Family Recipes

A R T S & C U LT U R E

Kristen Kish After earning the hard-fought distinction of Top Chef on the tenth season (2012) of Bravo’s eponymous reality competition series, Kish returned to Boston’s culinary scene, serving as Chef de Cuisine at Barbara Lynch’s Menton. Since leaving the restaurant in Spring 2014, Kish has been working on some exciting new projects, and that’s all we can say!

“An easy chilled soup that requires little prep work and can be made quickly. Perfect for your summer entertaining.”

Chilled English Pea Velouté with Grapefruit, Osetra Caviar, and Lemon Grass

Ingredients:

Velouté 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 shallots, julienned 1 stalk lemon grass, roughly chopped zest of 1 lemon ½ quart whole milk 1 quart vegetable stock (see recipe at right) salt, to taste 1 ½ quarts shelled fresh English peas

Garnish 2 ruby red grapefruit, supremed and cut into small chunks roughly 2 ounces caviar chive blossoms pea flowers or pea tips olive oil

Directions:

Warm the olive oil in a large sauce pot. Sweat shallots and lemon grass until softened, about 5-6 minutes. Add lemon zest, milk, vegetable stock, and salt to taste.

Bring to a light simmer. Add the peas, cook over medium heat/medium simmer for 6-7 minutes.

Transfer contents to a high powered blender. Start on low and work your way to a high-speed blend. Blend for 2 to 3 minutes. Once finished, strain the liquid through a fine mesh strainer or chinois. Add more vegetable stock if it is too thick. Re-season to taste.

Chill over an ice bath immediately to keep the color as vibrant as possible. The quicker this process is done, the greener your velouté will be.

Garnish the chilled soup with the grapefruit, caviar, chive blossoms, and pea greens. Drizzle a bit of extra virgin olive oil. Serve.

Note: As the soup chills, it may require more salt.

Vegetable Stock

Yields 3 quarts mild vegetable stock

Ingredients:

3 onions, quartered 3 carrots, peeled and large diced 2 oranges, peeled and quartered 2 bulbs fennel, large diced 2 Granny Smith apples, quartered and cores removed 2 stalks celery, large diced 1 white part of leek 1 teaspoon fennel seed 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorn ½ teaspoon coriander 2 bay leaves 4 sprigs thyme 5 sprigs parsley

Directions:

Put all the ingredients into a large pot (enough to hold 3 quarts liquid). Cover with cold water and gently bring to a boil.

Once it reaches a boil for 6 minutes, shut off the heat and cover the pot. Allow to sit for 30 minutes.

Strain, cool, and reserve the liquid.

Note: Stock can be made ahead and kept in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for 1 month.

Michele Ragussis Ragussis, Executive Chef at the Central House in Provincetown, has appeared on various cooking shows, including Food Network Star, Food Fighters (NBC), and Chopped (Food Network). She’ll return for the second season of Food Fighters. Drawing upon her Greek and Italian heritage, Ragussis’ cuisine puts a Mediterranean spin on traditional New England dishes.

“Easy for any home cook and super New England.”

Little Necks with Sweet Corn and Portuguese Chouriço

2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 shallot, chopped 2 ears corn, kernels removed and cobs discarded 1 stick Portuguese chouriço, cut in quarter-inch slices salt and pepper, to taste 2 dozen littlenecks ½ cup Vinho Verde 2 tablespoons butter ¼ fresh Italian parsley, roughly chopped ½ cup basil, julienned slices of crusty bread

Directions:

Sauté the garlic, shallots, corn kernels, and chouriço for about 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the little necks and wine, cover, and let steam for about 6-10 minutes, until they pop open. Add butter and herbs and let cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Serve with crusty bread.

Justin Burke-Samson A self-taught pastry chef, Burke-Samson continued to expand his pastry skills in college and graduate school while working front of house for cafes and bakeries in Boston. He went on to work in the nonprofit world, managing special events and development while running his online bakery part-time. In 2014, Burke-Samson made a career change, launching the pop-up series Stacked Donuts and Trademark Tarts with Top Chef alumna Stephanie Cmar. He is now Executive Pastry Chef and co-owner of Party of Two. Follow him on Instagram and Twitter @JTBSAMSON.

“This recipe is really easy and one of my favorites for summer and beach parties. And who doesn't like chocolate? The filling is really versatile and I use it for a lot of different things.”

Chocolate Summer Pie

Ingredients:

Crust 1 ½ cups chocolate wafer crumbs or graham cracker crumbs ⅓ cup macadamia nuts, finely chopped (pulsed almost to the point of butter; you want to see flakes of macadamia in the crust) ¼ cup granulated sugar 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Coconut nougat 2 cups sweetened coconut, toasted 4 tablespoons unsweetened condensed milk pinch of salt

Chocolate filling 4 very ripe avocados 1 ½ cups melted semisweet chocolate ½ cup honey 2 teaspoons vanilla extract ½ cup almond milk 6 tablespoons cocoa powder pinch of salt

Toppings 2 cups heavy whipping cream ⅓ cup chopped macadamia nuts caramel sauce

Photo credits Michele Ragussis' portrait: James Cunningham Little Necks: Michele Ragussis Kristen Kish's portrait: Mercure Photography Chilled English Pea Velouté: Gina Hamadey Justin Burke-Samson's portrait: Andrew Wang/Andrew Takes Photos Chocolate Summer Pie: Justin Burke-Samson

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Make the crust. Use an 8-inch pie pan or spring form pan. Mix wafer crumbs (or graham crackers), macadamia nuts, and sugar until well combined. Add melted butter and mix together. Press crumb mixtures in pan, making sure the crumbs go up the side of the pan. Tip: use a flat measuring cup to press evenly the crust flat and around the edges.

Bake for 6 to 10 minutes (don’t let the crust burn). Let cool.

Make the coconut nougat. On a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, toast the coconut until lightly golden brown. Regularly mix the coconut for an even toast. Let cool. Combine the cooled toasted coconut, sweetened condensed milk, and a pinch of salt and stir to combine. Set aside.

Prepare the chocolate filling. In a food processor, puree the avocados, semisweet chocolate, honey, vanilla, almond milk, cocoa powder, and salt until smooth.

Assemble the pie. When the crust is cooled, add an even layer of the coconut nougat. On top of the coconut nougat layer, add the chocolate filling. Cover and place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Before serving, whip the heavy whipping cream in a mixer until soft peaks form. Add the whipped cream on top of the pie and sprinkle crushed macadamia nuts on top. Drizzle with caramel sauce.

Note: The chocolate filling is very adaptable. If you don’t want to make a pie, you can simply serve it in a cup topped with whipped cream. It’s also delicious slightly frozen and topped with fresh berries.