RECIPES: Cooking with Michael Anthony

March 28, 2008 — -- Gramercy Tavern head chef Michael Anthony believes that sometimes "by removing ingredients from a dish, the dish itself becomes more powerful." His hot smoked brook trout is a product of that philosophy, and according to Anthony it is "as simple as a dish can be conceived.'

HOT SMOKED BROOK TROUT ON SUNCHOKE PUREE AND PICKLED CIPOLLINI ONIONS

Recipe courtesy Michael Anthony

Serves four

For the Sunchoke Puree

2 cups sunchokes, peeled and sliced

1 shallot, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 Tbsp water

1 Tbsp brown butter

salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

Sweat sunchokes, shallots and garlic on medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp of water and cook until tender. Place in blender and puree with brown butter. Add salt and pepper to taste.

For the Pickled Onions

4 cipollini onions, sliced into rings

1 star anise

2 beets

2 Tbsp red verjus

1 cup white wine vinegar

½ cup water

1 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

Instructions:

Toast star anise in a medium saucepan. Once toasted, add beets, red verjus, white wine vinegar, water, sugar and salt. Bring to a simmer, then strain. Throw away the solids and keep only the liquid. Add cipollini onions and let chill. This preparation preserves the onions and will hold for several weeks at a refrigerated temperature.

For the Pickled Onion Vinaigrette

1 onion, medium, minced

1Tbsp beet juice

1Tbsp raspberry vinegar

1Tbsp red wine vinegar

1Tbsp red wine reduction

1Tbsp Port

½ cup olive oil

lemon juice, to taste

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, reserving the olive oil and lemon juice for later use. Simmer and reduce until ingredients are tender. Finish vinaigrette by whisking in olive oil and a drop of lemon juice.

For the Brook Trout

4, 6-oz fillets

Instructions:

Smoke trout fillets for 7 minutes over low heat using apple wood chips.

Assembling the dish

Spoon the sunchoke puree onto the center of the dish. Streak one side of the plate with pickled cipollini onions and the other side of the plate with the onion vinaigrette. place smoked trout fillet on top of the sun choke puree.

Red snapper is a highly regulated fish and according to Michael Anthony is the "great success story of choosing seafood items responsibly." While it has a short season, it is extremely fresh and alone with the Walnuts and apples it "comes together in a way that is simple and delicious."

RED SNAPPER OVER SPAGHETTI SQUASH, WALNUTS AND APPLES

Recipe courtesy Michael Anthony

Serves four

For the Red Snapper

8, 5-oz. filets of Red Snapper or Black Bass

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 garlic clove, peeled and smashed

1 sprig thyme

salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

Season fish with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat olive oil in saute pan with garlic and thyme. Add fish and saute, basting with olive oil.

For the Spaghetti Squash

1 spaghetti squash, cut in ½ lengthwise

3 Tbsp olive oil

3 Tbsp walnut pieces

1 tsp wildflower honey, preferably Hampton's

1 tsp lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees degrees Fahrenheit. Drizzle squash with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place squash, cut side down, on a sheet tray and roast in oven for 20-25 minutes or until flesh pulls away from skin. (be careful not to overcook as it is important for the squash to maintain its texture.) Using a fork, remove squash flesh from skin and set aside.

Toast walnut pieces in remaining tablespoon of olive oil. When nuts turn brown, drizzle with honey, tossing walnuts to coat. Add lemon juice and finish. Fold walnuts into spaghetti squash and season with salt and pepper.

For the Sauce

2 cups Manzanilla sherry

1 cup vegetable stock

1tsp saffron

1tsp mild imperial curry

2 Tbsp shallots, peeled and minced

1 clove garlic, peeled and minced

1 Tbsp lime juice

1 Tbsp butter

3 Tbsp pumpkin seeds, toasted

3 Tbsp apple, peeled, cored and minced

Instructions

Place all ingredients except lime juice, butter, pumpkin seeds and apple in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat and reduce by two thirds. When reduced, blend with a hand blender until smooth.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add lime juice and stir until butter is melted. Just before serving, warm sauce and add toasted pumpkin seeds and minced raw apple. Season again with salt and pepper to taste.

Assembly

Spoon spaghetti squash into center of each plate. Place fish on top of squash and spoon sauce on top of fish and drizzle around plate.