Scallopops

Third course.I've been playing around with the thoughts in my head for the new concept place that I'm working on. "Bar Food" that's not "Bar Food'. One of the thoughts was trying to come up with a different version of corndogs. What came out of that for this dinner was scallops used like lollipops, but also like those Fun Dip Packets I used to get as a kid. You can dip your Scallopops into different flavors.

The flavors I thought of, when thinking of scallops, where: Pineapple, Bacon, Soy and Banana.

So, with these Scallopops in tempura, you can dip into soy pudding, pineapple pudding, whipped banana or bacon powder.

House Made Bacon

This might be one of the more rewarding things I've ever done. In a previous posting, I noted the three different cures we put on the fresh pork belly. A regular cure, and to that cure one part of the belly had many more spices added and the other had blue cheese added. The smell on the blue cheese one, when the food saver bag was opened, was so amazing. It's such a natural mixture in my mind, pork and blue cheese.After a rinse, a soak and thoroughly dried, the cured bellies where put into our smoker and slow smoked for several hours. It was a cold night. Bringing these steaming, smoking slabs of love into the kitchen was a pure moment of absolute pleasure. First by just the aroma filling the room, then admiring the color and the beauty of each piece. The fat cap was quivering and almost completely see-through. The flavors of each where extremely distinctive and special. Salty. But, each very special and hope for future pork belly adventures. The blue cheese cure worked so well, I can't wait to apply to other cuts.One lucky customer got a piece freshly cut from a slab, still hot from the smoker and added to their appetizer of Scallops and Bacon with Toasted Blue Cheese Polenta, Balsamic Braised Red Cabbage, Candied Pears and Poblano Honey.

Courses 4 and 5

Oyster Cog Au Vin
with Oyster Mushrooms, Scallop and Rhubarb Mignonette. Served with: Domaine Jean-Claude Belland Santenay 1er Cru "Comme" 2002 Cote De Beaune
Baer and Jamin' hard at work.


Pork Bourguignonne a la French Onion.
Red wine braised Pork ribs, shredded and mixed with truffle stewed Maitakes and carmelized onions over top french onion broth and a crouton loaded with Primma Donna cheese.
Anytime I think of French Onion soup, I think of two people: Wilson and Randy, Wilson freakin loves french onion soup and Randy makes awesome French Onion soup. All I can say, is that I truely believe they would both have loved this dish.
Served with: Domaine Tortochot Gevrey-Chambertin "Les Jeunes Rios" 2005 Cote De Nuits

Sake Dinner, third and forth course.

"Scallop Sashimi, Spicy Saffron Tomato Broth, Lemongrass Gelee, Hoisin mint and basil Gallette".

Ever since I first tasted a sous-vide scallop, I thought "how perfect for a safer version of sashimi", the texture is raw, but techniquely it's not. I slow poached these huge scallops in some saffron butter for about twenty minutes, chilled and sliced. The gallette is played off what you would usually see in a thai place, rice paper wrapped around noodles with mint, basil and hoisin minus the shrimp. The sauce is of roasted tomatoes, lemongrass, and some dried jalapenos, to work like the flavors
of a traditional civiche.

Served with: Hou Hou Shu Sparkling SakeTini

Forth Course: "Lobster, Foie and Bananas" I had one of those "best dishes I've ever eaten" moments about 7 years ago while out to eat with My Brother, Mr. Wilson and our current female companions...well, my current femal companion. It was at The Woodlands outside of Charleston. It was "Butter Poached Lobster, Egg Foo Yung" and I don't even really like Lobster,

there were just so many flavors happening in that dish that I've emulated it ever since. So, one of the many versions of that dish came forth tonight with Pancakes (more like a Panada) flavored with rendered and pureed Foie gras with bits of raw foie and diced banana and slice scallions. A sauce of Curried Banana soup touched with rum and finished with cilantro. A nice slab of seared Foie and tempura Lobster to top it off.

Served with: Rihaku “Dreamy Clouds” Nigori Sake

Scallops

Squared and tied with Honey Basil puree, Danish Blue, Radish Sprouts.

