|
 Recipe of the Day Categories:
 Recipe Home
Recipe index
Recipe Search
Appetizers
Beef
Beverage
Bread
Breakfast
Cake
Chocolate
Cookies
Fish
Fruit
Main
Dish
Pasta
Pies
Pork
Poultry
Salad
Seafood
Side Dish
Soup
Vegetable
Surprise!
Have a heart for
New Orleans
Garden District Sunset
Giclee Print
Millsap, Diane
Buy at AllPosters.com
 
Shop Barefoot
Contessa Pantry
New Orleans St Charles Streetcar
Giclee Print
Millsap, Diane
Buy at AllPosters.com
Shop igourmet.com
Garden District Gate
Giclee Print
Millsap, Diane
Buy at AllPosters.com
New Orleans Blues
Giclee Print
Millsap, Diane
Buy at AllPosters.com
|
|
Your patronage of our
affiliate partners supports this web site.
We thank you! In other words, please shop at LBC
Gift Galerie!
New Orleans Night Streetcar
Giclee Print
Millsap, Diane
Buy at AllPosters.com
La Belle Cuisine
IN MEMORIAM
Jamie Shannon, 1961-2001
Recipe Source
Commander's Kitchen:
Take Home the True Taste
of New Orleans with More
than 150 Recipes from
Commander's Palace Restaurant
by Ty Adelaide Martin and Jamie Shannon
2000, Broadway Books, a division of Random House, Inc.
 
Unfortunately, time and space prevent our being able to
bring to you today the
entire "top ten" list from
Tom
Fitzmorris' New Orleans Menu Daily tribute to deceased Chef Jamie
Shannon of Commander's Palace.
Tom's # 1 pick
(Salt-Crusted Whole Baked Redfish) appears in our
tribute to Chef Jamie
Shannon Spice Cabinet feature.
Numbers 2, 3 and 4, are Chef Jamie's Special Lunch. According to Tom,
"It was about twice
the price of the standard Commander's lunch, and worth
every penny. Example:
seared foie gras (this was before everybody was
serving it), crab cakes made
of solid crabmeat held together in a hash-
brown ring until serving, and real
shortcake with strawberries."
For today, we present to you, in all
their glory, numbers 5 (Lyonnaise fish)
and 6
(Air-dried duck). Or at
least a close substitute, and in any case, a truly
excellent Commander's
duck recipe. It is
both our extreme pleasure and honor
to salute,
once again, the incomparable,
the inimitable, Chef Jamie Shannon.
Shoestring
Potato-Crusted Lyonnaise Fish
Makes 6
servings
“We
put this dish on the Commander’s menu as a special and it just took off.
Now
it’s what we call a new classic. But it shouldn’t have been a
surprise, considering how moist the fish turns out and New Orleanians’
love affair with shoestring potatoes. The trick to moist fish and a crispy potato crust is simple – the potatoes
do it. The heat from the water in
the potatoes steams the fish while it crisps the potatoes. The dramatic
texture contrast and the moist fish, which has retained
all
its juices, make
this a scene-stealer. For a lighter version, skip the Beurre
blanc and serve
with sliced Creole or vine-ripened tomatoes or over greens.”
4
large russet potatoes
6 fish fillets (speckled trout, snapper, catfish, or flounder),
each 5 to 6
ounces, of even thickness, and free of bones
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cup flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
2/3 cup milk
2 medium eggs, beaten
1 cup white wine
2 lemons, peeled, white pith removed, and quartered
5 cloves garlic, peeled
6 whole black peppercorns
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup toasted capers (see Note)
1 large onion, sliced, then caramelized (see Note)
Peel
the potatoes and cut them into a fine shoestring (see Chef Jamie’s
Tips),
with each piece about 2 inches long, 1/8 inch wide, and 1/16 inch
thick.
Place the potatoes in a bowl of cold water and rinse until the water
runs
clear.
Season
the fish fillets with salt and pepper and dust in seasoned flour,
shaking
away any excess flour. Combine the milk, eggs, and additional
salt and
pepper, and place the fish in the egg wash.
Remove
the potatoes from the water, and drain them, using a clean dish
towel to
squeeze out any excess water. Place a thin layer of potatoes,
enough to coat
one side of all the fillets, on a work surface. Place the fish
on top of the
potatoes, then place a layer of potatoes on top of the fish, covering it
completely.
To
make the sauce, put the wine, garlic and peppercorns in a small sauce-
pan
over high heat, bring to a boil, and reduce the heat to a high simmer.
Use a
whisk to break up the lemon sections. Cook for 7 to 9 minutes, or
until the
liquid starts to thicken. Reduce the heat to low and whisk in the
butter,
about
4 tablespoons at a time. Make sure the sauce doesn’t
separate, which
will happen if the heat is too high. Whisk constantly,
watching to keep a
very
warm temperature. Continue adding butter until
it has all been
incorporated, waiting to add more butter after the previous addition has
been incorporated. Season with salt, strain, and keep the
sauce warm.
Heat
2 tablespoons of the oil over high heat in a large nonstick skillet for 2
to
3 minutes, or until it just begins to smoke. With a spatula, gently place 3
fish fillets in the pan, and reduce the heat to medium high. The fish might
stick at first, but don’t move it; as the potatoes cook, their starch will
turn
to sugar
and the fish will come free.
