How to make Potato Gnocchi with a Sage Brown Butter Sauce

Potato Gnocchi with a Sage Brown Butter Sauce

Gnocchi

• 1 lb. PA russet potatoes
• Kosher salt, as needed
• 3-4 egg yolks
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ¼ tsp. grated nutmeg
• Pinch of black pepper
• Salt to taste
• 1 cup all-purpose flour with extra for dusting

Preheat an oven to 425˚F. Wash the potatoes under cold water and place them on a bed of kosher salt on a sheet tray. Bake for 50 minutes or until very soft throughout. Let the potatoes stand until they cool just long enough to be held in your hand. Scoop all of the potato from the skins into a ricer or grate on a box grater. In a mixing bowl, add the potatoes, egg yolks, cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper and fold together with a rubber spatula. Do not overmix! Add the flour and gently combine but do not knead. Once combined, let the dough rest for 10 minutes, covered with a dry towel.

Cut a small chunk of dough off and begin rolling in a fashion that will create a long round cylinder, with the width about the size of nickel. Once the dough is evenly distributed, begin cutting at about ¾”- 1” lengths and dusting with flour. Have a pot of salted water standing by to cook them almost immediately. Poach the gnocchi for about 2 minutes. Cool them in a refrigerator for later use or place them directly in your sauce.

Sage Brown Butter Sauce

• 1 cup whole butter
• 2 oz. chicken stock or water
• 5-10 fresh sage leaves, torn in half

Place the butter in a sauté pan over medium high heat. Continue to swirl the butter around until the solids begin to brown and a nutty aroma comes out of the butter. Remove it from the heat. Place your sage leaves into the butter for 3-5 seconds and then add the chicken stock or water.Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Plating

• Fresh Parmesan, to taste

Toss the gnocchi in the sauce and transfer to a serving bowl. Top with fresh shaved Parmesan.

How to make Rainbow Trout Brandade with Fermented Fennel and Pine Nut Crème Fraîche

Rainbow Trout Brandade with Fermented Fennel and Pine Nut Crème Fraîche

Trout Brandade

Salt Cured Trout

• 1 whole PA trout
• 2 lbs. salt

Rinse the trout, pat dry, and pack in salt on non-reactive tray. Cover with plastic wrap, top with a weight, and refrigerate for 3 days.

Trout Brandade

• 1 salt cured trout, bones removed,rinsed of salt and patted dry
• 2 PA russet potatoes
• 1 oz. olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill
• 2 Tbsp. prepared horseradish
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Woodchips, as needed for smoking

Smoke or bake the trout until cooked. In this case we will be smoking the trout for a deeper flavor. Peel the potatoes and boil until soft. Pass through a ricer and cool. Flake the trout into the potatoes and add the remaining ingredients. Mix thoroughly and store.



Trout Brandade and Potato Roulade

• 1 large PA white potato, sliced 1
• ⁄8-inch
• thin longwise
• Brandade mix from above
• 2 oz. butter

Shingle 5 potato slices in a line. Pipe or pack the brandade down the middle, then roll like a crêpe. Brown in butter in a sauté pan on all sides until the inside is hot and the outside is crisp . Alternatively, large batches can be baked in an oven at 400˚F basted with butter for 10 minutes. Rest on paper towels to remove the grease and serve.

Fermented Fennel

• 6 bulbs fennel, julienne
• 1 knuckle ginger, minced
• Zest of 1 lemon
• ½ tsp. fennel seed
• 12 oz. salt

Combine all the ingredients. Rub the salt in vigorously. Place in a glass jar. Pack down until the juices rise just above the ingredients; add water if necessary. Cover the jar with cheese cloth and rest up to two weeks. Rinse before using if too salty.

Pine Nut Crème Fraiche

• 1 cup toasted pine nuts
• ½ cup buttermilk
• 2 cups heavy cream

Combine all the ingredients and purée. Rest in a glass jar covered with cheese cloth for 48 hours. Refrigerate until needed.
Garnish the dish with sliced black radish and trout roe if available.

Pennsylvania Dutch Grated Potato Pancakes

• 2 cups grated PA potatoes
• 1 small onion, chopped finely
• 4 Tbsp. flour
• 2 eggs, beaten slightly
• ½ tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 2 Tbsp. finely chopped parsley
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 1 Tbsp. Crisco, more as needed
• Optional garnishes: sour cream,applesauce, black caviar

Add the potatoes, onions, eggs, flour, sugar, baking powder, parsley, salt and pepper, and mix well. In an iron skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of Crisco until hot. Put 1 heaping tablespoon of the mixture in a skillet (enough to do a 3-inch round thin pancake). Do as many as will fit in the pan. Cook the pancakes until the edges are crispy and the center bubbles. Flip and  cook until crisp and brown on the outher side. Repeat, adding Crisco if needed, until all the batter is used. Serve on a platter, topping some with the sour cream, some with applesauce, and the remaining with the caviar. 