Zach's Dinner

Hot Dog Sushi with soy ketchup, wasabi mustard and soy drizzle.

Rice Crispy fried shimp salad with pop rocks to make it talk.
Third course (not pictured) was StarBurst Candy Cane dusted Scallops on Old Bay risotto with Creamy Cream soda foam.
Prime Rib Poached strip steak with Goat Cheese creamed cous cous.


Fried and BBQd Venison stuffed chicken (Sweet Baby Rays)
Blue Cheese brownie with Thyme Chocolate and Grenadine.

It's always fun to cook for your employees. When there's time to really have fun with what they're going to be eating that night. You get to insert some of their favorite
food items in some not so familiar ways.

Scallop Lasagna

Activa!
Wonderful thing.



Puree scallops, bind scallops, spread scallops, cut scallops


sear "scallops"

Stack scallops with crab, apple, truffle, sauerkraut syrup, and basil xanthan.

New Scallop App.

Curry Pears and Raisins with Cipollinis, Pine nut Relish, Spice Cake and Orange Julius Foam

Mr. Wilson / Levendi Wine Dinner

Jon Wilson.

In 2000, I believe, My brother was the Chef at The Bistro on Kiawah Island, The Bistro was to be closed and turned into offices. There was a brand new restaurant being built down the island a few miles. Turtle Point Grille. The staff from The Bistro would now be living here with my brother in command of the kitchen. With him was his Sous Chef Ed, newly hired Exec. Sous Chef (Me), a collection of familiar servers and a kitchen crew that would impact my life probably forever. Coco, whom you've read about in http://thechefsoffice.blogspot.com/2007_03_01_archive.html A Charleston Wedding , John W. Grube whom is a book waiting to happen and of course, Mr. Wilson.

After Randy left Turtle Point Grille, I took over for a time and made Wilson my Sous Chef. The year and a half that we cooked together was very easy. Kiawah was a hard company to work for but Wilson is one of those cooks that you just click with creatively and work ethic wise. And a lot of those people from that kitchen are still big parts of my life.

Wilson flew in from NY, where he lives with his wife Shelly (Turtle alumni) and their dog Stella, to pitch in on our Levendi Estates wine dinner.

After trying the wines and making notes and emailing back and forth. About and hour before the dinner started the menu was finished. I tend to hesitate. I like to get all kinks worked out before committing to anything.

The next postings will include doubles of the featured items do to my flash not working and Wilson emailing me his copies.

Here is Jon's: Seared Scallop, Banana-Apple Bread, Butternut-Maple Jus, Chestnut Foam

The Butternut-Maple jus was amazing.

Ever Changing

Even if just slightly.

Kinda depends on what's available.

Pork and Scallops

Flavors of Greensburg

More info here on the American Liver Foundation and thier on going efforts to raise money and awareness.

The idea was to recreate our restaurant for

ten costomers inside the Greensburg Country Club

along with six other restaurants.

Hors d'voeuvres

five courses

then party for the restaurants

Shrimp torchon with papaya-avacado salad, yellow tomato and basil yogurt.

Scallop Tagliatelle with Espresso essence

Arriving at the after party.

Adam, Hollywood and Ben

Scallop Tagliatelle

Scallops pureed with Basil, Parmesan and Activa.
Set with some heat on a silpat.
Cut.
Poached.
Served with Pesto, Balsamic reduction and parmesan.
Simple but not.

Best use of a "Post-it note" to date

Amuse with help from 3M

Scallops

Braised Fennel, Fennel Foam, Anise Basil

Scallops with Fennel and Root Beer

Wine Dinner 11-16-2006

Tongue in Cheek
Braised Red Onion, Veal Vinaigrette
Mache Salad

Scallops
Fennel Risotto, Carrot Broth

Truffle spiked Wings
Skate,Shitake Tapioca

Artic Char
Stuffed with Short Rib,
Peas and Carrots, Pecorino Broth

Cipollini
Stuffed with Duck Confit, Foie emulsion
Smoked Chocolate smear

Pork Tenderloin
Apple Brined, Cinnamon Parsnip Puree,
Vanilla Apple Crisp

Dessert
Liquid Center Goat Cheese Cake