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Colin Ambrose brought more than 30 years
of experience in the food industry to The
Lodge Bar & Grill, a wonderful Restaurant
in East Hampton, as the executive Chef in 2006 and 2007.
Known for combining classic cooking
techniques with his own signature touches, he creates recipes for easy and
enjoyable entertaining.
April 2007
This spring shows signs of new growth already, the garlic sprouts in my kitchen
garden have been up for sometime, with cold weather and North Easter storms the
norm those shoots are slow to develop. As I walked a golf course on the edge of
the Atlantic this morning a swans nest caught my eye. Male and female moved about nervously keeping an eye on the mound that they had just built. As the season comes into focus recipes will evolve with each new harvest. I’ll keep my recipes in order
as they come to me. With the days progession photos will keep track of the season
with an eye on the garlic and the signets.
5 tablespoons olive oil
6 shitake large tops
4 cloves of garlic, sliced
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
¼ cup white wine
salt & pepper
Linguini
The swans have settled in completely, May 1, 2007
And she spends hours on the nest, photo session at 7:30 pm,
just after the magic light had faded. The lady kept her head
under wing until I reached the 20 feet zone. As she looked at me
the mark was set, doubtful I’ll ever get any closer while she
tends the eggs.
The menu on Race lane continues to progress, now we remove the
Lamb shank and replace it with Broiled pork chops (porterhouse)
Over shitake and sweet corn hash. Last nights family meal made use of the
Shanks.
4 braised lamb shanks
2 cups lamb stock finished with red wine and roux
1 quart frozen sweet peas
1 cup mirpoix
10 90 count potatoes, boiled and riced, finish w/ salt, butter and milk
Preparing for the season includes setting beds for basil & parsley. Today
The Lodge gained a pesto bed fabricated from a discarded cabinet. The soil,
a mix of hummus and stones that once resided in the patio area made a perfect base
for top soil that I’ll set on top tommarow.
4 cat fish filets
1 cup AP flour
½ cup polenta
1/2 cup panko
4 tablespoons Cajun spices
2 cups egg whites
2 cups of blended oil
Combine all dry ingredients and set up the egg whites in a dredging
tray then dip the filets in the egg whites. Follow by coating with
the breading (dry ingredients) and set in the largest frying pan you
have coated with the oil, over high heat. As soon as the filets begin to brown turn them over and then remove to a sheet pan, place in a 375 oven for 10 minutes.
Serve over red pepper and purple cabbage slaw with sweet potato fries and
Cajun spiced remaulade.
1 cup mayo
1/2 cup diced pickle skins
½ cup diced red pepper
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablspoons Cajun spices
the juice of 2 lemons
The Swan has moved very little since our last visit. Today the excitement came from
Her mate. After spending about 15 minutes with my camera on the marsh he must have
decided that I was getting too close. Suddenly from across the pond he took flight
and started to fly toward us. High and dry on the 6th fairway Jessica observed me observing the female on her nest, the male choose her as his target and swooped in from behind us flying low over the 5th green and he dive bombed jess at amazing speed missing her by only a foot or 2. He came to a landing half way down the fairway and kept close watch from there. A mothers day adventure that we will always cherish.
Miso dressing:
1.5 cups red miso paste
6 tablespoons sesame oil
1 cup oj
½ cup rice wine vinegar
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup blended oil
1 box soft tofu
1 tablespoon garlic powder (course)
1 tablespoon ginger powder
Blend until smooth
Salad:
1 cup sunflower sprout
1 cup red beet sprout
1 cup diacon radish sprout
1 cup radish shiffinode
1 cup carrot julienne
12 asparagus spears (poached and held cold in lemon & oil)
Salad dressing:
1 cup blended oil
¼ cup sesame oil
½ cup rice wine vinegar
½ cup oj
1 tablespoon ginger powder
½ tablespoon garlic powder
Salmon prep, slice filets into 1 inch thick pieces
Rub w/ miso dressing and then grill on a flat top
On in a large skillet w/ or wout grill marks.
Memorial day weekend had its punch, not the kind that leaves one breathless
but it set course for the season to come. The holiday weekend brought the birth
of 5 signets. Our visit on Tuesday was brief, Mom and dad seemed cautious but much
friendlier than I would have imagined.
