly with the smoky cumin and creamy soup.

My second course was intended to be refreshing, colorful, and satisfying. I roasted some big old, ugly ass beets the night before and cut them into wedges. I served them in a cold salad along with plump raspberries, some creamy goat cheese and fresh picked thyme. I had to wear rubber gloves while serving this dish because the beet juice was staining everything in sight. While beets weren’t everyones’ favorite vegetable, they did enjoy the combination of tart fruit and luscious goat cheese. I paired this dish with the princess of the Loire Valley, France. The 2008 Merlin Cherrier Sancerre is a crisp Sauvignon Blanc that offers striking acidity to cut through the creamy goat cheese and loads of grapefruit and grassy notes that worked nicely with the fresh thyme.

This third dish is where you can see straight  into my culinary mad scientist brain. I took a bunch of jumbled ideas and transformed them into a logical dish with flavor, texture, and pizzaz. I started off creating an authentic Chinese Black Bean & Garlic sauce by combining fermented soybeans, with whole garlic cloves, and a million other vinegars and seasonings. The umami-rich sauce is one of a kind. I then roasted tons of carrots and pureed them with a spoonful of the adobo sauce that smoked jalapenos bathe in. To add some crunchy texture, I dunked my favorite vegetable into a frothy tempura batter and fried them to a crisp. The crunchy, tempura fried broccoli laid across the duo of Autum-colored sauces. The spicy, Asian influenced dish required an off-dry Gewurztraminer from the Alsace. I poured the 2007 Trimbach that displayed a floral and herbacious nose, with lychee fruit, and nutmeg on the palate.

This fourth dish screams October just by the look of it! The hearty, dark Italian grains, intertwined with diced orange and yellow bell peppers. I even added whole cloves of roasted garlic and a chiffonade of fresh sage leaves. Farro is very similar to barley and is a chewy source of protein. I served it with some roasted brussel sprouts and fennel two ways. I sliced up the bulb and caramelized them, while I took the stalks and marinated them in lemon zest, lemon juice, and extra virgin olive oil. The fulfilling farro salad had the contrast of earthy, sweet caramelized fennel, and the crispy, citrusy stalks. I wanted to stay white with this dish but I needed a wine that could stand up to the farro without overpowering it with oak. I settled on a Tuscan classic, the 2008 Antonio Caggiano Fiano de Avellino “Bechar”. This wine is straw colored, with flavors of roasted apples, creme brulee’, and has a nutty, toasted hazlenut finish that married well with the woodsy farro grains.

Bring on the reds! This fifth course is earthy and lusty, totally compatible with an Italian red from Piedmont or in this case, Sicily’s only D.O.C.G wine. I roasted five different varieties of wild mushrooms and tossed them with butter and fresh rosemary. I plated the shrooms on top of a crispy crouton with a perfectly poached Araucana egg. Araucana eggs come from a special breed of chicken that lays light blue, Easter bunny-esque orbs that have a rich, golden yolk. When the yolk was broken, the creamy gold leaked into the roasted funghi and enhanced the erotic, white truffle oil aromas that filled the entire dining room. The 2007 C.O.S Cerasuolo di Vittoria is a blend of earthy Nero d’Avola and the fruity Frappatto grape. The combination creates controlled chaos on your palate and works wonderfully with this hearty dish.

The sixth course is my vegetarian brainchild. I used this final savory course as the culmination of a vast array of whatever is fresh and available this season, but stuck to the simpliest ingredient. I put the most work into this last hurrah and spent the entire night before rehydrating and reducing a rich wild mushroom broth, rolling out puff pastry, roasting Moroccan spiced carrots, and producing a silky, smooth cauliflower puree. I tossed the fat end of Bugs’ treats with a spice mixture of dried ginger, tumeric, cumin, corriander, salt, and black pepper. I roasted them only until they were halfway cooked, because the still needed to cool and get wrapped in buttery puff pastry. Beef Wellington was said to be created for Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington due to his love for beef and pastries. I substituted the cow for a hearty, Fall vegetable and the result was superb. The aroma of the mushroom broth smacked you in the face to start, followed by the sweet and spicy carrot, and finished with a crispy crust that was dunked in a buttery smooth puree. A light sprinkle of freshly grated orange zest gave the hearty plate some life and energy, allowing you to take another bite without falling into a food coma. I paired this dish with a fruit monster from Argentina. The 2008 Tikal Patriota is a blend of Malbec and Bonarda, an indigenous Italian grape that is now grown throughout South America. The massive, chewy red is like drinking a glass of blackberry jam with a peppery finish. It was quite bold and powerful on its own, but when enjoyed with the food it mellowed out.

 If I had my choice, I’d be indulging in a few different triple cremes’ and funky, gym sock smelling cheeses but I needed to give my guests something sweet for dessert. My lovely, sweet-toothed fiance’ helped me out by baking some pumpkin cookies and stuffing them with rum raisin ice cream. We froze a million of these babies the night before so that all we had to do was plate them after the vegetarian feast. We served the mini ice cream sandwiches family style on a huge platter that I drizzled with warm, salted caramel and a scattering of candy corn. I brought it to the table and it looked like someone sliced a hole in a trick-o-treater’s sack. The bright candies were actually a huge hit and miraculously, all of the ice cream sandwiches disappeared (even after 6 other courses). I was pleasantly surprised with how smooth the evening went and how luxurious it felt. I have never eaten so many vegetables in my life, and although I was satisfied, I promise you that tomorrow night I will be devouring a steak the size of a Buick!

