Chicago Restaurant Week

Aria's Chef Brad Parsons on Chicago Restaurant Week

 

Pan Roasted 28-Day Bone-In Beef Ribeye and Porcini Mac & Cheese Recipe

Recipe Courtesy of  David Burke's Primehouse

Ingredients

3 ea 20 oz Bone-in 28 day beef ribeye (we dry age our own steaks, use your favorite butcher)

¾ # Elbow Macaroni

1 cup Porcini mushroom pieces, fresh or frozen

3 cups Heavy cream

½ cup Mascarpone cheese

4 tbsp Parmesan cheese

¼ cup Panko or Japanese Bread Crumbs

3 tbsp Chives or parsley, chopped fine to taste

Kosher Salt and Black Pepper 

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 400ºF. On a high heat put a large sauté pan on and place a small amount of oil in pan. Season ribeye with salt and pepper and place in pan. Sear to achieve a good deep brown crust, flip over and do the same to the other side. Cook steak to your desired temperature if necessary place in oven to finish cooking.

Bring a large pot of salted water up to a boil, add elbow macaroni and cook until almost al dente. Drain pasta and reserve. In a large sauté pan over medium heat bring heavy cream up to a boil, add porcini mushrooms and reduce by half. Add mascarpone cheese, melt together. Add pasta to the pan and coat completely. Adjust seasoning.

Place pasta in a greased container and top with bread crumbs, parmesan cheese and herbs. Place in the oven approximately 7 minutes until browned on top. Remove and serve. 

Rigatoni with Lamb Ragu and Pecorino Recipe

Recipe Courtesy of  Trattoria No. 10

Ingredients

1 lb fresh ground lamb shoulder

4oz Good quality Pancetta or bacon, ground

1 medium size Spanish Onion, diced small

1 Tbs chopped fresh Rosemary

1 cup dry white wine

3 cans Italian diced tomatoes (24oz)

Crushed red chili flake, to taste

Fresh mint, chiffonade or thinly sliced

Kosher salt, to taste

Fresh ground black pepper, to taste 

 

Directions

Preheat a 5 qt sauce pan over low heat. Start by adding the pancetta, rosemary and onions. Raise the heat to medium and sauté until the fat is rendered from the pancetta and the onions are softened, do not brown.

Raise the heat to medium high and add the lamb. Sauté the meat breaking it up so there are no lumps in the sauce. Sauté until the meat changes its color.  Add the wine and cook till the liquid is reduced by half. Add the tomatoes and mix well. Bring the sauce to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Stir consistently so the sauce does not burn. Cook for about 35-45 minutes or till the sauce is the right constancy. Season with the chili flake, salt and pepper. The sauce is best made a day or two in advance.

Ladle a spoonful (8 – 10 ounces) of the ragu over al dente cooked rigatoni. Sprinkle the dish with some of the grated Pecorino Romano and mint to garnish. Serve immediately with extra Pecorino Romano on the side. 

Spiced Marinated Duck Confit Frisee Recipe with Satsuma Orange and Honey Caramel

Recipe Courtesy of  Café des Architectes

Ingredients

(serves 8)

Duck confit

8 each Duck legs

2 Tbsp Kosher Salt

½ cup Fennel seed

½ cup Coriander seed

1 ea Star anise

¼ cup Juniper berries

¼ cup Dry coffee grounds

2 Tbsp Chopped sage

2 Tbsp Chopped thyme

2 qt Duck fat

 

Parsnip puree

16 oz Parsnips, peeled and sliced

2 cups Milk

1 ea Bouquet garni:

1 oz parsley stems,

1 ea star anise,

¼ tsp fennel,

1/8 tsp black peppercorns,

cheesecloth

 

Honey Caramel

2 cups Honey

1 ea Star anise

1 Tbsp Fennel seed

cheesecloth

1 cup Heavy cream

1 cup White wine vinegar

8 oz Clean Watercress for salad

8 ea Orange, sliced thinly across

40 ea tangerine segments

2 Tbsp chopped parsley 

 

Directions

Duck Confit

Have the butcher clean duck leg, taking off the extra fat and “French” the bone. Dry duck legs between 2 towels on large sheet pans. Puncture each duck leg with a knife. (3 days ahead)

For the marinade, toast the fennel, coriander, and star anise in a large sauté pan over medium heat for 3 minutes. When it has cooled, add the juniper berries & ground coffee. Mix together and add the chopped sage & thyme.

Sprinkle kosher salt lightly on both sides of the duck leg, don’t put a lot. Cover the duck leg with the marinade for 2 days. (1 day ahead)

After 2 days, brush the marinade from the leg. Arrange the duck legs in a deep pan and cover with melted duck fat. Cook for 2 ½ hours in the oven at 275º F. When finished, remove from oven and allow it to cool. When cool, place the entire pan in the refrigerator until service.

Parsnip Puree

Heat a heavy sauté pan over medium heat with a small amount of oil and add the sliced parsnips and bouquet garni. Season lightly with salt and white pepper. Cook the parsnips for five minutes until they begin to sweat. Do not allow them to color. Cover the parsnips with milk and continue cooking over medium low heat until they are soft. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Remove the bouquet garni and discard. Strain the parsnips, reserving the cooking liquid. Using a blender, puree the parsnips with some of the cooking liquid until it is smooth.

