Culinary Concierge Magazine - New Orleans - Mid-Winter 2014

Happiness on the Half-Shell

Oyster Lover’s Guide

CULINARY CONCIERGE T h e Wi n e & D i n e M a g a z i n e - NEW ORLEANS -

Oysters Bienville

at Pascal’s Manale Restaurant and Oyster Bar

Bar Chef Amber Peterson at Palace Café

MID-WINTER 2014

plus,Oyster Plates...Build a Better Bloody Mary

Besh and Link Cookbooks...Recipes...Menu Pages & More

CULINARY CONCIERGE

The Wine & Dine Magazine - NEW ORLEANS -

14

th

Anniversary

2000 - 2014

Celebrating 14 years of serving up the culinary current Kendall Collins Gensler

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/PUBLISHER FOOD STYLIST PHOTOGRAPHY Romney Caruso Ron Calamia Sara Essex

GRAPHIC DESIGN ASSISTANT John Schexnaydre Published quarterly by

Culinary Concepts, LLC a culinary consulting and publishing firm 5500 Prytania Street #437 New Orleans, LA 70115

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CULINARY CONCIERGE | MID - WINTER 2014 |

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take a

taste

New Orleans

Mid - Winter 2014

TABLE OF CONTENTS

5 For Starters: Oyster Shooters

at Ole Saint Kitchen & Tap

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Trend-Sett ing th e Table: Build A Better Bloody Mary

10 The Shell Game

gene bourg on Louisiana Oyster dishes

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Oyster Choices: Fire & Ice Celebrate:

The 3 Millionth BBQ Oyster at Red Fish Grill

20 à la mode: Oyster Plates 22 Buy the Book:

Down South by Donald Link Cooking from the Heart by John Besh

27 30

“On The Menu” Pages

RESTAURANT DIRECTORY & MAPS

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For Starters Oyster Shooters

$1 Every day during

Happy Hour 3- 5 PM featuring Housemade “Hail Mary” Bloody Mary Mix

Ole Saint

Kitchen & Tap 132 Royal Street New Orleans

Chef Jared Tees Deuce McAllister

Deuce McAllister's Ole Saint Kitchen & Tap combines the culinary expertise of Executive Chef Jared Tees with legendary New Orleans Saints former running back, Deuce McAllister. The menu features classic Southern Louisiana Coastal Kitchen dishes such as Pecan Wood Smoked Baby Back Ribs, Louisiana Crab Cake BLT, with over 50 beers on tap. www.olesaint.com

Bottom’s Up!

editor-in-chief CULINARY CONCIERGE | MID - WINTER 2014 |

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TREND-SETTING THE TABLE

Belly Up to the Bar and Build a Better

Bloody Mary

Each Sunday at Palace Café, Bar Chef Amber Peterson builds a Bloody Mary “buffet” line teeming with housemade goodies to entice you to create a Bloody Mary masterpiece.

Look for house-infused vodkas such as Garlic, Jalapeno and Creole Trinity; Amber’s housemade hot sauces, customblended seasoning rimmers, and garnishes galore featuring housemade pickled vegetables. So, grab a glass, get in the second line and create a custom cocktail or two.

A Dash of Bloody Mary History: An arranged marriage between vodka and tomato juice, infinitely customizable with an assortment of accoutrements, the Bloody Mary is thought to have been created shortly after World War I. An unknown American bartender in Paris usually gets the credit for creatively availing himself of some of the first tins of tomato juice imported from the United States. (co ntinued on pag e 9)

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For a drink that's about 75 percent tomato juice and 20 percent alcohol, people have surprisingly strong opinions about what goes in that last 5 percent.

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Newly opened Counter market & deli on Chartres Street ( next door to sibling restaurant, Kingfish) boasts a Bloody Mary Bar that is available daily from 11 am - 6 pm. In addition to the delicious sandwich offerings, you can blend your own “Bloody” featuring house-infused vodka and an array of garnishes and hot sauces to season. You will be good to go.

(cont inued from p age 7) That bartender was Fernand Petiot who brought the drink back to The St. Regis New York’s King Cole Bar in 1934, added vodka, seasonings and came up with the name. It was apparently inspired by a bar regular named Mary, left waiting for her man while nursing one of Petiot’s tomato cocktails. Bar Mary’s plight was likened to that of England’s Queen Mary I, and thus the Bloody Mary was born.

The name was considered a little racy, so Petiot improvised a new version of the Bloody Mary with gin and called it a Red Snapper. But once Smirnoff vodka took America by storm in the 1960s, making vodka more mainstream, the Bloody Mary roared again.

It has a reputation as a hangover remedy, and the Bloody Mary is abidingly good after a big night out thanks to the richness of the tomato juice, which also provides acidity. Spice comes from the traditional Tabasco, though some bartenders prefer Louisiana hot sauce, horseradish or other concoctions of their own.

Themes on the classic Bloody Mary abound, and in honor of its history, each St. Regis hotel has its own signature Bloody Mary. The luxurious Lanesborough Hotel in London, part of the St. Regis family, makes one with fresh yellow tomato juice and rosemary-infused vodka. In Kauai, the Aloha Mary is a blend of organic Hawaiian vodka, Clamato juice, wasabi, Sriracha and local guava wood-smoked sea salt, garnished with sea asparagus.

In the words of cocktail writer Wayne Curtis, “The Bloody Mary is not a spirits-driven drink-- and that’s part of the appeal, especially among weekend home bartenders. The tomato juice and vodka form a blank canvas on which one may create freehand artistry in the medium of spices--more horseradish or black pepper for some, a touch of clam juice for others. It’s a cocktail that doesn’t require a jigger, rather just a modicum of culinary instincts.”

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The Shell Game gene bourg looks under the half-shell for Louisana Oyster Dishes

Becoming an oyster lover calls for a certain amount of daring.

“It was a bold person that first ate an oyster,” England’s Jonathan Swift once quipped. He no doubt spoke for the multitudes who’ve been put off by this sea creature’s dreary color and overall unfortunate looks, as well as a “mouth feel” that doesn’t exactly encourage chewing.

