Baked Stuffed Clams a la Beekman Arms

(Yields 6-8 Coquille or large clam shells)

This recipe is a scaled down recipe from a recipe I used while chef at the Beekman Arms Hotel in Rhinebeck NY.

4 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp bacon fat or margarine

1/3 cup chopped celery

1/3 cup chopped onion

1 tbsp chopped red pepper

2 oz white wine

12 oz chopped clams with juice

1 tbsp chopped parsley

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp marjoram

2 dashes of Tabasco

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning

2 tbsp grated cheese

5 cups bread cubes (or make your own with two day old French or Italian bread)

Sauté onions, celery and red peppers in oil and bacon fat.

After three minutes add white wine and chopped clams.

Sauté another 3-4 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl fold clam mixture and all remaining ingredients.

Mix well, then portion mixture into shells.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes. 

Serve with fresh lemon wedges.

How To Butterfly Shrimp & Prepare For Stuffing

Start with peeled and deveined shrimp, 16-20 count.

Following the vein, slightly slice each shrimp without cutting through to the other side. This is where the term “butterfly” comes in.

Roll chilled stuffing into a small ball and place on open shrimp with veined side flat on a lightly buttered or oiled casserole.

Curl tail of shrimp over stuffing and lightly press into stuffing.

Place your favorite sauce into casserole and bake in a 425 degree oven (preferably convection) for approximately seven minutes, then serve.

Gluten-Free Eggplant Parmigiana

(Serves Four)

2 medium eggplants

1 large ball of Mozzarella

2 cups tomato sauce or freshly diced tomato

Trim ends of eggplant and discard.

Cut length-wise in 1/2 inch wide slices.

Lightly brush each side with olive oil, season with ground pepper and place on a baking sheet.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, flipping slices over after 10 minutes.

Slice mozzarella and evenly distribute over baked eggplant.

Spoon sauce as desired over uncovered areas of eggplant and serve remaining sauce on the side.

Place under a broiler until mozzarella is lightly golden, 2-3 minutes.

Serve one slice as an appetizer or two as an entree portion.

Grilled Fork and Knife Caesar Salad

Wash and trim one head of romaine lettuce.

Cut lengthwise in half.

Lightly brush cut side with olive oil. 

Place on a hot BBQ grill for 4-6 minutes.

Remove from grill and plate.

Just before service, coat with caesar dressing and garnish with croutons.

“Onion Lovers” Grilled or Baked Pork Chops served on a bed of sliced Vidalia Onion

Serves Four

4 Center Cut Pork Chops (about one inch thick)

4 slices Vidalia Onion (about 1/2 inch thick)

1 oz Spanish Sherry

6 oz Chicken Stock

Marinade:

6 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp paprika, Hungarian or Spanish

2 tsp finely minced garlic

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp Marjoram 

Mix marinade and brush onto both sides of sliced onion and pork chops.

Place whole sliced onion on a grill pan or shallow baking pan.

Bake or grill for 5 minutes and remove pan from heat.

Place pork chops on top of sliced onion.

Place in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or grill for 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and deglaze pan with sherry and chicken stock. Simmer two minutes and serve sauce with chops.

How to Butcher Lobster Tails for Stuffing

Wash tails and slice through the soft belly side.

Spread tail open to form a slight “V” shape.

Fill with your favorite stuffing and place in a baking dish.

Add one ounce of white wine per tail to the dish.
Bake in a 425 degree oven for 5-7 minutes.

Soup Dumplings

1 1/2 cups flour (I used 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup semolina flour and 1/2 cup chestnut flour)

1 egg

1 tsp parsley, chopped

Pinch of pepper

Pinch of salt

3/4 cup water (approximately)

In a small bowl, mix flour, parsley, salt and pepper together. 

Form a small well in the center of the flour.

Break egg into the well and mix using a wooden spoon, adding a little water as you go until the dough forms. 

Depending on the type of flour you use, you may not have to add all the water.

Once the dough is completely mixed, place half the dough on a cutting board and flatten to about 1/2 of an inch thick.

Wet the knife by dipping it into the soup and cut 2 inch long by 1/2 inch thick slices into your soup.

Continue this process until all the dough is finished.

Let the last batch simmer 2-3 minutes.

Side note: Chestnut flour gives the noodles a nice color and firmness without giving a dominant flavor.

Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey Whiskey Ice Cream

Serves Four

16 oz whipping cream

8 oz milk

3/4 cup sugar

Pinch of salt

1 tsp vanilla

2 oz Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey Whiskey

Whisk cream, milk, sugar, salt and vanilla together until sugar is dissolved.

Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Pour refrigerated mixture into ice cream maker.

Run machine for ten minutes.

Add one ounce of Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey Whiskey.

Run machine for another five minutes.

Add second ounce of Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey Whiskey and run machine for an additional five minutes or until ice cream has reached the desired consistency.

Side note: I use a Cuisinart Ice-21 ice cream maker.