This weekend we feature Lobster Salad stuffed avocados over Bette & Dales arugala and mizuna, radishes too. Carmine caught Aaron by surprise with her technique preping the Lobster. Citrus vinaigrette finishes the dish. The summer is coming and Quaill Hill is open. Mizuna, tat soi and radishes for harvest, Aaron got a tour too.
Pork Ribs 9 sides
Mirpoix 1 quart
Chicken stock 2 gallons
White wine 1 quart
Salt pepper
Jalipeno 3 pc
Two weeks ago Scot Chasky gave me a packet of red runner beans. The germination rate was about 60 percent at The Lodge, 100 percent at
The Litltle Kitchen. Each seedling has structure to reach out to, I can see the first
shoots coming off the stem surrounded by big heart shaped leaves. Across
from the beans each garden sports garlic shoots that are reaching for the sky,
days away from opening, slowly curling from the roots that swell under the surface.
Family dinner tonight included a steamed Jasmine rice, sautéed broccoli with ginger, garlic and peppers and grilled chicken in a similar marinade. The chicken breast was grilled over a new flame because of time instead of my usual routine of throwing it on a pre heated grill. The chicken was in the marinade for 30 minutes prior to grilling.
8 cloves of garlic
1 large knob of garlic, peeled and chopped (1/4 cup)
1 red pepper, seeds and stem removed
1/2 cup blended oil
¼ cup lime juice
7/1/07
The Lodge sold out of Monkfish last night, Saturday is fish night. Sunday
no monk sold, stuck holding 10 lbs. The dish was to be sold as
local Montauk Monkfish, pea pods from East Hampton, yellow wax beans
from Sag Harbor, garlic & basil from our garden. The garlic buds were tossed
with all else in the pan and they held shape, curly and bright green.
The staff was thin this evening, 2 waiters, one hit. No specials sold.
At the Little Kitchen garlic buds are reaching for the sky, the base of each plant almost as thick as my “pinky finger”. Behind The Lodge my plants are smaller and more plentiful. This recipe represents the seasons’ first garlic bulb harvest. Tops and bottoms made on to every plate.
Monkfish is thick, it takes a long time to cook. Use a hot oven and don’t pull it off the flame until it carmelizes on both sides. Prior to putting it in the oven hit the pan with a shot of white wine, if the liquid has been cooked off when you pull the fish from the oven, chances are the fish is cooked through. Place the filets on veg. prep and then hit the pan w/ a shot of chicken stock and a good pinch of herb, a pat of butter, reduce and top each piece of fish with a spoon full of “pan gravy”.
The Little Kitchen continues to rock with Raul and Julia in charge. Today our team
Served 205 people for breakfast and lunch, 45 for dinner, the temp outside was 75
and every moment was full. Cool days and clear skies make every moment a little easier.
Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil, salt it and then add 1 bag of Orzo, after
5 minutes strain and add good oil, lay out on a sheet pan and refrigerate.
2 cups pea pods
2 cups yellow wax beans
3 slices spring garlic
1 tablespoon butter
6 young leeks, split stem to stern and litely grilled
4 garlic buds
2 cups of blanched orzo
¼ cup sliced basil leaves
½ cup chicken stock
salt & pepper to taste
7/15/7
It’s getting hot in there. Last night we must have seen the temperature on the line exceed 120. Standing in front of the broiler, moving steaks from left to right, adding cheese to burgers, thumping the meat to test for doneness, no experience in cooking that I’ve ever had has been quite so extreme. The fish station is not quite as hot however it seems to get the lions share of our business. Striped bass is extremely popular, we’ve been serving it with asparagus, shitake mushrooms and grilled orange slices topped with citrus buree blanc.
The same dish is finding success at The Little Kitchen. Just outside the back door my garlic has matured. Yesterday the buds popped open and their light purple seeds are now exposed. Ancient looking plants in the last phase of summer life, hard to believe we’re already ½ way through the season.
1 30 inch striped bass should yield 8 to 10 nice 5oz pieces.
After removing the bones from filets (leave skin on) cut an x on the skin side of each piece, be careful not to cut into the sides just score the center of each piece.
When you are ready to begin cooking use a paper towel to dry the skin and the rub a tablespoon of soft butter on each filet. Set up a few sauté pans on high flame and place the fish skin down in the pans, no more than 2 to each pan. Place in a 450 oven for 8 to 10 minutes.
