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Chef Charlie Trotter
Simple Elegance I
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Elegance I
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La Belle Cuisine
Charlie
Trotter Cooks at Home
Recipe Source:
Charlie Trotter Cooks at Home
by Charlie Trotter, © 2000, Ten Speed Press,
Berkeley
 
“Even
though this appears to be a long menu, the food is light and
refreshing.
The brochettes can be served alongside the risotto to
lessen
the amount
of
plate washing.”
Preparation Tips:
¨ For
the starters, the stuffed tomatoes can be prepared several hours ahead
and refrigerated.
¨ The
chowder can be prepared a day ahead and warmed just before serving.
¨ The
marinade can be made a day ahead. The brochettes can be marinated
for
2
hours, removed from the marinade and refrigerated for several hours.
¨ For
the entrée, the spicy herb sauce can be prepared several hours ahead.
The risotto can be cooked three-quarters of the way and finished just
before serving.
¨ For
the dessert, the crème brûlée can be prepared several hours ahead
and
caramelized prior to serving.
Goat
Cheese-Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes
Serves 4
12
cherry tomatoes
Filling:
2 ounces soft goat cheese
1 tablespoon chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh chives
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
To
prepare the tomatoes: Cut
a small x in the bottom of each tomato. Blanch the tomatoes in boiling
water for 15 seconds and remove immediately. Peel, then cut 1/4 inch off
the top of each tomato. Using a melon baler, hollow out the tomatoes.
To
prepare the filling: Combine
the goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, pine nuts, chives and parsley in a
small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Spoon
some of the goat cheese mixture into each of the tomatoes and place
in
the refrigerator. Remove from the refrigerator 15 minutes before
serving.
Insights:
Nuts should always be toasted before using them. Raw, they are
bland
and a little gummy; toasted, they have a wonderful, nutty flavor
and a crunchy texture. To toast any type of nut, place them on a baking
sheet in a preheated
350-degree F. oven for 10 minutes, or until a light
golden brown and aromatic.
Wine
Suggestion: Choose a New
Zealand Sauvignon Blanc with acidity to
match the goat cheese and a
tomato-herb flavor to match the tomatoes.
Sweet Corn and Shrimp
Chowder
Serves 6
10 ears sweet corn
2 bay leaves
4 quarts water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup heavy whipping cream
8 ounces bacon, julienned
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 large potato, peeled and diced
12 ounces shrimp, peeled, deveined,
and cut into bite-size pieces
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
To
prepare the broth: Remove
the kernels from the cobs, reserving the kernels and cobs. Place the
cobs, bay leaves, and water in a stockpot and simmer over medium-low
heat for 1 hour. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and discard the
solids. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
To
prepare the chowder: Place
half of the corn kernels in a small sauce-
pan with the cream and cook
over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, or
until the cream is reduced to
about 2/3 cup. Purée the mixture until smooth.
Cook
the bacon in a large sauté pan over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, or
until the fat is translucent. Add the onion, potato, and the remaining
corn and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
Add the shrimp and cook, stirring continuously, for 2 to 3 minutes, or
until the shrimp are
just cooked. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Place
the corn purée in a large saucepan over medium-low heat and add the
corn broth 1 cup at a time until the desired consistency is reached. Add
the sautéed corn mixture and cook for 5 minutes, or until warm. Season
to taste with salt and pepper.
Ladle
the soup into bowls, sprinkle with the chives, and top with freshly
ground black pepper.
Insights:
This chowder is also great with lobster in place of the
shrimp,
or as corn chowder, with no seafood at all. Any extra corn broth
can be
frozen for several months.
Wine
suggestion: A rich, opulent, oaky Chardonnay will complement
the richness of the chowder.
Scallops from Market on Rue Cler, Paris, France
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Grilled Scallop and
Vidalia
Onion Brochettes
Serves 4
Marinade:
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped lemongrass
1/2 jalapeño chile, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup chopped scallions
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
24
sea scallops
1
Vidalia onion, cut into bite-size wedges
2/3 cup white rice
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup chopped scallions
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
To
prepare the marinade: Combine
the orange juice, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, olive oil, lemongrass,
jalapeño, cilantro, scallions and lime juice in
a small bowl.
To
prepare the brochettes: Alternate
the scallops and onion wedges on
eight skewers. Place the skewers in a
large, resealable plastic bag and pour
in the marinade. Refrigerate for
2 hours.
To
prepare the rice: Combine
the rice and water in a medium saucepan, cover, and simmer over
medium-low heat for 20 to 25 minutes, or until tender.
Cook
the scallions in the butter in a small sauté over medium-low heat for
5
minutes, or until the scallions are soft. Add to the rice and cook for 5
minutes, or until warm. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
To
cook the brochettes: Prepare
a medium-hot grill. Remove the bro-
chettes from the marinade and season
with salt and pepper. Grill for 3 to
4 minutes on each side, or until
the scallops are just cooked.