But downing a raw oyster for the first time can be a rite of passage that opens the door to years of good eating.

Oysters have some advantages over other shellfish. They’re available year-round rather than just seasonally. They not only can be eaten raw but fried, broiled, steamed, stewed, roasted or baked. Some old cookbooks even offer recipes for boiling them.

In New Orleans homes and restaurants you’re likely to find cooked oysters most often in poor boys, gumbos and dressings. But when the occasion calls for more elaborate fare, chances are they’ll reach the table sitting on their bottom shells, lightly baked under a sauce of one kind or another and resting on a bed of rock salt to keep them warm. Each version of baked or broiled oysters on the half-shell in its own way can turn a not-so-pretty morsel into a feast for both the eye and palate.

The variety of half-shell treatments goes far beyond the ones that carry names like Rockefeller (bathed in a butter sauce of aromatic greens and bread crumbs, with a touch of anisette liquor) and Bienville (topped with cheese and a cream sauce with minced shrimp).

Since the 1980s, when New Orleans restaurant chefs started fearlessly improvising on the city’s classic cooking style, the term “oysters on the half-shell” has come to identify a whole new category of seafood dishes based on a formidable line-up of toppings and cooking techniques.

Meat, especially pork, is not off-limits when it comes to flavoring the garnishes. At Mr. B’s, chef Michelle McRaney places fried, rather

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Top: Chef Tenney Flynn’s Smoked Sizzling Oysters at GW Fins.

Bottom: The Grand Oysters are topped with pepper jack cheese and tasso at Grand Isle on Fulton Street.

Top Left: Oysters Rockefeller were created at Antoine’s Restaurant in 1899. Top Right: Oysters Bienville at Pascal’s Manale Restaurantgo for the BBQ Shrimp, but don’t miss the Bienville. Bottom Right: The Sizzling Oysters at Restaurant R’evolution in the Royal Sonesta Hotel are artfully presented on a disk of pink Himalayan salt, as well as the traditional rock salt. Bottom Right: Bourbon House’s Oysters Fonseca is prepared similar to Rockefeller and Bienville, but the topping includes a blend of tasso, minced peppers and parmesan cheese.

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Bourbon House knocks it out of the park for the oyster lover-OYSTERS 3 WAYS: a bowl of oyster chowder, 3 freshly shucked oysters and one half of a fried oyster po-boy, is available as a lunch special exclusively at the oyster bar.

than raw, oysters on the shell and spoons onto them a hollandaise flavored with bacon and horseradish. Bits of andouille sausage and eggplant are the flavor providers in oysters Ohan, a menu fixture for decades at Arnaud’s.

At Grand Isle, chef Mark Falgoust combines tasso with jalapeño and Monterey Jack to create “Grand Oysters,” one of the restaurant’s signature dishes.

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In what could be the most innovative departure from the New Orleans half-shell tradition in recent years, the Cvitanovich family at Drago’s Seafood Restaurant in Metairie introduced the char-grilled oyster. The technique involves moistening the oyster in its shell with a butter sauce zestily seasoned with garlic, lemon and parmesan, then broiling it in reverse, with the heat source coming from below.

A number of the city’s restaurant chefs have picked up or improvised on the Dragos’ new wrinkle. One is Tenney Flynn of GW Fins.

“We wanted to do something similar to chargrilled oysters,” Flynn said, “the process used at Drago’s takes up a lot of stove space, which we don’t have, and almost constant attention, which can be difficult to give on really busy nights.”

After some experimenting and thought, Flynn came up with a dish he calls “smoked sizzling oysters.” It involves plopping chilled, smoked oysters onto super-hot bottom shells for a light cooking, then adding a simple lemon butter.

“For this to work we start with large oysters,” he said. “Smaller ones just don’t do it.”

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Top Left: Angels on Horseback are Oysters wrapped in bacon and lightly fried at Superior Seafood and Oyster Bar on St. Charles Avenue.

Top Right: The Oyster Puff Pastries--an homage to the Oyster Patty- are overflowing with creamed spinach, topped with fried oysters and drizzled with Crystal beurre blanc sauce at Royal House. Bottom Left: Mr. B’s Crispy Oysters are topped with a dollop of bacon-spiked Hollandaise. Bottom Right: Oysters Maque Choux are grilled on the half shell with corn, peppers and onion at Royal House Oyster Bar.

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First, the oysters are seasoned with Paul Prudhomme’s Shrimp Magic seasoning (“Paul may have mixed it for shrimp, but it’s terrific with these oysters,” Flynn says.) After getting a good chilling, they’re cold-smoked over hickory in a barrel smoker for amount three minutes, then returned to the refrigerator.

Meanwhile the oyster bottom shells (which have been meticulously cleaned and completely dried) are being heated to about 700 degrees, making each one a virtual cooking vessel.

“Immediately before they leave the kitchen,” the chef continued, “we drop the chilled, smoked oysters onto the super-hot shells and arrange them on a bed of rock salt. Then we sauce them with butter, lemon juice and parsley, which adds more sizzle.”

Because of the importance of precise timing,” Flynn added, “we can’t do them on nights when we’re really busy. But when they are on the menu we’ll sell about 40 servings a night.”

GW Fins’ sizzling oysters are among the dishes that straddle the fence separating raw from cooked. Some years ago, finding ice-cold raw ones on a hot summer’s day was difficult. The prevailing belief was that from May to August raw oysters were either inferior, a disease risk or both. That sentiment began disappearing with improvements in refrigeration, a boon for both the oyster bars and their customers.

In New Orleans, every raw-oyster lover seems to have a favorite do-it-yourself cocktail-sauce dip with its own combinations and proportions of ketchup, hot sauce, horseradish and lemon juice. It’s an ages-old concoction that has virtually no chance of dying out. Those who’ll allow themselves other options might try a classic that’s found its way to some New Orleans restaurants. It’s the mignonette sauce, essentially wine vinegar with salt, pepper and either shallots or sweet onions.

