It’s time for a little holiday swagger, so get your recipe game on!
Who doesn’t like a new holiday recipe, or six, from some of our local chefs’ favorite holiday recipes (and one extra from yours truly.)
Read on to learn what chefs Robby Beaver, Terry Harwood and Gerry Hayden are cooking this season.
You’re welcome!
Recipe courtesy of Robby Beaver
Chef-Owner, The Frisky Oyster, Greenport NY
Roasted Baby Beet Salad with Humboldt Fog Goat Cheese (I order this every time!) and Grilled Montauk Tuna with Cilantro Walnut Pesto, Long Island Mushrooms, Hearts of Palm, and Halpin Farms’ Bok Choy
Salad:
Makes 4 salads
For the beets
10 baby red beets
10 baby golden beets
10 baby candy stripe beets
1 bunch fresh thyme
2 cups balsamic vinegar
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
For the plating…
Roasted baby beets
1 lb. baby arugula, best fresh from a local organic farm
½ cup sherry vinaigrette
4 slices of Humboldt Fog goat’s milk cheese or your favorite goat’s milk cheese
1 cup salted pistachios
To cook:
Place the beets, thyme, oil and vinegar in a baking dish and cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 375 until a toothpick or knife slides into and out of the beets with little resistance.
Uncover and allow to cool in the cooking liquid, then refrigerate for several hours or until cold. Remove the beets from the liquid and peel each one, removing any peel around the stem end.
Cut them in half and set them aside.
For the pistachios:
1 cup pistachios, raw
1 Tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
Place the pistachios on a baking sheet and put in the 375 oven to toast for 8-10 minutes.
While they are cooking, place a small sauté pan on a high flame to allow to get hot. Add the tbsp of butter and swirl, remove from the heat and reserve for the nuts.
When the pistachios are done, place them in a mixing bowl, add the brown butter, salt and sugar and toss to evenly coat.
Set the nuts aside and allow to cool to room temperature.
For the sherry vinaigrette:
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 shallot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 fl oz dry sherry
5 fl oz sherry vinegar
1 cup canola or neutral salad oil
½ cup pure olive oil
3 Tbsp walnut oil
Salt and fresh black pepper to taste
Place all ingredients except the oils in a blender and process on high. Slowly stream in the oils, one at a time until the vinaigrette is smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper to your liking.
To compose:
Arrange the beets on each plate and drizzle with sherry vinaigrette
Toss the baby arugula in a bowl with the vinaigrette and place a handful on each plate
Garnish with a slice of Humboldt Fog goat’s milk cheese and pistachios
Main Course:
Yield: 6 portions
For the fish:
3 lbs Montauk (or fresh) sashimi grade tuna fillet
Sea salt and fresh black pepper to taste
For the pesto:
2 bunches cilantro
½ cup toasted walnuts
1 Tbsp chipotle peppers
4-5 cloves fresh garlic
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Sautéed mushrooms
Poached heart of palm
Fresh baby bok choy
Vegetable stock
To assemble:
Season fish and grill to preferred doneness
Place all pesto ingredients in a food processor and run until smooth, adjust seasoning as needed
Place the remaining items in a sauté pan and heat over a high flame adding stock to keep moist
Plating:
Place a large spoonful of pesto on each plate
Top with the vegetables
Slice the tuna and place on top of the vegetables
Click here for Terry Harwood’s lobster bruschetta
Click here for recipes from Gerry Hayden of North Fork Table & Inn
Click here for my friend’s steak Madgascar recipe
Click here for my very own standing rib roast
Terry Harwood
Chef/Owner, Vine Street Café, Shelter Island and Blue Canoe Oyster Bar and Grill, Greenport
This can be a light hors d’oeuvre or appetizer served with a green salad. Terry lightened up the recipe by using yogurt and lemon juice instead of using all mayonnaise or cream cheese, which is more common. You can substitute shrimp or scallops or combine all three. Lump crab would also work well.
LOBSTER BRUSCHETTA
1 pound lobster meat
1 cup plain thick Greek yogurt
1 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp. chopped chives, fine
1 splash hot sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
1 large soft baguette
1 whole peeled garlic clove
Extra virgin olive oil
Take the lobster meat and pat it dry then chop it into 1/2 inch pieces — no smaller — and set aside in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl whisk yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, chives, hot sauce and add salt and pepper. It can be made a day ahead of time, but add the chives at the last minute. Pour about half the yogurt mixture over the lobster meat and mix with a wooden spoon. Add more if desired or save and use the remainder as a creamy salad dressing.