To prepare the burre blanc:
Squeeze the juice from 2 navel oranges
Chop 4 shalots
Dice 1 small red pepper
¼ cup white wine
1 lb unsalted butter (cut into 10 pieces)
Combine shallots and orange juice in a sauce pan and stir over high heat, then add the wine, reduce by ½. Now turn the heat down to simmer and add butter slowly, stirring with a rubber spatula, add more butter as each piece melts and then once all of the butter is melted add the red pepper. Remove from heat and hold in a warm place.
Grill 1 bunch of blanched asparagus tossed in oil and 2 sliced oranges rubbed w/ oil.
Sauté 3 cups of sliced shitake mushrooms with 2 chopped shallots, 3 tablespoons of butter and a pinch of herb and salt. When the mushrooms begin to get crisp over high flame it’s time to plate. Place a spoon full of mushrooms in the center of each plate and then top with 4 grilled asparagus pieces. Place 1 piece of fish on each plate and top with a slice of grilled orange then spoon the buree blanc over the fish.
7/18/7
This morning was harvest day at The Little Kitchen. First a 1/6 pan of blueberries followed by garlic scapes. The garlic topset flowers are ready for Scampi. Trying to separate the tiny cloves with your fingers is futile. Best to peel the outer cover that remains away and then place your palm on top of the bulb over a counter top and press down with a twist. These little cloves replace pre chopped garlic for about week. Combine in the pan with butter, opal and Genovese basil as the content begins to spit throw in 5 shrimp, a squeeze of lemon and pinch of salt. Raul’s serving them with a bed of Jasim rice and yellow zucchini cut into bit size pieces sautéed with butter and young onions.
At the Lodge it was Jansil Valley Brandywine tomato and Mozzarella salad. The tomato delivery arrived early, expensive tomatoes in an impressive box, very cold. When you go to the trouble of sourcing heirloom tomatoes expectations run high, these tomatoes were excellent yesterday. All the same we slice them and layered them with fresh mozzarella.
Layed out on the plate split in half along side a salad of Lemon cucumber sliced in half moons, tossed with garlic scape seeds and thinly sliced young onions in basalmic vinegrette. The dish is finished with a squezze of basil oil followed by balsamic reduction over the tomato and mozzarella.
It was Sophie Mangus’s birthday today. Her party was at the beach, in the wake of a rain storm that crossed Long Island with a fury. As I drove to the beach the swans on hook pond caught my eye. It was if the family was waiting for me. With only one signet left they were happy to greet me and pose for the camera.
7/21/7
Summer is upon us. Crossing the road requires advanced planning ( if I can take a right & then a left). People are settling in for the summer, my children seem to be very happy …Jess too. We dined in the “Tavern room” at the 1770 house on Thursday no kids just us.
Tonight may well have been our biggest night yet in the kitchen @ The Lodge. My post was the grill, Charlie Trotter and his wife came to visit. He was honored by The James Beard House at their annual Wolffer estate event. The day was perfect. They arrived early for the reservation, a surprise. Jessica was in for dinner with the Simon girls and she visited with the Trotteer’s…giving me time to catch up on the line.
The salad was top billing for me…….our 34 oz Porterhouse sold out
Charlie ordered Clams casino, crab cakes and a NY strip (med.)
1 doz Little necks
Red Butter……1 lb soft unsalted/1/2 cup red pepper diced fine/ ½ cup shallots fine/ 2 tablespoons garlic chopped
4 sliced applewood smoked bacon
8/10/7
It was Mansell’s 12 th birthday yesterday. We partied at the beach and it was a blast.
Her requested menu started with Grilled sushi tuna served rare, sliced thin and plated along side pickled ginger, wasabi and soy, Asa Gosman sent us the nicest piece of Tuna I’ve ever seen. She also wanted steamed mussels and marinara sauce, hot dogs, burgers and tomato mozzarella and olive oil (fresh from the airport in Rome.) Our good pal Michael Cinque arrived just in time with Fudgie the Whale from Carvel and we all sang
For the birthday girl.
At The Little Kitchen we’ve taken a hint from The Lodge Salad, replacing the shrimp
with pan roasted Blackfish. Our neighbor Bette is growing wonderful green beans and the
tomatoes are off the hook. The dish calls for a finish of crushed crisp bacon which
must go in at the end and on top in order to land a crunch to the dish.
