Executive Chef Stef's Grilled Lobster Tails with Summer Herbed Butter Roasted Potatoes
Serves 4
GLUTEN FREE
Ingredients
2 large Yukon gold potatoes, 1-inch dice
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for oiling lobster tails
8 ounces (about 2 cups) haricot verts, trimmed
2 lobsters, 1 ¼ -1 ½ pounds each
2 lemons, halved
1 onion half (optional for cleaning the grill)
1 lemon
2 sprigs of lemon verbena plus extra for garnish
4 sprigs lemon thyme, finely chopped (leaves only if the stems are too woody) plus extra for garnish
1 bunch chives
zest of 2 lemons
2 sticks salted butter at room temperature
1 teaspoon togarashi (Japanese chile pepper flakes) plus more for garnish
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions Preheat the oven to 475° conventional (450° convection). Heat grill over high heat. Place a large rimmed sheet tray in the oven. In a large pot of boiling water, blanch the potatoes for 3 minutes. Drain the potatoes well in a sieve and transfer them to a large bowl. Toss with the 3 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt. Transfer the potatoes to the hot sheet tray in the oven. Cook for until lightly browned, about 16 minutes. Hold warm.
In the same water, blanch the haricot verts for 30 seconds to a minute, then transfer to an ice bath. Drain them well, toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste and reserve.
Meanwhile, freeze the lobsters for a few minutes before working with them to stun them. With a large chef’s knife, halve the lobster down the center beginning at the head and working down to the tail. Remove the claws from the body of the lobster.
In a large pot of boiling salted water, blanch the claws for about 3 minutes. If the lobsters came with seaweed, add the seaweed to the blanching water. Use a knife or nutcracker to break the claw shells to loosen the claw meat. Remove the claw meat from the shell. Reserve. Remove the knuckle meat and reserve for another use.
To clean the grill, stab the root-end of an onion half with a fork. Oil the cut side and use it to clean and add flavor to the grill, rubbing it directly on the grill grates (or use a grill brush to clean). Using a pastry brush, brush both sides of the tails with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Grill the tail halves for about 2 minutes per side, placing the meat side down first. The meat will be lightly golden brown and the shell will be mostly red when it’s done cooking. At the same time, grill the lemon halves for 2 minutes per side, flesh-side down first.
Make the compound butter: Holding the verbena sprig by the stem, dip into boiling water for 2 seconds, shock in the ice bath. Remove the leaves from the stems and slice them into ¼-inch ribbons. Repeat with the chives, holding them by the ends, then slice into ¼-inch pieces. In a large bowl, combine the lemon verbena, chives, thyme lemon zest, butter, togarashi, salt, and pepper to taste with a rubber spatula. Reserve.
Transfer cooked potatoes to a large glass bowl and gently toss with the blanched claw meat to finish cooking the meat. Add two tablespoons of the compound butter, the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, togarashi, salt and pepper to taste. Check for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
To Plate: Put the potatoes on a large platter. Place the claws on top. Place the haricot verts on top of the potatoes and top with the lobster tails in their shells. Garnish with verbena and thyme sprigs. Squeeze a grilled lemon over the top. Serve with remaining compound butter.
Serves 4
GLUTEN FREE
Ingredients
2 large Yukon gold potatoes, 1-inch dice
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for oiling lobster tails
8 ounces (about 2 cups) haricot verts, trimmed
2 lobsters, 1 ¼ -1 ½ pounds each
2 lemons, halved
1 onion half (optional for cleaning the grill)
1 lemon
2 sprigs of lemon verbena plus extra for garnish
4 sprigs lemon thyme, finely chopped (leaves only if the stems are too woody) plus extra for garnish
1 bunch chives
zest of 2 lemons
2 sticks salted butter at room temperature
1 teaspoon togarashi (Japanese chile pepper flakes) plus more for garnish
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions Preheat the oven to 475° conventional (450° convection). Heat grill over high heat. Place a large rimmed sheet tray in the oven. In a large pot of boiling water, blanch the potatoes for 3 minutes. Drain the potatoes well in a sieve and transfer them to a large bowl. Toss with the 3 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt. Transfer the potatoes to the hot sheet tray in the oven. Cook for until lightly browned, about 16 minutes. Hold warm.
In the same water, blanch the haricot verts for 30 seconds to a minute, then transfer to an ice bath. Drain them well, toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste and reserve.
Meanwhile, freeze the lobsters for a few minutes before working with them to stun them. With a large chef’s knife, halve the lobster down the center beginning at the head and working down to the tail. Remove the claws from the body of the lobster.
In a large pot of boiling salted water, blanch the claws for about 3 minutes. If the lobsters came with seaweed, add the seaweed to the blanching water. Use a knife or nutcracker to break the claw shells to loosen the claw meat. Remove the claw meat from the shell. Reserve. Remove the knuckle meat and reserve for another use.
To clean the grill, stab the root-end of an onion half with a fork. Oil the cut side and use it to clean and add flavor to the grill, rubbing it directly on the grill grates (or use a grill brush to clean). Using a pastry brush, brush both sides of the tails with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Grill the tail halves for about 2 minutes per side, placing the meat side down first. The meat will be lightly golden brown and the shell will be mostly red when it’s done cooking. At the same time, grill the lemon halves for 2 minutes per side, flesh-side down first.
Make the compound butter: Holding the verbena sprig by the stem, dip into boiling water for 2 seconds, shock in the ice bath. Remove the leaves from the stems and slice them into ¼-inch ribbons. Repeat with the chives, holding them by the ends, then slice into ¼-inch pieces. In a large bowl, combine the lemon verbena, chives, thyme lemon zest, butter, togarashi, salt, and pepper to taste with a rubber spatula. Reserve.
Transfer cooked potatoes to a large glass bowl and gently toss with the blanched claw meat to finish cooking the meat. Add two tablespoons of the compound butter, the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, togarashi, salt and pepper to taste. Check for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
To Plate: Put the potatoes on a large platter. Place the claws on top. Place the haricot verts on top of the potatoes and top with the lobster tails in their shells. Garnish with verbena and thyme sprigs. Squeeze a grilled lemon over the top. Serve with remaining compound butter.
Executive Chef Stef's Soft Shell Crab Tempura with Celery Root Puree and Black Pepper-Garlic Sauce
Executive Chef Stef's Soft Shell Crab Tempura with Celery Root Puree and Black Pepper-Garlic Sauce
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 large or 2 small Celery Root(s), peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
6 ounces Hondashi
2 tablespoons Butter
6 ounces water
4 ounces Black Pepper-Garlic Sauce
4 soft shell crabs, cleaned
1 cup rice flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups soda water, chilled
1/4 cup chives, chopped
6 shiso leaves
canola oil
kosher salt
cilantro to garnish
Directions
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 large or 2 small Celery Root(s), peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
6 ounces Hondashi
2 tablespoons Butter
6 ounces water
4 ounces Black Pepper-Garlic Sauce
4 soft shell crabs, cleaned
1 cup rice flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups soda water, chilled
1/4 cup chives, chopped
6 shiso leaves
canola oil
kosher salt
cilantro to garnish
Directions
- Combine diced celery root, hondashi, butter and water in a saucepan and simmer until the celery root is tender. Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth.
- Mix celery root puree with the Black Pepper-Garlic sauce and set aside
- In a wok or large sauté pan, heat 2 inches of oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
- Make tempura batter by combining both flours with the soda water and chives and mix gently. Dip crabs in batter and then place in oil, cooking approximately 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side. Remove and place on a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat with shiso leaves, dipping in the batter, then briefly frying, draining and sprinkling with salt.
- Place crab tempura on plate, gently glaze with sauce and serve with more sauce for dipping, the fried shiso leaves, and garnished with cilantro
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
Executive Chef Stef's Pan-Seared Sirloin with Melted Black Pepper-Garlic Napa Cabbage
Executive Chef Stef's Pan-Seared Sirloin with Melted Black Pepper-Garlic Napa Cabbage
Anyone who's tried steak au poivre-grilled steak coated with coarse peppercorns -knows how good that combo is. This dish features it in a sauce made with "melted" cabbage, a technique I learned in France. There, we'd make a cabbage fondue, which we served alongside the entrée; here, the cabbage, cooked to melting softness, lends delicious flavor and texture to the dish itself.
I like to use sirloin for this; it has got real oomph and is relatively cheap.
Serves 4
Ingredients
Four 8- to 10-ounce sirloin steaks, 1 to 1-1/2 inches thick
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 large head of napa cabbage, halved, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch slices (about 5 cups)
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup Black Pepper-Garlic Sauce
Directions
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
Anyone who's tried steak au poivre-grilled steak coated with coarse peppercorns -knows how good that combo is. This dish features it in a sauce made with "melted" cabbage, a technique I learned in France. There, we'd make a cabbage fondue, which we served alongside the entrée; here, the cabbage, cooked to melting softness, lends delicious flavor and texture to the dish itself.
I like to use sirloin for this; it has got real oomph and is relatively cheap.
Serves 4
Ingredients
Four 8- to 10-ounce sirloin steaks, 1 to 1-1/2 inches thick
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 large head of napa cabbage, halved, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch slices (about 5 cups)
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup Black Pepper-Garlic Sauce
Directions
- Season the steaks with salt and pepper.
- Heat a large, heavy sauté pan over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil and swirl to coat the pan. Cook the steaks until done to taste, 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Remove from the pan and rub with the mustard on all sides. Keep warm.
- Reheat the pan over high heat. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the cabbage and stir-fry until very soft and lightly brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the lemon juice and Black Pepper-Garlic Sauce and heat thoroughly.
- To serve, cut 3 or 4 slices at a 45-degree angle from each steak, leaving the rest of the meat intact. Arrange each steak on a dinner plate. Mound the cabbage on top of the steaks and pour its liquid around them.
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
Executive Chef Stef's Black Pepper-Garlic Lobster
Executive Chef Stef's Black Pepper-Garlic Lobster
This Asiatic Acoustics standout is so simple to prepare and the peppery, garlicky sauce and lobster make one of those perfect culinary marriages; people can't get enough of it.
You'll need to break out the cleaver, or a heavy knife, to cut up the lobster. Can't swing lobster this week? Use shrimp instead. Butterfly them down the "back," keeping their shells as intact as you can, remove the sand veins, then proceed as the recipe directs, cooking them for about 3 minutes. Serve with rice or crusty bread to mop up the sauce.
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil
3-1 1/2- to 2-pound lobsters
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups Black Pepper-Garlic Sauce
2 large tomatoes, cut into 12-inch dice
Juice of 1 lemon
2 scallions, green and white parts, cut 1/8 inch thick
Directions
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
This Asiatic Acoustics standout is so simple to prepare and the peppery, garlicky sauce and lobster make one of those perfect culinary marriages; people can't get enough of it.
You'll need to break out the cleaver, or a heavy knife, to cut up the lobster. Can't swing lobster this week? Use shrimp instead. Butterfly them down the "back," keeping their shells as intact as you can, remove the sand veins, then proceed as the recipe directs, cooking them for about 3 minutes. Serve with rice or crusty bread to mop up the sauce.
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil
3-1 1/2- to 2-pound lobsters
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups Black Pepper-Garlic Sauce
2 large tomatoes, cut into 12-inch dice
Juice of 1 lemon
2 scallions, green and white parts, cut 1/8 inch thick
Directions
- With a cleaver or large, heavy knife, cut the tails from the lobsters' bodies. Twist off the claws and halve each lengthwise. Cut the tails along the joints into 4 or 5 sections.
- Heat a wok or large sauté pan over high heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add half the lobster and stir-fry until the shells turn red, 3 to 4 minutes; remove and reserve. Repeat with the remaining lobster pieces. Return the reserved lobster to the wok and add the wine. Cook over high heat until the wine has reduced to 2 tablespoons, about 2 minutes. Add the Black Pepper-Garlic Sauce, tomatoes, and lemon juice, stir, and bring just to a simmer. Do not allow the mixture to boil or the sauce may break. Garnish with scallions and serve immediately.
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
Executive Chef Stef's Broiled Stuffed Eggplant with Pepper Garlic Sauce
Executive Chef Stef's Broiled Stuffed Eggplant with Pepper Garlic Sauce
This great, all-vegetable dish owes its birth to Japanese as well as Chinese kitchen techniques. The Chinese often bake eggplant, which gives it deep flavor. The Japanese like to coat the vegetable with miso and then broil it. This dish, which works like twice-baked potatoes (baked and then mashed and restuffed), does both. A final napping with the Black Pepper-Garlic Sauce adds great flavor.
This makes a terrific starter and can be prepared ahead, up to the final broiling.
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 large eggplants
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup Spiced Panko Bread Crumbs
1/2 cup scallions sliced 1/8 inch thick
1 cup Black Pepper-Garlic Sauce
Directions
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
This great, all-vegetable dish owes its birth to Japanese as well as Chinese kitchen techniques. The Chinese often bake eggplant, which gives it deep flavor. The Japanese like to coat the vegetable with miso and then broil it. This dish, which works like twice-baked potatoes (baked and then mashed and restuffed), does both. A final napping with the Black Pepper-Garlic Sauce adds great flavor.
This makes a terrific starter and can be prepared ahead, up to the final broiling.
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 large eggplants
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup Spiced Panko Bread Crumbs
1/2 cup scallions sliced 1/8 inch thick
1 cup Black Pepper-Garlic Sauce
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Halve the eggplants lengthwise and, using a paring knife, score the flesh side about 1/2 inch deep. Rub the flesh side with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Transfer the eggplants flesh side down to a baking tray and bake until the flesh is soft enough to scoop from the skins, 30 to 45 minutes. Remove from the oven. Do not turn the oven off. Position a rack in the center of the oven.
- Being careful to keep the skin intact, scoop the eggplant flesh into a large bowl. Add the panko, scallions, and 1/2 cup of the Black Pepper-Garlic Sauce and toss well.
- Mound the mixture into the eggplant shells and bake until hot, 8 to 10 minutes. Nap with the remaining sauce, transfer to the broiler, and broil until the surface is well colored, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
Executive Chef Stef's Black Pepper-Garlic Sauce
Executive Chef Stef's Black Pepper-Garlic Sauce
This pungent, garlicky sauce owes its being to a famous crab and chile dish from Singapore. I wanted to concoct something similar using lobster, which is easier to eat than crab. With the help of a friend, I came up with the very dish, which has been a runaway hit ever since it was introduced at Asiatic Acoustics Mobiile Dinner Theatre. Its success made me realize that the sauce itself had a future.