A step higher on the creative scale is one of the raw-oyster garnishes that Ben Thibodeaux, chef de cuisine at Dickie Brennan’s Tableau, discovered while working under a Michelin two-star chef, Richard Coutanceau, in La Rochelle, France. It’s a dollop of either passionfruit or honeydew sorbet sprinkled with pink peppercorns. Call it glamour on the half-shell.

Gene Bourg has been an independent journalist since 1994, when he ended his nine-year tenure as restaurant reviewer for the Times-Picayune in New Orleans. His work has appeared in Gourmet, Saveur and Food & Wine among others. In 1996, he received the National Magazine Award for a Saveur feature article on Louisiana’s Acadian culinary culture.

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Oyster Choices

gene bourg on oysters-- fire and ice Eating briny Louisiana oysters-- freshly shucked on the half-shell- is an age old tradition that still keeps both young and old bellying up to the raw bars of New Orleans. Oysters have some advantages over other shellfish. They’re available year-round rather than just seasonally. They not only can be eaten raw but fried, broiled, steamed, stewed, roasted or baked.

On Ic e

Acme Oyster House 724 Iberville Street T 522.5973

Borgne

601 Loyola Avenue T 504.613.3860

Bourbon House

144 Bourbon Street T 504.522.0111

The Blue Crab

7900 Lakeshore Drive - Lakefront T 504.284.2898

Casamento’s Restaurant 4330 Magazine Street T 504.895.9761

Desire Oyster Bar and Bistro Royal Sonesta Hotel 300 Bourbon Street T 301.9061

Drago’s Seafood Restaurant

3232 N. Arnoult Road - Metairie T 504.888.9254 2 Poydras Street - Hilton Riverside T 504.584.3911

Felix’s Restaurant and Oyster Bar 739 Iberville Street T 504.464.0712

Grand Isle

575 Convention Center Blvd.

T 504.520.5830

Lüke

333 St. Charles Avenue T 504.378.2840

Mr.Ed’s Oyster Bar & Fish House 3117 21st Street - Metairie 504.833.6310

Pascal’s Manale Restaurant 1838 Napoleon Avenue T 504.895.4877

Peche

800 Magazine Street T 504.522.1744

Red Fish Grill

115 Bourbon Street T 504.598.1200

Rémoulade

309 Bourbon Street T 504.523.0377

Royal House

441 Royal Street T 504.528.2601

Superior Seafood and Oyster Bar 4338 St Charles Avenue T 504.293.3474

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In what could be the most innovative departure from the New Orleans half-shell tradition in recent years, the Cvitanovich family at Drago’s Seafood Restaurant in Metairie introduced the char-grilled oyster. The technique involves moistening the oyster in its shell with a butter sauce zestily seasoned with garlic, lemon and parmesan, then broiling it in reverse, with the heat source coming from below rather than above.

Flame-Kissed Acme Oyster House 724 Iberville Street T 522.5973

Borgne

601 Loyola Avenue T 504.613.3860

Desire Oyster Bar and Bistro Royal Sonesta Hotel 300 Bourbon Street T 301.9061

Drago’s Seafood Restaurant

3232 N. Arnoult Road - Metairie T 504.888.9254 2 Poydras Street - Hilton Riverside T 504.584.3911

Royal House

441 Royal Street T 504.528.2601

Superior Seafood and Oyster Bar 4338 St Charles Avenue T 504.293.3474

The original Chargrilled Oysters at Drago’s

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CELEBRATE

The 3 Millionth BBQ Oyster at Ralph Brennan’s

Red Fish Grill

Tommy Beaudreau (center, pictured with Ralph Brennan and Chef Austin Kirzner ) ordered the 3 millionth BBQ Oyster at Red Fish Grill last March.

Ironically, he is the director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), which is responsible for overseeing the nation’s offshore resources.

Most of us are greeted with the newspaper outside our door each morning, but at Ralph Brennan’s Red Fish Grill, it’s a whole different story. Their daily delivery comes in the form of sack after sack of Gulf Coast Oysters, piled high and totaling about 7,000 to 9,000 briny mouthfuls a week. Last March marked a pivotal point for the restaurant when chef Austin Kirzner popped open a “big-boy” with his well-worn knife, and flung it into the fryer to cook the 3-millionth BBQ Oyster. Ever since the doors opened at the popular Bourbon

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Street restaurant fifteen years ago, the sacks have actually added up to way beyond 3-million of the succulent, milky treasures, but that’s about the number that have ended up in the beloved BBQ Oyster dish, in which the flash fried beauties, lightly drenched in Crystal Hot Sauce, are drizzled with House-made Blue Cheese Dressing. Coinciding with the 3millionth BBQ Oyster celebration, Red Fish Grill is extending the celebration by hosting an interactive online competition for the entire year, asking lovers of the restaurant’s signature

Recipe

BBQ Oysters - Red Fish Grill

yield: 6 appetizer or 4 main-course servings Oysters: canola oil, for deep frying 2c seasoned flour 36 ea medium-to-large oysters,* drained 1c blue-cheese dipping sauce method: Heat the oil in a deep fryer to 350 degree F, or heat 1 1/2 to 2 inches of oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat to 350 degrees. Place the seasoned flour in a large mixing bowl. Once the oil has almost reached 350 degrees, drain any excess oyster liquor from a batch of the oysters and dredge them in the seasoned flour. Carefully slide the oysters into the oil. (As the cold oysters come in contact with the hot oil, it may momentarily bubble up in the pan.) Fry the oysters just until golden brown and crispy, about two minutes. Remove the finished oysters from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Repeat to dredge and fry the remaining oysters. As soon as all the oysters have been fried and drained, add small batches of them to the bowl of barbecue sauce and toss to coat well.

Serve while still warm.

BBQ Oysters to “Build Your Own Next Best” Oyster Dish (BYONB.) The name of one lucky participant will be randomly drawn to receive up to one dozen free oysters, every day, any way, for LIFE! (No purchase is necessary.)

