NYC Chef's Way

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Seared Scallops with Basil, Anchovy and Sweet Corn Pudding

The quality of the seafood is key in this lemony, piquant dish. April Bloomfield of The Spotted Pig and The Breslin recommends seeking out day-boat scallops, caught by fishermen who return from a day at sea with supremely fresh scallops that haven’t been treated with any kind of preservative. Instead of being milky white, they’re almost coral-colored.

Ingredients

CORN PUDDING

1. 1 2/3 cups corn kernels (cut from 4 ears of corn)
2. 2/3 cup whole milk
3. 2/3 cup heavy cream
4. 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
5. 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
6. Salt
7. 2 large eggs, separated

SCALLOPS

1. 3 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2. 16 sea scallops (about 1 pound)
3. Salt
4. 4 anchovy fillets, minced
5. 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
6. 2 tablespoons water
7. 1/3 cup chopped basil
8. 2 cups pea shoots (1 ounce)

Directions

1. MAKE THE CORN PUDDING: Preheat the oven to 400°. Butter four 1-cup ramekins. In a medium saucepan, combine the corn, milk and heavy cream and simmer over moderately high heat for 2 minutes. Puree half of the mixture in a blender. Return the puree to the saucepan.
2. In another medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the corn mixture and bring to a boil, then simmer, whisking, for 1 minute; season with salt. Remove from the heat and whisk in the egg yolks. Let cool until warm, about 20 minutes.
3. In a large, stainless steel bowl, using a handheld mixer, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until firm peaks form. Fold one-third of the beaten whites into the corn mixture, then fold in the remaining whites. Spoon the mixture into the ramekins. Set the ramekins in a small baking dish and carefully add enough water to the dish to reach one-third of the way up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the puddings are just slightly jiggly in the center.
4. MEANWHILE, PREPARE THE SCALLOPS: In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil until smoking. Season the scallops with salt, add them to the skillet and cook over high heat until browned on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Turn and cook the scallops for 1 minute longer. Remove the skillet from the heat and transfer the scallops to a large plate.
5. Add the anchovies to the skillet and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until they dissolve, about 2 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice and the water to the skillet and simmer until thickened, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Stir in the basil and any accumulated juices from the scallops. Season with salt. Return the scallops to the skillet and keep warm.
6. In a bowl, toss the pea shoots with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice; season with salt. Arrange the scallops on 4 plates and pour the basil-anchovy sauce on top. Mound the pea shoot salad alongside and serve with the corn puddings.

Servings: 4

Chile-Honey-Glazed Salmon with Two Sauces

Chef Way At Mesa Grill in New York City, Bobby Flay presents his sweet-spicy salmon with three different sauces, including tomatillo salsa, black bean sauce and jalapeño crema (a play on Mexican sour cream).

Easy Way Omit the crema and serve the salmon with sour cream instead.

Ingredients

1. 1 pound tomatillos, husked
2. 1 red onion, coarsely chopped
3. 8 garlic cloves, 2 chopped
4. 2 large jalapeños, stemmed
5. 1/4 cup canola oil, plus more for brushing
6. Salt and freshly ground pepper
7. 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
8. 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, plus sprigs for garnish
9. 1/4 cup honey
10. 1 canned chipotle in adobo, chopped
11. 1 teaspoon ground cumin
12. One 19-ounce can black beans with their liquid
13. 1 1/2 teaspoons pure ancho chile powder
14. 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
15. Four 8-ounce center-cut salmon fillets, with skin
16. Sour cream, for serving

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°. Spread the tomatillos on a roasting pan along with half of the onion, the 6 whole garlic cloves and the jalapeños. Toss with 2 tablespoons of the oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 35 minutes, until tender.
2. Transfer the vegetables to a blender and puree until smooth. Add the lime juice, chopped cilantro and 2 tablespoons of the honey and pulse to blend. Season the tomatillo salsa with salt and pepper and transfer to a bowl. Rinse out the blender.
3. In a medium saucepan, heat another 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the chipotle, cumin, chopped garlic and the remaining onion and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add the beans with their liquid and 1/4 cup of water and cook over low heat for 15 minutes. Transfer the black bean mixture to the blender and puree until smooth. Season the sauce with salt.
4. Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of honey with the ancho chile powder and mustard and season with salt. Brush the salmon with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the fish skin side down over moderately high heat until very crisp, about 3 minutes. Cook the fish on the remaining 3 sides just until lightly charred, 3 minutes longer. Brush the salmon with the chile-honey glaze and grill skin side up until lightly caramelized, 2 minutes.
5. Spoon the tomatillo salsa on plates and top with the salmon. Garnish with sour cream and the cilantro sprigs and serve with the black bean sauce.

SERVINGS: 4

Chef Way At New York City's Babbo, Mario Batali creates a simple, brilliant version of this classic dish, tossing the long, hollow pasta strands with house-cured guanciale (pork jowl) and a spicy house-made tomato sauce.