Don't be alarmed by the amount of pepper in this. Once cooked, its heat is dissipated, so it doesn't blow your head off. What you get instead is a marvelous, elusive fragrance that perfectly complements the garlic. Bring the sauce to room temperature and mix it well before you use it.
Makes about 3 cups
Lasts 1 month, refrigerated
Ingredients
1 tablespoon grapeseed or canola oil
20 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 cup scallions, white and green parts, cut 1/8 inch thick
1 heaping tablespoon medium-ground black pepper
2 cups dry white wine
2 cups Master Chicken Broth or low-sodium canned chicken broth
2 tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla)
Juice of 1 lemon
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1-tablespoon pieces
Directions
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
This pungent, garlicky sauce owes its being to a famous crab and chile dish from Singapore. I wanted to concoct something similar using lobster, which is easier to eat than crab. With the help of a friend, I came up with the very dish, which has been a runaway hit ever since it was introduced at Asiatic Acoustics Mobiile Dinner Theatre. Its success made me realize that the sauce itself had a future.
Don't be alarmed by the amount of pepper in this. Once cooked, its heat is dissipated, so it doesn't blow your head off. What you get instead is a marvelous, elusive fragrance that perfectly complements the garlic. Bring the sauce to room temperature and mix it well before you use it.
Makes about 3 cups
Lasts 1 month, refrigerated
Ingredients
1 tablespoon grapeseed or canola oil
20 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 cup scallions, white and green parts, cut 1/8 inch thick
1 heaping tablespoon medium-ground black pepper
2 cups dry white wine
2 cups Master Chicken Broth or low-sodium canned chicken broth
2 tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla)
Juice of 1 lemon
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1-tablespoon pieces
Directions
- Heat a wok or large sauté pan over high heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the garlic and stir-fry until soft, about 30 seconds. Add the scallions and black pepper, and stir. Add the wine, stock, fish sauce, and lemon juice and cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 2 minutes.
- Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend on high speed to purée. With the machine running, add the butter to form a creamy sauce. Use or store.
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
Executive Chef Stef's Chocolate Pastilla
Executive Chef Stef's Chocolate Pastilla
Ingredients
8 sheets of phyllo (purchased at local supermarket)
10 tablespoons clarified butter
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 box of Lady Fingers
1 ½ cups Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache
2 tablespoons dried cherries
2 tablespoons pistachio nuts
Powdered sugar for garnish
Directions Take 4 sheets of phyllo and brush with clarified butter, one sheet at a time. Then sprinkle granulated sugar on top of each sheet. Pound each sheet. Layer one sheet on top of the other and divide into 4 sections.
Do the same as above with the other 4 sheets of phyllo.
Take 12 ladyfingers and spread one cup of ganache over. Cut lengthwise in half, then cut crosswise into four, so you will be left with 8 sections.
Chill ladyfingers in the refrigerator for 30 minutes
Wrap each ladyfinger section with one section of phyllo
Cook for 6 minutes at 380 degrees Fahrenheit
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
Ingredients
8 sheets of phyllo (purchased at local supermarket)
10 tablespoons clarified butter
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 box of Lady Fingers
1 ½ cups Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache
2 tablespoons dried cherries
2 tablespoons pistachio nuts
Powdered sugar for garnish
Directions Take 4 sheets of phyllo and brush with clarified butter, one sheet at a time. Then sprinkle granulated sugar on top of each sheet. Pound each sheet. Layer one sheet on top of the other and divide into 4 sections.
Do the same as above with the other 4 sheets of phyllo.
Take 12 ladyfingers and spread one cup of ganache over. Cut lengthwise in half, then cut crosswise into four, so you will be left with 8 sections.
Chill ladyfingers in the refrigerator for 30 minutes
Wrap each ladyfinger section with one section of phyllo
Cook for 6 minutes at 380 degrees Fahrenheit
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
Executive Chef Stef's Warm Chocolate Souffle Cakes with Cardamom Cream
Executive Chef Stef's Warm Chocolate Souffle Cakes with Cardamom Cream
This dessert was the reason I hired our own brilliant pastry chef. She auditioned with it, I tasted it, and she had the job. Light and moist, the individual cakes feature the dynamite combination of chocolate and cardamom. Their airy richness and deep chocolate flavor are perfectly complemented by the very fragrant spiciness of the cardamom cream. You must try this one.
Makes twelve 4-ounce cakes
Ingredients
4 cups Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache
6 extra-large eggs
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon powdered cardamom
Directions
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
This dessert was the reason I hired our own brilliant pastry chef. She auditioned with it, I tasted it, and she had the job. Light and moist, the individual cakes feature the dynamite combination of chocolate and cardamom. Their airy richness and deep chocolate flavor are perfectly complemented by the very fragrant spiciness of the cardamom cream. You must try this one.
Makes twelve 4-ounce cakes
Ingredients
4 cups Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache
6 extra-large eggs
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon powdered cardamom
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F. Grease twelve 4-ounce ramekins and line the bottoms with parchment or wax paper.
- If the ganache has been chilled, warm it in a microwave oven at medium for 1 minute until it is completely melted and can be stirred easily. Or melt it in a metal bowl or saucepan submerged in a larger bowl or pan of hot water. If necessary, transfer the warmed ganache to a medium bowl and set aside.
- Using a mixer set at medium speed, whip together the eggs and sugar until the mixture has tripled in volume, about 5 minutes for a standing mixer, 15 to 20 minutes for hand-held. Add the egg mixture to the ganache and fold the two together until thoroughly combined. Fill the ramekins three-quarters full with the batter. Place the ramekins in a deep pan or roasting pan and fill it with enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake until the cakes are set but still moist, or until a paring knife inserted in them comes out with a coating that's still a bit gooey, 15 to 20 minutes. (If in doubt, underbake.)
- Meanwhile, make the cardamom cream. Using a mixer, or by hand, whip the cream until lightly thickened. Add the tablespoon of sugar and the cardamom and continue whipping until stiff peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Top the cakes with the cardamom cream and serve warm.
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
Executive Chef Stef's Sesame, Macadamia Nut, and Dried Fruit Chocolate Truffles
Executive Chef Stef's Sesame, Macadamia Nut, and Dried Fruit Chocolate Truffles
Chocolate truffles are the most easily made homemade candy. All you need is some ganache and they almost make themselves. You can also flavor the basic truffles any way you like. This recipe features macadamias and dried fruit, but for more thrills, try adding candied ginger, walnuts or pine nuts, or even peanut butter. These are best eaten soon after making them, but you can also store them for 2 weeks in the fridge.
You can halve this recipe, too.
Makes about eight dozen 1/2-inch truffles
Ingredients
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup toasted sesame seeds
1 cup toasted and coarsely chopped macadamia nuts
1 cup coarsely chopped dried fruit, such as cranberries, cherries, golden raisins, pineapple, or mango
3 cups Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting (optional)
Directions
Chocolate truffles are the most easily made homemade candy. All you need is some ganache and they almost make themselves. You can also flavor the basic truffles any way you like. This recipe features macadamias and dried fruit, but for more thrills, try adding candied ginger, walnuts or pine nuts, or even peanut butter. These are best eaten soon after making them, but you can also store them for 2 weeks in the fridge.
You can halve this recipe, too.
Makes about eight dozen 1/2-inch truffles
Ingredients
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup toasted sesame seeds
1 cup toasted and coarsely chopped macadamia nuts
1 cup coarsely chopped dried fruit, such as cranberries, cherries, golden raisins, pineapple, or mango
3 cups Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting (optional)
Directions
- On separate plates, spread the cocoa powder, sesame seeds, macadamia nuts, and dried fruit (the types of fruit can be mixed or plated separately).
- Using a mixer with the paddle attachment, whip the ganache at high speed until thickened and pale in color, about 30 seconds. With a 1-ounce ice-cream scoop or teaspoon, scoop portions of the ganache to make truffles about 1/2 inch in diameter. Roll each truffle in the cocoa powder, sesame seeds, macadamia nuts, or chopped fruit, and dust some or all with the confectioners' sugar, if you like.
- If serving the truffles the same day, keep them in a cool place (not refrigerated) until served. If serving them later, refrigerate them, then allow them to come to room temperature before serving them. (You may have to re-roll the refrigerated truffles in cocoa and/or confectioners' sugar, if using.)
Executive Chef Stef's Bittersweet Chocolate Pots de Creme
Executive Chef Stef's Bittersweet Chocolate Pots de Creme
This luxurious, deeply chocolaty dessert is a cinch to make once you have Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache and Tahitian Crème Anglaise on hand. You can knock out 20 or more of these in a flash, and your guests will applaud your "hard work."
Serves 8
Ingredients
1 cup Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache
2 cups Tahitian Crème Anglaise
Directions
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
This luxurious, deeply chocolaty dessert is a cinch to make once you have Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache and Tahitian Crème Anglaise on hand. You can knock out 20 or more of these in a flash, and your guests will applaud your "hard work."
Serves 8
Ingredients
1 cup Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache
2 cups Tahitian Crème Anglaise
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F. If the ganache has been chilled, warm it in a microwave oven on medium for 1 minute, until it can be stirred easily. Or put it in a metal bowl or saucepan submerged in a larger bowl or pan of hot water.
- Add the crème anglaise to the ganache and stir to blend well. Place eight 3-ounce ramekins in a deep pan or roasting pan and fill the ramekins equally with the ganache mixture. Fill the deep pan with enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins and bake until the pots de crème are just set (they should jiggle when the ramekins are gently shaken), 45 to 50 minutes.
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
Executive Chef Stef's Asian Banana Split
Executive Chef Stef's Asian Banana Split
People sometimes laugh when I say there's no more perfect dish than a banana split. But well made, it balances different tastes, textures, and temperatures to the deep satisfaction of all who enjoy it. This version, made with ganache, toasted macadamias, rum, and Tahitian Vanilla Ice Cream, is more refined than the usual soda-fountain kind, but don't hold that against it! If you have the ganache and the ice cream on hand, it's not a big deal to make.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 cup Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
4 bananas, each split lengthwise into thirds (12 pieces total) and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/4 cup dark rum, such as Barbados or Myers's
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup coarsely chopped toasted macadamia nuts
1 quart Tahitian Vanilla Ice Cream , or premium store-bought ice cream
Whipped cream, for garnish
Directions
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
People sometimes laugh when I say there's no more perfect dish than a banana split. But well made, it balances different tastes, textures, and temperatures to the deep satisfaction of all who enjoy it. This version, made with ganache, toasted macadamias, rum, and Tahitian Vanilla Ice Cream, is more refined than the usual soda-fountain kind, but don't hold that against it! If you have the ganache and the ice cream on hand, it's not a big deal to make.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 cup Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
4 bananas, each split lengthwise into thirds (12 pieces total) and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/4 cup dark rum, such as Barbados or Myers's
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup coarsely chopped toasted macadamia nuts
1 quart Tahitian Vanilla Ice Cream , or premium store-bought ice cream
Whipped cream, for garnish
Directions
- If the ganache has been chilled, warm it in a microwave oven at medium for 1 minute, until it can be stirred easily. Or put it in a metal bowl or saucepan submerged in a larger bowl or pan of hot water.
- In a large nonstick sauté pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the bananas and sauté, stirring, until they caramelize, about 1 minute. Avert your face from the pan, add the rum, and ignite the rum with a long match or by exposing it to a burner flame. When the alcohol has burned away, 15 to 30 seconds, cook until the liquid is reduced by half, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the lime juice and macadamia nuts and sauté, stirring, until heated through, about 1 minute.
- Divide the ice cream among 4 serving bowls. Top with the banana mixture and the ganache. Garnish with the whipped cream and serve.
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
Executive Chef Stef's Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache
Executive Chef Stef's Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache
Ganache and I have a history. I almost OD'd on that simple but wonderful chocolate topping years ago at Fauchon in Paris, where I was challenged by Pierre Hermé, the esteemed pastry chef there, to scale up a ganache recipe. Involved were about two thousand dollars' worth of deluxe chocolate, cream, and a thirty-gallon kettle. I miscalculated the amount of cream needed for the new recipe and soon the kettle held ganache to the very, very rim. Pierre was not amused, and neither was I. It wasn't long before there was ganache everywhere, even inside my socks.
But only pleasure awaits you when you make this luscious dessert basic that's used in so many ways-as a frosting and glaze, for fillings, as a mousse and chocolate truffle base, and more. If you like to make sweets and you have ganache on hand, you're really way ahead.
Makes 5 cups
Lasts 2 weeks, refrigerated
Ingredients
3 cups heavy (whipping) cream, preferably not ultra-pasteurized
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into large dice
1 pound extra-bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
Directions
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
Ganache and I have a history. I almost OD'd on that simple but wonderful chocolate topping years ago at Fauchon in Paris, where I was challenged by Pierre Hermé, the esteemed pastry chef there, to scale up a ganache recipe. Involved were about two thousand dollars' worth of deluxe chocolate, cream, and a thirty-gallon kettle. I miscalculated the amount of cream needed for the new recipe and soon the kettle held ganache to the very, very rim. Pierre was not amused, and neither was I. It wasn't long before there was ganache everywhere, even inside my socks.
But only pleasure awaits you when you make this luscious dessert basic that's used in so many ways-as a frosting and glaze, for fillings, as a mousse and chocolate truffle base, and more. If you like to make sweets and you have ganache on hand, you're really way ahead.
Makes 5 cups
Lasts 2 weeks, refrigerated
Ingredients
3 cups heavy (whipping) cream, preferably not ultra-pasteurized
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into large dice
1 pound extra-bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
Directions
- In a medium saucepan, combine the cream and sugar and heat over medium heat just until hot.
- In a medium bowl, combine the butter and chocolate. Add the cream mixture and whisk until smooth. Pour the ganache into a shallow plastic or nonreactive metal container, and allow the ganache to cool to room temperature. Use or store, refrigerated.