Serves 4
2 cups of fresh green beans, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 cup of leeks, chopped and rinsed
2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
8 strips of bacon, crisp, best if it comes off the breakfast table
1 large ripe tomato, the most wonderful tomato you can find
Blanch and chill the beans in ice water, drain and hold cold.
Sautee the leeks in EVO until they begin to soften, hold at room temp.
For service toss the vegetables with ½ cup of red wine vinegarette, add ½ of the bacon at the end. Using great care slice your beautiful tomato into 4 pieces and place one in the center of each plate, top with the salad. These plates can sit at room temp. cover with a towel until you finish the fish. Top each plate with 10oz pieces of blackfish roasted in olive oil and herbs. Finally garnish the fish with the remaining bacon.
8/12/07
The beans and Blackfish sold out early on Saturday night, a big hit.
Tonight we replaced the blackfish with meatloaf. It went well side by side with
the green bean salad.
At The Lodge I was short on staff. Just Andrew and me on the line, family meal
was an early priority, when the pork chops were delivered I open the brown wrapper
to find 8 attractive porterhouse chops and several smaller tail pieces. The tail pieces
were perfect for this cassarole, on a cool night in August the staff was content with
creamy potatoes and onions that surrounded the pork.
4 bone in pork chops, 1.5 inch cut…removed from the bone and cut into 4 or 5 pieces
2 large white onions sliced into rings 1/2 inch thick
6 tablespoons chopped fine herb
8 Idaho potatoes…sliced ¼ inch skin on
½ cup ap flour
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups white wine
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
salt & pepper
½ cup vegetable oil
Start with a large skillet and a splash of the oil, add the pork and sear for 3 minutes on each side over high flame. Remove the meat and add more oil then the onions and stir until soft, remove. Now add the rest of the oil and the flour and stir until the flour begins to brown to a nutty roux. Deglaze with wine and chicken stock and then add the potatoes followed by the cream, season and then simmer.
In a roasting pan layer the potatoes then the pork & onions followed by the remaining potatoes and all of the sauce. Top with the cheese and place in the 375 oven for an hour.
Serve with an arugala, tomato and feta sald.
8/19/07
Last night was my 6th in a row, working the line @ The Lodge. Today, Sunday is a day off, well spent on the golf course and the beach. Family meal last night featured Chicken pot pie a favorite on cool evenings. Served with a crisp romaine and red vinegarette salad.
Crust made in the food processor:
2 cups ap flour
½ cup bacon grease
4 tablespoons ice cold water
1 teaspoon salt
bring together in the processor bowl and run until smooth
pour the mixture into a bowl and roll into a ball (add more bacon fat if needed)
wrap with plastic and repeat to make 2 balls, refrigerate for an hour.
The filling:
4 boneless chicken breasts, cut into thumb nail size pieces
1 quart chicken stock
1 cup diced celery
½ cup diced carrots
½ cup diced onion
2 tablespoons celery salt
1 cup ap flour
¼ lb butter
½ cup brandy
¼ cup fine herb
1 box frozen sweet peas
Start with the chicken stock in a sauce pan over high heat as it begins to simmer add the chicken and stir, then reduce the heat to medium. Season with celery salt and stir frequently, when the chicken is ½ cooked remove it from the stock and reserve both in the refregerator until you are ready to put the dish together.
Using the same sauce pan sautee the mirpoix with butter, the add the flour and stir until it makes a roux. Follow with the brandy and then about ½ of the stock and stir over medium heat frequently. After simmering the sauce for a few minutes return the chicken to the pot and add the herb then the peas. Turn the heat down to low.
Dust a clean table top with ap flour the roll out the dough to the thickness that you like.
If one is more crumbly than the other sue the crumbly one on the bottom, place the bottom piece in a glass 11x16 pyrex dish and then pre bake the crust bottom for 5 minutes. Then fill the pie with the chicken filling and lay the top crust on taking
Care to crimp the edges. Bake in a 375 oven for at least ½ hour or until the top crust is sufficiently brown and the filling begins to bubble.
Last night the pie was enough for 20 people and the crust was not so I sliced the
Top piece into strips and gave it a lattice top. Side by side with a green salad topped with avocado and tomato slices.
9/6/07
East Hampton town pond plays host to a family of swans 7 strong, mother and father parade the signets (very large birds last night). Returning from the north woods of Wisconsin with Phobe Brigg’s (Lyman’s best friend) our driver turned to me and commented on the flock. It was 1:00 am so I kept my mouth shut about my friends on the golf course.