Easy Way Use pancetta, which is simpler to find than guanciale, and buy a good jarred tomato sauce instead of making one.

Bucatini all'Amatriciana

Ingredients

1. 1/2 pound thinly sliced pancetta, coarsely chopped
2. 1 red onion, thinly sliced
3. 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
4. 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
5. 12 ounces prepared tomato sauce
6. Kosher salt
7. 1 pound bucatini
8. 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
9. Grated Pecorino Romano cheese, for serving

Directions

1. In a large, deep skillet, cook the pancetta over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a plate. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat in the skillet. Add the onion, garlic and crushed red pepper and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Return the pancetta to the skillet. Add the tomato sauce, season with salt and simmer until very thick, about 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water.
3. Add the pasta to the sauce along with the parsley and the reserved cooking water and stir over moderately high heat until the pasta is evenly coated, 2 minutes. Serve the pasta in bowls, passing the cheese at the table.

Servings: 4

CHEF WAY This is Daniel Boulud's take on Wiener schnitzel, a breaded and fried veal cutlet. He lightens the dish by making it with thinly pounded monkfish fillets, breaded on only one side. He serves it with a mix of asparagus, zucchini and butternut squash.

EASY WAY Instead of pounding monkfish thinly, slice the fillets thinly. Serve them with asparagus—no zucchini or squash.

Crispy Monkfish with Capers

Ingredients

1. 1 1/4 pounds monkfish fillet
2. 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3. 3 large eggs—2 beaten with 2 tablespoons of water, 1 hard-cooked and finely chopped
4. 1 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
5. Salt and freshly ground pepper
6. 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
7. 1/4 cup vegetable oil
8. 1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
9. 1 tablespoon capers, drained
10. 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
11. Steamed asparagus and lemon wedges, for serving

Directions

1. Using a sharp knife, cut the monkfish fillet on the diagonal into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Put the flour, beaten eggs and panko in 3 shallow bowls. Season the fish with salt and pepper and dust each slice on one side only with flour, tapping off the excess. Dip the floured side in the egg and then in the panko, pressing to help the crumbs adhere.
2. In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add half of the monkfish, breaded side down, and cook over high heat until golden, about 3 minutes. Carefully flip the fish and cook just until white throughout, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Transfer the fish to plates, breaded side up. Repeat with the remaining butter, oil and fish.
3. Sprinkle the monkfish with the parsley, capers, lemon zest and chopped egg. Serve with asparagus and lemon wedges.

Servings: 4

Addictively tangy and salty-sweet, these skewers are also delicious when made with chicken breast or pork tenderloin.

Grilled Beef-Tenderloin Skewers with Red-Miso Glaze

recipe by Jean- Georges Vongerichten

Ingredients

1. 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2. 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3. 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
4. 2 tablespoons red miso paste
5. 1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
6. Pinch of sugar
7. Pinch of salt
8. 1 1/4 pounds beef tenderloin, sliced 1/4 inch thick

Directions

1. Preheat a grill. In a saucepan, heat the vegetable oil. Add the garlic and cook over low heat until crisp, stirring, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the garlic to a blender; reserve the garlic oil for another use. Add the soy sauce, miso, sesame oil, sugar and salt to the blender and puree.
2. Thread the meat on skewers. Lightly brush the meat with some of the miso glaze. Grill over high heat for 1 minute. Brush with the miso glaze a second time and grill, turning, until charred, about 2 minutes; serve.

Servings: 4

Sugar Snaps and Snow Peas with Grated Fresh Horseradish

Convenience-store wasabi-coated peas, a fiery, crunchy snack, inspired this vibrant summer dish from Momofuku's David Chang. Chang decided to echo the flavor of the peas by tossing some of his favorite crisp vegetables from the farmers’ market (including snow peas and sugar snaps) with fresh horseradish. Be sure to grate the horseradish at the very last minute, he advises, since it loses potency quickly as it sits.

Ingredients

1. 1/4 pound snow peas
2. 1 cup chicken stock
3. 1/2 pound sugar snap peas, trimmed
4. 2 tablespoons soy sauce
5. 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes
6. 1 tablespoon water
7. Freshly ground pepper
8. 6 medium radishes, such as watermelon radishes, thinly sliced
9. 1 1/2 tablespoons coarsely grated fresh horseradish
10. Sea salt, for sprinkling

Directions

1. Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the snow peas and cook until bright green and crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Drain and rinse under cold water. Pat dry and cut into 1-inch pieces.
2. In a large skillet, boil the stock over moderately high heat until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Add the sugar snaps and cook until bright green, about 2 minutes. Add the snow peas, soy sauce, butter and water and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until the vegetables are glazed, about 2 minutes. Season with pepper. Off the heat, add the radishes. Transfer the vegetables to bowls along with any liquid in the skillet. Sprinkle with the horseradish and sea salt and serve right away.

Servings: 4

Source: Food and Wine Magazine