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
Executive Chef Stef's Contessa Shrimp with Pineapple Salsa and Three Vinegar Syrup
Executive Chef Stef's Contessa Shrimp with Pineapple Salsa and Three Vinegar Syrup
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 cup pineapple, small dice
1 1/2 teaspoons shallot, minced
½ red jalepeno, finely diced
1 teaspoon cilantro, chopped
2 teaspoons lime juice
2 ounces olive oil
1 pinch togarashi
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound large Contessa Shrimp (8-12), cleaned, tail on
1/8 cup Three Vinegar Syrup
Directions
Combine pineapple, shallot, jalepeno, cilantro, togarashi, lime juice and 1 ounce of the olive oil and allow flavors to mix for 6 hours.
Season Contessa Shrimp with salt, pepper, and togarashi
Heat remaining 1 ounce of olive oil over moderate heat
Sauté Contessa Shrimp on both sides for approximately 2 minutes
Spoon approximately 3 teaspoons of salsa in center of plate and place three large Contessa Shrimp on top of salsa.
Add a pinch of togarashi to 1/8 cup of syrup, mix, and drizzle some around plate and on top of Contessa Shrimp.
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 cup pineapple, small dice
1 1/2 teaspoons shallot, minced
½ red jalepeno, finely diced
1 teaspoon cilantro, chopped
2 teaspoons lime juice
2 ounces olive oil
1 pinch togarashi
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound large Contessa Shrimp (8-12), cleaned, tail on
1/8 cup Three Vinegar Syrup
Directions
Combine pineapple, shallot, jalepeno, cilantro, togarashi, lime juice and 1 ounce of the olive oil and allow flavors to mix for 6 hours.
Season Contessa Shrimp with salt, pepper, and togarashi
Heat remaining 1 ounce of olive oil over moderate heat
Sauté Contessa Shrimp on both sides for approximately 2 minutes
Spoon approximately 3 teaspoons of salsa in center of plate and place three large Contessa Shrimp on top of salsa.
Add a pinch of togarashi to 1/8 cup of syrup, mix, and drizzle some around plate and on top of Contessa Shrimp.
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
Executive Chef Stef's Seared Halibut with Warm Fennel and Yellow Finn Potato Salad
Executive Chef Stef's Seared Halibut with Warm Fennel and Yellow Finn Potato Salad
I don't usually try to simplify Asiatic Acoustics dishes for home cooks, feeling they tend to lose something in the translation. But this all-in-one crowd pleaser is an exception. It was originally prepared with artichokes; I then realized that the warm fennel and potato salad without the artichokes were sufficient accompaniments. In fact, I like it better now that's it's pared down and more approachable.
Serves 4
Ingredients
Canola oil for cooking, plus 2 tablespoons
4 large unpeeled Yellow Finn potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice and well dried
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 halibut fillets, 6 to 8 ounces each, skin removed
2 fennel bulbs, halved, cored, sliced 1 1/6 inch thick, and tossed with the juice of 1 lemon to prevent browning
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
5 tablespoons Three-Vinegar Syrup
Directions
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
I don't usually try to simplify Asiatic Acoustics dishes for home cooks, feeling they tend to lose something in the translation. But this all-in-one crowd pleaser is an exception. It was originally prepared with artichokes; I then realized that the warm fennel and potato salad without the artichokes were sufficient accompaniments. In fact, I like it better now that's it's pared down and more approachable.
Serves 4
Ingredients
Canola oil for cooking, plus 2 tablespoons
4 large unpeeled Yellow Finn potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice and well dried
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 halibut fillets, 6 to 8 ounces each, skin removed
2 fennel bulbs, halved, cored, sliced 1 1/6 inch thick, and tossed with the juice of 1 lemon to prevent browning
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
5 tablespoons Three-Vinegar Syrup
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 200°F. Line a large ovenproof plate with paper towels and set aside.
- Heat a large nonstick sauté pan over high heat. Add enough oil to fill the pan by 1/4 inch and heat. Add the potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Shake the pan to ensure that no potatoes are sticking, cover, and sauté until the potatoes have softened and colored on the bottom, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the potatoes and continue to sauté until evenly colored, 3 to 4 minutes more. Transfer the potatoes with their cooking oil to the reserved plate and put them in the oven to keep hot.
- Wipe the pan. Season the halibut with salt and pepper. Reheat the pan over high heat. Add the 2 tablespoons of oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the halibut and sauté, turning once, until brown and just cooked through, 6 to 10 minutes total, depending on the fish's thickness.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the fennel and the potatoes with their oil, the chives, and 3 tablespoons of the Three-Vinegar Syrup. Season with salt and pepper and toss gently to combine.
- Garnish 4 serving plates with some of the remaining syrup. Mound the potato mixture on each and drizzle the remaining syrup over the portions. Top with the halibut and serve
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
Executive Chef Stef's Green Peppercorn Beef Tenderloin with Vinegar-Glazed Leeks
Executive Chef Stef's Green Peppercorn Beef Tenderloin with Vinegar-Glazed Leeks
I remember, as a kid, going to a local Ponderosa Steak House. With your steak, you had a choice of grilled onions or canned mushrooms (for fifty cents extra). I always went for the onions, and so enjoyed and came to love the classic combo of beef and onions. Years later I discovered leeks, superior in every way to plain onions when paired with juicy tenderloin. Green peppercorns and the Three-Vinegar Syrup add even more tempting flavor to this easy dish.
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 beef tenderloin filets, 6 to 8 ounces each
Kosher salt to taste
1/2 cup cracked green peppercorns
3 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil
3 leeks, white and light green parts, root-ends trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch rings,
Washed, and dried Freshly ground black pepper to taste
5 tablespoons Three-Vinegar Syrup
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Directions
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
I remember, as a kid, going to a local Ponderosa Steak House. With your steak, you had a choice of grilled onions or canned mushrooms (for fifty cents extra). I always went for the onions, and so enjoyed and came to love the classic combo of beef and onions. Years later I discovered leeks, superior in every way to plain onions when paired with juicy tenderloin. Green peppercorns and the Three-Vinegar Syrup add even more tempting flavor to this easy dish.
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 beef tenderloin filets, 6 to 8 ounces each
Kosher salt to taste
1/2 cup cracked green peppercorns
3 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil
3 leeks, white and light green parts, root-ends trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch rings,
Washed, and dried Freshly ground black pepper to taste
5 tablespoons Three-Vinegar Syrup
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 525°F.
- Season the beef with salt and coat on both sides with the 1/2 cup of peppercorns (you may have some left over). Heat an ovenproof sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil and swirl to coat the pan. Sauté the filets on one side until well colored, 2 to 3 minutes, turn them, and transfer the pan to the oven. Roast until the beef is cooked, 6 to 8 minutes for medium-rare.
- Meanwhile, heat a second sauté pan over high heat. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the leeks, season with salt and ground black pepper, and sauté until the leeks are soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Correct the seasoning. Add 3 tablespoons of the syrup and the butter and toss to coat the leeks evenly.
- Cut each filet diagonally into 5 slices. Place a mound of leeks on each of 4 plates, arrange a filet next to it, drizzle with the remaining syrup, and serve.
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
Executive Chef Stef's Three-Vinegar Syrup
Executive Chef Stef's Three-Vinegar Syrup
This vinegar reduction, which adds intriguing sweet-tart flavor to dishes, takes advantage of the fact that when balsamic vinegar is cooked down, its inherent sweetness is intensified. Three-Vinegar Syrup combines the complex flavors of balsamic, rice wine, and Chinese black vinegars. It does wonders for beef and seafood, but it can also be used to intensify the taste and aroma of sweet foods including fruit, or as a dessert sauce; I serve it over vanilla ice cream with great success. And because it is syrupy, you can use it decoratively, too, to beautify plates while adding a flavor accent.
Makes a scant 1/2 cup
Lasts 4 weeks, refrigerated
Ingredients
2 cups balsamic vinegar
2 cups rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup Chinese black vinegar, or an additional 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar plus 1 piece of star anise
Directions In a nonreactive saucepan, combine the vinegars (and star anise, if using) and bring to a simmer over low heat. Continue to simmer until the mixture is reduced by about 80 percent and thickly syrupy, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. (If using the star anise, remove it after the first 30 minutes of cooking.) To test for proper consistency, drizzle a little of the syrup on a chilled plate. It should keep its shape when the plate is tilted. Use or store.
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
This vinegar reduction, which adds intriguing sweet-tart flavor to dishes, takes advantage of the fact that when balsamic vinegar is cooked down, its inherent sweetness is intensified. Three-Vinegar Syrup combines the complex flavors of balsamic, rice wine, and Chinese black vinegars. It does wonders for beef and seafood, but it can also be used to intensify the taste and aroma of sweet foods including fruit, or as a dessert sauce; I serve it over vanilla ice cream with great success. And because it is syrupy, you can use it decoratively, too, to beautify plates while adding a flavor accent.
Makes a scant 1/2 cup
Lasts 4 weeks, refrigerated
Ingredients
2 cups balsamic vinegar
2 cups rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup Chinese black vinegar, or an additional 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar plus 1 piece of star anise
Directions In a nonreactive saucepan, combine the vinegars (and star anise, if using) and bring to a simmer over low heat. Continue to simmer until the mixture is reduced by about 80 percent and thickly syrupy, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. (If using the star anise, remove it after the first 30 minutes of cooking.) To test for proper consistency, drizzle a little of the syrup on a chilled plate. It should keep its shape when the plate is tilted. Use or store.
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
Executive Chef Stef's Pan-Seared Soy-Dijon Hamburger on Toast
Executive Chef Stef's Pan-Seared Soy-Dijon Hamburger on Toast
I've never met a hamburger I didn't like. (Well, almost never.) Prepared well, this quintessential American food satisfies everyone. To make it even more of a good thing, I add Soy-Dijon Marinade to the meat before cooking it, and I serve the burgers on toast, as opposed to a bun, so you get just the right ratio of bread to meat. (I thank Louis' Lunch of New Haven, Connecticut, for the idea.) Served with tomato, lettuce, and red onion, this is a super burger, especially when accompanied by pickles and chips.
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 pounds ground beef
1/2 cup Soy-Dijon Marinade
Kosher salt and freshly ground
Black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 slices of bread, toasted
8 tender inner leaves of romaine
Lettuce, shredded
1 large tomato, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 large red onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
Directions
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
I've never met a hamburger I didn't like. (Well, almost never.) Prepared well, this quintessential American food satisfies everyone. To make it even more of a good thing, I add Soy-Dijon Marinade to the meat before cooking it, and I serve the burgers on toast, as opposed to a bun, so you get just the right ratio of bread to meat. (I thank Louis' Lunch of New Haven, Connecticut, for the idea.) Served with tomato, lettuce, and red onion, this is a super burger, especially when accompanied by pickles and chips.
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 pounds ground beef
1/2 cup Soy-Dijon Marinade
Kosher salt and freshly ground
Black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 slices of bread, toasted
8 tender inner leaves of romaine
Lettuce, shredded
1 large tomato, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 large red onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
Directions
- In a large, chilled bowl, combine the meat and marinade and, using your hands, mix gently just until the marinade is incorporated. Do not overwork the mixture. Form 4 patties, each the size of the bread slices. Lightly season the patties with salt and pepper.
- Heat a large, nonstick sauté pan over high heat. Add the butter and when it melts, swirl to coat the pan. Sauté the burgers, turning once, until done, 2 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare.
- Place a slice of toast on each of 4 serving plates. Cover with the romaine and top with the burgers, tomato, and onion. Top with the remaining toast to make sandwiches, slice each diagonally, and serve.
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
Executive Chef Stef's Roasted Soy-Dijon Lamb Racks with Smashed Blue Cheese-Spinach Potatoes
Executive Chef Stef's Roasted Soy-Dijon Lamb Racks with Smashed Blue Cheese-Spinach Potatoes
There's nothing like rack of lamb for simple yet luxurious eating. This version bows to traditional rack recipes in its use of thyme and mustard (here, they're in the marinade), but uses a hot skillet for an initial, flavor-building sear. The accompaniments are also special. We served the chops with blue-cheese whipped potatoes at the restaurant and couldn't make enough of that side. (If you're not a blue-cheese fan, you can use Cheddar instead.)
In this version, the cheese-flavored potatoes are smashed with a potato masher for a great rough texture. Wilted spinach, flavored with the lamb's juices, completes the dish.
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 large lamb racks, fat cap removed (have the butcher do this for you)
2 cups Soy-Dijon Marinade
4 large baking potatoes, washed
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup crumbled blue cheese, such as Roquefort, Gorgonzola, Saga Blue, or Cabot Blue
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 pound baby spinach
Directions
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
There's nothing like rack of lamb for simple yet luxurious eating. This version bows to traditional rack recipes in its use of thyme and mustard (here, they're in the marinade), but uses a hot skillet for an initial, flavor-building sear. The accompaniments are also special. We served the chops with blue-cheese whipped potatoes at the restaurant and couldn't make enough of that side. (If you're not a blue-cheese fan, you can use Cheddar instead.)
In this version, the cheese-flavored potatoes are smashed with a potato masher for a great rough texture. Wilted spinach, flavored with the lamb's juices, completes the dish.
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 large lamb racks, fat cap removed (have the butcher do this for you)
2 cups Soy-Dijon Marinade
4 large baking potatoes, washed
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup crumbled blue cheese, such as Roquefort, Gorgonzola, Saga Blue, or Cabot Blue
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 pound baby spinach
Directions
- Place the lamb racks in a baking dish and rub them with the marinade. Marinate the racks, covered with foil and refrigerated for 8 hours or overnight. Turn the racks during marination to ensure even flavoring.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Wrap each potato in foil and prick several times with a fork through the foil. Bake the potatoes until soft, about 45 minutes. Remove the potatoes, turn the oven up to 525°F., and place a large, heavy skillet or ovenproof sauté pan in the oven to heat.
- Meanwhile, in a large saucepan heat the cream over high heat until it comes to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the cream is reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Add the cheese and stir to blend.
- Place the hot potatoes in a large bowl and use a potato masher or 2 large forks to smash them, skin and all. Fold the hot cream mixture into the potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Return the potatoes to the saucepan, and cover to keep hot.
- Place the lamb racks in the heated pan fat side down (they will sizzle). Roast the racks, allowing the pan heat to color them, for about 5 minutes. Turn the racks right side up and continue to roast them until cooked, 5 to 8 minutes for medium-rare.
- Place the spinach on a large plate. Top with the racks and allow the spinach to soften from the racks' heat, about 10 minutes. (The juice from the racks will collect on the spinach.) Transfer the spinach and its juice to the saucepan with the potatoes and mix.
