"Scallops 'n' Bacon"

Surf 'N' Turf

This is a recent feature dish I did and it sold like crazy! It is a Maine lobster tail poached in vanilla butter and a pan seared flat iron steak as the two main protiens. Along with the protiens I put a smooth parsnip puree, sauteed asparagus and two sauces(peppercorn demi and vanilla-citrus hollandaise).

Thought Process...Coq au Vin

When I first started this site I planned on keeping ideas I've been thinking about posted here,for memory sake, (no mater if they were good or bad) in hopes that through the thought process I could evolve the thought into a true inspiration for something real. I called these posts Food for Thought, but I accually forgot all about my idea to post these thoughts until I looked over my older posts and I saw the one I did for Coq auVin. So, I started the process. Here is a picture of the cylinders of chicken(without the force meat) after they have been poached.

After I poached it I seared the skin in a pan and basted it with butter and thyme. Made a mushroom ragout, braised some shallots, cooked carrot ribbons and braised slab bacon. The sauce is a demi made from the shallot braising liquid

I really like where this dish is heading, but I'm not happy with it yet. It is still in the thought process...

Triggerfish w/ Bacon

Here is a dish I enjoyed making. It was a part of a tasting menu I did for a newlywed couple the other day. This dish is full of local food stuff, the fish is from NC waters, and the sweet potatoes and asparagus are from a local farm. I first thinly sliced some applewood smoked bacon from the slab and layered it out onto some plastic wrap, next I layed the fish onto the bacon and covered the two with fresh tarragon leaves. I rolled that sucker tight and poached it in some warm water for about 15 min. I cooled it in an ice bath and began to cut portions.

I pan roasted the fish and bacon, made some chips of the sweet potatoes, cooked the asparagus in some butter, made a red wine shallot gastrique, plated and served.

Goat Cheese Sphere

Local goat cheese, beet puree, tangerine segment, tarragon and "everything bagel" chip.

Uncle's Fruit Sushi

I've spoken of a co-worker in here a couple of times and each time it has been the same guy, he is Uncle(not my uncle, not your uncle, I don't even think he is an uncle at all, he is just Uncle), and here is his Fruit sushi, I regret taking the picture so quickly becauce I didn't get his wasabi ice cream in there. That ice cream was good,,, just don't plan on eating a bowl of it anytime soon.

Caesar Salad?

An amuse bouche of romaine rib, flash fried white anchovy, cracked black pepper, truffle oil and parmigiano reggiano. No more, no less. ......... OK, accually I wish I put more; I want some sort of egg custard on there.

A Lobster at the Farm

We recently recieved some great local corn, peas, and fingerlings. I couldn't wait to put them to some use. There was a table last night of two of the kitchen's French interns, so I figured now is a good time. I next cracked a lobster tail and poached it in some beurre monte, while I made a quick pea puree, shaved some fingerlings for chips, that I dusted with a little truffle salt and I used a few cobs of corn to make a creamy corn broth that I eventually frothed into an air with the help of some soy lecithin. For good measure I shaved some truffle onto the plate at the table, can't hurt right?

Avacado, Smooth and Creamy

It was about 10 years ago when a pastry chef I worked with, at the first restaurant I held down a sous chef role, made some avacado ice cream and it was perhaps the best tasting ice cream I had ever tried. Years later I told a Chef I was working under about it as he was preparing for a food competition, we worked on it a bit and he eventually won the competition! Now I wanted to try it again, this time as a warm weather bouche. I paired it with a grapefruit segment, tomato jam and lump crab meat. Damn, I love this ice cream, the fat from the avacado makes it so smooth and creamy! I'm getting fat.

Fun Beef Tartare

Some love it, some hate it. I love beef tartare, done right, my wife on the other hand would rather not even look at it, whether its done right or done perfect, she don't want it! This version of the classic has Maytag Bleu cheese, water crackers, black pepper and white truffle foam as garnishes. Man, I love this stuff!