Last weekend I spent enough time with Wayne Philipps from Braun oyster to learn about big fish shoulder’s or the knape. My initial interest was in a piece of fish that might feed the family. An education in butchering fish followed. The Swordfish collar is full of treasure right down to the birdlike form it’s bones take as they emerge from the oven post roast.
Swordfish stew w/ ginger jasmin rice and zucchini (big for 4)
Ask your fish monger for a swordfish collar, cod bones work too.
Clean all the meat you can off the bones and set aside. Leaving the collar intact roast at high heat for 10 or so minutes, over chopped carrots, celery and onions .squirt a little EVO before and dust with salt, pepper and herb after. Put all in a big sauce pan and
Simmer with wine and water for an hour.
As the broth begins to take the meat off the bones it should be strained and blended in a hot pan with brandy and cream. Bring down by half and finish with a few spoonfuls of tomato paste, salt and pepper. Sear the meat in a flat bottomed pan with red butter and finish in the pan with a lattle full of sauce for each plate.
The zucchini should be cubed and tossed in a hot pan with crushed garlic, chopped onions, Chopped fresh tomato and sliced basil. Season with salt and pepper and serve along side the rice.
To cook the rice take time rinsing dry rice in cold water then add it to a sauce pan witb
Warm water equal to the rice times 2. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover and reduce heat, simmer over lowest setting for 10 minutes. Set aside until you are ready to serve. In a separate but smaller pan melt butter with lime juice, red pepper dice and fresh chopped ginger, season with salt and herb and stir into the rice. Serve the rice in the middle.
1 8LB COLLAR
2 ONIONS
2 CARROTS
2 STALKS OF CELERY
1 BOTTLE WHITE WINE
EQUAL PARTS WATER
9/11/07
The rain falls like an electric blanket on 96th st. this morning, New York city
is not much different than a steam bath. I walked Whittier and Lyman to school
this morning following a new routine of waiting in front of the building at 50
east 96th st. for bus #164, Mansell’s new transportation to school at Windward
in Westchester. Today opened a chapter of our lives that should be titled $58
dollars please, it seems every turn involves the next outing or uniform and $58
is the magic number.
Dinner on Sunday night served the family at our dining room table in Manhattan.
It featured a chicken roasted in the rotisery chamber at the local grocery store,
bathed in herbs and the juice of 20 other chickens it was moist and flavorful.
My contribution was a spaghetti squash roasted simply in its skin and separated
from its seeds after 40 minutes in a 375 oven. I do what I can to feed the kids
yellow vegetables at every meal that I prepare for them. The squash was topped with
a sautee of garlic, green beans and sliced red pepper tossed with EVO and a touch of salt in a hot pan until the beans begin to soften, Start with the garlic and oil in the pan first
then (as the garlic begins to brown) add the rest of the ingredients.
To serve, the squash should be shredded on to a serving platter then topped with a few teaspoons of butter followed by the bean and red pepper mixture.
1 spaghetti squash
1 large red pepper
1 quart green beans (tips snipped)
4 cloves of garlic (sliced thin)
¼ cup olive oil
salt to taste
4 teaspoons unsalted butter
9/18/07
This is my favorite time of year even the swans love it, they move about more now.
hopefully the missions that I see them flying back and fourth over fairways are intended
to teach the one remaining youngster. There are no grey signets on Hook pond now only birds that appear to be full grown. On Town pond the family of seven continue to parade about. While the young are still light grey they have grown to resemble the adults in size and have not started to fly.
As the cherry tomatoes started to sweeten in the Lodge garden I parted with my job as chef. While I miss the men and women who shared the kitchen my eyes are firmly on a productive future and The Lodge was not focusing on the same goals. Today I worked the dining room at the Little Kitchen and fell in love all over again. Christian Wolffer was in for lunch and he reminded me just how lucky we are to share the east end in September, it’s a fabulous day with blue skies and magical light.
Tomatoes were featured on the Cod special this weekend. Asa Gosman sold us whole fish fresh from the Montauk docks, the filets were cut leaving skin on. As with bass it helps to dry the skin and then apply a coating of almost melted butter, into the hot pan
skin side down and leave the flame on full. When the skin releases from the pan place the
pan in the oven until the flesh cooks through (time varies based on the thickness of the filet).