- Mound the potato mixture in the center of 4 serving plates. Slice each rack into 8 double chops and place 2 on top of each potato portion. Serve.
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
Executive Chef Stef's Soy-Dijon Marinade
Executive Chef Stef's Soy-Dijon Marinade
This is my "classic" marinade. It combines Dijon mustard-the best mustard, in my opinion-with soy sauce, wine, and herbs to produce a truly enhancing blend. I mean, this marinade really does the job, and not only for meat and poultry, but also for thick-fleshed mushrooms like portobellos or creminis.
Makes 6 cups
Lasts 2 weeks, refrigerated
Ingredients
1/4 cup cracked black peppercorns, plus freshly ground black pepper to taste
Kosher salt to taste
1 cup red wine
1 1/2 cups Dijon mustard
1/2 cup naturally brewed soy sauce
8 sprigs of fresh thyme, chopped, or 2 tablespoons dried
1/2 cup minced garlic
2 1/2 cups canola oil
Directions In a small, dry sauté pan, heat the peppercorns over medium-high heat, stirring, until the peppercorns are fragrant and just begin to smoke, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a medium nonreactive bowl and add the salt, wine, mustard, soy sauce, thyme, and garlic. Whisk in the canola oil gradually to emulsify the mixture. Use or store.
Try it:
This is great for marinating "steak" fish like salmon and swordfish. Marinate the fish for 1 hour before cooking it.
Brush the marinade on roasted vegetables such as corn or portobellos.
Great for marinating chicken, pork chops, or steak before grilling or broiling.
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
This is my "classic" marinade. It combines Dijon mustard-the best mustard, in my opinion-with soy sauce, wine, and herbs to produce a truly enhancing blend. I mean, this marinade really does the job, and not only for meat and poultry, but also for thick-fleshed mushrooms like portobellos or creminis.
Makes 6 cups
Lasts 2 weeks, refrigerated
Ingredients
1/4 cup cracked black peppercorns, plus freshly ground black pepper to taste
Kosher salt to taste
1 cup red wine
1 1/2 cups Dijon mustard
1/2 cup naturally brewed soy sauce
8 sprigs of fresh thyme, chopped, or 2 tablespoons dried
1/2 cup minced garlic
2 1/2 cups canola oil
Directions In a small, dry sauté pan, heat the peppercorns over medium-high heat, stirring, until the peppercorns are fragrant and just begin to smoke, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a medium nonreactive bowl and add the salt, wine, mustard, soy sauce, thyme, and garlic. Whisk in the canola oil gradually to emulsify the mixture. Use or store.
Try it:
This is great for marinating "steak" fish like salmon and swordfish. Marinate the fish for 1 hour before cooking it.
Brush the marinade on roasted vegetables such as corn or portobellos.
Great for marinating chicken, pork chops, or steak before grilling or broiling.
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
Executive Chef Stef's Soy-Dijon Wings
Executive Chef Stef's Soy-Dijon Wings
I have it on paper: In 1989 at Cornell University I consumed 115 chicken wings in an hour. (This is not on my résumé, however.) That should give you some idea of my commitment to those addictive morsels, especially when prepared "Buffalo" style. This dish is the result of wanting to take those much-loved wings in a different direction.
As with the original, these wings are deep-fried for crispness and served with chilled celery sticks. But instead of the accompanying blue-cheese dip, I bathe the cooked wings in Soy-Dijon Marinade with added cheese for an awesome finish. These work equally well for munching or for supper, for few or a crowd.
Serves 3 or 4
Ingredients
1 small head of celery, stem end removed, washed Canola oil, for frying
2 pounds chicken wings, separated into drumettes and wings (discard the tips)
1 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 cup Soy-Dijon Marinade
Directions
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.6888-2464
I have it on paper: In 1989 at Cornell University I consumed 115 chicken wings in an hour. (This is not on my résumé, however.) That should give you some idea of my commitment to those addictive morsels, especially when prepared "Buffalo" style. This dish is the result of wanting to take those much-loved wings in a different direction.
As with the original, these wings are deep-fried for crispness and served with chilled celery sticks. But instead of the accompanying blue-cheese dip, I bathe the cooked wings in Soy-Dijon Marinade with added cheese for an awesome finish. These work equally well for munching or for supper, for few or a crowd.
Serves 3 or 4
Ingredients
1 small head of celery, stem end removed, washed Canola oil, for frying
2 pounds chicken wings, separated into drumettes and wings (discard the tips)
1 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 cup Soy-Dijon Marinade
Directions
- Fill a medium bowl with water and add ice. Separate the celery head into stalks, trim the ends and leaves, and cut into 4-inch lengths, halving any wide sticks. Add to the bowl and set aside.
- Fill an electric fryer with oil to the designated mark and heat to 375°F. Alternatively, fill a large stockpot one-third full with oil and heat over high heat to 375°F.
- Drain and dry the wings well. Working in batches to avoid crowding, if necessary, fry the wings in the oil until brown and crispy, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the wings with a flat strainer and transfer them to a large bowl. Add the cheese to the marinade, add the mixture to the wings, and toss well. Serve immediately with the chilled celery.
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.6888-2464
Executive Chef Stef's "Mom and Pops" Moo-Shu Pork
Executive Chef Stef's "Mom and Pops" Moo-Shu Pork
Ingredients
1 pound pork, julienned
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms
2 cups shredded white cabbage
3/4 cup bamboo shoots, julienned (may use canned that have been rinsed well in cold water)
3/4 cup wood ear mushrooms, julienned (rehydrated)
1 cup hoisin-lime sauce
3 eggs, beaten lightly
1 bunch scallions, made into scallion brushes (to make brushes, hold scallion green and with a paring knife, make several vertical slices through white part. Immediately submerge in ice water and they will fan out, becoming "brushes")
4-6 chinese pancakes, steamed hot
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Canola or grapeseed oil to cook
Directions
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
Ingredients
1 pound pork, julienned
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms
2 cups shredded white cabbage
3/4 cup bamboo shoots, julienned (may use canned that have been rinsed well in cold water)
3/4 cup wood ear mushrooms, julienned (rehydrated)
1 cup hoisin-lime sauce
3 eggs, beaten lightly
1 bunch scallions, made into scallion brushes (to make brushes, hold scallion green and with a paring knife, make several vertical slices through white part. Immediately submerge in ice water and they will fan out, becoming "brushes")
4-6 chinese pancakes, steamed hot
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Canola or grapeseed oil to cook
Directions
- In a wok filled with 1 cup oil, bring to high temperature and add the pork. Using a strainer, quickly move around the pork and cook until medium rare, only 1 minute. Remove, strain pork and set aside.
- Leave 2 tablespoons of oil in the wok and return to high heat. Add eggs to hot oil and scramble. Set them aside with cooked pork.
- With remaining oil in wok, stir fry the garlic, ginger, and shiitake mushrooms until soft, about 2-3 minutes and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Add the cabbage, bamboo shoots, and wood ear mushrooms and continue stir frying 2-3 minutes.
- Add back the pork and eggs.
- Add half of the hoisin-lime and check for flavor.
- Meanwhile, in a steamer, heat the pancakes until hot.
- Lay individual pancakes on plates and paint on hoisin-lime sauce with the scallion brushes. Top with Moo-Shu, lay on 2 scallion brushes and roll up.
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
Executive Chef Stef's Asian Sloppy Joes
Executive Chef Stef's Asian Sloppy Joes
As a kid I always looked forward to my mom's sloppy joes, which she made with hoisin sauce in place of tomatoes and onions. It really worked. So I salute her here with my own hoisin-sauce version, which sneaks some tomatoes back in for acidic balance, and includes jalapeño for a bit of heat. (Sorry, Mom!) I also supplement the usual beef with ground pork-another bow to my roots. It's a delicious variation, but feel free to use the traditional beef alone (just please make sure the ground beef has some fat in it, for flavor).
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
2 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil
2 medium red onions, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 cup celery cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 jalapeños, stemmed and minced, or 1 tablespoon sambal oelek or hot sauce
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
8 ounces chopped roma tomatoes, canned or fresh
1 1/2 cups Hoisin-Lime Sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 to 6 hamburger buns
1 head of iceberg lettuce, shredded
Directions
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
As a kid I always looked forward to my mom's sloppy joes, which she made with hoisin sauce in place of tomatoes and onions. It really worked. So I salute her here with my own hoisin-sauce version, which sneaks some tomatoes back in for acidic balance, and includes jalapeño for a bit of heat. (Sorry, Mom!) I also supplement the usual beef with ground pork-another bow to my roots. It's a delicious variation, but feel free to use the traditional beef alone (just please make sure the ground beef has some fat in it, for flavor).
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
2 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil
2 medium red onions, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 cup celery cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 jalapeños, stemmed and minced, or 1 tablespoon sambal oelek or hot sauce
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
8 ounces chopped roma tomatoes, canned or fresh
1 1/2 cups Hoisin-Lime Sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 to 6 hamburger buns
1 head of iceberg lettuce, shredded
Directions
- Heat a large deep, heavy saucepan over high heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the onions, celery, and jalapeños and sauté until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the beef and pork and brown lightly, breaking up any clumps with a wooden spoon, about 5 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and the Hoisin-Lime Sauce and season with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a slow simmer and cook until cooked down and thickened enough to mound when ladled, 30 to 45 minutes.
- Toast the buns and place a bottom half on each serving plate. Top with some of the lettuce, large scoops of the sloppy joe mixture, and more lettuce. Place the top buns over the contents and serve.
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
Executive Chef Stef's Hoisin-Roasted Duck with Sweet Potatoes
Executive Chef Stef's Hoisin-Roasted Duck with Sweet Potatoes Here's my easy version of the famed Peking Duck, a delicious dish that nonetheless takes lifetimes to prepare. This one-pot variation, which features sweet potatoes (wonderful with the duck), is much, much simpler to make, and you still get crispy skin, savory meat, and the hoisin-sauce "accompaniment," not to mention deliciously roasted sweets that have absorbed the tasty duck drippings.
Serves 3-4
Ingredients
One 5- to 6-pound duck, rinsed and dried, and visible fat removed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups Hoisin-Lime Sauce
1/2 cup red wine
2 large onions, cut into 1/4-inch slices
4 large sweet potatoes, washed and cut into 6 to 8 wedges each
Directions
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
Serves 3-4
Ingredients
One 5- to 6-pound duck, rinsed and dried, and visible fat removed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups Hoisin-Lime Sauce
1/2 cup red wine
2 large onions, cut into 1/4-inch slices
4 large sweet potatoes, washed and cut into 6 to 8 wedges each
Directions
- Season the duck inside and out with salt and pepper. In a medium bowl, combine the Hoisin-Lime Sauce and the wine. Rub the duck generously with the mixture inside and out, and marinate in the mixture, refrigerated, for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
- Place a roasting pan in the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Combine the onions and potatoes in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper, and toss.
- Open the oven and carefully spray the roasting pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place one potato wedge in the pan. The potato should sizzle; if not, remove it and continue to heat the pan. When the pan is very hot, add the potato mixture to the pan and place the duck on top, breast side up. Turn the pan back to front and roast until the duck is brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Tent the duck with foil and continue to roast until the duck is cooked through, or the legs are easily moved, 30 to 35 minutes more. Transfer the duck to a cutting board and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Using a flat spatula, loosen the potato mixture from the pan and transfer to the center of a platter. Place the whole duck on the potatoes, breast side up, and carve at table. You may also carve the duck before serving, separating the leg thighs from the wings, and slicing the breast.
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
Executive Chef Stef's Chicken with Zucchini
Executive Chef Stef's Chicken with Zucchini
This is my down-home Asian version of barbecued chicken. The traditional American dish has lots of sweetness and, usually, some heat. I've cooled it on the sweetness front here, but amped up the heat with fiery sambal. The result, thanks also to the addition of sauce-marinated zucchini, pleases all. Sweet barbecue sauces are prone to burning, so have a filled spray bottle near the grill to douse any flare-ups. I like to fill the bottle with beer instead of water; why not add flavor when you can?
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 1/4 cups Hoisin-Lime Sauce
1 tablespoon sambal oelek or liquid hot sauce, or to taste
4 bone-in chicken thighs with skin
4 medium whole boneless chicken breasts with skin
1/2 cup white parts of scallions cut 1/8 inch thick, plus 2 tablespoons julienned
Or chopped green parts, for garnish (optional)
2 large zucchini, ends trimmed, halved lengthwise, and flat sides scored lightly
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
This is my down-home Asian version of barbecued chicken. The traditional American dish has lots of sweetness and, usually, some heat. I've cooled it on the sweetness front here, but amped up the heat with fiery sambal. The result, thanks also to the addition of sauce-marinated zucchini, pleases all. Sweet barbecue sauces are prone to burning, so have a filled spray bottle near the grill to douse any flare-ups. I like to fill the bottle with beer instead of water; why not add flavor when you can?
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 1/4 cups Hoisin-Lime Sauce
1 tablespoon sambal oelek or liquid hot sauce, or to taste
4 bone-in chicken thighs with skin
4 medium whole boneless chicken breasts with skin
1/2 cup white parts of scallions cut 1/8 inch thick, plus 2 tablespoons julienned
Or chopped green parts, for garnish (optional)
2 large zucchini, ends trimmed, halved lengthwise, and flat sides scored lightly
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions
- Two hours or up to 24 hours in advance (the longer, the better), combine 2 cups of the Hoisin-Lime Sauce and the sambal oelek in a medium nonreactive bowl. Add the chicken and scallion whites and toss well. Marinate, refrigerated, turning the chicken at least once. Thirty minutes before cooking, add the zucchini, and stir to coat well.
- Prepare an outdoor grill and heat to hot, or preheat a large grill pan or the broiler. Spray the grill with nonstick spray or coat the grill pan with 1 tablespoon of grapeseed or canola oil. Remove the chicken from the marinade and grill or broil it, turning once, until the skin is brown and crispy and the juices run clear when the meat is pierced with a fork, 8 to 12 minutes for the breasts, 12 to 15 minutes for the thighs.
- About 5 minutes after the chicken has begun to cook, add the zucchini and cook, turning once, until brown, about 8 minutes total. Transfer to a cutting board.
- Slice the zucchini and chicken breasts on the diagonal and arrange on a serving platter with the whole thighs. Drizzle with the remaining Hoisin-Lime Sauce, and garnish with the scallion julienne, if using.