Crab and Potato Manicotti

Crab and Potato Manicotti

Potato crêpe batter

• 1¼ lbs. PA russet potatoes
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 egg
• 2⁄3 cup whole milk
• 1½ tsp. dry mustard
• 1½ Tbsp. Old Bay seasoning
• 1 oz. finely chopped scallions
• 1 cup all-purpose flour

Peel and cut the potatoes; simmer in salted water until tender. Drain,mash, and cool. In an electric mixer, combine the cooled mashed potatoes, egg yolks, egg, milk, and seasonings. Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the flour and scallions and mix until the batter is consistent. Heat a 10-inch nonstick Teflon omelet pan to medium hot and spray with nonstick food release spray. Using a 4 ounce ladle, portion the batter into the center of the pan and rotate in a circular motion to spread the batter evenly on to bottom of pan. Cook for 1½ minutes. Flip the crêpe and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Repeat the procedure until all the batter is used.

Crab Ricotta Filling

• 2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
• ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 1 Tbsp. chopped parsley
• ½ tsp. white pepper
• 1 tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. nutmeg
• 2 whole eggs
• ½ lb. jumbo lump crabmeat, squeezed dry

Using a wire whip, combine all ingredients except for the crabmeat in a 4-quart mixing bowl. Carefully fold in the crabmeat, trying not to break up the lumps.

Tomato Shallot Cream Sauce

• 3 cups crab stock
• ½ oz. finely diced shallots
• 2 oz. tomato paste
• 1 oz. cornstarch
• 4 oz. heavy cream

In a 2-quart saucepan, combine the crab stock, shallots, and tomato paste and bring to a boil. Combine the corn starch and cream together until well blended. Add the cream mixture to the boiling stock and cook for 1 minute. Hold warm for service.

To Prepare the Crab Stuffed Crêpes

Fill each crêpe with 3 ounces of the crab ricotta mixture. Spread out the filling lengthwise and roll the crêpe into a cigar shape. Place the filled crêpe, seam side down, in a baking pan that has been sprayed with a food release. Cover and cook for 25 minutes at 350˚F or until the internal temperature is 165˚F. Remove the cover from the pan and garnish the crêpes with half of the tomato sauce. Serve the remaining sauce on the side. Optionally garnish with a sour cream rosette and freshly chopped parsley

Big D’s Blended Burger

Big D’s Blended Burger

• 1 lb. 80/20 ground beef brisket or chuck
• ½ lb. PA white button mushrooms, coarsely chopped
• 1 lb. PA portabella mushrooms, coarse chop half and slice half
• 2 Tbsp. stone ground mustard Montreal Steak Seasoning, as needed
• 1 small yellow onion, sliced
• 8 slices sharp cheddar cheese
• 8 slices of cooked bacon
• 1 Tbsp. 1 tsp. olive oil, divided
• 1 Tbsp. 1 tsp. butter, divided
• 8 Kings Hawaiian rolls or slider rolls

Sauté the chopped mushrooms with 1 teaspoon of oil and 1 teaspoon of butter in a cast iron or non-stick pan just until tender over medium-low heat. Remove from the pan and set aside to cool. Next, add the remaining oil and butter to the pan along with the sliced onions and sliced portabella mushrooms and cook until they begin to caramelize. Remove from the pan and reserve.

Mix the ground beef, sautéed chopped mushrooms, and mustard together until well blended. Form into small round meatballs, approximately 2.5 ounces each. Using a large flat spatula, flatten the meatballs into patties. Do not form the edges of the patties with your hand; leave them imperfect so that there are more areas to get crispy.

the patties with Montreal Steak Seasoning and cook on each side, approximately 3 minutes, flipping once, over medium-high heat. Top each patty with the caramelized onions and mushrooms, then the cheese.Add a few tablespoons of water to a pan to create steam and cover with a lid until the cheese is melted.

Prepare the rolls by toasting the cut side of each half. Then coat each side with “The Sauce”. Place each patty on a roll and top with bacon and serve.

The Sauce

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1⁄8 cup chopped dill pickles
• 1 Tbsp. sweet relish
• 1 Tbsp. Sriracha sauce
• 1 Tbsp. ketchup
• 1 tsp. wasabi sauce

Mix all the ingredients in a small mixing bowl until well blended. Add more or less Sriracha and wasabi to taste. It should be a pinkish color like Thousand Island dressing, and have a little zing to it but should not be too spicy hot.