Vegetables are in full swing at Quaill Hill. Whittier harvested Purple Peruvian potatoes,
Swiss chard and Turkish eggplant along with her friends Maxwell and Chloe Baschey.
The harvest started in a fairytale mist, as we began to gather apples for a pie it turned to rain. The children held strong and worked the soil of the potato field with pitchforks until the basket was full and we were all soaked to the bone. Tomatoes would have to wait until later in the day after the sun took over our sky.
To plate the dish Raul shocked the Swiss Chard and the diced potatoes then added them to a hot sauté pan containing olive oil softened leeks and peeled eggplant. The fish was plated on top of the veg. and then topped with a simple sauce of reduced fish broth and roasted tomato puree (run through a ricer) finished with saffron, a splash of red wine vinegar and finely chopped parsley. At the Little Kitchen many of our specials are enhanced by Raul’s spice blend of Kosher salt, white pepper, course garlic (dry) and toasted cumin seed that’s been chopped in a coffee blender into powder form, cod filet is an exceptional candidate for this seasoning.
9/20/07
After further research the swan report has changed. We still have a single signet
on Hook Pond and the birds feathers are still grey, I did not see it fly. The sky‘s blue and a light brezze move my drive from the left side of the green into a bunker, at least 20 swans move about between the tee and the green on the fourth hole. Ernie Clark
explained the gathering of swans at the bridge, it’s a gaggle of males that have yet to
hook up. They are eating something off the bottom, ravenous, preparing for a long flight south. I wish I could find out where they will winter.
Tonight I eat alone at home. Quail hill delivered vegetables at 4pm and my poached meal was the bounty. It’s tomato season so the red & yellow varieties from our special salad looked great, a head of fennel made the bag and I grabbed an eggplant too.
My choice of protein was the remaining 6 inch end of last weekends pork loin special.
Since Raul chose to trim the fat our refrigerator came to the rescue and provided a topping of thinly sliced salami layed over sliced red tomato and a seasoned piece of pork loin. It was roasted for an hour at 350.
1 6 inch eggplant, sliced & seasoned w/ salt, squeezed between 2 plates & paper towel
1 large egg
½ cup milk
1 cup flour
½ cup wonderful olive oil
1 yellow tomato, chopped
1 red tomato, sliced
10 basil leaves, sliced thin
salt & pepper
8 tablespoons cream cheese at room temperature
First step: slice the eggplant as thick as your little finger then lay it out on paper towels and season with sea salt another layer of paper towels and then a few plates to press down on the slices. While the eggplant releases moisture combine the eggs and milk in a cereal bowl with a fork. Pour the flour on a plate and season it with salt and pepper. Bring the olive oil to heat over a medium flame, dip eggplant slices in the egg wash and then the flour, repeat and set carefully in the hot oil. Repeat and turn each piece as each new piece enters the pan, brown lightly and then transfer to a dry hot surface.
To layer spread cream cheese on 1 side of 2 cooked eggplant slices then lay a warmed slice of tomato on each, sprinkle with basil salt & pepper. Toss the yellow tomato with
Basil, salt & pepper and a touch of olive oil and top the hat with a few spoonfuls. Place on a sheet pan, repeat to make more for the guests. Hold at room temp until service,
heat at 350 for 10 minutes and serve.
2 large fennel heads, remove fennel tops and hold for roasting the pork.
Slice the trimmed fennel from root to steam
Place the fennel in 2 cups of olive oil over medium heat and turn after 5 minutes.
Now transfer to the oven and roast for another 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and transfer to a serving plate, squeeze a lemon over the top,
2 if they’re small then top with diced tomato, season with sea salt.
3 lb or 6 inches American pork loin
1 large red tomato sliced
1 large yellow tomato diced
8 slices salami
2 cups fennel tops, whole
On a roasting pan arrange a bed of fennel tops then the pork loin,
season with salt and pepper now top with tomato slices, follow with salami
slices fanned out over the top. Place in a 350 hot oven and roast for 45 min.-
1 hour. remove and allow to stand for at least 10 minutes. Slice and serve with
2 slices of roasted salami topped with diced yellow tomato. A scatter of fennel
fronds about the plates rim make a nice garnish.