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
Executive Chef Stef's Hoisin-Lime Sauce
Executive Chef Stef's Hoisin-Lime Sauce
If you're like most people, your first encounter with hoisin sauce involved the Chinese dish mu shu pork, in which the sauce serves as a dipper for meat-enclosed pancakes. Used this way (and even in dishes), this bean-paste ingredient is too sweet, I find. That's why I came up with this sprightly lime-flavored version. The acidic kick of the lime bounces off the sauce's sweetness to create a delicious "new" hoisin. I've also added aromatics to the sauce to ensure it's well rounded- and versatile.
Makes about 2 cups.
Lasts 2 weeks, refrigerated.
Ingredients
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
2 cups hoisin sauce
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
If you're like most people, your first encounter with hoisin sauce involved the Chinese dish mu shu pork, in which the sauce serves as a dipper for meat-enclosed pancakes. Used this way (and even in dishes), this bean-paste ingredient is too sweet, I find. That's why I came up with this sprightly lime-flavored version. The acidic kick of the lime bounces off the sauce's sweetness to create a delicious "new" hoisin. I've also added aromatics to the sauce to ensure it's well rounded- and versatile.
Makes about 2 cups.
Lasts 2 weeks, refrigerated.
Ingredients
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
2 cups hoisin sauce
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions
- Heat a wok or large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the 2 tablespoons of oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the hoisin sauce and stir to prevent burning. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute, then add the lime juice.
- Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend, drizzling in the 1/2 cup oil. Season with salt and pepper. Cool thoroughly and use or store.
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
Executive Chef Stef's Thai Lime Chicken Salad
Executive Chef Stef's Thai Lime Chicken Salad
If you've ever tried a summer roll, you know they usually contain a protein like Contessa Shrimp, rice or mung beans, lettuce, basil, and lime juice, all wrapped in rice paper. This deconstructed version is all filling, made with grilled chicken breast, spinach, rice noodles, and, of course, the Thai Lime Dipping Sauce. I love this salad because it contrasts warm chicken with cool ingredients, but you can make the chicken in advance, if you like, and serve it cool, too.
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil, if needed
8 ounces rice noodles
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup Thai Lime Dipping Sauce
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 pound baby spinach leaves
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
Directions
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
If you've ever tried a summer roll, you know they usually contain a protein like Contessa Shrimp, rice or mung beans, lettuce, basil, and lime juice, all wrapped in rice paper. This deconstructed version is all filling, made with grilled chicken breast, spinach, rice noodles, and, of course, the Thai Lime Dipping Sauce. I love this salad because it contrasts warm chicken with cool ingredients, but you can make the chicken in advance, if you like, and serve it cool, too.
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil, if needed
8 ounces rice noodles
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup Thai Lime Dipping Sauce
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 pound baby spinach leaves
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
Directions
- Prepare an outdoor grill and heat to hot. Spray the grid well with nonstick cooking spray. Alternatively, heat a grill pan or large heavy sauté pan over high heat. Add the grapeseed oil and swirl to coat the pan.
- Combine the noodles with hot tap water to cover and allow to soak until soft, about 30 minutes. Drain well.
- Meanwhile, lightly season the chicken with salt and pepper. Grill or sauté the chicken on both sides until colored and the juices run clear when the breasts are pierced with the tip of a knife, 8 to 10 minutes total. Allow the breasts to cool until warm.
- Slice the breasts 12 inch thick. In a bowl large enough to hold it, combine the chicken with 14 cup of the Thai Lime Dipping Sauce and marinate for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, place the remaining 14 cup of sauce in a large mixing bowl and whisk in the canola oil. Correct the seasoning with salt and pepper. Add the noodles, spinach, and tomatoes and toss. Add the chicken, including the marinade, and toss well. Serve immediately in large chilled bowls.
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
Executive Chef Stef's Crispy Calamari
Executive Chef Stef's Crispy Calamari
Fried calamari with a dipping sauce is one of America's most popular starters.
That's understandable: Pair crispy squid with a tantalizing sauce and you've got great eating. This spice-fragrant version is superior in every way. A preliminary marination helps ensure tender squid, as does quick frying. You can grind toasted whole spices or toast them already ground. Fresh and frozen squid work equally well here, but if you buy fresh, you get to ask your fish seller to clean the squid for you. (And make sure he gives you the tentacles-the best part!)
I recommend flat strainers for moving the squid from its marinating bath to the coating mixture, and to help with the coating; they're a small investment with a big convenience payoff (or use regular large strainers). In any case, you'll love the dish as much as our Asiatic Acoustics diners do. Whenever I teach this dish to cooks, I make sure they understand the importance of listening as the squid cooks. As soon as the oil's bubbling sound dies away the squid is done.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground fennel
1 teaspoon ground white peppercorn
1 tablespoon kosher salt
Canola oil, for frying
2 cups Thai Lime Dipping Sauce, plus 1/2 cup, for dipping
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sweet-potato flour or cornstarch
2 pounds calamari, cleaned and cut into 1/2-inch rings
2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions, white and green parts
Directions
To make a fabulous crispy calamari hoagie, smear a split submarine roll generously with Korean Tartar Sauce or homemade or store-bought tartar sauce, then add chopped Romaine lettuce leaves, or your favorite salad greens.
Drizzle with Thai Lime Dipping Sauce or fresh lime juice, top with freshly cooked crispy calamari, add some more lettuce, and top with the remaining bread.
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
Fried calamari with a dipping sauce is one of America's most popular starters.
That's understandable: Pair crispy squid with a tantalizing sauce and you've got great eating. This spice-fragrant version is superior in every way. A preliminary marination helps ensure tender squid, as does quick frying. You can grind toasted whole spices or toast them already ground. Fresh and frozen squid work equally well here, but if you buy fresh, you get to ask your fish seller to clean the squid for you. (And make sure he gives you the tentacles-the best part!)
I recommend flat strainers for moving the squid from its marinating bath to the coating mixture, and to help with the coating; they're a small investment with a big convenience payoff (or use regular large strainers). In any case, you'll love the dish as much as our Asiatic Acoustics diners do. Whenever I teach this dish to cooks, I make sure they understand the importance of listening as the squid cooks. As soon as the oil's bubbling sound dies away the squid is done.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground fennel
1 teaspoon ground white peppercorn
1 tablespoon kosher salt
Canola oil, for frying
2 cups Thai Lime Dipping Sauce, plus 1/2 cup, for dipping
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sweet-potato flour or cornstarch
2 pounds calamari, cleaned and cut into 1/2-inch rings
2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions, white and green parts
Directions
- In a small frying pan, combine the cumin, coriander, fennel, and white peppercorns. Toast over medium heat, stirring, until just smoking, 4 to 5 minutes. Cool and transfer to a small serving bowl or ramekin. Add the salt and mix. Set aside.
- Fill an electric fryer with the oil to the designated mark, or fill a small stockpot one-third full. Heat the oil to 375°F.
- Place a flat strainer in a large bowl into which it just fits and fill the bowl with the Thai Lime Dipping Sauce. In another large bowl, combine the flours.
- Working in batches, place the calamari in the first bowl and marinate for 10 seconds only. Using the strainer, lift the calamari from the bowl and transfer it to the bowl with the flours. With a second flat strainer, dip and lift the calamari in the flours, coating it so no moisture is detectable. Shake the squid in the strainer to remove all excess coating.
- Transfer the squid to the oil and fry only until the bubbling sound dies away, 30 to 45 seconds. (The calamari will have colored to a golden brown.) Using a flat strainer, transfer the squid to paper towels to drain. Season the squid with the flavored salt, garnish with the scallions, and serve immediately with the dipping sauce.
To make a fabulous crispy calamari hoagie, smear a split submarine roll generously with Korean Tartar Sauce or homemade or store-bought tartar sauce, then add chopped Romaine lettuce leaves, or your favorite salad greens.
Drizzle with Thai Lime Dipping Sauce or fresh lime juice, top with freshly cooked crispy calamari, add some more lettuce, and top with the remaining bread.
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
Executive Chef Stef's Thai Lime Dipping Sauce
Executive Chef Stef's Thai Lime Dipping Sauce
This dipping sauce, fresh with herbs and tangy with lime, is Asiatic Acoustics most requested recipe. It's particularly awesome with our crispy calamari as well as with spring rolls, dumplings, and similar bites. It's based on the traditional Thai dip called cha-gio, which gets its savor from fish sauce. That salty ingredient is nicely balanced with lime juice.
The herbs darken as the sauce ages; this isn't a taste problem (quite the opposite, as the flavor deepens over time) but the sauce will lose its looks. If this bothers you, make and store the sauce "base" only, then chop and add herbs an hour before serving it. Or strain out any tired herbs from "old" sauce and replace them with fresh.
Makes about 5 cups
Lasts 1 week, refrigerated
Ingredients
2 cups Thai fish sauce (nam pla)
3 cups fresh or bottled lime juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
Directions In a large non-reactive bowl, combine the ingredients and mix. Use or store.
Try It:
Add grapeseed oil to the sauce in the proportion of 2 oil to 1 sauce. You'll have a great vinaigrette that's perfect for seafood and celery-root salads.
Use the sauce for "ceviche cooking" cod, salmon, and Contessa Shrimp.
 
Marinate chicken legs and thighs in the sauce, then fry
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
This dipping sauce, fresh with herbs and tangy with lime, is Asiatic Acoustics most requested recipe. It's particularly awesome with our crispy calamari as well as with spring rolls, dumplings, and similar bites. It's based on the traditional Thai dip called cha-gio, which gets its savor from fish sauce. That salty ingredient is nicely balanced with lime juice.
The herbs darken as the sauce ages; this isn't a taste problem (quite the opposite, as the flavor deepens over time) but the sauce will lose its looks. If this bothers you, make and store the sauce "base" only, then chop and add herbs an hour before serving it. Or strain out any tired herbs from "old" sauce and replace them with fresh.
Makes about 5 cups
Lasts 1 week, refrigerated
Ingredients
2 cups Thai fish sauce (nam pla)
3 cups fresh or bottled lime juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
Directions In a large non-reactive bowl, combine the ingredients and mix. Use or store.
Try It:
Add grapeseed oil to the sauce in the proportion of 2 oil to 1 sauce. You'll have a great vinaigrette that's perfect for seafood and celery-root salads.
Use the sauce for "ceviche cooking" cod, salmon, and Contessa Shrimp.
 
Marinate chicken legs and thighs in the sauce, then fry
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
Executive Chef Stef's Seared Sea Scallops with Thai Lime Butter Sauce
Executive Chef Stef's Seared Sea Scallops with Thai Lime Butter Sauce
Serves 4 as a main course.
Ingredients
1 ½ pounds large (10-20 size) sea scallops, strap removed
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
¼ cup Thai Lime Dipping Sauce, herbs strained *
¼ cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons sweet (unsalted) butter
2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro, basil & mint
Rice (jasmine or sticky) for serving
Directions
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
Serves 4 as a main course.
Ingredients
1 ½ pounds large (10-20 size) sea scallops, strap removed
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
¼ cup Thai Lime Dipping Sauce, herbs strained *
¼ cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons sweet (unsalted) butter
2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro, basil & mint
Rice (jasmine or sticky) for serving
Directions
- Pick through the scallops for fragments of broken shell. Remove the "strap" on the side of the scallop. Season them with black pepper & no salt.
- Heat a large sauté pan or skillet (12 inch) on a medium high heat. Add the vegetable oil. When smoking hot, add the scallops. Do not turn or shake the pan. Allow the scallops to brown. After 2 minutes, turn each scallop and cook for another minute or two, until the scallops are firm and heated through (no need to over cook).
- Remove the scallops from the pan and pour off any excess oil. Divide the scallops onto 4 dinner plates along side a portion (2/3 cup) of jasmine rice. Place the pan back on the stove and add the crushed red pepper, Thai Lime Dipping Sauce and cream. Reduce until the cream is thick. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and fresh herbs. Spoon the butter sauce over the scallops and serve at once.
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
Executive Chef Stef's Scallion Pancakes
Executive Chef Stef's Scallion Pancakes
Everyone loves scallion pancakes, and once you have Asiatic Acoustics Cracker Dough on hand, they couldn't be simpler to make. My grandfather, used to stuff his scallion pancakes with ground pork or beef. For the ultimate version, why not treat the pancakes like pita bread or tortillas and wrap them around a beef stir-fry? Or fill them with cold chicken salad? The combination of the hot bread and the cold salad is tremendous.
These are served with a sambal-spiked dipping sauce.
Makes 4 pancakes
Ingredients
1 tablespoon Traditional Spicy Sambal or store-bought sambal
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup naturally brewed soy sauce
1 tablespoon Asian sesame oil
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound Asiatic Acoustics Cracker Dough
2 cups scallions, white and green parts, cut diagonally 1 1/6 inch thick
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon grapeseed or canola oil
Directions
For a savory pancake addition, mix 2 cups of finely chopped raw Contessa Shrimp in a bowl with the scallions. Sprinkle the dough evenly with the mixture, and proceed with the recipe, frying the pancakes 3 to 4 minutes per side.
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
Everyone loves scallion pancakes, and once you have Asiatic Acoustics Cracker Dough on hand, they couldn't be simpler to make. My grandfather, used to stuff his scallion pancakes with ground pork or beef. For the ultimate version, why not treat the pancakes like pita bread or tortillas and wrap them around a beef stir-fry? Or fill them with cold chicken salad? The combination of the hot bread and the cold salad is tremendous.
These are served with a sambal-spiked dipping sauce.
Makes 4 pancakes
Ingredients
1 tablespoon Traditional Spicy Sambal or store-bought sambal
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup naturally brewed soy sauce
1 tablespoon Asian sesame oil
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound Asiatic Acoustics Cracker Dough
2 cups scallions, white and green parts, cut diagonally 1 1/6 inch thick
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon grapeseed or canola oil
Directions
- To make the dipping sauce, combine the sambal, vinegar, and soy sauce in a small bowl and mix. Set aside.
- In a small bowl combine the sesame and olive oils and set aside.
- Flour a work surface and on it roll the dough into a rectangle 1/8 inch thick. Brush the dough with the oil mixture, sprinkle with the scallions, and season with salt and pepper.