Place
some of the rice in the center of each plate and top with 2 bro-
chettes.
Top with freshly ground black pepper.
Insights:
I use Vidalia onions in this recipe because the onions will
not
cook completely in the time that it takes to cook the scallops, and Vidalias
are sweet enough to eat raw. If Vidalia onions are out of
season, use Maui
or Spanish onions.
Wine
suggestion: Choose
a Meursault or Chardonnay with a little toasty
flavor to balance the
rich scallops and sweet onions.
Spring Pea Risotto
with Spicy Herb Sauce
Serves 4
Sauce:
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley
4 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons ice water
2 teaspoons togarashi (see below)
1 tablespoon minced jalapeño chile
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2
shallots, minced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup Arborio rice
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup shelled fresh spring peas, blanched
To
prepare the sauce: Sauté
the parsley in 1 tablespoon of the canola oil
in a hot sauté pan for 10
seconds. Remove immediately, transfer to a small bowl, and refrigerate
until cooled. Coarsely chop
the parsley and purée
with the ice water and 3 tablespoons of the
canola oil until smooth. Strain
through
a fine-mesh sieve. Whisk in the togarashi and jalapeño and season
to taste with salt and pepper.
To
prepare the risotto: Cook
the shallots and butter in a large sauté
pan over medium heat for 2 to
3 minutes, or until translucent. Add the
rice and cook for 2 minutes,
stirring frequently. Slowly add 1/4 cup of
the stock and stir until
completely absorbed. Add the remaining stock 1/4
cup at a time, stirring
continuously with a smooth, gentle motion until the
liquid is completely
absorbed. (The risotto will take 40 to 50 minutes to
cook completely.)
Add
the peas with the final addition of stock. Fold in
half of the sauce
and
season to taste with salt and pepper.
Spoon
some of the risotto in the center of each plate and drizzle the
remaining sauce over the risotto and around the plate.
Insights:
Togarashi is a combination of spices used in Japanese cooking.
It is available in Asian markets, but if you can’t find it, you can make
your own:
Grind 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds, 1 teaspoon
paprika, 1/2 teaspoon
dried
basil, 1/2 teaspoon ground bay leaves, 1/2
teaspoon Szechuan pepper,
1/2
teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon dried
red chiles, 1/2 teaspoon sea
salt,
and 1/2 teaspoon orange zest in a
blender for 2 minutes, or until
finely ground.
This can be kept in an
airtight container for up to 6 months.
Wine
suggestion: Sauvignon Blanc with good texture and
little
or no oak complements the herbal
risotto.
Vanilla Crème Brûlée
with Chocolate Sauce
Serves 6
1/4
cup simple syrup *
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 eggs plus 2 egg yolks
5 tablespoons sugar
1
1/2
cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup milk
1
vanilla bean
Sugar for dusting
*
Simple Syrup: Bring 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar to a boil in a small
saucepan, remove from the heat, and cool. The syrup may be kept in
the
refrigerator for up to 1 month. Yield: 1 1/2 cups
To prepare the Crème Brûlée:
Preheat the oven to 300 degree F. Fill a large bowl halfway with ice
and cold water. Combine the simple syrup and cocoa in a small bowl.
Place a spoonful of the sauce in the bottom of six
4- to 5-inch diameter
ramekins and place in the freezer until ready to use.
Whisk
together the eggs, egg yolks, and sugar in a small bowl until smooth.
Place the cream and milk in a small saucepan. Split the vanilla bean
lengthwise and, using the back of a knife, scrape the seeds out into the
cream mixture. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Slowly whisk the hot
cream mixture into the eggs and mix well. Strain into a medium bowl
through a fine-mesh sieve and cool in the ice-water bath.
Pour
the custard mixture into the ramekins with the chocolate and place the
ramekins in a large roasting pan. Pour in enough hot water to reach
halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake in the water bath for 35 to
45 minutes, or until the custard jiggles slightly when shaken. Remove
from
the oven, remove the custards from the water bath, and cool
slightly. Refrigerate until chilled.
Sprinkle
a dusting of sugar over the top of each custard and place in the center
of each plate. Using a small handheld blow torch, slowly caramelize the
sugar until it is golden brown and serve.
Insights:
If you don’t have a small blow torch, the sugar can be
caramelized under a broiler. Place the oven rack as close to the broiler
as possible and
watch the custards carefully; they will need to be
rotated often to keep the
sugar from burning.
Wine
suggestion: Madeira will complement both the chocolate and
burnt sugar elements.
Chef Charlie Trotter
Charlie Trotter Cooks at Home - Menu 1
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Charlie Trotter Cooks at Home - Menu 3
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