 Below is a selection of images from the nights I spent prepping to the final hours of the vegetarian adventure.   

Check back soon for details on when Voting for this Contest #3 begins

Voting for the Second Challenge is now open! Please register for a free Foodbuzz account and vote for me here…

http://www.foodbuzz.com/project_food_blog/challenges/2/view/672

Voting ends Thursday, September 30th at 3:00pm.

It’s that time of year again…Siobhan’s birthday, and after all the ridiculous meals I make for her year long, the one thing she asks for like clockwork in September is breakfast. Not just any breakfast… the one type of breakfast that makes me cringe and my teeth hurt thinking about.

 If you don’t know me, the few things that I can’t stand are pancakes (mostly the syrup part), bananas, and chocolate. Let’s face it, I don’t have a sweet tooth in my mouth. I’d take a dozen eggs and endless strips of bacon over pancakes, waffles, or french toast. The banana thing, isn’t as much about flavor as it is texture. I have the same problem with overcooked eggplant. I feel like someone ate fifteen bananas, chewed them all up real good, and then piped the mush into the shape of a banana.

All that being said… it is her birthday, and she deserves whatever she wants, even if I have to pick up a breakfast sandwich for myself. She requested pancakes on Sunday morning after we had a little birthday party on our roofdeck.

I agreed but came up with a twist that would combine all three things that she loves and I fear in one dish (kill 3 birds with one stone). I have never made a pancake in my life so you would think that I would make something basic, but what fun is that?

I relied on my new friend Aunt Jemima and a familiar product from my favorite region of Italy. Nutella is the hazelnut based spread from the northern Piedmont region that is now widely popular in many different countries. In 1949, taxes on cocoa beans hindered the production of natural chocolate, so Pietro Ferrero invented this hazelnut spread that also contains cocoa solids and skim milk.

The amount of cocoa solids is so little that by Italian law, it cannot be labeled as a chocolate product. In 2007, I made my first visit to northern Italy, and spent some time in vineyards in the Langhe district of Piedmont.

I vividly remember sweating my ass off in the back of a cab, leaving a wine tasting, sporting a solid Barbaresco buzz, and listening to the cabbie as he pointed out hazelnut trees. I think we even drove by the Nutella factory, but that could have been the grappa talking. I simmered some milk in a sauce pot and spooned in a few massive dollops of Nutella, whisking away to incorporate everything smoothly.

After a few minutes, I was left with a warm Nutella milk, which I had to let cool because Jemima told me so. It was a good thing that I made extra because Siobhan had a tall glass poured over ice. As much as I despise chocolate… I can still appreciate it, and I did take a small taste.

I have to say, I think that Quiky, the Nesquick Bunny better start learning Italian because this was rich and delicious. After the Nutella milk cooled, I added it to Aunt Jemima’s mix along with some eggs, and vegetable oil. After some folding and stirring, the batter came together, thick and gooey.

While it rested, I started on the topping for my Nutella pancakes. Bananas Foster is a New Orleans legend. It was created in 1951 by Paul Blange’ at Brennan’s restaurant in the French Quarter, and has since then been adapted into tons of different desserts. Originally, it was sliced bananas, sauteed in brown sugar and butter, flambeed with dark rum, and spooned over vanilla ice cream. I peeled, and sliced my banana, and tossed it into the frying pan, filled with a cavity-inducing sauce.

After the bananas were heated through I poured in some dark rum off the heat, and then tilted the pan so that the alcohol was ignited by the flame. “POOF”!!!… the pan was immediately engulfed with tall blue flames, sending Siobhan into panic mode, and leaving me chuckling infront of the stove. The alcohol burned off, the flames died down eventually, and the mixture was left with a rich, dark rum flavor. The combination of butter, brown sugar, rum, and bananas is a classic treat.

I brought out my massive, non-stick skillet and got ready for the flapjack fiesta. One by one, I carefully ladeled globs of dark brown pancake batter into my pan and watched as the bubbles slowly peeked through the top. As the pancakes cooked, the intense Nutella aromas enhanced the kitchen, creating a chocolate, nutty smell. Flipping the pancakes into a giant stack was the fun part, and I topped each plate with an enormous spoonful of Bananas Foster and a cannelle of sweetened, whole milk Ricotta.

From what I hear, the Nutella flavor came through into the light, fluffy pancakes, and the “Foster” sauce acted as a rich, maple syrup substitute. After a giant stack, the birthday girl was asleep in a food coma on the couch, relaxing the day away. Hopefully, they weren’t too good and they can wait another year before I have to make them again.

Voting is now open for Contest #1 and will last for three days. Please click on the Foodbuzz ”Vote Now”  widget on the right hand column (it’s under my picture) and vote for Rooftop Gourmet!

(Then click on Contest #1 and then click the big red heart to vote)

The title of my first entry is “Practice Makes Perfect”