Bring your dish suggestions by choosing from a specific selection of ingredients and techniques like a sprinkle of Garlic, dollop of Ranch, creamy Brie, and Bacon - Raw, Fried, Poached and much more. The world is your oyster!

Visit: Redfishgrill.com/3millionBBQoysters.html

BBQ Sauce: 1/4 c plus 2 T mild-flavored Louisiana pepper sauce, such as Crystal brand 1T clover honey 6T clarified butter method: Combine the hot sauce and honey in a blender. Set aside. In a very small saucepan, heat the clarified butter to 140 degrees F over medium heat, using a frying thermometer to access temperature.

You may also heat the butter in a microwave oven in a small microwaveable bowl. Promptly turn the blender to low speed and slowly pour the 140 degree butter in a thin steady stream through the hole in the blender’s lid. Pour this barbecue sauce in a large, nonreactive mixing bowl and set aside.

Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce: 4 oz Stilton or other blue cheese, crumbled 3/4 c mayonnaise, preferably homemade 2T buttermilk 2T sour cream 1T distilled white vinegar 1 1/2 T vegetable oil 1T minced flat-leaf (Italian) parsley leaves 1/8 t kosher salt 1/8 t freshly ground black pepper method: Combine all the ingredients in a mediumsize mixing bowl, blending well with a whisk.

Serving Suggestion: Before using the dipping sauce, refrigerate it in a covered container at least four hours or overnight to let the flavors develop, then season with more kosher salt and pepper if desired. Keep refrigerated and use within four days.

Yields 1 1/2 cups.

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V ictorians devoured raw oysters by the bushel full. And 19th century hostesses required appropriate tableware on which to serve the luscious bivalves. The colorful and varied plates produced in European and American factories during the mid to late 19th century continue to attract collectors. In fact, the collecting of oyster plates seems to be escalating as their use diminishes. In South Louisiana, oysters are still a popular seafood choice-- but, when eaten raw, they are most likely consumed freshly shucked at a favorite oyster bar. However, these formerly formal yet functional serving pieces remain in demand-- oyster plates are available in several antique shops around town in an amazing variety of shapes, colors, and decoration that makes for a spectacular wall or cabinet display. Plates produced by most factories were of three basic styles: deep welled plates to provide for oysters on the half shell in a bed of ice;

Ă la mode

kendall gensler starts a collection of

oyster plates

The Oyster Bar at Bourbon House is lined with a collection of Oyster Plates.

plates for oysters on the half shell without ice; and the ones we see most frequently today, plates for oysters without shells. Five or six depressions for oysters are most common; however, plates can contain as few as two or three wells and platters as many as two dozen. There are also plenty of "oyster shooters", which are used for serving a single oyster. Majolica oyster plates, probably because of their bright colors and unique styling, remain a prime collector's choice. Many designs featured shell patterns, sometimes including other sea creatures. As in nearly every collecting field, condition and rarity determine the price of these colorful plates. Pop your head into Passages Antiques on Magazine Street or Moss Antiques on Royal for some fine examples... and when you’ve worked up an appetite-- head over to the oyster bar at Bourbon House where an impressive collection of oyster plates lines the top of the bar.

Oy steria Inc. is an Oyster Plate & Accessories business established in 2010 by friends Monique Chauvin and Leslie Stidd Massony. Their works reflect their love of this city, our culinary culture & decorative arts. All pieces are handcrafted, fired in New Orleans and are made to be used, enjoyed and collected.

The two teamed up creatively when Leslie joined the staff at Mitch's Flowers, owned by Monique Chauvin. They loved to challenge themselves artistically beyond their floral talents. Their hobbies: studying art, painting, playing around with clay, and entertaining.

Leslie's life-long love of oysters helped shape their artistic focus. According to Leslie, "being a real New Orleans girl, an oyster was my first solid food!" And when they were asked to come up with a plate design for a gift ...Oysteria, Inc. was born.

Although only established in 2010, Oysteria products are now hot items coveted by locals, as well as fans across the country. The line can also be found in many fine New Orleans shops and of course, Mitch's Flowers, on Magazine Street where it all began.

Oysteria Options: On the Half Shell Plates are available in half dozen and full dozen. Appetizer service pieces are available in ramekin, single oyster shell plate, and three oyster shells plate. Platters are available in large and small ovals and rectangles with half shell nesting bowls. The extra large bowl is perfect for oven to table oyster dressing service! All dishware is hand-crafted, oven-safe and dishwasher-safe in two colorways: Earth and Patina.

Moss Ant iques

411 Royal Street New Orleans, LA 70130 504.522.3981 mossantiques.com

Passages Antiques

3939 Magazine Street New Orleans, LA 70115 504.899.3883 passages-antiques.com

Oysteria

4843 Magazine Street New Orleans, LA 70115 504.899.4843 oysterianola.com

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Buy the Book

Down South

Chef Donald Link

Perhaps best known as the James Beard Award-winning chef behind some of New Orleans’s most beloved restaurants, Do nald Link also has a knack for sniffing out a backyard barbecue wherever he travels and scoring an invitation to sample some of the best food around. In Do wn So uth: Bourbo n, Pork, Gulf Shrimp & Seco nd Helpings of Ev ery thing he combines his talents to unearth true down home Southern cooking so everyone can pull up a seat at the table.

Ham Hocks and Crowder Peas

Easy Pickled Chile Vinegar This quick method for pickling chiles will add a punch of flavor to countless dishes. It will last in your fridge for several months.

Banana peppers work particularly well because they’re a nice, medium-heat pepper, hot enough to be interesting, but not so much as to be overpowering. The idea is to use a generous amount of the vinegar and chiles in a dish to add that pickled tartness.

