April 23, 2008

Seven chefs = ideas galore

Chef Brett McKee, Oak Steakhouse, Charleston

For those of you foodies who haven't had a chance to see my Front Burner column in today's newspaper, here it is.

And for those of you who have, I'll bet you still didn't see the awesome audio slide show that was put together by photographer Stephanie Klein-Davis. Sometimes, we can read all day about great food, but it doesn't make the same kind of impact that a photo can.

Hanging around the kitchen while seven talented chefs put together a ritzy dinner for almost 200 people was one of the coolest experiences I've had on this beat to date. It sure was hard to squeeze down all my notes into one story, though (and some of my colleagues would argue that at 40 inches, I didn't do a very ruthless job of squeezing).

Here are a few highlights I didn't get to share:

* Chef Brett McKee of Oak Steakhouse in Charleston, S.C. was a joy to encounter. It's a good thing I'm not offended by cursing, because McKee curses like a sailor. As a Roanoke College graduate myself, I was proud to see what a fellow alumnus has achieved. Check out his restaurant Web site and let me know if you get a chance to dine there before I do.

* Chef Jeff Bland of U.S. Food Service introduced me to several easy, delicious hors d'oeuvres that would be a wonderful addition to anyone's next cocktail party.

For the black and blue canapes, he coated beef tenderloin in blackened seasoning and baked it in the oven until medium rare. Then he made a "blue cheese mousse" by pureeing blue cheese, mayonnaise and salt and pepper to taste. Simply spread this mousse on toast points and top with a thin slice of the tenderloin. It's exquisite.

Another delicious canape was his salmon BLT. To make his "salmon bacon," lay out thin sheets of smoked salmon on a baking sheet and bake at a low temperature (try 300) until the sheets have dehydrated to the chewy consistency of bacon. Spread mayo on toast points and top with shreds of salmon, micro greens and tomato pulp. Since it's a one-bite dish, you could also use slices of cherry tomatoes. That would look pretty, too.

* McKee had students ready his Roma tomatoes for stuffing by cutting off a sliver of each end, then halving the tomatoes. Use a small melon baller to scoop out the inside. The same tool can be used to measure out and deposit whatever stuffing you may choose to use. Save the insides of those tomatoes and freeze them for the next time you make homemade spaghetti sauce or chili.

* Adam Cloyes, McKee's chef de cuisine, baked corn custard in little stainless steel ramikins for individual servings. He poured about an inch of water in the baking dish with the ramikins to keep them from drying out as they baked. Then, he ran a knife around the edge of each tiny pudding and inverted them onto a tray. They could be inverted directly onto a plate. The result was a perfectly round, creamy side dish.

I don't have Adam's corn custard recipe, but I did find a savory version with ham and jalapenos on Real Simple magazine's Web site that looks to die for! I'll attach that recipe below. Enjoy!

Savory Corn Custard
Serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 pound lean ham, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup diced sun-dried tomatoes
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 cup canned corn kernels (drained) or frozen corn kernels
1/3 cup grated Swiss cheese
2 large eggs
3/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Heat oven to 350° F. Lightly coat four 5-ounce custard cups with vegetable cooking spray. Place the cups in a 9-by-9-inch roasting pan. In a medium skillet, combine the oil, ham, jalapeno, tomatoes, and scallions. Saute over medium heat until the vegetables are tender but not brown. Stir in the corn and divide among the custard cups. Top each with some of the cheese. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, then blend in the cream, milk, and salt. Pour over the vegetables in the cups. Place the roasting pan on the oven rack. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the cups. Bake about 40 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

*Or substitute 3/4 cup milk.

Source: Real Simple

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• Posted by Lindsey Nair in Food events
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