Colin T. Ambrose
January 2006
The kitchen is a comfort zone that I find myself in daily, regardless
of the place or time. For example, last night I visited the home of a neighbor,
the house is historic, on a bluff over looking the ocean. The guests were all
attractive and interesting people to be with.
I went to the kitchen as soon
as the introductions were completed. It's a truly spectacular wing of the house
with large cabinets fronted in glass, filled with plates and glasses of every
shape, color and size dating back to a time when this house may have been built
(early 20th century). The house has at least 8 bedrooms by my count. As I walked
through the pantry/ staging room it brought images of ocean front parties for
20 or 30 people with five and six course dinners to the front of my imagination.
The chef was busy and paid little attention to my interest, a staff of four
stood to his side preparing sushi rolls and wontons for passing on the patio
outside. I continued to paint the picture in my minds eye of the meal that
I would like to orchestrate in this room with the talented people who surrounded
me. Those brief moments will be my favorite memory of a night that may otherwise
have been a fog of quick conversation and little more.
Cooking gets to the heart of my happiest times. I can tell of days
when I was ten at my Grandmothers apron strings, topping string beans or harvesting
tomatoes from the garden in Whitewater Wisconsin or choosing the best loaf of
brown bread at the deli in Montclair New Jersey. Two things ring clear
from those memories, it is all important to take time in choosing the best ingredients
and they are nothing if not prepared with love and care. My grandmothers were
both superb cooks with two drastically different backgrounds. Grandma Cee Cee
Ambrose had been born and raised in Americas’ heartland and new how to
cook from scratch because that was the only way it was done.
My Grandma Andre
had been born in Amsterdam and raised traveling the world, her father was the
President of the Holland America line and as a child she saw the sights and tasted
the flavors that only a child with her family connections could experience. They
included walking the Great Wall of China and cruising the Amazon. From her kitchen
in Montclair the flavors were more worldly, most created to suit the palate of
my Russian born Grandfather Jules Andre but the philosophy of cooking was very
similar. Start with products that you source from those you trust and take time
and care to prepare them.
As a boy scout I was often given the assignment
to organize meals on our camp outs and over night outings. Without knowing it
I choose to follow the values that I had learned from both of my grandmothers.
On more than one occasion I vividly recall carrying three or four large turkeys
into camp for preparation on an open fire or in the Dutch ovens. Winter camp
outs involved large slabs of Canadian bacon and in some cases I had the responsibility
of holding them in the bottom of a sleeping bag to keep it from freezing before
the morning meal. I found enjoyment in the process of planning and preparing
a meal and I enjoyed the occasional reward of not having to clean up as the other
scouts would take on those duties.
From the beginning fresh, wholesome products
have been the basis of my menus. If the day called for grilling lunch on the
side of a river it would have to be freshly made Wisconsin bratwurst or freshly
ground beef for burgers. I still cook like that today. Looking for unique, stylized
ingredients is an adventure and as a chef in a highly competitive market living
the adventure requires a great deal of effort and I love every minute of it.
As
my pursuits changed from recreational to professional, learning new techniques
and styles continue as my passion. In the 1990's I traveled America observing
in kitchens and briefly working for top chefs in cities like New Orleans, San
Francisco, Los Angeles and New York. I learned the flavors of Thailand from
Fred Erica of Vida in L.A. and Michael Mina at Aqua, San Francisco taught me
to make a miso glaze that would flavor and preserve Black Cod. While visiting
Susan Spicer's kitchen at Bayonna in New Orleans I saw a vegetable smoker for
the first time and her staff turned my head to the idea of crusting catfish in
cornmeal and spices.
New York's famed chef Charlie Palmer got me started when
he invited me to spend as much time as I needed in his wonderful kitchen at Aureole
and from that experience I created the potato crusted flounder recipe that has
won raves from Estia customers over the past 15 years.
As the executive chef at Le Gourmet Chef I intend to continue the search for
creative energy. This new assignment gives me incentive to pursue adventure by
exploring the sources of food, drink and all of the elements that are incorporated
into the field of entertaining. In the past few weeks I've already visited an
authentic salmon smoke house on Irelands southern coast and an oatmeal plant
just outside of Dublin. The visits were full of new horizons and information
that I look forward to using in my kitchens and in presentations as I cross the
country representing Le Gourmet Chef.