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Ingredients for the Vinegar: 2c sliced banana chiles, stemmed but not seeded 1c sliced serrano chiles, stemmed but not seeded 3c distilled white vinegar 3/4 c sugar 1t kosher salt

Link rejoices in the slow-cooked pork barbecue of Memphis, fresh seafood all along the Gulf coast, peas and shell beans from the farmlands in Mississippi and Alabama, Kentucky single barrel bourbon, and other regional standouts in 110 recipes and 100 color photographs. Along the way, he introduces all sorts of characters and places, where tall tales are told, drinks are slung back, and great food is made to be shared.

Recipe

Aunt Sally’s Coconut Pie

Recipe

Yield: Serves 6 to 8

I love the new direction of Southern food using more worldly ingredients and different preparations, but this is one dish that I just wouldn’t touch. Every time I eat this I am transported back to my grandad’s kitchen and the warmth and security of what it feels like when the smells of ham hocks and fresh shelled peas are hanging in the air and everything in the world is perfect.

Ingredients:

2 ea 1 ea 2 ea 2 lbs

smoked ham hocks onion, cut into medium dice bay leaves fresh crowder peas, shelled or other field peas 1 T + 1 t kosher salt 1t black pepper 3T Easy Pickled Chile Vinegar (recipe follows)

method: To make the broth, combine the hocks, onion, bay leaves, and 3 1/2 quarts water in a medium heavy-bottomed pot. Bring to a boil over high heat and then reduce the heat so that the water simmers.

Cover and cook until the ham hocks are completely tender, about 4 hours.

Add the peas, salt, and pepper and cook until the peas are tender, 30 to 45 minutes. Make sure the peas have enough liquid to cover them throughout the cooking process. If the liquid seems to be evaporating too quickly, cover the pot. The liquid should soak up into the beans as they cook; when they are done, the liquid level should be even with the peas. Stir in the chile vinegar before serving. method: Put the sliced chiles in a 1-quart glass jar. Bring the vinegar, sugar, and salt to a boil in a nonreactive saucepan. Cool briefly and then pour the hot vinegar over the chiles. Cool again for a few minutes, then cover with the lid and refrigerate for up to 3 months.

Yield: One 9-inch Pie 4 ea large eggs 1 2/3 c sugar 11 T unsalted butter, melted 1T distilled white vinegar 1t vanilla extract 1c sweetened shredded coconut 1/2 recipe Flaky Pie Crust, baked (recipe follows)

Flaky Pie Crust Makes 2 - 9 inch rounds 12 T (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces 1/2 c rendered lard, cold 3c all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling 1T sugar 1t kosher salt 1/4 t baking powder Heat the oven to 375ºF. method: Whisk the eggs, sugar, melted butter, vinegar, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl until well combined. Scatter the coconut over the pie crust and pour the filling on top. Bake until the filling is set, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the pie to completely cool on a wire rack before serving. Using your fingers, work the butter and lard into the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder until the mixture has a mealy consistency. Add 1/2 cup ice cold water and work the liquid into the flour mixture until combined. Divide the dough in half. If you’re using only half the dough, wrap and freeze half for up 2 months (defrost before rolling). Chill the other half for 30 minutes before rolling it out on a lightly floured work surface into a 1/4-inch-thick circle. Drape the dough over the rolling pin to transfer it into a 9-inch pie pan.

Use a knife to trim the excess from around the edge.

Use a fork to prick holes in the bottom of the crust and then chill the crust in the freezer for 15 minutes. While the crust chills, heat the oven to 350ºF. Bake the crust until light golden, about 25 minutes. Cool completely before filling.

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CHEF JOHN BESH

Cooking from the Heart, Chef John Besh’s third cookbook, revisits the locations, lessons, and mentors that shaped his culinary journey. From Germany’s Black Forest to the mountains of Provence, each chapter highlights heartfelt memories and delicious recipes-the framework for his love of food.

Recipe Yield: Serves 8 A caramel tart is one of those desserts that I was intrigued by as I was learning pastry and becoming a chef. I marveled at how adaptable the recipe is to so many different ingredients, both fruits and nuts, whatever’s in season. Try making it with figs or the delicate little mirabelle plums instead of the bananas, and pecans or walnuts instead of pistachios.

Ingredients: 1/2 c

3 ea 1c 1/4 c 1t 3 ea 1/2 c

(1 stick) butter, plus 1 T softened butter for the pan Basic Sweet Tart Dough (below) eggs sugar all-purpose flour vanilla extract Pinch salt bananas, peeled and sliced shelled pistachios, whole and halved

method: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush a 10-inch tart pan or pie dish with the 1 tablespoon softened butter and dust with flour. Roll the Tart Dough on a well-floured surface until it’s 1/4 inch thick. Line the tart pan with the dough, and trim excess dough.

Melt the 1/2 cup butter in a small saucepan over low heat and simmer until it turns amber, 10–12 minutes.

With a hand or stand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until fluffy and pale yellow. Slowly add the browned butter, flour, vanilla, and salt and beat until smooth.

Layer the bananas on the bottom of the tart shell.

Spoon in the filling and spread on top of the bananas.

Bake the tart about 20 minutes, then top with the pistachios. Return to the oven and bake until the top is golden brown, 20–25 minutes. method: In a large mixing bowl, cut the cold butter into the flour until the flour has the consistency of semolina. Add the sugar, milk, egg, zest, and salt and mix by hand until a crumbly dough is formed. Shape the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least an hour before using, or freeze for later use.

CULINARY CONCIERGE | MID - WINTER 2014 | 25

on the menu a selection of seasonal menus

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MiLa Restaurant Dickie Brennan’s

Tableau

Restaurant Directory

Modern Southern

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CULINARY CONCIERGE | NEW ORLEANS

on the menu

on the menu

French Creole Revisited TABLEAU

LUNCH MENU

Monday-Saturday 11:30am to 2:30pm

Sandwiches & Po-Boys All served with Pommes Frites

TABLEAU TRIPLE CHEESEBURGER (3) 2 oz beef patties, topped with American cheese, housemade pickles, and sliced onion on an egg & onion bun.