French Chicken Breast Forestier

Serves 4

4 French chicken breasts 

3 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp flour (chestnut, almond or whole wheat flour) 

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

12 pearl onions, peeled

12 medium sized mushrooms

4 strips lean bacon, excess fat trimmed off and remainder diced

Pinch of thyme

Ground black pepper

1/2 cup red wine

1 cup beef stock

1 bay leaf

Have your butcher prepare four French chicken breasts. French chicken breasts are whole boneless breasts with the first wing bone left on the breast. To reduce saturated fat, you can prepare this recipe with skinless breasts.

Lightly flour the breasts on both sides.

Heat oil in a large fry pan and sauté floured breasts on both sides until golden.

Remove breasts and hold on the side.

Add diced bacon to fry pan and sauté until the bacon starts to crisp.

Add onions, garlic and mushrooms. Sauté two minutes.

Deglaze with the red wine. Add the herbs and spices.

Add the beef stock and return the chicken breasts to the pan.

Place the pan in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes and serve.

Skinless breasts can also be finished on top of the stove. Just cover and simmer on medium heat for 20 minutes.

*French chicken breasts are an upscale method for serving chicken and can be used with many sauce preparations.

Bloody Mary with Spicy Pickle Juice

6 oz spicy tomato juice

1 oz spicy pickle juice or juice from good home-style pickles

1 oz vodka

1 tsp horseradish

1 wedge each of lemon and lime

1 stalk celery with leaves on if possible

Fill a tall highball glass with ice.

Add tomato juice, vodka, pickle juice and horseradish.

Lightly squeeze the lemon and lime and drop in glass.

Lightly stir with celery and place celery into glass.

Serve and enjoy.

Fantastic Gin and Tonic

1 - 6.8 oz bottle of Fever Tree Tonic Water
1 1/4 oz Citadelle Gin

1 slice lime

1 slice lemon

1 quarter slice grapefruit

Fill a tall glass with ice.

Add gin and citrus fruits and pour tonic over top.

Stir and serve.

Roasted Duck Bolognese Sauce

Serves Four

1 tbsp chopped onion

1 clove chopped garlic

2 tbsp chopped celery

3 tbsp chopped carrots

1 tsp chopped red or green bell pepper

1 large tomato, peeled and diced

2 oz dry white wine

1 pound cooked duck meat, pulled into small pieces

12 oz seasoned tomato sauce

2 tbsp olive oil

Black or red pepper to taste

1 pound of your favorite pasta (I like to make my Bolognese with Tagliatelle).

Heat oil in a 10 inch skillet.

Add onion and garlic and sauté for 3 minutes.

Add remaining vegetables and tomatoes and sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add white wine and reduce until all the liquid is almost evaporated.

Add the tomato and tomato sauce and simmer another 10 minutes.

Add cooked duck meat and simmer 3 minutes.

After draining your cooked pasta, I add one ladle of Bolognese sauce to the cooked pasta and stir in evenly. 

Then plate the pasta and serve one ladle of sauce on top of the pasta.

For added flavor and plate presentation, I sometimes drizzle a small amount of Alfredo sauce around the rim of the plate just before service. 

Note: You will notice in the picture I cooked additional pieces of duck. I like to cook extra duck when making this recipe as we like to eat cold duck for lunch the next day.

Grilled Clams with Garlic-Shallot Butter

1 stick Margarine

4 oz olive oil

1 large shallot, chopped fine

6 cloves garlic, chopped fine

Half a bunch of parsley, chopped fine

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp lemon zest, chopped fine

4 dozen fresh Little Neck clams (discard any that do not open during cooking)

Melt margarine on medium heat.

Add the garlic and shallots and sauté 3-4 minutes. 

Remove from heat and add the oil and remaining ingredients.

Hold on the side in a large bowl.

Wash the clams free of any sand.

Place on a medium high BBQ grill and close top.

Clams will start to open in 3-4 minutes.

Once clams have fully opened, grab with tongs and place directly into the butter mixture. When handling the clams, try to save as much natural juice from the clam as possible.

When all the clams are open and in the butter, toss gently and serve immediately.

Some clams may not open or take longer to open. You can choose to still use them, but they will be a little tougher than the clams that opened quickly.

These clams go well with a crusty bread and chilled white wine.

Roasted Marrow Bones

Appetizer for two

6 Marrow Bones, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces

1/2 tsp olive oil

1 oz white wine

Pinch sea salt

Pinch ground black pepper (I used Bourbon flavored pepper)

6 small pieces of fresh thyme

6 pieces of fresh rosemary

Lightly oil a small sizzle pan or baking dish.

Add the wine and marrow bones.

Evenly sprinkle the salt and pepper.

Place the fresh herbs on top of each bone.

Place in a 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes and serve with fresh bread medallions.

Tri-color Bow Tie Pasta with Farmer’s Cheese

Serves Four

9 oz bow tie pasta

8 oz shredded farmer’s cheese

1 oz olive oil

1 oz margarine

1 clove chopped garlic

1/2 tsp chopped parsley

1/2 tsp chopped basil

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

Sauté garlic in oil and margarine for one minute. Add the herbs and spices and hold on the side.