- Starting with one long side nearest you, roll the dough jelly-roll fashion to make a tight log. Cut the log into 4 equal pieces.
- Roll 1 piece with your palms to make a skinnier log about 12 inch in diameter. Twist each end of the log in opposite directions 4 or 5 times (this will make additional pancake layers), then wrap the log around itself to make a coil, tucking the outside end beneath the coil. With a rolling pin, flatten the coil to 1/4 inch thick. Repeat with the remaining dough to make 3 more pancakes.
- Heat a large nonstick sauté pan over medium heat. Add the grapeseed oil and swirl to coat the pan. Depending on the pan's size, add 1 to 2 pancakes and cook until brown and crispy on both sides, turning once, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Cook the remaining pancakes. Slice each pancake into 4 wedges. Serve the pancakes with the dipping sauce.
For a savory pancake addition, mix 2 cups of finely chopped raw Contessa Shrimp in a bowl with the scallions. Sprinkle the dough evenly with the mixture, and proceed with the recipe, frying the pancakes 3 to 4 minutes per side.
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
Executive Chef Stef's Asiatic Acoustics Cracker Dough
Executive Chef Stef's Asiatic Acoustics Cracker Dough
At the mobile dinner theater, we get tons of requests for this recipe, which is the basis of our much-loved house crackers. But this easily made, garlic- and spice-spiked dough also produces great scallion pancakes and other treats, depending on how the dough is rolled and what's added to it. It also keeps beautifully: Freeze it in quarter- or half-pound quantities in airtight plastic bags, defrost it at room temperature, and you can fix the kind of baked specialties that make a meal.
You can make the dough by hand if you like, but it's way easier to use a standard mixer with a dough hook.
Makes about 4 pounds of dough
Ingredients
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/2 ounce (2 packages) active dry yeast
6 1/2 cups bread flour
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons kosher salt
Directions
Try It:
Use the dough to wrap miniature franks for superior pigs in a blanket.
The dough makes a great pizza crust. Roll it into a 14- to 12-inch-thick circle and proceed as you normally do when preparing pizza.
For a great hors d'oeuvre, cut the dough into 2 by 14-inch sticks, deep-fry them, and pass the sticks with your favorite tomato or pesto dip.
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Cell: 248.688-2464
Email: [email protected]
At the mobile dinner theater, we get tons of requests for this recipe, which is the basis of our much-loved house crackers. But this easily made, garlic- and spice-spiked dough also produces great scallion pancakes and other treats, depending on how the dough is rolled and what's added to it. It also keeps beautifully: Freeze it in quarter- or half-pound quantities in airtight plastic bags, defrost it at room temperature, and you can fix the kind of baked specialties that make a meal.
You can make the dough by hand if you like, but it's way easier to use a standard mixer with a dough hook.
Makes about 4 pounds of dough
Ingredients
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/2 ounce (2 packages) active dry yeast
6 1/2 cups bread flour
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons kosher salt
Directions
- Using a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder, grind the cumin, coriander, fennel, and peppercorns and combine them in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In a 5-quart mixer bowl, or very large bowl if working by hand, combine in this order the yeast, 2 1/2 cups cold water, the flour, oil, garlic, and salt. Using a dough hook, mix at low speed until the flour's gluten is fully developed and the dough is smooth and doesn't tear easily when stretched, about 15 minutes. Remove the dough from the machine and knead in the spices. If working by hand, combine the yeast, flour, oil, and salt and mound the mixture on a work surface. With your fingers, make a well in the mixture. Add 2 1/2 cups cold water to the well and, working with a pastry scraper or large fork, gradually incorporate the flour into the water, as if you were making fresh pasta. Work the dough into a rough ball and then knead in the garlic and the spice mixture. Continue to knead until the dough becomes smooth, 10 to 12 minutes.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap. If using immediately, allow the dough to rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Otherwise, refrigerate or freeze until ready to use.
Try It:
Use the dough to wrap miniature franks for superior pigs in a blanket.
The dough makes a great pizza crust. Roll it into a 14- to 12-inch-thick circle and proceed as you normally do when preparing pizza.
For a great hors d'oeuvre, cut the dough into 2 by 14-inch sticks, deep-fry them, and pass the sticks with your favorite tomato or pesto dip.
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Cell: 248.688-2464
Email: [email protected]
Executive Chef Stef's Scallop and Mango Ceviche
Executive Chef Stef's Scallop and Mango Ceviche
Ceviche is food "cooked" without heat. I fell in love with the technique, which uses citric acid or vinegar to firm and therefore "cook" protein, when I traveled to Corsica and other Mediterranean spots. For me, ceviches always speak of summer. Here, mango adds its exotic sweetness to scallops, which cook in the flavorful dipping sauce.
As with all ceviches, freshness is key. Make sure your scallops are pristine enough to eat raw.
Serves 4
Ingredients
8 large sea scallops, sliced into 1/4-inch disks
1 cup Thai Lime Dipping Sauce
1/4 pound mâche, mesclun, or other mixed small greens
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
1 mango, flesh removed from the pit and sliced lengthwise 1/8 inch thick
Juice of 2 limes
1 teaspoon pink peppercorns or cracked black pepper to taste
Directions
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Cell: 248.688-2464
Email: [email protected]
Ceviche is food "cooked" without heat. I fell in love with the technique, which uses citric acid or vinegar to firm and therefore "cook" protein, when I traveled to Corsica and other Mediterranean spots. For me, ceviches always speak of summer. Here, mango adds its exotic sweetness to scallops, which cook in the flavorful dipping sauce.
As with all ceviches, freshness is key. Make sure your scallops are pristine enough to eat raw.
Serves 4
Ingredients
8 large sea scallops, sliced into 1/4-inch disks
1 cup Thai Lime Dipping Sauce
1/4 pound mâche, mesclun, or other mixed small greens
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
1 mango, flesh removed from the pit and sliced lengthwise 1/8 inch thick
Juice of 2 limes
1 teaspoon pink peppercorns or cracked black pepper to taste
Directions
- In a nonreactive bowl, combine the scallops with the Thai Lime Dipping Sauce and toss. Marinate, refrigerated, for 10 minutes.
- Arrange a layer of the mâche on chilled plates. Top each portion with 3 scallop slices, half the shallot, and all of the mango. Top with the remaining scallop slices and shallot. Pour over the lime juice. Sprinkle with the peppercorns, crushing them with your fingers as you do so. Serve immediately.
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Cell: 248.688-2464
Email: [email protected]
Executive Chef Stef's Thai Lime Dipping Sauce
Executive Chef Stef's Thai Lime Dipping Sauce
This dipping sauce, fresh with herbs and tangy with lime, is Asiatic Acoustics most requested recipe. It's particularly awesome with our crispy calamari as well as with spring rolls, dumplings, and similar bites. It's based on the traditional Thai dip called cha-gio, which gets its savor from fish sauce. That salty ingredient is nicely balanced with lime juice.
The herbs darken as the sauce ages; this isn't a taste problem (quite the opposite, as the flavor deepens over time) but the sauce will lose its looks. If this bothers you, make and store the sauce "base" only, then chop and add herbs an hour before serving it. Or strain out any tired herbs from "old" sauce and replace them with fresh.
Makes about 5 cups
Lasts 1 week, refrigerated
Ingredients
2 cups Thai fish sauce (nam pla)
3 cups fresh or bottled lime juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
Directions In a large non-reactive bowl, combine the ingredients and mix. Use or store.
Try It:
Add grapeseed oil to the sauce in the proportion of 2 oil to 1 sauce. You'll have a great vinaigrette that's perfect for seafood and celery-root salads.
Use the sauce for "ceviche cooking" cod, salmon, and Contessa Shrimp.
 
Marinate chicken legs and thighs in the sauce, then fry
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Cell: 248.688-2464
Email: [email protected]
This dipping sauce, fresh with herbs and tangy with lime, is Asiatic Acoustics most requested recipe. It's particularly awesome with our crispy calamari as well as with spring rolls, dumplings, and similar bites. It's based on the traditional Thai dip called cha-gio, which gets its savor from fish sauce. That salty ingredient is nicely balanced with lime juice.
The herbs darken as the sauce ages; this isn't a taste problem (quite the opposite, as the flavor deepens over time) but the sauce will lose its looks. If this bothers you, make and store the sauce "base" only, then chop and add herbs an hour before serving it. Or strain out any tired herbs from "old" sauce and replace them with fresh.
Makes about 5 cups
Lasts 1 week, refrigerated
Ingredients
2 cups Thai fish sauce (nam pla)
3 cups fresh or bottled lime juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
Directions In a large non-reactive bowl, combine the ingredients and mix. Use or store.
Try It:
Add grapeseed oil to the sauce in the proportion of 2 oil to 1 sauce. You'll have a great vinaigrette that's perfect for seafood and celery-root salads.
Use the sauce for "ceviche cooking" cod, salmon, and Contessa Shrimp.
 
Marinate chicken legs and thighs in the sauce, then fry
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Cell: 248.688-2464
Email: [email protected]
Executive Chef Stef's Seared Sea Scallops with Thai Lime Butter Sauce
Executive Chef Stef's Seared Sea Scallops with Thai Lime Butter Sauce
Serves 4 as a main course.
Ingredients
1 ½ pounds large (10-20 size) sea scallops, strap removed
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
¼ cup Thai Lime Dipping Sauce, herbs strained *
¼ cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons sweet (unsalted) butter
2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro, basil & mint
Rice (jasmine or sticky) for serving
Directions
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
Serves 4 as a main course.
Ingredients
1 ½ pounds large (10-20 size) sea scallops, strap removed
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
¼ cup Thai Lime Dipping Sauce, herbs strained *
¼ cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons sweet (unsalted) butter
2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro, basil & mint
Rice (jasmine or sticky) for serving
Directions
- Pick through the scallops for fragments of broken shell. Remove the "strap" on the side of the scallop. Season them with black pepper & no salt.
- Heat a large sauté pan or skillet (12 inch) on a medium high heat. Add the vegetable oil. When smoking hot, add the scallops. Do not turn or shake the pan. Allow the scallops to brown. After 2 minutes, turn each scallop and cook for another minute or two, until the scallops are firm and heated through (no need to over cook).
- Remove the scallops from the pan and pour off any excess oil. Divide the scallops onto 4 dinner plates along side a portion (2/3 cup) of jasmine rice. Place the pan back on the stove and add the crushed red pepper, Thai Lime Dipping Sauce and cream. Reduce until the cream is thick. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and fresh herbs. Spoon the butter sauce over the scallops and serve at once.
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
Executive Chef Stef's Asian Hamburger Pockets
Executive Chef Stef's Asian Hamburger Pockets
As a kid, I used to spend many a summer traveling across the Globe, stopping in, Taiwan. There I discovered shiar-bing, large, round, pot sticker-like dim sum. These "hamburgers," made with seasoned ground beef and pork enclosed in savory Asiatic Acoustics
Cracker Dough, are a takeoff on that traditional treat. Because the meat is cooked in the dough, these all-in-one sandwiches are easy to make. I like to serve a side salad with these.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 pound Asiatic Acoustics Cracker Dough
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
1 cup scallions, white and green parts, cut 1 1/6 inch thick
1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons naturally brewed soy sauce
Kosher salt to taste
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil
Directions
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Cell: 248.688-2464
Email: [email protected]
As a kid, I used to spend many a summer traveling across the Globe, stopping in, Taiwan. There I discovered shiar-bing, large, round, pot sticker-like dim sum. These "hamburgers," made with seasoned ground beef and pork enclosed in savory Asiatic Acoustics
Cracker Dough, are a takeoff on that traditional treat. Because the meat is cooked in the dough, these all-in-one sandwiches are easy to make. I like to serve a side salad with these.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 pound Asiatic Acoustics Cracker Dough
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
1 cup scallions, white and green parts, cut 1 1/6 inch thick
1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons naturally brewed soy sauce
Kosher salt to taste
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil
Directions
- Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces and shape each into a rough ball. Flour a work surface, and on it roll the dough into 14-inch-thick rounds.
- In a large bowl, combine the beef, pork, scallions, ginger, soy sauce, salt, and pepper and mix lightly. Divide the mixture into 4 equal parts and roll each into a ball. Place 1 ball in the center of each piece of dough, bring up the sides, and twist into a spiral to seal. Slightly flatten the dough-enclosed "burgers."
- Heat a large nonstick sauté pan over medium heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the burgers, sealed end down, and cook until golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn and cook for another 4 or 5 minutes. Allow the burgers to rest for about 4 minutes. Halve and serve immediately.
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Cell: 248.688-2464
Email: [email protected]
Executive Chef Stef's Ginger-Poached Whole Chicken
Executive Chef Stef's Ginger-Poached Whole Chicken
Based on an old Chinese method, this dish produces perfectly cooked chicken, and it couldn't be easier to do. All you do is put chicken in a pot with broth and additional flavorings, cover and partially cook it, then remove the pot from the heat. The covered bird finishes cooking in the hot liquid and emerges tender and delicious-and almost fat free, as the fat renders into the broth. Serve this with crusty bread.
Serves 4
Ingredients
Two 2- to 3-pound chickens, preferably kosher or free-range
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Eight 1/4-inch-thick slices of peeled fresh ginger cut lengthwise from a 2- to
3-inch-long piece
1 bunch of scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
1/2 cup packed Thai basil or regular basil leaves
4 quarts Master Chicken Broth or low-sodium canned chicken broth
2 large carrots, peeled and finely shredded
Directions
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Cell: 248.688-2464
Email: [email protected]
Based on an old Chinese method, this dish produces perfectly cooked chicken, and it couldn't be easier to do. All you do is put chicken in a pot with broth and additional flavorings, cover and partially cook it, then remove the pot from the heat. The covered bird finishes cooking in the hot liquid and emerges tender and delicious-and almost fat free, as the fat renders into the broth. Serve this with crusty bread.
Serves 4
Ingredients
Two 2- to 3-pound chickens, preferably kosher or free-range
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Eight 1/4-inch-thick slices of peeled fresh ginger cut lengthwise from a 2- to
3-inch-long piece
1 bunch of scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
1/2 cup packed Thai basil or regular basil leaves
4 quarts Master Chicken Broth or low-sodium canned chicken broth
2 large carrots, peeled and finely shredded
Directions
- Season the chickens inside and out with salt and pepper. In a pot large enough to fit the chickens completely submerged in liquid, combine the chickens, breast sides up, with the ginger, scallions, basil, and broth. Cover and bring to a low simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Lift the cover, add the carrots, cover the pot, and remove from the heat. Allow to stand for 30 minutes or up to 1 hour for the chicken to finish cooking. (Do not lift the lid during this time or cooking heat will be dissipated. The chicken won't overcook, even if left for the maximum time.)