Served with housemade ketchup and Crystal aioli CRABMEAT RAVIGOTE Jumbo lump crabmeat in a lemon-green onion aioli with chiffonade iceberg lettuce on housemade ciabatta FRIED OYSTER ROCKEFELLER PO-BOY Cornmeal dusted P&J oysters, fried, shaved red onion and lemon aioli served on French bread with creamed spinach and fresh spinach

FRIED SHRIMP PO-BOY Louisiana shrimp fried golden brown, with iceberg lettuce, sliced tomato, shaved red onion, and housemade pickle served on French bread with Crystal aioli PANEED VEAL SANDWICH Breaded veal cutlets, pan-fried, with fresh spinach and shaved red onion - served on housemade ciabatta with St. Agur bleu cheese

616 St. Peter Street New Orleans, LA 70116 Phone: 504.934.3463 Monday - Thursday 11:30AM - 10:00PM Friday 11:30AM - 11:00PM Saturday 11:30AM - 11:00PM Sunday 10:00AM - 10:00PM Brunch is served on Sunday Located on picturesque Jackson Square at Le Petit Theatre, Tableau is Dickie Brennan’s newest restaurant.

The menu, developed by Chef Ben Thibodeaux, showcases regional ingredients and revisits classic French Creole dishes.

The cuisine is sophisticated, yet true to tradition, with great depth of flavor.

Guests enjoy a front row seat to the culinary action beside the open kitchen in the restaurant’s main dining room.

Make sure to check out the Courtyard; as well as, the balcony with a birds eye view of Jackson Square.

BLACKENED CHICKEN SANDWICH Dressed with gruyere, fresh spinach, shaved onion on a egg and onion bun

ENTRÉE SALADS served with half cup of Turtle Soup or French Onion Soup

BLEU CHEESE SALAD Spinach, celery, pecans, shaved red onions, and seasonal fruit tossed with a sherry-cane vinaigrette and set aside a square of St. Agur bleu cheese

SEAFOOD & ASPARAGUS Chilled asparagus topped with jumbo lump crabmeat ravigote, boiled shrimp and sliced tomato, dressed with a lemon-tarragon Dijon vinaigrette GRILLED CHICKEN MAISON Sliced chicken breast atop romaine and iceberg lettuce with tomato, red onion, hearts of palm, and cucumber, drizzled with a lemon-tarragon Dijon vinaigrette FRIED OYSTER SALAD Over spinach with pecans, shaved red onions, sherry cane vinaigrette and goat cheese

DAILY BAR SPECIALS ~ 3 PM – 7 PM $5 Classic Cocktails, Wines by the Glass, $3.50 Draft Pints

BAR SNACKS Pommes Frites with Housemade Ketchup & Crystal Aioli Poutine Pommes Frites with French Onion and Gruyere Housemade Creole Cream Cheese with Pepper Jelly & Toast Points Truffled White Bean Puree served with Toast Points CULINARY CONCIERGE | MID - WINTER 2014 | 29

RESTAURANT

DIRECTORY

Oyster House 724 Iberville Street - French Quarter 1 Acme New Orleans Seafood

504.522.5973

No Reservations Average Entrée: $15; All Major Credit Cards acmeoyster.com Sunday -Thursday: 11AM -10PM; Friday-Saturday: 11AM-11PM Raw Oysters; Char-Grilled Oysters; Oyster Shooters; Gumbo; Oyster Rockefeller Soup; Jambalaya; Red Beans& Rice; Po-Boys

2 Antoine’s French Creole

713 St. Louis Street - French Quarter

504.581.4422

Reservations Recommended antoines.com

Average Entrée: $28; All Major Credit Cards Lunch Served Friday, Dinner Mon. & Thurs. - Sat., Sun. Brunch Escargots a la Bourguignonne, Pompano Pontchartrain, Cotelettes d'agneau Grillées, Chateaubriand, Omelette Alaska Antoine

Arnaud’s

813 Bienville Street - French Quarter

Classic Creole Average Entrée: $25; All Major Credit Cards Dinner Nightly, Jazz Brunch Sun., Jazz Nightly in Jazz Bistro Shrimp Arnaud, Turtle Soup, Trout Meunière, Soufflé Potatoes with Béarnaise Sauce

Restaurant August

301 Tchoupitoulas Street - CBD

504.523.5433

Reservations Recommended arnauds.com

504.299.9777

Contemporary French Reservations Recommended Average Entrée: $28; All Major Credit Cards rest-august.com Lunch Monday - Friday, Dinner 7 Days a Week Hand-Made Potato Gnocchi tossed with Crabmeat & Truffle, Roasted Rack and Braised Shoulder of Lamb with Lamb Sweetbread Ragôut

House 3 Bourbon New Orleans Seafood

144 Bourbon Street - French Quarter

Average Entrée: $21; All Major Credit Cards Lunch & Dinner Served Daily Plateaux de Fruits de Mer, Redfish on the Half Shell, Deviled Stuffed Crab

Broussard’s

819 Rue Conti - French Quarter

504.522.0111

Reservations Not Required bourbonhouse.com

504.581.3866

Continental Creole Reservations Recommended Average Entrée: $29; All Major Credit Cards broussards.com Dinner Monday - Sunday 5:30 pm - 10:00 pm Turtle Soup au Sherry, Wild Gulf Shrimp Herbsaint, Creole Spice-Crusted Aged Ribeye, Tournedos La Louisiane, Delice Madame P for Two

Café Adelaide

300 Poydras Street - CBD

Contemporary Creole Average Entrée: $29; All Major Credit Cards Lunch Served Mon. - Fri., Dinner Mon. - Sat. BBQ Shrimp Shortcake, Shrimp and Grits, Old Fashioned Duck Breast and Crispy Oysters

Cochon

930 Tchoupitoulas Street - Warehouse District

504.595.3305

Reservations Recommended cafeadelaide.com

504.588.2123

Cajun and Southern Cuisine Reservations Available Average Entrée: $20; All Major Credit Cards cochonrestaurant.com Lunch Served Mon. - Fri., Dinner Mon. - Sat. “Link” Sausage with Stone Ground Grits, Louisiana Cochon du Lait, Rabbit & Dumplings, Oyster & Bacon Sandwich, Catfish Sauce Piquante