For the Bruschetta
Slice a soft baguette into 3/4 inch slices. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper (for hors d’oeuvres, cut the bread slices into smaller pieces). Grill (or broil) over high heat until charred on both sides. Hold the garlic clove between your fingers and scrape it against each piece of bread to impart some fresh, raw garlic flavor.
Carefully spoon the lobster meat over each slice of bread. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with fresh cut chives.
The decadence of the lobster combined with the red and green colors make it the perfect Christmas party starter (with champagne or course!)
Merry Christmas from chef Terry!
Gerard Hayden
Chef/Co-Owner, North Fork Table & Inn, Southold
For the side dishes:
Chestnut and Porcini Mushroom Stuffing
4 Tbsp. Butter
3 Tbsp. Shallots, minced
4 Tbsp celery, minced
2 c. porcinis, chopped
2 c. chestnuts, roasted
2 Tbsp. parsley, minced
2 tsp. thyme, minced
4 c. bread, stale, cut into 1/2 inch cubes with crust removed
2 large eggs
1 c. rich chicken stock, preferably homemade
Salt and Pepper to taste
METHOD:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Heat the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and celery and sauté for 3 minutes without gaining color. Add the mushrooms and continue cooking for another 4 minutes or until the mushrooms have exuded most of their liquid. Add the chestnuts, parsley and thyme and cook for an additional minute. Remove from heat and stir in the diced bread, stock and eggs. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Transfer to a buttered casserole dish, cover, and bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove the cover and bake until golden brown on the top, about 5 more minutes.
Caramelized Autumn Squash in Maple, Vanilla, and Pomegranate Molasses
5-6 each acorn or sweet dumpling squash
2 Tbsp. blended oil
8 Tbsp. butter
1 c. maple syrup
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
¼ c. pomegranate molasses
¼ tsp. coriander, toasted and ground
1 pomegranate, seeds removed
Salt and pepper to taste
To cook:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Wash the squash and cut into 12 one inch rings, leaving the skin intact. Scoop out the seeds from each ring, rinse the seeds and pat dry with paper towel. Toss the seeds in 1 T. of oil and the coriander and season with salt and pepper. On a non-stick baking pan, lay out the seeds evenly and toast until they are golden brown, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from the oven and reserve.
Heat 1 Tbsp. of oil in a large, heavy bottomed sauté pan over medium high heat. Sauté squash rings to a deep golden brown color. Place sautéed rings in a large baking dish. Add maple syrup and molasses to the sauté pan and bring to a boil. Whisk in the butter and season with salt and pepper. Spoon mixture over each squash ring, making sure each piece is evenly coated. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake until the flesh is tender when pierced with a knife, about 30 minutes.
Remove squash and reserve. Pour the excess liquid into a small pan, bring to a boil and whisk in the pomegranate seeds. Spoon this sauce over the finished rings and garnish with the toasted squash seeds.
Now this is from my favorite fellow foodie and dinner companion who is quite a chef, but prefers to remain humble and anonymous.
Steak Madagascar
Strip steaks
Salt
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 finely chopped shallots
1-1/2 cups ruby port
2 cups beef stock
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup rinsed and roughly chopped brine-cured green peppercorns
2 tsp white wine vinegar
Heat oil in skillet over medium high heat. Pat steaks dry.
Cook steaks in skillet flipping once until well browned, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer steaks to warmed plate and tent with foil Set aside in warmed oven. Add shallots to skillet and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add 1 1/2 cups port and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Cook until reduced to about 1/4 cup, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add two cups beef stock and boil until syrupy, about 10-12 minutes. Remove from skillet; whisk in 1 cup heavy cream. Return skillet to medium-high heat; boil gently until thickened, 6-8 minutes
Stir in green peppercorns. Add white wine vinegar and salt to taste
And last but not least, my favorite holiday recipe.
SWC’s Standing Rib Roast:*
Standing rob roast, cut and tied back on
1 hand full or so all purpose baking flour
Paprika
Onion Powder
Garlic Powder
Salt
Pepper
*Disclaimer, I don’t use measurements!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
You basically want to coat the entire rib roast, so eyeball it and have fun with it. Do not, I repeat, do not let the rib roast intimidate you. You are the boss, remember that!
I like my meat still mooing, but I would say depending on the size of the roast you can assume anywhere from 1.5-2 hours tops. Check in at the one hour 15 minutes mark.
Hope you enjoy these and see you in 2015!