- Remove the chicken, carve, and serve. (Strain the broth, cool to room temperature, and store for future use.)
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Cell: 248.688-2464
Email: [email protected]
Executive Chef Stef's Soy-Lime Leaf Syrup
Executive Chef Stef's Soy-Lime Leaf Syrup
This reduction, which blends the sweetness of caramely turbinado sugar with the exotic flavor of Lime Leaf, is my version of kecap manis, sweet Indonesian soy sauce. Kecap manis is part of the recipe, but the mixture is made more exciting with the addition of the other flavor notes.
Makes 3 cups
Lasts 2 weeks, refrigerated
Ingredients
3 cups turbinado sugar, or brown sugar
2 cups naturally brewed soy sauce
2 cups kecap manis, or 2 more cups soy sauce plus 2 more cups sugar
1 cup fresh lime juice
8 Lime leaves (fresh or frozen), crushed, or the zest of 1 large lime
Directions
In a nonreactive medium saucepan, combine the sugar, soy sauce, kecap manis, lime juice, and kaffir leaves. Bring to a very gentle simmer over medium heat, uncovered, being careful not to boil. Reduce the liquid by about half or until syrupy, 30 to 45 minutes. (Test it for proper consistency by drizzling some in a line on a cold plate; it should resemble maple syrup.) Using a rubber spatula, press the syrup through a fine sieve to strain out the leaves. Let the syrup cool and use or store.
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Cell: 248.688-2464
Email: [email protected]
This reduction, which blends the sweetness of caramely turbinado sugar with the exotic flavor of Lime Leaf, is my version of kecap manis, sweet Indonesian soy sauce. Kecap manis is part of the recipe, but the mixture is made more exciting with the addition of the other flavor notes.
Makes 3 cups
Lasts 2 weeks, refrigerated
Ingredients
3 cups turbinado sugar, or brown sugar
2 cups naturally brewed soy sauce
2 cups kecap manis, or 2 more cups soy sauce plus 2 more cups sugar
1 cup fresh lime juice
8 Lime leaves (fresh or frozen), crushed, or the zest of 1 large lime
Directions
In a nonreactive medium saucepan, combine the sugar, soy sauce, kecap manis, lime juice, and kaffir leaves. Bring to a very gentle simmer over medium heat, uncovered, being careful not to boil. Reduce the liquid by about half or until syrupy, 30 to 45 minutes. (Test it for proper consistency by drizzling some in a line on a cold plate; it should resemble maple syrup.) Using a rubber spatula, press the syrup through a fine sieve to strain out the leaves. Let the syrup cool and use or store.
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Cell: 248.688-2464
Email: [email protected]
Executive Chef Stef's Wok-Stirred Clams and Black Beans
Executive Chef Stef's Wok-Stirred Clams and Black Beans
As a Midwesterner, I didn't have clams available locally. Once I tasted them with black beans on the East Coast, though, I was seriously hooked. This easy version of that pairing forgoes the usual cornstarch, so it has a more delicate texture. The addition of basil and tomatoes gives it a very welcome Western flavor, too. If you're not a clam fancier, you can substitute mussels. Just follow the recipe as written.
Serves 4
Ingredients 2 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil
2 pounds Manila or littleneck clams, scrubbed
1/2 cup Black Bean-Garlic Sauce
1 cup Master Chicken Broth or homemade or store-bought vegetable stock
1 cup tomatoes cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves cut into 1/16-inch ribbons
1 to 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, as needed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions
Heat a wok or large sauté pan over high heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the clams and stir-fry until they have opened slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the Black Bean-Garlic Sauce and chicken broth and cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, basil, and butter. Correct the seasoning with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Cell: 248.688-2464
Email: [email protected]
As a Midwesterner, I didn't have clams available locally. Once I tasted them with black beans on the East Coast, though, I was seriously hooked. This easy version of that pairing forgoes the usual cornstarch, so it has a more delicate texture. The addition of basil and tomatoes gives it a very welcome Western flavor, too. If you're not a clam fancier, you can substitute mussels. Just follow the recipe as written.
Serves 4
Ingredients 2 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil
2 pounds Manila or littleneck clams, scrubbed
1/2 cup Black Bean-Garlic Sauce
1 cup Master Chicken Broth or homemade or store-bought vegetable stock
1 cup tomatoes cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves cut into 1/16-inch ribbons
1 to 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, as needed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions
Heat a wok or large sauté pan over high heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the clams and stir-fry until they have opened slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the Black Bean-Garlic Sauce and chicken broth and cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, basil, and butter. Correct the seasoning with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Cell: 248.688-2464
Email: [email protected]
Executive Chef Stef's Black Bean-Garlic Sauce
Executive Chef Stef's Black Bean-Garlic Sauce
Chef Stef says: As a teenager, I had to seek out Chinatowns away from home to have black beans and clams, a dish I'd dream about-literally. The combo is classic Chinese, like its main savory seasoning, the black beans and garlic. This version gives you all the great pungent taste of that immortal pairing without the bother of having to chop and blend every time you want it. At Blue Ginger we use this sauce all the time to make the delicious Wok-Stirred Clams and Black Beans and you will too, once you have it on hand.
Be sure not to seal the jar in which you store the sauce until it's completely cool, and stir it well before using.
Ingredients
1 cup grapeseed oil or canola oil
1/3 cup fermented black beans, roughly chopped
1/2 cup minced garlic
1/2 cup peeled and minced fresh ginger
2 bunches of scallions, white and green parts, sliced 1/8 inch thick
1 tablespoon sambal oelek or hot red pepper sauce
1/2 cup Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions Heat a wok or large sauté pan over high heat. Add 1/4 cup of the oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the beans, garlic, ginger, and scallions, and stir-fry until the mixture has softened, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the sambal oelek and wine, decrease the heat to medium, and cook until the mixture is reduced by three quarters, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the salt and pepper.
Remove the mixture from the heat and allow it to cool. Transfer half of the mixture to a blender and purée it at high speed while adding the remaining 3/4 cup of oil. Stir the purée back into the remaining mixture and cool completely. Use or store. Lasts 2 weeks, refrigerated.
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Cell: 248.688-2464
Email: [email protected]
Chef Stef says: As a teenager, I had to seek out Chinatowns away from home to have black beans and clams, a dish I'd dream about-literally. The combo is classic Chinese, like its main savory seasoning, the black beans and garlic. This version gives you all the great pungent taste of that immortal pairing without the bother of having to chop and blend every time you want it. At Blue Ginger we use this sauce all the time to make the delicious Wok-Stirred Clams and Black Beans and you will too, once you have it on hand.
Be sure not to seal the jar in which you store the sauce until it's completely cool, and stir it well before using.
Ingredients
1 cup grapeseed oil or canola oil
1/3 cup fermented black beans, roughly chopped
1/2 cup minced garlic
1/2 cup peeled and minced fresh ginger
2 bunches of scallions, white and green parts, sliced 1/8 inch thick
1 tablespoon sambal oelek or hot red pepper sauce
1/2 cup Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions Heat a wok or large sauté pan over high heat. Add 1/4 cup of the oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the beans, garlic, ginger, and scallions, and stir-fry until the mixture has softened, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the sambal oelek and wine, decrease the heat to medium, and cook until the mixture is reduced by three quarters, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the salt and pepper.
Remove the mixture from the heat and allow it to cool. Transfer half of the mixture to a blender and purée it at high speed while adding the remaining 3/4 cup of oil. Stir the purée back into the remaining mixture and cool completely. Use or store. Lasts 2 weeks, refrigerated.
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Cell: 248.688-2464
Email: [email protected]
Executive Chef Stef's Soy-Lime Leaf Glazed Salmon with Lime Sushi Rice
Executive Chef Stef's Soy-Lime Leaf Glazed Salmon with Lime Sushi Rice
This is a dish for teriyaki salmon lovers, and for anyone else who enjoys the combination of smoky grilled fish with a tart-sweet glaze. Here, the traditional teriyaki orange flavoring is replaced with lime, and the fish is served with lime-spiked rice. This is delicious-and incredibly easy to make.
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 salmon fillets, 6 to 8 ounces each, preferably center-cut, with skin
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup Soy-Lime Leaf Syrup
2 cups cooked sushi rice
Juice of 3 limes
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
Directions
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Cell: 248.688-2464
Email: [email protected]
This is a dish for teriyaki salmon lovers, and for anyone else who enjoys the combination of smoky grilled fish with a tart-sweet glaze. Here, the traditional teriyaki orange flavoring is replaced with lime, and the fish is served with lime-spiked rice. This is delicious-and incredibly easy to make.
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 salmon fillets, 6 to 8 ounces each, preferably center-cut, with skin
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup Soy-Lime Leaf Syrup
2 cups cooked sushi rice
Juice of 3 limes
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
Directions
- If your broiling element is in the oven, place a heavy baking sheet on an oven rack and preheat. Otherwise, preheat the broiler with an unperforated broiling tray in place.
- Lightly season the salmon with salt and pepper. Spray the hot baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray and place the salmon, flesh side down, on the sheet. Broil the salmon until crispy and colored, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn and using a pastry brush, brush the top and sides of the salmon with some of the syrup and continue broiling until done, 4 to 5 minutes for medium-rare.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the hot rice with the lime juice and chives, and mix gently. Mound some rice on each serving plate. Brush the salmon with some of the remaining syrup and, using a metal spatula, place it on top of the rice. Drizzle with the remaining syrup and serve.
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Cell: 248.688-2464
Email: [email protected]
Executive Chef Stef's Seared Ahi Tuna with Soba Noodle Salad and Soy-Lime Leaf Syrup
Executive Chef Stef's Seared Ahi Tuna with Soba Noodle Salad and Soy-Lime Leaf Syrup
Anyone who likes Japanese food has enjoyed raw tuna with the usual dips. This takeoff pairs glazed seared tuna-I like it still slightly raw at the center, but suit yourself-with a sprightly soba noodle salad. This is a popular dish at Asiatic Acoustics, where we wrap the noodles in nori seaweed to make maki rolls, but it's every bit as good, and more quickly prepared, this way.
Serves 4
Ingredients
Four 6- to 8-ounce pieces of center-cut Ahi tuna (about 3 by 2 by 2 inches each)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil, plus 1/3 cup
2 teaspoons wasabi powder
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup Soy-Lime Leaf Syrup
1 hothouse (seedless) cucumber, washed and cut into 3-inch julienne
1/2 pound blanched soba noodles
Directions
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Cell: 248.688-2464
Email: [email protected]
Anyone who likes Japanese food has enjoyed raw tuna with the usual dips. This takeoff pairs glazed seared tuna-I like it still slightly raw at the center, but suit yourself-with a sprightly soba noodle salad. This is a popular dish at Asiatic Acoustics, where we wrap the noodles in nori seaweed to make maki rolls, but it's every bit as good, and more quickly prepared, this way.
Serves 4
Ingredients
Four 6- to 8-ounce pieces of center-cut Ahi tuna (about 3 by 2 by 2 inches each)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil, plus 1/3 cup
2 teaspoons wasabi powder
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup Soy-Lime Leaf Syrup
1 hothouse (seedless) cucumber, washed and cut into 3-inch julienne
1/2 pound blanched soba noodles
Directions
- Season the tuna with salt and pepper. Heat a sauté pan over high heat. Add the 2 tablespoons of oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the tuna and sauté, turning, until cooked, 2 to 3 minutes total for rare.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the wasabi and vinegar and whisk until smooth. Whisk in 1 tablespoon of the syrup and then the 1/3 cup oil to make an emulsion. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the vinaigrette to a small bowl.
- In the same large bowl, combine the cucumbers and noodles. Add half the vinaigrette and toss to coat; if necessary, add more vinaigrette. Correct the seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Garnish 4 large dinner plates with the remaining syrup and vinaigrette. Place a mound of the soba salad on each plate. Cut each piece of tuna into 3 slices and arrange next to the salad. Serve.
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Cell: 248.688-2464
Email: [email protected]
Executive Chef Stef's Lemongrass Coconut Chicken Soup
Executive Chef Stef's Lemongrass Coconut Chicken Soup
This delicious soup is based on a traditional Thai dish, tom yung gai. It features what I think of as the definitive Thai flavoring, lemongrass, combined with chicken, coconut milk, and, for heat, sambal.
I've followed the time-honored Thai method, and left large pieces of lemongrass in the soup, but you can strain them out before serving, if you like. (If you leave them in, you might want to warn diners that they're not to be eaten.)
This works beautifully as a first course, or serve it as a light lunch with a salad dressed with a citrus vinaigrette.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 tablespoon grapeseed or canola oil
4 lemongrass stalks, pale parts only, crushed with the flat side of a knife
2 medium onions, sliced 1/8 inch thick
2 Thai or serrano chiles, stemmed but not seeded, minced (optional)
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4-inch strips
3 tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla)
6 cups Master Chicken Broth or low-sodium canned chicken broth
1/2 cup coconut milk
Juice of 2 lemons
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon thinly sliced scallion greens
Directions
Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the lemongrass, stir, and sweat it, uncovered, for 2 minutes. Add the onions and chiles, if using, and sauté, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the chicken and sauté until opaque, about 1 minute. Add the fish sauce and broth, stir, bring to a simmer, and cook until the liquid is reduced slightly to intensify its flavor, 15 to 20 minutes. Whisk in the coconut milk and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper, garnish with the scallions, and serve.
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Cell: 248.688-2464
Email: [email protected]
This delicious soup is based on a traditional Thai dish, tom yung gai. It features what I think of as the definitive Thai flavoring, lemongrass, combined with chicken, coconut milk, and, for heat, sambal.
I've followed the time-honored Thai method, and left large pieces of lemongrass in the soup, but you can strain them out before serving, if you like. (If you leave them in, you might want to warn diners that they're not to be eaten.)