Commander’s Palace

1403 Washington Avenue - Garden District

504.899.8221

Contemporary Creole Reservations Required Average Entrée: $28; All Major Credit Cards commanderspalace.com Lunch & Dinner Served Mon. - Fri., Brunch Sat. & Sun. Gulf Hake Ceviche, Gumbo, Turtle Soup au Sherry, Black Skillet Seared Muscovy Duck Breast, Onion-Crusted Gulf Snapper

in the Monteleone Hotel 214 Royal Street - French Quarter 4 Criollo Spanish, French, African and Caribbean Cuisine

504.681.4444

Brennan’s Steakhouse 5 Dickie Prime Steaks

504.522.2467

Reservations Recommended Average Entrée: $16; All Major Credit Cards hotelmonteleone.com/criollo Breakfast: 6:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Lunch: 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Dinner: 5:30 - until Country Style Heirloom Tomato Galette, Grilled Shellfish Panzanella Salad, Softshell Crab “BLT”; Pan Seared Diver Scallops & Short Rib

716 Iberville Street - French Quarter

Reservations Recommended Average Entrée: $31; All Major Credit Cards dickiebrennanssteakhouse.com Lunch Served Mon. - Fri., Dinner Nightly Barbeque Rib-Eye topped with Abita beer Barbque Shrimp, Tomato-Bleu Cheese Napoleon, Bananas Foster Bread Pudding

Domenica

123 Baronne Street - CBD

504.648.6020

Italian Reservations Recommended Average Entrée: Under $30 ; All Major Credit Cards chefjohnbesh.com Lunch and Dinner served Daily Housemade Salumi with Torta Fritta; Octopus Carpaccio; Squash Blossoms with Goat Cheese; Lasagne Bolognese; Gianduja Budino

Drago’s

Two Poydras Street, Hilton Hotel - CBD; 3232 North Arnoult Road

Emeril’s

800 Tchoupitoulas Street, New Orleans - Warehouse District

Seafood Average Entrée: $20; All Major Credit Cards Lunch & Dinner Served Mon. - Fri., Dinner Served Sat. Charbroiled Oysters, Mama Ruth’s Gumbo, Lobster, Crescent City Shrimp, Seafood Platters

504.888.9254

Reservations not Taken dragosrestaurant.com

504.528.9393

Creole, Seafood Reservations Required Average Entrée: $28; All Major Credit Cards emerils.com Lunch Served Mon. - Fri. Dinner Served Nightly New Orleans Barbecue Shrimp Served with Rosemary Biscuits, Banana Cream Pie with Banana Crust, Caramel Sauce and Chocolate Shavings

Galatoire’s

209 Bourbon Street - French Quarter

French Creole Average Entrée: $22; All Major Credit Cards Lunch & Dinner Served Tues. - Sun. Shrimp Rémoulade, Oysters Rockefeller, Trout Amandine, Crabmeat Maison, Chicken Clemenceau

The Grill Room at the Windsor Court Hotel

300 Gravier - CBD

504.525.2021

Reservations Available galatoires.com

504.523.6000 ext.7098

Contemporary American Reservations Recommended Average Entrée: $32; All Major Credit Cards windsorcourthotel.com Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Served Daily Grill Room Oysters, Gulf Seafood Stew, Basil-Fed Snails with Herb Butter, Grass Fed Veal Porterhouse, Grilled Black Hog Pork Chop

GW Fins

808 Bienville Street - French Quarter

504.581.FINS

Global Seafood Reservations Recommended Average Entrée: $28; All Major Credit Cards gwfins.com Dinner Served Nightly until 11pm Crab Potstickers with Pea Shoot Butter, Louisiana Stone Crab Claws, Cashew-Peppercorn Crusted Swordfish, Wood Grilled Sea Scallops

337 Chartres St. - French Quarter 6 Kingfish Savour. Sip. Social.

504.598.5005

Reservations Accepted Average Entrée: $22; All Major Credit Cards kingfishneworleans.com Lunch Served Mon. - Sun. 11:30 - 2:30 pm, Dinner Sun. - Thurs. 5:30 - 10:00 pm; Fri. - Sat. 5:30 - 11:00 pm Oysters Thermidor, Shrimp Gaufre, Smoked Rabbit Gumbo,"Every Man a King" Fish, "Junky Chick" Rotisserie, Saratoga Steak Frites

La Petite Grocery

4238 Magazine St. - Uptown

504.891.3377

Contemporary Southern Reservations Recommended Average Entree: $26; All Major Credit Cards lapetitegrocery.com Lunch: Tue-Sat 11:30-2:30; Dinner: Sun-Thu 5:30-9:30; Fri-Sat 5:30 - 10:30; Brunch: Sun 10:30-2:30 Crab Beignets with malt vinegar aioli; Ricotta Dumplings with lobster, field peas & oregano; Gulf Shrimp and Grits, Alabama Peach Upside-Down Cake

Luke 333 St. Charles Ave., New Orleans - Central Business District

504.378.2840

Marriott 5 Fifty 5

555 Canal Street - French Quarter

504.553.5638

Martinique Bistro

5908 Magazine Street - Uptown

504.891.8495

Brasserie Fare Reservations Recommended Average Entree: $20; All Major Credit Cards chefjohnbesh.com Open Daily, 7 a.m. - 11 p.m. - Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Pate of Louisiana Rabbit and Duck Livers, Moules and Frites, Grilled Paillard of Organic Chicken, Jumbo Louisiana Shrimp “En Cocotte” Contemporary American Reservations Recommended Average Entrée: $28; All Major Credit Cards marriott.com Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Served Daily.