Entertaining is still as exciting for me
today as it was watching my grandparents prepare for a holiday feast back in
the early 60's. Fresh and colorful is my motto, The Kitchen Chronicles will be
your sous chefs position to stand along my side join in the adventure of cooking
fresh and wholesome food for entertaining Le Gourmet Chef style.
Kitchen Chronicles #2
Bone sucking pulled pork
In the early days of my Estia Amagansett reincarnation to Mexican “Cantina”
cooking I developed this recipe to fill the need for an authentic taco. Having
just spent a day in the kitchen at Gerry Hayden’s Amuse, on 18th street in
Manhattan’s Chelsea, I had seen a similar preparation for his menu. This
Version has removed a call for garlic cloves, jalapeños and tomato paste and
replaced them with two of Le Gourmet Chef’s staples, Bone Sucking sauce
(thicker style) and Chef Tom Douglas’s “steak rub” from his Rub With Love line.
The idea is to appeal to the tail gate crowd with snack size (easy to assemble
in a parking lot) tasty treats. The tortilla has been replaced with Martins potato
buns (for Jets and Giants fans) if you live outside of the New York area substitute
Pepperidge Farm dinner rolls or any small hamburger bun instead. The idea is to
have the pulled pork cooked off and shredded the day before so that once on the
tailgate all you need to do is spoon the warm pork out of a thermos and serve.
7lb whole pork shoulder, grain fed if available
2 medium onions, chopped fine
2 celery stalks, chopped fine
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
8 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 oz. Vinagrede de Jerez, Sherry vinegar reserva (Columel)
1 cup apple juice
1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons steak rub, (Rub With Love)
1 tablespoon Sel de Mer Fin, (Beliene)
1 jar Bone Sucking Sauce, (Thicker style)
Start by removing the bone and all fat possible from the whole pork shoulder.
Over medium heat combine the onions, carrots, and celery in a sauce pan with _ the
oil and the bone, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes then add the sherry vinegar, apple
juice and chicken stock. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 min. Then remove the bone
and refrigerate the stock and vegetables until chilled (2 hours). While the stock simmers
cut the pork into about ten equal pieces and stir in the salt and the steak rub thoroughly.
Chill until the stock is ready (hold over night if time allows).
In a braising pan add the remaining oil and sear each piece of pork over high heat (about
2 minutes per side) when all of the pork has been seared add the stock, vegetables and
_ jar of Bone Sucking Sauce bring to a simmer. Cover and place in a 300 degree oven
for 3 hours. Remove the meat, cool, shred and add the rest of the Bone sucking sauce.
The “pulled pork” is now ready for a bun, hold cold or reheat to serve later. The best
bet for serving that day is to transfer the pulled pork to Kerri & Lonnie’s Crock Pot,
hold warm at the lowest setting. The remaining stock can be strained and chilled
for use later or to add moisture to the pulled pork recipe.
Kitchen Chronicles #3
General Tsao’s chicken skewers
Summer entertaining for large groups, especially when kids are in attendance,
always calls for chicken on the menu. I like to put the chicken on skewers
because it makes for easy preparation ahead of time, combines protein and
vegetables in a fun way and it represents a compact dish for storing cold in
the fridge.
Last night we had 8 kids and 6 adults, this recipe combined with
the pulled pork above and cole slaw plated with lettuce, cucumbers and
tomatoes made for a perfect portion size. This recipe can easily substitute
shrimp or scallops for the chicken. The pineapple is a key ingredient as it
maintains moisture against the protein and it combines extremely well with
the tangy Asian flavors in General Tsao’s sauce.
3 large chicken breasts, boneless/skinless
3 colorful peppers (yellow, orange & red)
2 red onions
1 12oz can chunk pineapple in heavy syrup
1 bottle General Tsao’s season with sel de Mer Fin (Beliene)
2 dozen wood skewers (soak in water for an hour in advance)
Start by cutting the chicken into bite size pieces (about the same size as
the pineapple chunks). On a separate cutting board cut your peppers and
onions. Then open the pineapple can and assemble the skewers, using about
three pieces of pineapple, peppers and onions per skewer. Hold
cold until 1 hour prior to service. Remove from the fridge and then lightly
season with salt, then pour General Tsao’s sauce over the entire protein,
vegetable portion of the skewers (avoid getting sauce on the wooden skewers
if possible). Grill on a low burning charcoal grill or on George Forman’s Grill.