This works beautifully as a first course, or serve it as a light lunch with a salad dressed with a citrus vinaigrette.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 tablespoon grapeseed or canola oil
4 lemongrass stalks, pale parts only, crushed with the flat side of a knife
2 medium onions, sliced 1/8 inch thick
2 Thai or serrano chiles, stemmed but not seeded, minced (optional)
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4-inch strips
3 tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla)
6 cups Master Chicken Broth or low-sodium canned chicken broth
1/2 cup coconut milk
Juice of 2 lemons
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon thinly sliced scallion greens
Directions
Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the lemongrass, stir, and sweat it, uncovered, for 2 minutes. Add the onions and chiles, if using, and sauté, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the chicken and sauté until opaque, about 1 minute. Add the fish sauce and broth, stir, bring to a simmer, and cook until the liquid is reduced slightly to intensify its flavor, 15 to 20 minutes. Whisk in the coconut milk and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper, garnish with the scallions, and serve.
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Cell: 248.688-2464
Email: [email protected]
Executive Chef Stef's Master Chicken Broth
Executive Chef Stef's Master Chicken Broth
For me, chicken broth is the soul of Chinese cooking and an indispensable East-West ingredient. We use it for innumerable dishes, from soups and stir-frys to braises and sauces, including the dishes that follow.
What makes my version different from most is the addition of star anise, ginger, and soy sauce, which not only salts the broth, but provides depth of flavor. This chicken broth is so simple to make, and keeps so beautifully, it's almost a shame not to have some on hand at all times. If you don't want to bother freezing the broth, you can extend its refrigerated life by boiling it every 5 days or so, cooling it, and then re-refrigerating it. That way, it will last 2 to 3 weeks.
Makes about 7 quarts
Lasts about 1 week refrigerated (but see above) or 1 month frozen
Ingredients
15 pounds chicken bones, such as backs, wings, carcasses, and feet
1 head of celery, rinsed and coarsely chopped
3 large carrots, rinsed and coarsely chopped
3 large onions, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
1/4 bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 star anise
Two 1/4-inch-thick slices of ginger cut lengthwise from a 2- to 3-inch-long piece
2 tablespoons naturally brewed soy sauce
Directions
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Cell: 248.688-2464
Email: [email protected]
For me, chicken broth is the soul of Chinese cooking and an indispensable East-West ingredient. We use it for innumerable dishes, from soups and stir-frys to braises and sauces, including the dishes that follow.
What makes my version different from most is the addition of star anise, ginger, and soy sauce, which not only salts the broth, but provides depth of flavor. This chicken broth is so simple to make, and keeps so beautifully, it's almost a shame not to have some on hand at all times. If you don't want to bother freezing the broth, you can extend its refrigerated life by boiling it every 5 days or so, cooling it, and then re-refrigerating it. That way, it will last 2 to 3 weeks.
Makes about 7 quarts
Lasts about 1 week refrigerated (but see above) or 1 month frozen
Ingredients
15 pounds chicken bones, such as backs, wings, carcasses, and feet
1 head of celery, rinsed and coarsely chopped
3 large carrots, rinsed and coarsely chopped
3 large onions, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
1/4 bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 star anise
Two 1/4-inch-thick slices of ginger cut lengthwise from a 2- to 3-inch-long piece
2 tablespoons naturally brewed soy sauce
Directions
- Rinse the bones and place them in a large stockpot. Add enough cold water to cover the bones by 3 to 4 inches and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Skim the scum that rises to the surface as it appears, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until chicken fat rises to the surface, about 1 hour. (Ladle the fat into a bowl and reserve for other cooking.)
- Add the celery, carrots, onions, peppercorns, bay leaves, thyme, parsley, star anise, ginger, and soy sauce. Continue to simmer until the stock is well flavored, 3 to 4 hours more. Strain the stock and allow to cool to room temperature. Use or store.
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Cell: 248.688-2464
Email: [email protected]
Executive Chef Stef's Contessa Shrimp and Vegatable Risotto
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and finely-diced
1 cup Arborio rice
½ cup dry white wine
2 ½ cups chicken MING's Chicken Broth
½ pound Contessa Shrimp, cleaned and de-veined, cut into two pieces
¼ cup thinly sliced zucchini
¼ cup grape or cherry tomatoes, cut in half
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup heavy cream
Directions
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Cell: 248.688-2464
Email: [email protected]
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and finely-diced
1 cup Arborio rice
½ cup dry white wine
2 ½ cups chicken MING's Chicken Broth
½ pound Contessa Shrimp, cleaned and de-veined, cut into two pieces
¼ cup thinly sliced zucchini
¼ cup grape or cherry tomatoes, cut in half
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup heavy cream
Directions
- Using a large skillet with a heavy bottom, heat the olive oil over low heat and sauté or "sweat" the onions until translucent, being careful not to allow them to color or brown at all.
- Add the Arborio rice, stir to coat with the olive oil, and sauté with the onions to toast each grain of rice, about 7 minutes. This toasting process adds the chewy, al dente quality that attracts so many people to risotto.
- Preheat the chicken stock just to the boiling point, and then have it ready at stove side.
- Once the rice is lightly toasted, add the white wine slowly, stirring with a wooden spoon. A wooden spoon is always preferable when making risotto, as a metal spoon tends to cut or injure the grains of rice. Constant stirring should be avoided for the same reason, but instead develop the technique of stirring the rice with each new addition of broth and then allowing the risotto to simmer slowly, while it absorbs the liquid.
- After the rice has absorbed the white wine and the skillet is nearly dry, add hot chicken broth, one-half cup at a time, stirring only occasionally, and cooking over very low heat until the stock is absorbed by the rice. Continue adding the stock, a half cupful at a time, simmering until all the stock has been absorbed. (Adding the liquid in stages, instead of all at once, allows the grains of rice to expand more fully, adding to the risotto's creamy texture.)
- As you add the final half cup of stock to the rice, stir in the Contessa Shrimp and the vegetables along with the broth so that these raw ingredients have a few minutes to cook gently along with the final addition of broth. (The entire cooking process will take about 17 to 20 minutes.)
- When the risotto, Contessa Shrimp and vegetables are fully cooked, with the rice al dente, or toothy, and the Contessa Shrimp and vegetables thoroughly cooked, but not overdone, add the butter, Parmesan cheese, and the heavy cream. Stir to combine all the ingredients and serve immediately. Sprinkle extra cheese over the top if you like. Grate fresh black pepper over the top as you like.
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Cell: 248.688-2464
Email: [email protected]
Executive Chef Stef's Shiitake-Scallion Pan Sauce
Shiitake-Scallion Pan Sauce Sauces don't have to elaborate or take hours of simmering to prepare. This simple sauce, made ideally in the pan in which you've roasted poultry, leg of lamb, or prime rib, delivers great flavor, and is made in minutes. You can also prepare it in a pan you've used to sauté steak or chicken breasts.
Makes 3 cups
Ingredients
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 cups Master Chicken Broth
1 tablespoon grapeseed or canola oil, if needed
1 bunch scallions, white and green parts, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 cup dry white wine or red wine
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Directions
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Cell: 248.688-2464
Email: [email protected]
Makes 3 cups
Ingredients
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 cups Master Chicken Broth
1 tablespoon grapeseed or canola oil, if needed
1 bunch scallions, white and green parts, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 cup dry white wine or red wine
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Directions
- In a small bowl combine the cornstarch with 1 teaspoon of the broth and mix well. Set aside.
- If using a pan in which a roast has been cooked, remove all but 1 tablespoon fat, and put the pan over medium heat. Alternatively, add the oil to a sauté pan and heat over medium heat. Add the scallions and mushrooms and sauté, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the wine and deglaze the pan, scraping up any brown bits. Reduce the wine until about 1/4 cup remains and add the broth. Bring to a simmer and season with the salt and pepper.
- Whisk in the cornstarch mixture, and simmer until the mixture is lightly thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the juice and correct the seasoning with the salt and pepper. Serve.
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Cell: 248.688-2464
Email: [email protected]
Executive Chef Stef's Steamed Cod with Gingered Swiss Chard
Executive Chef Stef's Steamed Cod with Gingered Swiss Chard
Serves 2
Ingredients
3 green onions, root ends removed cut into 3-inch segments
2 cod fillets (about 8 ounces)
2 teaspoons rice wine
1 tablespoon julienned ginger
Zest from 1 lemon (reserve for garnishing)
4 slices lemon
1/3 cup Soy-Lime Leaf Syrup, heated
Directions
Prepare a wok for steaming.
In a heat-proof dish with high sides, arrange green onions in a single layer. Place fish fillets on top of the onions, drizzle with rice wine and arrange lemon slices on fish.
Steam until fish is opaque and flaky, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Serve on bed of Gingered Swiss chard, drizzled with Soy-Lime Leaf Syrup and lemon zest.
Gingered Swiss Chard
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 tablespoons minced ginger
1/2 pound swiss chard, cleaned and chopped (about 4 cups)
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
2 tablespoons Soy-Lime Leaf Syrup
Heat a wok over high heat until hot. Add oil, swirling to coat sides.
Add ginger, cook while stirring until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add chard, broth and wine, cover, reduce heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until leaves are tender, about 5 minutes.
Add Soy-Lime Leaf Syrup and toss until evenly coated. Serve with steamed fish.
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
Serves 2
Ingredients
3 green onions, root ends removed cut into 3-inch segments
2 cod fillets (about 8 ounces)
2 teaspoons rice wine
1 tablespoon julienned ginger
Zest from 1 lemon (reserve for garnishing)
4 slices lemon
1/3 cup Soy-Lime Leaf Syrup, heated
Directions
Prepare a wok for steaming.
In a heat-proof dish with high sides, arrange green onions in a single layer. Place fish fillets on top of the onions, drizzle with rice wine and arrange lemon slices on fish.
Steam until fish is opaque and flaky, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Serve on bed of Gingered Swiss chard, drizzled with Soy-Lime Leaf Syrup and lemon zest.
Gingered Swiss Chard
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 tablespoons minced ginger
1/2 pound swiss chard, cleaned and chopped (about 4 cups)
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
2 tablespoons Soy-Lime Leaf Syrup
Heat a wok over high heat until hot. Add oil, swirling to coat sides.
Add ginger, cook while stirring until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add chard, broth and wine, cover, reduce heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until leaves are tender, about 5 minutes.
Add Soy-Lime Leaf Syrup and toss until evenly coated. Serve with steamed fish.
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Email: [email protected]
Cell: 248.688-2464
Executive Chef Stef's Soy-Lime leaf chicken breast with glazed cauliflower
Cauliflower is an underused vegetable, which is a real shame. I love it in soups and in dishes like this that feature the vegetable's crisp texture and mild, delicious flavor. Here, cauliflower is baked with chicken and drizzled with Soy-Lime Leaf Syrup, which ties all the flavors together. Because of the vegetable's texture, you could think of this as a potato-less chicken with potatoes: You get a satisfying "starchy" accompaniment without all those potato carbs. Remember not to over-blanch the cauliflower. You want it crisp.
Serves 4
Ingredients
Kosher salt to taste
1 large cauliflower, or 2 medium, broken into small florets
4 large boneless chicken breasts, skin on
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil
1 bunch of scallions, white and green parts separated, thinly sliced
1/4 cup Soy-Lime Leaf Syrup, plus additional for drizzling
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Directions
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Cell: 248.688-2464
Email: [email protected]
Serves 4
Ingredients
Kosher salt to taste
1 large cauliflower, or 2 medium, broken into small florets
4 large boneless chicken breasts, skin on
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil
1 bunch of scallions, white and green parts separated, thinly sliced
1/4 cup Soy-Lime Leaf Syrup, plus additional for drizzling
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Directions
- Fill a large bowl with water and add ice. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the cauliflower. Blanch it for about 2 minutes; the cauliflower should be al dente. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cauliflower to the bowl. When cold, drain and dry well.
- Preheat the oven to 500°F. Season the chicken very lightly with salt and pepper.
- Heat a large, ovenproof sauté pan over high heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the chicken, skin side down, and sauté until brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Turn and scatter the cauliflower and the white parts of the scallions around the chicken. Brush the chicken and drizzle the cauliflower with 1/4 cup of the syrup. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until the chicken is just cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Lightly drizzle 4 serving plates with additional syrup. Place a small mound of the cauliflower on each of the plates, top with the chicken, and pour the pan juices over it. Garnish with the scallion greens and sesame seeds and serve.
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Cell: 248.688-2464
Email: [email protected]
Executive Chef Stef's Wok-Stirred Beef with Eggplant and Black Beans
The full-flavored pungency of black beans complements meats like beef and less delicate seafood. But it also works beautifully with eggplant, which has a slight sweetness that enhances the beans. This delicious dish uses both eggplant and beef for a black bean double-header. It's simple to make and couldn't be more tempting. Use long Japanese eggplants, if you can. (They're an all-year staple at Asian markets.) Besides being easier to cut, they hold their shape better after cooking than regular eggplants do, and are sweeter.
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 medium Japanese eggplants or 2 medium regular eggplants, cut into 1/2-dice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil
1/2 cup Black Bean-Garlic Sauce
1 pound flank steak, cut diagonally into 1/4-inch slices
Directions
Place the eggplant on a baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Set aside for 5 minutes.
Heat a wok or large sauté pan over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the eggplant and stir-fry until the eggplant is cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the eggplant to paper towels and drain.
Return the wok to high heat, add the remaining tablespoon of oil, and swirl to coat the pan. Add the Black Bean-Garlic Sauce and the beef and stir-fry until the meat is cooked through, about 1 minute. Return the eggplant to the wok and heat through, mixing thoroughly. Correct the seasoning with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Cell: 248.688-2464
Email: [email protected]
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 medium Japanese eggplants or 2 medium regular eggplants, cut into 1/2-dice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil
1/2 cup Black Bean-Garlic Sauce
1 pound flank steak, cut diagonally into 1/4-inch slices
Directions
Place the eggplant on a baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Set aside for 5 minutes.
Heat a wok or large sauté pan over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the eggplant and stir-fry until the eggplant is cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the eggplant to paper towels and drain.
Return the wok to high heat, add the remaining tablespoon of oil, and swirl to coat the pan. Add the Black Bean-Garlic Sauce and the beef and stir-fry until the meat is cooked through, about 1 minute. Return the eggplant to the wok and heat through, mixing thoroughly. Correct the seasoning with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Bon Appetit!
Executive Chef Stef
Asiatic Acoustics Mobile Dinner Theatre
Cell: 248.688-2464
Email: [email protected]