Honey Caramel

Tie up the fennel seed and star anise into a small cheesecloth sachet. Heat a heavy sauté pan over low heat. Add the honey and sachet. Very slowly, reduce the honey with star anise and fennel seed until it is a dark brown. Do not allow the honey to burn. Remove the sachet. Add heavy cream and stir. Add white wine vinegar and stir completely.

Candied Orange slices

(one day ahead)

Combine 1 cup sugar with one cup water in a large sauté pan. Heat the simple syrup mixture, then add the orange slices. Cook until the white pith is translucent. Dry the orange slices on parchment paper. Reserve the cooking liquid to drizzle over the final dish.

For service, remove the duck leg from the fat, and pat dry with paper towels. Warm the honey caramel to room temperature. Heat the oven to 375F. Heat a small amount of oil in a heavy bottomed sauté pan. Sear the duck leg, skin side down until it is crispy. Flip and sear the other side for 3-5 minutes. Transfer the entire pan to the oven and cook for 5 minutes more. Toss the tangerine segments with parsley and arrange in the plate center. When the duck is finished, set on top of the tangerine. Drizzle with the honey caramel. Place a small bunch of watercress on top of the duck, and garnish with a candied orange on top the watercress. Drizzle with the syrup from the candied orange. 

Lake Superior Whitefish with Corn Risotto Recipe

Recipe Courtesy of  676 Restaurant & Bar

Ingredients

3 Tbsp. Butter

¾ cup Arborio Rice

2 ½ cups Corn Stock

¾ cups Corn, cut from the cob

½ tsp. Thyme

¾ cups Chives

1 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated

 

Corn Risotto

3 Tbsp. Butter

¾ cup Arborio Rice

2 ½ cups Corn Stock

¾ cups Corn, cut from the cob

½ tsp. Thyme

¾ cups Chives

1 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated 

 

Directions

Warm the butter over medium heat. Add the rice and stir until all rice is coated with butter. Add the corn stock one ladle at a time and allow each to incorporate into the rice. Repeat until corn stock is gone. After all stock is used and rice is tender, add the corn. Add the herbs and finish with parmesan.

Berkshire Pork Chop Suey Recipe

Recipe Courtesy of  Park Grill

Ingredients

5 pound Berkshire pork butt diced into 2” cubes

1 oz ginger peeled and small diced

1 oz garlic sliced

1 white onion julienned

1tspn dried red chili flakes

3 oz soy sauce

3 oz rice wine vinegar

1 oz sugar

4 oz orange juice

64 oz chicken stock/pork stock

1 bunch scallions

2 oz cilantro

1 oz basil

2 Anaheim chilies sliced and seeded

2 red peppers cut into 1” diamonds

20 pcs baby corn blanched

1 cup carrots peeled and oblique cut 1”

8 oz of cornstarch

4 oz olive oil

Salt and pepper

1# pound fresh Shanghai noodles portioned into 4 oz bundles 

Directions

Sear seasoned pork in a large preheated sauce pot. When brown on all sides, add onions, ginger, garlic, chili flakes. Cook for 2 minutes stirring. Add stock, soy, orange juice, rice vinegar and simmer for 20 minutes.  Add the rest of the vegetables and make a slurry with the corn starch (add cold water and mix). Slowly pour half into stew and bring back to a boil (should be thick enough to cover the back of a spoon). Turn off but keep warm.

In a non stick pan add oil; heat on high for 3 minutes, add noodle bundles (you will do one at a time). Turn pan to medium; when golden brown flip over to the other side. Repeat until all are done.Serve the noodles in a bowl and pour stew over garnish with herbs and scallions. 

Bookbinder Red Snapper Soup Recipe

Recipe Courtesy of  Cape Cod Room at The Drake Hotel

Ingredients

Preparation Part 1

½ oz. Clarified Butter

½ oz. Carrots, chopped

½ oz. Celery, chopped

1 oz. Small Clove Fresh Garlic, crushed

½ Bay Leaf

8 Crushed White Peppercorns

1 pinch Thyme, Sage and Oregano

1-1/2 oz. Vegetable Stock

2 qts. Vegetable Stock

2 drops caramel coloring

Salt to taste

Preparation Part 2:

½ oz. Clarified Butter

6 oz. Onions, diced

1-1/2 oz. Celery, diced

10 oz. Red Snapper, diced

2 oz. California Sherry 

Directions

Part 1

Sauté Carrots, Celery and Onions in Butter.  Add seasoning and Tomato Paste-sauté. Add Vegetable Stock and simmer for 20 minutes. Put in the coloring carefully. Salt to taste. Strain.

Part 2

Sauteé diced Onions and Celery until tender in Butter. Add Red Snapper and Sherry. Add Vegetables to the soup. Serve Bookbinder Red Snapper Soup with a small flask of Sherry on the side. 

Champagne Swiss Cheese Recipe

Recipe Courtesy of  The Melting Pot Restaurant

Ingredients

Add 4 ounces of champagne (base cup) into Liner

Add 1 demi spoon of diced garlic

Add lemon juice from 1/2 of a lemon

Add Emmenthaler/Gruyere Cheese blend, until cheese is to consistency

Add 5 turns of pepper

Add 3 shakes of nutmeg 

Directions

Blend thoroughly. Remove mixing fork. Place across tongs.