Bouillabaisse!

Chef Lerner offers up his variation on Bouillabaisse, with a little help from the incomparable Chef Solberg, for your cooking pleasure.

Ingredients for shrimp stock:
1 pound shrimp heads, tails and shells
1 cup onion rough chopped
1/2 cup celery rough chopped
1/2 cup carrot rough chopped
4 cloves garlic; smashed
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste


Ingredients for Bouillabaisse:
2 quarts shrimp stock
1 quart fish stock
1/2 onion rough chopped
1/2 fennel bulb rough chopped
1 celery stalk, rough chopped
1 star anise
1/4 ounce fennel seed
1/2 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tomato roughly chopped
1 quart heavy cream
1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 pound clams
1/2 pound mussels
1 pound fish (Chef Lerner opted for swordfish but other fish like halibut and cod work equally as well
salt and pepper to taste

To make the stock:
1. In a large pot, combine shrimp heads, tails and shells with 1 cup onion, 1/2 cup carrot, 1/2 cup celery, 4 garlic cloves and 2 bay leaves. Fill with enough water to cover the ingredients and bring the pot to a boil over medium heat.
2. Reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour.
3. Strain through a sieve and cool.

To make the Bouillabaisse:
1. In a large sauce pan or pot large enough to hold all of your liquids, saute the onions, celery, fennel and garlic until softened and lightly browned. Add tomato and tomato paste and saute until tomatoes begin to brown but not burn.
2. Add stock, star anise and fennel seed. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for one hour.
3. Add cream and soy sauce and simmer an additional 30 minutes.
4. Strain, check for seasoning and return to a simmer. Add clams mussels and fish; simmer until the clams and mussels open and the fish is fully cooked. Serve and enjoy.

Jon + Veal = Delicious

The Chef:
Jon Lerner has been a part of the Culinary program at Metropolitan Community College for two years and is about to graduate. After graduation, Jon intends to begin a career working on a cruise ship for about 30 years or so before retiring to Chicago to work as a chef. His dream is to buy a place in downtown Chicago and become a die-hard bears fan.

The Menu:

1st Course- Caesar Salad, Parmesan Aioli, Puff Pastry Stick, Fried Anchovy, Confit Cherry Tomato

2nd Course- Bouillabaisse, Mussels, Clams, Swordfish

3rd Course- Veal Roulade, Veal Farce, Duchesse Potatoes, Asparagus, Mushroom Demi-glace

Dessert- Almond Semifreddo, Coconut

Jon's menu runs until the 29th of April. Reservations can be made online at http://resource.mccneb.edu/Bistro/reservation.htm . Stay tuned for a selected recipe from Jon's menu.

The Chef:
Patrick Micheels has been a student at the Institute for the Culinary Arts at Metro for 3 years, working on a major in Culinary Science. As a child, Patrick loved to cook, whether it was in the kitchen with mother and grandmother, or concocting crazy recipes he thought were delicious. He always toyed with the idea of attending culinary school and with a move to Omaha from small-town Scottsbluff, that idea became reality when he found the ICA at Metropolitan Community College. His real interests lie in unusual and extraordinary food and science. He hopes to graduate from Metro within the next two quarters, move from Nebraska and see whatever doors open...hopefully he walks through the right one.

The Menu:

1st Course- Daikon Salad, Cold-smoked Salmon, Compressed Daikon, Daikon Sprout, Avacado, Citrus Vinegarette

2nd Course- Seafood Linguini, Mussels, Clams

3rd Course- Butter Basted Cornish Game Hen, Rutabaga Puree, Baby Carrots, Garlic Roasted Pearl Onions, Shitakes, Raspberry Sauce

Dessert- Carrot Cake Tower

Chef Micheels recipe goes out to all you cryo-vac fanatics.
3 daikon radish squares,  cut 1/8" x 1" x 1"
2 squares cold smoked salmon, cut same dimension as daikon
1 thyme sprig
olive oil
champagne vinegar
1 avocado, medium dice
1 bunch daikon sprouts
salt and pepper to taste

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon shallot, finely chopped
1 pinch of sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 olive oil

For the daikon:

1. Drizzle the radish squares with olive oil and champagne vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Pick the leaves from the thyme sprig and sprinkle over daikon squares. Removing the leaves from the thyme sprig can be a frustrating process. I find it easier to roll the sprig between the palms of my hands.
2. Place the daikon pieces in a cryo-vac or vacuum sealer bag, compress and let sit.

For the vinegarette:

1. Whisk together the lemon juice, lime juice, red wine vinegar, garlic, shallot, sugar, salt and pepper.
2. When combine, slowly drizzle in the oil. whisking vigorously to achieve an emulsion. (Forearms not in Tennis Pro shape? You can make the vinegarette in a blender if you like, but doing so will sacrifice some textural goodness in the finished dressing.)

To assemble the salad:

1. Lay one daikon square on the bottom of a plate. Next stack a square of salmon and repeat process with the remaining daikon and salmon.
2. Sprinkle sprouts and avocado over the radish, reserving a portion of the avocado to sprinkle around the outer edges.
3. Drizzle with vinegarette and adjust seasonings if necessary. 

Chef Patrick Micheels menu will run until April 22. Reservations can be made online at
http://resource.mccneb.edu/Bistro/reservation.htm

Shellfish Sapidity...

As promised, a recipe from Sarah's menu. Shellfish cakes...'nuff said.

Ingredients-
  1 lb shrimp; peeled and veined
  1 lb crawfish tails; cleaned
  4 oz lump crab meat
  1 bunch green onions; finely chopped
  3 cloves garlic; minced
  1 lemon; zested
  1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  1 teaspoon paprika
  2 egg yolks
  1/4 cup cream
  1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
  1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
  1 Tablespoon olive oil
  salt to taste

1. In a food processor, briefly pulse the shrimp and crawfish.
2. In a saute pan over medium heat, saute the onions and garlic just until they begin to brown. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients just until fully incorporated. Using a portion scoop or your hands, form the mixture into uniform balls and then flatten into cakes. This can be accomplished by using a small plate or the bottom of a glass, depending on the size of your cakes.
4. In a saute pan over medium to medium high heat, fry a small portion of the mixture to check for proper seasoning; then pan fry the cakes in a small amount of oil until cooked through. The goal is to achieve an even, golden crust on each side, being careful not to burn the volatile but uber-delicious Parmesan.

Good luck!

Cajun Conviviality

The Chef:
Sarah Slattery was born and raised just outside Omaha, Nebraska. Coming from a family that loves to cook, she entered the kitchen at an early age. After receiving a Bachelor's in Graphic Design from Creighton University, she decided a more active career was preferential, thus the desire to attend culinary school was birthed. Sarah currently works at her family's wine tasting room in rural Cass County where she is able to explore creative food preparations, as well as indulging in her other passion, wine service. Concurrently she is studying through the Court of Master Sommoliers for certification and hopes to someday have a blossoming career in food and wine pairing.

The Menu:
1st Course- Shellfish cakes, Braised Radicchio and Citrus Buerre Blanc

2nd Course- Cajun Cobb Salad, Smoked Chicken and Remoulade

3rd Course-Bacon Threaded Beef Sirloin, Pepper Sauce, Cajun Stewed Vegetables, Andoullie Boulletes

Dessert- Caramel Begniets, Banana Brulee, Creme Anglaise

 Sarah's menu will run until April 15. Make a reservation online at
http://resource.mccneb.edu/Bistro/reservation.htm.

Check back for a surprise recipe from Sarah's menu and stay tuned for next week's chef and a new menu!