Seared Jumbo Scallops, Crispy Duck Leg Confit with Citrus Jus, Creole Mustard Glazed Niman Ranch Prok Tenderloin, Roasted Free-Range Chicken Tropical French Reservations Recommended Average Entree: $20; All Major Credit Cards martiniquebistro.com Lunch Served Thur. - Sat., Dinner Served Tues. - Sun., Brunch Served Sunday Grilled New Zealand Venison, Molasses Cured Oven Roasted Duck Breast & Confit Leq Quarter, Housemade Sorbets and Ice Creams

M Bistro Ritz-Carlton Hotel - 921 Canal Street - French Quarter

504.524.1331

Brasserie Fare Reservations Recommended Average Entree: $25; All Major Credit Cards ritzcarlton.com Open Daily, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner New Orleans BBQ “Shrimp & Grits”; Muffaletta Panzanella Salad, Filet of Beef with Blue Crab Bearnaise, Mini Beignet Bites

Restaurant 7 MiLA Seasonal Southern Fare

817 Common Street - New Orleans

MENU p. 28

504.412.2580

Reservations Available Average Entrée: $28; All Major Credit Cards milaneworleans.com Lunch: Monday - Friday, 11:30 am - 2:30 pm Dinner: Monday - Saturday 5:30 pm to 10:00 pm Oyster Rockefeller "Deconstructed"; Pan-Roasted Sweetbreads with Creamy Black Truffle GritsSweet Tea Brined Rotisserie Duck

1403 St. Charles Avenue - New Orleans 8 Miyako Japanese Seafood & Steak House

504.410.9997

Reservations Available japanesebistro.com

Average Entrée: $15 Average Sushi Rolls: $5; All Major Credit Cards Lunch & Dinner Served Daily Sushi, Sashimi, Miyako Rolls, Hibachi Lobster Tail, Filet, Steak, Shrimp, Scallops, Calamari

Jackson Square 9 Muriel’s Contemporary Creole Dining

801 Chartres Street - French Quarter

504.568.1885

Reservations Recommended Average Entrée: $20; All Major Credit Cards muriels.com Lunch and Dinner Served 7 Days, Sunday Jazz Brunch Turtle Soup, Wood-Grilled BBQ Shrimp, Pecan-Crusted Drum with Crabmeat Relish, Wood Grilled Rib-Eye; Wood Grilled Gulf Fish

Café 605 Canal Street - CBD/French Quarter 10 Palace Contemporary Creole

Average Entrée: $21; All Major Credit Cards Lunch Served Mon. - Fri., Dinner Mon. - Sat., Brunch Sunday Crabmeat Cheesecake, Pepper-Crusted Duck with Seared Foie Gras, White Chocolate Bread Pudding

Manale Restaurant 1838 Napoleon Ave - Uptown 11 Pascal’s Seafood, Steaks, Creole Italian and Oyster Bar

504.523.1661

Reservations Recommended palacecafe.com

504.895.4877

ReservationsRecommended Average Entree: $23; All Major Credit Cards pascalsmanale.com Monday - Friday 11:30am - 9:00pm; Saturday 5:00pm-10:00pm Closed Sunday Original BBQ Shrimp, Oyster Pan Roast, Oysters Rockefeller and Bienville; Veal Gambera; Shrimp Fra Diavolo; Bread Pudding

Ralph’s on the Park

900 City Park Avenue - Mid-City

504.488.1000

R’evolution in the Royal Sonesta Hotel 777 Bienville St. - French Quarter 12 Restaurant Imaginative Reinterpretations of Classic Cajun and Creole cuisine

504.553.2277

Globally Inspired Local Menu Reservations Reccomended Average Entrée: $23; All Major Credit Cards ralphsonthepark.com Dinner: Monday - Sunday: 5:30 pm – 9 pm; Friday Lunch 11:30 - 2 pm; Sunday Brunch 11 am - 2 pm Wild Mushroom Ravioli with Garlic Boursin Cheese, Sweet Vermouth Sauce & Crispy Leeks; Painted Hills Hanger Steak with pommes frites Reservations Recommended Average Entree: $32; All Major Credit Cards revolutionnola.com Dinner: Sunday-Thursday 5 -10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 5 -11 p.m.

Death by Gumbo, Creole Louisiana Snapping Turtle Soup, Crabmeat-stuffed Louisiana Frog Legs, Panéed Veal Chop with Truffle Aïoli

Rib Room at The Royal Orleans Hotel

621 St. Louis - French Quarter

504.529.7046

Prime Rib/ French Rotisserie/Modern American Creole Reservations Recommended Average Entrée: $28; All Major Credit Cards ribroomneworleans.com Open Daily 6:30 a.m. - 10 pm Warm Shrimp “Remoulade Style”, Roasted Prime Rib of Beef, Cast Iron Seared Filet Mignon with Southern Comfort - Cane Syrup Reduction

SoBou 310 Rue Chartres- French Quarter

504.552.4095

Stella!

504.587.0091

Spirits and Small Plates Reservations Available Average Entrée: $17; Small Plates: $7-$12 All Major Credit Cards sobounola.com Open Daily serving Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Sunday Brunch Duck Debris and Butternut Beignets; Crispy Oyster Tacos; French Market Veal Sandwich; Crispy Boudin Balls; Chocolate Coma Bar

1032 Chartres Street, Hotel Provincial - French Quarter

Contemporary New Orleans Reservations Recommended Average Entrée: $36; All Major Credit Cards restaurantstella.com Dinner Served Nightly Pan-Seared Dry Pack Scallops and Jumbo Gulf Shrimp with Truffle Andouille New Potato Hash and Caviar Butter; Chef’s Tasting Menu

616 St. Peter Street at Jackson Square - French Quarter 13 Tableau French Creole Cuisine with a Twist

MENU p. 29

504.934.3463

Reservations Accepted Average Entrée: $22; All Major Credit Cards tableaufrenchquareter.com Monday -Thursday 11:30 am-10pm; Fri - Sat 11:30 am - 11:00 pm; Sunday 10:00 am - 10:00 pm Shrimp Rémoulade, Oysters en Brochette, Crabmeat Ravigote, Truffled Crab Fingers, Creole French Onion Soup, Tournedos Rossini Moderne

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