Using
the spatula, push any loose potato pieces up against the fish, but break
away pieces that have turned very dark and crisp without adhering. Reduce
the heat if the potato starts to burn. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the
crust is golden and crisp. Gently turn the fish pieces over, reshaping with
the spatula as necessary. Cook 4 to 5 minutes more, or until golden and
crisp. Flip again, and recrisp the first side for about 30 seconds. Remove,
adjust seasoning, and keep warm on a rack. Wipe the pan with a paper
towel
and repeat with the second batch of fish fillets.
To
serve, pool about 2 1/2 tablespoons of sauce on a warm plate, place a
fish
fillet on top, and sprinkle the capers and onions around the plate.
NOTE:
Toasted capers have been cooked in a little hot oil over high heat
until
they become crisp. Caramelized onions are chopped onions that have
been cooked
in a little butter over high heat until their natural sugars
cause them to brown;
they should drain on a paper towel when they’re
crisp. If you wish, prepare both
in the same pan, using butter.
Chef
Jamie’s Tips: Use a box
grater to cut the potatoes, holding the potato the
long way so you get the
longest pieces. If you have a mandoline, that works
well,
too. A mandoline
is a hand-operated machine that can be fitted with
different
blades for
different uses and cuts. At Commander’s, we use both
French (metal)
and
Japanese (plastic) mandolines in the kitchen.
When making the lemon butter sauce, be sure the heat isn’t too high when
adding butter or the sauce can break. Adjust the heat as you add the butter,
if
needed. If the sauce becomes too thick, that means it’s not hot enough,
so
add
a little more heat.
Crispy
Roast Duck with Roasted Vegetables
and Orange Brandy Sauce
Makes 4
servings
“La
Tour d’Argent in Paris has one of the world’s oldest and most beautiful
duck presses. It also has a view of the Seine. The ambiance and the
elaborate
duck preparation are hard to beat. But if you don’t happen to be
in Paris and
you don’t have time to hang your ducks for two weeks as we
do, then this
recipe
is one heck
of
a good substitute.”
1
Long Island duck, about 5 pounds
1 quart cold water
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 large carrots, peeled and cut in half crosswise
2 medium turnips, peeled and halved
4 large new potatoes, halved
8 shiitake mushrooms, trimmed of their stems
12 cloves garlic, peeled
2 small onions, peeled and halved, or 12 pearl onions
Juice of 1 large orange
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 cup brandy
Thoroughly
rinse the duck giblets, including liver and neck, place in a large
pot with
1 quart of cold water over high heat, season lightly with salt and pepper,
bring to a boil, and simmer for 20 minutes.
Trim
excess fat from the duck, especially around the neck and inside the cavity,
and prick with the tines of a kitchen fork just deeply enough to penetrate
the skin and fat, especially where the fat is concentrated. Make
a one-inch
incision under each leg bone where it meets the backbone.
(You’ll
see a
lot of fat at this spot.)
Place
the duck, carrots, turnips, potatoes, mushrooms, garlic and onions
in the
pot. Bring to a simmer, cover, and continue simmering for about
40 minutes,
or until the vegetables are cooked but still firm and the duck
seems cooked
but not overcooked. Gently remove the duck and the
vegetables, set aside,
and let cool for about 30 minutes. Remove the
giblets, and set aside.
Transfer the cooking liquid to a bowl and refrigerate.
Preheat
the oven to 425 degrees F. Brush the duck with some of the
orange juice, and
season with salt, pepper, and half the chopped rosemary.
Place
the giblets and neck in the center of a roasting pan and, using them
as a
rack, place the duck on top so that it does not touch the bottom of
the pan.
Gently arrange the vegetables around the duck, and place the
pan in the
oven. Roast until the skin is very crisp, about 45 to 50 minutes,
or until
the internal temperature of the duck reads 165 degrees F. on an
instant read
thermometer, checking periodically to make sure the duck is
not burning.
When
finished, place the duck in the center of a serving platter and place
the
vegetables neatly around the duck. Pick the meat from the neck, dice
the
giblets, and pour off the fat remaining in the pan. Remove the cooking
liquid from the refrigerator and discard any fat that has floated to the
surface.
Place
the roasting pan over two burners on top of the stove over high
heat. Add
the remaining rosemary and the brandy, being careful of a
possible flareup.
Using a wooden spoon, scrape off any glaze that may
be on the bottom of the
pan. Add the cooking liquid and the remaining
orange juice, bring to a boil,
then simmer to reduce for about 10 minutes,
until the liquid
has reached a
saucelike consistency.
Strain
the sauce into a small pot, add the reserved neck and innards meat,
and
season with salt and pepper.
Carve
the duck, and serve the sauce in a separate bowl on the side, not
poured
over the crispy duck skin.
Chef
Jamie’s Tips: At
Commander’s Palace, we use fresh Muscovy ducks. You
can use any domestic
duck for this recipe (about half of them are Long Island
ducks). Fresh ducks
can be hard to find, but don’t let a frozen bird stop you. I
always use a
Grade A duck. The blanching of the duck and vegetables can be
done
up to a
day in advance.
Chilling the cooking liquid lets unwanted fat rise to the top. That’s why
a
wide
bowl works so well; the liquid cools fast and there is a large
surface.
Vegetables should be brown and very tender. Be careful not to break them up.
Featured Archive Recipes:
In
Memoriam - Chef Jamie Shannon
Brasserie Flo’s Roast Duck with
Tomatoes, Olives and Mushrooms
Commander's Kitchen
More Lagniappe
Recipes!
More Commander's Palace Recipes!
Do you know what it means
to miss New Orleans?
Daily Recipe
Index
Recipe Archives Index
Recipe Search
|
