North Market Cooking Class Recipes January Series

Posted by Latitude 41 on February 04, 2012

Sunchoke Soup

2#    sunchoke, peeled, in acidulated water
1 ea.    medium sweet onion
1 tbsp    olive oil
1 qt.    water
1 cup    snowville whipping cream
to taste    truffle oil (i like a good amount)

In a pan over medium heat, sweat onions until translucent and then add sunchokes.  Cover with water and season with a little salt and simmer until sunchokes are fork tender just as if you were cooking a potato.  Transfer contents of the pan to a blender and puree.  Slowly add the cream and adjust seasoning and add your truffle oil.  Garnish with whipped cream with some fresh chopped chives folded into it.

Chimichurri

1 cup    flatleaf parsley, leaves picked
2 cups    cilantro, leaves picked
1/2 cup     rosemary, leaves picked
3 ea.    garlic clove
1 ea.    juice of lime
1/2    cup sherry vinegar
1 1/2 cup    good olive oil
1 ea.    jalapeno (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree.

Potato Gratin Stuffed Onions

6 ea.    vidalia onion
4 ea.    idaho potatoes
1 qt.     cream
2 tbsp     horseradish
1 cup    gruyere

With onions whole, place in a pot with 1/2 cream and 1/2 water, season with salt, coriander, bay leaf, and a couple black peppercorns.  Bring pot to a simmer for a couple minutes and then remove from the heat.  Allow onions to sit in this hot liquid until tender and cool enough to handle.  Remove and refrigerate.  In the meantime, peel potatoes into water to prevent oxidation.  With a mandoline, slice potatoes to approximately 1/8" thickness.  In bowl, combine cream, horseradish, salt and white pepper.  Season until mildly salty as the potatoes will absorb a fair amount.  Combine with potatoes and press into a greased casserole pan and press firmly.  Cover with foil and bake in 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes or until potatoes are tender.  When cooked, allow to slighlty cool and then fold in your gruyere cheese.  Refrigerate.  To prepare onions, slice off the bottom 1/5 of onion so that it lays flat.  Peel skin off onion off and remove the interior layers of the onion, leaving two outer layers of poached onion.  You can reserve the core of the onion for other applications.  When the potato gratin is cool, stuff onion tightly packing and reserve.  To serve, heat on baking pan with a little butter and water in the bottom of the pan.  Bake at 350 basting occasionally until the center is warm, approximately 15 minutes. 

Hanger Steak

6 ea.    6 oz. portions
1 cup    chimichurri

Ask butcher to portion steaks for you.  Marinate in chimichurri for 4 hours prior to cooking.  Cook to an internal temperature of 125 degrees for a rare to med rare steak.  This cut is best done at this temperature to remain tender.  Slice and serve with stuffed onion and a little sauteed swiss chard.

Honey and Pinenut Tart

Tart Dough

400g    soft butter
200g    powdered sugar
120g    egg yolks
1kg    flour

Combine in food processor or by hand by starting with butter, sugar, and creaming the yolks together.  Slowly add flour and combine.  Form dough by hand in greased pan.  Refrigerate for 20 minutes.  Blind bake at 350 degrees with tin foil and dry beans or other counter weight.  Bake until golden brown, appoximately 25 minutes. 

Tart Filling

2 cups    honey
1 1/2 cup    sugar
1 tbsp    salt
24 oz.    butter
1 1/2 cup    cream
3 ea.    whole eggs
3 ea.    egg yolks
2 cups    pinenuts (or other favorite nut)

Combine the first four ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Allow to cool for 2o minutes and whisk in the cream and eggs.  Fold in your nuts and pour over tart shell.  Don't worry too much about spreading perfectly as it will do so naturally in the oven.  Bake for 2o minutes until bubbling.  Remove and let cool.  Cut and serve with ice cream or whipped mascarpone.  Drizzle a little honey over the top.