Add the pasta to boiling water with a 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a tablespoon of oil and cook until tender.

Drain and place in a warm bowl.

Add the oil mix and fold until all pasta is covered.

Add cheese and fold again.

Serve on warm plates with grated cheese and additional crushed pepper as desired.

Pot Roast of Beef

Serves Four

One 3 lb roast (Silver tip, chuck of sirloin) 

Two carrots, cut into small pieces

1/2 stalk celery, cut into small pieces

One shallot, diced

Three scallions, diced

One clove garlic, chopped

Two potatoes, peeled and diced

8 oz fresh tomato, diced

1/2 tsp thyme

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp black pepper

8 oz red wine

2 1/2 cups beef stock

1 oz cooking oil

In a cast iron braising pot, heat the oil and add the roast.

Brown on all sides.

Add the onion and garlic and sauté for two minutes.

Add the remaining vegetables and sauté another two minutes.

Add the wine, beef stock, herbs, spices and cover.

Cook over low/medium-low heat for about 2 1/2 to 3 hours until tender, stirring the vegetables and turning the roast every 15-20 minutes.

If the liquid should start to reduce, add a little water.

To test for tenderness, place a two prong meat fork into the roast. The roast should slide off the fork when you gently push.

To finish the gravy, remove the bay leaves and hold the roast on the side.

With a hand blender, puree the vegetables until you have reached a smooth consistency. 

Bone-In Filet Mignon

If you enjoy noshing on a bone after finishing your steak or chop, this is a new way to serve filet mignon with the bone still attached.

Have your butcher follow the attached photos or if you are feeling adventurous, butcher the T-bone steak as shown.

Begin by removing the strip steak from the T-bone. Then cut the bone with a meat saw leaving the filet with bone o

I served the grilled filet with a red-wine béarnaise sauce. 

Tripe with Spicy Tomato Sauce

Serves Four

1 1/4 lb tripe

3 oz olive oil

2 1/2 cups diced tomatoes in sauce

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 cup sliced or diced carrots

1/2 cup diced scallion

1/2 cup diced celery

2 cloves diced garlic

1 tsp Herbs De Provence 

1 cup white wine

1-2 tbsp Asian garlic-chili paste (depending on how spicy you like your creations)

4 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced into wedges.

Fill a 4 quart pot halfway with water. Add one bay leaf and half of a fresh lemon.

Wash tripe and place in water.

Simmer for about 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The tripe should be very tender.

When tender, remove from the water and pat dry.

Place on a cutting board and cut into small 1/2 inch by 2 inch strips.

In a 4 quart sauce pan over medium heat, heat the oil, then add the chopped onion and garlic. 

Sauté for about 3-4 minutes, then add the tripe, chili paste, half the wine, herbs,  and tomato sauce.

Simmer for 30 minutes over low heat.

Add the remaining wine, carrots, celery and potatoes and simmer for about 15-20 minutes longer until the potatoes are tender.

The scallions can be added with the carrots and celery or use as a garnish for serving.

Kale Chips

One bunch Kale

Olive or Vegetable oil to taste

Pepper to taste

Salt (optional)

Remove stem and vein from the kale leaves.

Wash and pat dry or spin dry in a salad tumbler.

Lightly oil a baking sheet.

In a bowl, place the kale leaves and lightly toss in oil. 

The leaves should be lightly coated, not oily.

Season with pepper, salt is optional.

Place in a 350 degree oven for approximately 15-20 minutes, until the leaves become crisp.

This is an interesting and healthy snack. Enjoy.

Stromboli and Calzone

Easy items to produce using pizza dough

I purchased the pizza dough pre-made from a local grocery store, however you may follow any pizza dough recipe.

Stromboli: 

Roll out your dough in a rectangle.

Lightly coat with oil or tomato sauce.

Evenly coat with a mixture of thinly cut vegetables and sliced meats like pepperoni or salami. (You may also decide to only use meats or vegetables).

Carefully roll into a cylinder shape, similar to a loaf of French bread.

Place on a pizza stone or baking pan in a 400 degree oven.

Bake for 20 minutes, then lightly paint the top with an egg wash.

Return to the oven at 420 degrees for five minutes.

Remove and let rest for ten minutes before serving.

Calzone: 

Cut the dough in half and roll out two circles about ten inches in diameter. 

Decide on the type of calzone you’d like to make - meatball, sausage and pepper, four cheese, cheese and pepperoni, sautéed spinach and sausage, etc. 

On one half of the circle, place approximately 6 oz. of the filling you choose.

Lightly moisten the edges of the dough with water.

Fold half of the dough over the half topped with your filling and pinch the edges to form a tight half circle.

With a knife, poke one small hole into the top center of the dough.

Place on a hot pizza stone in a 420 degree oven for 17 minutes.

Paint the top of the calzone with an egg wash and return to the oven for another 5 minutes.

You may serve this whole or cut in half.

Note: Both the Stromboli and Calzone go well with a side of Marinara sauce as a dipping sauce.

Both items also go well with a chopped salad and your favorite dressing.