Warm Mushroom and Kale Salad with Pickled Mustard Seeds and a Smoked Walnut Vinaigrette

Vinaigrette

• ¼ cup white balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 4 Tbsp. honey
• 1 Tbsp. salt
• ½ cup walnut oil
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• ½ cup smoked walnuts (smoked for 1 hour)

Place the vinegar, honey, Dijon, and salt in a mixing bowl. Slowly drizzle in the two oils while whisking to emulsify the dressing. Add the smoked walnuts at the end and let sit for at least 2 hours before serving.

Pickled Mustard Seeds

• ¼ cup mustard seeds
• ½ cup cider vinegar
• ½ cup water
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 tsp. salt

Bring all the ingredients to a simmer in a small pot. Remove from the heat and allow to chill.

To finalize the salad

• Olive oil, as needed
• 4 oz. PA Crimini mushrooms
• 4 oz. PA Shiitake mushrooms
• 4 oz. PA mushroom blend of Maitake, Beach, and Portobello
• 6 oz. baby kale
• 4 Tbsp. Pickled Mustard Seeds Vinaigrette as needed

In a large sauté pan, heat a small amount of olive oil and sauté all the mushrooms separately in batches, so there is no more than one even layer at a time. Do not overcrowd the pan. Cook until the mushrooms are tender and golden brown, season with salt and pepper. Transfer each batch to a large mixing bowl. Once all the mushrooms are cooked, add 4 tablespoons of the pickled mustard seeds, all the baby kale, and drizzle with enough dressing to coat everything. Toss the salad and serve warm.

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Mushroom Spaetzle with Mushrooms, Leeks, and Dandelions

• 12 fl. oz. white wine
• 12 fl. oz. mushroom stock
• 2 quarts heavy cream
• 2 Tbsp. oil, clarified butter
• 2 lbs. assorted PA mushrooms,quartered, julienne, diced,sliced thin
• 12 oz. leeks, trimmed, washed, white part only
• 8 oz. dandelion greens
• 2 lbs. Mushroom Spaetzle, cooked
• 1 cup fresh chopped herbs (parsley,thyme)
• Salt and pepper

In a heavy bottomed sauce pan, reduce the white wine to one third its volume Add the mushroom stock and reduce to one third its volume. In a tall and large pan, reduce the heavy cream to 1 quart or by half its volume. Add the wine and stock. Adjust the consistency with a starch thickener or continue to reduce. Taste and adjust the seasoning with pepper and salt.

To reheat the spaetzle, get a pot that holds a lot of water. You cannot have too much water. Add some salt and oil to the water to increase the boiling point and to keep the spaetzle from sticking together. Add the spaetzle to the boiling water and stir. Cook until it is heated through. Strain and serve immediately.

In a sauté pan, add enough oil or clarified butter to coat the bottom of a pan, add the mushrooms and brown. Add the leeks and sweat. Lastly, wilt the dandelion greens. Add the sautéed mixture to the reduced liquids.Taste and adjust the seasoning with pepper  and salt . Top the spaetzle and garnish with fresh herbs. 

Warm Mushroom and Ricotta Crostini

Artisan Baguette

• 9.25 oz. warm water
• 0.25 oz. active dry yeast
• 15 oz. bread flour
• 0.25 oz. salt

Combine the water and yeast in a mixer bowl. Add the remaining
ingredients and mix on low speed until all of the flour is incorporated. Knead on medium speed until the dough is elastic and smooth. Let the dough ferment until doubled in size. Punch down the dough, divide, shape, and score as desired. Proof until doubled in size. Bake at 400˚F with steam for the first few minutes until the crust forms. Bake until golden brown and the dough is cooked through, approximately 20 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

Seasoned Ricotta

• 8 oz. part skim ricotta
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil

Pluck the rosemary and thyme, then finely chop. Mix all of the ingredients together until combined.

Garlic Butter

4 oz. butter
1 garlic clove
½ tsp. salt
Finely chop the garlic. Place in a pan with the butter. Bake at 150˚F, covered for 15 minutes.

Sautéed Mushrooms

• 2 oz. butter
• 2 oz. olive oil
• 8 oz. shallots, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 lb. PA Cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 lb. PA Shiitake mushrooms, stem removed and sliced
• 1 lb. PA Maitake mushrooms, sliced
• 4 oz. demi glace
• 4 oz. marsala wine
• 2 oz. brandy
• 1 oz. fresh thyme
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Place the olive and butteroil in a big sauté pan on medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté and shallots until translucent. Add the mushrooms and cook to bring out the moisture. Add in the demi glace and marsala wine. Cook until the liquid reduces by half its volume. Add in the brandy and flambé. Add the leaves from the fresh thyme and toss to combine.Add salt and pepper to taste.

Plating

Slice the baguette in thin slices on a bias. Brush with the garlic oil and bake at 400˚F until crusty. Next, place a spoonful of the seasoned ricotta and spread on the toasted crostini. Place the mushrooms on top and put in the oven at 350˚F until warm. Serve immediately.